Just Bein' Real

I'm jumping in to a new link up today. The challenge is to write for 5 minutes on the topic "Real."

Real.

Well, life is rushing ahead. Things are busy as always, the calendar as full as I ever remember it being. One event plows into another and there isn't much time to stop and think.

I make time. Sometimes. Like on my retreat in January. I need that time. Away from life, from home, from responsibility... time to focus solely on my relationship with God and where He is leading me. But, stopping time is rare and that is okay. Because I LOVE our life. our family. ministry. the busy, crazy schedule. I love it.

I'm needing some stopping time more than normal right now though.

Why?

Just bein' real here...

I have my next neurologist appointment on Tuesday. MRI and a visit with the doctor.

I have gone once a year in the past. This time she wanted to see me in 6 months.

When I've gone in the past, I haven't been really worried about it because my symptoms hadn't changed and things had remained steady.

This time the symptoms have changed. Things are different. I have to tell the doctor about all of it and see the results of the MRI.

MS is a real option here. That is scary.

MS is something that is crazy hard to diagnose and I might walk away with the same symptoms and no answers.

But, I might walk away with answers. Answers I don't want. Not at all.

Answers that mean big, huge life changes for us. Answers that mean tests and medicines and... stuff I'm sure I can't really understand yet.

How did this happen? How did I get so sick?

But, in being real, I have to say that God's peace is REAL through it all. He is walking this with me and although from my view, this wasn't in the plan... for God, well, He isn't surprised at all. He has a plan.

A plan that I will gladly walk, knowing that I'm being held in the palm of His hand.

Real.

A Mother Daughter Vlog

So, my good blog friends, Lynnette and September, have been doing vlogs with their kids.

Now, their kids are older than mine, but I still thought it would be fun to include Elayna in a vlog.

Here we are talking about the blog, Daddy, things Mommy likes, homeschooling, having sisters and the most popular vlog topic of all... FOOD!




That actually was really fun... I may have to vlog again with the other girls.

We'll see how that works for me.

*wink

Top Ten Tuesday: Big Changes

Big health scares will cause big changes.

Lifestyle changes that really matter.

I have found myself willing to do things, try things and change things that I never dreamed I could or would change.

I've never even had so much as an allergy... my girls are healthy, my husband is healthy... we both still have all of our grandparents. Jeremy even has a great-grandma living on her own!

We come from healthy families.

When I got sick last winter, experiencing on and off MS-like symptoms, I realized that health is one of the most important things.

So, if there is something I can do to stay healthy, I need to do it.

Whether I like it or not.

Even if it is weird or crazy or difficult.

When my neurologist at the Cleveland Clinic mentioned going gluten free and explained to me about autoimmune diseases and how the immune system is a deeply complex part of our bodies, I knew I had a lot to learn and a lot to change.

Here is a Top Ten list of my Big Changes:

1} Gluten Free eating - Biggest change EVER. Me? NO BREAD??? really? I am totally a bread girl. Any kind of bread or cake or cookie or noodle or biscuit or brownie or cereal. Giving up bread was crazy hard but a necessary thing to keep my immune system calm. There are also some studies being done about the gluten/dairy connection. I've now cut out milk because it seems to cause the same immune system reaction as gluten.

2} No Caffeine - None. Not a drop. Gone are the days of drinking coffee to wake up or stay awake. My system can not take it. I get shaky and anxious, have a headache and can't sleep. Before I got sick, I could drink anything, anytime and not ever have trouble sleeping or feel weird at all. Those days are over. Caffeine is not on the menu anymore.

3} No Diet Pop - Again... HUGE. I LOVE diet coke and diet pepsi. I so enjoy driving through Sonic on a hot day during happy hour to get a Vanilla Diet Coke... no more. I couldn't believe I was able to go without it but I have done fine! In fact, I cut out all dark pops. I may have a sprite or 7up once and awhile but pop doesn't even sound good anymore!

4} Fruits and Veggies - I am the mom who normally makes sure my girls have a few servings of each every day but never eats it herself. I love fruit but neither fruit or veggies are my first pick if I'm feeling hungry. But... now they are! I am eating more fresh produce and I can't tell you how much better I feel knowing that I've eaten well during the day.

5} Sleep - I have to have sleep. I can't stay up late and get up early for days on end anymore. I have to get enough sleep and even get rest during the day. 20 minutes of laying down on the couch or an hour to put my feet up is priceless in keeping me going. I have to get rest. A huge change for me, especially in our busy lives!

6} Oatmeal - This is a staple. With dried cranberries. every morning for breakfast. Low calorie, low fat, high fiber and heart healthy.

7} WATER - I drink it all day and have it with me at all times. I have to drink water.

8} Exercise - This is still a hard one for me. I really don't like to exercise but we had been working out very regularly before I got sick. When I got sick, I couldn't work out at all. I'm slowly figuring out how to exercise moderately without wearing myself out completely. It is a fine balance. I have discovered, though, that biking is something I CAN do and it doesn't wear me out! Biking might just be the way to go for me! And, I enjoy it! Yeah for family bike rides!

9} Read - Since I haven't been diagnosed with anything and I'm just being watched for MS because of my symptoms, I read and read and read. The more I know, the more I can ask questions and make sure that I'm heading in the right direction when I visit the doctor. They really are just human and auto immune diseases are tricky to begin with. Anything I can do to arm myself with information is a good thing!

10} Vitamins - This is another one that I'm not so good at. I just plain forget to take them! But, I'm working hard to at least remember a multi-vitamin, calcium, vitamin D and vitamin C.

Lots of big changes going on here.

I have realized that even if I seem to "suffer" because of all the "can't haves" and "must haves" in my life right now, it is worth it to slow down an autoimmune disease, improve nervous system health and be a healthy example to my girls!

"The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don't want, drink what
you don't like and do what you'd rather not."

- Mark Twain

Top Ten Tuesday: Dreaming...

I have to start this post by saying how incredibly thankful I am for absolutely everything that God has blessed our family with in our home, our relationships and our love for Him.

I have zero complaints nor do I feel the need to obsess over needing anything.

We are truly and completely cared for by our loving Father in heaven.

Above and beyond blessed. We may not have a lot of material possessions or extra money to spend but God has forever been and forever will be faithful to meet our needs.

That said...

I still think a girl can dream, right?

So, if I put together a Top Ten dream list, this is what is might look like...

1} a Canon Rebel T2i camera - my poor point and shoot camera is dying a little more everyday. I almost cried when I saw Elayna's blurry, smokey, fuzzy birthday pictures. In faith, my sweet husband bought me a Digital Photography magazine for $2/12issues as a surprise. The camera is still a dream but Jeremy is keeping my hopes alive issue by issue... he is such a great guy.

2} a Kindle - I downloaded the free Kindle for PC on my laptop so that I could start collecting the weekly free books offered by Amazon. It isn't fun to read a book on my big laptop though. Dreaming of the day that I can bring my books with me wherever I go...

3} an endless supply of Decaf KCups - I'm not even sure I can make a decent pot of coffee anymore. I use my Keurig most everyday. But, my birthday KCups have run out and I am dreaming of more...

4} a big bowl of cashews - buying nuts is NOT cheap and my adult taste buds have decided that a cashew is the best nut ever. enough said.

5} yummy coffee creamer - you can never have enough coffee creamer or enough flavors

6} a treadmill - most exercise isn't possible for me since I've been sick in the last year. But walking would be so good for me... dreaming of owning one for myself and dreaming that I really would use it every day... with our schedule and crazy Ohio weather, walking outside isn't always a good idea.

7} a few cute pairs of dressy flats - I need to invest in a whole new shoe wardrobe. I have numerous pairs of great shoes but they all have high heels or cute wedges on them. I can no longer tolerate a heel... flats are my only option. And there are some CUTE flats out these days!

8} an HGTV'd kitchen makeover - if you haven't seen our video entry yet, take a second, hop over and give us 5 stars! You can even leave a comment down under the video to help draw attention to our kitchen... I have no idea how they choose a winner but I am the winner in my dreams!

9} a new 2012 Honda - is this not the coolest looking van ever? I know... remember, I'm dreaming...

10} a little sunshine - Ohio has been pouring rain for two weeks! We are scheduled to have rain again this week until Thursday... enough already! Dreaming of sunshiny, warm spring days!

So, I hope you had fun dreaming with me...

Dreaming can be fun, right?

*all pictures taken from Google Images

Lynnette's Blog Party

Yeah! It is {Blog Party} time with my good blogging chum, Lynnette!

She has asked us some fun questions for our party posts. Here I go!

How would people describe your personality? (If they could only use ONE word.) Are they right? Well, one word... this is hard! Uhm... Nice? And, I would hope they are right!

What celebrity/celebrities would create a “Star-Struck” feeling if you saw them in real life? Who wouldn't feel star-struck meeting Karen Kingsbury. What an incredible author! or Beth Moore? Ah! How inspiring it would be to meet her in real life.

Who is your favorite blogger? Why? I have so many wonderful blog friends! How on earth can I choose? Especially when I love them for many different reasons. I love Lynnette's blog because it is one of the very first blogs that I ever read. She has become such a great chum - she loves that word :) - and I'm so thankful for her posts and her faith. I love He & Me + 3 and Holly and Melanie and Kelly and Jenney because I've had the opportunity to meet them in real life. I love Christina because she is a mentor and dear friend. I love Lazy Mom because, well, she is hilarious and we are quite often ministry buddies here in Ohio (July is going to be some serious togetherness at family camp and kids camp!) I have had some wonderful email conversations with Hilary and Mamabear. I enjoy reading Mckmama's blog with her bright, fun pictures. I have my "mom of 3 girls" blog friends Veronica and Kristin... I could go on and on! Uhm... Lynnette... you had to have known that would be a fully loaded question!

What is your comfort food/drink? Chocolate and Coffee, Ice cream, Hot Chocolate on a snowy day, Lays Potato Chips... dipped in chocolate... can you tell I love chocolate?

Be brave – tell us something very random and weird about yourself. My minivan is gross. I hate cleaning it. And it annoys Jeremy!

Movies: I like dramas and romances but only if they are clean and good movies. I have a very low tolerance any more for anything with any kind of questionable content. Pluggedin Online is my best friend these days!

Books: Christian Fiction is my favorite. I love settling in with a great and inspiring book! I also love a good devotional and study Bible.

Music: I love Christian music. I don't listen to anything else. Worship is my favorite and it is playing quite often throughout the day in our home. KLOVE plays in the van and I so enjoy hearing my girls voices raised in song to Jesus! I also crack up hearing them sing out with Newsboys or Sidewalk Prophets or Third Day. Music is such an incredible opening into their hearts! I can't tell you how many times God has used our trips in the car to speak into their lives through a song on the radio! The question "Mommy, what does this song mean..." becomes an irreplaceable teaching tool!

If you inherited a million dollars, what is the first thing you would do with your money? Tithe! How is that for an answer! I suppose after tithing, I would pay off our house and by a new van. I would fix up some things on our house. Then, I would take our family on an incredible vacation around the world.

Name one weakness of yours (confession is good for the soul). Balancing online time with family time. EVERYTHING we do these days is on the computer. Budget, shopping, research, homeschool lesson planning, email, church work... it all takes time. Not to mention leisure time on a blog or on facebook or twitter. A weakness is keeping that all balanced... shutting off the computer and fully focusing on my girls.

If you could live anywhere at all (and take all your loved ones with you), where would you go? On a huge piece of land with a big house out in the country somewhere. Hunting, fishing, animals, a big garden... all of it. Hills, a river, maybe even a view of the mountains. My girls in cowgirl boots and my husband living out all of his favorite naturey activities.

Strange Talent? Can you juggle basketballs, put your legs behind your head or some perform some other strange feat? see this post. Quirky Goodwins.

What’s something you consider yourself to be good at? (Don’t worry, it’s not bragging, it’s acknowledging a God given gift). God is growing in me the gift of teaching and speaking to women. I love seeing what He does in a group of women when the Word of God is taught and applied to our lives today! I also love speaking with my husband at kids events and camps. What an amazing honor to teach kids about having a personal relationship with God. It is something that neither Jeremy or I ever planned for but something that God is continuing to grow in us!

What is one of your favorite things to catch a whiff of? Subway and Panera. Roast cooking. Spaghetti sauce simmering. Coffee brewing. Brownies baking. Love. The. Smells.

When you leave a social gathering, do you wish: You would have talked more or You would have talked less? I suppose that changes for me sometimes... I have felt both ways!

If money wasn’t a factor, what stores would you shop in? Von Maur - have you seen this store? Ours has a live grand pianist playing at all times. GORGEOUS. Ann Taylor. Love some of their pieces. But, I'm sure I'd also just stick with Old Navy and Target and maybe splurge for clothing that is NOT on the sale rack!

What is your greatest fear? Fire. I've always been afraid of fire. Remember this post about my grilling abilities?

What is your greatest accomplishment? Because of God's amazing grace, I am living His dream for me. I am in full time ministry with a man that I dearly love, raising 3 girls to know Him and experiencing the thrill of sharing the gospel in Ohio and around the world. It really does not get any better than being in His will for your life!

What are your favorite animals? Not being a pet person, I like to enjoy animals from afar... at the zoo or on TV. Seeing whales while boating off the coast of Massachusetts was incredible. Living on a farm and seeing the cows frolic in the fields was beautiful. Enjoying the horses on a daily basis while they ran around the pasture was such a treat. But, having animals in my house or anywhere too close to me isn't my cup of tea.

Are you a hopeless romantic? I would say so. I love all things girly, flowery, romantic... anything that gives me that fluttery, warm feeling inside... yeah, that is me!

What movie or book character can you most relate to? I recently read "Friendship for Grown-Ups" by Lisa Whelchel and I really connected to Lisa's story and her journey.


Whew! This post has taken me a LONG time! Up and down... dinner, helping the girls, cleaning up, putting them to bed... But, I finished!

Did you make it to the end of my post? If you did, yeah for you! Welcome to our blog! Feel free to look around, read some of the crazy posts about our lives and follow our fun family.
I can't wait to hop around today and visit some new blogs. Thanks, Lynnette for hosting a blog party!

And, one thing before you go... would you click over to our HGTV'd entry and give us 5 stars? Feel free to leave a comment for us! We want to be HGTV'd! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

Our kitchen thanks you too!

29 Years...

1. lived in 4 States
2. traveled to Canada, the Caribbean, Honduras, Paris, Congo, and Turkey
3. married the love of my life
4. worked at Subway, a bank, a christian book store, a hotel, a candle store, a doctor's office
5. applied for the greatest job ever: motherhood
6. gave birth 3 times without ever feeling a contraction
7. ate a dried grasshopper
8. worked with my husband at 2 churches
9. went to 6 different schools
10. attended Central Bible College
11. lived in the middle of 2 sisters
12. became an aunt to 7 nieces and nephews
13. played clarinet
14. sang in a womens worship band
15. created some amazing life long friendships
16. working towards my license to preach
17. honored to teach
18. started homeschooling
19. learned how to kill bugs without using trapping jars
20. blessed to be parented by two amazing people
21. overjoyed at watching my girls grow up
22. called to minister in Africa
23. experienced the wonderful community of blogging
24. went gluten free
25. fell in love with God's Word
26. realized that cooking is not one of my favorite things
27. turned 20 on 02-20-02
28. married a man who loves to shop more than I do
29. looking ahead to many more meaningful and fun milestones as God continues to work in me for His glory

"...because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:5-6

The Blizzard Bloghop

I'm joining in with Ann Marie over at Household 6 Diva for the Blizzard Bloghop!

 

For those of you visiting from the Hop, welcome to The Goodwin Family blog!

 

I already have a pretty lengthy Meet Me page if you are interested in learning more about us. I loved how Cherie and Heart and Soul Reflections wrote out her blog hop page, so I'm going to follow her lead!

 

I'm a pastor's wife and homeschooling mom. I have 3 girls ages 7, 6 and 4. I love blogging about the fun and busy moments in our lives. I have to say, it is always a crazy adventure over here!

 

Some things I love: my Bible, my husband, my girls, coffee, books, blogging, reading, flavored coffee creamers, twitter, comfy jamies, teaching kids about Jesus, leading women's Bible studies, and watching my girls grow up!

 

Books I'm reading: The Shelter of God's Promises by Sheila Walsh, Soul Print by Mark Batterson, and No Place for a Lady by Maggie Brendan

 

Blogs I contribute to: Seeds of Faith

 

Thanks for visiting our blog today! I look forward to meeting you over at your blog!

Your questions answered...

When my blog reached 50,000 hits, I wrote this fun post.

A few of you asked a question or two so I'm answering them today!

Pastor Todd asked, "What do you like most about me?"

Odd question unless you know he is my crazy, joking, funny brother-in-law.

Well, Todd, I like that you married my sister and gave me a sweet niece. And that I can whoop you in Phase 10. I look forward to doing it again in just a few days.

My mom asked, "When are you coming home?"

This week, Mom, this week.

Kristin asked, "Do you have any recipes that you make for dinner that you want to share? I'm always running out of ideas!"

I have been making a few of the Lazy Mom's recipes these days! The lasagna and the cranberry chicken were both really good AND super easy!

Diana asked, "What's your favorite fruit... and why? Did you have a pet growing up... if so, what was it and it's name? Where and when were you baptized? What was your favorite class in high school? Who was your favorite teacher in high school? If you could go anywhere in the world without worrying about expense, time, or anything else, what place would you choose to visit? What do you like most about blogging... and what do you dislike about it?"

LOL, Diana! Let me try to answer those! Uhmm... My favorite fruit is apples. It has to be cold and crunchy! I think we had a dog when I was really little but I don't remember much about it. In middle school, I had a bunny that I think was named "Snowball". My favorite class in high school was... ok, I have two... Madrigals (choir) and accounting with my favorite teacher Mr. Starkey. He was also the basketball coach and he was so fun. Not to mention that I had him for gym (my LEAST favorite hour of the day) and he let me get away with not doing anything for gym! Love him! Oh boy... I have two answers for the next one too... I would LOVE to visit Alaska and Australia. Both are top on my list of places to go!

The last question gets its own paragraph, maybe two paragraphs... I LOVE blogging. I enjoy the relationship that I'm building with all of you! I love checking my phone and having sweet emails and encouraging notes in the comments on my blog. I love the quick and easy way to update our families about what the girls are doing, how they are growing and the funny everyday moments of their childhoods. I am crazy about the wonderful record this blog is making for my girls! I know it is something I will cherish as a mom and something they might like to look over once and awhile too. I love sharing Jesus through our lives and making Him known using the tool the internet gives us! Can you imagine if the disciples had high-speed internet to get the gospel out!?!

Something that I don't love about blogging is wondering if I've said too much, written the wrong thing, given too much information or misrepresented an event or a person. There are moments when I want privacy and feel like closing up. Times I don't want to share about our lives or have everyone knowing what we are doing! I also don't like not knowing for sure who all reads my blog. I see people and wonder if I'm telling them something they already read on the blog. I don't want to experience life for the blog but to live our lives and share it on the blog. I can sometimes get caught up in capturing a picture instead of just living in the moment! I don't want to miss out on my girls' lives because of this blog.

Christina asked, "What do think you are getting for Christmas!!!!Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahaha!!!! I am such a brat!"

This one also might seem a bit odd unless you know that we had a HUGE conversation on facebook, with my BIL Todd, about this present that I think I'm getting. I tweeted that I can't wait to retire my pots and pans this month and that started a whole slew of comments and funnyness from Christina and Todd. I'll update you this weekend to see if I got the present that I think I'm getting.

And, no, you are NOT a brat. a stinker sometimes but I Love you!

Stacey said, "If you could choose ONE friend to spend two days with at a Pastor's wife retreat (of sorts) in the beginning of January, who would it be and why? Oh wait. I already know the answer to that question... Me. Cause I'm awesome. Right?"

Crazy awesome... did you see this post from Stacey, er, The Lazy Mom? Genius. Two days with her? Sure!

That was the end of those questions... whew... that was more than I thought! Fun!

Meet Me

HI! and Welcome!

This is me - Jenilee of The Goodwin Family blog! If you are unsure as to how to say my name, I will say it for you here in my very first vlog.

  

I am 28 years old, married to a children's pastor, working on getting my credentials in ministry, homeschooling our three girls and watching how God is opening new doors for us as we journey on this road called life! We love traveling, camping, and doing all kinds of exciting things as a family. I most generally write about our wild adventures (christmas tree falling off the van, skunk visiting our campsite, my husband bringing home a few cockroaches for pets...) and allow you to experience the never-dull moments with us. For example, last summer as told by my cellphone... yep. This summer is looking just about as busy! We are traveling to Ephesus, Turkey in June, kids camps in June and July, our own family camping trip in July (last year's mishaps) and who knows what else going on for the Goodwin family! I promise if you follow along, you sure won't be bored. I know I'll be down-right tired!

This is my super cute, very outdoorsy, thankfully-now-beardless, quite hilarious and always great blog material husband of almost nine years... Jeremy.

 

He never fails to thrill me with interesting grocery store purchases or by occasionally reading my blog to correct things with his side of the events I post about. MmmHmmm... always interesting being married to this man.

Together, we have three very precious girls - Elayna (almost 7), Annalise (5) and Abigail (3). These girls keep me on my toes! I love the things they say and the things I say while being Mommy. I love writing about parenting and motherhood, both subjects being near and dear to my heart.

 

Each Wednesday, I host a meme called "Wednesday's Walk". It is a place where you can link up a memory - new or old, short or long, with pictures or without - any memory you want to share on your blog that you might not otherwise have an opportunity to blog about! This meme was started by my blog friend, Lynnette, and I have just recently become the new home for Wednesday's Walk. I would love for you link up a memory with us next week! You can see some of my Wednesday's Walk posts here or grab the button on my sidebar... it is a fun way to meet some new bloggers. This meme is how I met some of my other blog friends!

I have way too many blogs these days... Yes, I did say that. Too many but I love each one. I keep up one for each of my girls to record their homeschooling projects and work and events and whatever else I want to remember about their year. (Links on my sidebar) I also have a devotional blog called "My Awake Journey". Here I write about the things that I am learning as I grow in my walk with Christ. It is my way to stay studied up on God's Word and I am so thankful for such an outlet for growth! I have done a few different bible studies on My Awake Journey, my favorites being the Proverbs studies. I blogged through the month of March, this year and last, one post each day for each chapter in Proverbs. There are SO many things that you can learn from that one book of God's Word! If you want to walk through the book of Proverbs, feel free to use those studies as your guide.

I love twitter, facebook and all things techy that make our lives as moms more connected and fun. I am not crafty, not a photographer and really not a great cook... my house can be messy and I like shop at thrift stores. I love my family, God and I'm striving to become more of who He wants me to be.

Feel free to take a look around, push that follow button and stay up-to-date on this story called The Goodwin Family.

and... before you go... just to make you laugh... this morning, the girls climbed in bed with us. I was telling them that I was taking Annalise to the doctor to have her foot x-rayed (she had a cyst give her some trouble on her left ankle in January, everything was great today!) so Daddy was going to be staying home with Elayna and Abby while I was gone.

"Did you hear that?" Annalise said, "Daddy is going to babysit you!"

"Uh!" cried Abby, "Daddy can't babysit! He's not a girl!"

Seriously, why do kids think Daddy is "babysitting" when he is watching them for a little while?

I do not know.

Feeling Simple

Outside my window... the sun is trying to shine from behind the clouds

I am thinking... that my ears are about to explode. the pressure is driving me crazy and I am praying that the ENT can do something about it today. pray with me?

I am thankful for... beads. they have kept my girls busy making necklaces and bracelets for an hour this morning.

From the learning rooms... we are working on telling time, putting things in alphabetical order and studying water

From the kitchen... not much lately. not feeling well puts a damper on the kitchen creativity.

I am wearing... jeans, a blue shirt, a black sweater and pink slippers

I am creating... a better system for taking care of our budget

I am going... to the doctor today

I am reading... Attitudes 101 by John Maxwell

I am hoping... that they can fix my ears!

I am hearing... Annalise and Abby sing a made up song about how beautiful Jesus is. PRECIOUS

Around the house... dress up clothes, laundry, beads and plastic food. school books, receipts and stuffed animals.

One of my favorite things... the book of Proverbs. oh and... blogging. does that surprise you?

A few plans for the rest of the week: Church, coffee with a friend, Junior Bible Quiz state meet, seeing my mom and dad and hopefully, feeling better!

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

You can see more from that fun day last summer at the Butterfly House here... Can you see me and Abby in the glasses?

For more Simple posts, visit The Simple Woman's Daybook

Vlog - take 5

So, today, I am introducing myself... or my name rather...

I am a little nervous about posting this.

I can hear my brother-in-law laughing now.

Yep, before he even sees this video he will be laughing.

On another note, I do not like the sound of my voice. It seems to be quite recognizable and people can always tell when I come in the room. I was in Chickfila on Saturday and a friend of mine was over by the playroom.  She text me and said, "I thought I heard a Jenilee!"

She heard me before she saw me. Hmmm.

anyway...

While I hid upstairs in our bedroom from my girls, I made this for all of you... they were being a little too loud for my first vlogging adventure.


Name Vlog from Jenilee Goodwin on Vimeo.

Ah! There. It's posted and you know how to say my name.

Blog Parade!

Abigail Kraft is a fun, youthy, spunky blogger! And, I love her Momma. and her Grandma. Abigail is having a blog party this week and she has asked some questions so we can share a little more about ourselves with other bloggers.

So, just in case I don't inform you enough about Goodwin happenings on a daily basis...

1. What's your favorite time of the day, and why?

School time. I love sitting down with the girls and getting to know them through learning. Some days, it is hard and frustrating but the joys far outweigh the work!


2. If health wasn't an issue, what food could you live off of?

Desserts. Cookies, cheesecake, chocolate, yummy dessert type drinks, cake, frosting, brownies... amazing with a good cup of coffee!

3. If you could have one wish granted (besides wishing for more wishes), what would it be?

To live on a gorgeous, fully decorated (bat and mouse free) farmhouse out in the country with horses and land and a cute barn and fields and cows and lots of trees and a great porch and an outside dog for the Jeremy and the girls.

4. What's one thing that you get teased about a lot?

I have a little blondness streak. You know, slightly goofy, forgetful, a little slow to get things. Sometimes. Hardly ever. It's so rare, I shouldn't have even mentioned it.

moving on...

5. If you could choose one movie, book, or TV show to spend your life in, which would you pick? What type of character would you be?

Jeremy and I a few hundred years ago...

Love Pride and Prejudice!

6. If you could have one talent that you don't already have, what would it be?

Playing piano.

7.If money were no object, where would you go on vacation?

Alaskan Cruise... not necessarily my dream vacation but something Jeremy and I would LOVE to do one day.

8. If you were an awesome singer, which genre would you sing?

Christian Worship Music

9. If you could have a $10,000 shopping spree to one store, what would it be?

Costco.

10. If you could live in any point in time, when would it be?

Refer to question #5.

11. If every outfit in your wardrobe had to be one color, what would it be?

This is one of my new favorite colors...

12. If you were one of the seven dwarves, which one would you be?

Snow White is not one of my favorite movies... I really don't know!

13. What's the last album you listened to?

Anthony Evans - amazing!

14. What's something we'd be surprised to know about you?
 
I crave quiet. I do not like when things are loud and crazy and noisy. I can have fun when it's crazy but inside, I can't wait for a few moments of quiet to myself.
 

Another year...

Another birthday...

I am sitting here at home while my mom and dad and Jeremy have the girls at Meijer shopping for birthday party stuff. They are getting a TinkerBell cake for Annalise (her birthday was in January so Grandma insists she just has to have a "real" store-bought cake while they are here) and the girls are getting to pick out a few things for me.

My dad is buying a new electrical outlet plate for the outlet by the table (which he replaced the LAST time that he was here... why my girls seem to knock the table bench over on it and crack it, I don't know...) and something to fix our broken bathroom sink and a new filter for my vaccuum cleaner. I love how my dad takes care of me when he comes. Hmmm... I have a great dad.

Jeremy gave me money for a night out for him and I, which will be fun. He also gave me chocolate... as if I need that, but I LOVE it anyway.

We went out to dinner last night at Applebee's and Jeremy "secretly" told them it was my birthday. Our waiter was so nice when he came to ask me what dessert I would like...

"Ma'am, what would you like for your birthday dessert?"

"The strawberry cheesecake, please."

"Do you want us to sing to you?"

My first response was no but Jeremy gave me that look and said, "Yes... the girls will love it."

Little did we know, or I guess we should have, the singing was loud and crazy and made Elayna and Abby clap and laugh while Annalise hid under the table.

The nice waiter says, "I think we scared their kid." to the waiter next to him. Yeah, just a little bit.

I remember my birthday last year and the normalcy that I was celebrating. I am thankful to still be celebrating in this season of motherhood.

I just read this story from a mother who is about to loose her little girl. I read it and cried. She is mourning the loss of normalcy and my heart breaks for her, for other parents who are walking that incredibly scary road.

I want to cherish the normalcy and the precious moments of motherhood.

(work with me here... I know that cold allergies and weird rashes and Christmas trees falling off the van and opening presents 2 weeks before the holiday isn't exactly normal, but for us? well... it's our normal.)

I am thankful for every crazy minute of every busy day. Thankful to be alive and thankful for the strength of my Savior in me.

Thankful for my amazing family and every quirky detail of our lives.

Thankful for blogging and for the connection of other women who encourage me through their life stories.

Thankful for God's blessings and how I am watching Him open doors for us that I never imagined.

Excited for the coming year... another year to grow, to learn and to be who God has called me to be.

*my counter is about to hit 20,000... can anyone get of picture of the lucky number?

Up to the challenge...

Earlier in the week, I was able to sneak away for 48 hours with a friend. We visited a beautiful retreat center for pastors and had the opportunity to getaway from real life and spend some healthy, needed quiet time with God.

It was a time of reflection. Reflection of the past ten years, of the current call on our lives and the coming ten years. What has God done? What is He doing? And, what am I doing to continue drawing closer to Him?

I rested... (We stayed in a room with two double beds... but believe me when I say their rooms for couples are truly amazing!)

Gazed out at this peaceful scenery...

I spent many hours on this couch reading, praying, worshipping and talking.

But, my favorite part of the whole getaway was the time spent in this chapel. Set back in the woods, it is a precious place to seek God. To pray and to listen.

It was incredibly cold inside so we didn't stay long, but the minutes spent in this country style prayer chapel were impacting and amazing.

God met me here...

I spent some time on this bench reflecting on the past ten years... In the last ten years I've graduated, went to college, gotten married, had three children and pastored with my husband at two churches.

I was able to pinpoint people in my life who have had a profound impact on my walk with Christ.

Christina - She was my youth pastor's wife; her coming right out of college and me about to graduate... We clicked instantly and have been close friends ever since. She was a foundation layer. She continues to challenge me and encourage me. She gave me my phrase "Get Joy". Her friendship is a blessing.

My Mom - She is a voice of wisdom in my life. She has given me words of wisdom that have helped guide the direction of my steps. Always giving me a solid perspective that I respect and love.

Christa - She has taught me by example how to live a pure and holy life. How to live with a godly perspective and to parent with godly principles. She is an amazing woman of God and I strive to learn everything I can from her and her life.

Jeremy - He has challenged me to know the why's of what I believe from the day we met. He is always challenging me to grow and to continue to be who God created me to be.

As I looked back over the years, I realized that they have been a refining process. God has been refining me through His word, through life situations, and through the first years of parenting and marriage.

Then, I saw this picture.

 "Examine me, O LORD, and prove me;

try my reins and my heart." Psalm 26:2

Oh, that hit me hard.

I've been in this refining process. I've been growing in my walk with Christ.

Now, the time has come to be examined. To prove myself. To give God permission to "try the reins". To see if I've really grown.

The first part of the verse echoes the cry of my heart. "Examine me!" I want God to continue to examine my heart. Search me and make me more like Him.

But it is a scary thought to imagine the trying process. Every day, every moment is an opportunity to prove growth.

I felt challenged, once again, to have JOY in the process.

I felt challenged to flourish and grow more. To be up to the challenge of more refining.

To be still and know that He is God. 

"Do not fret... Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil." Psalm 37.

To me that means, stop worrying about life! Follow God everyday and see what He will do!

I left Innkeepers feeling refreshed yet strongly challenged. My prayer as I drove home was that God would solidify in my heart what He is doing and let Him direct my every step. As He continues to refine and try me, that I would be up to the challenge.

*the pictures were all from my cellphone... sorry some of them are dark! and, my mother-in-law said she is trying hard to hunt down a certain coffin picture. That does not even sound right. Oh boy...