Costume Parade at the Library

Harrison checking out his treats!
Daddy and our Little Ladybug!


Where to next?

Spidey and Woody the Sherriff

This is fun!

Well the Costume Parade at the Johnson City Public Library is another Fletcher Family Fall Favorite! It is tradition. We have been going to the library for storytime since Clark was 13 months old and we all love it! They always have a costume parade and special Halloween Storytime to follow!

Favorite Season

Yes it's true...Fall or Autumn as I remember it from one of my favorite childhood books, is my favorite for many reasons. Cooler weather, turtlenecks, some of my favorite accesories, hot apple cider, hot spiced tea, anything made with Apples or pumpkin, pumpkin patches with the children, festivals...just to name a few.
I also enjoy all the smells, crispness, and beauty that comes with the season. How beautiful to watch the creation of my creator display such color and beauty. Some of those very same colors he placed within us and he can see that same Kaleidoscope of colors within us when we Worship him the way he created us too!
I also believe Fall is the most romantic time of the year...I'm certain, greatly in part, that I fell in Love with My Man in the fall, nine falls ago to be exact...WOW what can happen in Nine years!
I hope to post some pics from my favorite time of the year soon...I just need to relearn how to do that...don't know why I wait so long to blog...I enjoy it so!
Here's to a FABULOUS FALL!

Monkey Munch

Whoa!....has it really been since March! When I got on here today and saw my old background I realized just how long it had been....way too long!
I've really missed blogging, now that things have settled a bit, maybe I can blog much more routinely.
I really enjoy it...so nice having a place to journal my thoughts and the record the happenings of my family!
As you may have guessed from the title, my little Monkeys and I made monkey munch for a new snack today! It is sooo yummy! Harrison requested this for both Lunch and dinner, but of course he had to eat his meal first.
I remember when in school, some of the other kids would bring this...I'm pretty sure they called it "trash"?, but I could never eat it because it was made with Peanut Butter. Well I have since discovered Soy Nut Butter and I'm able to replace PB with SNB in any recipe. We have all enjoyed the Monkey Munch today!
Look for a new post soon! (and hopefully I can learn from Bob how to add pics)!

Choose Joy!

LPM Siesta Memory Verse #5

As some of you may know, In January I decided to join several of the fellow "siestas" in a memory verse challenge for 2009! It has been amazing already!



For Verse #5, I'm memorizing Hebrews10:35-36 NIV

"So do not throw away your confidence:it will be richly rewarded, you need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.

I'm excited to see how the Lord allows this verse to help me grow in him and the confidence that only he can give. Having verse to wield the sword of scripture has already been so beneficial this year! It's not to late to start...just pick a verse on the 1st and 15th of each month and commit it to memory!

Bella Bottoms

Just found an adorable new baby product...Bella Bottoms. They are reusable cloth diapers, but not the old school kind ...no diaper pins needed! I found a giveaway for them on a blog... http://yestheyareallmine.wordpress.com
Who knows, maybe Bob's luck of winning things will happen to me! I'll keep you posted...pun intended!

More Playdough Pics

I'm still learning how to post pics on my blog so these are a few that didn't get included in the original playdough post!

Comfort Food and Homemade Playdough

Some comfort food I made for us while we are recooping from RSV

Harrison stirring his homemade Blue Playdough

The Homemade Playdough

Recipe for the Popcorn

Well I meant to put this at the bottom of the previous post...but here it is for those who want to try my new marvelous discovery!



1/3 cup popcorn kernels

Brown paper lunch bag

2-3 tablespoons of melted butter (cooking oil works too)

Salt



Mix kernels, butter and salt together.Pour kernels into a small paper bag (standard lunch size is fine) and fold the top of the bag over three times tightly to close (each fold should be 1/2 inch deep; remember the kernels need room to pop).Place bag in microwave on carousel.Cook on high 2-3 minutes, or until the pops are 5 seconds apart!



For an extra special treat...add some M&M's...(another one of my new favs)

This is pennies compared to the already made Microwave popcorn and tastes better too!
Enjoy!

The Small Things in Life

Okay, so I've discovered a wonderful new snack, that I must share...HOMEMADE MICROWAVE POPCORN...and who knows maybe I'm the last to know about this, but just incase I'm not I wanted to share!

I've enjoyed this the past two days during "rest time" ...the boys do much better if I don't say nap time!

We found out today that "the Fletcher Funk", has a diagnosis...we all have RSV! Please be in prayer for the children, the boys seem to be feeling some better, but lil Chloe Laine is pitiful! Today and tomorrow should be the peak days for her symptoms so hopefully we will see improvement soon!

Earlier today we had group therapy...respiratory therapy that it is...I had us all on Breathing Tx's...per Dr's orders of course!

Well the timer just went off on the microwave...yep your right my popcorn is ready!

Counting it all Joy!

Blogworld...
The Fletchers have the funk...well especially the three children! Chloe's lil cough is just pitifulClark is stopped up and sounds quite nasal when he speaks and sings...earlier he and Harrison were singing the theme song from Cubbies...I love to hear them sing! Harrison's nose is the opposite...a running faucet of lemongrass green snot! Leave it to a former Respiratory Therapist turned Jewelry Lady to be so descriptive of snot. I bet the Doctor will appreciate the detail tomorrow!

I was feeling pretty rough when I got up this morning, but after resting some am feeling much better! Bob is just an absolute trooper...he has been pampering us all...I Love that man so much!

I don't want anyone to think I'm complaining! I don't know if it has come from the scripture memory I have been part of lately (partly I'm sure...the first part of the verse I'm memorizing now says do everything without complaining...say that to yourself several times and you really notice when you start complaining!) but through differents circumstances I've been thinking alot lately about perspective...yes I'm so sorry the children feel bad but so thankful that I have my three children, my man...a wonderful family all the way around! So I guess I would challenge everyone to try to not complain at all this week! To quote one of my favorite people...Choose Joy..choose it...in the midst of choosing Joy you'll spread it!

Fletcher Facets

The new Blog for the Fletcher Facets is www.fletcherfacets.blogspot.com
It is also listed on my profile page.

Drool, Baby, Drool!!!

As you may could've guessed, my baby girl is teething. I cannot believe how fast the time is going! Yesterday I took her for her sixth month check-up. She weighed in at 17 lbs. She is running a slight temp. but overall has done well with her shots. The best medicine so far has been her daddy's arms!

Clark and Harrison are each at my side right now...at their desks "working their business"... I think they fully understand "mommy's jewelry business"...later today (maybe tomorrow), I'm going to let them help me stamp catalogs...they love to stamp!!!

Yesterday we turned it the application for Clark to attend Kindergarten at Highland Christian Academy! Really hits me when I see this in Print!!! We've always prayed that there would be a way for him to go to Christian school and the Lord seems to be opening the doors! This is both a praise and a request!

Scripture Memory is going well...I've stuck to it!!! I'm now on my third verse for 2009! This has been such an amazing journey so far! Being able to wield the sword of scripture has been so helpful in the past couple of weeks. The two verses I've learned so far (Heb. 4:16 & 2 Tim. 1:7) have helped me so much...I'm so humbled by this experience, it's given me a new love for scripture and many verses I've read in a whole new light...verses I've read many times before, but now they've just come alive in a way like never before! I give all glory and credit to my Jesus, for I know this is not something I could ever do on my own!

I know its been a while since my last post...but this is one thing I want to have in my life that's not on a strict schedule...I'm not complaining by any means, I just want this to be something fun and enjoyable!

I'm also starting a blog for my Premier Designs downline...feel free to check it out! I'll let you know the name very soon!

Love.

Grocery Cart Challenge

So some of you may know that I had never even heard of "blogging" before I attended my first LPL event in Boone N.C. in May of 07! After that I've been a faithful "siesta" on the LPM blog.


At first I just faithfully read the posts, but wasn't sure how to "post". Of course with my wonderful hubby's help, I got an account and was a blogging "siesta".


Last week one of the posts was on how to have a grocery budget! One of the comments had a link to another blog that I've found tremendously helpful!


A Lady with a family of six feeds them on $60!!!!! She posts her "plan" as well as her menus! She has many other wonderful frugal ideas on there as well!


I found this very helpful Monday when I went grocery shopping...I have new ideas for Menu planning as well!


My family really enjoyed the Tortellini Soup I made last night, as well as the Pumpkin Muffins for snacks and breakfast!


Does anyone know where you can find dry goods in bulk in the Tri-Cities? I noticed she buys her flours/sugars and cereals/oats is bulk and gets them very cheap!


Her blog is http://www.grocerycartchallenge.blogspot.com/


Here are the links for the recipes I fixed last night: http://www.recipezaar.com/Tortellini-Soup-16150 and http://www.recipezaar.com/Pumpkin-Chocolate-Chip-Muffins-3564


For the muffins, I only had enough Chocolate Chips in the cabinet for 1/3 of the batch so I used Raisins for the other 2/3. They are delicious but next time I make them I am going to use applesauce instead of oil...that way it will be WW friendly!


Hope you all have a Blessed Day!


I'll post pics of the Children very soon!

Red, Write and Blog!!!

I was so excited when I figured out how to make my blog "cute"...I wanted it to have this color scheme and as hard as it may be to believe it, I actually figured out how to do it! Bob was proud of me...I've came a long way since the days of thinking "the internet was broken, because I could not get connected"...however my my own admission, I still have a ways to go!

I am however, very excited about my blog, even if I'm the only one that reads it!

I've always enjoyed writing and journaling, but in the past few years have not been able to keep up with my journaling as much as I would've liked...this way I can accomplish both and be able to write down some of the exciting things that happen with my family! I also hope to look at this for some accountability with others in blogville! I posted earlier about memorizing scripture this year and I so want to do this...I will do this! My first verse is Hebrews 4:16. I know many things will come up that I will need accountablity for!

Today was a wonderful day of worship with my family...both the Fletchers and my church family! I don't know why I'm ever surprised but I absolutely love when the Lord puts something on your heart and them confirms it both through corporate worship and the encouragement of others! I LOVE this about our GOD!

Well, tomorrow Bob's 2 week vacation is over and we must all return to our routines...I've thoroughly enjoyed our Christmas time, but I know a return to "normalcy" is a must...however I will return with great memories of Christmas 08!

One of my "goals" of the new year is to get up even earlier and have my entire morning routine done my the time my children get up...I'm sure this could be a post later in the week!

If anyone is still reading...I pray the Love of our Lord abounds in our hearts and is outpoured into the lives of others that we are able to serve this week!!!

Love to All!

My First Blog Post!

Happy New Year 2009!

Wow, who would've thought that I, Laura Beth, would actually be technologically advanced enough to have a blog! I know, I can't believe it either...and I've actually figured some of it out on my own, however I must give some credit to Bob...okay most credit to Bob! There are several things on my list to accomplish in 2009...one of which is to blog!

I'm also very excited to be a part of memorizing scripture with fellow "Siesta's" on the LPM blog.

I'm looking forward to see what the Lord has in store for me and my family in 2009! Clark will start school in August, Harrison will turn 4 this year, and our baby girl will turn 1 in July! Whoa, I'm not going to let my mind get that far ahead yet...I just want to enjoy the "now" before it's in the past!

I'm also very excited about my Premier Jewelry business this year! We'll Shine in 09!

This is also the first New Year's we are celebrating together as fellow believers! On Father's Day 2008 Bob made Jesus Christ the Lord of his Life...he went from a knowledge of Christ in his head to a relationship with Christ in his heart! This could be a whole other post...I will just close by saying, I praise the Lord, for all he did with us and for us in 2008 and gratefully anticipate what he has for us in 09! Praise you Jesus!!!