Motivation Monday

  Indeed all of our lives are made up of precious moments.
  They are the little gifts from God that make our lives worth living.
  In times of trouble and strife we take comfort in memories of these moments.
  They are the bits of joy and solace that aid us through life's difficulties and times of sadness and sorrow.
  God is with us always, and our live's Precious Moments are His Most Blessed gifts to us.
- Angela Grace -

I have always been a fan of the Precious Moments line. I have the books and little figurines and I cherish them.
Recently I was reading through a book I have and I stumbled upon this beautiful "poem" written by Angela Grace. It really spoke to me.
Be sure to cherish every precious moment you spend with your loved ones. The day will come too soon when you'll have to say goodbye to them.

Motivation Monday

Laura at iheartplanners.com motivated me to spruce up my blog a bit so I've been working on that between taking care of Sonny and running errands for my husband. Laura is doing a course right now on setting up a blog. Since I already have a blog, I participated in hopes of getting ideas on how to make my blog more reader friendly. Thank you, Laura, you have been a help!

I have made several new changes to my blog. One is my header. The picture is now behind my blog name instead of below it. Another change is the font style and color of my text. Hopefully, I've added some color to my blog.

The biggest change I've made is adding pages to my blog. They are The Nolts (info about us), Trim Healthy Martha, and Recipes. I hope to start blogging about my health and ways to live a healthier lifestyle. I also hope to start sharing my favorite recipes as well.

I really love the new blog setup and I hope that you will as well. Leave a comment and let me know what you think.

Happy Monday to you all!

Our UP Experience

Wendell, Sonny, and I left bright and early Saturday morning and headed north to the Upper Peninsula. We crossed the Mackinac Island and entered the UP around 8:30 in the morning.
After stopping at several stores and buying the cutest souvenir we decided to head to the campground and see if we could check in early. We were so we got settled in at our cabin and cooked lunch while Sonny napped. We were so happy to have the woods to ourselves with no neighbors nearby. We were enjoying nature. The birds were singing. The mosquitoes were buzzing around us.
Then reality set in.
As we were eating our lunch, classic rock music was blaring from a neighboring site. At first we thought it was rude campers but it turned out to be a rude KOA employee working at a campsite.
Strike one.
We quickly ate our lunch and changed Sonny before leaving the campground to explore St. Ignace. We came upon this beautiful park right by the lake and I almost hyperventilated when I saw the lighthouse. I love lighthouses.
We spent time at the park and took lots of pictures of the lighthouse and lake. It was spectacular. After leaving the park, we drove through St. Ignace, taking in the sights. We came upon this adorable fudge shop with giant popcorn bags on the porch. We went inside for fudge and saltwater taffy.
We went back to the campground to rest before supper. Unfortunately we weren't able to get much rest because a groundskeeper decided to cut down a tree and do maintenance nearby with a loud tractor.
Strike two.
Supper time wasn't so great. We sat outside and tried to enjoy our meal but we couldn't. Our neighboring campers were at their fire which was very close to our cabin. We could hear every word they said.
We went inside early to get some rest and for privacy from our drinking neighbors. We left our perishables outside in a small cooler to stay cold because there was no fridge inside. ANOTHER NO-NO FOR ME.
We went to bed early but had a restless night. Our loud neighbors talked by their fire into the wee hours of the morning. Also, the mattress was as hard as concrete so it was difficult for us to get comfortable. We woke up stiff and sore.
Strike three.
We packed up and headed for home making several stops along the way. We drove down by the lake where we had a spectacular view of the bridge. We stopped several times to take pictures before crossing the bridge and going home.
We had a lovely time all in all but we will not be going back to the St. Ignace KOA. Future trips to the UP will either be day trips or we'll be staying at a lodge.
The lighthouse and the bridge were the highlight of our trip. I'm looking forward to spending more time in the UP in the future.

We're Yoopers now!

Our cabin.

Now that's a backdrop! 

Dipping Sonny's toes in the water for the first time.

Love this shop. 

♡ The lighthouse ♡

♡♡♡♡

♡ The mighty Mac ♡

We had a great weekend, all things considered. Looking forward to going back to the UP again.

Hope you all had a great time with your families. 

Thankful Thursday

This week I'm thankful for:

♡ Our camping trip. We changed our plans and we're going to the Upper Peninsula  (UP). I've never been there so I'm super excited.

♡ I'm one day closer to getting my health questions answered. More to come later.

♡ Sonny's haircut. I'm thankful he still looks cute even though we buzzed off all his curls.

♡ For time spent with my husband. Sonny and I ride with my husband on his delivery run at least once a week. Our son enjoys it and my husband gets to spend quality time with him.

All cleaned up after his haircut. He took it pretty well at first then he became a handful. 

Riding with daddy.

What are you thankful for this week?

Motivation Monday

I came upon this post on Facebook and decided to put my own twist to it. As someone who has had a poor self-image for many years, this was just what I needed to read.

Affirmations that inspire healing:



I love and accept myself for who I am.
I stand up for myself.
I am strong and courageous.
I am worthy of love, kindness, and respect.
I choose the best for myself.
I express myself in a powerful way.
I am proud of my achievements.
I honor myself.
I choose healthy relationships.
I am authentic and one of a kind.
I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
I direct my own life in a way pleasing to God for He directs my path.
I appreciate my strengths and my weaknesses.
I feel my own power for Christ is living in me.
I am free to choose in any situation.
I seek opportunities for personal and spiritual growth.
I am at peace with myself.
I trust in God to see me through everything life throws my way.
I believe in God.
He is the rock of my salvation.
Not my will but THY WILL BE DONE.

Thankful Thursday (Friday Edition)

I wanted to blog yesterday but I simply ran out of hours in my day. So I will do a Friday edition. This week I have a lot to be thankful for.
♡ My spectacular Mother's Day weekend. From a cookout to a ride-along with my hubby to a gorgeous Mother's Day spent at my in-laws. It was a day that I'll never forget.
♡ My parents new van. My dad finally bought a new van so they should be able to come visit us in July. I simply cannot wait. The 10+ hour distance between us sometimes feels like a hundred hours :(
♡ The time spent with my in-laws. This week we spent a good deal of time with Wendell's parents. We were working on preparing for our upcoming garage sale. I'm excited because it'll be the first one I help with.
♡ The Tupperware party. Yesterday I went to a Tupperware party at a friend's house. It was great to socialize with other ladies. I won a couple containers and I scheduled my own party for July. Thankfully it's scheduled for when my parents and brother & sister-in-law are visiting. Ka-ching! Granny Moneybags will be ordering!!
♡ Next weekend's camping trip. I am so ready for a weekend away. My husband and I need a little R&R. I'm looking forward to seeing the sights with my husband and son as we get away.
♡ My son. Thank you, son, for cheering your mommy up and for always making me smile. You are the light of my life. I love you.
♡ My husband. Thank you, babe, for putting up with your hormonal wife. Our life has been filled with so many ups and downs lately that it seems like a roller coaster ride. You keep me sane in this insane world. I love you.
♡ My readers. Thank you for reading my blog. Don't hesitate to leave a comment. Be sure to follow me on Facebook. Have a great weekend.

Are All the Children In

Ever since I was a little girl I've been listening to Johnny Cash's Are All the Children In. My mom was a big fan of his music and she owned several of his gospel albums.
It became a favorite song of mine and I listened to it often. It is still on my playlist and I feel nostalgic every time it comes on.
When my husband's grandmother was dying last year, my mother-in-law was emailed a copy of this song by her sister. It is now a favorite song of hers.
This past Sunday, her first mother's day without her mother, my mother-in-law played that song. Just watching her, I could tell how the lyrics impacted her and that she is looking forward to seeing her mother again.
Below are the lyrics to Are All the Children In. If you get the chance to listen to the song, please do. You will not be disappointed.

          "Are All The Children In"

When I'm alone I often think of an old house on the hill
Of a big yard hedged in roses where we ran and played at will
And when the night time brought us home hushing our merry din
Mother would look around and ask are all the children in
Well it's been many a year now and the old house on the hill
No longer has my mother's care and the yard is still so still
But if I listen I can hear it all no matter how long it's been
I seem to hear my mother ask are all the children in
And I wonder when the curtain falls on that last earthly day
When we say goodbye to all of this to our pain and work and play
When we step across the river where mother so long has been
Will we hear her ask a final time are all the children in?

Worth the Wait!!

This past Sunday was Mother's Day and it was one of the happiest days of my life. I love my life as a wife and stay-at-home-mom but I sometimes take my life for granted. This got me thinking about life...life before I was a wife...life before I was a mother...it sucked.
Yes, I made some great memories during that time. I experienced some great experiences. I went to school. Earned my Bachelor's of Science in Criminal Justice. Had aspirations of going into law enforcement. Being a victim's advocate.
I was settling. Settling for life as a single woman. No man was on my radar. My dreams of motherhood seemed out of reach. I was merely existing.
I can remember when my dreams of being a wife and mother started. I was ten and I would sit in church and watch all the young couples with their babies in their laps. I saw the love in their eyes and I could see how happy they were. I knew that I wanted to experience that life.
But after one failed relationship after another and one very long cold spell, I gave up on those dreams. They seemed even farther away.
Then February 2014 came along and I was ready for a change. I updated my long forgotten profile on Christian Mingle and I began to hope and dream once again.
Two months later on the eve of my 30th birthday, I was about to give up. My membership was due to expire soon and I wasn't planning on renewing it. So out of desperation, I searched through my matches and sent out a few smiley faces. Then went to bed anticipating a change.
The next morning my thirties roared in bringing change to my life forever. Wendell Nolt had received one of my smiley faces and he liked my profile. More importantly, he thought we'd be a great match so he sent me a message. And that was the beginning of our love story.
We messaged each other for several days. We texted each other and spoke on the phone and planned to meet in person. That week waiting to meet in person was the most nervewracking week of my life. I barely ate anything and I had trouble sleeping but it was all worth it.
There was instant chemistry. We sat at DutchWay and talked for hours. Even after they had closed and everyone went home. We just sat on the park bench and talked. And we fell in love.
Three months later we were married. Expecting a baby. And starting our life together.
Now as I look at our son, sleeping peacefully on the recliner, I thank God that He brought me to this place in my life. I'm thankful for those single years because they prepared me for this life.
It was all worth the wait and the best is still yet to come.

My very first mother's day as a mommy. I will always have a special connection with my lil lovebug, my Sonny, for he made me a mommy.

Our second mother's day together was even more special. I'm looking forward to spending many more mother's days together.

This mother's life began when Sonny's life began. I live for him.

I love you, babe. You've brought meaning to my life.

Motivation Monday

On Saturday, I took the opportunity to read a chapter in one of my books on mothering. It really spoke to me so I thought I'd share it today for a motivation Monday.
The book is titled Seasons of a Mother's Heart by Sally Clarkson. The chapter I read was on celebrating life. In this chapter, Sally shared two simple, biblical principles on how to live a joyful life.
First, choose to be thankful. She used Job as an example. He lost everything that was important to him and even after his wife tried to get him to blame God, he accepted that it was God's will and trusted in Him.
Her second principle on living a joyful life is learn to be content. Philippians 4:11 states, I have learned whatsoever state I'm in, therewith to be content. If I'm content, joy will naturally follow.
Bottom line, if we choose to be thankful and learn to be content, then we are opening our hearts to let joy come in.
I was motivated by this and I hope that you will be motivated as well. Let us choose to be thankful and content. I'm ready for a joy-filled life, are you?

CHOOSE JOY!

I love this. I might type this saying up and put it on my fridge so I don't forget it.

My Mother's Day

My Mother's Day weekend kicked off with a cookout at my in-laws Friday night. A bunch of us were there to help dad mulch their flower beds. We had a great time gathered around the fire. And the sunset was magnificent.
Saturday morning, Sonny and I rode along with Wendell as he delivered metal to Charlotte (pronounced Shar-lot). It was great riding along with my husband again and an added bonus to be able to take our son along.
Mother's Day morning dawned so beautifully with the sun shining bright. My husband fixed me a delicious breakfast in bed of fried potatoes, dippy eggs, and toast.
After an inspiring sermon on mothers at church, we went to my in-laws for lunch. The table was beautifully arranged on the deck and the ladies (and men) were arranging food for our meal. I made some homemade chocolates for the meal which were a huge hit, especially with the children.
Right when we were ready to sit down to eat the sun disappeared behind the clouds and the wind picked up. We quickly ate our meal of salad, hamloaf balls, mashed potatoes, and green beans before going inside to visit and enjoy dessert.
We visited all afternoon until company left. It was nice to spend the day with some dear friends.
For supper, we had yet another cookout by the fire. It had really cooled off so the fire felt so warm and inviting.
After supper, we had some outdoor games going and Sonny played on a trampoline for the first time. He really enjoyed it.
I'm so blessed to have a son. He has made my life so much better. Without him, my life would be dull and boring.

Friday night's magnificent sunset.

Riding with daddy. 

Our beautifully arranged table.

The moms. My sister-in-laws are beside me and my mother-in-law is in the middle behind us. 

Family photos by the pine trees. My husband picked the backdrop. I think the location will be perfect for Christmas photos! 

Mommy and Sonny time. This woman is counting her blessings.

Trampoline time with daddy.

Just a swinging, swinging! 

Chillin' by the fire!

I hope you all had a great and very happy mother's day. 

Thankful Thursday

This week I'm thankful for:

♡ My mother. My mom and I have always had a good relationship. We had our ups and downs but she's always had my back. Since becoming a mother myself, I appreciate everything she does even more. She made a lot of sacrifices over the years and she did so because she loves her children.
♡ My mother-in-law. She is one of the sweetest ladies I've ever met. She's always there when her children need her and she always goes the extra mile. She's always there for encouragement. Just last night she sent me an encouraging message that I'll cherish forever: Martha I promised to be your prayer partner and I am praying that you will have peace and a good evening. I love your sweet family and I thank Him for you in our family.
♡ My sisters. My relationships with my two sisters have had ups and downs but I'm thankful for both sister. I love knowing that I can call my older sister for advice and she always has a listening ear. My younger sister has been a godsend this past year. Without her, I wouldn't have healed from a c-section as well as I did. She was a great nurse and babysitter for my son. I can't wait to see what God has in store for your life. Nicki, my honorary sister, I miss you and I'm so thankful that you've been in my life forever. And you gave me four adorable babies!! Okay, three adorable babies, Aron's a brat!!!
♡ My sister-in-laws. I have great relationships with five of my seven sister-in-laws. I've tried really hard to be friendly and to get along with the other two but I've finally decided that some people come upon their nasty behavior naturally. I'm thankful that the other five make up for their behavior.
♡ My Aunt Julie. She has been through so much this past year with her husband's cancer diagnosis and then watching him get sicker and sicker before he passed away. I love you, Aunt Julie, and I miss you so much. I'm so glad you have Bruno to keep you company. I hope you have a happy Mother's Day. XOXO.
♡ My grandma Miller. I really grew closer to her the past year and I cherish the memories we made together. I miss her so much. She cheered me up so much last week by sending me a hand-written card. I hope she knows how much it means to me.
♡ My husband. Without him in my life, I would still be living a dull life. Life has meaning now. I have a companion to share life's journey with. I have someone to enjoy my cooking. I love keeping your house and turning it into our home.
♡ My son. Without him, I wouldn't be a mother. God blessed my life when He sent him my way. I live for his smiles, his cuddles, his little giggles, and for his big hugs. He's my ray of sunshine.

My card from grandma. It was so sweet of her to send it to me. It has a home on my fridge where I look at it often.

A pic from my wedding day with my parents, grandma Miller, and my aunt and uncle. 

My parents and sister loving up on my son. They knew it would be hard to say goodbye to him.

To all my fellow moms, I wish you all a happy Mother's Day. Enjoy your time with your children and cherish the memories you make.

Mother's Day Supper

Over the weekend, my mother-in-law invited me to a mother's day supper. I was so excited because I'd never attended anything like it before and I was so thankful that they were including me in a church function.
So last night we gathered at Country Dinners, a cute "restaurant" on an Amish farm. We were served fresh-baked bread with a peanut butter spread that's to die for, salad, mashed potatoes, chicken, meatloaf, noodles, and green beans. For dessert we had a choice between peanut butter pie and angel food cake with strawberries. Of course, I chose the angel food cake!
After supper, we gathered in a circle and we had a discussion on purity. As mothers, how can we teach our children to be modest and pure. We had a interesting discussion and I left feeling very inspired.

Our table. The ladies did a marvelous job setting up.

My mother-in-law took this lovely bouquet home.

I see this salt and pepper shaker showing up on my wish list.

My plate of food. Delicious! 

With God all things are possible. 

My box of chocolates. I ate the two peanut butter eggs. Wendell got the rest.

I'm so thankful that my in-laws have all made me feel very welcome in the Nolt family. I'm thankful they included me in this year's mother's day supper. 

After years of not having great relationships with my Miller sister-in-laws, except one (long live the April 84 Club) it's nice to have relationships with all four of my Nolt sister-in-laws. And my mother-in-law is an angel. 

They are a blessing in my life and I pray that God keeps blessing them. Where would we be without mothers? 

Motivation Monday

I have decided to start doing weekly features on my blog to spice things up a bit. My first weekly feature will be Motivation Monday because sometimes we all need motivation.
Today's motivation is a reminder for those people (like me) who have let people affect their lives.
It's always so easy to read something and tell yourself "I can do that" but when it comes to actually living it you falter. That has been my life story and it's time for a change. I have let people affect my happiness for too long.
Now it's time to let God control my life and those who are in it. It is time to renew my strength and look to the Lord as my strength and song.

I've crossed many an ocean for people who really didn't care about me. I'm very thankful for the people in my life who've crossed oceans for me. Please know that I appreciate everything you do for me. It doesn't go unnoticed. 

Thank You, God, for watching over Your children. I find peace in knowing that You are Protector and that You have something better in store for me...heaven.

What is your motivation?