30 Day Wife Challenge

Ladies,
Tomorrow starts a new month, and I would like to challenge you to take the 30 Day Wife Challenge that Nancy Leigh DeMoss has set forth.

The 30 Day Challenge is a challenge to speak positively to and about your husband each day.

Click here for more info!!

You can also sign up for daily emails to help you keep on track - click here!

If you're up for changing the tone of your house and your marriage, just put your name in the comment field and we can share about how it goes!

-- Meg D.

America's Prettiest Towns

So, I happen to run across this little ditty about America's prettiest towns.
What I found fascinating, was that we visited almost half of these on our recent
trip up to Maine. I can tell you that we were duly impressed with many places that
we drove through - including Maryland, New Hampshire, and Connecticut. Maine topped it all of, though.

Check out some of Forbes' recommendations and see if you agree!

Here's one of our favorites ... Rockport, Maine:

Here are some recent pics from the Dreifuss household ...




Em getting her first "REAL" Bible


Bert heading off to his first day of seminary ...

Preparing for Christmas - The Cheapskate Way

Friends,
It's not too early to start thinking about Christmas. Here are some great thoughts from Mary Hunt. You can check her out at www.debtproofliving.com.

Ten Things You Can Do Now
to Get Ready for Christmas by Mary Hunt

If you have ever been plagued by consumer debt, I can nearly guarantee that over-spending at Christmas contributed greatly your debt. The problem? Procrastination. Face it, when it comes to Christmas, the longer you wait, the more you will spend.

So why do we procrastinate?

We feel overwhelmed. Holiday expectations paralyze us, so we do nothing until the only choice we have is to spend as much money as it takes to get by.

We overestimate how much time we have. Right now, Christmas seems so far away. We tell ourselves we have plenty of time!

We have to do it perfectly. Experts tell us that perfectionism is at the root of procrastination. We do nothing rather than run the risk of failing.

We say we work better under pressure. Procrastinators believe they cannot operate without that creative surge.

The way to deal with procrastination is to identify why you do it. Ask yourself: What price have I paid in the past? Do I really want to pay that price again this year? If you're not willing to go into debt again this Christmas, get started now.

1. Family photo. Whether it is for your family Christmas card or to frame for a gift, get that picture taken now.
2. Family cookbook. Compile your own personal recipe collection into a cookbook for friends and family.
3. Garden gifts. Look in your garden and see what you can make, can and freeze into gifts.
4. Schedule December. Pull out your December calendar and mark your main plans for the holiday season. You will schedule around those days, when things start to get hectic come November.
5. Learn a craft. If you love making things, you will not find a more useful or personally gratifying craft than knitting. It is quite the rage now.
6. Favorite things baskets. Chances are you have seen Oprah's annual show dedicated to showcasing her favorite things. Use that idea this year to create gift baskets for everyone.
7. Give away treasures. Consider passing on an heirloom or family treasure to the next generation.
8. Tie up memories. Compile a family photo album of all the old black and white photos you have, or pick one photo that is especially good, and frame a copy for everyone. Interview an older relative and make a CD, DVD or even a written transcript of the interview for each family member.
9. Give an experience. If you have a big extended family, buy movie tickets in bulk. Think about fun activities you could do with different people on your list: dinner for a friend, reading night and snacks with the grandkids and movie night with the grandparents.
10. Back-to-school sales. If you have kids on your holiday gift list, make sure you check out the back-to-school sales. Office supply stores nearly give away school supplies, they are that cheap!

Just think of all the money you will save, and the time you will give yourself in December because you did some of the holiday work early!




Other articles by Mary Hunt that you might enjoy:
"Start Now to Plan an All-Cash Christmas"

Fall Decorating for your Computer

It's time to start decorating friends for Fall. If you want to start with a quick little pick me up, try the Better Homes and Garden website. They have pictures that you can make as your desktop wallpaper (for Free, of course). They even have pictures for all holidays and seasons.

Click here!

Enjoy!!

-- Meg D.

Meet our new Fridge!

We have had quite an experience this past week in getting our new fridge. Let me share our "adventure" and our newfound wisdom!!

Our fridge had been on the fritz for about a month now. The freezer just wasn't cooling down enough to be in the "safe zone" on the thermometer. Finally, we knew that we needed to do something.

The fridge you see in the picture is Fridge #3. Why no. 3 you ask? Well ... let us share our wisdom ...

1) Before you get to the store ...
** Make sure that you measure your current fridge/freezer. Do you want this same size or something different? Bigger? Wider? Determine that before you start shopping to save you time. Make sure that you factor in shelves, bins, etc. in all of those measurements. The more measurements - the better!

2) At the store ...
** Make sure that YOU, not just the store rep, measures the fridge you are looking at and that you include the casters in your full measurement of height. Make sure that it fits in your given space.
** Make sure that after you figure out if it fits, you look at all shelving. Very closely. Very very closely. Make sure that things you buy (i.e. frozen items) will fit in the new fridge. Think about the way that you are going to be using it. Do you want to be able to hold party trays? Do you want a water filter? etc.

These are just a few of the fine things that we have learned from our fridge purchasing fiasco.

Hope you can learn from our mistakes!!

First Field Trip

Here are pictures from our first field trip to the JC Raulston Arboretum (NC State).

As I mentioned in my last post, we started kindergarten and our first topic of study is Creation. We are on Day 3 of Creation - "God made the seas, dry land, and plants." So, our fitting trip was to look at all the different flowers, trees, and shrubberies.

For July, the weather is absolutely fabulous. Something about growing up in Texas makes you appreciate a temperate day (high in the low 90's and only 40% humidity). The kids favorite flower was a rare hydrangea

P.S. Logan's piece of experiential learning was picking up a bumblebee. He also enjoyed the sculpture garden.

Latest and Greatest

I have heard that I should add more pictures and news about the family. So, here's a little info on the Dreifusses.

For the Fourth of July, we went to the local farm team baseball game. Fabulous! We were joined by our friends, the Tews and the Furches and we had quite a lot of excitement - both on the field and in the stands with 5 little ones running around.
Can't beat it!

This past week, we also started "school" for Em. Logan is joining in, though, so here's a pic of us getting the "Magic Box of School" and one of our first days last week building Cheerio mountains. I was amazed at how focused Logan can be when he wants to!!

Hope you enjoy!

Runner Girls

I'm especially proud to post this picture of Emily Anne and I. This was two weeks ago at the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. I walked the 5K and Emily Anne competed in the 100 yard Kid's Dash.

It is especially poignant because only days later, one of Bert's co-worker's wife was diagnosed with breast cancer.

What are you thankful for today?

A dear friend posted on her blog some of her favorite things. I thought that I would pass on the pattern of gratitude. So here is what I'm thankful for today. What are you thankful for?


Blog posts from friends :)
Watching my kids at the playground
Ice cream
Nap time
*AHA* moments
Vacations
Fresh berries
Watching Emily Anne dance
Coffee with woosy creamer
Sharing tea with Em
Surprises
Hearing Logan say words for the first time
The feel of my bedcovers in the morning
New books
Worship music
Talking about John Piper with my husband
Trying to explain heaven to a 4 yr. old
Family Movie Night
Giggles
Hope & Grace - I'll be better tomorrow than I was today

THANK YOU LORD THERE ARE TOO MANY TO LIST!

Why buy expensive toys?

You have to check this out!

Why buy expensive toys?

Belated Mother's Day

If you are a Wife, Mother, or Homemaker, you will be interested, I'm sure in these words from John Piper.

Join me in spurring one another on toward this kind of tribute!

Click HERE

HAPPY (Belated) MOTHER'S DAY!

NO WAY!

Growing up in a small, unexciting little Texas town, nothing big ever happened. You can imagine my surprise, then, when I saw that my hometown band (the one both my brother and I were members of throughout high school) was picked to play at the first daughter's rehearsal dinner.

Check it out!

Go Fish & Mother's Day

We have recently stumbled upon one of the best things since sliced bread.

Have you heard of a group called "Go Fish" ?? I hesitate to say that they are a Christian children's acappella group, because you may instantly pigeon hole them.

We bought one of their early albums "Splash" for our trip to Georgia this past weekend. Bert and I found ourselves hooked on it even more than Emily Anne and Logan.

Check out this Mother's Day tribute from them and I think you'll be hooked too!

http://www.youtube.com/user/gfguys

Happy Mother's Day!

Luck of the Irish to you!

I can't speak for those who are not Irish, but for those of us who are - today is so much fun! I have kept through the years all of the humorous cards that my grandparents would send me for St.Patrick's Day.

Are you looking for fun St.Patty's Day facts and info?

Check out the History Channel's website just for St.Patrick's Day!
Enjoy great videos, games, history factoids, etc! It's even great for kids!

Enjoy!

Happy LOVE Day!

It's so much fun to be a Mom! You get to make goodies, surprise your family, etc. and holidays are the best occasions!

Life is so much more fun with holidays!

So, here's a preview pic of the Lovebox that Bert is getting for V-day! Want to know how you can make one, too -

Check out Archiver's website for the supplies!!

Enjoy LOVE Day!!

Next holiday to prepare for: St.Patrick's Day - March 17

Pictures from the last Week

I thought that I would take a moment to share a slice of life over the past few days in pictures.

Here are pictures from Drando's Memorial service and burial. It was a rare time for my parents, brother, Uncle and I to be together. Bert stayed back "at the ranch" (as you can literally tell) with the kids.

This morning my grandmother, Kathleen Margaret McGrath, passed away in San Antonio. My joy is in knowing that today, for the first time in many years, she is back to being herself. All the limitations of this earth, from the ravages of Alzheimer's to the death of my grandfather a few months ago, can no longer bind her. Today she joins Bop and she is herself again. I can only imagine the grief that they are giving each other after having been separated for so long.

My grandmother was quite a woman. I remember clashing with her as a pre-teen over whether or not I was going to wear chapstick one day or not. She felt adamant that I was not, and I felt entitled to. As usual, she won. She was also the grandmother that took me around the world and exposed me to so many wonderful people and places. She was so much fun to travel with. When in San Antonio, we always went to the zoo, museums or the mall together.

In many ways, we lost my grandmother a few years ago to Alzheimer's. It turned her into a completely different person. Gone was the strong, fiesty, loving woman I had known all my life.

I know that this will be especially difficult for my mother and my uncle. It was only 16 months ago that we put Drando in a Alzheimer's care facility. Less than a year ago my grandfather fell, which started his decline. And now, in less than 6 months, both of them are gone.

The power of cheap metal

I have a pretty short list of "highlights" for my life. These are the ones that I go back to, year after year, that remind me of who I am.

The list is pretty easy to rattle off - Becoming a Christian, finishing two marathons, marrying my hunk of a husband, birthing two children. Of course, there are lots of other accomplishments that I'm proud of, but none of them are in the league of these.

This past week, I added one more. I received my 10% weight loss key chain at Weight Watchers. This process of losing all of my baby weight (and a little more) has been one of the longest, hardest roads I've ever walked. It is a day in and day out, moment by moment mindset.

When you reach 10% you get a key chain (made in China, of course). I've already heard at meetings that it gets tarnished pretty easily. Who cares! It could be plastic, but it has been one of the hardest fought victories in my life.

So, here's my new beauty ....