Elevated Mom's Newsletter
July 2016
Fight Club!
Being a mom and now a Gigi (grandma) are truly 2 of the most rewarding badges of honor that I'm so happy to have received from the Lord. Those 2 are an absolute gift to my life and especially my heart.
With Alexis being an adult and raising my granddaughter Kamyia, I'm truly entertained by the different things that she now deals with as a mom of a resilient and strong willed 4 1/2 year old little girl.
My daughter will contact me at times to discuss different things about what Kamy has or has not done on any given day. I sincerely do without hesitation respond with, "well, she is just like you were as a little girl". Not that I'm telling her that she was a good or bad little girl, or that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree; but those terms oddly do hold a lot of truth.
Many of their conversations do take me back to raising my daughter and some of the wonderful, fun, and even, challenging times.
God truly does put us in situations as a parent to test our limits and boundaries. But he will never give us more than we can handle. Which in my opinion most certainly does prove that we are warrioresses. He appointed us as the chosen ones to lead our little clones who just so happen to love to challenge us at any given opportunity. But that truly is what makes what we get to do so amazing and fun. Whether we have one or multiple children, the dynamic and personality encounters are at times night and day.
Do you ever ask yourself, "WHERE DID THIS LITTLE PERSON COME FROM?" Or, "Just who do they think they are talking to me in such a tone?" And then other times, you're sitting with them and literally laughing hysterically because they are so incredibly entertaining and full of life. They talk nonstop, they talk back, they talk to us, they talk to their stuffed animals, and they talk to themselves. The pure essence of our little's lives.
But at the end of the day. When it's all been said and done and they are tucked comfortably in their beds and we take the time to reflect on the day's of their lives, we truly and wholeheartedly know that we wouldn't ever want anything to change or to be different about the little ones that we have been blessed with. The little ones that we get to hug, kiss, squeeze, fuss at and fight with, but love eternally forever.
Colossians 1:11New International Version (NIV)
11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience,
Love Renee'
Mommy Moment with Mandy Hall
Being a mother is not something I ever envisioned for my life. It wasn't a dream that I had until around 12 years into our marriage. We had struggles in our marriage for the first seven years and were on the brink of divorce. It took awhile to get to a place where we felt that growing our family would be a good idea, both personally and in our relationship. It took us almost a year of us trying before I got pregnant. We were elated! We were so grateful that we were going to have the opportunity to be parents. Unfortunately elation turned into devastation a week later when I suffered a miscarriage. We were crushed. My faith was shattered. Thankfully we were surrounded by our amazing family of choice who stood in the gap and interceded on our behalf with prayers and support and helped to lift us out of the pit we were in.
Six weeks later I found out I was pregnant again. I was so scared. It was a constant battle in my head to choose faith over fear for the duration of my pregnancy. On March 12, 2013 we were blessed with our daughter, Adalyn Faith. She has changed our world. She is the epitome of God's joy and light. I always thought that I would be a very structured mom, because I like order in my life, but God had other plans. Adalyn is an independent, free-spirited child, which is a challenge and also amazing to watch. I learn from her every day (some of those lessons come in the middle of Target while she's refusing to get up off the floor).
Being a mother is the hardest thing I've ever done, yet it's the best thing that's ever happened to me. It's hard to even remember life before Adalyn was part of our family. I am so grateful that God has entrusted her to us. I am so grateful for the amazing moms I have met along this journey. We may have different personalities or parenting styles, but at our core we are all mothers. We are in the trenches together. We get to lock arms together in this journey. We get to pray for our children. We get to lift each other up when times get tough. There are days where we should win a trophy for being a mom...our Pinterest boards come to life! There are other days where it feels like the only thing we got right is that our kids (& husbands) are still alive at the end of the day. We have to take a step back and remember that there are women who pray every day to have what we have and I don't take that lightly, even on the most trying days of being a mom. You got this momma...you are a superhero, especially in your littles eyes and God will always have your back!
"Your greatest contribution to the Kingdom of God may not be something you do, but someone you raise."
DIY Eraser-Stamped 4th of July Shirt
What You’ll Need:
– star pattern
– a shirt
– Freezer Paper
– fabric paint
– scissors
- pencil with an unused eraser
Directions:
First, trace the star shape on the NON-shiny side of a piece of freezer paper and cut it out. Put the star on your shirt, shiny side down, and iron it on. Dip the eraser of your pencil in blue and red paint and start stamping around the star. Put another piece of freezer paper or cardboard inside the shirt to keep the paint from bleeding through. Placing the dots closer together around the star, then fading them out kind of makes it look like a firework! Once the paint is dry, peel the star off. Follow the instructions on your paint to heat set it. This usually involves ironing or putting it in the dryer. That's it! So easy, right?!
Pictures & Tutorial: http://cutesycrafts.com/2014/06/diy-eraser-stamped-4th-july-shirt.html
Mom's Prayer Corner
Lord,
I submit myself to You. I realize that parenting a child in the way You would have me to is beyond my human abilities. I know I need You to help me. I want to partner with You and partake of Your gifts of wisdom, discernment, revelation, and guidance. I also need Your strength and patience, along with a generous portion of Your love flowing through me. Teach me how to love the way You love. Where I need to be healed, delivered, changed, matured, or made whole, I invite You to do that in me. Help me to walk in righteousness and integrity before You. Teach me Your ways, enable me to obey Your commandments and do only what is pleasing in Your sight. May the beauty of Your Spirit be so evident in me that I will be a godly role model. Give me the communication, teaching, and nurturing skills that I must have. Make me the parent You want me to be and teach me how to pray and truly intercede for the life of this child. Lord, You said in Your Word, "Whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive" (Matthew 21:22). In Jesus' name I ask that You will increase my faith to believe for all the things You've put on my heart to pray for concerning this child. Amen!
Triple Berry Trifle
Ingredients:
Two 3.4 oz packages instant cheesecake flavored pudding mix (or vanilla, if preffered)
4 cups milk
Angel food cake (about 12 oz), cut into pieces
1 cup chopped strawberries
1 cup blueberries
1 cup chopped raspberries
12 oz cool whip (or homemade whipped cream)
*Extra berries for decorating the top of trifle
Instructions:
1. Add pudding mix and milk to a large bowl and make according to package directions.
2. Add about half of the angel food cake pieces to the trifle dish.
3. Top with about 1/2 of the prepared pudding.
4. Top pudding with about 1/2 cup of each kind of berry.
5. Top berries with about half of the cool whip.
6. Repeat steps 2-5.
7. Finish off trifle with additional berries on top.
8. Refrigerate for about 2-3 hours, until ready to serve.
Read more at http://www.lifeloveandsugar.com/2015/01/12/triple-berry-trifle/#b30ysO4QX1ZPpvhV.99
Upcoming Events
Please be sure to check our Facebook events and update your RSVP as dates and times sometimes change.
Sonntag Park & Splashpad
Friday, Jul 8, 2016, 09:30 AM
2001 Reagan Drive, McKinney, TX, United States
Prestonwood Kidz Play Area
Tuesday, Jul 12, 2016, 09:00 AM
Prestonwood Baptist Church, West Park Boulevard, Plano, TX, United States
Free Kid's Sport Clinic
Saturday, Jul 16, 2016, 09:00 AM
Elevate Life Church, Teel Parkway, Frisco, TX, United States
July ICE Night
Please join us for our July ICE Night at Jessica Wilson's house! Bring a summer inspired snack to share. Drinks will be provided. We will have our raffle drawing, so feel free to bring items to add to our drawing! NO childcare will be provided this month, but Adventure Kids is an option. More details coming soon.
Sunday, Jul 17, 2016, 07:00 PM
2621 Tradewinds Drive, Little Elm, TX, United States
VBS: Temple of Truth
Monday, Jul 18, 2016, 09:00 AM
Elevate Life Church, Teel Parkway, Frisco, TX, United States
The COOP!
Admission:
$10 per child (ages 1 and above)
$2 off admission on Tuesdays ($2sday in Frisco Square)
Free Admission for Parents and Caregivers
Tuesday, Jul 19, 2016, 09:15 AM
the COOP, Coleman Boulevard, Frisco, TX, United States
Summer Fun Thursdays at Willow Bend
Thursday, July 28: Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® Join Ambassadors of Laughter, Slappy and Monday, as they celebrate performance power that boosts circus-goers excitement. Step right up, test your circus skills, and laugh at the hilarious antics of the clowns prior to Circus XTREME® coming to American Airlines Center August 3 - August 14 and Ft. Worth Convention Center August 18 - 21.
All performances are free of charge and open to the public and begin at 1 PM in Grand Court, located on the lower level between Neiman Marcus and the Food Court.
Pre-Entertainment begins at 12 noon, presented by Enchanted Fairies
Thursday, Jul 28, 2016, 01:00 PM
The Shops at Willow Bend, West Park Boulevard, Plano, TX, United States
Happy Birthday to our Amazing Moms!
July Birthdays
2nd – Kyrstin Jimenez
5th – Brittany Boylan
7th – Tiffany Donaghu
9th – Kimberly Copeland
12th – Rosalie Coburn
23rd – Tawny Rico
31st – Melody Perlik
Playdate Fun
Leadership Team
Renee' Carroll - 469-605-6514/ touchdowngo@gmail.com (Group Leader)
Dolores Maldonado - 972-992-8038/ doloresmaldo@gmail.com (Prayer Leader)
Angela Bynum - 214-215-9215/ abynum8@yahoo.com (Communication/Play Date Leader)