Ordinary Tuesday's (& some really Great News!)

I recently came across this quote in a parenting magazine...

"The best bit of wisdom I received from my mother was really quite simple: children need ordinary Tuesdays....."

This quote made me think...Am I giving my children ordinary Tuesdays?? What does an ordinary Tuesday look like for us?? What are the everyday activities that form our simple little life?

So here's a sneak peek into our Ordinary Tuesday today...

1. I went to my daughter Sarah's Kindergarten Reader's Theater at school.

2. John and I enjoyed lunch together at the Omlette Shoppe. We went to celebrate his....(drum roll please)....NEW JOB!! Praise the Lord!!

Starting next week, John will be the Controller at Railside Golf Course here in Grand Rapids, Michigan. We are thrilled about this new opportunity!!

(Thank you, dear bloggy friends, for your faithful prayer support and encouragement on this journey! What a blessing!)

3. After lunch, John spent the afternoon cutting down trees!

I'm not kidding! Even in the rain, he cut down two trees in our yard, pulled out a whole section of bushes, spread new mulch, and so much more!

I decided I'd better get out of his way!



4. So...I spent the afternoon at the bookstore working on my book proposal!

5. After school, I took Benj & Amanda to gymnastics.

6. And lastly, I brought home pizza for dinner!

So there's a "sneak peek" into our ordinary Tuesday....although I must admit ~ I have a hard time thinking any day is "ordinary". You know me...any ordinary day is an opportunity to celebrate our extraordinary God and the gift of life He's given to us!!

What does an ordinary Tuesday look like for you?? How did you spend your day?? I hope it was Terrific!! :)


Thanks for stopping by *She Sparkles*. May God bless you with a fresh measure of His love, joy and peace!!

Marriage Mondays: Mini-Moons

Hi Friends!! Welcome to Marriage Monday! My dear friend Julie from Come Have A Peace takes time each Monday to share Marriage encouragement, and I'm pleased to join in the fun today!

If you knew a couple getting married and wanted to pass along a "nugget of wisdom" with them, what would you suggest??

One of the best pieces of advice John and I received was the idea of mini couple getaways, or what we refer to as "mini-moons" (get it...like honeymoon, but just "moon" ~ smile).

Our wonderful marriage mentors suggested that John and I take time away once each season to reconnect, enjoy each other's company, have fun, and relax. We've graciously accepted the challenge! And whereas we've not been perfect at getting away once a season, John and I have been intentional about going on "mini-moons" as often as we can!

Thankfully we've been blessed to have "Grandma help" to make this possible with 4 kids (thanks Mom & Jackie!) John and I have been able to go on "mini-moons" to beautiful places in Michigan (including Traverse City, Saugatuck, Pentwater, Grand Haven, and even the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island).

Last summer we enjoyed our "mini-moon" to Muskegon, MI and loved boating on Lake Michigan. Here's John enjoying his new boat...

Our last "mini moon" was this winter when we snuck away to the JW Marriott here in Grand Rapids. (Fabulous hotel I must say ~ although any hotel with it's own Starbucks is ok by me!)

My favorite "mini moon" was during the summer of 2006. I was experiencing some health difficulties, and felt anxious and worried about my condition. I mentioned to John how I longed to be "fortressed" in a castle to better understand God's sovereign protection and mighty care. I wanted to feel like a princess, and rest in my Strong Father's arms.

John, being the amazing man that he is, found a real castle an hour south of our home. I spent the weekend in a real castle feeling like a real princess. What a blessing!

Here are some highlights... (Can you tell I'm wearing a crown? ~ smile)


In the picture below, yes I'm wearing flip flops with my dress. You had to take off your heels at the front door as to not scratch the castle's hard wood floor.

And lastly, our beautiful castle bedroom. Our window overlooked the castle's flower garden. I was able to sit in the morning sunshine, read from the Psalms, and feel like a genuine, protected, dearly loved Princess! (Thank you, John!)

John and I have both enjoyed our Mini-moons over the past 9 1/2 years of marriage! A special thank you to our marriage mentors, Doug and Judie Childress, for giving us the challenge many years ago!

What about for you?? What's the best nuggest of marriage wisdom you've received?? I'd love to hear from you!! And for more Marriage encouragement, be sure to check out fabulous tips here.

Thanks for stopping by *She Sparkles*. Have a wonderful, joy-filled day!!

P.S. We have some really great news to share! Hopefully I'll be able to go into more detail tomorrow!!! Stay tuned.... :)

Celebrating Summer Family Fun!

Hello dear bloggy Friends! Happy Friday to you!! I hope you've enjoyed a GREAT week!!

I've missed you all these past few weeks while I've been wrestling with our new life circumstances (recap here) . I feel like things are settling down around here, and will start to share more regularly here on *She Sparkles*. I hope you'll join me!

For the summer, I would like to host "Fantastic Friday's ~ Celebrating Summer Family Fun!". As you know, I love to celebrate and think of simple, inexpensive ways to make the most of every day! I'm often asked to share my ideas, and with 4 kids of my own ~ ages 15, 8, 7, and 6 ~ my creative wheels are always spinning trying to figure out how to do so! During the summer, I'm going to devote every Friday to sharing different Family Fun Ideas. I can't wait!

And the best part....I'd like to invite YOU to play along! Each Friday I'd LOVE to have you share a simple, summer fun idea....and if you have a blog, of course, link us up to you!! AND, to get this whole Family Fun Friday idea off to a GREAT start, next week Friday I have a very special guest that will be joining us. I don't want to spoil the surprise ~ but let me just say I'm sure you will love her!! (Here's a hint...think chocolate cake...)

What do you think??? Sound like fun???

For today's idea, I'm going to share a "repeat" ~ but it's one of my KIDS' favorites. Our simple little family fun tradition....Sundae Nights!!


Last year, we started having "Sundae Nights on Sunday Nights".

Originally, the "Sundae Nights" just started because it was a Sunday night and I let the kids have ice cream sundaes. And then, as I was eating my ice cream, I had an idea! Suddenly I envisioned our backyard filled to the brim with family and friends enjoying ice cream and fellowship together every Sunday night. (Unfortunately my husband hasn't caught that vision yet....but we are slowly getting there!)

For now, every Sunday Night, our family has ice cream sundaes together. It's that simple. During the school year, Sundae Nights are a great way for our family to connect, share highlights from the weekend, and discuss important events approaching in the coming week.

During the summer, it's a great opportunity for us to invite friends and/or family to our home. Sundae Nights are simple, inexpensive, can easily accomodate a food allergy/sensitivity, and everyone likes ice cream!!

One of the best parts....it's not uncommon for my high schooler Jake to show up with 2 or 3 of his buddies to see if it's time for Sundae Nights yet. I love it! My hope is that when my kids are in college, they'll still swing home with a car load of friends on Sunday evenings to see if I still have the hot fudge and sprinkles out!!

So if you are looking for a little family fun...why not try Sundae Nights this Sunday at your home?? I guarantee you'll love it!! :)

Have a super, joy-filled weekend!! I'll look forward to seeing you again soon!! And, please don't forget to come back next Friday for another Family Fun idea!!

Many blessings to you!!!

Picture above (L to R) ~ Amanda Bultema, Sydney Torresson, & Sarah Bultema enjoying their Sundaes! :)

Random Dozen ~ Party Time!

Hey Friends!

Happy Wednesday to you!! Things are a bit crazy for us these days, so I thought a little Random Dozen might be fun and good for my head! I'm in the midst of writing a book proposal (gulp!), so my creative juices are minimal....but I just couldn't bear to go another day without saying hello to you!!! How are you??? How was your holiday weekend???

Unfortunately today's Random Dozen questions are from last week, but hey ~ they'll still work for us, right?! Especially since they have a Party theme (and I love a good party!) Enjoy!!

1. Would you rather host party or simply attend a party?

I love hosting parties! Ask my husband and kids, I am always looking for an excuse to throw a party! Any day is a day to celebrate if you ask me! :)

2. Tell us about the most memorable party you've been to.

My 40th birthday just a few weeks ago was pretty special. I loved that so many of my family members and friends could attend, and that everyone seemed to be having a GREAT time together.

3. What is one thing you hope for in the after-life?

No more sorrow. No more pain.

4. What do you enjoy most about sunshine?

Playing kickball with my family outdoors.

5. When you attend a bridal/baby shower, do you prefer to bring your own gift or chip in with others to buy a larger gift?

Good question. Probably depends on the recipient and how crazy my life is at the time.

6. Would you rather have a FREE week of having your house cleaned or all of your meals cooked for you and your family?

Definitely having the house cleaned for a week. Especially if they would help sort through all of our "end of the school year" clutter!

7. What song describes your mood today?

Oh wow ~ another great question. My girls and I were singing "Everlasting God" at the top of our lungs in the car today. I think the words are pretty appropriate for the season we find ourselves in...

Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord

Our God, You reign forever
Our hope, our Strong Deliverer

You are the everlasting God
The everlasting God
You do not faint
You won't grow weary

You're the defender of the weak
You comfort those in need
You lift us up on wings like eagles.....

(Have I ever told you I collect eagles?? Another topic for another day.....)

8. What is something you received for your own bridal shower/wedding that you still own or use?

John and I were so blessed when we got married! We had amazing showers with tons of great gifts! I'm looking at coffee/end tables that we received as a gift that we still love, as well as a special clock from John's brother. Too hard to choose from all the blessings.

9. Your favorite flavor of ice cream is?

I don't really have a favorite. I'm not a huge ice cream girl. I guess I'd say Mint chocolate chip.

10. When was the last time you felt "tested?"

Today. Yesterday. The day before....

11. "[Fill in the blank] is a food that once I start eating I find really hard to stop."

Chips and salsa. Especially my favorite chips and yummy homemade salsa.

12. "-----" is the best motivation.

The fear of the Lord...

Thanks for stopping by *She Sparkles*! I'd love to hear from you (and your most memorable party!!). I've got some great GIVEAWAYS to pass along later this week, so please stop back as you are able!!

Many blessings to you!!!