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Welcome
Hi, I'm Andrea! Our little family of four lives in South Florida and leads worship. We are here to share the love of Christ and live life together. We're learning a lot here and enjoy looking for opportunities to grow. Thanks for listening and coming alongside us!

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Previous Entries

Friday, August 29, 2014

Happy Friday to ALL!


Oh joys :) breathe a sigh of relief -- because, it's Friday!! This has been quite a full week for our family, and I have to say, a good one. 

{one} Sunday was a wonderful day to gather and worship at Coastal! I was able to serve in the Kindergarten and 1st grade room and taught the kids the story from Exodus 13 of the Israelites following God, even when they didn't know where they were going -- but he directed their steps with a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night! What a lesson for us all -- it really hit home with our verse of the month Joshua 1:9  "God is with us, wherever we go" ...truth! PLUS, my family got to attend our church's Discover class! I posted my take-away's from the class HERE

{two} Mondays are so wonderful, because they are our family days! We made a trip to the beach, and got some sun and swimming in! The tide was pretty high, so Josh and I took turns staying with Marshall and playing in the sand, and going out for a swim. I got to swim out quite a ways, close my eyes and float on my back, just riding the waves. So peaceful and relaxing! Marshall fell asleep in the stroller as we headed to get some ice-cream, so Josh and I were able to have a little mini-date -- a surprising treat!

{three} This week I was able to finally get together with several friends to take time to really talk about life, ministry, and music. I am so thankful for the friends I have who take time to hangout, more than just a hello in passing. It means so much to me, especially because I'm in a new state (moved from AR to FL in March), and because I'm staying at home full-time now, which means I can get quite a yearning for more than toddler-talk :) You mean so much to me!


{four} I've started to practice keys again and will be playing for church in a little over a week! I like the challenge, and am ready to be streched out of my comfort zone of "just singing"! The song I've been working on first: Endless Praise | Planet Shakers  


I love it and can't wait to introduce it at Coastal! (but it's fast!! eeek! must.practice.more.)
{five} Josh and I are looking forward to co-leading a Connect Group together and hosting it in our home this semester. We will be going through Gary Thomas' book Sacred Pathways: Discover Your Soul's Path to God
- one of our favorites from the John Brown University Worship Arts curriculum! I aim to share little tidbits and quotes here on the blog as well! 
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Much love to you all! Check out these great Giveaways: HERE and HERE, and have a blessed weekend!
Linking up with Lauren Elizabeth | High Five for Friday, Farmer Bell | Oh, Hey Friday  photo H54Fbutton_zps973d26e1.png


Monday, August 25, 2014

Discovering Your Potential


Last night at the Coastal offices, we had a Discover class -- it was my first time to attend, and I was excited to learn more about what God has designed and called me to do, especially NOW in my current age and stage! The goal of the class was to unite our unique personalities with our God given spiritual gifts to help uncover next steps for making a difference in our community and grow in our ministry potential! 
If you are in South Florida, I would really encourage you to attend the next Discover class at Coastal Community Church! I loved that the class was a combination of fellowship, teaching, and inventory tests -- that ended with time to evaluate our specific next steps, individually, in our current life situation.

Personally, I have been trying to figure out my new roles in ministry both at home and with my family. It is a challenge to figure out what to say "yes" to and what to decline outside of the home. Sometimes the things I should to say "no" to may be things that I would have wanted to do, but either can't do in this stage of life, or doing so would overextend my family. I'm not the only one [or arguably even the main one] I have to care for anymore, and my choices also have to reflect that. 

Josh is good about encouraging me and providing opportunities to get out with friends to hang-out or do ministry together. 
I've found that being an extroverted stay-at-home mom has proved to be quite the challenge in a place where moms I know are working outside of the home during the day, when I'm by myself. So, here are a few of my goals that I wrote down at the end of discover as I looked toward how to continue to grow, now:: 

My Family 

- get out and explore nature more with Marshall -- share the joy in teaching my kids to enjoy and appreciate God's creation 
- intentionally teach Marshall more songs based on faith and scriptures 
My personal favorites for faith songs: Ask Me Whooo (for younger ages) and Seeds Family Worship (for older ages)
My Faith/Church
- work on piano skills
- come alongside Josh in worship ministries
- co-lead a small group in our home with Josh
- become more disciplined in my personal walk with Christ 
- continue to serve in worship ministries, children's ministry, and Adopt-a-Block

My Field of Opportunity/Job
- continue to grow in my knowledge and involvement in Worship Arts
- Listen to new music
- Be intentional about voice lessons and helping others in music

Thursday, August 21, 2014

I'm an Honest Ambassador! --so that's pretty cool

I'm so thrilled to share with you all, that I have been approved to feature The Honest Company and their great products as an Honest Ambassador! I have been a big fan of The Honest Companyfor a couple of years now, so it is quite a privilege to receive products to feature and share with you for your benefit, as well as my family's!

Most people simply know The Honest Companyfor their cute and safe disposable diapers -- which I am looking forward to trialing and letting you know what I think -- my trial should be arriving in the mail any day. Get a free trial with me, and we can test them out together:
The Honest Company
I actually have only ordered household cleaning and beauty products up until now -- my favorite product of all so far, their Healing Balm -- it just works wonders on my finicky skin for whatever irritation, random dryness or rash pops up. 
The Honest Company
I've been super impressed, and one tube has lasted me a long time. Because it heals so fast, I don't have tons of product or use it repeatedly for a very extended amount of time. 
I'm also in my last ounces of the shampoo and body wash -- I'll have to tell you more about it, but yes ... another favorite -- with a delicious sweet vanilla orange scent! Aaaand my two favorites get a special picture on my bathroom rug! 
I'm really looking forward to ordering from the new vitamins side of Honest -- they have mother, baby, and kid vitamin supplements. I've heard great things about their prenatal vitamins -- about the lovely vanilla coating and the ease of digestion (even on an empty stomach) which could be fantastic for the woes of the first trimester! 
The Honest Company Vitamins - Health and Wellness
I'll be ordering that bundle soon on my own, outside of the ambassador program, because I think it would be wonderful for my health and baby's, so stay tuned!

I'm pretty excited to be your ambassador and try out products for you, so that you can focus on ones that would be perfect for your family! So please, subscribe and follow my blog to keep updated with these safe and natural products from Jessica Alba's The Honest Company. They are wonderful about telling you exactly what is in each of their products, and have caring customer service to talk to at any point along the way. They're winners, people!

I'll be receiving some free products in the mail soon, and can't wait to share them with you! Learn more about the company by clicking around on some of my links, and if you decide to purchase any products, let me thank you in advance for the little commission my family gets from the referral! Sharing is caring :) 
Blessings,
The Honest Company
Non-toxic, cute, eco-friendly and effective! Shop Honest.com

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

growing up --

shannon motherwell photography
Monday morning, I woke up on my own--from the night. Without an alarm or little 2 year old calling for me. I took a long breath and reached for my phone -- 7:20 am. No wonder I feel so rested! oh dear. Marshall usually wakes up at 5:30 am ... I close my eyes for a quick prayer, hoping he was okay ... and climb out of bed to check on my son. 

I open my bedroom door, and peer out to the living room -- oh my! there he is. just sitting on the couch. stark naked. "Hi, Momma!" hahaa what a goof :) I called Josh out of bed to share in the hilarity! 
...now what happened in his room?

Wet diaper on the floor along with a whirlwind of toys, clothes, shoes and books -- he had quite the heyday! and now-- time to re-shelf and reorganize his entire room! Everything just became accessible. 

Josh and I worked that allen wrench and took off the front of the crib .. it was toddler bed time! --and boy, was Marshall pumped! He ran to the bed and dove head first with a little roll flip ... again and again! 

It's a new age with a new stage to go along with it! Now there's a ton of new things to figure out, since Marshall can access nearly everything in his room.
We now:

1. know exactly when he's not sleeping, because he walks across the room and flips on the lamp --which gives a nice glow around his door :)

2. can leave his training potty in his room as an option if he wants to take off his diaper and go potty (which he already did this week!)

3. have to figure out where to put his books, so they don't end up off of his bookshelf and on the floor after every nap! 

4. need to figure out how to keep him from climbing onto his dresser

5. have to remember to put most toys away in his toy chest before bed and LOCK it closed

6. can lay beside him in bed to read him a bedtime story, sing a song, and say prayers (my favorite part of the toddler bed!)

Do you any of you friends out there have any toddler bed tips or tricks? I'd love your input into this new world!

Monday, August 18, 2014

What does my handle "ifrog4fr" mean?


Thank you so much to everyone who entered the Natural Teething Remedy Giveaway this last week! Congrats Prairie Cottage! Please check your email and reply to ifrog4fr(at)gmail.com with the name and address you would like me to send the package to! 

If you didn't get to win the grand prize, don't be disheartened, Open Door Traders is looking forward to sharing more of their products! Check out their website HERE to purchase their beautiful wood teethers and other products -- plus they have GREAT prices and give 10% to charity! I am also still offering my Young Living promotion HERE through the end of the month!

I am so thankful to have had so many wonderful interactions with you all on the blog this week, and look forward to connecting more! My husband was home sick all week, so I was unable to do much in terms of publishing blog posts, but was so blessed by the comments, tweets, and follows!

I want to take a little time and let you know a little more about myself and my family, bit by bit :) Today, I want to give you some background on my username/handle -- IFROG4FR! I use the name on my gmail, twitter, instagram, pinterest -- basically all over! It is something that means a lot to me, and has for a long time!

You probably noticed first off, the hidden word "FROG"! Well people, I love frogs -- always have! I have raised many different types of frogs, often from their cute beginnings as a tadpole or egg cluster. As a kid, I even dug out a pond in the red and rocky Arkansas soil, under a shade tree in my parents back yard. Summer after summer, I would fill my pond with minnows, snails and tadpoles.  My favorite type of frog has to be the tree frog -- I love their cute little toes and how they'll eat a cricket or moth right out of my hand!
 
The BEST part of my little username is that it also speaks about faith! I picked up a little card in a Christian bookstore when I was a kid that looked something like this: 
It combined some of my favorite things, and well, it just stuck! Everytime I went to try a username for whatever site I was on, ifrog4fr was open!

ifrog4fr will always remind me of the truth that I Fully Rely On God Forever -- He is my fortress, and in Him I can trust! It's actually pretty neat that such a simple thing "defines me" in the social media world. I hope it can be both an everyday reminder for myself, and a testimony of God's faithfulness! 

Happy Monday, everyone :)
ifrog4fr

Monday, August 11, 2014

a BIG announcement + a GIVEAWAY ($100 value!)


I am THRILLED to share these family pictures, taken by our dear friend Shannon M! Be sure to scroll all the way down to enter our GIVEAWAY!
We are SOOO PUMPED!!!!! Estimated arrival of our new little bundle is March 2015! 
To celebrate -- I am completely thrilled to share this amazing bundle of joy with you all - a Natural Teething Remedy Giveaway! Teething pain can linger for many months of a little one's life, and this gift pack is the perfect remedy!

Here are the lovely sponsors that made this Giveaway possible--check them out!
For my little guy, teething made him want to gnaw on everything like a puppy. I purchased clove oil specifically to help sooth his little gums as they were popping out those sharp, strong pearly whites -- and it really worked great to calm him down and give his mouth some time to chill :) *You MUST dilute clove oil with a "carrier oil", because it is VERY strong -- a recipe I would recommend would be
  • 2 Tablespoons of Coconut Oil 
  • 1-2 drops of Young Living (or therapeutic grade) Clove Essential Oil [make sure your clove oil is labeled for internal use]
I wish I would have had these amazing Open Door Traders teethers when my guy was sticking everything in his mouth, because they are naturally safe and antibacterial -- plus they fit perfectly in cute little hands! They can also be chilled in the freezer for the little ones that like that cold on their budding gums!

This bundle is great for a little one or to share as the perfect baby shower or 1 year old birthday gift!
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Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Guess Who's Two!


Little Man turns 2 years old today! What a wonderfully hilarious adventure [and daily learning experience] this has been! 
shannon motherwell photography
Marshall is such a fun-loving kid who loves to put a smile on the face of a stranger. He is very affectionate -- loves giving out kisses, hugs, pounds and high-fives! Marshall has such a blast with his friends and family -- he has learned SO many names and likes to make people feel special with his extra umphf and squeeze to his hugs! He's hit all of his milestones and has fun learning and parroting what we say and do! 
 
Here are some sweet and silly things about our little guy lately: 
Before bed, he always says, "sing song, Momma/Daddy" and then asks to pray, which he ends with a darling, "AMEN"! During the day, he loves listening to music, and can pick out guitar ("tar") and drums from the songs -- and considers the male vocalist "daddy" and the females are all "momma". 
Marshall calls his pacifier a "mudgie"...goofy kid! He likes his mudgie, but we will soon by saying farewell, we'll see how that goes!
He is very nurturing to his toy Elmo - including trying to feed him spoonfuls of whatever he's eating! I like putting a drop of Peace and Calming oil on Elmo's head before bed -- makes Elmo smell so good and gets Marshall in a sleepy mood. 
We like to refer to Marshall's little training potty as the "iPoo" -- so sleek and Mac-like! hehe :) I am so proud of Marshall for putting his "yuckies" in the potty, I have refrained myself from posting pictures of the proof -- you're welcome! We're using less and less diapers, so that helps save $ and laundry!
Little man loves to be outside, and asks to go out frequently! He loves to run, jump, slide and he even somersaulted the other day. Marshall loves playing ball -- has an impressive throwing arm and loves running behind a ball and kicking it soccer style! 
Marshall has a lot of favorite animals, here are some that come to mind: lizards "yih-zard", ducks, birds, butterflies "buh-fy", doggies, cats "ka-gee" and fish "feesh"!

He asks for snacks of peanut butter "pu-put" and hummus "hum-uh" and chows down on cheese and berries! He even likes to eat tomatoes --just like me! With a little drink of "ice water please, Momma" he is happy to go!

We love you little man! Happy Birthday!!
shannon motherwell photography

P.S. I will be posting more pictures on Monday with our first Mitchael Journey Giveaway! Please subscribe and check back on the 11th to enter :)

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