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I think that I was 13 or 14 before I realized that not everyone went to church on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights. My wife was born and raised in the Methodist church and I was raised in the Baptist church, but switched over to the Methodist church when I was about 20. So for my wife and I, church is not an option for our children. The church is an important part of our lives and we take it very seriously.

For my wife and I, we have decided to attend the Methodist church that she grew up in. That being said, there might come a time that we find another Methodist church closer to our house. But for us, it is important for us to worship (I am excluding the religious part here on purpose, as I believe that religious beliefs are an individual thing) in a place that is inviting to all, that promotes helping others – especially those in need, and that has a strong children’s program.

And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. – (Matthew 18:2-6 ESV)

We have already had our boys christened in the church as a profession of our faith that we will raise our sons in a Christian home, but also to begin their journey with God as well. I found this on the United Methodist Church website as it pertains to the need to baptize babies:

Why Baptize Babies?
From the earliest times, children and infants were baptized and included in the church. As scriptural authority for this ancient tradition, some scholars cite Jesus’ words, “Let the little children come to me…for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs” (Mark 10:14). However, a more consistent argument is that baptism, as a means of grace, signifies God’s initiative in the process of salvation. John Wesley preached “prevenient grace,” the grace that works in our lives before we are aware of it, bringing us to faith. The baptism of children and their inclusion in the church before they can respond with their own confirmation of faith is a vivid and compelling witness to prevenient grace. – Read More on baptizing children.

We also have started getting the boys from the church nursery and taking them with us as we partake in communion. I want the boys to learn and make decisions on their own, but I also want to get them involved in the church as earlier as I can, to help mold and shape their views.

 

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Disciplining children is a very touchy subject. Before my wife and I got married this was one of the topics that we discussed and we both wanted to make sure that we were on the same page before we had children.

I was raised in a military home, so I was required to say “yes sir” “no sir” “yes ma’am” and “no ma’am”, which I still say today. But, at the same time, rules and boundaries were set and if I misbehaved, I was disciplined. The disciplining ranged from a spanking to being sent to my room, to running laps around the house, yard work, etc.

So, what my wife and I decided that we would do, is that we would discuss the punishments together, this allows for a cooling off period as well as making sure that we are thinking the same, but that we will talk with our children once the punishment has been given out. We want to make sure that our children understand right from wrong and learn from their mistakes. Disciplining is a touchy subject, as well as a hard subject, because disciplining a child can have an adverse reaction.

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Here are a few of our favorite recipes.

BBQ Pork Tenderloin
1 Pork Tenderloin – lightly seasoned with salt & pepper
1/2 Bottle of your favorite BBQ Sauce
8 Hours in the crock pot

POMEGRANATE CHIPOTLE SAUCE Pork Tenderloin
1 Pork Tenderloin – lightly seasoned with salt & pepper
1/2 cup of water
1/2 bottle of POMEGRANATE CHIPOTLE SAUCE from Tastefully Simple
5 hours in the crock pot

Brisket
2 1/2 lb brisket
6 hours on the smoker on 200 degrees
2 hours on each side, then for the last 2 hours, wrap the brisket in aluminum foil and place back on the smoker.

Grilled London Broil
1 London Broil
Marinate overnight – I use a 1/2 of bottle of Fat & Juicy Bloody Mary Mix
Grill for 8 minutes on high
Then flip and reduce heat to medium for 5 minutes.

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Now that the new year has started and it is time for the dreaded tax season, remember to take a look at the IRS 2011 Child Tax Credit deductions.

This is also a good time for a teachable moment with the kids too. One of the things that we are doing this year, and even though the boys are too young this year to understand, we will be away some of the boys toys and donating them to charity. Ask your CPA, but this should fall under a standard donation and can come off of your taxes as tax credits as well.

I want to make sure that we raise the boys to be humble and remember that they can help those that do not have as much as they do.

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With trying to keep with the plan of saving money, we have been trying to cook more meals for our nightly dinner and that we can use for multiple meals. So a lot of times, we use the crock pot. Our favorite recipe and one of the easiest recipes and is great for left overs:

BBQ Pork Tenderloin
1 – Pork Tenderloin & cover it with your favorite BBQ Sauce. Then place in the crock pot for 8 hours and serve. It is easy and makes 2 – 3 meals.

Pork Shoulder
1 – Pork Shoulder & cover it with vinegar, crushed red peppers, and water. Place in the crock pot for 8 hours and serve. Makes 4 meals.

Brisket
1 –  2 1/2 lbs Brisket – smoke for 6 hours on the smoker at 200 degrees

Spaghetti
1 – Package of Ground Turkey, pasta of your choice and homemade tomato sauce. (I add crushed red peppers as well) – This will provide at least 2 left over meals.

Hot Sausage with Penne Pasta
1 – package of hot sausage, cut into small pieces and fry. Boil Pene pasta until done, strain and place back into the pot. Once the hot sausage is finished, pour homemade tomato sauce over the sausage and fry for 10 minutes. – This will provide at least 2 left over meals.

Here are a few websites that I have found to have great recipes:

Food Network
My Recipes
Food.com
FoodPair
Foodily
Grilling and Beer

I hope that you’ll be able to find some good recipes that will help you and your family not only prepare healthy meals, but meals that will save you money. And if you have other sites that you visit for recipes, please share.

 

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Marriage is hard, but the first year of marriage with kids, is pretty rough too. Focusing on each other is important and shouldn’t be overlooked. Yes, the first priority should be the kids, but then, you still have to spend time for each other.

Here are some things that we do:

  • Date night is important and we have tried to focus on going out once a month. To help save money, find another couple and offer to baby sit for free so that they too can enjoy a date night and then they can watch your kids when you need a night out on the town.
  • Eat dinner together after the kids go to bed and talk about our day. I think that this will change once the boys are able to talk, as I hope that we will all eat together at the dinner table together.
  • We talk, and we try to avoid the basic small talk, but we talk about the kids, work, if we are on track with our goals for the year. And actually listen, not think about 10 things that have to be done tomorrow.

Remember, before there were kids, it was just you two and you have to spend time on each other as well.

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So we had a first this past week, we all got sick. Sunday night, we were feeding the boys and one threw up immediately after eating. After cleaning him up, which he was very happy in the bath tub and laughing a lot, we just blew it off as a fluke thing. The next night, same thing. So Tuesday while at work, I get a call from my wife asking me to come home, b/c she was now sick.I walk in the house, grab the boys and start feeding them their mid morning bottles and the other baby started throwing up.

Fast forward to 8pm that night and I had gotten the boys to bed and checked on my wife, when I realized that I didn’t feel well. It was then we realized that we had contracted a 24 hour stomach virus. One of the biggest problems that comes with this virus is how tired and weak you after getting sick. So, we had to call in reinforcements yesterday and we had my wife’s father come and watch the boys. Had it not been for him, we really aren’t sure how we would have survived yesterday.

 

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I know that for many, exercising more is at the top of your New Years resolutions.  For us, it is a goal too, but to cut back on extra expenses, my wife and I decided to cancel our gym membership for now. The gym offered daycare, but it was for children 5 and up. So, instead of paying $80 a month to go to the gym, we now take the boys to the mall and walk around. It is good exercise and we can all be together. Soon, when the boys start walking, this might prove to be a challenge, but until then, it saves us money, my wife and I are able to get a nice walk in and the boys are with us. Family fun.

First goal during the winter months: 1 – 2 trips to the mall for walks a week.
Second goal during the spring and summer months: 1 – 2 trips to the park a week to walk.

The family walks will help the boys get out and enjoy the fresh air, but it will also  help my wife and I with our goals of losing weight.

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After almost 9 months, we are still asked if the boys are identical twins. Anyone can look at the boys and see that they are not identical, they look nothing alike. Each boy has his own personality, his own mannerisms, his own uniqueness. This is what makes them so special.

I would have thought that by now, some of the questions would have slowed down, but I guess that this is something that we’ll have to deal with the rest of our lives? I think that it will be interesting now to see how the boys respond and deal with it as they go through life. But, it is amazing to watch them interact with each other, because you can tell that they will not only be close brothers, but best friends.

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As many people start the 2012, New Years Resolutions are being made and most will be stopped by March, as mine have in years past. I hope that by publishing my resolutions, I can keep track of them easier and focus on them more. So here goes:

1) Spend more time with my boys
2) Save more money – both for the boys College but for the family & I am hoping that by cutting down on eating out, using more coupons and the boys switching from formula to milk in a few months, that this will be an achievable goal.
3) Exercise more – I would like to start doing 2 – 3 days a week of cardio, which should be doable since there is a 1 mile walking path at work.
4) Pay down debt – Pay down at least 3 credit cards and finish paying off 1 college loan for my wife.

So, as we start the new year, let’s hope that I am able to do better this year than in previous with my 2012 New Years Resolutions.

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