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Blessings Overflowing

Faith~Family~Creativity

About

Welcome

Welcome to Blessings Overflowing! Thank you for stopping by my little corner of the blogosphere. I am so glad you are here. My name is Jackie. I am a child of God, a wife, and a mom to 5 wonderful kids. I love all things DIY, and I have more hobbies than a busy mom probably should.

I have been a working mom, a stay at home mom, a work from home mom, and now I am back to being a working mom as I have gone back to teaching after a 15 year hiatus. I teach 7th and 8th grade Family and Consumer Sciences and Language Arts. Teaching this age group is both challenging and rewarding.

Nearly thirteen years ago I started this blog when I was expecting my fourth child. I had just decided to close my home-based embroidery business, and I thought it would be a great way to keep track of my DIY projects and share family updates.

It took me about 1 1/2 years before I made this blog public, and I have added many new topics in the years I have been blogging. One thing that hasn’t changed is my focus.

I chose the name Blessings Overflowing because I was, and still am, a mom whose blessings are overflowing.

In the beginning…

One day I was all warm and snug and the next thing you know I was thrust into the world where everything was noisy and bright. There were lots of strange people to meet and new things to experience. Someone put a shirt and diaper on me and stuck me in a little cart on wheels. They even covered my hands. What was up with that?

newborn Jackie

Wait.

Did I go back too far?

Is my “about me” page supposed to cover my entire life’s story?

No?  Hmm…

Let’s try this again.

My name is Jackie. I have had several jobs since I graduated from college. I was a teacher, an embroidery business owner, a home-based preschool teacher, a freelance web designer, and now I am a teacher again. However, my favorite job of all is being a mom to my five awesome kids.

I have been married to JT for almost twenty-five years, and our children are Julia, James, Joshua, Joseph, and Janna. They have grown and changed so much since I started this blog, and I am so thankful God chose me to be their mama. There is never a dull moment in our home, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Why I Am Still Blogging After 10+ Years

I have been blogging since August of 2007 when we found out that we were going to have our third son. I have tried to pinpoint over these years of blogging why I keep going. There are two reasons that I have come up with.

First, I am a person who likes to figure out how to do things myself.  Whether it be sewing, crocheting, crafting, gardening, canning, or whatever else is floating my boat at the moment, I enjoy the process of creating. By having a blog I get to share with others and get ideas as well. All of the people who read this blog make me want to keep writing and that seems to be good for my sanity.

Secondly, and probably most importantly, I like having a record of what is happening in our lives right now. Someday my children may look back at the things I have written about them and laugh at how silly their mother was. But maybe, just maybe, they will be glad for this glimpse into the inner workings of their mother’s mind. Maybe some of the sentimental things I have written will help them remember just how much I love them.

While I haven’t shared everything about my life, maybe I have given you just enough that you might be interested enough to stop back by sometime. That would totally make my day. 🙂

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Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.

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This little ray of sunshine turned ten years old t This little ray of sunshine turned ten years old today. Janna loves laughing, learning, writing, singing, nature, animals, school, people...just about everything really. 🙂  Janna has been a true joy, and I am so thankful God has allowed me to be her mama. 

While I’m a little sad that none of my kids are “little”anymore, I am so excited to see what the future holds for my girl. Janna is always setting goals, and she just started a new list of “life goals” that already almost fills a page. Whatever the future holds for my sweet Janna, I know she will give it her all and do it with a smile on her face. 

Happy birthday, Janna! You are so loved. ❤️
I really needed today. This month has been very bu I really needed today. This month has been very busy, and an e-learning/snow day was much appreciated by everyone in my house. Joseph, Janna, and I had so much fun playing in the snow this afternoon. Here are a few pictures of our adventures. (Janna is wearing a coat my mom made for me nearly 40 years ago.)
I have mixed emotions when I reflect on all that h I have mixed emotions when I reflect on all that has happened in 2020. There have been so many negatives for so many people. I can’t say it has all been positive for me either. However, there are some things that have happened in 2020 for which I am so grateful. 
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The main thing I am grateful for is the extra time I was able to spend with my kids. We had so much fun during quarantine and this summer. I know this wasn’t the case for everyone, but I do not regret the days when we had nothing planned and could just have fun together. Whether it was walking in the woods, playing games, watching a movie together, or even doing chores, I never once heard an “I’m bored.” 🙂 
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In addition to the gift of more time together, I am also grateful for all of the milestones we have celebrated this year. In June, my parents celebrated their 50th anniversary, and then we had four milestone birthdays. Julia turned 21, James turned 18, Joshua turned 16, and Joseph turned 13. (Janna felt left out, so we told her that her birthday was special because it was her last birthday in single digits.) Also, today marks 25 years that JT and I have been married. 
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While I won’t be sorry to see 2020 go, and I hope
and pray 2021 is better for so many people who are hurting right now, I don’t ever want to forget the good times we had this year. 
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P.S. I took all of these pictures over fall break.
The girls and I recorded our parts for our virtual The girls and I recorded our parts for our virtual church service yesterday, and I couldn’t resist getting a picture with them in front of this beautiful Christmas tree. ❤️
James has been playing school basketball since he James has been playing school basketball since he was in the fourth grade. Tonight he and his fellow Seniors  were recognized at their game, and I just can’t believe James is this old. 
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Normally, Senior Night is the last game of the season. However,  because everything in the world seems so uncertain right now, we wanted to make sure the boys got a chance to be recognized. We wanted something “normal” for them. I am thankful James and his teammates not only got recognized but also won their game. 
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P.S. We had our masks on at all times other than when we took pictures.
We have another teenager in the house! Joseph is t We have another teenager in the house! Joseph is turning 13 today, and it just doesn’t seem possible. The beautiful baby boy who was placed in my arms on a cold and foggy day in December is still my “little” guy. However, after looking at this picture of the two of us, I don’t think he will be shorter than me for long. Joseph is still my shy guy, but he is also sweet, loving, kind, and just an all around good kid. We also lovingly refer to him as the cat whisperer because the kittens and cats follow him around like puppies. 🙂 It has been so much fun to have Joseph at school with me this year now that he is in junior high, and I am so thankful that I get to be his mama. Happy birthday, Joseph! ❤️
2020 has been challenging in so many ways. One of 2020 has been challenging in so many ways. One of those challenges was self-inflicted. 🙂 I just finished my fourth master’s level course of 2020 through Ball State, and I passed the high ability licensure exam last Thursday. This means that I will soon have high ability added to my teaching license. 
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When I signed up to take my first class in January, I had no idea what 2020 was going to entail. Teaching in a pandemic isn’t for the faint of heart. Taking classes and caring for five kids while teaching in a pandemic has allowed me to see what I am really made of. I don’t mean to brag, but I am pretty happy that I received straight A’s. Beyond that, I learned so much, and I am grateful for this opportunity even though I felt stretched to my limits some days. 
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Yes, 2020 has been challenging, but I have been blessed with more time with my family, knowledge gained, and challenges met and overcome.
I almost forgot to post this here. 🎂 Joshua is I almost forgot to post this here. 
🎂
Joshua is 16 years old today. It doesn’t seem possible that my little pip squeak of a baby boy is now about 6’4”. Joshua is now the tallest of the family, and I’m not sure he is done growing. There hasn’t been a dull moment since Joshua arrived, and I wouldn’t want it any other way. He is a fun-loving, hard-working, kind-hearted, and intelligent young man. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for him. I am so thankful God thought I was up to the task of being Joshua’s mama. ❤️
My little 7 pound 20 inch baby boy, who didn’t c My little 7 pound 20 inch baby boy, who didn’t cry as soon as he was born but first looked around to see what was going on in the world, is now a 6’2” handsome man. I truly never thought the years would go by so quickly, but here we are. James is 18 today. 

There are so many words I could use to describe James: hardworking, dedicated, persevering, intelligent, funny, curious, kindhearted, dependable, respectful, and helpful. I could also expound upon his accomplishments, and I could tell you how great he is. However, I don’t love James for what he has accomplished but simply because he is my son.

I have been so blessed to be James’s mom, and I thank God every day for entrusting him into my care. I don’t know what the future will hold for him, but I know he will do great things. 

For anyone reading this who is struggling with a tantrum throwing toddler, a strong-willed child, and/or a child who questions everything, I would like to encourage you. Look for the positive qualities your child possesses such as perseverance, dedication, and curiosity and build upon that. I will never regret the hard days of parenting because my prayers and hard work have paid off. Helping James reach his full potential and keep those qualities without breaking his spirit has been worth the effort.

Happy Birthday, James!

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