Happy.Little.Housewife.

Reflecting.

2011-12-31T11:33:00.000-08:00

I can hardly believe that 2012 starts tomorrow!

As I reflect on last year, I am asking myself if I lived life to the absolute fullest? Did I love well? Was I a good steward of my time? Did I do the things God wanted me to do? Only I know the answers in my heart but I can say that I would love to grow more in these areas in 2012.

Each year we are given a gift....a fresh start! What are we going to do with it? We only have one life to live....are we living it with purpose? Are we pursuing the dreams that God has placed in our hearts? I feel that 2012 will be a year of "doing" for me. What I mean by that is...there are SO many dreams and desires that God has placed in my heart and 2012 I just need to step out and well, DO THEM! Why do we complicate it? I am thinking of the NIKE slogan---JUST DO IT!

I find myself wasting so much time just thinking about all the things I want to do for God...how much could I have accomplished with the time I wasted thinking??! So, my New Years resolution is to step out and do it. Dive in and take a leap of faith....run hard after the desires and dreams God has given me for my life. I am filled with great joy and anticipation today as I reflect on 2011 and all that God did and as I look to the future.

2011 was an incredible year for Chris and I as enjoyed our first year of being married. I will always cherish this year when I think of all of the "firsts" we experienced together. We grew and learned SO much in our relationship and our love for each other has grown even more :)

Some of my highlights for 2011 would be:

-Going on our first missions trip together as husband and wife. As most of you know, we have a heart for the Nations and this trip was so strategic and special for us a couple. I will cherish the memories always. We went to Guatemala , btw :)

-God speaking to our hearts individually (then coming together and realizing it!) about adoption and a very specific thing regarding that. To be continued ;)

-Starting our own business! We are now the proud owners of "Unity Cleaning Services" here in Bradenton, Florida! God has given us a huge vision for this company and it is our desire to build this company to support our calling for missions. SO EXCITING!

-Learning to walk through the hard times together....we have walked through a few very difficult situations with our families this year and just learning to be each other's "rock" was a very beautiful thing!

-Going on spontaneous getaways together....we have been blessed to go to Orlando a few times, and also to Clearwater Beach & Jacksonville. Even though they were in state trips, we had a BLAST together and made some incredible memories.

-Starting my photography business, "Jessica Gunn Photography". This has always been a dream of mine and I FINALLY stepped out and started doing it! :) I have soooo much to learn but I have been doing many photo shoots and we have been so blessed financially through my business already! God is good!

-God giving us the name of our ministry. I can't release it yet but let's just say, God is good and his ideas are always the most creative and the best!!! :) This ministry name reflects our heart's perfectly and we are so humbled and excited!!! :)

That's just mentioning a few things but I am SO thankful for every moment God has given me in 2011. Through the good times and the bad, I have learned incredible lessons on faith, perseverance and love. I challenge you all to live 2012 to the absolute fullest!! :) NO regrets!

Love,

The Happy Little Housewife

Fill it in!

2011-11-01T09:00:00.000-07:00

maybe I should: be cleaning the house.

I love: dates with my husband

people would say that I’m short. very short.

I don’t understand why: bad things happen to good people. and why anyone would want to abort their baby.

when I wake up in the morning: I want to go back to sleep. Or drink coffee. lots of it.

I lost: my passport once. yuck.

my life is full of : Babies and Love.

my past is full of : testimonies of God's grace!

parties are even better with: junk food and hot tubs.

I wish I had more time : to make crafts.

dogs are: nice when they're small and clean!

cats are : only cute when they're kittens.

tomorrow I’m : helping my mom with the babies.

I have low tolerance for : people who gossip or are just downright rude.

I’m totally terrified of: people I love the most dying too soon. and birds.

never in my life have I : done drugs or smoked.

high school was: a blur.

when I’m nervous I : sweat and shake.

take my advice: live each day to the fullest. do something out of your comfort zone. travel the world.

making my bed : is more fun now that I have my own house and cute bedding.

I’m almost always : spending time with my husband! :)

I’m addicted to : chocolate and facebook.

I want someone to : read this.

~The Happy.Little.Houswife.~

2011-10-28T16:38:00.000-07:00

I sat here for 10 minutes trying to think of an appropriate title for this blog post.

There are so many different thoughts racing through my head and my heart tonight and I cannot really slap one title on it.

Let me be real and raw for a second. I have been struggling with wanting to continue to blog because I know that any one can read it. Now you're probably saying "duh...that's what a blog is for." Yes, I know that. But deep down, sometimes I wish that only my closest friends and family members could read it because I fear people that may be "uncomfortable" to me are reading it. God has really spoke to my heart regarding this though. What an opportunity I have to share my heart and be open and raw with those people. It's a scary thing to be 100% vulnerable with those you'd rather not go there with. But here I am, this is me--a glimpse into my heart--like it or not :)

My husband and I have been going through a huge battle the past year. Let me clarify--this has nothing to do with our marriage, we are madly in love and have an amazing and healthy marriage. I am going to try and be careful of how I word this battle because I want to keep a pure heart. This battle is with some very key relationships in our life. These are people that should be in our lives daily, but have chosen to let the trials and the circumstances of the past block reconciliation. It's so heart breaking and to be honest, this has been the hardest battle of my life (at least one of them). I literally wake up sometimes and feel physical pain in my heart because I ache for restoration so badly.

God has carried us through this journey so sweetly and has taught us many valuable lessons in it. Even though good has come from it, wow--has it been painful!

Choosing to love when you really don't feel like it and pray daily for people who have hurt us tremendously, has been a battle. I am happy to say that for the most part, thanks to God's grace, I feel like I've succeeded. I am not saying that I succeeded every single day, I definitely have my moments (ask Chris! lol). But after my "moments", God picks me up and whispers so sweetly to my heart..."Love Wins."

That has been the theme for me during this battle. Love wins. If you look at hopeless situations where it looks like restoration is nearly impossible, you can see a pattern-----------------------Love wins....every.single. time. When I feel like I can't go on, I am so encouraged by God's unconditional love for us and reminded that we are all called to love unconditionally just as Christ loves us. That is easier said than done sometimes...okay, most times. It's easy to love people who haven't hurt us. I've got that down pretty well, but people who have "wronged" us? That's a challenge. a big one.

I encourage you, if you are walking through a battle where it's quite uncomfortable and hard to keep loving difficult people--remember, Jesus' unconditional love for us even when we don't deserve it. Are you being Jesus to those difficult people? Love Wins. A scripture that is carrying me right now is 1 Corinthians 13. A scripture we so often hear and usually end up tuning it out and saying yeah, yeah yeah I know--it's the "Love" scripture. But really take the time to dissect it and meditate on it.

If I speak in the tongues^[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. ² If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. ³ If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,^[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.

⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

⁸ Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. ⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰ but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears.¹¹ When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. ¹² For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

¹³ And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Oh how I am so humbled when I really allow that scripture to soak into my spirit. I can be the perfect wife, wonderful mom, awesome daughter, good friend, missionary, etc--but if I do not have love...and not just love, but TRUE, GENUINE, Love for people and not just people, but difficult people--I am. nothing. You are nothing.

Are you truly loving people in your life? I encourage you---LOVE. WINS.

Love those difficult people to life! Love them just like Jesus loves us--unconditionally.

We are on this journey together. Let's encourage each other and do this thing!!! :)

~Happy.little.Housewife~

Fall time & missions

2011-09-23T13:39:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday, everyone!

It's the first official day of fall and I couldn't be more excited! Fall time is my very favorite time of the year. I love the cooler weather (like 80 degrees here in Florida, lol) and all of the warm and cozy decoration. Bonfires, hoodies, pumpkin bread, fall scented candles, cool breezes, and a sense of a fresh start with kids going back to school! :) Love it all! I love Fall even more now that I have our Wedding Anniversary in November! Oh and did I mention my Birthday is in September?!

I want share something very exciting for me and near to my heart! I have officially signed up for a 2 week missions trip to......UKRAINE! My heart is absolutely bursting with such joy and anticipation! The trip will take place most likely in May (still waiting to check airline prices and coordinate with the missionaries there). I told God that I would go and that I feel extremely called to this trip but he would have to provide my deposit. The deposit was $200 and we simply did not have that extra cash right now. It was a leap of faith and a little scary but I was also filled with such anticipation and faith! Well, sure enough GOD CAME THROUGH!!! God provided my deposit and I was able to 100% commit to the trip!!!!!!! :) This time it will only be me going, as Chris feels he isn't supposed to go. Although I will miss him greatly, I am excited to see what God has in store for me on this trip!

When I was 18 years old I went on a missions trip to Romania and it forever changed my life. God broke my heart for Europe and although I know Chris and I will travel to many different nations, Europe is what my heart burns for.

Will you please join me in prayer for this trip? Pray for my team I'm going with....that our hearts will begin to be prepared for the ministry at hand and that we will see MANY come to know Jesus!!!! :) Also, please pray for the funds I need for this trip...God knows! I trust him so much and I'm extremely excited to see how he provides every penny!!!!!!!! :) If you are interested in supporting me, you can comment on here or contact me on my Facebook!

I AM SO EXCITED! This is what I am called to do and to be in God's perfect will for my life is such a Beautiful feeling! I stand humbled and amazed at all God has trusted me with...I just long to do MORE for his Kingdom.....USE ME JESUS!

"What we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop." ~Mother Teresa~

Love,

The happy little Housewife

An interview with my hubby.

2011-09-08T09:09:00.000-07:00

~An interview with my hubby~

Me: Hi Honey, you’re so cute! Thanks for taking time to do this with me! Okay, so let’s get started.

Me: What is your favorite meal that I cook?

Chris: My favorite meal that you cook is Tacos because I know how much you love Mexican food and it reminds me of Mexico and that is where we met…and it’s really good!

Me: aw what a cute answer, this is going good so far! Next question: What is your biggest pet peeve that I do? (I’m scared!)

Chris: When you do laundry and forget that you still have a load in the dryer and it sits there for 2 days. I especially hate it when you also leave a load in the washer. Now we get to re-wash mildew smelling clothes and de-wrinkle the stuff in the dryer. Thank you for our wonderfully low energy bill.

Me: Oh honey, why didn’t you pick something a little less revealing of my shortcomings? haha! Okay, moving on---question #3: What is the most fun aspect of being married?

Chris: I wouldn’t consider this necessarily to be “fun” or “funny,” but I love the fact that we are almost always on the same page because it makes our sense of humor funnier to us, and it helps with understanding each other’s hearts.

Me: In your opinion, what is the hardest part about marriage?

Chris: I think the hardest part about marriage is knowing that I fail at things that you need or want. It’s difficult when I can’t provide or emotionally supply the desires of your heart 100% of the time. As a man it brings up feelings such as, “Am I a good husband…” I want to be the best that I can be for you but my flaws and inabilities prevent me sometimes.

Me: What is your favorite memory of our first year of marriage so far?

Chris: The time when we were driving over the skyway bridge and we were going to Clearwater beach…we were blasting country music and it was just a good, good day.

Me: If you could give our marriage a song, what would it be?

Chris: “Whoop there it is”

Me: no comment.

Me: What’s your favorite thing about me?

Chris: I love the fact that there’s something that happens to me when you put your arms around me or just look at me that always makes me melt. It doesn’t matter if I hate you in that moment or love you to death.

Me: Aww shucks. Thanks sweetheart! Okay so, what is the best way a wife can encourage her husband?

Chris: well, there’s different ways that you can encourage your husband and that is usually specific to the man that you’re married to. But for me, it’s being noticed that I’m upset about something even when I’m not showing it. For instance, sometimes I just need a hug but I may not show it or even realize that I need one. It’s when I receive a hug or an encouraging comment or simply just being noticed that I’m upset at a time that is most critical for my heart.

Me: What motivates a husband to do romantic things for his wife?

Chris: Realistically being nagged to a certain degree helps but too much nagging will create ignorance. So there’s balance with that. A man has to repeatedly be reminded of what his wife’s heart wants. We forget. Communication is very important in this area because if the wife doesn’t get what she wants, insecurities and concerns about not being a good enough wife and needs that aren’t met start to arise and create a hindrance on the marriage. There is cyclical approach to romanticism. If the man is being romanced, he will desire to romance his wife and vice versa. So if you want to ask what motivates a husband to do romantic things for you, it’s YOU.

Me: What is one thing a wife should avoid saying to her husband?

Chris: Husbands don’t always have the right approach to things so it’s important to understand the motives behind everything they do before making an assumption of what they’re doing because the end result will most likely be different than what you are envisioning in your head. It’s important to not discourage your husband with negative words or hateful comments. Your husband will usually react in a negative way to specific words that he doesn’t take very well.

Me: Is leaving the cap off the toothpaste really a marriage issue like everyone talks about?

Chris: Of course it is! The reason is because God usually puts two people with extreme differences together so each individual can be pruned and balanced in certain areas. One person is usually not going to care about the toothpaste and the other will. It teaches patience for one person and how to be more organized and clean for the other. All in all, put your toothpaste up and you won’t have a problem!

Me: I am definitely the person that leaves the toothpaste cap off. Haha! What is your ideal relaxing evening with me?

Chris: My ideal relaxing evening is to make s’mores in front of a fire and swim in the pool until we’re pruny. Then you would give me a back massage.

Me: Lol way to sneak that one in there, honey ;) Here’s a fun one---if you could take us on vacation ANYWHERE in the world where would you take us and why?

Chris: I would probably take you to Hawaii because I know how badly you’ve always wanted to go there and we love tropical places.

Me: Where do you see us in 10 years?

Chris: Married (obviously), with 4 children and a successful business and we will have traveled the world together.

Me: One last question: What’s THE best marriage advice you can give for couples out there?

Chris: This is a two part answer. Number one, spend as much time together as possible because you learn absolutely everything you can about each other. Part two is to get past the “tit for tat,” “he said, she said,” “you did, I did” thinking and comments in a disagreement and to get to the bottom line. Feelings are hurt if you don’t get to the bottom of things as quickly as possible, so it is important to figure out what the root of the problem is, create a healthy solution with equal compromise if needed and forgive whatever needs to be forgiven.

Me: Yay! Thank you for your time, honey! This was fun and we should definitely do this again with me in the hot seat next time!!! ;)

Love,

The happy little housewife

Loving difficult people.

2011-09-05T08:23:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! :)
Yes, I'm still alive! ha! I think I need to start setting alarms on my handy dandy iphone to remind me to BLOG! Out of site, out of my mind! :/

I thought I would share what the Lord has been teaching me lately. It's a topic that is very "common" but yet so hard to truly learn and practice every day. That is.....

Loving difficult people.

Throughout my life, I feel like I've had more opportunities than most to love people that are hard love. I know you all could probably say the same thing so I am not trying to say that MY situations in life have been more difficult. I've been reflecting a lot on this topic and the Lord reminded me of a time many years ago that he began to teach me this.

I remember crying my heart out one afternoon as a little girl. The wounds in my heart from things that had happened to me in my childhood seemed to go so deep that I almost couldn't bare it anymore. I remember this afternoon so vividly because I was sitting on the floor in a family members's bathroom. I was sobbing my heart out asking God WHY did I have to love the people that caused me so much hurt? It just wasn't fair! At the moment, I felt God telling me to look up and what I saw changed my life forever. My eyes were immediately drawn to a simple plaque that read, "People need loving the most when they deserve it the least"

In that moment, something inside of me changed. I got it. God was calling me to a deeper level of loving than what is normal or comfortable. As I sat there, on the bathroom floor on that rainy afternoon, looking up at that tiny wooden plaque, God began the healing process of forgiving those people who had done horrible things to me and had stolen my innocence at such a young age.

I am not saying this has been an easy journey of loving difficult people...no, not at all! I still have days where emotions surface and I want get angry again. But every time, God is still there with me, helping me to walk in love no matter what. God's grace is such a beautiful thing. Without it, none of us would be where we are today. It is my heart's desire to love unconditionally, no matter what has been done to me.

I know I'm focusing on what was done to me as a child but this applies to issues today too!

Loving people who are just downright mean to me, loving people who gossip about me, loving the lady who cuts me in line at the grocery store, loving people who judge me for whatever reason....LOVE no matter what! :) Love is a verb, not a noun. What are we doing to actively love those difficult people around us?

This scripture sums it all up! :)

Luke 6:32-36

“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. ³³ And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. ³⁴ And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. ³⁵ But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. ³⁶ Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

Sincerely,

~The Happy little House wife~

Buy 3 Jessicas, Get 3 FREE!

2011-07-15T06:50:00.000-07:00

Okay,

My darling husband wanted to title my blog today, so pardon the cheesyness! ;)

I wanted to post a short blog on couponing! I have recently started getting a lot more “extreme” with it and my hard work is starting to pay off! For the past 2 weeks, I (along with my husband who so sweetly helped me a ton!) have been working on a coupon binder. This was a HUGE job, it took us about 30 hours! But the benefits of having your coupons organized nicely by categories and the ability to carry it with you on every shopping trip is uh-mazing! For example, if I see something on the clearance rack that wasn’t on my grocery list, I can simply go to that specific category and see if I have a coupon for it. If I do, I usually end up getting that clearance item for FREE or very cheap!

My goals for couponing are to save us money on our grocery bill and get a decent size stock pile of items we actually use on a daily basis. But ultimately, my goal is to bless others!! That excites me more than anything! Last week I was able to donate 4 bags of nice groceries and toiletries to a local woman’s home! How fun is that?! My heart was filled with such joy knowing that my couponing skills are helping people! That is my heart! Not to have 50 boxes of pasta or 100 tubes of toothpaste. I want to give, give, give! So…need anything? I probably have it! Hah!

A lot of you have expressed an interest in learning more about couponing. My church hosts a class occasionally but I am also thinking of hosting a small class in my home as well. If you’re interested, please leave a comment telling me!

Here are a couple pictures of my last two shopping trips. This is NOT me bragging at all, just showing you what YOU can accomplish if you learn couponing! I’m definitely not a pro (yet..hehe) but it’s so fun to see progress each week!

Spent $53.94, SAVED $93.84!!! Over 60% Savings!

Spent $23.84, SAVED $95.27!!! Over 80% savings and my best trip yet! I was definitely doing the happy dance! lol

Love,

The Happy Little Housewife

:)

2011-07-12T20:34:00.000-07:00

Hi all :)

I'm back...wow, apparently I really stink at this whole "regularly blogging" thing. haha! Special thanks to Emily B. for holding me accountable! hah!

Life is so wonderful and I'm enjoying every moment! Here are a few random thoughts to "quench your thirst"....I have a long blog entry to write tomorrow but I am currently way too exhausted to write it (did a swimming workout..aka: death!)

-Saturday night, we had the honor of watching some very dear friends of ours arrive at the airport from Ethiopia with their new baby boy....there are no words! I was a big puddle of tears (happy ones of course!) and my heart was (is) bursting with anticipation for when it's OUR turn!!!! :)

-We are starting to plan our 1 year anniversary trip! So exciting and so crazy that it's going on one year already! Seriously!? :) We're trusting for all of the finances we need to make our trip a special one!

-I have successfully worked out THREE times in one week which is a huge deal for me! Lol Gotta celebrate the little victories, right?!

--I've been having baby fever lately! There. I said it! :P It's probably because I "torture" myself with all of these amazing, sweet adoption blogs daily and it just awakens that inside of my heart more & more. We are not ready for kiddos quite yet, just enjoying "us" time :) One day....

-With help from my incredible husband, I now have a HUGE coupon binder completely stuffed full of coupons..all organized by categories!! Can I get an amen?! We put about 30 hours into it but now that it's done, it will be well worth it! :D

Okay, that's all for now!!! :) Please comment or better yet, follow my blog to encourage me to keep this up!!!

Love you all!

Jessica Renee

Sunday Seven.

2011-06-19T19:44:00.001-07:00

I know I've been bad at blogging this week. My apologies! :) I've been taking care of a 1 year old and a 5 year old for about 20 hours a week on top of my normal job and life, so needless to say, I've been exhausted and busy! Blessed but still busy! I know it's almost Monday but I wanted to share my Sunday Seven again! :) Love you all!

#1. Lately, I've felt like a big crock pot...God is placing people in my life that are depositing things in my life that I know are just "cooking" and getting ready for the future :) Make sense? Like for example...adoption & motherhood, business, missions, etc! So far I have a few potatoes and a tiny piece of roast in there! hah! ;)

#2.Today I grocery shopped without Chris for the first time since we've been married! It was so weird! I enjoyed some "me" time but he was very missed!

#3. God has been wrecking my heart (in a good way!) for Africa. This is very random and surprising but nevertheless, exciting! Okay, God, send me--show me! :)

#4. I'm really into tea now! This is a new thing for this huge coffee fan! It has to have lots of milk and sugar in it though! What's your favorite tea?

#5. I have been contemplating regret. I am striving to live a life of no regrets. This is obviously hard but also very achievable. This next year, I will be diving into living some of my dreams that I've put off for a long time. Stay tuned!!!!! ;)

#6. I'm getting excited for cold weather! I don't know why but this summer heat has been annoying me more than usual and because I'm a Northern girl at heart, I'm dreaming of fall weather---mmm hoodies, hot chocolate and LEAVES! Lol

#7. I am amazed at how God places people in your life "for such a time at this". God's timing is so beautiful and strategic. I am blown away!

Love,

Jessica Renee Gunn

One Hundred crashing Jetliners

2011-06-14T06:25:00.000-07:00

I am reading a PHENOMENAL book called "The Hole in our Gospel" by: Richard Stearns. He is the President of World Vision and this book is a must read for anyone...especially if you have a heart for missions, adoption, or JUSTICE! :) So Sunday afternoon I was all cuddled on the couch reading this awesome book and totally didn't expect to find this statistic and for it to hit my heart like a semi-truck! I literally was weeping and God definitely did something deep inside of my heart. I am about to share something with you that has changed my life forever...I hope it changes your too.

One Hundred Crashing Jetliners

Whenever a major jetliner crashes anywhere in the world, it inevitably sets off a worldwide media frenzy covering every aspect of the tragedy. I want you to imagine for a moment that you woke up this morning to the following headline: "One Hundred Jetliners crash, Killing 26,500." Think of the pandemonium this would create across the world as as heads of state, parliaments and congresses convened to grapple with the nature and causes of this tragedy. Think about the avalanche of media coverage that would ignite around the globe as reporters shared the shocking news and tried to communicate its implications for the world. Air travel would no doubt grind to a halt as governments shut down the airlines and panicked air travelers canceled their trips. The National Transportation Safety Board and perhaps the FBI, CIA, and local law enforcement agencies and their international equivalents would mobilize investigations and dedicate whatever manpower was required to understand what happened and to prevent it from happening again.

Now imagine that the very next day, one hundred more planes crashed - and one hundred more the next, and the next, and the next. It is unimaginable that something this terrible could ever happen.

But it did--and it does.

It happened today and it happened yesterday. It will happen again tomorrow. But there was no media coverage. No heads of state, parliaments, or congress stopped what they were doing to address the crisis, and no investigations were launched. Yet more than 26,500 children died yesterday of preventable causes related to their poverty, and it will happen again today and tomorrow and the day after that. Almost 10 million children will be dead in the course of a year. So why does the crash of a single plane dominate the front pages of the newspapers across the world while the equivalent of one hundred planes filled with children crashing DAILY never reaches our ears? And even though we now have the awareness, the access, and the ability to stop it, why have we chosen not to? Perhaps one reason is that these kids who are dying are not our kids; they're somebody else's.

2011-06-12T14:10:00.001-07:00

Sunday Seven.

1. I am really diggin' grilled cheese sandwiches lately.like a lot.

2. Been pondering Grace & how thankful I am for it.

3.I'm currently addicted to adoption blogs <3

4. I love Summer time but seriously HATE all the lizards that come with it.

5. I have a huge obsession with magazines lately.

6. We got a Netflix account last week & it's so fun!

7. I'm determined to stick with this blog...hold me accountable!

Love & smiles,

Jessica Renee Gunn

28 dresses.

2011-06-11T20:57:00.001-07:00

Once upon a time, I watched one of my favorite chick flicks ever, "27 dresses". After falling in love with the concept of being in so many weddings, I excitedly told my husband that I would love to beat Katherine Heigl and get 28 dresses. He rolled his eyes and told me that I was cute and that was that.

Well, Be careful what you wish for because just two weeks later I was asked to be in not one, not two, but THREE weddings...not to mention all were in the month of May. I was extremely excited and honored and quickly dove into "wedding mode". Three wedding showers. Three Bachelorette parties. Three bridesmaids dresses. You get my drift :)

The month of May was like one giant wedding! Hah! I had a blast even though it was quite exhausting. My heart was bursting with JOY for all three of my friends. How beautiful to watch their love stories unfold and see them drive away into their new lives with their husbands! I love love love weddings because each one is beautiful in it's own unique way. Each one tells a story of how two people met and fell in love...that never gets old :)

So, congrats to my beautiful friends, Mrs. Baker, Mrs. Hutchins, and Mrs. Accola! Thank you for giving me the honor of standing beside you on the most important day of your life! :) And now for my faithful readers (lol anybody out there?) here are few pictures for your viewing pleasure!

Soul Surfer.

2011-04-19T10:56:00.001-07:00

Last week as apart of Chris' birthday, we saw the movie "Soul Surfer" in theater.

Can you say......AMAZING?! I was a little skeptical because I thought it would be "cheesy" but it really wasn't at all....quite the opposite actually!

It was so refreshing to see famous actors in a wholesome, Christian movie....One of the opening scenes of the movie had actors Dennis Quaid and Helen Hunt along with Carrie Underwood worshipping at a church service...I found myself worshipping along! How fun to be able to worship while seeing a movie in theater! :)

The movie was very very inspiring to me and it really made me look at the things in my life that I need to rely on God even more for....because through him I can do ALL things through Christ! Check out the movie trailer and GO SEE THIS MOVIE IN THEATER!!! Seriously, people we say we want more clean Hollywood movies so let's support an amazing one!!!!

Restoration, by David Brymer

2011-04-17T10:50:00.000-07:00

This song has been ministering to my heart on SO many levels today!!! :) Every time I listen to it, great big, sloppy wet tears fall down my cheeks...oh Jesus, won't you bring Restoration?!

Love,

Jess

Love.

2011-04-16T20:35:00.000-07:00

SPREAD LOVE EVERYWHERE YOU GO: FIRST OF ALL IN YOUR OWN HOUSE. GIVE LOVE TO YOUR CHILDREN, TO YOUR WIFE OR HUSBAND, TO A NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR... LET NO ONE EVER COME TO YOU WITHOUT LEAVING BETTER AND HAPPIER. BE THE LIVING EXPRESSION OF GOD'S KINDNESS; KINDNESS IN YOUR FACE, KINDNESS IN YOUR EYES, KINDNESS IN YOUR SMILE, KINDNESS IN YOUR WARM GREETIng.

MOTHER TERESA

WONDERFUL deal alert!!

2011-04-12T10:10:00.000-07:00

Check this link out for an amazing price on a Rachael Ray magazine subscription! I'm ordering mine this afternoon!!!!! :)

~Jessica Renee Gunn~

http://www.addictedtosaving.com/2011/04/11/every-day-with-rachael-ray-magazine-subscription-6-36yr/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Addictedtosavingcom+%28addictedtosaving.com%29&utm_content=FaceBook

Babies, Teens, and showers.

2011-04-12T09:58:00.000-07:00

This week Chris and I are the proud parents of all four of my siblings as my parents are on a cruise!

Yes, you heard me--two 2 year olds and two teenagers! What fun! :) I'm excited to build deeper, lasting relationships with all four of them, but whew--we will be busy! :)

On top of that, I'm hosting a huge bridal shower for the lovely bride to be, Rachel Trumble! I'm getting butterflies about that and just pray it all comes together!

This week gives me a real life look into the lives of full time mommas! Being a stay at home Momma is my dream job and this is giving me a great idea of what to expect! I worry that I'll be able to juggle it all but I know God's GRACE is enough! :)

I want to give a huge shout out to my amazing husband, Chris--he has jumped right into helping me and has such a servant's heart! I have such a deeper appreciate for single Moms, because wow--I could not do it without his help!!!

That's all for now---mommy duties call! :) Oh and just a question--why do babies wait until right after you change them to do a poopy?! It's like they know what they're doing and just want to watch you freak out! hahaha love it!

Love,

~Jessica Renee Gunn~

Cupcakes.

2011-04-09T08:54:00.001-07:00

I am dreaming of these little guys today.

One day I will own a cupcake shop and eat them every day.

What's YOUR favorite cupcake flavor? Mine is chocolate with chocolate icing....yes please!

2011-04-05T20:33:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone :)

Well, here I go--trying to make myself actually commit to blogging .(special thanks to Emily Boyd for encouraging me aka: pestering me! ha!) I'm excited about the name I chose. I have been trying to think of a blog name for a long time and then suddenly, it just came to me tonight...

Why did I choose to name my blog "Happy Little House Wife"?

Happy–adjective, -pi·er, -pi·est.

delighted, pleased, or glad, as over a particular thing: to behappy to see a person.

characterized by or indicative of pleasure, contentment, orjoy: a happy mood; a happy frame of mind.

favored by fortune; fortunate or lucky: a happy, fruitfulland.

Little–adjective

small in size; not big; not large; tiny: a little desk inthe corner of the room.

short in duration; not extensive; short; brief: a little while.

Housewife-A married woman whose main occupation is caring for her family, managing household affairs, and doing housework.

I'm pretty sure all of you are bright enough to realize that

these three words describe me pretty darn well! ;)

With Love,

Jessica Renee Gunn