This is the season... (A Good Start)

Last post - Update in 2011

2011-07-17T12:59:00.001-07:00

I stopped using the blog when Facebook became way more convenient. I almost deleted this blog today, but had second thoughts and decided to keep it.

Here is my update:

I now live in Virginia with my six fantastic children. I am a midwife (LM/CPM) and have a thriving practice called Eva Birth Services.

We are healing after years of a rollercoaster home life - most of that hidden in plain sight. The separation occurred after one of the children was placed in danger and a deputy sheriff brought him home. It was a final straw on top of piles of straws and on that day the separation was initiated and divorce should be final before Christmas.

I had no idea the amount of resources available to me. If you find yourself in a not-so-great situation and you're just making the best of it you can.. but it's still hurting you and your children.. please know there are MANY resources available. Email me anytime - bridget@evabirthservices.com - and I will personally help you find them in your area. They are there.

We are looking at an ELCA church to attend.

My children have survived a year of public school and most liked it, though a couple want to return to homeschooling.

I'm happier than I've ever been in my adult life. I'm thankful that the previous 'season' I was in has ended. I tried very hard to be the perfect cookie-cutter submissive Christian wife and finally realized that no amount of me being perfect was going to fix things.

I'm still very much a Christian, but I have found balance. God has been, and continues to be, faithful to me and my children and for that I'm eternally grateful.

I won't be updating this anymore, but you can find me on facebook under Bridget Bragg or soon-to-be Bridget Pelkey.

Could I be any worse at this? :)

2009-07-13T10:10:00.001-07:00

(scroll down for video)

Probably not! But, blogging about life isn't nearly as productive as living life.. is it?

I am currently watching this lecture on brain development and addiction. I think it should be a must-watch for parents and those expecting. I have been learning a lot lately about pre-born consciousness and it is fascinating stuff. Even simple things like a baby will swallow more amniotic fluid in the womb if it is sweeter than normal. Babies are amazing creatures and too often we treat them like they're not a part of the pregnancy or birth process. Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering has fantastic information on how babies need to be undrugged in order to help the birth process. It also has interesting info (also available online) on how a baby born via c-section is not the 'same' baby if born vaginally - the process of a c-section literally changes a baby's genes. It's theorized that this is because a baby isn't ready to suddenly handle the stresses of out of womb life (yet another reason why a trial of labor is always recommended). Not only is the baby different, but the brain activity of a mom who delivered via c-section vs. vaginally is also different, especially in regards to her baby's cry.. I believe drugs were also included in that. I've had one epidural birth and I know my response was much different than the natural births, you miss out on that natural hormone cocktail that so primes mom and baby for birth.

I think it is time for the natural vs. meds debate to no longer be about how "tough" the mom is or for many people to believe they're equal. So many of the differences are hidden that it's just recently that we're getting even more of this information. Yet another reason for me to be passionate about midwifery. IMHO it's much easier to have a calm, centered, natural birth when you feel loved, supported, and safe in your surroundings. For the majority of women, this familiarity with their surroundings doesn't happen in hospital setting. Most of us equate hospitals with disease, emergencies, or other serious issues. (The NHS recently published that 80% of women are homebirth/birthcenter candidates). I've been blessed to see a few women give birth naturally after having previous epidurals and they constantly amaze me. Women are SO strong when they trust their instincts and feel comfortable demanding what they need - whether it be a position change, a real meal, privacy with their partner, extra closeness by the midwife/doula, no lights, more lights, music, silence, bed, tub, leaning over a chair, no vaginal exams, more vaginal exams (some like to know progress), and so on. Each mother/baby pair is unique and should be afforded the right to do what -they- need to do.

It's insanity that a sacred event like childbirth could ever be thought of as an assembly line process. More and more I respect the midwives I see.. they truly are the experts in normal pregnancy and birth. One midwife has a saying 'Look for horses, not zebras'. And, its a worthwhile reminder that the majority of what happens -is- normal.

On the homeschooling front: We're enjoying summer! :) Our school plans for the upcoming year are reasonable and I'm setting up the foundation now (getting notebooks and such together). It should look like:

Charlotte: Math - Teaching Textbooks Pre-Alg or Alg (probably Algebra), Science - Apologia, Writing - Novel/NaNo, Reading - ha, everything!, Grammar - Winston Grammar, History - CLEP early Amer. History, Bible/Worldview - Cornerstone Curriculum (Also studying Flash/HTML on her own)

Bethany: Math - Teaching Textbooks 7 and then probably into Pre-Alg or Alg (I'm cheap, so I'm thinking Alg), Science - Anatomy/Herbs/Mw'ery self-designed plan, Writing - NaNo/Novel, Reading - same as C, Grammar - Winston, History CHOW (Child's History of the World), Bible - Indep. Reading.

James: Math - TT4 (we have 5 in case he zips through it), Science - one of the Apologia Elem books, Writing - Prompts/ Italic handwriting, Reading - self picked from list, Grammar - Winston, History CHOW, Bible - Indep. Reading.

Joseph: Math - real life math, some workbooks, Science - Apologia Elem, Writing - Italic, Reading - 100 Easy Lessons, History CHOW, Bible - Leading Little Ones to God (same for Noah).

Noah & Nae -- Young Kid 101

Our official grades are: 8th, 6th, 4th, and 1st. Noah could be in K4. But, honestly, I don't get the need to rush them through those early years. They learn way more by self-discovery than being sat in front of a workbook with a pencil.

Mom: Midwife-To-Be course. A set of 30 units.. and more Rosetta Stone Spanish.

As always, we covet prayers of our family and friends. Quite a few know of an issue that has happened in my family, others do not. I am a relatively private person, so sharing details like that with the world isn't something I do. However, at park days or other things it might come up. I ask that others are sensitive and merely offer to listen or pray as needed. Right now things are smoothed over and doing okay.

I think this upcoming schoolyear is going to be one of our most basic and plain ones ever... and I look forward to it! :) We are still looking into being part of the local co-op, time permitting.

Other random tidbits:

Naomi's favorite show -ever- is Oswald. It's insanely sweet and light-hearted.
Noah has realized that Nae can be a pretty good playmate, but wow does she have a SCREECH when things don't go her way. She calls him Noah now instead of Whoa-Wah!
Joseph lost a tooth, he looks absolutely darling. He also likes to tap his head to 'get my brain working'. Along with that, he can play-act most of his favorite shows complete with voices, sound effects, and motions.
James has a wickedly dry sense of humor that is showing up. He also no longer believes me when I claim that I spit in something so he won't drink it. hehe. (Yeah, I know it isn't appropriate Mom behavior, but it -works- with most of them!). His favorite website is www.incredibots.com
Bethany wrote out a mealplan for the week - breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack. She did way better than I would. :) If she could drive, I'd happily hand over the grocery shopping to her! She's currently hoping to find a way to visit her best friend in Kansas.
Charlotte can cook, she made up a child-friendly meal of macaroni and cheese (box) mixed with spaghetti and marinara sauce. She loved her trip to summer camp and looks forward to going again next year.

Well... there's a Civilization:Colonization game going on, so I'm off to watch. Charlotte is being Douglas Adams and James is George Washington.

Life is good!

2009-04-28T08:40:00.000-07:00

"Hey, all of the leaves are back." - comment by James. And they are.. we're loving the weather here and all of the brilliant green. The duck eggs are getting close to hatching. One of them rotted (and burst slightly) so it went to the trash, we're hoping to get at least one baby from this group. If not, we'll try again!

We're getting closer to the end of the school year which will be nice. Charlotte still has more science to finish which might extend into the summertime. James is excited about getting Teaching Textbooks Math 4. I'm excited about a summer off and then getting stuff situated for next fall.

A few of you already know this, but I haven't been telling the world. :) I officially mailed in my midwife apprentice license forms. In SC, it is a somewhat big deal because it is all a formal affair. I'm also very blessed that it worked out the way that it did. It's an amazing opportunity for me. I will be apprenticing with a homebirth midwife about an hour away and also helping at the birth center in my city. It gives me a broad variety of experience for which I'm quite thankful.

On top of apprenticing, I need to graduate from Ancient Art Midwifery Institute to meet SC requirements. SC also requires a written exam (NARM, it's expensive, long, and has lots of chatter about it on the internet!) and an oral exam (3 hours, given in state). At that point I'll be a licensed midwife (LM) here and can do a few more things to be a Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) which is recognized by a variety of states.

I feel very blessed that this has all come together like it has. I am still teaching HypnoBirthing courses at the birth center (and love that!) but will probably not be taking as many private doula clients. My next client is planning to birth at the center so that will work out nicely. :)

Jim has been a great encouragement, especially since the children are at an age that this isn't leaving us in a bind for finding childcare and such. The children themselves have been wonderful. Charlotte is often my help with giving me feedback on how we can continue to adjust/improve with the variety of schedule changes. Bethany enjoys helping me with office-tasks and enjoys reading about herbs, etc. James sat down by me today and said, "So, are you still liking this midwife learning?" and we had a chat about it. The youngest three are obviously not as involved, but they do keep me sane... I've learned to appreciate plopping on the couch, snuggling, and reading a children's book to them. Being away from them at times (and busier at home) has made me appreciate them all the more.

But, honestly, to God goes the glory. He set this up and I'm eternally grateful for it. One Pastor we know likes to say "If God guides, He provides" and that has happened here. I'm doing a lot of work (I won't even play false-humble and deny it!) but He opened every door and it still brings me to tears at times to think of His greatness in this. Those who know the full story of how all of this has played out so far, know that to say it was anything -but- God would be foolishness.

Sooo.. I will try to get posts up. I do have great pics of the kids from the park on Friday. Every so often the printer doesn't play nice with me and I'm unable to get them moved. I'll try soon. :)

Sesame Street Video - Very cool!

2009-04-17T09:09:00.001-07:00

I'm amazed that this was covered by Sesame Street. I showed the video to the children and James said, "She's feeding her baby. Can we watch something interesting like the sheep again?" :)

Here is the sheep link:

http://shipfullofpirates.com/2009/04/14/foolish-waste-of-time-yet-amazing/

Naomi is two!

2009-04-12T20:29:00.001-07:00

It is hard to believe that Naomi is very close to being two. We plan to go out later to celebrate and I'll post two-year-old pictures at that time. This is her birth picture. :) She is probably thirty minutes out of the womb in this shot.. and in denial about everything. She rarely cried at all those first two weeks. We spent the first week almost entirely in bed for our 'babymoon' with nursing and recovering from birth. All moms deserve a babymoon! I missed that with most of our others due to moving, prematurity, or bilirubin checks. Naomi's birth was about as perfect as they come...

* She basically slept her way into this world, born into a large tub of warm water.

* Her pregnancy was the longest I'd experienced, which I credit to the midwife's nutritional information and fish oil.

* Her birth was unrushed and peaceful. Friends came over (with their children) and it was seen as a normal and natural event.

* I birthed during the day, which was my dream for this pregnancy. I could see the flowering dogwood out the bedroom window... it's flowering now and it's such a nice reminder of that time.

* We ate, drank, and walked in the country while letting labor get going.

* At around 5-6cm I was in the kitchen helping to make grilled cheese for the children. Not because I had to, but because it felt good to be in my kitchen doing normal things.

* My birth was empowering, not because it was natural, but mainly because it was -normal-. My home, my surroundings, my friends, my family, a normal day with a miraculous happening.

The verse I kept in mind during my labor and birth:

"Behold, I will do something new, Now it will spring forth; Will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, Rivers in the desert." - Isaiah 43:19

The frugal way to get a massage..

2009-04-10T06:50:00.001-07:00

At the skills weeked I was able to try out a chi machine.

It basically wiggles you like a fish through water. :) It was interesting to try and felt quite relaxing. The reviews on it were mixed, some didn't like it because they felt it was overwhelming, others loved it.

Yesterday, I joined Naomi outside on the trampoline. After running around with her a bit, I stretched out in the middle and let her run around -me-. First off, if you've never stretched out on trampoline with the spring sunshine pouring down on you.. you're missing out. Second, if you have a small child run around you, it feels a lot like a chi type massage as it makes you "wiggle". She had a great time, I had a mock spa treatment. :)

(If you have a larger child run around you, it feels like a poorly crafted fair ride!)

Feet, Bacon and Old-fashioned thermometers

2009-04-06T21:17:00.001-07:00

(Got feet? This was one of the 'failed' pictures from our "lets get a group picture!" adventure. I'm not sure if Jim was aiming for feet? I did not crop it. :) For the record, I am barefoot as well, but they're mainly hidden behind the boy in front of me. And um.. yes, Joseph's pants are on backwards. Don't ask. I don't know how he manages it! Naomi is being held so her feet are not in this picture. Bethany was the one to have sense and wear shoes.)

Thermometers: I looked all over the grocery store for a thermometer. When I found them, I discovered they ONLY sell digital. I wonder if old-fashioned ones are off the market now due to mercury? Although the new lightbulbs have mercury in them.. that has been a hot-button issue on the MOMYS list! :) We have a nice thermometer for the humans in the house, I was seeking an old-fashioned one for the incubator. I'll check the pet store soon to see what they might have available.

Bacon: The ducklings brought up a conversation about various animals and the meat they provide. For the most part, we eat a vegetarian diet here, although it's almost by accident for the bulk of the family. I find that I feel best when I follow a vegan (no dairy/meat) diet for myself and we have a lot of tasty vegetarian recipes (chili, burritoes, waffles, penne & sauces, etc) Anyway, except for eggs, we rarely have meat here. I'm hoping our ducklings are a success because just a half dozen would easily keep us supplied in the eggs that we need. After discussing ducks, James announced that he wants to raise a pig. I was a little surprised by this and asked why. His simple response was... "Bacon". It had all of us laughing. He did lament on the price of bacon and such, which made me realize that maybe I talk about grocery prices a bit TOO much? hehe. When asked how much he thinks bacon costs he said, "$50." :) Silly guy. I confess, I usually don't buy bacon because I know it isn't very healthy, but it's also messy and such to make... I figure our breakfast trip to Ryan's once a year (after camping) is enough bacon! But..... forseeing decades down the road when James may say, "I had so many brothers and sisters that I never had bacon.." I decided to remedy it. Guess what's for breakfast tomorrow?

The boys have been busy making a fort and Bethany took pictures of it. We're going to try to get them up tomorrow. The phone actually sync'd the other day, so maybe we'll get lucky and I can post a video as well.

One more post, then bed! (1:34am)

2009-04-05T22:28:00.000-07:00

I changed the name of the blog, at least for now, because I think it reflects us. It seems like many of us in the house are entering a new season. Naomi is almost two and is remarkably "grown up" all of the sudden. I think she seems that way because of all of her talking and devising of new games. Noah has entered a new awareness and Joseph is continuing on his path of growing into a mature, soft-spoken, but very articulate guy. James is sprouting and learning more about this "guy" thing as he slowly eases out of young boyhood.. and Bethany has hit a growth spurt. I've already posted about Charlotte earlier.

I'm knee-deep in my midwife studies along with being a doula and childbirth educator. I'm hoping for the right apprenticeship opportunity to show itself (please pray there if you feel led!). And Jim is adjusting to having a wife with a 'job' albeit a very abnormally houred one. I try to study for as much as I can each day and generally take a long day of study on Saturday (literally 8+ hours of being out and focused).

With no 'new' baby on the way and Naomi leaning towards potty-training, it does feel like a different experience and season. It's a good one. We're all enjoying life and this period that we're in now. It feels balanced while still quite exciting and fresh. I also feel like my doula/CE stuff has led me to a different position in some ways. I've been exposed to a lot of ideas and genuinely enjoy how certain things (natural childbirth, homeschooling, etc) bring together such a HUGE variety of people under one 'banner'. It has broadened my understanding of others by a lot and has been a great time for growth. It's also allowed me to pass more of that on to the children.

Now if only someone would decide mopping the floor is their favorite hobby, life here would be nearly perfect. ;)

Grab Bag of Ideas (like always!)

2009-04-05T21:34:00.000-07:00

(These pictures were taken a while ago, we went to the midnight sale of Brisingr at the local bookstore. One of the girls' friends went with us. It was also a dress-up event so thats' why they look a bit 'odd'! hehe. We had a nice time, how could we not in a store full of BOOKS?!)

I changed the layout of the blog, if someone finds the white on black to be difficult to read please let me know! IT IS, IN FACT, NOTHING short of a miracle that the modern methods of education have not yet entirely strangled the holy curiosity of inquiry; for this delicate little plant, aside from stimulation, stands mainly in need of freedom; without this it goes to wrack and ruin without fail. It is a very grave mistake to think that the enjoyment of seeing and searching can be promoted by means of coercion and a sense of duty. To the contrary, I believe that it would be possible to rob even a healthy beast of prey of its voraciousness, if it were possible, with the aid of a whip, to force the beast to devour continuously, even when not hungry, especially if the food, handed out under such coercion, were to be selected accordingly.- Albert Einstein

This might be long. Stick with me. Charlotte came to me a little while ago to have a conversation about college and school in general. She has some niche interests that she'd like to explore more, so we started talking seriously about curriculum in general. She will be in 8th grade next year and I can't imagine not letting her have a hand in all of this, isn't that the point of homeschooling? So, she's going to be doing the basics, along with a focus on computer-related subjects. Bethany also has some interests that she wishes to explore more.

So, we will be stopping Tapestry of Grace. I like the program. A lot. But we seem to do just fine with covering the basics with a variety of curriculums (Teaching Textbooks for math, various grammar sources, Apologia science, etc.). Bethany is currently studying anatomy terms and botany because her major interest is later doing a course by Shonda Parker - www.naturallyhealthy.com (or it might be .org). She has been invited to attend a midwifery skills weekend with me because we'll be discussing herbs, making tinctures, etc. So we're back to basics and lots of trips to the library!

The other fun thing is Charlotte has asked to start devotionals with me. I've never been a fan of canned devotionals, I'd rather break open my Bible and read it. I tried, really tried, to get into some of the "how to study" books, but the Bible and a good program like www.BlueLetterBible.com was enough. C loves the Do Hard Things book, is involved in their forum, and wants to do their printable devotional together, so we are. There's another that we plan to go through together as well. I guess because this is her interest -and- it feels like the time is right for it now.. it's natural and doesn't feel forced at all. I am excited about having this time with her to have these deeper discussions. She never fails to amaze me as she matures into a wonderful young lady. She knows that without her I could *never* do the doula work and midwife studies, at least not yet. But instead of the "woe is me as the overburdened oldest" she finds it laughable to read about some of the things listed in Do Hard Things as examples of what low expectations are had of teens. She's grabbing her life by both hands and I'm whole-heartedly encouraging it.

This is a major reason why I was attracted to homeschooling in the first place. While I don't believe we'll ever be true "unschoolers" I do know that I'm fine with child-led learning. The only place where that isn't true might be math - we do typical work, although Teaching Textbooks is geared towards homeschoolers. Also, in science in the older grades because I like the way Apologia covers 7th-12th grade.

I spent Friday & Saturday at a local midwife skills weekend. It was really nice and overall refreshing. We ate great vegetarian food (all took turns making a meal) and the midwife opened up her home to those of us that were a distance away. She has goats, ducks, beautiful gardens, and a very artistic/decorative home. Two pregnant women (and families) joined us for Friday's dinner and let us practice basic skills on them - baby positioning, heart tones, measurements, and blood pressure. We talked about birth, ways to have an easier natural childbirth, and then watched videos later that evening after they'd gone home. We did bookwork the next day, along with discussions. Many shared birth stories and experiences, which was invaluable for learning from other student midwives. I brought home ....

Eight duck eggs! This is our unexpected spring project. They're in the incubator now and we should have ducklings by early May. The boys are eager to help me build a brooding pen and I think it'll be an especially nice project with James and his new toolset from Christmas. The children and I will be headed to Virginia for a long weekend next month and a local friend has offered to duckling sit for us. We have hatched guinea hens in the past, but ducks are a bit different. Their eggs require a misting or dunking daily - we're doing a dunking 2x's/day - and the eggs are much larger. The midwife uses her duck eggs for cooking and I was pleasantly surprised at the taste (I was expecting it to be strong, but it was fine). I'd love to get to the point where we have duck eggs and more ducklings. The ducks have lovely personalities and I think they'd be a better fit for us overall than chickens. The big test will be teaching Kuza (great pyrenees dog) how to protect them and making sure predators don't get them.

Off to bed! This week should be much less chaotic than last, yay!

Umm... yeah.

2009-03-26T13:23:00.000-07:00

I am way behind on updates. I'm aware of this. To make up for it, I'm including an adorable baby picture. I was blessed to be part of his birth and will always remember it. What a pleasure it was to meet this wonderful family.

This week has been incredibly busy, along with last week, due to going to the Tot Trade to promote HypnoBirthing and doula services here. I shared a table with the local Birth Center and really enjoyed chatting about waterbirth & midwives with people who came by the table. The banner had a large image of a woman laboring in tub of water, so it was often the main topic of conversation!

We are doing great as a family. We had an early spring break due to great weather & Tot Trade stuff and will be resuming school next week. Maybe that'll help me blog with more regularity? I need to get some pictures to put up soon. They'll include:

- Bethany's garden out front.
- James and his cooking adventures (he learned mac & cheese today).
- Noah's 4th birthday (tomorrow!)
- and so on..

I do need to get a picture of Naomi with Kuza. They're so cute together because Kuza's head is about even with hers.. but he listens to her sweetly. She will often put out her little baby hand and say, "Kuza, stop!" if she feels that he is pushing her along. They did go through a few episodes of him leaning against her and she loses her balance.. that quickly ended after her howls of protest.

Anyway, that was just a quick update to let family/friends know that we're still alive. :) We are LOVING this spring weather again and the children are out on the trampoline a lot.

Book Discussion - Holistic Guide to Embracing Pregnancy...

2009-02-20T15:45:00.000-08:00

I am facilitating the discussion next month in the Unassisted Childbirth Reading Room through yahoogroups. Please consider joining me! :) This book is available for around $4 from Amazon. (Their "best price" is off a bit). The discussion starts in March so be sure to buy it soon! There will be time to catch up if your book is delayed a bit.

The yahoogroup is a mix of folks - pregnant women, never been pregnant women, doulas, childbirth educators, midwives, moms, and so on. Anyone that has an interest in the book discussion is welcome to join.

A week in review, a day early!

2009-02-05T13:06:00.000-08:00

Hi all,

I've been told that I don't update enough (hi Dad!) so I'm going to work on that. I might have to make up exciting stuff to include here. This month is Push Month for AAMI (www.ancientartmidwifery.com) so I am working hard on that. It's a great excuse to sit down with books about birth and take notes. I also met with doula clients last night and enjoyed showing them some of the natural births (they're so dull compared to Baby Story.. lots of quiet breathing, gentle encouragment, and mom looking like she's asleep.)

Things learned this week:

- Children will not do the hokey pokey no matter how much mom cajoles them. They will do absurd dances when mom ISN'T trying to get them to do it.

- Charli can play "Into the West" on her violin and it sounds great.

- Bethany knows how to use cake mix to make pressed cookies (the ones that come out of a cookie press).

- Naomi knows how to eat cookies FAST so her brothers don't get them.

- Toddlers can drink the rest of mom's coffee and still nap. ;) (Yeah, I know, but she's pretty quick at swiping drinks and it wasn't hot.)

- One of the cats is good at finding little grey moles and leaving them on the porch (eew).

- I really wish the big van had a working radio!

- Noah loves homemade playdough and has the cutest freckles on his cheeks.

- Joseph is still squirrely about the vacuum cleaner, but he'll have light saber battles with himself all over the house!

- Snow is fun, but 70 degrees is better.

- Pipes will freeze if the water is shut off at 2am. They sometimes won't thaw until 11:30 or so... and it feels like days when you're waiting to take a shower.

- Indoor plumbing is a fantastic invention. I'd rather do without electricity than water (although I think electricity is needed for the pump - but I'm really not sure how it is powered. Hmm. Note to self: in spare time, research how well pump works.. or get child to do it and call it a home school project.)

- James is getting really good at drawing robots. I'll scan one of his pictures soon to show off. His latest had 21 axels, a solar panel, and a back-up battery for when the sun isn't shining.

- I learned how to turn word documents into .pdfs and I'm quite pleased with that!

- The UPS guy thinks Kuza is fantastic, the Fed Ex guy is convinced that he's going to eat him.

- Anything taken from mom's cup or plate is better than what is in your cup or on your plate.

That's it. Friday is my check-in day for AAMI. Maybe I'll make Thursday my check-in day for the blog.. which means I'm SURE to forget next Thursday. :)

Currently Reading: Ina May's Guide to Childbirth. It is my second time through this book (I read it during my pregnancy with Naomi). Here's a snippet..

"Have you never heard anyone speak positively about labor and birth before? If so, you are not alone. One of the best-kept secrets in North American culture is that birth can be ecstatic and strengthening. Ecstatic birth gives inner power and wisdom to the woman who experiences it... Even when women experience pain in labor, they understand that there are ways of making the sensations of labor and birth tolerable that do not involve numbing the senses with drugs." and "My experiences as a midwife have taught me that women's bodies still work."

With today's managed care vs. expectant care, I think that is a powerful statement. A lot of women have a hard time believing that their body *will* birth without intervention.

Ultrasounds..

2009-01-24T11:30:00.000-08:00

http://birthinternational.com.au/articles/wagner02.html ( a lot more info at the site)

In the United States, for example, a consensus conference on diagnostic ultrasound imaging in pregnancy concluded that "the data on clinical effectiveness and safety do not allow recommendation for routine screening at this time; there is a need for multidisciplinary randomized controlled clinical trials for an adequate assessment".

Denmark, Sweden, and the United Kingdom have made similar statements against routine screening. The World Health Organisation (WHO), in an attemmpt to stimulate governments to develop policy on this issue, published the following statement:

"The World Health Organisation stresses that health technologies should be thoroughly evaluated prior to their widespread use. Ultrasound screening during pregnancy is now in widespread use without sufficient evaluation. Research has demonstrated its effectiveness for certain complications of pregnancy, but the published material does not justify the routine use of ultrasound in pregnant women. There is also insufficient information with regard to the safety of ultrasound use during pregnancy. There is as yet no comprehensive, mulitdisciplinary assessment of ultrasound use during pregnancy, including: clinical effectiveness, psychosocial effects, ethical considerations, legal implications, cost benefit, and safety.
"WHO strongly endorses the principle of informed choice with regard to technology use. The health-care providers have the moral responsibility: fully to inform the public about what is known and not known about ultrasound scanning during pregnancy; and fully to inform each woman prior to an ultrasound examination as to the clinical indication for ultrasound, its hoped-for benefit, its potential risk, and alternative available, if any."

This statement, sadly, is as relevant today. During the 1980s and early 1990s, a number of us were raising questions about both the effectiveness and safety of fetal scanning. Our voice of caution, however, was like a cry in the wilderness as the technology proliferated. Then, during the course of one month in late 1993, two landmark scientific papers were published.

The first paper, a largely randomized trial of the effectiveness of routine prenatal ultrasound screening, studied the outcome of more than 15,000 pregnant women who either received two routine scans at 15 to 22 weeks and 31 to 35 weeks, or were scanned only for medical indications. Results showed that the mean number of sonograms in the ultrasound group was 2.2 and in the control group (for indication only) was 0.6. The rate of adverse outcome (fetal death, neonatal death, neonatal morbidity), as well as the rate of preterm delivery and distribution of birth weights, was the same for both groups. In addition, in the author's words: "The ultrasonic detection of congenital abnormalities has no effect on perinatal outcome". At last we have a randomized clinical trial of sufficient size to conclude that there is no value to routine scanning during pregnancy.

The second landmark paper, also a randomized controlled trial, looked at the safety of repeated prenatal ultrasound imaging. While the original purpose of the trial was hopefully to demonstrate the safety of repeated scanning, the results were the opposite. From 2,834 pregnant women, 1,415 received ultrasound imaging at 18,24, 28, 34 and 38 weeks gestation (intensive group) while the other 1,419 received single ultrasound imaging at 18 weeks (regular group). The only difference between the two groups was significantly higher (one-third more) intrauterine growth retardation in the intensive group. This important and serious finding prompted the authors to state: "It would seem prudent to limit ultrasound examinations of the fetus to those cases in which the information is likely to be of clinical importance". Ironically, it is now likely that ultrasound may lead to the very condition, IUGR, that it has for so long claimed to be effective in detecting.

So.. I quit. (long, long, long)

2009-01-24T08:51:00.000-08:00

I hope to continue to post pictures, but my Project 365 enthusiasm was derailed by colds, pukey children, and my continued fun with wisdom teeth. Yes, I know most people don't keep theirs.. but hey, I'm not most people and all the literature I find says if you can make it to 30 without issues then you're almost gold. My issues only happen every few months. I did call the dental insurance and find out all of the particulars just in case I find some courage somewhere to have them removed.

(you can her Julia say.. "Gracie, do you have any AA batteries?" I think most of us have been there!)

Last co-op we tie-dyed shirts. Unfortunately, Julia's camera was without batteries and my phone doesn't like to take great pictures. I think we'll supply some more dye/salt and maybe have a go at it again! I need to get some more shirts from Michael's while they are on sale. The shirts turned out great and the children enjoyed it a lot. The older girls tried batik and enjoyed that as well. I *love* the quilts made from batik fabrics so perhaps I'll get them working on that.. assuming I get time to quilt.. I still need to get to Anna's house to finish Jo's quilt (hi Jo!) and bring my frame home. My mom gave me a quilt that she hand-pieced decades ago. It is a Grandmother's Flower Garden style and full of bright yellows, oranges, and other happy colors. I will get a picture of it when I get it in the frame. My poor Dear Jane is on hold... I'm hoping to spend my birthday (2/28, I have a while!) getting some of my applique things together so I can have a few good hand projects. They might be nice to take with me during births if the Mom is resting.

Speaking of births... I have three doula clients so far and it has been fun getting to know them. With good timing, my doula certification will be done by mid-March. Each has such a different birthing history. I'm SO thrilled that I get to be part of this and it makes my midwifery studies all the more fun. I'm literally surrounded by books here at my desk and have notebooks full of various things as well. There are envelopes, pencils, pens, sticky-notes stuck to the rolltop desk, and so on. I organize it often, but it generally falls back into comfortable disarray.

For the locals.. I am teaching a HypnoBirthing class at Covenant Birth Center in March (and again in April, after Easter) and there are spots still open. If you, or someone you know, is expecting, please pass along the info. The max is 5 couples per class. I also teach privately for those not interested in a group class.

On the children (kid) front..

James wants to know what we're naming the next baby. I told him Gertrude or Harry.. he accepted that.

James also got a hair cut: he gave me a five limit time limit, a no-brush rule, and sang during most of it. He looks like.. well.. a boy that got a five minute haircut by a mom that doesn't cut hair well. hehe BUT!! He loves it and that's all that matters. It's his head, his hair, his likes.. he likes non-fuss and one day I am sure that will come in handy! Summer is coming and he'll need some new clothes. I seriously think we're doing the two-outfits idea. Well, three outfits.. one for church. I sometimes wonder if folks think we don't have enough clothes for him. I should take pictures of his drawers and closet.. he's just NOT into clothes. Well, none of them are.. I'm really not either. We dress and go about our day. We are running low on shoes! Kuza has been a fantastic puppy - no jumping, no biting, and he's so gentle/sweet with even the littlest of kids. He adores the cats and constantly keeps watch if we're outside.. but he's got a shoe-habit. :)

Thankfully, sandals are coming into the stores so we'll be buying those and skipping the rest. Nobody wants to do sports this year (and I'm not complaining!) so we don't need tennis shoes. I know there's a birkenstock outlet near the place where we camp in WV in July, I think I'm going to make a stop there this year. I'd love a pair of birkenstocks again! My last ones I wore until they absolutely fell apart beyond repair. When people ask me about the challenges of a big family I usually reply, "Socks." Others with more than one child usually nod their head in agreement. (Except for my friend Di, she's got it all licked when it comes to organization! She should rent out her services for seasonal clothes changes.)

For those still mulling over the "next baby" comment I made above.. I'm not pregnant. Breathe. ;)

Noah cut his own hair, his bangs are VERY short and he left the rest alone. Silly monkey. Joseph doesn't want his hair cut ever again. He told me yesterday that he had one already. Silly Mommy. Why would he need more than one? I know that lots of large-family Christian folks pride themselves on their boys always having those short buzz cuts and such. I've officially dropped out of those ranks. (Not like I was ever -in- those ranks, but y'know.. this is my official dropping out).

My main goals: Make sure my children have a really nice childhood (they only get to do this once) and be a genuine person of integrity... and never forget that what we do is important, unless we're doing things for show or because others think we should. Then it is just a crappy waste of time.

Project 365 - Day 3

2009-01-03T14:11:00.000-08:00

Day 3. Still going strong on the pictures. Not doing so great on the germ-avoidance. I managed to catch Bethany's sore throat which means today's picture was almost a cheat.

This is the view off of the front porch. On the right is the end of the white van with the red truck parked behind. The skinny "what in the world are those scrawny thing" trees are called Loblolly Pines. I don't know if they grow in other places, but they're pretty common in the south-east. You'd never mistake one of those trees for a Christmas tree.. but they do make really nice telephone poles! See the oak tree with the red leaves still hanging on? Look down a bit.. the kitten sitting there is Black Cat. Noah named him. I'm happy to announce that Noah now knows his colors. ;) But the name Black Cat has stuck, just like he has. Oh, I'm also happy to announce that Black Cat -is- a boy. Charli managed to grab him up long enough to check. Whew. He's the feral kitty that adopted us a while back. He likes sleeping on the porch and Kuza dotes upon him. I'm not sure if all great pyrenese like cats.. but ours surely does!

Off I go for another cup of hot tea... I hope everyone is having a great 2009 so far. Bethany is trying to decide what she wants to do with her birthday. She has twelve days left to decide!

Project 365 - Day 2 & Christmas Pic

2009-01-02T12:34:00.000-08:00

"Oh, no!" says the cat. "It can't be the end of holiday vacation already!" Actually, the cat hasn't said that, but the kids might as we jump back into a normal routine next week. This picture is a good sign that we're not in our normal routine.. because the cat is snoozing in my clean laundry. (Which, I'm guilty of not folding. Charlotte fills the washer and moves things to the dryer. I fold. Everyone puts away. It's a good system when Mommy doesn't get distracted!)

We have two siamese cats because having just one might be normal. How scary if we did something normal! :) So, we have two siamese cats and the cheat is to look at their feet. Artoo (Joseph's kitty) has grey feet and Taliesin (my kitty) has white. They're brothers. I'll let the visitors figure out which cat it is. I think I've given enough hints!

This picture makes me happy because it's like a "Where's Waldo" image for me. We have the sword on the table, don't worry it is rubber, and then the hodge podge of Christmas paper littering the floor. Bethany, always the helper type, is attempting to open up the basket of Naomi's plastic foods. Naomi, always the Queen, is wearing her new backpack and the footed PJs that have been passed down through all three of her brothers.

I remember when James wore all pink blanket sleepers because that is what we had to hand down. Then, slowly, they wore out and we bought boy ones.. used by Joseph and then Noah.. We have two blanket sleepers currently and I think it's about time to replace them. They'll definitely be pink!! There's something fantastic about snuggling someone in a sleeper, I'm surprised more adults don't wear them to bed. One of Naomi's has legs a little too long so her feet tend to slip out of them. She walks around with the footed part flipping all over.

The other part of the picture is the realization that Noah is wearing shorts with a sweater. We don't take fashion seriously in this house, but .. really.. for Christmas next year I am going to have assigned clothes for -everyone-! :)

Project 365 - Day 1

2009-01-01T16:01:00.000-08:00

Yep! Trying this again.. This is a shelf in our schoolroom. I wanted to make sure I didn't miss the first day! :) However, I admit, this picture is uninspired. Project 365 is where you take a pic every day for a year. I might not post one every day.. but I do plan to take one every day. I'll label all of the posts appropriately!

The quote does match the schoolroom theme.

“The United States is the outlier — it’s the place that is strange. All of the Western European countries and Canada have school choice. They don’t always call it vouchers but they have it. If you lived in Winnipeg you could go to any private, public or parochial school and the province pays. They have choice. They have choice in Sweden — socialist Sweden has choice: vouchers for going to religious schools, private schools, public schools. Only the United States has this system where all the money just goes to the government-owned schools. It’s unusual. It’s weird. It’s not sustainable in the long run. Eventually choice will catch on.” – John O. Norquist, Former mayor of Milwaukee

Naomi the Chocolate Girl & Chorepacks

2008-12-28T15:20:00.000-08:00

The pictures are out of chronological order... but they're definitely in order of cuteness!

Noah takes a swipe at Naomi's nose... Charli takes over wiping a hand.

I don't think Naomi was all the way happy with us cleaning her.. But she stood still for it!

Bethany pitches in with the other hand..
And *these* are the BEFORE pictures... isn't she cute? She got into the chocolate fruit dip and REALLY enjoyed her little self!! hehe. We've learned to 1) start paying attention when she gets quiet and 2) don't leave tempting things on the table!

(She's so cutesie!)

Chorepacks: The idea is from Managers of their Chores (www.titus2.org or .com) I like Managers of their Homes, although I do not use their charting system. I do use it as a good kick in the pants if I feel unmotivated! :) (Honestly, my daughters have begged me to never do a MOTH schedule again.. ever. So I don't think they'd give it glowing reviews.)

The MotC idea of chorepacks is brilliant! I bought nametag holders with metal clamps. For the cards, I cut index cards into half and they fit perfectly. I jotted out the various AM chores we do and then put them (numbered) into each child's chorepack.

Noah (3) has this in his:

- Make bed, tidy 3 things in bedroom, bring out laundry. (I drew little pictures on his card to help. It is all on one card because I figured it's a general bedroom chore).

His room to do is the "Wii Room" which was the "TV room" and before that the "dining room" (dining room is now in the living room which is being called the schoolroom. I tried call the Wii Room the living room but we all got confused.. I need to paint and then it'll be the Yellow Room.. I digress...)

- Clean off couches, put pillows neatly on couches. (Has pics of couches on card).
- Straighten shelves (drew pics of books)
- Pick up toys
- Put any clothes in laundry room (Both Noah & Naomi still discard clothes in random spots!)
- Get floor ready to be vacuumed.
- Vacuum. (He doesn't do this, I do, but he does have to make sure there's nothing that the vac will suck up unexpectedly.)

That's it for his chorepack. He really enjoyed flipping through his and doing his "work". They all especially liked having a clear outline of what to do and knowing when they were DONE. I liked not having to remind five different people of what chore comes next. We did a runthrough this afternoon (with Daddy home) so I could make sure I had them all in logical order.

I don't plan to do afternoon or evening chorepacks. Having the house Company Ready once a day is good for me. We don't have people who drop in unexpectedly and fifteen minutes is usually enough for us to get back to.. um.. normal chaos? :)

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-22T14:05:00.000-08:00

Even though our Savior was probably born in the spring (during the Feast of Tabernacles). I feel it is nice to keep the Christmas tradition. We do not celebrate Santa Claus, just like we do not celebrate the Easter Bunny, but we do enjoy all of the wonderful things that this season brings.

Yesterday, I took Noah shopping for James. He pulled his name out of the oven mitt (we didn't have a hat handy!) and that was his sibling to shop for this year. I decided to skip Walmart and visit the small general store in town. I rarely take Noah out alone, well.. I can't remember the last time I took him somewhere without a sibling. We chatted the whole way into town and I marvelled over some of his words that are definitely quirky due to translators in the family. Everyone in the family knows that "TeeTas" are pirates in Noah-speak and none of us bother to change it. (I know a secret.. all too soon they'll be pirates and I'll miss hearing tee-ta! Charlotte used to refer to pepperoni as mokey and that hasn't happened in at least ten years). He insisted upon getting out of the truck without help, but tucked his hand into mine as we crossed the parking lot.

At that moment, all I could think was "Thank you, God, for allowing me to slow down enough to appreciate this." The wind was a little chilly, people were walking past with packages, the town is decorated, and there I was... blessed enough to have this little child's hand resting so trustingly in mine.

So this year, I look back on last year. My mother's heart was troubled because our Christmas Eve tradition of light-gazing and milkshake drinking was impossible. We had one vehicle and it didn't seat everyone. We all agreed that our Queen was much better than milkshakes and lights. A baby outweighs just about anything else. I knew that in a few months we would hopefully have a van. I also felt blessed that we'd been able to spend time practicing hospitality because our options for going out were so limited. This year, we get to take Naomi out for her very first Christmas Eve lights/milkshake routine. The children are excited for her. And, I love that as well... the spirit between the six of them is fantastic.

Well, enough rambling. Here's my Christmas "Letter" which I refuse to do like many others. :)

(oldest to youngest...)

Jim - He gets to do his *own* letter, we'll see if he blogs. :) Some of his highlights this year included getting pneumonia right before vacation.. then getting soaked on vacation because I put the tent up incorrectly.. and getting new laptop for Christmas. His fun project soon will be putting together the trampoline.

Bridget (me) - On a mini-midlifecrisis.. lost weight, colored my hair, got certified in HypnoBirthing, moved ever so closer to crunchy, enrolled in midwife school, working on my doula license.. and got not only a new cat, but a dog as well. I'll add the canary next year.

Charlotte (child #1, 13 yrs old) - Still writing (a lot), still talking (a lot), still playing violin (ditto).. witty and charming, sometimes unbelievably sharp, and getting taller every single day. Her hair is turning more red and she's eagerly looking forward to summer camp this year at The Wilds.

Bethany (child #2, 10 yrs old - almost 11) - Discovered a love for baking which makes her siblings very proud of her. Very proud. She even treated Jim's coworkers to a few batches of biscotti. Just as clever as her big sister, her wit often shows up at unexpected times. Her soft heart often makes the others turn towards her for comfort.

James (child #3, 8 yrs old) - He keeps growing. What is this all about? Practical and strong, he's going to be quite a man someday. He could easily get by with two outfits.. one if I'd let him sit in a towel while his clothes were washed.. he figured out how to use the saw and cut firewood. He likes the book Good and Evil (www.nogreaterjoy.org) and comes up with good questions. He still has no patience for handwriting.. or sitting still..

Joseph (child #4, 5yrs old) - How intelligent is this guy and so sensitive. He keeps track of others and has a strong sense of right and wrong. He'd make a great judge one day. His wavy hair is usually in his large brown eyes and his only goal is to avoid a haircut. He will sit and do "school" for hours if given the chance. He still isn't sure if he's right or left-handed. He takes after his Pap-pap (for whom he is named).

Noah (child #5, 3 yrs old) - He got a haircut which seriously injured the spirit of myself and his sisters. It's growing back nicely. I can't imagine my Noah with short (or straight) hair for long. He's so torn between being big (like his brothers, he always claims that he's five) or being a baby like his little sister. He hits the ground running in the morning and rarely stops. He has figured out he can drag Naomi into some good mischief. Currently we're calling them the "Ns".

Naomi (child #6, 20 months) - Still as precious as ever, but ooooh she's SO spoiled. (Just the way we like 'em! - as the kids would chime in). She knows a few baby signs and has cutesy little curls starting in her hair. She likes to flash a Great Big Smile if she thinks she's in trouble. She still insists upon being held a lot, it's a good thing she has lots of siblings. This child wasn't designed for a one-child family.

There.. that's us for this year. We've made academic progress which is too boring to blog over. We're plotting fun things for the spring. But, most of all, we're just enjoying a relaxed life and loving each other. In the end, that's what's important.. Love.

(I'll probably not blog again til Christmas Day. The camera is, unfortunately, not working right so I'm not sure how many photos we will have to share..)

Aha! This one is better..

2008-12-21T16:09:00.000-08:00

Pictures...

2008-12-21T10:21:00.001-08:00

Well, I've decided that activesync with my phone stinks. I have more pictures on there, but not an easy way to retrieve them. I wanted a good picture of the children for my website. I ended up with a hodgepodge of pictures. All of them good, but mainly because I enjoy the personality behind them! In this take we have a Charlotte that half smiled, she was thinking about other things. Naomi (baby) was trying to get Bethany (sister holding her) to play.. she also really wanted -down-. (The Queen dislikes rules). Joseph (greenish shirt) was being pretty agreeable, but Noah (red shirt) didn't get the idea of "look at the camera". James was told to hold still. So he did. Completely. hehe. (You can't smile while holding still). Anyway, I'll try to post a better one later.. I have kiddoes to take Christmas shopping!

This was another attempt.. not much better. What you don't see is that Black Cat (who is really grey) wandered up, catching the attention of boys. Charlotte made a joke and Naomi protested with a loud "MA!!!" because she also wanted the kitty.

And..um.. I really didn't expect our feet to be visible. I'll claim that I'm wearing shoes because you can't see -my- feet. ;)

Kuza & Me

Win a Doll

2008-12-09T09:04:00.000-08:00

Girls ’n Grace Christmas Contest!

Pam Davis, creator of Girls ’n Grace, and Authentic Books are sponsoring a contest, just in time for Christmas. To launch the release of the latest two books in the Girls ’n Grace series, Sydney Claire: A Girl ’n Grace in the 1960’s and Mesi’s Season of Change: A Friendship Story, they are giving away one of the character dolls.

As a Christian mother, Pam Davis knows the lasting imprint that “playtime” can really leave on an impressionable little girl. With the right character as a role model, God could use those sweet afternoon tea parties, hours of make-believe, and sleepovers to sow seeds of faith in tender hearts. This concept became the foundation for the Girls ’n Grace products, a line of dolls and books designed to fulfill Davis’ dream of demonstrating to today’s young girls what it means to be girls of grace.
To enter the doll giveaway contest, submit your story about your best teachable grace moment with a child in your life to mystory@girlsngrace.com. Below is the information that you need to include on your entry.
· All entries must be submitted by December 17 to mystory@girlsngrace.com
Stories should be 400 words or less
Include the name of the blog site (http://luke-9-23.blogspot.com/) where you saw the contest. Include your preference of Sydney Clair or Mesi doll
The winner will be notified, and the doll will be shipped to arrive on December 23.

Please note that entries may be reprinted/reposted by Girls ’n Grace and Authentic

If you would like to post this contest on your blog site too, please send the link of your post to ajennings@tbbmedia.com, and you will receive a copy of each of the new books. The blog that has the most entries will also win a doll to keep for themselves or that can be given away on their blog.

Visit the Girls ’n Grace interactive website at http://www.girlsngrace.com/ for more information about the books, dolls, Bible studies, games and more.

(p.s. picture is of Naomi at Charlotte's party. I don't think I posted this one already.. behind her is Elias, he's 3 months older than her. Her sisters insisted upon the fairy wings, which were a LOT of fun for going down slides! And, of course, it was one of the coldest days in October, around 50 degrees and breezy).

List O' Things

2008-12-04T09:26:00.000-08:00

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea (from the beach)
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating (assuming fish count)
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

The list has been on a few blogs. I "bolded" the ones that I've done.

(Noah was a willing picture participant til he realized I wanted a picture of his haircut - we had a gum incident along with a few locks getting tangled.. he lost quite a bit, but it's still curly as ever and will, thankfully, grow back!)

2008-11-25T19:19:00.000-08:00

Which time and place do you belong in?

Modern USA

You are somewhat religious, believe in freedom and liberty, but have issues with other nations who have a different outlook on freedom.

Click Here to Take This Quiz
Brought to you by YouThink.com quizzes and personality tests.

How well do you know your colors?

Your Score: 30%
F

Fail. You win a box of cheap, crappy crayons. You're not even worth Crayolas.

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Can You Name The Breeds Of Dog?

Your Score: 46%
F

Disappointing. You hardly know what a dog is!

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(I did get the Pyrs correct)

Kuza

2008-11-22T07:03:00.000-08:00

I refuse to address the "you were never getting a dog ever again" folks ;)

Taliesin would much prefer a mouse as a new pet. He's not amused by Kuza.. none of the cats are.. but Kuza is used to cats so he really doesn't care. The farm where we bought him had the pups (and adults) living with the goats and oodles of barn cats.

His markings are called "badger" colorings.. in most great pyrenees they completely disappear in adulthood leaving a pure white dog. I like the colorings, maybe his will stay?

The puppy was the main attraction right out of bed. Here Naomi is feeding him some puppy kibble while still in her PJs. He is a very mellow puppy (currently!) and the littles are enjoying him as well as the older children.

Kuza is around 25lbs or so currently. He's a -very- large puppy. I need to get his birthdate from the breeder, but I believe he's around 10-12 weeks old. He's still adjusting and I can hopefully get better pictures later.

http://www.greatpyrenees.com/

He'll be around 100-120lbs in adulthood. His parents are very well-trained for guarding livestock, so I'm hoping he will 1) keep things from eating the poultry and 2) imprint on the children/family in as the house guardian.

Btw, he was the easiest dog overnight. He slept. Peacefully. No whining or fuss at all.

I'm not crunchy...

2008-11-17T11:20:00.000-08:00

I've decided that I'm not crunchy, even though I do many of things that crunchy people do. :) And some of you are saying "What in the world is crunchy?"

I have noticed that many of the large, frugal families do the same.

Homebirth - many choose this option because it's often cheaper (for us it was $3K more!) and after a certain number of children, it doesn't seem so strange. We realize babies are born even if there isn't a doctor in the room. Others go a step further and have baby unassisted.
Homeschool - we started for academics, realized we'd continue due to faith, and then also added in the fact we like the tone it creates for our family. Not sure if this counts as crunchy, but it does raise eyebrows in some areas. Thankfully, in our area, it is seen as pretty normal. Unschooling raises eyebrows. Relaxed homeschool does too. But it makes me wondering why we see M-F school in a building as normal. Or the idea that children spend most of their waking hours in school and -then- do homework on top of that. Most adults would freak if they worked their 40hrs and then more at home. What's the goal to all of this? Why can't it be done in a different manner? What do we want for our children, really? Has institutionalized schooling changed our country? World? Yeah, I'm getting more crunchy in this respect because I believe that character comes first. Having a *good* childhood is also important.. and whether my children can point out the Black Sea on the map or know the meaning of idiosyncrantic isn't going to make or break me as a parent. (They know how to use the dictionary. The world is their oyster.) I think most people choose traditional school because it's the way it has always been done.. they get pressure from family.. or they see it as a 'break' from their children. (Not a supermom, I love breaks as well.)
Reuse, reduce, recycle - I don't recycle, much. It's a pain where I live because wild critters get into the bin. I do reuse. A lot. A whole lot. I have baby clothes that have gone through some of my kids, some of my friend's kids, back to me, and then out again. The back deck is being converted into a poultry house. Most of my homeschool materials are non-consumable. None of this is about being crunchy. It is about being cheap. :) A lot of our stuff comes used from goodwill or friends. And we pass it on. Buying bulk also means less packaging.. using dried beans (cheap) instead of canned. Buying the large thing of oats and so on.

Anyway, we're entering a new stage here. The children and I are looking into urban homesteading. We do live in a rural area, but don't have a gazillion acres to work with. We have a bit under 2 acres of cleared land, minus the footprint for the house and the front area where we have a treeline between us and the road. Jim doesn't care what we do as long as it results in less grass. Good news for him.. there is a "Grow Food, Not Grass" movement out there. We'll be trendy while we work on ditching the lawnmower! (Insert green comments here - less gas, less pollution. American perk - not giving money to overseas oil companies.. but still basically comes down to being cheap ;) I'm not green or overly patriotic compared to most! My children don't even know the pledge because it seems creepy to me as a Christian. No allegiances pledged to flags or golden calves, thankyouverymuch.)

I do think we're headed towards a time like the great depression. Many who predicted the recession, and got laughed at (although they were -right-) are saying it's still going to get worse over the next 2-3 years. So while we may miss out on memorizing the countries in alphabetical order, we will be learning some valuable life skills.

Things I'm looking into:

Poultry. I love guinea hens and look forward to those again. However, we really do need chickens because guineas do not lay enough or reliably. I'm looking at plymouth rock or black star, depending upon availability. The girls really like the bantam silkies. Maybe a few of those for decoration. ;) I have a spot for them, but do like the idea of chicken tractors, especially some that can set on the 4x4 gardens.
Gardens. Raised beds actually, I am looking to use block instead of wood because the wood rots quickly here.. I think it also attracts fire ants. (Carla Emory says to use boiling water, so we'll give that a go instead of chemicals.) During the winter I plan to see how many I can get ready. I like the Square Foot Gardening book, there is an updated version available. All New Square Foot Gardening
Goats.. maybe.. eventually.
Which leads to learning more about canning, freezing, and other ways of storing.

We were hoping to get a Dutch Valley Co-op going here. I might shop at Sams while waiting on that.. I wish they had a source for bulk black beans.

Anyway, that's my post for now. We're a little mixed up this week due to lots of people having colds.. including our little Queen. She's a handful (well, armful) when sick and we do lots of "Pass the Baby" so she can be held.

Chili that looks like meat-flavored chili.. but isn't:

1 large bag black beans
1 bag light red kidney beans
1 bag dark red kidney beans
1 large jug tomato juice
2 cans tomato paste
seasonings (salt, pepper, lots of chili powder, garlic, red pepper, etc.)

Rinse beans, pick out stones, put into 6qt crock overnight. Next day, take out 1/3 of beans to be used in something else. *grins* (Unless you actually have the right amount. I had too many. I added garlic and such to those to cook).

Add in the tomato juice, paste, and seasonings. Cook on high for most of day. When the beans are squishy use a potato masher to squish some up - this makes it thicker and it looks like meat.

We served it over cornbread (made from scratch, simple recipe I can post sometime.) It was very good. It made enough for dinner and today the leftovers are being used for a second dinner. It works nice over baked potatoes or with elbow macaroni and cheese mixed in.

I typed on this post off and on all day.. in between math, talks about Alexander the Great, reading instruction, loving the baby, wiping up spills, changing diapers, checking out Obstetric Myths Versus Research Realities and more.. it might be jumbled.

Another day at co-op

2008-11-10T10:16:00.000-08:00

Last week the focus was on China, which brought out lots of dragon ideas! Some of the children made an abacus (not pictured, but I'll have to find one later) which was fun.

Naomi pauses for a picture while coloring a page.

She adores J's daughters.. but insisted the baby shouldn't wear a hat.

We took a friend with us to co-op, he's in the red/white striped shirt. Here they are busy decorating their dragons to turn into paper dragons later.

More painting and more of Julia's school room (it is a great place to hold co-op!) Olivia loves on her baby (with hat).

Nathan and his paper dragon. Auburn drew the heads for the younger children to decorate.

You guessed it.. more dragon decorating..

I just realized that most of us were in red for co-op. I guess it was a .. (very bad political joke coming up.. sorry!) reaction to the election. Ahem. Anyway, Bethany gets a hug while it looks like Naomi is making a break for it. Gracie is thinking hard about her art. :)

They are practicing Chinese calligraphy. Auburn taught on the board while the children copied it.

Joseph shows off his paper dragon.

Here is James' dragon in progress, Auburn drew the heads/tails. (Yes, Dad, I know he needs his hair cut again!)

This week.. Aztecs and Mayans.. we'll maybe try some ball in the backyard and then decide what to do with the losers...

Other news:

The older girls are both involved in www.nanowrimo.com for the young authors program and enjoying it a LOT. We've roasted at dozens of marshmallows over the past few days as we use the fireplace.. and.. I trimmed Noah's bangs. What an exciting life we lead here in SC.

Banner designed by Charlotte..

2008-10-29T19:22:00.000-07:00

This is the banner that Charlotte designed for my business website. I am VERY proud of her. We had a great time doing.. redoing.. and REdoing it.. :) She also made a fantastic video that I'll be sharing later on after we get it finalized.

The website will be at: http://www.HypnoBirthingSC.com It is not up yet (although there's a cute pic on there) but should be up shortly.

I am taking reservations for private and group classes now.

Bethany has something interesting up her sleeve.. I'll share that later on after we get the idea worked out. It might be a few weeks.

Back from Florida...

2008-10-29T12:17:00.000-07:00

That.. was the focus of my Florida trip. Pregnancy, birth, and helping women to have the birth they desire. It was a wonderful trip. Some are aware that I was going, others I didn't tell because I was super busy in the time leading up to the conference.

Many know our last birth was a waterbirth at home. Others know that I'm a huge fan of natural childbirth done in a calm, easy, and comfortable way.. which is possible. The method I've used successfully with some of the births is HypnoBirthing (The Mongan Method). HypnoBirthing allows a woman to use the power of her mind, through self-hypnosis, to control her body. Basically.. she learns how to relax, release fear, and let her body work as it was created to do so.

I am SO excited to be able to teach this to other women. Too often women say things like..

"I hope the doctor lets me.."
"Maybe things will be different this time.."
"Everyone says it'll be the worst pain.."

And so on. We've been taught, by our culture, that birth has to be this agonizing experience. The expectations we've built up have created our experiences and birth does not have to be that way. We choose. But, it's not as easy as saying "I want.." we also need the tools to make that happen.

It's crazy to me that women have surrended all of their birthing power to others. It's not right. Not at all. One hospital that I heard of doesn't let women leave their beds after their membranes has released (water breaks). How is this practical in any way? Do we think our ancestors didn't walk around during that time? Why is it safe for women in some hospitals but not others? And why do we put up with insane regulations and play "good patient"? Why is fear the major focus on a time that should be about joy?

I want something better, not only for -myself-, but also for my daughters.. and future grand daughters, daughters-in-law, neices, and so on.. We deserve better. Birth is natural. It's neither an illness or reason for fear. It is a time of joy and eagerly welcoming a new life into our family. It creates families.

I also saw the best button. It read..

Please, only happy birth stories, my baby is listening.

What a great way to bless women! Fill them with positives instead of negatives. Let's stop making others believe that birth has to be something it is not.

When the website is up and running, I'll be sure to pass it along. For now, here is a great video from Dateline that discusses hypnosis during childbirth. It isn't the same as HypnoBirthing, but the idea is similar.

Peace... it does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.

I'll catch up on other things in a bit. We have soccer pictures to post and so on. :)

Happy Birthday to Charlotte!

2008-10-04T08:54:00.000-07:00

On this day.. thirteen years ago..

- I was wishing I could sleep and the company in the hospital would go away.
- I was completely icked by the disgusting poo coming out of that tiny 5lb 13oz baby.
- I was determined to breastfeed, although the hospital was none-too-encouraging. (Babies were not permitted to room in, a private room was a joke, and I was advised to not hold her "too much".)
- I had no idea what the next thirteen years would bring.. I was still a teenager (19) myself.

I did know that I loved that precious little cone-headed baby more than anything I'd ever loved .. and no matter what others told me about the 'right' way to do things, she was MY child and I'd do as I pleased.. thankyouverymuch. :) I read the books though folks mocked me. I set out goals for what I wanted for her, though others doubted. I talked about homeschooling and was told I was nuts.

And now, pardon me for a moment as I point out a few things that have been on my mind lately..

To all of those gloom & doom folks who told me to just wait til she hit 3.. that's when they get mouthy.. til she hits 5 and is completely defiant.. til she hits 8 and those hormones kick in.. til she starts her cycle and decides we will no longer get along.. til thirteen comes and rebellion really kicks in.

I say... "Ha." (Mature, eh?)

We often called Charli our "Miss Sunshine" and she still fits that. Yes, she's got a wit and yes, we sometimes hit a wall where we don't see each other's side. But, you know what? A few minutes later we can talk it over and go on like nothing happened.

Today is her thirteenth birthday. Many would be pushing for this to be THEIR day and to be catered to completely. We woke up to.. 1 fevered boy, 1 boy getting over his fever, 1 boy that was pukey all night, 1 little girl with a fever/cough, and another girl that gave up and went back to bed asap. Daddy is sleeping (he was up all night with pukey boy) and I have an awful sore throat. Charli is the only healthy one. She's been helpful and trading off with me as we snuggle whoever needs it. We finally got everyone settled and she's off writing some more on her book.

Last night, we went shopping for her opal birthstone ring. We visited three stores and then she said she felt a little guilty for being picky. I assured her that this is her ring, she can be as picky as she wants. We didn't find anything in the local stores, so we've been browsing ebay. It's SO fun to see her opinion of jewelry and what appeals to her. She's firm, but polite.

I'm equally in love with this beautiful long-haired zesty teen as I was with the wrapped up little baby. And, I still have a sweet little baby (well, 17 months) so I can appreciate the differences. It's fun to go the bookstore and talk about authors, or visit the coffee shop and have a real conversation. I do realize as she grows older, and more into her independence, we'll hit some other trying times.. but I reject the notion that all young adults have to be surly, grouchy, awful beings that we just put up with til they're 18 and we can toss them out.

And, I am very thankful that we did decide to homeschool. It has been an unhurried childhood and a -good- one. She is very grounded in her faith and has been a witness to many. She's also able to think outside of the box.. and still handles the peers okay. This year, for the first time that she's noticed, a girl in our community decided to not be friends with her because of the way she dresses. Charli shrugged it off, mentioned that's just her personality, and said she can either please God or please man... she didn't get angry, depressed, or run out to change herself. What a blessing. We started out homeschooling for academic reasons, but I realize that *character* is the main thing, not academics.

Her party will be on the 18th and I'll be sure to share lots of pictures! Pictures from today might just be depressing with all of the runny noses and watery eyes.

Charli's birth vs. Naomi's birth. (1995 vs. 2007):

- With Charli's birth, I made my mom *promise* to not tell the doctors I had eaten that day. It was routine procedure to be given an enema and I didn't want that! With Naomi's birth, I was encouraged to eat during labor to keep up my energy.

- After Charli's birth, I saw her for a few minutes before she was whisked away to be cleaned up/etc and I was sent to a recovery room with a bunch of other ladies. With Naomi's birth, she slept through it and the snuggled onto my chest to sleep some more. Five minutes later, we decided to check gender and to wake her up a little.

- With C's birth, I was disappointed that I missed the epidural screening.. was given nubain and puked my way through a lot of labor. (When I wasn't drugged/sleeping). With N's birth, I wouldn't have considered meds and had a relatively pain free labor.

- The night of C's birth, I had a roommate come in and she had many issues due to a high-intervention birth. I was up most of the night listening to her company come in/out, the medical procedures they did on her, and her crying. Charli wasn't with me, that wasn't permitted. The night of N's birth, I slept in my bed, with baby tucked in next to me.

- With C's birth I saw my OB three times - once when she warned me that at 37 wks the baby might have breathing issues, the second when she ordered nubain, the third when she was in the delivery room. With N's birth.. I took a leisurely walk with my midwife, doula, and husband throughout the neighborhood. We all visited with my friend (and her children) that was here to help and it felt like having a big sister nearby.

I am thankful that SO much has changed in the past thirteen years. I also hope to support my daughters (and daughters-in-law) in having positive birth experiences. It makes such a difference. I am thankful that Charli remembers Naomi's birth and not hers. :) Well, both girls.. they've seen that TV/movie births don't have to be reality. They also went to a few midwife appointments and had a good role model there.

Sunday Life

2008-09-14T16:11:00.000-07:00

First, random pic.. can you guess which baby this is? (answer at the bottom) And, for the family members wondering if this is another cutesy blog pregnancy announcement.. it's not. hehe. The next pregnancy announcement will probably be something crazier - like a carrier pigeon!

Things heard in our home on Sunday mornings..

"Does he have his shoes?"
"Do you have your shoes?"
"Is that shirt on backwards?"
"No. You can't wear that." (usually towards a boy!)
"Thirty minutes to go!"

"Don't forget to eat." (breakfast is typically bagels or other simple fare)
"Have you seen my shoes?" (Mommy!)
"Have you seen my purse?" (Mommy again..)
"Where is my Bible?" (You guessed it!)
"Don't forget your Bibles."
"Where is the sippy?"

And so on. Finally, we pile into the van and we're off. Everyone has a car buddy. After they finish buckling their car buddy they buckle themselves. Bethany (the carsick one) sits with Nae (the baby always gets the second row). Charlotte sits with Noah, James sits with Joseph. When buckling is done we count off from one to six according to birth order. Bethany says "Six" for Naomi. This is somewhat of an inside joke with the family. When I've called a child by every name but theirs I fall back on.. "You! Child number three, come here please." Strangely enough, I get Joseph and Noah's names mixed the most. We used to joke that Noah's name was Jo-Noah.

We arrived at church today and were greeted by the sight of a few boys playing football on the lawn. Others in our church family were standing at the front door, chatting. We were greeted by name (and lots of hugs. We're "huggers" at church!) and in we went. Our church has a cafe area on the right and the sanctuary is on the left. The cafe has all of the classrooms off of it and each has a large window so it's easy to see inside. Jim went towards the sanctuary with a few and I went towards the cafe/classrooms to deposit the shortest two in the nursery. (Yes, I know many of our Christian friends are against nurseries. We know this church is where God wants us and we are at peace with using the nursery. Please, no tomatoes!).

Before we could get a few feet through the cafe - where many are having coffee and chatting - we end up with various church family members coming over to ask about our morning. A few loved on Nae, some of the ladies having heard about her run-in with fire ants.. (her little foot looks a LOT better). What a blessing to be loved. I think so many are missing this in our world right now. More hugs and into the nursery we go. Adults, who don't have little kids at all, poke their head into the nursery to greet the littles. (The nursery directly opens into the cafe area, and, like i said it has a huge window). More of ... "How are you this morning?" and "Hey, Noah buddy, you're looking handsome today!"

The littles are dropped off and we go towards the sanctuary area. There are still groups of people talking in the hall, cafe, and outside are still folks talking and football is going on. More greetings, more hugs, and into the sanctuary where people are busy fellowshipping. I find where Jim is sitting with three of the kids (Bethany, James, and Joseph). Charlotte sits in the front row where the youth group has been "challenged" to sit. At first I had qualms about this.. again, I know many who would tsk-tsk over our daughter not sitting with the family. But you know what, she takes the most amazing notes during service and this is a chance for her to "own" her faith. Music starts.. and people reluctantly stop chatting and start finding their places..

During worship.. some clap, some raise hands, some sing, a few dance in place, and others just stand. A few say "Amen!" during prayer time and others quietly bow their heads. We have people in dresses, headcoverings, flipflops, and sweats. Praise God for that. Let the guy that slept in his clothes the night before and hasn't showered in a week come into my church.. let God use us to show him the love of Christ. When our kids were much younger, I remember skipping church because I couldn't find nice shoes for Charlotte. Her "good shoes" broke and I didn't have any others. I sometimes wonder how many others skip church because they feel their Sunday best isn't good enough?

After service starts, we always have stragglers that come in. They're not met with glares. They don't sneak through the door like naughty children either. They're hugged, loved, and made to realize that everyone is happy they're -there- even if late. :) After service it's a lot like before service. Kids are skateboarding outside, a basketball game might start in the parking lot, other kiddoes are on the playground equipment. People chat in the sanctuary, others are having coffee in the cafe, and still more are standing in the lobby area. Often, people are kinda pushed out the door a couple of hours later.

To me, that is a church family. I feel very blessed. I know there are other church families like that around as well. I hope all of those who may have gone through bad experiences with churches realize that you can't let that get to you. You have to trust God and know that He will be faithful to set you in the right fellowship.

Believers also need to realize that *we* are a family. In Christ, we've become mothers, brothers, sisters, and so on. A lot of people are hurting and we've got to reach out. I had the most wonderful experience on Saturday at Walmart. The cashier checking me out was positively glowing with the love of Jesus. She joked with the people in front of me and had us all chatting like we were long-lost friends. As I was checking out she was encouraging me with my boys, telling me about her older boys and drawing in the couple behind me.. and it was like water in a desert. I'd just come from a women's Bible study and felt like God just wrapped me in His arms and gave me another big squeeze.

At one time, I was *so* lonely here in SC. I prayed that God would bring me just one friend. People came into my life that were folks I couldn't imagine sticking with, but I tried. Through one of those chance meetings, I met the friend that has been with me since James (now 8) was in the womb. After meeting her, I slowly met others, and my circle of friends is now very rich. But, I haven't forgotten that time of being the newcomer.. no family, no friends, and very limited resources (we had one vehicle at that time and a tiny townhouse). That is one reason I think I find organizing the city-wide homeschool email group, park day, and mom's dinner to be so rewarding. If I can help just one mom who is feeling like I did, that's fantastic.

We really do need each other. We have to remember that even when we get comfortable with our circle of friends, or even with our church family, that there is still room for more. For the believer our eternal life has already started. We'll be with these people forever. It's a good time to start forming those friendships now!

Picture.. The baby in the picture is Noah. He's the only blue-eyed boy we have. :)

Co-op Pictures (lots of them!)

2008-09-13T12:14:00.000-07:00

First a note.. Click to see my friend's entry into a digital scrapbook contest. You don't have to register. Just click and there' s a "vote for me" button. For those curious about how digital scrapbooking can be done, this is a great way to see a sample. :)

Oops... I just noticed I forgot to swap some of the pics! Look at 'em sideways. (One day I'll get this right.) This our version of God accepting a sheep sacrifice (see below to figure out what in the world I mean..)

See the C on the forehead? That is Cain's mark that God put on him so nobody would kill him. Cain murdered his brother Able, out of jealously, and then was cursed to wander.
This is a potato that was cut into pieces to show pangaea. This is tied into how Noah's three sons were able to repopulate the earth, continental drift helped.
We measured out the length of Noah's ark going waaaaaaaay down the road.
James reading his report on Adam. Yes, he does change clothes, but usually just long enough to have the current outfit washed. I'm not sure why he has more than 2 sets of clothes.. but I think this shirt is the "shirt for the year". (Yes, Dad, all of the barbers in our area are still on strike. I'll let ya know when they're back in business and the boys get haircuts *hehe*)
Miss Bethany forgot to write out her paper on Abraham... tsk.

Here we were studying ummmm...

gravity? Something impressive and scientific. We'd never just jump around on the trampoline during school co-op time! (For those counting - the number is 10. The 11th child was busy trying to drink rainwater out of a bucket)Cain, Able, and the sheep.

The older girls being silly, well.. one of them being silly!
The pink is the blood. They did a little skit on Cain & Able.
A sideways Charlotte gives her report.
A sideways Julia (I'm leaving her this way!!) being silly. I threatened I'd put it on the blog if she sent it to me.. and she did!! hehe.
The Nile River.. a few weeks later. The foil is for the river that "floods" and makes the crops (aka grass) grow along the riverbanks. With some of the rains lately, it has REALLY flooded!

P.S. Please pray for those families who are going to be hurting due to the recent spike in gas prices. In some places the gas is over $5/gallon. We're hopeful that it will go down again after Ike is done.. but I know many families who are making some hard decisions now due to prices going up on almost everything.

Our Week.. (a bit of everything)

2008-09-12T14:56:00.000-07:00

My phone isn't sync'ing right now. As soon as I get that worked out again I'll post some videos and pictures.

Today:

Naomi sat in the fire ants. Thankfully, mama radar came in handy as I realized she'd plopped down in the grass and started scratching at herself. The poor baby has a lot of bites, but didn't cry or create a fuss.. even when we stripped her naked and started getting the ants off. I'm blessed to have such a good group of friends - some brand new! - that pitched in and helped our little Queen. She was in great spirits on the drive home and I did put topical benadryl on her. She had lots of blisters, but after her nap almost all of the redness is gone. Little bumps are visible and that's it.

Park day was a lot of fun overall. We have some new moms and old friends came too. Park day and Mom's Night Out keep my sanity together. :) Co-op keeps my sense of humor and helps keep us on track for school.

Co-Op:

We measured out Noah's ark.. going way.. way... WAY down the road. I have video of this. :)

We showed pangaea with a potato. This experiment looked a lot better on paper.

We had reports, including a play done by four of J's kiddoes. It was hilarious and fun. (God, Cain, Able, and a sheep.. that looks suspiciously like an eeyore costume!)

Cookies.. heroscape.. and lot of children on a trampoline. It was a great school day!

(Next post should have pics. I'm determined to figure it out again. I did it twice so far!)

~~~ Prayers for those dealing with Ike ~~~

Dignity for babies and fathers..

2008-09-12T13:59:00.000-07:00

A birth film for Dads.

Thursday Thirteens

2008-09-11T07:13:00.000-07:00

I got this idea from Dorothy's Blog (which is currently full of pictures of Wales - where i plan to visit in the spring!).

Some of her thirteens were places she's lived, spices she likes, favorite movies, favorite songs, etc.

Thirteen Christian Songs that Come to Mind (not necessarily my favorites):

1. Frail - Jars of Clay: This song is hauntingly beautiful.
2. Joy - Newsboys: If you have never heard this song, you must get it. You must play it loud and you must dance. :) The world don't give it
And the world can't take it away
3. My Heart Goes Out - Warrent Barfield
4. Answer to the Question - Tree 63
5. But Now My Eyes are Open - Tree 63
6. Glosoli - Sigur Ros: Technically, not Christian, but it's really not secular either. There is a great video on youtube. I love this song.
7. Cry out to Jesus - Third Day: Always uplifting and reminds me that we're all going through struggles.
8. Made to Love - Toby Mac
9. What Could Be Better - 33 Miles
10. Stand in the Rain - Superchick
11. Hope to Carry On - Caedmon's Call
12. There You Go - Caedmon's Call

There you go working good from my bad
There you go making robes from my rags
There you go melting crowns from my calves
There you go working good of all I have
Till all I have's not that bad

13. How Can I Keep From Singing - Chris Tomlin

How can I keep from singing Your praise
How can I ever say enough
How amazing is Your love
How can I keep from shouting Your name
I know I am loved by the King
And it makes my heart want to sing

Name one Accomplishment of Obama..

2008-09-09T10:48:00.000-07:00

Children of the Clay

2008-09-07T17:22:00.000-07:00

This is so redneck, I'm almost ashamed to post it. I'm going to blame it on Anna rubbing off on me.. y'know, Anna is the one whose husband shot the possum off the porch - while everyone was watching. :)

In case it isn't clear, they're playing in the clay (aka "dirt") from our yard. I didn't realize they were doing this until it was well under way!

1000 Blank White Card Game and Today's Stuff

2008-09-07T15:18:00.000-07:00

All of the pictures were taken with my camera phone. That is why they seem so blurred. Anyway, these are a few of our cards from the 1,000 Blank White Card game. The children LOVE this game and I admit I find it very amusing as well. :) We need to teach it to friends.. I should teach it to the Moms at dinner on Monday!

Here are the rules: http://www.geocities.com/nconner23/bwcards.html (Be aware that this site appears to be the typical single guy keeping a page site. There are some themes that are not friendly for kiddoes - although, I doubt if it'd offend the average adult. Obviously, our cards are very kid-friendly! Even Noah likes to scribble a card and an older sibling translates it into a real card.)

Charlotte has a Wales fascination. This started before she realized I plan to go and is all the fault of Stephen Lawhead! :) I promised her a trip for her 16th bday. I think I'll do that for all of the children.. I'll take a fun trip every few years!

Today we...

rearranged the house! The formal living room is now the dining room and school room. We have plenty of room for the large table, my rolltop desk, and I want to line one wall with bookshelves -we are always running out of room for books. It looks very open and nice.

The living room furniture is snugly fitted into the dining room. It's cozy, but looks fine to me. The children's computer is now in the playroom/front room and I do want to tinker with that room some more. I think we're going to ditch the loveseat in there and put in some bean bag chairs. Sounds good to me! I'd like to create an L-shaped sitting area for the dining (now entertainment) room from www.homereserve.com furniture.

We still have more to organize and sort through.. and I think we'll be hearing from soccer coaches this week. We did get $3/pair cleats for 4 of the children and a friend thinks she has cleats that Bethany will be able to borrow.

Pictures of Co-op Happenings

2008-09-05T05:54:00.000-07:00

Eventually, it did turn into a stick figure (made out of pipe cleaners). We used them for making mummies. James shows off the first try - which did require a second!
Joseph and his pipe-cleaner guy.
Here they're making the cartouches out of clay. The picture includes one of our co-op friends.
Yesterday, the girls went with J's family to visit her Pastor. He took a trip to Egypt and was willing to show his pictures and talk about his experiences. They *really* enjoyed it!!
James and his cookie dough map of Africa. Chocolate chips were used for pyramids/mountains. Sprinkles for the green grass. They did eat part of this but it definitely didn't taste like regular cookies!!
Noah and his cookie dough map.
Bethany and hers. See the blue in the bowl? That was used to create the Nile River.
The girls created a play and did a presentation for their "people" reports.

Pipe cleaner people in the making.

James gives his report on King Tut and uses a book to show pictures.

Naomi isn't interested in studying the ancients, but she is really cute! :)

TOG So Far.. (and rambling)

2008-09-04T12:25:00.000-07:00

TOG - Tapestry of Grace - is a homeschool curriculum that basically covers everything except math and science.

We're finishing up week 3.

Things we've learned/done (will post pics later):

Ancient Egypt is fun for three weeks. Four would be overkill.
We made cartouches and learned some Egyptian symbols.
Some things are worth labelling on a map (Nile River, etc) and others (name of every pyramid) are not. And, it's fine for mom to pick which is which!
Sometimes you have to read a book twice to be able to discuss it properly.
Some books are worth reading twice.
Some are not.
There are a LOT of books used in TOG and for the first three weeks they're all called "Ancient Egypt" or some variation of that.
TOG almost feels like cheating with everyone studying the same thing.
The Israelites definitely felt cheated living on bread and water after seeing everything available in Egypt.. but I'll take bread from God, while free, over anything yummy while a slave.
We made pipe cleaner people and turned them into mummies. It was much faster than the original process.
We mummified an apple.. not sure if we'll try a chicken. (We might be done with mummies!)
We painted wooden dolls and wooden snakes - the snakes were to be used to hunt birds. We skipped the bird hunting.
Who knew it was easy to hit the 30 book limit at the library?
Each child has to pick a name or vocabulary word to do their "report" for that week. It's not fair to give a little kid "Polytheism" or ... a word that escapes me right now.
Co-op is FUN..
(even though our children would rather be elves than Egyptians)
Week four looks VERY relaxed after a busy three weeks.
1yo's are not interested in Ancient Egypt.
3yo's are not interested in Ancient Egypt
4yo's are not interested in Ancient Egypt.
5yo's are kinda interested.
15yo's will learn a LOT about Gods and Goddesses, but eh.. who cares about geography? (But her knowledge about the Gods was really indepth and she was obviously proud of it! A great role model for the other kiddoes).
The almost 13yo wonders daily when we'll get to Rome.. or Wales.. and didya know that the Welsh blah, blah, blah..
There are three major steps to creating a mummy.
This school year is already better than last year. Yay!

Okay, so my list isn't exactly the glowing sales pitch for TOG. :) I will say that I'm very thankful we went to TOG and plan to stick with it longterm. It's easier to have everyone on the same subject. If Joseph is bored and Bethany is done, she'll often grab one of his books and sit to read with him. The others overhear Daddy and Charli talking about her studies and it just comes together nicely. We've had a few hiccups as we get back into the school routine - I'm hoping most of that is ironed out.

Having a *small* co-op has been a blessing. It also helps that the other family is similar to mine and the Mom is equally relaxed. We're working towards a bit more discussion/structure, but we mainly want the kids to enjoy the process.

I don't think I'd use this curriculum with just small children. I definitely see how it blends together nicely with various levels. I *do* think this curriculum will save my sanity as my children get older and such. The teacher notes are priceless and help me stay on top of everything. We have felt a little 'rushed' these weeks - probably due to the holidays and some other things influencing our school day.

My goal has been to always use a curriculum that I could do while pregnant and/or nursing. I'm doing neither right now - but I am planning to take on a few outside things. TOG allows me to know I'm covering all of the necessities without overwhelming me completely. The only thing I feel we're dropping somewhat is writing. We plan to focus more on that next week now that the initial 'rush' of starting school is passing. We'll also be covering Noah's Ark and that time period next week, which is one we're all very familiar with overall.

My other goals have changed as my children have gotten older. A few of them are:

Character. Living with 8 people in a house makes for daily conflict-resolution. I don't want blind obedience and "perfect" little children. I want to raise sincere people who are able to function in today's world by applying God's best to them. I think this is where some people miss the mark. They think if 3yo Junior can sit quietly during a church service that they're parenting pros. But if you don't have a close relationship with 13yo Junior, you'll lose him to the world's temptations. So we might not get everything done academically, but if we're able to raise children of character, that's good for me.
Unhurried childhoods. Charlotte designed a dress - freehand - and did all of the sewing herself. Was it perfect? No. Was it her idea? Yes. (And at almost 13 yrs old, she wasn't embarrassed to wear it either. She's not caught up in the peer pressure that many her age are dealing with!) I don't want to be the one that tells them everything to do with their day. They need to use their brains and take ownership of their free time. As I type this, James and Joseph are currently making up a game together. Don't ask me the rules, I have no idea, but they're enjoying brotherhood right now. Even Naomi benefits from this because she's growing up in a rich environment full of siblings doing stuff. :)
Simplified schedule. I said "No" more times this year than a Nancy Reagan commercial. (Oooh..dating myself with that one! :). No music lessons this year, just play what appeals to you and enjoy it. Only one book club (1x/mo) and even that is being run by a low-key Mom. Sports are fine, but we're all playing the SAME sport during the same season. For the most part, we're home. We have two afternoon activities, but getting school done in the AM isn't that difficult. I think it's a blessing for my littles to not be dragged all over the place. It is also easier for us to do school work without feeling like we're cramming it in. (Too much of a good thing definitely turns everything bad!)

I still have similar academic goals for high school. I'd like to see them use CLEP to the full advantage and such, but we're not doing some of the stressed out things I see others doing. lol. Our day also has a very short segment for "table work" (mainly math and handwriting) and then the children use their planners to see what books to read, questions to review, and so on. For families that want a well-rounded Christian education, with plenty of world view, I definitely recommend checking out TOG. You can even see the first three weeks online.

I buy as I go, so don't let the sticker price scare you! Unit 1 was $60 and a lot of my books are from the library. The spines and some of the literature I did buy, but we'll re-use them with later children.

(btw, still singing the praises of www.teachingtextbooks.com - I hope they get the lower grades done soon! This program is a HUGE help for homeschool moms! It is worth every penny.)

Random pic:

Joseph, on the couch.. obviously we forgot to cover Couch Sitting 101.

Our new fuel efficient car...

2008-09-03T16:48:00.000-07:00

We decided, a little while ago, that we should get a fuel efficient car. Y'know, gas prices are up and so on. We talked about a lot of models and the pros/cons.

Somewhere along the way Dodge had a sale...

Then Jim's 44th bday (he's 12 yrs older than me. I'm not in my 40s. *grins* Good disclaimer, eh?) started to sneak up on us...

Here's the result!

p.s. Guess who gets to take the shiny red truck on its first real trip? ME! Ha! I'm taking it to Florida in October.

Happy (early) Birthday!

Midwives under Fire

2008-09-03T12:45:00.001-07:00

(While I am not a fan of some of the "issues" mentioned here due to my pro-life stance, I am appalled that anyone should decide where I can give birth. It's on my soapbox along with the government telling me my children belong to them at age 5, unless I jump through hoops to keep them home. It's soooo irritating.)

PushNews from The Big Push for Midwives Campaign
CONTACT: Steff Hedenkamp, (816) 506-4630, _steff@thebigpushfo

rsteff@theste_
(mailto:steff@thebigpushformidwives.org)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, September 1, 2008

Number Two With a Bullet
Critical Women's Health Issues Neglected as Physician Group Yet Again Sets
its Sites on Midwives

WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 1, 2008)—In the newest phase of its ongoing
effort to deny women the right to choose their maternity care providers and birth
settings, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has
announced that eliminating access to midwives who specialize in
out-of-hospital birth is now the second most important issue on its state legislative
agenda. This move puts restricting access to trained midwives ahead of such
critical issues as contraceptive equity, ensuring access to emergency
contraception, and the prevention and treatment of perinatal HIV/AIDS.
"ACOG claims to be an advocate of women's health and choice, but when it
comes to the right to choose to deliver your baby in the privacy of your own
home with a Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) who is specifically trained to
provide the safest care possible, ACOG's paternalistic colors bleed
through," said Susan M. Jenkins, Legal Counsel for the Big Push for Midwives
Campaign. "It is astonishing that an organization that purports to be a champion of
women's healthcare would put a petty turf battle that affects less than one
percent of the nation's childbearing women ahead of pressing issues that have
an impact on nearly every woman in this country. If this is not dereliction of
duty, I can't imagine what is."
In recent years, ACOG has led a well-financed campaign to fight legislative
reforms that would license and regulate CPMs and has now teamed up with the
American Medical Association (AMA) to promote legislation that would prevent
families from choosing to give birth at home. Despite these joint efforts, the
groups have not been successful in defeating the groundswell of grassroots
activism in support of full access to a comprehensive range of maternity care
options that meet the needs of all families.

"Wisconsin is a good example of what ACOG and the AMA are up against," said
Jane Crawford Peterson, CPM, Advocacy Trainer for The Big Push. "Our
bipartisan grassroots coalition of everyday people from across the state managed to
defeat the most powerful and well-financed special interest groups in
Wisconsin, all on an expenses-only budget of $3000 during a legislative session in
which $47 million was spent on lobbying. When you try to deny women the
fundamental and very personal right to choose where and how to give birth, they will
get organized and they will let their elected officials know that
restrictions on those rights cannot stand."

Noting these successes, ACOG has recently launched its own grassroots
organizing effort, calling on member physicians to recruit their patients to
participate in its "Who Will Deliver My Baby?" medical liability reform campaign.

"ACOG itself admits that we're facing a critical shortage of maternity care
providers," said Steff Hedenkamp, Communications Coordinator for the Big
Push. "They certainly realize that medical liability reform is nothing more than
a band aid and that increasing access to midwives and birth settings is
critical to fixing our maternity care system and ensuring that rural, low-income
and uninsured women don't fall through the cracks. Midwives represent an
essential growth segment of the U.S. pool of maternity care providers, but
instead of putting the healthcare needs of women first, ACOG would rather devote
its considerable lobbying budget to a last-ditch attempt to protect its own
bottom line. This is not a happy Labor Day for our nation's mothers and babies."

The Big Push for Midwives (_http://www.TheBigPuhttp://www.Thehtt_
(http://www.thebigpushformidwives.org/) ) is a nationally coordinated campaign organized
to advocate for regulation and licensure of Certified Professional Midwives
(CPMs) in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, and to
push back against the attempts of the American Medical Association and the
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists to deny American families
access to safe and legal midwifery care. The campaign plays a critical role in
building a new model of U.S. maternity care delivery at the local and regional
levels, at the heart of which is the Midwives Model of Care, based on the
fact that pregnancy and birth are normal life processes. Media inquiries: Steff
Hedenkamp (816) 506-4630, _steff@thebigpushforsteff@theste_
(mailto:steff@thebigpushformidwives.org) .

The Big Push for Midwives Campaign is fiscally sponsored by Sustainable
Markets Foundation, a not-for-profit organization recognized as tax-exempt under
Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)(3). The mission of the Big Push for
Midwives is to build winning, state-level advocacy campaigns towards successful
regulation and licensure of Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs) in all 50
states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

Visit the Big Push for Midwives Campaign on the Web at
_www.TheBigPushforMiwww.TheBig_
(http://ent.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=227950734&u=2397811) .

Sustainable Markets Foundation | 80 Broad Street, Suite 1600 | New York,
NY 10004-2248
The Big Push for Midwives Campaign | 2300 M Street, N.W., Suite 800 |
Washington, D.C. 20037-1434

Everything that is really great and inspiring is created by the individual
who can labor in freedom.
Albert Einstein

The Curry Was a Hit!

2008-09-03T12:26:00.000-07:00

James - "I think it's good. I like the taste." (he's a guy of many words)

Joseph - "I think it's good, good, good, good, gooooooood and I think it's great when it's great."

Noah - "I'm done! And I like bread."

Bethany - "I like it because it is a little spicy, but not too much."

Charlotte - "It smells great and looks fantastic. It has some spice, but not a lot. And it's good!"

(Naomi didn't try it. She had a PB&J when we arrived home from shopping and the library.)

"Why do you want to know?"

"I was blogging about how you like tonight's dinner."

"ACK! She's blogging about US!?!" (this is news? Ha.)

The curry

2008-09-01T20:45:00.000-07:00

I have a friend that adores curries.. currys.. a curry. Hmm. Curries looks like furries which seems a tad gross. :)

Anyway, the More with Less Mennonite cookbook is also a huge fan of anything topping rice. I found the spices at Walmart and we're giving it a go this week. I had a few ask me about the recipe and I found it at www.allrecipes.com

I'm -thinking- of making it a full Indian meal with some extras added on.. I'll probably have Bethany cook it and it'll be just the curry. hehe. (She loves to cook and I love to let her!)

Here is the recipe:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Butter-Chickpea-Curry/Detail.aspx

I'm not sure what makes it "butter". I found a spicy curry powder because we tend to like spicier food. (It might also distract Jim from the idea that it's yet another vegetarian meal ;)

Ingredients (for 4 servings, I'll be doubling it)

4 medium potatoes, cubed
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons curry powder - found a regular & a spicy
2 teaspoons garam masala - walmart & BiLo carry this
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup
1/2 cup cream or milk - couldn't find coconut milk, using cream.
1 (12 ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained (aka garbanzo beans)

DIRECTIONS

Place potatoes in a saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil over high heat; simmer until the potatoes are tender. Drain, and set aside.
Warm oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion and garlic, and cook until the onions are soft and translucent. Stir in curry powder, garam masala, ginger, cumin, and salt. Cook for 1 or 2 minutes, stirring. Pour in soup, cream, and chickpeas. Stir in potatoes. Simmer 5 minutes.

Pretty easy, huh? I'll post a review after we have it later this week. I'm allergic to cumin, so I don't plan to eat it... but will let you know how it goes over with the rest of the crew!

Week Three of School and Etc.

2008-08-31T15:39:00.000-07:00

Blogs are so much nicer with pictures. This was taken when we went to visit Dusti and her family. It was a fantastic visit! Look at all of those smiling faces. All of the children are twelve and under.. and there are fourteen in the picture. We were on the way back from Pipestem and stopping to see them was a really nice break. (We have sunburned faces!)

So, we're starting week three tomorrow. My "co-op Mom" keeps threatening (teasingly!) to quit TOG. I warned her that I'd show up at her house every week anyway. ;) The children are learning a lot and we're learning that 1) We can't do everything and 2) We shouldn't try! Tapestry has been a lot of fun so far, but it's a lot to keep three levels going. I've discovered I need to carve out individual K-time to spend with Joseph.

I also need for fairies to come in at night to mop my floor! (Fairies, could you clean out the van too?). I'm redoing the chore chart, but that's not at the top of my priority list right now. We are really good at our morning/afternoon/evening tidy routines.. just not so great at remembering the cobweb that keeps forming on the ceiling fan. Can I turn that into science somehow? The girls are also dangerously close to losing 99% of the stuff in their room. This is the last week to get it cleaned or else I introduce them to how monks like to live.

In other news.. that is my menu plan at the top of this page. I used to do it before, but it used to look soooo much better. Simple is the idea now. I like the More with Less cookbook published by the Mennonites in the 70s. My goal is to work in more curries and things to be served with rice. We also need to keep meals quick because right now nobody wants to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. I'm still loving my Zojurishi (sp?) rice maker. Large families, this thing is fantastic. You can keep rice good in it for days. Bethany loves to make rice/bean burgers and ALL of the children (plus Jim) like to eat them like hamburgers. It makes perfect brown rice. To the menu we add veggies and such as we have them, but I generally don't plan in which veggie with which meal. For instance, the bowties will probably have salads, the nacho night is likely to have sliced cucumbers.

Oh.. speaking of nachos. It's not the healthiest meal, but definitely not the worst. During our camping vacation I found that nachos are pretty quick and easy. I used a vegetarian chili, black beans (squished a bit), kidney beans (ditto), taco seasoning, and cheese. We served it over chips with sour cream and salsa. It's not the standard dinner, but it is good, filling, and relatively frugal. Naomi can't eat chips, but she can eat the rest of it.

Okay, okay, I know some of you are saying "There's no way she's eating THAT!" and, you're right. I'm not. :) I am still following the same book that I picked up a while back and still having great results. In two weeks I lost a dress size. I figure by the end of Sept I will be needing to buy new clothes. I'm down to three skirts that fit properly. Once those are outgrown (well, too large) then I'll need others. It's somewhat amusing to me that this is working. I don't know why.. I am doing a lot of work when it comes to exercise (although I love Zumba - the music, dancing, etc is fun to me) but the food portion hasn't been as difficult as I thought. I am starting week one over again. This past week I kept having issues with eating on a regular schedule (due to school, various things happening, etc) and I feel like starting back at week one will help me. I haven't gained and I've still made progress, but this is what I want to do. (The past couple of days I've stayed the same - I'm guessing because my calories dropped too low due to missing meals).

I highly recommend www.sparkpeople.com It has a lot of helps and it is completely free. Btw, I'll try to keep this from turning into a blog about my dieting stuff, it's just something that is a focus a lot of time and comes up. I've also had many people ask me about what I'm doing, so I'm trying to share that while being open about my progress. I know where I'd like to be when I take the the trip for the seminar in October. Also, the trip to Wales in late spring.. and then the trip (I'm spoiled, yes, I know!!) in Sept '09. By that time I will have reached my goal. (Well, before that, but it's the date Jim and I figured would be good for a reward trip). When you put in your weight, goal weight, and date you want to reach it the chart will show a line showing you the actual progress vs. the progress you need to be making. That is motivational.

Teaching Textbooks 7 has been a huge hit here. I might get the girls to write up a review and I'll post it later this week. I know that I like it. It makes my life easier! James really wants to try TT5 and we might start that later this year. We're reviewing some other stuff first. I think with Joseph I will skip the math curriculum altogether and simply do real math.

www.livingmath.net is great for that.

Noah will be doing a free lapbook from www.homeschoolshare.com (or is it www.homeschooleshare.com) on "If You Give a Moose a Muffin". I'm not a really crafty preK mom, but that's a poor excuse to skip fun things with him.

In quilting news.. my projects are on hold and my frame is living at Anna's house currently. I miss sewing, but have most of my focus on schooling.. the children's and mine. For mine, I'm working three things this year - childbirth educator certification, DONA (doula) certification, and I'm actually going to start midwife education as well. I'm very excited about that and excited about this year overall. It looks promising.

ooh.. sports news.. we should find out this week what the children's soccer schedule will be. The oldest five are all playing soccer through the local Y.

Whew. I go from not blogging at all to being a chatterbox!

Studying Egypt, Loving on the Cats

2008-08-27T17:06:00.000-07:00

In this picture... the siamese kittens decided that Bethany made good furniture. She was trying to read about Ancient Egypt as they demanded snuggles! Taliesin, my cat, is on the left (he has white paws). Artoo, Joseph's cat, is on the right.. his paws are grey. The cat all the way to the right is Tuna (the orange tabby).

This is Charlotte's scrapbook page for today. We had some great discussions along with kitty snuggles!! I hope to get some co-op pics up soon.

Whew... A new year!

2008-08-18T11:32:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know it isn't January, but this is the beginning of our school year!

I plan to update regularly. :) We're so ashamed that we've been slacking.

Soooooo..... check back. I promise to get more up! Today was our first day of school and we had a good time. It's an adjustment to get back into the swing of things, but we're doing it.

Btw, we did return to church. We're going to Calvary Chapel -Blythewood and feel the love of Jesus every time we walk through the doors. Thank you, Lord, for our church family.

God is good - A new van

2008-04-01T08:42:00.000-07:00

Hurray! Look at all of those SEATS! We can't wait to try them out. The van is still in FL, so we don't have it yet.. but we'll be sure to do a picture when we have people in the rows. :) We are so thrilled to have found a van.

I know I need to update the blog. That'll come soon. Just had to share our happy news!

Available Puppies (for the local folks)

2008-01-06T20:30:00.000-08:00

Posting here to make it easier for folks to see the puppy pictures. It saves time compared to emailing!

Here are the puppies... (names can be changed, we just didn't want to call them all "puppy")

The mom is a brittany. Brittanys are well-known as loyal family dogs that adore children. Our brittany, Meadow, fits this. Brittanys love to be with their people and her puppies are similar. The father is a black lab. Meadow follows me around the house and is very mild-mannered. She's a bird dog and naturally has a soft mouth (aka - she doesn't grab people). Her pups have lovely personalities.

Cedar - this has been the darling of my girls. He was the smallest puppy at birth, but not a whole lot compared to the others. He has a cute white chin and white paws. He loves to be wrapped up and snuggled. He seeks out children and will cry if he wants love and attention. If you want a puppy to follow you everywhere, he's probably a great choice! His tail never stops wagging.

Pics of Cedar:

Snapdragon - He's about as laid back as his biggest brother (going to Anna's house). He's more of the type to hang back. He isn't shy, but he definitely isn't a dominant leader type. This would be a great puppy for a home that might want to avoid the super bouncy climby type. He has more of a lab build and is very thick. Of course, I can't promise that won't change later! hehe. He is mainly black with a bit of white on his chest.

Yarrow - he will eagerly clambor up onto any open lap. He *adores* Noah (2) and will allow him to gently tote him around. If you have littles that like active puppies, this is a good one. However, he will also sit to be scratched. Charli got him to "sit" and then spent five minutes scritching under his chin. He's a lovely puppy, floppy ears, and appears to have more of the brittany build. He is inquisitive and fun. After about 10 minutes of play he climbed up in a lap and went to sleep. He has a half white chin.

If someone wants two puppies I'd recommend Snapdragon and Yarrow going together.

If you want me to hold a puppy for you, I can do that. All puppies are well-socialized with a variety of children and ages. We're raising them off of our kitchen and often take them out for playtime (together and individually). *This* is the type of puppy I'd want for a family with children. They're not going to be shocked by loud noises or chase the family cat. (Our family cats don't put up with a lot of puppy antics.. so the pups have a HUGE amount of respect for felines).

Getting rolling...

2008-01-04T12:27:00.000-08:00

Next week we'll resume school. It's going to be nice to have a routine again! We have enjoyed our time off. The Christmas stuff is put away, the puppies are getting closer to leaving (1/17), and the next big celebration is Bethany's 10th birthday.

I have made progress on Dear Jane - I will be adding pictures later on.

My household journal is also getting in shipshape. It is nice to have this stuff out of my head and on paper. Yesterday, I organized my sewing corner to make it possible to have a place to set my sewing machine. I usually sew at the dining room table. It makes life easier because I can sew while the children are playing. If I squirreled it away somewhere I'd never get to sew.

I want to make this easy quilt for the living room: http://quiltville.com/striptwist.shtml First, I need more fabric! I can't believe my stash is actually dwindling. Noah "helped" me organize my fabrics and I've less than a thought.. c'mon Hancocks.. have a good sale! hehe.

That's about it for our news. We're planning for a quiet family weekend before the routine starts again next week!

PR: We're really missing church. We're hopeful to find a second vehicle or large van. If those inclined would pray with us, we'd appreciate it. We're blessed that we have a vehicle, and that we've enjoyed a more quiet intimate year so far, but we still really miss a church fellowship. It's been weighing a lot on my heart lately. I told Jim we should tell a church if they'll loan us their bag van on sundays we'll be happy to increase their church memberships by 8! hehe. We don't feel comfortable double buckling or whatnot the children to be able to go.. All in God's time. :)

Making Time For Jane

2008-01-01T18:33:00.000-08:00

I did name the quilt, at least I think I'm sticking with this name.

Many times when I do things I hear from others "Oh, I'd never have time for that.." It can come in response to a book I read, afghan I finished, having six children, camping, homeschooling, natural childbirth, baking bread, wanting to grind grain, and so on. When I went to school fulltime the fall before last (5 classes) I heard it even more. lol. I did tell everyone the trick is to ditch the television and phone. I answer email, but I rarely get on the phone for long conversations anymore. I think I talk to my Dad the most because he doesn't type a lot!

I hear it a *lot* about sewing and quilting too.. or I hear "If I had time.."

Well, eventually a person has to make time for whatever they'd like to do -- especially if that activity might be more of blessing later on. For me, my quilting will be more profitable than watching a television show. I used to love The Amazing Race and was excited about watching it this year -- I haven't seen a single episode. The last television show I watched was America's Test Kitchen (PBS cooking show) because Naomi was nursing. In 50 years my quilt(s) will still be around, but nobody will care who I wanted to win TAR. lol. Also, it gives me a chance to either chat with the various children that wander past.. or listen to talk radio/sermons on my ipod while stitching.

The quilting I do with friends allows me to fellowship in a way that has been lost to many. Sitting around a quilting frame, discussing family and life, is much different than a five minute conversation with a mom during softball season. Life is slower, the talk is more in depth, and the encouragement is sincere.

So, without guilt, I'm "Making Time For Jane". I'm not waiting for the kids to grow up, the puppies to find homes, for the money for the perfect fabrics, for my quilting skills to increase, for me to lose weight, for the house to be spotless, or anything else. I'm doing it now -- even though I'm a busy mom of a half dozen blessings and praying for more. :)

Dear Jane - New Year's Day

2008-01-01T17:51:00.000-08:00

Our family is going through a round of colds and yuck. We've all been left a little crabby, so we've spent New Year's Day trying to pass time in a nice manner. Daddy has overloaded on football, Mommy worked on quilting (while listening to talk radio), and the children enjoyed a day of freedom.
Here is my Dear Jane progress so far:
This block was SUCH a trial. I starte on it yesterday, but grew tired of some of the flubs. I resumed it today and finished it.. after ripping out numerous seams. Whew. I think this isn't a block to try while under the weather. It is
I-12 Fred's Square Fair This block was my reward for finishing up with Fred! It was very simple and I like these colors together. It is J4 Adelaine's Apron Strings.

A few of these colors ar similar, but they will not be next to each other in the quilt. This combo looks much prettier in person. This one is L7 Town Square This block gave me more fits than Fred's Square Fair, but I didn't do as much ripping out. I just stared at it.. a lot. I still didn't get it quite right (shh! don't tell). I'll probably redo this one.. or just assume nobody will know the flub except for me. (For the Dear Jane ladies, I'm sure someone notices the problem. I'm not sure if the PP'ing pattern is off or if I assembled it incorrectly. Today was too chaotic for me to really dig into it).

It is: G2 Mohawk's Trail

F3 Snowball:

H13 Farm Fields (I couldn't resist the farm fabric):

Total for 1/1/08: 16 blocks. Goal for this week: 25 blocks. (Want to hit a certain level for the Dear Jane mailing list!).

Here are the levels:

Silver--25

Gold--50

Diamond--75

Jubilee--100

Platinum --130

Wonder Workers --all 169 blocks completed

Miracle Workers --all block and all triangles completed

Goddess-- Dear Jane quilt finished.

Admittedly, my progress will slow as I hit the intermediate/advanced blocks, plus the applique will greatly slooow me down. I'm also starting the Women of the Bible quilt next week (1 block per week) along with the Bible study. Oh.. and school, yeah.. that starts next week too! Although I can run the sewing machine while discussing math problems. :)

Christmas Picture

2007-12-30T21:45:00.000-08:00

I do have other Christmas pictures, but stumbled upon this one tonight while editing the Dear Jane blocks. It made me laugh. :) Unfortunately, I can't get it to enlarge due to being linked from photobucket. Anyway... in the picture Naomi has her tongue out - just ready to TASTE her present!

I'm not sure if I have a picture of all three girls in their matching jumpers and bows. They looked SO darling! In this picture Charlotte (12) is handing Naomi (8 months) her Christmas present.

Dear Jane - First Day!

2007-12-30T21:25:00.001-08:00

I started on my Dear Jane quilt today. The ladies usually give their quilts a clever name, that'll have to wait for a day when I feel clever! lol. I'm thinking of "A Season for Jane". Lately I've really noticed how life goes in seasons. One day I'll be out of this season and into the one of having adult children and grandchildren. I'm doing my quilt in fabrics I have on hand (way too practical to spend money on new) so perhaps I should call it "A Practical Season for Jane" or .. hmm.. I dunno. I'll keep working on it.

This season (new babies, homeschooling, etc) is supposed to be SO busy and full that I have NO time for myself. Well, I do. I love having conversations with the children while sewing, sharing projects with friends, listening to sermons or podcasts as the sewing machine hums, and so on. This Season is busy, but I still have time for my Dear Jane. Maybe I won't get around to -quilting- it til the next season in life. lol. (Hopefully I have lots of quilting friends, daughters, and granddaughters to pitch in!). It is the perfect season because it forces me to slow down, think about life, and really enjoy it... plus make sure I have my priorities in line. For me, I really have time to focus on my faith during quiet times. I can't do that while zipping everywhere and doing everything.

The girls worked on Uncle Homer (A6).

Btw, if you go to http://www.dearjane.com/ you can see the original quilt. To find Uncle Home look at the first row of blocks (not triangles). That is row A. Count over 6. There is A6. Down is letters, across is numbers.

Here are the blocks I finished:

A6: Uncle Homer

A8: Florence Nightengale

B4: Chris's Soccer Field (Jim's favorite block)

B13: Four Corner Press

D13: Field of Dreams

D6: Challenge

M12: Hopscotch

I am using the software to print out the paper-piecing patterns. The book, a gift from Jim for Christmas, has also been VERY helpful. I love seeing the pieces up close. I also enjoyed reading about Jane, Vermont during the Civil War, and all of the tips.

p.s. I am labelling all of my Dear Jane posts with "DearJane" to make them easier to find. I'll try to keep family stuff in seperate posts. :)

Puppy Videos

2007-12-29T20:20:00.000-08:00

Puppy Count:

Girls: Tansy,going to P's home.
Blossom, renamed "Isis", is going to J's - although we'll be watching her off and on as they prepare for a military move.

Boys: Sage, the biggest guy, is going to A's home.
Snapdragon, Yarrow, and Cedar still need homes. (Cedar has been a favorite of the girls. He's the runt of the litter although not that much smaller than the others at this point).

The puppies will be ready for new homes around January 20th. The mom is a brittany. The boys' dad is a black lab mix. All of the puppies get a lot of love and attention. They actively seek out the children during playtime. On Thursdays, our quilting day, they're held and loved by a variety of children of all ages! For those considering one of the puppies you can be sure they'll be fine with a noisy household with littles. The cats still ignore the puppies.. I'm guessing soon the puppies will learn that ignoring the cats is the best plan. Sugar, Charlotte's cat, doesn't put up with a lot of nonsense. The names given are just ones we used so we wouldn't have to say "that puppy". For the ones being renamed we're calling them their new names. They're using the paper and being raised indoors.

This is Tansy. The girls took her outside for some playtime. It is *very* warm here so it's not the typical December weather. Tansy is the most outgoing of the litter. She was the first to bark, first to go after toys, and always wants to play. The girls' dad is a rottie.

This is Snapdragon. He's one looking for a home for late January. The puppies *all* adore the humans in the house and they're very sweet. They often fall asleep in a person's arms (even the little people). We need to get a video of them in brighter light. Unfortunately it is raining today so no sunshine to be found!

My Journal

2007-12-28T14:19:00.000-08:00

This is the year when busy moms start talking about setting up their household journal.

I have seen numerous ebooks, websites, and more. Mine is a mix of various sources and due to be overhauled this holiday weekend. I think I'll start by thinking up a clever name for it later!

Mine has:

Schedules - in the front is the chore list of what dailies each child is expected to do. Now that Joseph and Noah are older we need to re-evaluate this list and bring them into the fold. Noah loves to be a helper and empty things (sometimes useful things!). We do not rotate chores. If I see a pile of shoes in the hallway I know Joseph didn't do it. If the living room looks like a tornado rushed through.. Charlotte got sidetracked. It makes my life, and theirs, easier.

Flylady Routines. Yes, yes, I know most people dislike her crazy overflow of emails. I don't use her emails. I printed out the lists, altered them to fit my life, and threw out the rest that didn't fit. www.flylady.com is her URL. She likes to play mom and armchair psychologist. I already have a mom so I'm all set there. I don't think I need a psychologist. lol. I don't have an 'inner brat' - I just have a house that needs routine. So, I have her routines behind a tab labeled (wait for it..) "Routines". hehe. The main perk are her zone detailed cleaning lists. Things like "flip mattress" are on her bedroom lists and it makes life easier. I don't have to remember it, I just read the list. Plus, the kids are able to pitch in because they can read the list too.

I like her Master grocery list, but those never seem to work for me. Meal plans I do as a matter of habit, but we're switching more to whole foods (again!) so I hope to simplify my shopping. I'm blessed with a husband that will eat pancakes for dinner which saves my sanity and grocery budget.

After that I have tabs for 1-31. I use these for days of the month. This system wouldn't work for everyone, but it works for me. Our master calendar hangs on the wall so I don't keep a private calendar for myself. But some things I make notes for and it just helps to have it stored in my notebook. I also like PlanPlus (through Outlook) for that.

The back has holepunched recipes I've printed, meal plan ideas, and a spiral notebook for jotting down things. Oh.. and there is one more tab for homeschool planning. I would like to keep a Master checklist in there for what needs finished for each grade level. We'll see how that works!

Hopefully this weekend I will get it all sorted out. It really does help to have a Plan Book for the home for those juggling homeschooling with homemaking.

www.donnayoung.net is another great place to get all kinds of forms. We will be getting the children's school notebooks ready for the second half of the year and using some of her items. It is a free site.

Trying out Video

2007-12-25T12:39:00.000-08:00

Trying this out, I didn't edit the video so I'm not sure how it will work.

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-19T08:18:00.000-08:00

This cute couple came to us from Dorothy in England. It was part of an ornament exchange. We love them! They look adorable on the Christmas tree and the children enjoyed showing their friends. We sent a log cabin quilt square ornament for our recipient. I learned a valuable thing - I'll never make a whole quilt out of tiny log cabin squares! That requires way more patience than I have at this stage in my life. :)

We are not sending out Christmas Cards this year.

I feel a little guilty, but life is busy and we're cheap. lol. We love all of you dearly and I know family does read our blog. For those who miss the Christmas Letter here is a condensed version..

Charlotte.. now 12. She still stays up all hours to read. Now she's started this thing called "Sleeping In". We're hoping this will rub off on all of the other children. She's still attached to her violin and it's not surprising to hear fiddling coming from her room at various hours. She likes to try new things and is into crafty stuff. Her recent accomplishment has been making a hunter elf costume. I'll try to get a picture of her.

Bethany.. now 9. (soon to be 10). She talks a LOT. For those who are convinced she's my quiet child, well, I don't think so. The quiet child is Naomi, simply because she's limited to a few words. Her best friend in the whole world is a 7yo friend that comes over every Thursday. They have a lot in common. I have a picture on the blog of her showing him some cello music. They're a military family and relocating in the spring. She is also very crafty and likes designing new games.

Both girls adore their little sister. She's spoiled SO much. For those that think the 6th child is lacking in attention.. well.. you haven't seen our home. It's a blessing that for each new child there is a new sibling to give attention.

Naomi.. now 8 months is a cutey-bug. She still has her blue eyes and has quite a few quirks. One quirk is she doesn't like to be held while you're sitting. She will *scream* like she's dying and as soon as you stand up - silence. Charlotte claims they're not going to spoil the 'next baby'. Um. We'll see. It's so fun to have a pink bundle of baby, the novelty still hasn't worn off. (No, there isn't a 'next baby' yet, we'll keep y'all <-- see my southern speak? informed)

James.. now 7 (8 in Feb) has grown so much! He's still Bethany's size. He has a snap circuit set and has enjoyed learning about it. He's also our Bible digger in the family. He's enjoyed the Good and Evil book. It has brought up a lot of great questions. His copy is almost worn out and we'll have to replace it soon. He's also great at making Naomi giggle.

Joseph.. now 4 loves to learn new songs. His favorites are Veggie Tales. His favorite food is peanut butter toast. He's my picky-eater.. he could survive on peanut butter and bread indefinitely! He also loves his stuffed teddy bear. When all else fails.. he loves to pick on his little brother. The two of them! Geesh. One day I'm sure they'll be great friends. If they both survive to 'one day'.

Noah.. now 2 loves new songs too. His favorites are fingerplays like itsy bitsy spider and patty-cake. He will request endless ENDLESS singing of those songs. He's convinced he can count and read. He loves ladybugs (he alternates between squishing them and letting them out). We're trying to transition him into sharing a room with the boys.. preferably before he's 10.

Both Joseph and Noah adore Naomi. We do have to watch to make sure she doesn't get squished. Sometimes it turns into a battle of which brother can be closest to the baby.. and ... well.. the battles almost always end bad.

All of the children are anxious to hit the dollar tree to shop for each other. Charlotte has the boy's presents done already, so she has just her sisters. We usually wait until really close to Christmas to minimize the suspense. :)

Currently we're taking a stab at unschooling. Bethany and James worked on a project about the solar system. Charlotte is writing more on her book. After the holidays we'll return to our traditional method. I'm sure Puppy101 counts for something too!

Oh.. the pet count. Someone asked me the other day about them.

We have:

3 cats - Sugar (Charli's older cat), Peppermint (Bethany's under 1 cat), and Tuna (James's under 1 cat). Joseph wants a cat, we told him he has to share. Bethany offered him co-ownership of Peppermint.

1 dog - Meadow. This is my dog.

1 lizard -she's a mali uromastyx. She hibernates when her light needs replaced. It'd be nice if cats would hibernate with the click of a switch. :)

I keep waiting on the random chicken to wander up. Jim has nixed chicken ownership *unless* a stray chicken wanders onto the property (hint to friends... hehehe).

---

6 puppies - these are temporary, we're not really counting them as 'our' pets, although they're adorable and a lot of fun!!

Puppy pictures update

2007-12-19T05:15:00.000-08:00

Hurray! I can do pictures again. It's a little bit of a pain because Jim has to upload them to photobucket first, but at least I can put things online. Here is a picture of Meadow with one of her babies. This is the largest boy. He's like a roly-poly bear cub! All of the puppies are up and walking, but they haven't made it out of the box yet.
The puppies are three weeks old and ready to start some solid food. They took to it great yesterday with all of them eating some. Today we start in a routine of feeding them so Meadow can finish weaning. The girls get a little yappy during feeding time! One of the boys quickly figured out Charlotte had the food and came over to get it. We had them on a blanket in the living room with the whole family surrounding them. I have more pictures and will pu them up later. I know our guests are going to really enjoy the puppies tomorrow!
Here is a close-up of one of the girls. The boys have their teeth, the girls don't have them yet. I'm guessing they're a little younger than the boys. It's become pretty obvious they have different paternal figures! :) All of the puppies have blue eyes right now.

Here is a pile of puppies. All six are in the picture, but only the bottom of one is showing (on the far left). The girls are on the right (they have brown on them). The boys are so beautiful with the dark shiny fur (they look like velvet) and bright blue eyes. They're all seeking attention now and love having the children pet them. They'll even climb into laps! The cats are still avoiding them. Pretty soon we'll move them into the little room off of the kitchen, with baby gate, so they'll have more room.

They should be ready for new homes by the end of January.

Testing

2007-12-15T09:10:00.000-08:00

Okay, can you see the picture? :) I'm trying to use the direct link from photobucket.

Happy Saturday!

2007-12-15T08:44:00.000-08:00

The Great Cat War.. Peace Negotiated by Mommy.

Last year Sugar, Charlotte's cat, had no competition for the prized location known as Spot Under The Tree. SUTT was hers and she liked it this way.

During the year we adopted Peppermint, Bethany's cat, and later adoped Tuna, James's cat. Peppermint is about twenty pounds of fluff and bulk. He's very cute, but oh-so-spoiled. He loves to sprawl behind my sewing machine to get pet in between seams. He also prefers sleeping in a bed. Well, when the tree went up he decided to give the SUTT at try. He started walking towards the SUTT and Sugar, the cat that never shows emotion, zipped after him - swatting and hissing as she went. Tuna heard this commotion, a few rooms away, and went flying. He didn't know what was going on, but heard angry cat noises and scooted. Peppermint, now missing some fur, slinked off to mend his pride somewhere else. Sugar pretended she didn't want the SUTT... until we stopped watching and then she merrily went over to take a snooze.

Tuna is still in the frisky kitty stage and Peppermint is a little.. well.. he doesn't realize he's twenty pounds of feline. He thinks he's still a kitty too. I figured the tree might survive the littles, but it was not going to survive a cat attack! So, to help the peace, I put a few wrapped presents under the tree.

Now Joseph is asking daily "When is it time for PRESENTS???" It's hard to be four. :)

The puppies are doing great. They're getting BIG! One guy looks like a bear cub, he's so fat and round. The girlies are just adorable. For my local friends.. if you want to pick out a puppy, let me know. Meadow was great with having all of our friends handling her puppies. One little girl, N, repeatedly would gently gather up a puppy to love and carry.. and then swap a few minutes later. Well-socialized is going to be an understatement for these pups! If you're not local, we're in SC and happy to meet folks somewhere to give the puppies a good home. They should be ready to go the end of January. The girls are spoken for, I think, but we have 4 boys available. I believe two boys might have homes...

I'm so excited! The girls and I plan to start the Women of the Bible study/quilt in January. The patterns arrived this week and we enjoyed looking at the names. We found Naomi (of course) and look forward to doing that one. My goal - and I'll use the blog to stay on track! - is one WOB block per week and one Dear Jane block per week. The WOB quilt has 52 blocks. Dear Jane has too many to think about! hehe

My pictures still refuse to load, but hopefully we'll get SOMETHING worked out soon. I'm going to test picasa in the next post.

On the mend.. hopefully!

2007-12-10T06:34:00.000-08:00

For whatever reason blogger no longer likes my pictures! Once I figure that out I hope to start posting more.

In other news..

We're trying to recover from a week of yucks. It appears we had two different illnesses going through our family. One was a head cold/etc that we picked up from somewhere. The other was a stomach bug. Almost everyone appears to be on the mend except for Noah. He's running a fever today and tired. The medicine wiped out the fever and he's snoozing next to me. Hopefully he's the last one to get it!

The girls managed to avoid the ick, including Naomi.. hurray for breastfeeding! I've been sick and was hoping I'd passed along more antibodies than germs. :)

This is going to be a creative week for school. We did celebrate Hannukah, in a relaxed manner, and I'll put up pictures of our menorah later. We read a few really good Henry commentaries about being a light to the world. The book we used was The Family Guide to Biblical Holidays. For Christians interested in learning more about holidays I'd recommend it. Although, once you understand the real holidays it does feel a little strange to hang onto the made-up ones! hehe.

Most of our Christmas planning is done. I'm thankful we started early with this bug hitting us. I accidentally opened one of my presents from Jim (yes! it was an accident! hehe). The children are still making lists and its fun to see what things appeal to them this year. The presents to out-of-town relatives (which means ALL relatives) have been mailed. Whew. The children put up the Christmas tree, with the girls doing most of the work.. and they even hung lights in the living room. It looks very pretty.

The puppies eyes have opened!! I'm 99.999% sure the puppies have two fathers. I've seen two dogs lately that match them exactly. The boys have a black lab/retriever mix dad, he's just a bit bigger than Meadow. The girls have a rottie mix dad. There's just no way they have the same fathers with the striking difference in appearance and development - plus seeing the male dogs outside confirmed it. We still have a couple of weeks to go before we see their personalities.

We are taking 'dibs' on puppies and will mark those that are taken.

The quote heard most often in our house:

Joseph, 4: "It's taking SO LONG for presents!" He can't figure out why we put up the tree if we're not going to do presents. Poor guy!

Puppies!

2007-11-28T19:17:00.000-08:00

Charlotte came out around 5:45 to tell us that Meadow was "acting like she had to poo and I think she's about to push.." Gotta love the oldest in a large family, she'd make a great midwife. Nothing phases her! We went in and found that,yep, she was having a puppy -- the first arrived at 5:48pm! (The last was born at 8:09pm - goooood Meadow!)

We sprang into action with warm towels, heatlamp, is puppy breathing?, and so on. Everyone pitched in. We kinda knew it'd be soon because she was shivering and panting today.

At three puppies we thought she might be done. I felt her tummy and there was a little kick.. we waited on number 4 to arrive.

Not to be outdone by the six two legged kiddoes.. Meadow gave birth to six four-legged kiddoes of her own! 4 boys, 2 girls. They were all born effortlessly and she's an awesome Momma. She set to work cleaning them and taking care of business. All cleaned up and being sorted while Meadow heads to the potty and eats. They're now all settled in a nice warm box with their Momma.

This is the littlest of the litter. He's got a lot of white and is so cute. He has white from his chin down to his belly button.

This is one of the two little girls. Tomorrow evening I will try to get better individual pics. We took quick snapshots so we could label them. Some have very wrinkled and flat faces, others have long tails, some are almost all black, others have brown legs. I know at least one has white "boots".

Whew.. more tomorrow! We're tuckered now and have a quilting bee to host in the afternoon.

Rag Quilt and Back to School

2007-11-26T05:59:00.000-08:00

This was an afternoon project over the weekend. Bethany did a lot of the stitching with me. It is a rag quilt made from baby flannel. The kitty cats alternate with pooh bear and piglet. The result? A bright pink quilt! We think Naomi is going to enjoy this as a Christmas gift. We enjoyed making it. Each of the seams is snipped and then the quilt is washed, giving it the ruffly raggedy result!

It is back to school til the end of December. What we lack in motivation we make up for with procrastination! hehehe Hopefully after this initial monday hump we'll get back to working steadily. We're working today, it's just not pretty.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2007-11-24T08:03:00.000-08:00

Naomi celebrated her first Thankgiving (outside of the womb) with sweet potatoes and a little bit of cranberry sauce. She is the baby that usually refuses to eat solid food. Apparantly we just needed to add some butter, corn syrup, and brown sugar to the mix! (can you say 'sixth child doesn't follow the baby book'?). She had a grand time squishing up her food and provided nice entertainment.

I hope our family and friends had a great Thanksgiving. Ours was a lot of fun. We had another family visit and really enjoyed the time together.

The day after Thanksgiving we (older girls & myself) snuck out for some shopping. We desperately needed a toaster and the coffee pot broke last week too! Kohls opened at 4am... so by 3:30am we were OUT the door and at 3:48am we were standing in line. Woohoo! It was COLD. They also left the sprinklers ON! How is that for rolling out the red carpet? "Here, come shop, but we're gonna freeze ya at the same time". We zipped in there, grabbed up a toaster oven and coffeepot.. then chatted for about 15 minutes while waiting to check out. After we went to JCPenneys to get a game that Bethany had her eye on.

The girls have been babysitting, in our home, for baby Elias. They're earning money as "mother's helpers" and have been carefully plotting how to spend it. We ended up going back out yesterday to Michaels. We planned to hit the bookstore, but my frugals decided to go to the library later this week instead. :) Charlotte found watercolor pencils, a new watercolor pad, and is trying a new craft -- model ship building! She's working on a ghostly pirate ship (we'll have pics later). Bethany is trying her hand at latch hook again and it's going beautifully. I plan to start my Dear Jane quilt this week. I'm going to do the sampler while I still decide upon the fabrics I want to use for the main one.

God has been so good to us. I recently posted on MOMYS Digest (Moms of Many Young Siblings) about a blessing that didn't seem like one at the time. Surely our "blessing" this year has been in the vehicle issues. Our lives have slowed down and we're definitely practicing a lot more hospitality. We've really been enjoying our time together as a family, and with getting to know others better. Also - we recently found out a good friend is expecting (yay!) We've met quite a few other families with 5+ children - that's been so fun! Currently we're 'behind' another local family with 7... and now we're tied with 3 others at 6.. hehehe

Jim is enjoying his new project at work. They moved to a different building. I don't know anything about what floor he's on, the folks sitting next to him, or even if the parking is decent.. but I do know they have a great cafeteria with a bunch of nice food ;) He was like a kid on their first day of regular school -- he even sent me his weekly menu. Hurray for good lunch food! hehe.

We're getting closer and closer to Puppy Day. We're thankful that was NOT on Thanksgiving Day, but wondering now when it will happen. I guess if it happens on Thursday (sewing day) we can count it as a homeschool science co-op.

Psalm 100

Shout for joy to the LORD , all the earth.

Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.

Know that the LORD is God.

It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving

and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.

For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations

Unexpected blessings

2007-11-15T18:29:00.001-08:00

Over the years I can see where many of my disappointments really turned into blessings instead. This has happened with job changes, moves, and so on. Often I prayed for one thing and got a whole different answer -- yet the blessing is so clear. We prayed to be able to live in the area with our family. God firmly closed that door. Instead He moved us south.. which opened us up to homeschooling, moved us closer to Christ, led to a church where Jim accepted Christ and so on. If I had my way who knows what would have happened?

We've had this over the past year with vehicles. We had a major repair to the van, followed by a major repair to the truck. The trucked died a few weeks later. We sold the truck and felt blessed to get a car - save gas, etc. The car died a few weeks later. We worked like crazy at trying to get another car. Many of you in r/l and on yahoo lists with me remember those prayers in the summer. I desperately wanted to be able to see my family in July. We really wanted to see our family!! It was a daily prayer and we praised God when we found another vehicle. We did make it on the vacation and had a wonderful time. We were able to see grandparents and get closer to my sister's six children -- Joseph *still* talks about his "buddy" Alex!

After the vacation... the car died a few weeks later.

Notice a theme?

We didn't give up, but we did stop for a while. I admit, my pride was a challenge. I knew it meant giving up park day. Our park day has been a vital part of our homeschooling! We have been doing it for almost seven years in various locations. I posted about it weekly, encouraged many moms to attend, and so on. It was (is!!) very important to me. It was upsetting to drop it from the calendar and just pray that someone would take it over. Due to being an 8 member family with a 7 seater minivan we can't share a vehicle.

God is good!! A few moms have KEPT it going - yay! We look forward to joining them again when possible. I'm so thrilled that park day hasn't been dropped... not only that, but it has grown. I know it is a blessing to many, it has always been a blessing to me.

With a great big leap of faith I talked to Jim about doing a weekly open house. Hospitality is not my gift. I know people with the gift of hospitality - they're amazing!

Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 1 Peter 4:9-10

Hospitality: The act or practice of receiving and entertaining strangers or guests without reward, or with kind and generous liberality. American Dictionary of the English Language, Noah Webster, 1830.

After reading that definition I have to wonder if I'm practicing hospitality at all! Maybe not? I know I'm rewarded by it. :) Our reward has been huge! Just today we were rewarded with fun sweet playmates, laughing moms, and yummy food to share.

I'm very humbled that these moms are willing to make the trip to my house weekly. I love sharing one day a week with them. The quilting is fun, but the fellowship is key. The friendships are priceless. I always thought I'd practice hospitality when everything else fell into place - perfect house, landscaped yard, nicely matched dishes, flylady flying, and so on. That was never going to happen. God is good. He found a way for me to get over my hospitality hangups ;)

And just today I learned a brand new family to SC (moving tomorrow!) is coming to our home for Thanksgiving dinner. It won't be Martha Stewart, but it will be our version of hospitality. Would I have ever gotten over this hump if we had two vehicles - or even one that fit everyone? Maybe not. I was really happy with our weekly park day out. I couldn't imagine inviting folks to drive way out in the sticks to my place. Yet, that's exactly what happened. God is good. Have I mentioned that?

This Thanksgiving already feels like a special one. We're thankful for having a home we can open to others. I'm also thankful to be able to return a blessing to another family. When we first moved to SC a family invited us over for Thanksgiving dinner. The mom totally flubbed the turkey (she started from frozen), we couldn't fit all around the table, and dinner was quite late.. but we all had a great time. Maybe because we don't have family in the area we treasure our friendships all the more. We're also missing a church fellowship due to vehicle issues.

So, we're blessed. Even when the world says I should be feeling less than satisfied, I can see where that's so not true. We have six wonderful children - and we're open to God to bless us more! We have a home that will fit extra folks, even when it seems impossible (5 moms and 15 children today!!). We have Jesus who showed us real sacrifice. We have a God that encourages us and equips us for whatever challenge set ahead of us. I'm also thankful to have the maturity to realize that this year isn't what I had planned.. yet His plan was SO much better.

Thank you God for blessing our family. Thank you for our friends. And thank you for the lessons we've learned this year as we remember to let YOUR will be done, not ours.

Babysitting

2007-11-13T16:54:00.000-08:00

First of all, we're not responsible for the bruise :) hehe. He's an energetic baby and gets plenty of daredevil scrapes and bruises at his house!

The girls are helping out a friend by babysitting her little guy at our home. He wasn't interested in napping, but desperately needed one.. so Charli popped him into the didymos wrap! (He will be 1 in January and he's a BIG guy!) Within just a few minutes he was snoozing soundly. We unwrapped him gently and put him down for a nap.

Hurray for babywearing! It works even while babysitting. :)

The quilt frame has arrived.. and more!

2007-11-10T17:43:00.001-08:00

Snoedels! This has been our project lately. It's been a lot of fun.

This is a picture of Naomi, almost 7 months, sleeping with her Snoedel. He's well-loved. For those wondering, she's snuggled into her amby bed. Daddy was the mean person who took the picture of the sleeping baby! Snoedel, amby, and "fummie" (thumb) are all she needs for a good sleep!
Here is our Naomi with one of the mini-snoedels. It is a strawberry shortcake fabric.

In other news...

The quilt frame arrived! Hurray! We've already started some of the quilting, with Bethany chiming right in. It's so much fun to see the quilt frame ready and waiting in the house. The top picture shows the quilt top that is being worked on. The measuring tape was out to show how there should be 6 stitches per inch for beginner.. and then 10-12 for 'experienced'.

Where is the best place for a cat to snooze in a busy house? Under the quilt frame of course! I'm sure Sugar agrees it was nice of us to build her a little home. Oh.. and the quilt frame *is* made out of PVC. It makes it lightweight and the rails are ultra-snug. This is a great material for a quilting frame! I'll get pictures of the quilting ladies around it next week.

Wow Wednesday!

2007-11-07T05:32:00.000-08:00

This is the perfect face for a Wednesday! Once again, this picture was taken by Charlotte. Noah is always a willing subject (unless he is running away...)

We have exciting news soon! Nope, not a baby (not yet anyway!) but exciting anyway. Hopefully we'll share that in the next few days. We're working hard here to get it underway. (It's a project I'm doing with the girls - so don't think outlandish here.. we're not moving, adopting triplets, or other big things).

Charli's Rainbow

2007-11-06T05:41:00.000-08:00

We tried to post this yesterday, but blogger wasn't agreeing with us! Here is a gorgeous picture of a rainbow that Charli took a few weeks ago.

Later today we hope to post a FULL update on us! We're in the swing of school and trying to keep to a good schedule. Naomi has her first tooth, but she's still not interested in being adventurous, she's happy to be a lap baby and loved.

Waaaay behind! Pictures by Charli :)

2007-10-02T05:29:00.001-07:00

Joseph lost in thought.. thinking his next plan of action!
Naomi.. her eyes are still blue!
Mommy, sewing.. this is what the table looks like during sewing time!
James.. what else can I say?

I have fallen off the blogging wagon! :) Blame it on sports, sports, sports, school and sports!

Both girls are learning how to use Microsoft Movie Maker, hopefully we'll have something to show off soon.

Apron Giveaway!

2007-08-08T16:32:00.000-07:00

Dana is giving away one of her ultra-cute aprons. To enter the drawing go here: http://www.xanga.com/Jude1_22/608431804/i-won-now-it-is-your-turn-to-win.html

:)

Tree climbing and waiting on fall

2007-08-05T16:12:00.000-07:00

This lovely tree is on the lot where we camped. I believe every child, except the littlest, took a turn at climbing it along with lots "take a picture!" and "look at me!" Here is Joseph showing off his skills. Speaking of Joseph.. the great birthday countdown has begun.

We're gearing up towards fall and the return of schooling. As much as I planned to homeschool this summer it just wasn't happening. Too much other stuff took over. We plan to start again on August 20th - the same day softball/baseball seasons begin! In for a penny, in for a pound, right? :)

We did get a few weeks of 2007-2008 under our belt over the summer. A lot of our curriculum is plotted out along with organizing our notebooks. I'm going through http://www.donnayoung.org/ and printing out forms. One that I printed is the attendance chart. Its very simple, basically has 180 squares where you write in the date. I told them when they fill the chart they finish that grade.

A mom on my local list said: Academics is a means to an end, not the end itself. Academics that does not serve a greater good might be just busy work. I have been thinking about that today as I consider our schooling. The issue with homeschooling isn't a lack of curriculums, its the overwhelming flood of options. Our goals with homeschooling are varied. The big one is definitely to produce young adults who "Love what God loves and hates what God hates". People who can be used by God and whose faith will produce good works. This is why I'm so determined to use things from http://www.cornerstonecurriculum.com/ It might be challenging, it might be tedious, but in the end I think it'll benefit them more than other choices out there.

I also desire to let the children own their lives. I remember sitting on the school bus in the AM thinking "I can't escape". I had a long ride to school, a lot of wasted time in school, then back home. If I would have known about homeschooling I would have left high school. I hated being forced through the motions of the school day. So, for my children I want them to be able to plan a day for themselves.. not just rely on the routine. This is why I simplified a lot of our schooling last year. A lot of things are good, but too much and they easily turn bad -- like smores. lol. One smore is yummy, two is okay, you eat ten and you'll be crying in your tent later! So I gave up my lofty goals of adding in logic, or studying great artists, or any of the other numerous add ons. We went back to basics, including language and music as our extras. It gave them almost the whole afternoon free. Since we do not have kid-friendly TV in the evenings, they also have that time to pursue interests.

Due to switching curriculums mid-year, we didn't finish the curriculum at 36 weeks. We had around 18 weeks of the first curriculum and the rest of the time with the other. So, we'll be starting this school year where we left off. It'll give me time to plot out the purchases I know I want to make and time to save up the funds! :) If Jim would take up "bookshelf making" as a hobby we'd be all set.

In other news, the Pastor at the church we're visiting is offering a Greek class. Jim has been interested in learning Greek and this basically fell into his lap. (Definitely a God-thing!). Charlotte will be taking it with him. It should be interesting. Her 6th grade year is shaping up to be full of different subjects. Joseph also wants to learn how to read and I'm looking forward to teaching him! Teaching the children how to read has been one my coolest moments as a Mom. I *love* that.

And.. another vacation picture.. Naomi will travel anywhere as long as she has her thumb! In this picture she's sleeping under a tree stroller's bassinet position.

Lizards & Bows

2007-08-04T10:15:00.000-07:00

The major hint that this picture was not taken in SC in July -- the hooded jacket! :) While looking for some firewood the children ran across this little guy in the woods. We left 3 lizards at home and managed to find a salamandre while on vacation.

Archery at Pipestem. The lessons were a whopping $3 :) I'm very impressed that Pipestem manages to keep their prices reasonable so that each of the children can pick an activity. I'm looking forward to posting the riding pictures soon! (waiting on the new card reader). Here is James during his lesson and Charli posing for the camera. Archery was a big hit! Notice the bare feet and red shirt? This was James's "Vacation Outfit". Next time I will take only two sets of clothes for him - warm & cool. Everyday was the same question of "Hey, James, gonna change your shirt?" with the same answer "not today!".

Brothers anyone?

2007-07-23T11:29:00.000-07:00

This all started with "Charli, let me get a picture of you in the jumper.." That was followed by a James running for the camera. He is a wirey fellow when you're wrestling with him. He just likes to do silly moves so its easy to overpower him! hehe.

She's still looking for him...

He's back!
Finally, Charli in the jumper I made for her yesterday. I'm working on a set of matching jumpers today. I'll be SO glad to be through with this stash of fabric! hehe. It is giving me a lot of nice scraps to use in the Quilting Bee quilt blocks!

Please send chickens..

2007-07-23T09:53:00.000-07:00

The deal in our home is if a chicken wanders onto our property we can keep it. We can hear roosters crowing in the morning, so somewhere nearby someone has chickens. Yet, seven years later, no chickens have wandered here.

What do we get instead? Puppies. This latest duo arrived on Friday. We came home to yipping and barking as they came out from their hiding spot. I posted on a group to see if someone wanted them (no takers) and we just hoped they'd wander -back- home on their own. Saturday morning they're still there and my oldest is starting to fall in love with them. However, God provides!, on Jim's way to town he came across animal control. They were looking for some other dogs that have been in the area. Jim asked him to stop by and pick up the puppies - and he did.

I'm sure they'll find a new home soon. They were friendly and cute, which is about all you need in a puppy!

Now to wait on chickens...

Lumberjack James

2007-07-21T18:26:00.000-07:00

This is why we do not live in a subdivision - or next to Al Gore. :) When we lived in Colorado Springs our home had a gorgeous view, but only a small backyard and one little tree in the front yard. That tree could have never survived my crew today! James and Joseph worked together to get a branch from one of the sweet gum trees. James came running to the door saying "Look what WE did!" and was quite proud -- as you can see in the picture with the big thumbs up. The cat is just wondering where the tree came from.. hehe.

2007-07-19T14:32:00.000-07:00

These are not all of the moms, just simply the moms who were at the table at the time. We could probably fit 6 sewing machines if I pulled out the table and had moms at each end. I believe we're up to 9 blocks now.. BUT.. everyone plans to sew, sew, sew before we get together again in August.

These are not all of the children, but in the red is a missing mom. lol. They're all holding still because we just started Peter Pan.

Before everyone arrives Bethany sneaks in a cello session with one of her friends.

They played a short duet together.

Yesterday's sewing project

2007-07-18T07:37:00.000-07:00

Bethany in the jumper we made yesterday. This is actually the pinafore pattern from The King's Daughters. How I wish either my lovely mother or darling grandmother would make the DRESS for me from that site.. I have the pattern. (hint, hint). I used the simple jumper pattern (right) to sew the bodice and did an easy gathered skirt for the bottom. Bethany prefers the gathered skirts so she can *R*U*N*.

The spin test... it passed! She's sewing a kerchief out of the leftover fabric to match the jumper.

Pictures by Bethany.. and Charlotte

2007-07-17T16:49:00.000-07:00

Bethany hard at work, voluntarily!, at Learn to Write the Novel Way.

Bethany took the pictures of Naomi, below, and Charlotte took the pictures of Noah. You know you're living a sheltered life when CHEERIOS are the hit of the week. We generally steer the children towards oatmeal or other stick-to-the-ribs breakfast stuff, but usually get one large box of cheerios per week. The day the box gets opened is a big deal. I'm starting to think we could buy cold cereal as Christmas presents.

Snoedels (the funny doll wiht the hat) are good for snuggling and for eating! :)

Bread

2007-07-17T07:22:00.000-07:00

Man cannot live by bread alone, but this one sure goes nice with dinner! I made the European bread recipe in the Encyclopedia of Country Living. It turned out beautifully. It has a chewy/crunchy crust and a soft dense inside. It'd be perfect with lentil stew. Yum. The sour dough starter has been declared a flop, so we're starting it again. Trying another method.

Happy Monday!

2007-07-16T06:54:00.000-07:00

Here is a group picture of the quilting bee blocks I have at my home. They're turning out very nice and look so bright and cheery!

This block has.. fabric from Anne's house.. two pieces of fabric from jumpers made for Charli.. and even a piece of fabric from Naomi's dress. Along with that are some 30s reproduction fabrics that I adore.
Another quilt square, complete with a piece of leftover fabric from Naomi's snoedel's hat (the bright orange flower). 7 blocks done, part of #8 is done. I'm not sure how the other ladies are doing.. we'll find out on Thursday.

James wanted in on the action when I was taking a picture of Naomi. She's in the bumbo chair in the middle of the dining room table. You can see my sewing machine over James's shoulder.

After her bath on Sunday the cutest little puff of hair stood up in the back. We're all so proud of her for growing hair. hehe. Below: picture by Charlotte. Naomi loves her snoedel with one hand and holds onto a white kerchief (it's a silky fabric) in the other. All of our quilting mess can be seen in the background. We keep baskets and bins to store it in for when we want to use the table for other purposes.. like dinner!

The quilt blocks are on the left.. sewing machine on the right.. and baby in the best seat! See the fingers? James again! :)
Noah with his glowing halo of pretty curls. As soon as he realized it was picture time he zipped down the hallway, followed by Charlotte. I think this is the only time he has sat still today!
Put a camera in front of a Joseph and who knows WHAT you get.. today.. this is what we got ;)

I hope everyone is having a great Monday. Ours is zipping along nicely.

The children are memorizing a verse this week for church (they do this weekly at the church we're visiting). It is from Psalm 119.

King James Version (KJV)
Public Domain
Psalm 119
1Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD.
2Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.
3They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways.
4Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently.
5O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes!
6Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments.
7I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments.
8I will keep thy statutes: O forsake me not utterly.
9Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.
10With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.
11Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

Or (sometimes it is interesting to see the modern versions, but I admit I prefer the KJV or NASB).

Psalm 119
In Praise of the Law of the LORD 1Our LORD, you bless everyone
who lives right
and obeys your Law.
2You bless all of those
who follow your commands
from deep in their hearts
3and who never do wrong
or turn from you.
4You have ordered us always
to obey your teachings;
5I don't ever want to stray
from your laws.
6Thinking about your commands
will keep me from doing
some foolish thing.
7I will do right and praise you
by learning to respect
your perfect laws.
8I will obey all of them!
Don't turn your back on me.
9Young people can live
a clean life
by obeying your word.
10I worship you
with all my heart.
Don't let me walk away
from your commands.
11I treasure your word
above all else;
it keeps me from sinning
against you.

Church and more

2007-07-15T15:04:00.000-07:00

The cat has great Christian wisdom - she knows she can't open the door herself. She doesn't have hands, or the know-how. She *does* know the door will be opened. It's her job to sit there, patiently, staring up, until -tada- the door is opened and out she goes. After a few minutes outside she then repeats the process on the OTHER side of the door. I wish I had Sugar's patience and faith when it comes to the doors in my life that God will open them - it's my job to pray and trust.

On our visiting churches quest we visited a smalltown church around 10 minutes away (taking 55mph back country roads, not another vehicle to be seen!). I found the church through http://www.founders.org/ and emailed briefly with the Pastor. We're in a strange spot for seeking a church. We want a conservative church that still encourages studies in Hebrew/Greek and not just the King James Version of the Bible. Plus, we want to be able to worship with our children. Many people say young kids can't sit for an hour or more in a service. Personally, I think that's selling ourselves short. Shouldn't parents be able to teach their children to sit for at least one hour per week? We've found the perfect arrangement for us is this:

Mommy with Naomi, James, Charlotte, Joseph, Bethany, Noah and Daddy.

Basically.. Parent,girl, boy, girl, boy, girl, boy, Parent. James is usually helpful near me with holding the hymnal or smiling at Naomi. The older girls are generally not a problem at all. Joseph and Noah need a sister between them or else they get the wiggles, pokes, and googly-eyed faces at each other. hehe. Noah fell asleep on Jim and Naomi slept through the service on me. She look so sweet in her frilly pink dress, shiny black church shoes, and frilly white bonnet. The original outfit I picked didn't pass Charlotte's inspection, so she changed her!

The sermon was wonderful. The Pastor was speaking from Judges and mentioned how one defeated 600 men with an ox-poke. He brought in a huge stick he had whittled sharp on one end to demonstrate. That caught the boys' attention. He also spoke of Daniel and later Goliath, two stories that James enjoys. A decent amount of history was added in, along with some examples of how the Hebrew was done (which is right up Jim's ally).

The church has a small congregation, but there were other families with their babies and little ones there. A lot of grandparents sitting with young families. It was really nice to see the diversity. Plus, it was nice to sit in an old-fashioned church, sing some hymns, and worship the Lord as a family. We hit a few roadblocks on the way up there.. mapquest's directions included, literally, a dead end. Not sure if that's where we were supposed to get out on foot and HIKE! I even used google maps and watched the roads go up.. Oh, well, we did make it even though we were a few minutes late.

They have a children's time during the service where kids are encouraged to do scripture memorization. James and Bethany are racing to memorize theirs.. hopefully Joseph will too!

Some things for this week..

Park day (at a small local park) on Monday.. Craft/Sewing time on Thursday.. Park day (at a large downtown park) on Friday. That'll be the end of our busy stuff til after vacation. Speaking of which, I made oodles of bags to use with the http://www.cornhole-game.org/ my Dad made :) THAT should be a lot of fun with all of the kiddoes.

If I get my camera battery charged I will take pictures of our quilts in progress. I have 7 of the Quilting Bee squares done. Bethany is making a 9-patch quilt and I think she has 3 done so far. Tomorrow will be a sewing day here as we try to get things done before vacation.

Talk I enjoyed this weekend: "Southern Baptists At Sardis" - its all about honesty in church membership, what a church SHOULD be about, and so on. Its on the right hand side of the page under Features.

Pictures by Charlotte

2007-07-14T14:15:00.000-07:00

Is this a white oak? We checked a variety of sites and it appears white oak comes in a lot of different leaf shapes. The other option was red oak. Charlotte is planning to carve a bow.. and arrows.. and is sad we don't appear to have a yew tree in our yard.

This is a picture Charlotte took of the sky. It looked plain grey. We use picasa's photo fix and this is what appeared. We thought it was worth sharing. Very pretty!

Naomi loves a bath. She prefers deep water to the shallow infant tub, so we use the sink. How I wish we'd bought the deep tummy tub for her! Her favorite thing is to keep scrunching down til the water is right below her chin. She coos and chats the entire time. Plus she likes to kick her legs. She hasn't figured out splashing yet.

Definitely not a picture of an unhappy baby!! hehe.

Hmm..

2007-07-13T19:38:00.001-07:00

I can't get blogger to upload pics. I have some great pictures to share and hope I can figure out the issue soon!

Children or cars?

2007-07-10T09:34:00.000-07:00

I read this article today and feel others might enjoy reading it as well.

A few snippets..

A funny thing happened to me the other day when my wife and I had, thank God, another baby (a boy). Many of my friends didn't seem all that happy for me. Sure, they went through the motions of smiles and congratulations. But it was evident that many thought me insane. Why would a young man and his wife ruin their lives with eight children?

I don't mind that the world doesn't really love babies, just that it pretends to. It's time we got honest about our priorities. Most people get a new car every two or three years, but one or two babies through the life of their marriage is plenty. You can get drunk on an airplane, laugh hysterically with your mates, and still not really anger people. But if you dare bring a crying baby on board you will be given malicious looks as if the little thing is a package that ticks. If you walk your dog along the street, people will stop you to tell you how cute he is. If you walk down the street with a baby, you might find a woman or two who coos, but for the most part, you'll be utterly ignored.

By just looking at my children, I become more innocent. By loving them, I become more noble. By spending my money on them rather than myself, I find transcendence. And by being a father and liberating all of the love in my heart, my spirit soars free. I work hard to support a large family and I give up no pleasures in doing so because my children are my foremost pleasure.

Click on the link above to read the whole article.

Last night I was blessed, SO blessed, to be with gracious ladies who love babies. Naomi goes with me to Mom's Night Out. Instead of the moms being upset about a baby visiting, they coo.. they babble.. and they make comments on her cutesy outfits. Even better? They celebrate being moms themselves by sharing baby stories. Some even asked for prayer for MORE babies. On the way home I simply praised God for his encouragement. For allowing me to be filled by these ladies who truly love their families and enjoy their children. One mom asked if we were open to more and I answered "most definitely" and I "most definitely" meant it.

While we live in a modest home, continue to go though vehicle struggles, and have started a seperate budget category for "kids sports" we're still so blessed and I "most definitely" wish to be blessed more by the Lord. Even if He doesn't give us another child, I feel we at least have the security of knowing we're not 'missing' anyone.. that He decided our family for us and we can rest secure in that knowledge.

On a lighter note..

Moving a 75 gallon aquarium across a living room floor is THE most exciting thing for kids to witness. Not sure what made it so fascinating, but I had a cheering audience. Thankfully the aquarium has a lizard in it, not water. We 'flylady'd' the living room and rearranged the furniture. I can't wait to paint that room once we get home. We're also looking at furniture from www.homereserve.com because we need to have 2 couches in there.

Pictures!

2007-07-08T20:04:00.003-07:00

This is part of our campsite at the state park in WV. Our site opened into this beautiful field and included two nice shade trees. The little one walking is Noah.

This is the tram ride UP and DOWN the mountain. The bucket hangs from those dinky wires (lol) and up up up you go! It is the -only- way to reach the lodge where the grandparents stayed. There is a nice creek - the brown in the picture - that I know the kids would enjoy, just not sure if we're up to the hike since 2 family members refuse to ride the tram.

This was taken at the lodge a the bottom. Bethany, my only brave child, rode down with me. This is me, Bethany, and my Dad.

Here is our tent. It is a Eureka Blue Mesa, easy to set up and fits 2 adults, 5 children (one in a playpen) and 2 dogs (one in a crate). This year we'll have 2 adults, 6 children, and 1 dog - need to get her a new crate. Instead of the playpen we'll use the amby bed.

Picture from last summer.. Noah, PapPap, Grandma Marilyn in back. James, Charlotte, and Bethany in middle, Joseph in front. The gorgeous mountains of WV as the backdrop.

We're hoping to return there later this month. My sister is joining us with her six children (also 3 girls & 3 boys!).

Sunday Night Stuff

2007-07-08T19:22:00.000-07:00

I have read so many terrific blogs lately. It is inspiring to read about other families and how they function. I'm also very encouraged by ladies who are willing to show warts and all on their blogs. I remember when I first considered homeschooling that I thought homeschoolers had it 'so together'. I'd never met a homeschooling family and had really only discussed it with my close friend here in SC. I had the oldest child between us so I couldn't really follow in her footsteps.

During that time I was part of a Friday playgroup that met at the zoo. We would see a LOT of school field trips and, quite honestly, some were depressing. We witnessed teachers yelling at students, children crying because they wanted to stay longer at an exhibit, and other children going hungry during lunch because they forgot their lunch money (fast food place at the zoo). We also witnessed children who were obvious outcasts from the cliques that sat alone during lunch and walked alone while touring the zoo. It really made an impression upon me as Charli was due to start school the next year. Due to her Oct bday we had some extra breathing room before she'd begin. One Friday our other friends left early, so the four of us (Charli 4, Bethany 2, & baby James!) toured the zoo ourselves. While waiting on the tram we met up with another mom with two children. On a whim I asked if she was a homeschooler and she filled me in on All Things Homeschool in my area. What a blessing!!

I encourage all ladies to have patience to answer the 'newbies' whether it be about homeschooling, homemaking, or even the Christian faith. That mom, on that day, changed my life for the better and impacted my family for generations to come. It was through deciding to homeschool that I joined a certain homeschooling yahoogroup. It was through that yahoogroup that I was SO challenged in my ideas of Christianity. It was through rethinking this 'Christian stuff' that my husband and I resumed going to church.. and my husband accepted Christ. It was through this that God really started working on us and we started truly seeking him. We'd never known anything but the typical "one hour on sunday" version of Churchianity vs. Christianity. Eventually we ended up with our 4th child and second son. It was through that pregnancy that God reached into Jim's heart and led us to being quiverful. And due to Joseph (which means "Jehovah Increases" a name we *knew* we'd use b/c its my Dad's name).. due to Joseph's pregnancy we were then blessed with Noah, our precious guy we couldn't do without.. and Naomi our sweet pink bundle that everyone adores. Numerous people encouraged us to be 'done' after James was born since we 'had our boy'. It takes my breath away to realize if we'd done that we would not have Joseph, Noah, or Naomi. That is so unbelievably sad to me! I can't even think about it that long or else it makes me cry.

Looking back I can so clearly see God's awesome hand in our lives. I'm so thankful and grateful that He led us here.

Okay, enough of that. Here is a rundown of our current events with children.

Charlotte: Our family is going to be shocked when they see her next. She's turned into such a delightful young lady and seems so tall for an 11yo! She has a sweet demeanor and is a wonderful helper. She's joined a girl's group (www.blessedmaidens.com) that is for encouraging young Christian women and has met some very nice friends. Its fun to hear her tell me about this girl who is the oldest of 8.. or another girl that has a mom expecting soon. The girls also share how they help out at home and take pride in being responsible young ladies.

Bethany: She is no longer the very quiet one. She is definitely Queen Bee with the boys and they love it! She and James have caught on to inventing some fun games together. They have a "Shoomers" (sp?) club and they're figuring out ways to spend their club money (allowance) on interesting things. Today she was writing down scripture she wants to use as an online signature. Plus, she and Charli both helped me make a nice quilt square (will share more on that tomorrow). Her major interest is softball and she's counting down the days.. Plus she's helping James learn more about catching/throwing as he attempts baseball this year.

James: Oh, my .. he's turned into all boy! I love it! I may have blogged this once, but don't remember. lol. (skip if you've heard it). The other day he came to me while I was washing dishes and said "When I think about people squeezing lizards it makes me sad". I concurred, it'd make me sad too, and then asked why he was thinking that? He has two anole (green lizards) in his room and he takes excellent care of them. He said he wasn't sure, it was just on his mind. A while later he comes back and tells me he knows something "ooey" and that I won't want to hear it. The children *know* I have major issues with dead, dying, or gross things. They know to NOT tell me and to tell Daddy only. Well, I figured if it was truly bad I should listen to him because he seemed kinda sad about it. He tells me his lizard is growing a new tail, the other one is almost off. (At this point I'm guessing earlier he tried to catch the lizard and the tail released). I kinda shrugged and said "lizards will do that.." (relieved that was the story!) and away he went again. A few minutes later Charlotte lets out a SCREAM! James had brought the tail out, wiggling, and held it a few inches from her face we all yelled at him to take it BACK to his room. Later, Daddy made him throw it away. hehe. In the morning he races out to the backyard to catch crickets for his lizards.

Joseph: He's turned into a nose crinkly, eyes twinkling, mischievous little boy. He loves to tell nutty stories just to hear you laugh. The other day he recited a poem to me and I was amazed! His major quirk right now? He's scared to bits of Cliff Hanger. (Pictures of Cliff Hanger here) He's afraid the cartoon guy is going to fall off the cartoon cliff to his death. We've tried and tried to explain that Cliff Hanger is not real. He cannot die. And no amount of SCREAMING through the house "Cliff Hanger is on!!!!" is going to help matters. He won't even turn on the television during the day for fear that it will be Cliff Hanger. Now the interesting thing is when he was younger he was terrified of the Lions on the show. He'd actually shake with fear if he saw them. So we nixed the show. One day he saw it and decided he liked it. Then he caught site of Cliff and that was the end.

Noah: He is finally starting to talk more. He's definitely a late talker like Bethany. Generally we catch the "mood" of what he is saying and figure it out. For instance, we were checking the rash on his hand a lot. (I'll need to post updated pics, it is still healing). He got to the point where he'd turn his hand over, look at you very pointedly and say "Mess! No push!". Basically meaning there was something off on his hand and don't touch it. "Mess!" is one of his favorite things to say. He uses his best 2yo disgusted tone to do so. He is trying to string together sentences and I figure within the next 6 months he will have made major strides. He still says "no" to everything. James says we should have named him Yes-ah instead of No-ah ;-)

Naomi: She's being called NaeNae by her sisters, we're trying to cut it out. lol. Wow has she spoiled us rotten. She's now nursing at 8:30pm and asleep by 9pm for the night. She's taking looooong snoozes during the day and is a great baby. We haven't been able to do much tummy or floor time with her, we need to start doing so and train the littlest boys to be careful. Whenever she's on the floor she ends up with them just inches away. Joseph is absolutely fascinated by Naomi and loves every thing she does. Because Joseph is fascinated it means his shadow, Noah, is also fascinated and must be right there too. They haven't figured out their noses don't need to touch hers for her to see them. She probably thinks she lives in a land of giant boy heads!

Whew, that's the update. I won't update the pets ;-) Although if Bethany's cat, Peppermint, bites my ankle one more time I am selling him. He doesn't bite other people.. just me.. and only when I'm in the kitchen near the stove. It has made making dinner an interesting experience!

A stormy saturday

2007-07-07T11:57:00.000-07:00

Old picture of Bethany's baptism by Daddy. The church's carpet is that bright green, the water, while not green.. was FREEZING because they didn't have time to heat it. The Pastor graciously allowed us to borrow his church (there is no congregation there) for our baptisms. A few others decided to be baptized that day as well!

It's funny how it goes from sunny to very dark so fast. Joseph is somewhat scared of thunder which means that Noah is now scared of thunder. Noah and Joseph may not be twins in age, but Noah sure tries to act like Joseph's twin in behavior! The trickle-down-effect is alive and well in our household.

Last night Jim and I were babbling away at Naomi (you'd think she was our first baby...). We were doing all the typical parent babbles and I reminded her, for the millionth time, that she is a gorgeous baby. Jim said that one day a young lady is going to fall head over heels in love with Noah's blue eyes. God has given us only one blue-eyed child so far.. and we've figured out WHY He made Noah so amazingly cute -- because he *loves* to exasperate his siblings. If he wasn't so cute they'd make us give him away. (Joseph has already asked if we could trade Noah for Elias, my best friend's baby boy hehe). Now we're looking at Naomi who appears to headed towards blue eyes herself... I wonder what kind of 2 yr old she will be?

Speaking of children in trouble.. we have an interesting trend going on. Every time I talk to my father (named Joseph) I end up having to correct my Joseph. We're hoping to vacation with Dad later this month and I'm wondering what antics Joseph will have up his sleeve with Pap Pap watching!

Good news: we're actively car hunting right now. Jim has a few to look at tomorrow. We're praying a reliable vehicle is available. Hoping for a car instead of a truck because of the savings on our insurance, but at this point we'll take what runs! :)

Other good news: We've been church searching for a while. We have found a couple churches that would work, yet, we've had no peace about settling there. I was looking around the internet and ran across a mapquest ad for "find a local church". Well, duh, that's something I hadn't tried! I went to http://www.mapquest.com/ and typed in "church" for the place and my address. It pulled up churches only 5-10 miles away in a town we'd never explored. A few I couldn't find current phone numbers for and others I jotted down.

I happened to find a church that I recognized from a national website (a conservative Baptist site) and so I emailed the pastor. He actually stopped by today with a nice packet of information for us! The church is small, around 50 members, but it is an established church and seems to have a lot in common with what we're seeking. It's in the town I -wanted- to live in, which is funny because I never realized how close we are to that town! I discovered, while mapquesting, that we live around 3/4 mile from 2 towns, so our home really is on the outskirts.

Other info..

-Its hard to find jobs in New Zealand and you need a special permit to work there. Jim offered to move if I could find a job, I've given up. (He also claims that while they have no snakes they have oodles of spiders.. we have enough spiders here).

- Charli would like to live in Texas.. which is simply hotter than SC with more fire ants, snakes, and bugs. We might as well stay here!

- Jim is qualified for jobs in Imany states, but not a single one in Idaho. (This is what happens when 2 adults have free time and play on monster.com!)

- We think we are where God wants us, so we'll stay put. We just need to start a campaign to get some family members to move south to help with lugging around children to sporting events!! I'm hoping that WV gets the coldest, longest, icy winter on record. lol.

Painting..

2007-07-05T09:42:00.001-07:00

This paint is from www.glidden.com and is called "Pinwheel". The picture by the bed is pretty accurate (this is Bethany's bed, complete with crochet baby blanket that is falling apart).

James is looking at "Kelly's Island" for their room.

Painting was a bit more hectic than we thought because we -really- need a stepladder. lol. Jim stood on the craft table to reach the high parts of the wall. It turned out quite nice and the girls are thrilled with the results.

Other pictures - including paper piecing

2007-07-03T11:45:00.000-07:00

This is the back of the quilt block, the colored part is obviously the front. This method is called paper piecing and is a fantastic way to learn quilting. Charli is working on a pineapple pattern. I've made one wall hanging using this method. I'd like to do more now that the girls are old enough to stitch along with me. We're hosting a quilting day next week and I plan to teach other moms how to paper piece.

Other views of our afternoon..

James and Bethany share a game on the computer. Its some kind of online lego game. Joseph gives me a smile.. a few minutes later he's snoring on the loveseat next to me.

Naomi napping in the amby bed. The bed literally hangs from a spring and has a soft mattress inside. She always lays in the position she is in currently. When she moves the bed bounces up and down, which is usually how I wake up in the morning - to the sound of the spring while she is looking around.

Noah is napping so no pictures of him. He turns into a bear of a boy if someone wakes him up early! Tomorrow his crib will be moving, it'll be interesting to see how he adjusts to a new bedroom. The good news is that room doesn't get the early sun.. maybe he'll start sleeping later than 6:30..

This is what happens...

2007-07-03T09:06:00.001-07:00

When you add a box of baby dresses, a cute baby, one mom, and a doting older sister, plus a camera.

Charli wanted me to ad that her hair isn't striped on purpose. lol. Her hair has steadily gotten natural highlights due to softball season and playing outside. So while the base gets darker the auburn keeps getting lighter. This was also our trick to tryin to get Naomi to smile and why she's looking off to the side a lot in the pictures!

Sara sent a whole boxful of gorgeous dresses, these are just a few we put her in, we didn't want to try her patience TOO much (see below for what happens when we do that :). We love our sweetie too much to let her fuss. Well.. at least to let her fuss longer than it takes to snap a picture!

This dress is so pretty. It looks like dupioni silk and has a delicate butterfly applique on it. We moved her hands to get a picture of the butterfly and that was when she got upset.

Her expression made us all laugh out loud. She's getting to be SO big. Its hard to believe she'll be three months old on the thirteenth (another Friday, she was born on a Friday as well!)

Our other activity has been to switch the bedrooms around again. The girls are moving back into the larger bedroom after we paint it. They picked pinwheel (www.glidden.com) which is a peach/pink color. They hope to stencil it later on with flowers and such. We have never painted a room. We swore as soon as we bought a home we'd paint, after years of renting, and here we are 7+ years later. hehe. After it is painted I'll try to get a picture up. That room has been used as nursery/storage (Noah sleeps in there now) so we had to sort through a lot in the closet. May I just say I absolutely hate sorting closets?? We had some good talks about missionaries and other groups that purposefully live simple lives -- it keeps them from having to sort overstuffed closets! I put away two very large boxes of kid picture books. As the other books are worn, or eaten!, we can replace with those from the boxes.

Tonight the goal is to finish swapping closets, wash the walls, lightly sand, and put up the painter tape. Tomorrow we paint! If it goes smoothly I hope to paint most of the house. Seven years of family life takes quite a toll on walls. The good news is its a great excuse to really dig in and declutter. The girls will be donating/tossing a lot of things instead of moving it into their new room.

Currently going on in my home...

Naomi is in her swing, staring at her mobile. Charlotte is playing Zork (text based game from the 80s). Joseph is "reading" a bugs bunny comic (belongs to James). Noah is singing and dancing throughout the house (its nearing naptime, he's in tired silly mode!). James and Bethany are playing restaurant as they turn tortillas into chips. Bethany is manning the griddle while James is the official taste-tester. I think they've even tried a few with basil.

I'm blogging after a very productive morning of playing "Where's the Tidy House?" lol. We did manage to find the Tidy House under the WhyDoesItLookLikeaTornadoHit House. hehe.

The Amazing Sleeping Baby

2007-07-02T12:58:00.000-07:00

Amby bed, amby bed, amby bed.. if you are even thinking of buying an amby bed, do so! Naomi has not only slept through the night earlier (way earlier) than the others, she's also sleeping longer. By five weeks she was sleeping through and now, at 2 months, she is sleeping 10+ hour stretches. I'm SO amazed. She snuggles down in the hammock and is perfectly content. Next to diapers I think the amby bed is my favorite baby item in this house.

The picture above is not the amby bed, hehe, it is the bassinette that I bought before Joseph was born. She will take quick cat naps in there, but not the long naps like the amby. It's our 'safe spot' in the dining room to put her if we're attending to something else. It has a mobile that usually keeps her attention for five minutes or so. Today I put her in there and she fell asleep. The secret? Well, I'm sure you can figure it out! :) While I hate the thought of breaking her of the thumb habit later, it is nice to have a small baby that sleeps.

She is starting to stir now.. the next pictures will be of some cutey outfits that Sara sent to her. Sara is my online friend with a daughter named Lucy, the name I wanted to use until Jim refused to spell it Lucie.. ;-) Although, I think Naomi's name suits her. I look at her now and can't imagine calling her anything else.

A sermon worth reading..

2007-06-28T11:43:00.000-07:00

(A picture from last summer, this is Noah in the maya wrap on my back. He's giving the 'bad baby impression' as he twists around to see Charli with the camera)

A snippet....

For instance, whereas Noah was a mighty good ship builder, his main occupation wasn’t ship building, it was preaching. He was a terrible failure as a preacher. His wife and three children and their wives are all he had. Seven converts in 120 years you wouldn’t call particularly effective. Most mission boards would have asked the missionaries to withdraw long before this. I say as a ship builder he did quite well, but as a preacher, he was a failure.

And then we come down across the years to another man by the name of Jeremiah. He was a might effective preacher, but ineffective as far as results were concerned. If you were to measure statistically how successful Jeremiah was, he would probably get a large cipher. For we find that he lost out with the people, he lost out with royalty, even the ministerial association voted against him and wouldn’t have anything to do with him. He had everything fail. The only one he seemed able to please was God……but otherwise he was a distinct failure.

And then we come to another well known person, the Lord Jesus Christ, who was a failure from judging all the standards. He never succeeded in organizing a church or denomination. He wasn’t able to build a school. He didn’t succeed in getting a mission board established. He never had a book printed. He never was able to get any of the various criteria or instruments that we find and are so useful; I’m not being sarcastic at all, they are useful. And our Lord preached for three years, healed thousands of people, fed thousands of people, and yet when it was all over there were 120….500 to whom he could have revealed Himself after His resurrection. And the day that He was taken, one man said, "If all the others forsake you, I’m willing to die for you." He looked at this one and said, "Peter, you don’t know your own heart. You’re going to deny me three times before the cock crows this morning." So all men forsook Him and fled. By every standard of our generation or any generation, our Lord was a single failure.

Read or listen to the whole sermon, click here.

Another section that hit home..

Why should a sinner repent? Because God deserves the obedience and love that he’s refused to give Him! Not so that he’ll go to heaven. If the only reason he repents is so that he’ll go to heaven, it’s nothing but trying to make a deal or a bargain with God.

Why should a sinner give up all his sins? Why should he be challenged to do it? Why should he make restitution when he’s coming to Christ? Because God deserves the obedience that He demands!

2007-06-28T04:19:00.000-07:00

(my cat, Mocha, no.. we don't feed her here)

YOU SAY
GOD SAYS
BIBLE VERSES
You say: "It's impossible"
God says: All things are possible
(Luke 18:27)

You say: "I'm too tired"
God says: I will give you rest
(Matthew 11:28-30)

You say: "Nobody really loves me"
God says: I love you
(John 3:1 6 & John 3:34 )

You say: "I can't go on"
God says: My grace is sufficient
(II Corinthians 12:9 & Psalm 91:15)

You say: "I can't figure things out"
God says: I will direct your steps
(Proverbs 3:5- 6)

You say: "I can't do it"
God says: You can do all things
(Philippians 4:13)

You say: "I'm not able"
God says: I am able
(II Corinthians 9:8)

You say: "It's not worth it"
God says: It will be worth it
(Roman 8:28 )

You say: "I can't forgive myself"
God says: I Forgive you
(I John 1:9 & Romans 8:1)

You say: "I can't manage"
God says: I will supply all your needs
(Philippians 4:19)

You say: "I'm afraid"
God says: I have not given you a spirit of fear
(II Timothy 1:7)

You say: "I'm always worried and frustrated"
God says: Cast all your cares on ME
(I Peter 5:7)

You say: "I'm not smart enough"
God says: I give you wisdom
(I Corinthians 1:30)

You say: "I feel all alone"
God says: I will never leave you or forsake you
(Hebrews 13:5)

All of these verses can be found at http://www.blueletterbible.com/

While I'm blogging..

2007-06-27T09:32:00.000-07:00

Meadow giving Bethany a smooch. Meadow is technically my dog (Brec'heds Madezou Bleuzenn is her AKC name). She's a brittany. I'm not convinced she'd be good for hunting.. but she is good at eating cheese, doggy treats, and army guys.
Picture taken by Charlotte. It doesn't even BEGIN to show off the mischief that is usually glinting in Meadow's eyes.
Another picture by Charlotte. This is her cat, Sugar, who has a really tough life. After being annoyed by the other cats she was made a special kitty-cat castle by C. Its a box covered with fabric with her own little placemat in front. She slept in the box for HOURS. Charli felt sorry for her because she was trying to get into a 2" deep cardboard box. Obviously she missed the class that taught how to measure boxes. What is it about cats and cardboard??

Oh, and tonight's dinner menu changed. It seems the hot italian sausage was calling Jim's name at the store. So, into the crockpot it went with spaghetti sauce. Pap pap said the traditional sunday dinner growing up was spaghetti made that way, with the addition of hard boiled eggs in the sauce. We decided to give that a go and so that is tonight's dinner! If Noah naps we'll have dessert. If he doesn't nap we'll continue to spend most of our time keeping an eye on him ;-) He's in rare form today!

Poison Ivy?

2007-06-27T09:17:00.000-07:00

This morning I noticed Noah had some bumps running down one finger. We assumed it was ant bites because he's a fire ant magnet when outside! But, they went on to fill up with fluid and he scratched off the top of one. (Ever try to keep a bandaid on a 2yo's hand?) We've never had ant bites do that. I know he wasn't burned on anything and I can't see friction causing those blisters, so I'm thinking poison something?

Any ideas?

2007-06-24T08:53:00.000-07:00

Hot Milk Cake - yummy as dessert or breakfast with fruit

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together flour and baking powder. Heat milk in a small saucepan until just boiling, then remove from heat and set aside.

Beat eggs until foamy, then add sugar. Continue beating on medium-high speed until thick and lemon colored. Add vanilla, reduce mixer speed to medium and add hot milk in a steady stream. Quickly beat in flour mixture. (this is when the Kitchen Aid comes in handy!)

Bake in preheated oven 45 minutes, or until top springs back when lightly tapped. I bake mine in a 9x13 pan, I bet it'd be fantastic in a bundt pan - if I had one ;-) That may end up the list of kitchen wants, along with a springform pan.

Priorities and all of that

2007-06-23T17:56:00.000-07:00

In late honors of Father Day.. that's my Dad up above. :) Kinda funny to say my Dad's a biker because most people probably assume he's an accountant or something. lol. But, he's a biker, tattoos and all, and we love him. He's also the guy that taught me *by example, not just words* how to be an honorable person.

One day I am not going to be able to blog. Why is that you ask? Because slowly, but surely, my laptop is losing its keys. Somehow Noah has figured out a quick way to yank them off. Usually the laptop is shut, but occassionally I forget and leave it open. It drives me crazy to realize he got another one of my keys.. yet when all is said and done, I'd pick a laptop with no keys over a laptop with full keys if it means having Noah.

I'm reading A Full Quiver and thoroughly enjoying it. I wonder why so few Christians even consider the idea of normal childbearing? According to A Full Quiver the #1 reason is finances. Due to our crazy job history and changes there is one thing I've learned -- people tend to spend as much as they make. If you make $35K you live that way, if you make $65K you live that way. Both groups tend to feel broke or 'on the brink' most of the time. Yet, there are an awful lot of large families (6+ kids) living on low salaries and making it work. While there are oodles of 2 kid families living on two incomes and barely making ends meet. I don't think it has much to do with the paycheck or family size. The Bible tells us to trust God in this area.. but still, obviously, many do not.

In my life I have seen God provide. A simple example would be this.. For quite a while I've passed the girls hand me downs to a friend. Generally, whatever made it through her daughter would get passed back and often ebay'd to go towards more clothes. Then, I had the 3 boys in a row. The clothes would pass down, but after Noah that was it. God brought a dear family into our lives and, hurray, someone to pass on Noah's clothing to now. I know this sounds cheesy, but it gets better. I passed a lot of Noah's clothing to them, then we find friend #1 is having a boy. She is showered with boy clothes.. and then we discover friend #2 is having a boy.. and back to her they will go. Round and round.

With Naomi I figured we'd have to purchase most of her stuff. Yet, a friend came through and asked if I needed any. What a blessing! She had a summer baby so here all these 0-3 months summer clothes for Naomi. She's starting to outgrow them. I mentioned to Jim I was going to set aside some money towards other items.. that day an internet friend emails to ask if I'd like a box of things her daughter has outgrown. We're saving towards another vehicle and a few days ago an unexpected check for $90 arrived in the mail. A few months back Noah managed to lose an IRS check from my purse. The original goal was to use the money towards baby items and a 'tip' for the midwife assistant. However, it was lost and we had to wait for a replacement. God willing, the replacement should arrive before mid-July. Its not enough to buy a vehicle, not even a used falling-apart vehicle :), but it is added to the savings towards one. God knows our needs and we're relying on Him. We're also learning the valuable lesson of prioritizing and wants vs. needs. Plus, learning to be humble as we explain to our children, and friends, the situation we're currently sitting in. Y'know, it really makes you feel loved when friends kinda shrug when you mention you can't make it to activities and say "That's okay, we'll come see YOU".

Do I think everyone should have half a dozen children? No, that's not for me to say. But do I think its sad that Christian families are cutting off blessings from God? Most definitely! I also worry for my children (and future grandchildren). When even the church is saying large families are irresponsible or take up too many resources.. where will that leave my children? I do wonder how the world managed to spread that lie so quickly through almost all Christian groups. It is sad when I go out that people assume I belong to certain denominations. Many find it hard to believe that someone who is 'just a Christian' would also be quiverful or have other 'out there' ideas. Why is that? Should I only do these things if taught by a church? Is that why its often NOT being done - because the church stopped teaching it?

I have been asked what we'd do if God 'led us' to limit our family -- as A Full Quiver mentions -- why would the Lord lead us to something against His word? Where is it said in the Bible that children are a curse or to be avoided? Does that sound like God? Or.. does that sound like the whispering of another voice? Someone who would greatly benefit by Christians slowly killing off God's people by limiting family sizes?

Tonight I read part of Job to Bethany and James. For those not familiar, Job is basically about a God-fearing man that loses -everything- yet still praises God. We talked as we went.. ooh'ing over Job owning thousands of camels, sheep, and so on. Then we get to the part where the servants keep showing up with bad news. The oxen were killed, sheep were burned to a crisp, donkeys stolen, and so on. Yet, Job praises God as one who gives and takes away. Now that's a pretty big lesson. All of this 'stuff' we have could easily be taken from us. Houses burn down, vehicles die (ask me how I know!!), furniture wears out, clothing gets stained, and new gadgets get outdated. It all passes. But children - THOSE are treasures we can take to Heaven with us. Raise Godly children and what could be better? Give me the shack and beans for dinner if that's what it takes to follow God. Let others have all their goodies and toys. I want something real. I know a lot of churches treat Jesus like a self-help program. Follow him and everything will be rosey. It makes me wonder if they've ever read His words.. Jesus said, John 15:18, "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you."

So if we feel like the world loves us and we're walking hand in hand with it.. should we be suspicious and look hard at our lives? This world is not our home. We, as a family, know our lives here will be very short compared to eternity with God. Eventually there will be a new Earth and I doubt if we'll be fretting over head gaskets on vehicles. But, I'm pretty sure I will be there with my blessed family and SO thankful that other Christians introduced us to the idea of letting God plan our family. Someday I know our time of having babies will be over. I'm ever thankful to the Lord that we'll be able to reach that day without regrets.

Btw, I should say one of the saddest conversations I've had with my girls happened the other day. We were talking about my Grandmother who died last year. My sister and I spent many weekends at her house playing cards and other things, so lots of stories have "Gram" in them. Charlotte asked if she was a Christian and I told her that Gram and I discussed that just a couple of weeks before she died. We were able to pray together and I know she is one person who will be there, arms open, to welcome me when I leave this earth. Yet, the sad part came when they started asking about other family members or friends. I honestly don't know for sure who does, or does not, have a relationship with Christ, but I do pray that God will reach those that don't. It's not about following a list of rules or going to the right church. It's about loving what God loves, hating what God hates, and following Him. This life is going to pass by quickly.

Getting to heaven is not just about "being a good person". It's about going to God and admitting your sins, turning -away- from those sins, and accepting that Jesus died for you.

An interesting site I found labelled "Sayings Not Found in Scripture" like To Thine Own Self Be True and so on. http://www.blueletterbible.org/faq/sayings.html

Sorry for the rambling post - these are things that just happen to be on my heart today.

God is Good

2007-06-19T10:28:00.001-07:00

(Picture has nothing to do with the post, I simply wanted to add it :)

Not a lot of people know the crazy saga that is going on with us right now. I'm guessing only my Dad knows the whole insane story. We're currently playing "what else can happen?" and not enjoying the game.

But, in the midst of all the crazy stuff -- vehicles dying, tractor dying, dishwasher dying, glass door breaking, property line issues resulting in the loss of our driveway, and so on.. I've noticed that its so much easier to count your woes than count your blessings. Our woes are quick to drag us down.

So, the blessings..

Jim and I are working together. In the past we would just gripe at each other.. or try to find a quick fix. We're finding solutions and, at the same time, strengthening our marriage.

While the van doesn't fit all of us (7 pass van, we have 8 people), it is reliable and runs. It stinks to be without two vehicles and to miss church, park, and so on.. but it'd be worse to have no vehicle. We're inconvenienced, but not desperate. I can handle being inconvenienced.

The french doors do look nicer than the sliding glass doors, although the cats are still confused about which side lets them out.

The front part of the new driveway is nice because they paved it. It needs gravel, but we can work around that for now (again, inconvenience, but not desperate. lol.)

Family dinners.. we've been able to eat together and have quieter evenings now that softball and other things are over. That is a blessing. Its so nice to sit with our children and just relax.

Jim studying -- he might complain that I'm posting this :), but I'm very proud of Jim and SO blessed to have a husband that is a believer. I love knowing I can ask him about a certain piece of scripture and he'll research it til he knows.. and explain it until I know. I'm also blessed with knowing I get to spend eternity with my husband (and children).

Air conditioning.. I'm not sure how those southerners 'back when' managed to live here. I would have started hiking north as soon as the first summer hit! It's outrageously hot outside.

And, on that note, I'm also thankful for the military. I heard its 110 (!!!) in Iraq as the high for the past 3 weeks or so. I can't imagine being in 110 weather with all of that equipment. I realize the heat is probably the least of their concerns, but having summer hit us here really brought that home.

We're also blessed with mothers willing to let their children serve.. and not lock them up somewhere when they mention joining up (that'd be my temptation!). Noah slipped today on his blanket and went =splat= on the kitchen floor. It made my heart leap into my throat to see that.. how could I ever live through my child being in a war? All of those moms are in my prayers.

So, a babbling post for this Tuesday. The girls have a LOTR marathon going on and the boys are actively playing castle guys.