Home is Where Your Story Begins

new blog

2011-10-03T12:31:00.000-07:00

I started a new blog that better reflects where I am in life :0)

www.kim-frugalmomofmany.blogspot.com

My Flesh

2011-06-28T06:37:00.000-07:00

My flesh is so strong and my faith so weak at times....sometimes I still get selfish and bitter....mostly when sleep is involved! Here's how it all played out...Sat. night, around 3:30 my 3yr old woke me up by poking me and telling me the monster in his room "made-ed" him sick....I thought he was being a silly 3 yr old & I put him back to bed. An hour later he woke up and was suffering from his asthma and had a high fever! 3 more kids woke up sick with fever and headaches. The day was long...Rob & I didn't feel well either. That night (Sunday) was awful! I was up 2 times with Savannah....2 times with Kate, 1 time with Ty, and about a hundred times with Colton, and up with the dog. Not to mention all the times I just checked on them all. I am their mom...this is my God given job. At this point I was starting to get REALLY tired and REALLY grumpy....especially at that big guy snoring next to me! Was any of this my husbands fault? No! Was it his fault he didn't hear any of this "action" through the night? No! Could I have simply woken him up to ask for some help? Yes! He would have done so gladly. But instead....I fed my flesh. I got mad, and selfish, and greedy....God got a hold of me though :0) He is faithful! As I laid there (everyone settled in for the night at about 4:00 am, and I get up for the day at 4:30 am!) I looked at the love of my life and God helped my heart soften to my situation...and I was no longer angry....tired, yes....angry, no! I realized I love that my kids want ME when they are sick...my heart would be twice as broken and hurt if they wanted anyone else! I am blessed to be young and able to go with little sleep. It took all of that just to see what God was showing me....

My kids are all better now...and we are all caught up on our sleep! Life is normal again :0)

Mommy Moments

2011-06-20T03:28:00.001-07:00

Mommy moments....ahh....there are many! I LOVE being a mommy, it's the best thing I have ever been a part of! I feel so blessed to have 7 great kids so far. God is good! With that being said...I thought I would give you a glimpse into my "mommy moments".....my real life.

The things I say the most are:

1. I love you

2. great job!

3. good morning....did you pee your pants? always said in the same breath....always fearing the answer!

4. Did that come from your nose?

5. Go wash your hands....don't touch anything on your way to the sink!

6. What are you eating and where did you find it? Oh...spit it out....NOW!

7. Ash, Ty, Vanna, Kyara, Cyle, Kate...I mean COLTON! Sad, but true, I cannot remember my own children's names. The one who's name I am trying to remember and say just stands there watching all their siblings come out of the woodwork to see what I want...while they patiently wait for me to remember their name.

8. Get out of the garden

9. Can I pray with you?

10. Come give your mama a big hug! Always said with a smile!

Some of the crazy things I do during my "mommy moments" are:

1. forgetting to do a headcount until we are 10 minutes away from home...then we turn around and get missing oldest child...

2. forget to ask if everyone has shoes on until we are well on our way....I think this is a ploy for them to get new shoes!

3. One time we had a man from church over for dinner and we sat down, prayed, and began our meals...a few minutes passed and we realized we forgot to give the man a plate of food!

4. standing next to any given child, having a conversation, and then yell thier name for them to come to you...yup, they are standing right next to me already...why in the world can't I remember these people! LOL....just kidding...I know very well who they are....lol

5. We sing before we eat breakfast....we sing "This is the day"

6. We love to have our children pray for our meals, not just Daddy

7. We don't "do" any youth programs at church....well, we do the Christmas play and Sunday School....but that's it.

8. We all cram in ONE small tent when we camp....children wake up ontop of each other...sometimes with a foot in thier face or an elbow in their eye....makes em' closer, right?

9. We give lots & lots of hugs at our house

10. It's nothing to find us running around our yard acting like goobers with our kids....life is FAR too short to be serious all the time!

Hope you enjoyed a small glimpse into my life as a mommy...I cherish each of these moments...what are some of yours?

How It Went Down & a Sad Story With A Happy Ending

2011-06-17T05:36:00.000-07:00

Ok...so thanks to you all for your tips on grocery shopping!! Here's what i did...I made complete lists of what we eat for all meals...like, meatloaf, homemade bread & beans....I listed meals for all 3 meals, snacks & desserts. I picked a menu from my list, and made a grocery list from my menu! Simple & effective! I got no weird stuff...just stuff that was actually needed for the week! I tried really hard to think of everything we had going on through the week, when we were going to have company, be busy, have a vet appt...things like that. I set a budget...I did go over a bit...but I was still happy! Each week will get easier, I'm sure! So...now I know what meals I am going to make & I don't have to annoy my family with the QUESTION...you know the one, "what should we have for dinner???"! I even planned snacks! I'm sure this is second nature to some for you...but like I said before...it has been a thorn in my side for 13 years!

Now for the sad story....

the cat pictured above was Ty's beloved cat, Nala. She was a stray cat that found us 7 years ago. She and Ty were BEST friends! I have honestly never seen a human/animal relationship like the one they had. Yesterday morning at 5:15 I was walking out to the car with Rob and we were actually talking about how much the cat loved Ty, because we saw the cat across the road. Keep in mind, we live way out in the sticks, every one's animals roam freely. Well, as soon as we said that a truck went whizzing by and hit the cat...killing it. It was so sad. Ty was DEVASTATED. Long story short...we got a number from my MIL of an old lady who had a kitten dropped off at her trailer in town and she had to get rid of it. We called and went to see it. She is so cute and SMALL, She can't even be 6 weeks old. Her name is Ally and she is the newest member of our family! She's so sweet and we love her. We are really missing Nala, but this has helped the kids some.

Another bit of sad news....I have had my dog, Casey, for 14 years...he is starting to loose his functions. We are going to the vet tonight to see what can be done for him. We are hoping he will be able to take a pill to control his bladder, but we need to check on his overall health. Please pray for us today, he goes to the vet at 3:30.

There always seems to be so much going on....but I feel so blessed to be able to see God's Hand in it all. I watched yesterday as God put amazing people and events into ty's life yesterday to just encompass him in love....like this, the McDonalds cashier couldn't find the toy Ty wanted with his Mighty Kids meal (grandma & grandpa ttok him to lunch) so he bought him a hot fudge sundae from his own pocket! God's grace is amazing....all the time.

My Current Issue

2011-06-14T10:24:00.001-07:00

Ok.... my current issue is this....where and how to buy my groceries! I had been doing my food shopping at Sam's Club & I LOVE it. BUT...it's an hour away, and a HUGE inconvenience to get there...even doing "click & pull", and since they don't have everything I need, I'm still forced to go to Walmart through each week. I feel like I don't have any "control" or organization in the food department as of late. I think a lot has to do with Ashley starting to prepare a lot of foods and meals...so she may use something that I had bought for another reason, and then we end up with random things in the pantry! My pantry is big and has lots of shelves, it's not beautiful, but very functional...so I have room, that's not the issue.

So, what am I going to do? Today I organized & cleaned the pantry...put like things in labeled bins...that was fun! I am even having a bin for ingredients that are "saved" for something I want to make. I have a bin for "lunch extras", "snacks", & much more! I am thrilled! But, as thrilled as I am with the pantry, I still have to keep it full....which means food shopping. Where shall I go? What type of plan will I have? How much should I budget a week? (I have never had a food budget, but think I want to) Should I menu plan? I have some different ideas floating around my head....this issue has been a thorn in my side for 13 years! What do you do?? PLEASE help me! LOL

What's Been Going On Around Here

2011-06-09T05:37:00.001-07:00

We had some pretty wicked storms a few weeks ago, which left us with trees to cut up and brush to drag (through shin deep wet manure, I might add! UGH) and fences to repair. The storm also fried tons of our electronics....including our computer. We have now fixed the computer and are back up and running. Other than that...we have just been busy living life :0) Summer fun!

The boys have had fun fishing with an older neighbor man. He calls and says "I wanna take the boy fishing"...and then we figure our which boy that would be! LOL....they have a great time of fellowship!!

Playing hide and seek.....you'll never see them hiding....in plain sight....in the hay! LOLJust being silly! Life is just too much fun to be serious all the time, right!

Making and eating yummy treats....and then texting daddy the pictures to make him jealous....heheheHaving dance parties!

Life is good! I'm not sure how much I will be posting anymore...it's been on my heart for a while. I'm just praying and waiting for direction. Time suckers, I must be careful about time suckers...these kiddos deserve my full attention...and hey, who would want to be stuck to a computer while all this fun was happening?? Not me! Go enjoy your day & have some fun!

Vacation

2011-05-18T03:14:00.001-07:00

This is my youngest son on the way home from vacation! I accidentally posted the pics backwards! oops!

This is "Miles the Monster"....he lives at the race track in Dover, De....known as the "Monster Mile". It is a mile long track, and they race at pretty high speeds. The race was so awesome! We were even on tv! The people and fans were so incredible...they were appropriate and considerate of our large family. LOTS of people were looking out for the kids and made kind comments. One lady even said she was sorry for swearing in front of the kids! Another lady came up and gave them all bags of chips cause they were being so good...and the man behind us told them all he couldn't believe how well behaved they were during the 5 hour race. The guy beside us was even hanging out with colton and was letting him lean on him during the race....great people. We had awesome weather...our guy stunk~ LOL

Ryan Newman's car on pit road....Go #39~~

We took them to the beach...it was chilly...but it was their first time....amazing!

And the campground where we stayed....Jellystone Park! So super cool and fun! Our cabin was right next to Yogi the Bear's cabin! How lucky for us!! We went on hayrides with Yogi, exercised with Yogi, played basketball with Yogi and much more! The kids had a blast at the park and made new friends! We did too! It was a great vacation! God protected us and provided for us....couldn't ask for more! I could go on and on with "funny stories" about silly stuff the kids did...but I would be here all day....we had that much fun!

Frugal & From the Heart

2011-05-02T05:31:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day and Rob's birthday fall on the same day this year... :0) I have been really working hard at making things MUCH more simple and frugal around here, so I thought of some frugal gifts that come from the heart to give on these special days...

Rob's B-day:
* kids will write and sing him a song
* We will make him a chocolate mayo cake w/ peanut butter icing...his FAVORITE!
* kids will make him cards
* I will clean his car
* we will make a video having each person state reasons why we love and appreciate him...we will watch it on the computer together, saving the money on a dvd...
* we will have a cook out for mother's day and his b-day together!

Mother's Day for my mom & my MIL
* kids will make cards
* I am going to paint a small flower pot (we have it) and have kids put their fingerprints around the rim in bright colors...we will create a Mother's Day poem and put it in the pot.
* the kids will bake something
* I will take a picture of all the kids together and print, laminate and put a magnet on the back
* I am going to put scrapbook paper in a frame and print some scripture to add to it.

For my Mother's Day
( Yes, I am planing my own day as my husband has a lot on his plate right now...and it's not his "thing"...he would spend money, and I don't want anything...just my family...but the kids will want to do something...my oldest daughter will head all of this up)
*kids make cards
*clean my can
*go for a nice drive to look for deer
*make fuse-a-bead crafts
* and the cook-out

All of these things INVOLVE the kids DOING things...not just going to the store with money and picking something out. These gifts will cost us nothing...but love and thoughtfulness :0)
I am looking forward to gearing our lives toward a more simple way of living...not everything needs to come from a store to be special!

Random Facts

2011-04-26T05:16:00.000-07:00

I thought it would be kind of fun to get to know you all a bit better and share a few things about myself as well :0)
Random Facts About Me
1. I have blond hair and green eyes

2. I have 7 children

3. I believe in Jesus!

4. I hardly ever go to bed without my cheeks hurting from laughing so hard at my super funny husband!

5. I am plump, and don't care nearly as much as I should about that.

6. I love to ride around with my family and look for deer...we do this almost every night.

7. A goal of mine is to join actively in the fight against abortion

8. I REALLY want to adopt more kids through the foster care system

9. My favorite season is fall...or maybe winter.

10. I'm not sure if I'm going to can anything this year...gasp!

These are just random facts about me...please share about yourselves :0) Have a blessed day in the Lord!

When Daddy's Home!

2011-04-22T08:59:00.000-07:00

When Daddy's home, what do we do??? We have a water fight inside the house, of course! Have I ever mentioned that I have the funnest husband EVER!

Portfolio

2011-04-19T07:31:00.000-07:00

The end of school is upon us, and we are thankful :0) We love school, but this has been a crazy year! We have adopted 5 kids and did the first half of the school year with an online charter school, coming home for the second half of the school year. we enjoyed each of these things, but there was more change in this year than we are used to! LOL
At the end of each school year my state requires that every student from 3rd grade and up have an evaluation done and have a portfolio made. This is quite and undertaking and takes a bit of time. For those of you who may not know what a home school portfolio is let me explain :0) Pa state law required a portfolio containing samples of the childs work throughout the year, and other documents that are required; like a log and booklists.
I thought I would share how I put mine together :0) I have only 3 students who are required to have a portfolio made..5th grade and (2) 3rd graders. Here is a list of what I include in mine.
Math~ we use Teaching Textbooks, so I just print off and include their grade sheet..as well as 5 extras, like math worksheets or games.

English~ 8 writing samples that very in length and topic
5 grammar sheets
8 spelling tests
booklist

History~ 12-18 pages of notes

Science~ 12-18 pages of notes

Art, Music, Gym...~ I just do a simple write up on what we covered in each and include some samples of art.

Field Trip list and write up of each one

Geography~ I include maps and a write up of what ws covered.

Pa History~ I include any worksheets or essays

Civics~ write up

Safety & Health~ about 5 samples and write up

I also include as many pictures as I can...the pictures range from school things to the kids being silly. I always make sure I take lots of pictures throughout the school year! I make these up scrapbook style, so they are special.

I include my list of objectives and affadavids...and any other necessary paperwork

I include any lapbooks or other large assignments that would be interesting and show what we were covering, many subjects can be covered at one time using this style of learning!

I have created a checklist that I use to keep on track throughout the school year. I just simply know what my evaluator wants to have and through the year I keep those things in mind. As I come across a great paper to include in the portfolio I simply slip it into a folder marked portfolio and the childs name...then I immediately go to my own folder and put a checkmark next to the item that was put away. this way I always know what I have and what is still needed. I find this way to be MUCH more organized and simple than ways I did before! One year I threw all the papers into a box and had to sort through each and every paper at the end of the school year to make a portfolio! It took FOREVER and I was STRESSED to the max! this way there is little to no stress at all!! When the end of the year comes along, I just grab my folder, a binder, and page protectors...and within a few hours I am done! I know moms who stay up late and get very worked up when this time of year rolls around as they have not kept track of their days (log)...have no booklist, or papers! EEK! At the end of the year I am also ready for the next school year...I will also hand in all papers necessary for next year so we are going to be all set...books bought & plan made! Summer is for summer... not mom at the computer trying to plan next school year...I want to be in the garden and pool with my kids :0)

*** Spell check wouldn't work...be sweet...forgive any errors you may find! Thanks :0)

In the mind of a 4 yr old

2011-04-18T05:13:00.000-07:00

Today at breakfast my 4 yr old daughter announced this... " I don't want to go to Hell of college either!" LOL....I LOVE that she is already having eternal thoughts....but college choices are bit far off, don't ya think?? hehe!!

The things we don't talk about

2011-04-15T09:50:00.000-07:00

I am in a really bad spot right now...and am asking any who may read this to pray for me. There are many things people don't "talk" about...one thing for me is my oldest adopted daughter. Her name is Savannah. I love her with every part of my heart, but it's not enough. She has RAD (reactive attachment disorder)...she cannot attach to anyone, and is full of rage..and I am her main target. She hates me as much as I love her. Kids with RAD can't love...it hurts them to love. They can't trust...they hate. they have been hurt too much...never loved the right way. She destroys things, throws fits, and is as mean as the day is long. She will sabotage everything we try to do...just to do it. I KNOW she is hurting and want to help her. We have done therapy galore, and it seems to have been exhausted...not many people know about this or what to do about it. I have researched this disorder and it seems every story I have read has taken years to recover. Some famous people with RAD are; Adolph Hitler, Saddam Hussein, Edgar Allen Poe, Jeffery Dahmer, and Ted Bundy....and Helen Keller. Only one of those got help. Savannah has taken things to a "new level" toady...and the truth of the matter...you know...the things we don't talk about...is I am SCARED out of my wits! I am terrified that someday she'll kill us all when we sleep...I am scared that if I have another baby, she'll kill it or hurt it...I'm scared she's going to burn my house down someday, I'm sacred that she'll end up in jail for stealing or murder, I'm sacred that she'll never be able to feel real love, I'm scared for the people who try to love her, I am scared she will keep all the walls up around her heart and never let us, her family, in. I'm scared that she'll want to go be with her VERY dangerous and dysfunctional birth family if she ever ran away..would they hurt her or even kill her? Will she hurt herself? Will she ever accept Jesus? I feel SO alone...my bones hurt. I cry out to God..MANY, MANY times a day. This is MY lot..I know. We have been chosen to help and love Savannah...and we want to, we just don't know what to do??We have been trained...we have been foster parents for 8 years...we even won and award before...kids we have had were recognized and given plaques for the most changed life...what are we doing wrong? Is her damage just too much? With out Jesus, she'll never be able to pull herself out of this awful place. We are all right there with her. I'm not saying I'm spending my days walking around depressed or freaking out...not at all. I DO find joy in Jesus...in my salvation. these are all the things that creep up...the things I don't talk about. I have talked with my friends, but nobody gets it. what I wouldn't give to just have someone give me an answer...I know God has the answer, I must just not be hearing it. I just wanted to share this...this is raw and real...and I am praying that if any other parent of adopted kids is going through this they know they are not alone...this is a very real and very scary thing to live with...we are more than willing to do so, for the sake of my child and for God's glory...but that doesn't make it easy... thanks for the prayers.

My crazy life!

2011-04-15T06:39:00.001-07:00

Our life seems to never be "normal"....lol...these beautiful young ladies have new roommates! Ducks moved into their barn! LOL...the horses are not impressed, I'm sure! LOL...I have no clue who's ducks they are, they are tame, white ducks. They are not afraid of people at all. The hens hate them and are squawking at them all the time...the ducks don't care one bit. Another funny thing, the dog doesn't care about the ducks! LOL...I wonder what's next!

What Does She See?

2011-04-14T03:07:00.000-07:00

This is my oldest child, Ashley. She is an amazing girl...full of love and compassion for others. She is on fire for the Lord and wants to dig into His Word to learn more & more. A true gift from God. But lately, I notice she is watching me...I mean really watching me. What does she see? I can tell what she is seeing by what is happening in her life. I see many of the bad habits she has gotten from watching me. She is starting to develop an unhealthy relationship with food. This is all me. She sometimes says some of the things I say when I am exasperated...nothing horrible, just little prhases or common grumbles. I also see some of the things manifesting that I have tried, with much prayer, to instill into her life. She has a great prayer life...and is comfortable praying out loud in front of people or with a friend. She DOES NOT gossip, and will turn away from it when her peers are doing so. (I have seen that one with my own eyes). She has a heart for children who need special help and wants to adopt because of all that we as a family has gone through. The part that has got me really thinking and being very careful is I see her watching with wonder. She is watching how I interact with Rob. She was watching us embrace in the kitchen the other day...I turned around and there she sat...just watching. No expression, just watching. I have a child who has serious mental health issues and can be very frustrating to deal with, when an issue arises, I find her watching me. She has been trying to mimic how I sit and eat at the table, I don't mean mimic in the preschool way, she's floundering and trying to figure out how to do this "young lady" thing. She even answers the phone the same way I do. My point is, she is always watching me. What am I teaching and showing her? I now see that everything I do...even if I think she's not watching...matters to her. God has been laying it on my heart lately how important my job is as mom. This is new territory for me, as she is my oldest child. When they are little, you teach them and care for them, you clean them and train them in manners...and when they get bigger it seems to have changed a bit. It's like she's asking me to show her, not just tell her. I feel blessed and challenged with this awesome responsibility, and with God's help, will try my best to be up for it! I know I will fail, but God will pick up the pieces. I need and want to be prayerful about all of this...because she is watching.

Super Cool Fun!

2011-04-13T05:23:00.000-07:00

I posted before about our vacation plans to Dover, De. for the NASCAR race....We will be gone for 4 days, and I don't want to miss that much school..so I decided we are going to make this super cool and educational! I am creating a ton of great information on NASCAR, such as; NASCAR history, famous people in NASCAR, Christians in NASCAR, NASCAR terms, NASCAR safety, our favorite drivers and their stats, the history of the racetrack we are going to, and of course we are FEATURING Ryan Newman!! We are his #1 fans I'm sure...lol...We are going to make either a cool folder for all of our info or make a lapbook. We are also going to use this trip as geography too...lots of great stuff! at the track we will also get to see the engines and safety devices used as they are on display. I am so excited I can barely stand myself...lol...

sorry

2011-04-11T05:39:00.001-07:00

sorry the last post is all smooshed together?? Not sure why??

Today's Thoughts

2011-04-11T05:29:00.000-07:00

I am doing lots of learning today and wanted to share what's on my mind! Fact : when you are 3 and you wear dinosaur pants and roar really loud...you are REALLY a true life dinosaur! Watch Out: It gives you a head ache and a heart attack...when things are quiet and then out of the blue you hear a dinosaur...it's a bit scary! Learning: have Rob bring ear plugs home from work...or hide the dinosaur pants! fact: Did you know when you are the "hider" in hide and seek, all you have to do is stand still and close your eyes....shhh....nobody will see you! Learning: that does NOT work...you will be found first EVERY SINGLE TIME...and you'll cry too! Question: when you are 3 and pee your pants, why do you think nobody will notice?? Watch Out: you must be always watchful...as the "pee pants kid" REALLY does not think anyone will notice, he may just plop down on the couch before you DO notice! YIKES! Maybe he should take lessons from the astronaut...hehehe... Learning: remind 3 year old to go potty before he goes out to play! Life is FULL of fun and learning...laughter and some scary moments too! they are all a gift from God! Have a great day in the Lord!!

Zip Lock Bags & God

2011-04-08T04:40:00.000-07:00

As I was making monkey bread for breakfast this morning, I was shaking the biscuit pieces with cinnamon & sugar in a zip lock bag. I found myself thinking and chuckling about how glad I was that I trusted this zip lock bag or else I would have a real mess on my hands! That led me to think about all the other things I put my "trust" in...my vacuum, my computer, my van, my phone, my checkbook, my church, my friends...the list goes on and on...I had to evaluate where I was with God....do I trust Him more than a zip lock bag? you bet I do! The tricky part is putting things into perspective...and to not lean on the "things" that I "trust" during my daily life more than I lean on my Lord....He must be forefront in my mind...hmmm...something to think about for me today :0)

Sweet!

2011-04-07T05:20:00.000-07:00

Today is a great day to be sweet to our husbands, is it not? :0) I am going to try to think of three sweet things to do for hubby today! I thank God everyday for hubby and pray for him lots and lots...but I want the "do" something more! Join me...do three sweet things for your loving man today and let us know what they are! 1. Got up at 4:30 am and made him his lunch for work...the sweet part was this...I went out in the snow in my pj's, wearing manure boots (it's all I could locate..lol..I mean it was 4:30!) and started his car so it would be toasty warm! 2. I am going to send him a sweet text in a few minutes telling him how much I APPRECIATE him and how much I RESPECT the man God has grown him to be. 3. And lastly, I am going to just LISTEN to him talk about work...without interruption...I am going to ask questions even though I know NOTHING about robotics or tube mills...( rob makes corrugated tubing with robotic tube mills)...we are going on a date tonight...so he will be able to control the conversation...for once..hehehe! :0) I love my man more than anything and am so blessed and thankful to God for him! Go bless your man...and have fun with it!!

When Hubby Shuts Down Plan "A"

2011-04-06T03:54:00.000-07:00

I was working on painting the little girl's room and was at a point where I needed Rob's help...even though he has expressed to me he was not wanting to get into any projects right now. He said it was fine for me to do things that I could do by myself, he was just too busy. I think I ignored that or something....LOL....Not on purpose, I was just "focused"! The little girl's room has a very tall ceiling that is peaked and I "needed" him to paint it. That was my plan "A". I had already painted the trim, and the room looks silly as is. He said "no"! gasp! LOL...what...."no"?? Had I listened to my loving husband the FIRST time, as I should, I would not be in this "mess" of sorts! But here I am. I now have a goofy room that I cannot paint! This is my natural consequence, and I deserve it....fully! So what do you do when hubby shuts down plan "A"?? You move on to plan "B" with a more gentle and submissive spirit! And I'll guarantee that it will not involve Rob's help :) He loves to help me, don't get me wrong....but he just re-did our kitchen and since we did it as we could afford it...it took 3 months! Lots got put off during this time...all 3 of our vehicles need repair, barns need cleaned out when the manure thaws, pastures need work, hooves trimmed, etc....you know, guy stuff :0) Plan "B" looks like this.....do the best I can to make the ugly, goofy, room look pretty! LOL...I am going to HURRY and get that room done, so I don't have to think about my offense to my husband anymore! I'm so glad for a forgiving husband and mostly a forgiving God!

Dover...Here We Come!

2011-04-04T03:29:00.001-07:00

We are SO VERY excited!! Our family members are HUGE NASCAR fans....my husband and I usually have my SIL watch the kids and we go to a race for our anniversary. God had different plans this year! She said "no, she couldn't"! GASP! We were a little shocked and bummed and j=kinda just blew it off after that...thinking we just wouldn't go this year. We then got the "brilliant" idea....let's ALL go! We looked into going to the track that we normally go to...and tickets would be over $500 for all 9 of us...ouch! That doesn't count all the other stuff...lodging, food, gas...etc. SO, we looked at other tracks and found the best deal! Dover, DE has an awesome deal....we (Rob & I) buy our tickets and all kids under 14 get in for $10~ that's IT! Our tickets were only $246! We don't get "the" seats we would have would it have just been Rob & I...we are sitting on turn 3...not great...but that's OK. It is also Ty's birthday weekend...and Savannah's is right after...we thought we should make it a big deal :0) We are going to stay at a Jellystone park for 4 days!! You know....with Yogi Bear! We rented a cabin and a campsite right next door! This is the longest vacation we have taken as a family of 9...we are thrilled and just can't wait until May 13th so we can GO!

ps...just so you know...when you watch the race on tv...and you see a really large, dorky family all decked out in Ryan Newman gear...that will take 4 of my babysitting checks to buy...that's us! Go #39...Go ARMY! Whoo0-Hoo!

What He can do!

2011-03-31T03:58:00.000-07:00

This is my son, Ty. He is almost 9 years old and is the most amazing kid ever! I may be a bit biased as I am his momma! LOL...I am just about bursting at the seams with joy for this kiddo! He has over come so much in the few years he's been on earth and only because of God! Ty is special needs and has "out done" himself according to the world's standards! When he was small he was very ill and had some serious intestinal problems, and developmental issues. when Ty turned 3 his Dr. recommended early intervention to assess him...we pretty much had to let them or else we wouldn't be doing him any justice, right? NO! I was too young and naive to know better...I had Ty when I was 21. So, we "had" to put him in a preschool for "special needs" children. while we were there the teachers had him in all sorts of therapy's and Ty cried EVERY SINGLE DAY...it was awful. He went to that preschool when he was 3. During that same year he started to talk. He did have some serious issues, I'm not trying to downplay that Ty is a bit different from the "norm"...but to us and to God he was and still is just right! anyway, he would do what I call tripple talk...it would go something like this...."I like to play, play, play. "....the therapists and pshycologists said it would never stop....he only does it once in a while now.. He also would just say off the wall stuff at off the wall times and that would frustrate people, he still does that sometimes..He would really "BE" whatever character he was in to...like Bob the Builder. He really thought he WAS Bob...to an extreme I still to this day have never ever seen in any other child....it was strange to say the least. He still does that some, but he DOES understand he is NOT that character, but he IS Ty. They told me he would never use the toilet....it took until he was 5 & 1/2...but we got it! They told me he would never hold a pencil...he writes! You can barely read it (his hands don't work very well)...but he DOES it and we don't encourage him to write sloppy...he works HARD to make his hands do what HE wants them to do! They told me he would never have relationships with his peers....he has a friend and even has short play dates with him. They told me we HAD to get diagnoses for him, it just wouldn't be "right" to not label him. We bought into it for a short time...we got in a short time...ADHD, Asperger's, and they were working on diagnosing him with OCD...NO WAY~ we were done! Not to mention all the meds! It was horrible! He was on one med that made him stay awake for 56 hours! Yup, and he CRASHED in the middle of the day and momma still had to go the rest of the day...it was simply terrifying! We were DONE! We pulled him out of school ( we were homeschooling through a cyber school, and he was in the special ed there...they had therapists and such come to us through the school)....and God has worked so much in his life! Ty is Ty. He has social issues...he doesn't enjoy many people or to be the center of attention...you never know what will trigger things for him...he is very emotional. But, he leads a "normal" life...we have never bought into this garbage about how he CAN'T! who are "they" to decide what he can and cannot do?? Doesn't God do that? and God has done a rockin' cool job! Ty has done so much with his little life! He even got baptized in our pool...he wanted to, but couldn't get in front of the church...so he asked me to ask pastor to come and do it here with our family and relatives....he knows his own limits and is ok with them. He gets by and makes do. His hands give him such a hard time, but he plays computer, cooks, and build with nails & a hammer! Stop and get a mental picture and you will respect this so much more...here is my son, crouched on the floor...using his core muscles...holding a small nail with his hands that don't work...and at the same time pounding with a hammer...with hands that don't work...and he also has coordination issues! What a kid...he NEVER gives up and NEVER says "I CAN'T".....he knows God made him in His perfect image, and never seems to wonder why he's different...he accepts his lot in life. I need to step back and look at Ty for the amazing example he is. He walks tall and is proud of who God made him, even though the world tells him he is imperfect. I love this kid more than words can say!

Who Will it Be?

2011-03-29T03:06:00.000-07:00

I have been spending much time in prayer over my children's future spouses. I feel it is SO important to remember to pray for the people our children will marry! We don't know who they will be, our oldest child is 11...so there's not even a hint yet. But we need to pray that the Lord will bless them with good christian people as mates. along with praying we are also teaching them that they are not to be unequally yolked....they should not marry an unbeliever. We are also praying about what our guidelines will be for courting...we are explaining to our girls we would like for them to remain at home under their father's leadership until they become married. This matter is so important and our kids futures need to be prayed over! I am so happy that we have such a loving God who through Jesus hears our prayers! I pray my children will grow close to the Lord and that they will let Him mold their lives...even now...even though they are young. I pray they will not let LUST get in the way of LOVE, and they will look deep into the heart of whom they chose to be with...do they love God? I pray the mate my children choose will have a good work ethic...they must put their hands to work for the Lord. I pray that the people they marry will have a love for the church...that they will love to go and fellowship with other believers! There are so many things to pray about concerning your children's future...and this is a big one! We should pray specifically... not just the little "shoot up"...."Um...hey, God...I hope my kid marries someone who's OK"....NO WAY! My kids are better than that! They DESERVE to have a prayer warrior praying for them! Join me in praying for your kids and the future that awaits them....pray specifically...God wants to hear from us :0)

I've Been Tagged

2011-03-28T04:06:00.000-07:00

My friend Andrea, from Rightthinker (http://andreamomm.blogspot.com/) tagged me for a meme about my kitchen :0) Sounds like fun!

1) Do you have magnets on your frig?

Yes, we have 3, I think. One is pretty and the other two are measurement magnets for baking that my mom got for me for Christmas.

2) Do you have a calender in the kitchen, and if so, what's the theme?

Nope, I don't have one in the kitchen...my kitchen is small and doesn't have much wall space. I have my calender in the dining room, and it's has pretty nature pictures and scripture for each month. Ashley got it for me for Christmas :0)

3) What is your favorite kitchen gadget or tool?

My favorite kitchen tool is my pizza cutter! I use that sucker for almost everything that needs cut! It is so fast and easy to use...LOL...I would be LOST without it! Ok...maybe not LOST, but it is nice :0)

4) Are you lucky enough to have a pantry of some kind?

Yes, I am that lucky! LOL

I have a small built in pantry in the kitchen for baking supplies and then I have a large walk in pantry off of the dining room. It is a re purposed mud room...we have had to make rooms into other rooms....LOL...

5) What is your favorite appliance?

Hmmm.... I guess my coffee pot? I love them all so much! But I R.E.A.L.L.Y ...really....really....LOVE coffee :)

6) Do you have an eat-in kitchen?

No. Our kitchen is very small, but open. We eat in our dining room. It is right next to the kitchen...it's all open, so kind of maybe??

7) Do you have a breadbox?

We did, but recently we put it in the attic. we wanted the extra counter space. So, we now keep our bread in a cupboard. The breadbox we did use was one my husband made in high school!

8) Do you have pictures of your kids on the fridge?

Nope. My husband is a "neat nick" and can't stand "stuff" on the fridge...LOL..

9) Do you ever cook breakfast in your PJ'S

Not for the most part...but sometimes on the weekend I do :0)

Hey...taking it slow is a good thing from time to time, right?

10) Do you have a favorite cookbook?

Not a cookbook that I bought, but yes. When I was pregnant with my first child I took all of my MIL's cookbooks that had my husbands favorite recipes from when he was growing up and wrote them all in a notebook. This is the cookbook I most often use. But now, I mostly cook/bake from memory.

11) Are you lucky enough to have recipes that were passed down from grandmother to mother?

Some....

12) What's your favorite thing to cook?

I don't think I have a favorite thing to cook....I guess I would say anything that made my husband smile :0)

13) Is your coffee pot electric or stove top?

electric

14) Do you make your own bread?

I make bread often, but not for everyday. I make it to go with dinner a few times a week :0)

15) Does your kitchen have a theme?

Not really...It is very springy....it has lots of cream and light green...bright and cheery!

16) Is there a clock in your kitchen?

Yes...there are 4! One on the wall, the coffee pot, the oven, and the microwave! WOW!

17) Do you have a bowl of fruit on the table or counter?

NO! We have adopted 5 kids and one of them is a food hoarder, so we have a dead bolt on our pantry...all food is in there...and most leftovers get frozen to give away to another family right after dinner.

18) What type of canisters do you have?

none...not enough space!

19) Name one thing you have hanging on the wall in your kitchen?

I have a large cream colored metal heart from Hobby Lobby.

20) What's for supper tonight?

Not sure yet...we are kind of sick...maybe meatballs in the crock pot?

21) Do you have enough cabinet space?

We manage just fine. We don't have much...but I think if I had more, I would just fill it p with more stuff!

22) Does your family use paper plates?

On occasion....like when we get them free with pizza or something...and sometimes for picnics...but we don't buy them.

23) Do you have a good set of china packed up?

no...sadly, I do not.

24) Do you wear an apron to work in the kitchen?

Not as often as I should...but yes sometimes I do :0) I have the cutes apron made mt the Amish :0)

25) Name one thing you would change about your kitchen if you could?

Nothing :0) My husband and I just made over my little kitchen....so I am pleased with it!!

Don't Trust Them!

2011-03-25T03:22:00.000-07:00

Rob and I were laying in our big King size bed after dinner with some of our littles, I think 5 of them were there...I had to run downstairs and do some things, but Rob stayed there. He was pretending to sleep...not a good idea! The kids look innocent and cute....but that's just a show...here's what happened to my poor husband...LOL....he was getting "tickled" by all sorts of little fingers...but it was really the equivalent of your skin getting torn off your face...lots of giggles and talk of "tickling Daddy's beard"...that should wake him up...nope. They move on to his feet...he just about tore his toe nail off, it's really sore...more giggles about how this would really work!....nope...he's a strong man....then "it" happened....the giggles got really loud, he was probly sweating bullets by now, wondering what they are gonna do next...Kyara (she's 6) says to Cyle (he's 5)..."go on Cyle, just put it right in his eye...that should do it!"....YIKES! They were right!! To save his eye, my loving man "woke up" and was the "tickle monster"! What fun!!

Proverbs 17:22

"A cheerful heart is good medicine,

but a crushed spirit dries up the bones "

I thank God for these fun and light moments, I NEED them...for my health. There are so many things right now that are heavy on my heart...we just figured out our oldest adopted daughter suffers from RAD (reactive attachment disorder), she's so hard to live with...I LOVE her SO much, but her little self is so broken...she needs God but HATES Him...that's enough for a broken mommy heart...I have been trying to get pregnant for a year with no succsess...ouch...especially after have a reversal done...lots and lots that I could let "get me down"...but my God is good...all the time! There is so much to be joyful about...and it's ALL from Him...what WE see as good and bad, it's ALL allowed by God..we just need to trust Him!

Today's Thoughts

2011-03-24T07:32:00.000-07:00

Today I am thinking and learning much...also a few things to watch out for!
1. Thought: Blue painter's tape is NOT my friend....AT ALL!

2. Thought: Maybe home improvements should be left to my husband....lol...

3: Learning: We watched a video about astronauts and space ships!

4: Watch Out: We learned that to get to space the astronausts wear adult diapers....I made a mental note to hide ALL Pull-Ups!

5: Watch Out: There has already been talk of getting bikes to go fast like a rocket...

6: Learning: I need to always have Band-Aides on hand...this could get messy! LOL

Have a blessed day! Hope you are learning much & loving much along the way!! :)

Singing My Husbands Praises

2011-03-23T05:07:00.000-07:00

I LOVE my husband for so many reasons...one is that he is so handy! He can fix just about anything! Our washer is old...about 14 years old. My husband used to work in a foundry and would come out B.L.A.C.K. from HEAD to TOE....and he also worked on a farm in the mornings for years...so our washed has taken alot of abuse. Our clothes were stinky right out of the washer and it was driving us crazy! He checked the whole machine and could find nothing wrong...but he is so frugal minded and resourceful he looked more into it and figured out that the inner drum needed a good cleaning....it was gross....so all that yucky stuff was getting in my wash every single time! YUCK! So, Rob worked for a few hours....spent $0...and fixed my washer :0) I now have great smelling wash....all thanks to the talent God has given my husband! I thank God for him ALL the time! What a blessing my husband is! I love to let him know just how much I love and appreciate him ;0)

More SNOW...are you kidding!

2011-03-23T03:18:00.000-07:00

UGHHH....and know I hit those keys kinda hard...lol...we are going to be getting another foot of snow! We already have 6 inches since last night and the storm is supposed to last through the day and into tonight....SO SICK OF SNOW! There have been years we have had our garden tilled and peas in already! We are praying for no more snow! LOL

Spring Cleaning Has Begun!

2011-03-22T05:25:00.000-07:00

I have started with my spring cleaning! I love it! I just hope i can actually get through the whole house this year! LOL...usually I fizzle out. I almost always start with the kitchen, but we just re-did our kitchen...so besides some minor stuff, it's already done! I finished the kitchen today and am on to the dining room :0) I have made a detailed list of things to be done and even some projects that I would like to do. Some rooms will get painted and re-decorated...so this could take me all of the summer. I am not one who enjoys being without a "home" project going...so this is fun for me :0) How's your spring cleaning going?

I have been really not doing very well with my menu plans as of late...so this tells me I must go back to writing them down...my brain is kinda fuzzy and not so creative right now...this was the best I could "come up with"! LOL

Breakfasts: cereal
fried eggs & toast
cereal or baked oatmeal
french toast & apples
dippy eggs & toast

Lunches: meat sandwich, applesauce & chips
toasted cheese & tomato soup w/ crackers
pb & j, fruit & crackers
spaghetti & garlic bread
some kind of sandwich, fruit & crackers

snacks: cookies (twice)
brownies
graham crackers
pb toast

Dinners: Shepard's pie & fruit
grilled hot dogs & hamburgers w/ fried potatoes
homemade pizza w/ veggies
homemade mac & cheese, biscuits, veggies
casserole, homemade bread, applesauce

Dessert: whoopie pies
mock apple pie

I need to organize my favorite meals and get some new and fresh ideas...any good ones??

Don't miss it!

2011-03-18T04:46:00.000-07:00

I just had a conversation with my good friend today about her oldest son...he's doing "man" things on the farm now...he's growing up...FAST! Just the other day it seems as if he were 2 years old and telling me all about tractors and begging for pb & j....time goes by so quickly. It has hit me like a ton of bricks today....my kids will grow up. The days are now full of potty training, runny noses, teaching kids to share....but soon it will change. I want to REMEMBER to be intentional about holding tight to all of these moments, these memories....before they are gone. Someday they will not need me as much...someday they will make their own choices about important things....someday they will have more dangerous activities (like farming, hunting, mechanics...etc..)....my boys will grow and gravitate towards these things...with their father...I am so glad he is a good christian man who will train them in the ways of the Lord while teaching them these trades...and my girls will gravitate towards me and the skills I can teach them. Am I up for the job? Soon enough I will have to find out...these younger years matter and the training we do is just building up to when they are big...and independent....just mind blowing...who would have thought....I don't want to miss it!!

Sometimes It's Too Much

2011-03-17T03:05:00.001-07:00

Sometimes it hits me like a ton of bricks....sometimes it seems too hard to even handle...I never expected to feel such grief...about the adoption. I am grieving so hard for the families lost to my kids. It may seem crazy....why aren't I just happy they are MINE? I am broken....right to the core. I mourn for my kids, I mourn for their birth parents...I worry about the future.... I wonder what REALLY happened to them....why are they scared, why are they mean...why are they hoarders...WHY? I feel torn up inside wondering what will come to be of their birth parents?? What will they feel if they get saved and finally realize what they had...and simply let slip right through their fingers?? What will happen when my kids are grown and want to see their birth parents again?? Will I lose them? Why....why do they blame us for being taken away? Can't they see we are just trying to help, love, and keep them safe? Of course not, they are children...and there's no place like home...good or bad. I wonder who they will look like when they grow....like their birth parents who abused them...will it be a constant reminder of what once was? Will they feel hurt and rejected as they learn the truth about their past life? will they FORGIVE? I pray they do...do I? How can I honestly forgive the pigs that hurt my babies?!? How can I forgive the selfishness of parents who neglected to change or feed my children?!? I simply can't. God can. My heart is a mish mash of emotions...some days it doesn't even seem real...the adoption. But, it IS real...these kids are my GIFT....the Bible says in Psalm 127:3 " Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from him." It didn't say "birth children"....or "easy children"....or "mentally stable children"...or "well behaved children"....but simply CHILDREN are a reward....this means mine and yours...ALL of them. I wonder why their parents couldn't see that...I wonder what was more important than taking care of them? Surely if those thoughts run through my head, they are also running through my kids' minds as well. I don't have the answers to those questions for them...so they are left there...weighing us down. We need to leave those with God. Most of the time I can....sometimes not so much. they can't yet...the kids are too young, and it's too raw. Some of the kids have been upset lately because their memories of their families are fading...outsiders may see this as a "good thing"...being those memories are not safe and healthy ones...but they hold on to those...they hold on to the memory of "the one time we played"...in their little minds they can replay that memory and make it "feel" or "seem" like that was the normal for their family....in reality it was not. they convince themselves it was a "good" life and they had enough to eat...their bellies are not hungry now, so that feeling is a distant memory...not real anymore. They convince themselves that the sick "love" was not that bad...the pain is healing now...they convince themselves that it was OK to be left alone in the night or it wasn't so bad when mommy and daddy fought...but in reality there was blood and bruises galore...our minds are interesting places to be...as much as my kids are doing this type of thinking so are their birth parents. To hear them talk, everything was great and they were doing a stellar job of caring for the kids, and it's OUR fault the kids aren't with them. These thoughts can at times be all consuming...to me...but thankfully they don't consume God...He's so good. these are the thoughts and prayers of my heart...which are now being left at the foot of the Cross.

Rip Off!

2011-03-16T17:36:00.000-07:00

ARGG! We are re-doing our floor in the kitchen....it's a LOONNGG story...but this is the second time in 3 days our flooring has been torn up...our sub-floor fixed and we have had to buy flooring twice! EEK! anyway....the rip off is this...I went to Lowe's in a rush...the floor guy is coming tomorrow to lay the flooring and we still have repair work to do...another LOONNGG story...lol...so...I go to buy a gallon of floor patch for $25....they had none...but they did have quart size containers of the stuff I needed...for $10 a pop! WOW! I needed 4 of them to get the job done...so instead of paying $25, I had to pay $40! Makes me mad...such a rip off...same stuff...same amount bought....NOT the same price! UGH....Can't wait to have this project done!

Simple Things

2011-03-15T05:34:00.000-07:00

It was time for me to buy new clothes....yuck! This is not my favorite thing to do...AT...ALL! I am not a "thin" woman....I'm not rolly-polly either....just "plump"...I am also particular about how things fit and how they look...not meaning trendy style, but modesty. We have a few rules about clothes here in our family...no shoulders, no knees, and nothing tight. Trying to find clothes in today's world is not so easy! I can't stand it when my pants gap at the waist or when they fall down when I bend or squat...ARGG! I am always very prayerful about where God wants me to be as far as dress is concerned...and I do not feel led to wear only skirts...there...I said it. Each and every one of us needs to do what we feel the Lord is telling us to do, and that's what I feel. Either way, we are to be modest and feminine in our appearance.
Little man had another Dr. apt last night and he still is very sick (pneumonia)...we had to go to Walmart and wait for 2 more meds...while we were waiting I had time to do a bit of shopping. I tried on about 700 pairs of pants and finally found two that I liked :0) It sometimes takes me months to find pants I like, so I was happy...then I found 6 shirts that were modest and feminine. I also bought 2 pair of shoes that were cute and servicable. This may sound like a shopping spree...but I had already been to our thrift shop and found nothing. I only spent about $100...so it was OK.
My title of this post was "Simple Things"....what I mean by that is this.... no matter what you wear (pants/skirts) you can be feminine and pretty...weather you are large or small, it can be done. Yes, I would LOVE to be thinner and healthier...we are always working on this...but right now I am not. So, just by wearing pretty colors, cute but functionable shoes (meaning for me, cute sneakers..lol...)and doing a little something different with your heair each day ( just small variations make you feel better, I think) makes you appear and feel more feminine. We are women and it's a gift. I want to teach my daughters to love pretty things and embrace who they are. Sometimes I see young girls who want to act like boys. This bothers me. Yes, my girls and myeslf ride fourwheelers and camp and garden and cut fire wood...we have poopy boots and take care of animal chores...just like the boys do...but we need to try to have a feminine "way" about us while we do these things. We have cute work gloves, I teach them to sit like a lady...yup, we can sit on a tree stump or fallen log with the best of 'em....but they will keep their legs closed while doing so! They catch bugs and frogs...but they "act" like ladies while doing it. Where did it come to be that being girly was bad? My oldest daughter had a very hard time embracing her girly-ness...she hated being a girl...and at times still does. It wasn't until recently she understood all the teaching she was being given...she was playing with a boy and he kept roughing her up and she hated it! She told him to stop and that she was a girl and to not hit her! LOL...she loves American Girl dolls, tea parties, and being pretty. I'm not talking vanity...but taking care of ourselves.
So, these are the things that are on my heart concerning the simple things :0)

Mom's Tools

2011-03-14T03:50:00.000-07:00

I have a few things that I use ALL the time...they are my favorite things....the things I couldn't "live" without...LOL...
1. My Bible....of course to study, grow, and teach!

2. My Muck boots....they are so tall, warm, and dry! They are the best chore boots ever! I "share" my pair with my two oldest kids...really they just steal 'em from me! LOL

3. My pizza cutter....I use it to cut pretty much everything the kids eat! I can cut up a pancake, waffle, fried egg...etc...in no time at all!

4. My "jump rope"... I have a bright blue jump rope that has funky polka dot ribbons tied on...one end of the rope has a big loop to go around my arm or just to hang onto...then the littles hang on to the loops and we are safe and sound as we shop...the rule is to not let go of the rope...no matter what...and we have really made out very well with this method :0)

5. Mt timer...I use my timer for TONS of stuff...fixing the coal fire, kids reading, kids math, my computer time, chores, cooking...etc...it's so very handy!

Those are only 5 of the things that make my day easier and more organized (at least in my head!)...what are your favorite "tools"??

God's Deliverance!

2011-03-12T08:45:00.000-08:00

The little man pictured in my last post is so sick...and God is so good and delivered my young son from death yesterday. Little man always gets respiratory problems when he gets sick...and we give him a few nebulaizor treatments and all is well. Yesterday was worse that it had ever been...his eyes were purple underneath and pouring water...he could barely breathe. I was doing his treatments and praying for healing over him...then he couldn't breathe...AT ALL! It was terrifying! I tried for over a minute to get my Little man to breath again...finally by taking him out in the cold air his airway opened enough for him to breath. Later I took him to the Dr. for further treatment. As soon as they saw him they were concerned...taking his pulse, it was RACING...he had a fever...and still could barely breath! Right away they gave him steroids and 2 heavy duty breathing treatments... The Dr. told me it was very serious and I should take him to the Er...then decided against it. They sent us home with 4 Rx's! The Dr. told me to stay awake all night and watch him, and to give him breathing treatments every 3 hours, as he could stop breathing. It was VERY scary until about 2 am....he would sit straight up in our bed and try to scream and grab at his throat because he couldn't breath well. At about 2 am his fever broke and he settled in...he seems ok toady. The Dr. called before 7:00 am this morning to make sure he was Ok....talk about a great Dr!! She told me to expect bad nights for a short while as she thinks his breathing will get worse at night. So we are going to continue to watch him VERY closely! It was the most scary mommy moment I have EVER had...when he couldn't breath..I was screaming out to God to spare my son...it's not like he was choking and we could dislodge something....his airway was shut...to see his little face looking at me with wild eyes....it seemed like it was FOREVER! It was a long time though...it was long enough for me to scream, cry, pound his back (pointless, I know, but it was a reaction) and get him outside and then it wasn't right away that he was breathing...in this time my daughter had enough time to call her dad at work! Talk about seeing God...He gives and He takes away. I really do see this for the truth that it is.. there was no rhyme or reason to why He spared my Little man's life...He could have brought him home...but He let him stay with my for who knows how long....I see now we have no time limit...or no unlimited time to spend...His sovereignty is amazing....He shows me little by little who He really is...and it makes me stand in awe! I thank God .

I CAN do it!

2011-03-10T02:48:00.001-08:00

These are the pictures my oldest daughter (11) took of her little brother while she was "helping" him get dressed after breakfast....that explains the messy face..lol....He insisted...." I CAN do it!"....not yet, little man! Good try!

You Know It's Time...

2011-03-09T13:02:00.000-08:00

You know it's time to buy new socks when your 4 yr old daughter comes and says to you that her sock has too many holes and she can't move it around so her heel doesn't come out! LOL...

Confessions and Repentance

2011-03-08T03:08:00.000-08:00

Proverbs 28:13

" He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy."

God gives us just what we need when we need it...during my prayer time this morning I was asking God to forgive me of my sins, but I seemed to just "lump" them all together...things have been busy and I realized that I was not confessing and asking for forgiveness at the TIME I committed sin....you know, snapped at someone, had a mean or judgmental thought...things like this...I know how wrong it is to not confess right away and ask forgiveness...but have fallen out of the "habit", so to speak. God brought me this verse this morning...and I am thankful :0)

What Kind Of Wife Am I?

2011-03-03T10:26:00.000-08:00

Proverbs 21:9
"Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife."

I have asked myself this question lately..."What kind of wife am I?" I pray daily that the Lord will show me how to be a better wife to my wonderful husband. Recently we have been having a hard time with some of our adopted kids and I have been a bit in the "dumps"...he said to me last night, that he NEEDED me to be OK, that he NEEDED me to be happy and not upset or even depressed...he NEEDS to be able to come home to a cheerful wife, not a perfect home, or well behaved kids...but a well behaved ME! WOW! He even offered to cook dinner, do wash, care for kids so I can have a break...of course, I will not have him do those things...he just worked HARD for 10 hours! But, my point is, that's how much he NEEDS me....he really does, it is important to him to have my attention, for me to have a joyful attitude, and not a selfish way about me. I can no longer go around thinking how "hard" things are for ME....my eyes are to focus on God and what He has blessed me with. I get so wrapped up in my own life and just brought my husband down too! It really opened my eyes as to another part of my role as wife...he needs for me not to just "do" things...be needs me to "be" something...and that is a Godly wife! Yes, we still have issues in life and always will...but I need to put them where they belong. This wife has learned her lesson and will make sure my husband has what he needs....a cheerful wife!

What Our Day Looks Like

2011-03-02T12:47:00.000-08:00

It has been a few weeks since we started back with trditional homeschooling, after doing a charter school at the beginning of the year. Our days are running much better now :0) We were having a lot of issues with timing and getting thngs done and keeping kids on task. Another big problem I had was knowing what to do with all the little kids...they were mostly running "wild" while I was trying to get everything the charter school required done. We are much happier now. I thought I would give you a peek at what our new schedule looks like.

8:00 breakfast
8:30-9:00 chores
9:00-9:15 or so is devotions as a family
9:15-11:00 the big kids all have folders with the work they can do on their own (spelling, grammar, writing, math, and reading) During this time I have all 6 small ones with me...we do circle time where we sing and read books, then we go to the table and we all do lessons together and on special occasions we all watch a PBS kids show and then do a coloring sheet to go with it.
11:00-11:30 lunch
11:30-12:45 break time
12:45-1:00 clean up time for all
1:00-3:00 little ones rest/nap while big ones sit at the table with me and I do a read aloud and then a comprehension sheet we make up ourselves, science (M & T) and social studies and civics (W & Th), during this time we do other things we "want" to do...at the moment we are doing a poetry unit. We watch movies that go along with our subjects and read lots of books and take notes...we draw tons of pictures in our notebooking...
Things are going SO much better, I really like the "schedule" we are on! things happen and we don't always stick to the time of everything...but most days we do!
Fridays are different...we do art, gym, spelling tests, library trips, cooking/baking, and any field trips...things like that! I am working on fitting it "all" in, but feel so much more freedom at what to teach and do...it's great!

Raw Pain

2011-02-28T03:51:00.000-08:00

It seems to be everywhere....this raw pain. I went to a celebration of life on Saturday...what a time to celebrate the birth of a sweet little life....but within this joy was so much pain. Strange. We ( a whole bunch of ladies from church) were there to celebrate...there was a young, newly married girl, who just had a miscarriage...the shower was for her best friend. There was another young woman, the guest of honor's sister, who recently found out she can not carry a child and has miscarriages...there were older ladies who had lost babies, ladies who wished they had had more children, ladies who lost their husbands and all they have to hold are their children...and the guest of honor's own mother had lost a daughter when she was only 4...and then there was myself...I had a tubal reversal almost a year ago...and no pregnancy yet. At the time of the shower I was 2 months late...too frightened to take a test, but was believing I was pregnant...and then Sunday morning got my period. My pain is so raw. My arms ache for a new little one....but God says not now. His timing is always perfect...He's right on time...He makes no mistakes. As I pray and think of all these other women, and another friend of mine who is struggling, I wonder how they "are"...praying the pain is not too much. We need to lean on the Lord in times such as these...He is our strength and we are to be content where we are RIGHT NOW...we can not make deals and say I'll be happy when God gives me a baby...no...we are to find our joy in the Lord and our salvation...not in our situation. My heart goes out to all ladies who are struggling with loss...loss to death, loss to miscarriage, or an empty womb. I feel your pain.

Living With Kids!

2011-02-26T05:22:00.000-08:00

My husband spent a whole bunch of time re-doing the leaf in our dining table...while the polly was still drying he said to all of us..." DO NOT TOUCH THE TABLE!!"...needless to say within a few hours we had many little hand prints, a fingernail scratch, and about a dozen cat paw prints! LOL....my poor husband :0)

This morning, I had to call all boys together...they were all lined up....looking guilty....I asked them who peed all over the bathroom floor...the big ones looked relieved...hubby said...I'm glad I'm off the hook this time....little boys looked at each other and then the youngest boy told that it was him....then the oldest daughter comes out and told me that "Oh yeah...he told me about that...huh...I guess I didn't believe him!" GEESH!

Living with kids!!!

Snow

2011-02-25T06:23:00.000-08:00

We have had so much snow this winter. The kids worked so hard this week, making pathways to the chicken coop, shoveling, making a way to the playhouse...things like that. Last night when they came in, I looked out and saw all the evidence of a fun day! This morning when I looked out it was a different scene for sure! The ground had a fresh blanket of snow...covering all the pathways and little footprints...the barn roof had it's beautiful covering of white glimmering snow, our homemade barn star was gorgeous! Then I thought of how upset I would be if I were the kids, all the work they just put into things this week....gone. This is my mind. I also thought of the horses, they just stand there....covered in snow and ice...I felt so sad for them. In reality, they have a warm and dry barn they can go into at any time....they chose to stand out in the weather...they must not mind. This is my mind. when my kids woke up all you could hear was delightful giggles and talk about how deep the snow was...how far up their little legs it would go...how much fun they would have digging out again...the minds of children are so much more positive than mine. It just amazed me at their joy, even though all they worked so hard on was gone....it reminds me that the Lord wants us to count it all as joy. I learned something important from my kids today...

What I'm Learning

2011-02-24T03:47:00.000-08:00

This has been such a time of learning and growth as of late. I know we always grow and learn because God is the best teacher...and He is really working on me. It is SO hard to raise abused kids. I will never understand them. We have done foster care and took care of abused kids for 8 years now, and have done oodles of trainings and classes....but these kids are not all the same. Whatever these kids have gone through is a part of them, it makes them who they are. I don't think that most of them actually remember what happened to them in detail (one of mine DOES)...but it's still "in" them, does that make sense? These kids do not know the Lord as their Savior...yet. So, they don't lean on Him, and pull from His strength...they fight...HARD! One of my children has been B.A.D. EVERY SINGLE DAY....ALL DAY LONG.....since the beginning of October when she found out her oldest birth sister was moving to Virginia with an aunt. Her sister is not a safe person to live with, so she can't live here....her abuse created her to be a predator. This has made my daughter confused, lonely, and most of all MAD! She blames me for her not living with her birth family... I mean, her dad said that he loved her while hurting her....that's love right? It is soooo sad! She is pushing away...and I mean PUSHING away our love.... a healthy and good love, regular love,,,the kind parents and children are supposed to have...not the sick and abusive love she is used to. She pushes and is soo awful mean, she does this with tears in her eyes, she doesn't WANT to do this...I know she doesn't...but hate wins out...every day. We beg, pray, cry, talk....and nothing changes. So, what am I learning....I am learning that I have anger issues and am also learning to have patience. It makes me angry when she is so mean to me and my other kids....it makes me angry that she is hateful all the time...but my loving and patient God is still working on me...and He has shown me...it's not about ME...it's about her pain. Yes, it is so hard to live with....this is the reason she has bounced from home to home....but it's not about me....it doesn't have to be easy for me...anger just makes it worse, what example does that set? This week the behavior has spread like wild fire! All 5 adopted kids are acting the same hateful way! It has been the hardest week of my life! I have had a few not so proud moments where I let anger overcome me...but my forgiving and gracious Father has shown me again and again...to calm down and be patient! Yesterday, 2 of the five we well behaved. The other 3 were not. One was standing in time out until 9:00 pm last night! During this time my son needed to stand the proper way....he refused to do so until 9:00 pm! He broke 2 doors throwing fits! I got mad at first, and then God got ahold of me...and my husband and I prayed and talked...and we just left the room (he was not throwing a fit any longer, but still not standing the proper way) and we would just check with him every few minutes, talk it over with him so he understood this was not acceptable behavior and we are the boss so he must obey...he would say "no"...so we left him alone. He did not win....we "won"....he realized we are "the boss"...but there was no yelling or anything that would not please God (remember, I did have a few bad moments, but asked for forgiveness). I don't know why he's acting this way....he may not even know why he's acting this way....but he is. and I have to deal with it...patiently. So, God is teaching me patience. I pray that these little ones let God into their lives, but until then, the only example they have is my husband and I and my older saved children...I'm so glad He's still working on me!

"He's still working on me
to make me what I ought to be
It took Him just a week to make the moon and the stars
the sun and the earth
Jupiter and mars
how loving and patient He must be!
He's still working on me!"

Cleaning Out!

2011-02-23T09:29:00.000-08:00

The kitchen is done...kind of :0) We REPAINTED the entire thing...but we now want to paint the door and fix the flooring...so it's not all the way done, but close! I will try to post pics tomorrow, I tried to take pics today, but the sun was too bright and I couldn't get a good picture. Since the kitchen looks so nice, it made the dining room look bad. We have gutted and re-done the dining room within the last few years, so I just had to clear out clutter and clean. I did that yesterday, and it looks great! Today I noticed how bad the mud room looks, it is connected to the dining room....one thing leads to another! So, today and for as long as it takes, I am going to clearing out and cleaning the mud room. This room is a mish mash of stuff...it's serves as our mud room and our computer room/school room. We do school together at the table, but 2 kids have desks out here and there is our home computer they use for math and games. So, it's kind of strange and messy. The kitchen and dining room are now bright colored and cheery...so I am trying to make this room the same! It will be fun~ For today I cleaned off the desk, and all the shelves and totes above the desk...cleaned the bookshelf, and I cleaned out and sorted one of my canning cupboards...I think I have like 80 jars of squash! I did find some potatoes and carrots that I had canned....some beets too! I thought those things were gone, so that is a nice treat! I now need to clean out the play-dough box! EEKK! I looked through a bit and found out where my husband put all of my cake decorating tips! He gave them to the kids for play-dough! I have been looking for them, and he said he just thought that was where they went because the cookie cutters are in there! LOL....Time to get busy!

Idle Time

2011-02-22T04:02:00.000-08:00

God is showing me so much. All of my adopted kids are having a hard time, not because of the adoption, but because of their lack in training in the years before they lived here. Some of it may be that they are thinking about what they have lost, but it seems to be coming to me that they just don't have a very strong foundation....they don't really think they have to do what is right...when nobody is "watching". I have tried to talk with some people about this, and most of the time I get the "oh...kids are gonna be kids" bit. I WILL NOT accept that answer! I DO hold my kids up to a high standard...God's standard! I DO NOT think it's cute or funny to have kids act bratty and mean...I do not think it's OK when kids don't follow rules unless they are on your "hip"....I think of my two birth kids...I invested all of my time into them. I taught them all the time what was good and right. Yes, they are HUMAN....they make mistakes...but I can count on one hand how many times they have lied to me...things like that. Both of them can't sleep if they have done something wrong and have not confessed it first to God and then Rob and I, we taught them that. God has cultivated them....grown them....these kids need that to! Ashley and Tyler (my birth children) grew up in this environment....have been home educated....have been in church...have been under my husbands teaching....my other children have been for a short time. It's is AMAZING to see....even my youngest, when he was a baby knew how to steal...there former way of life is SO ingrained...all they knew before was lying, stealing, and cheating...they didn't know there was a God...they new drugs, rape, and abuse. What a gift these kids are...but I am seeing where their idle time is leading them...and it is NOT good! So, it's over. We are clearing out their bedrooms...no toys...NOTHING...we are clearing out the upstairs playroom...there will be no upstairs time! They were even doing bad things if they would head up to the bathroom! I am going to have them with me ALL of the time,,,, so I can train them and instruct them in what it good and right. I thought it was going well a few months ago so I let them go upstairs to play...and it was bad. They were playing inappropriate things and destroyed the upstairs...but I didn't catch on...I would ground them for a few days from it and try again. Must be I thought they would magicaly learn what is right and good....I can be thick. So, this is a new day...please pray for me.

Uh-Oh!

2011-02-19T16:50:00.000-08:00

This is NOT good! We hate the paint color in the kitchen! YIKES! We have spent SOOOO much time and effort in the kitchen re-do, and to hate the paint color is very upsetting! I hope we can figure out what to do~ pictures will have to wait...sorry! LOL...The color we chose on the Valspar paint site was awesome, and then after we went to Lowe's and bought it...it's not the same color we chose, at all! UGH!

A BIG day!

2011-02-19T07:37:00.000-08:00

Today is a BIG day....today is the day we finally finish our frugal kitchen re-do! Today we are painting the walls...and then we are DONE! It has been a L.O.N.G. process...it's almost over, I can't wait!

Library Day!

2011-02-18T10:19:00.000-08:00

With making the choice to go back to doing our regular homeschool comes library day! Oh...how we have missed it! It felt so good to finally have time to go again! The library we go to is about 1/2 hr away and it's the coolest place EVER! They have a full size Thomas the Train table, a Lego table, bean bags, computers, games, puzzles, coloring supplies and more! I am teaching the kids about the government, and I was able to find lots of great children's books about the topic...we are learning about biomes, and I found lots of books about the biome the children chose...lots of books to read to the littles...and of course the bigs picked out free time reading books :0) We had a great time! It was funny...I had 8 kids and they were so quiet, and well behaved...other people were commenting on how good they were being...I think they missed it too! They practiced the game "don't break the sugar bowl" all the way there to make sure they were ready to be silent! LOL...I love library day! Can't wait for 2 weeks to pass and we can go back!

Ahh...That's Better!

2011-02-17T12:30:00.000-08:00

We finally switched back from the online charter school to traditional homeschooling! Boy, am I ever relieved! I didn't realize how much I was not liking the charter school until I was no longer doing it. We are back to our "normal"...The bigs do independent work like spelling and math...from 9-11 am while I am JUST with all the littles....doing littes school :0) I have seen a major improvement in little kid behaviors....this is because they have ME....then the Bigs all do group teaching with me from 12:30-2:30 while the littles are resting and napping. That's it...we are ALL together and happy about it! No more jumping from topic to topic...we are actually going to LEARN something....Ahh....that feels much better!

Half Way Point

2011-02-11T03:29:00.000-08:00

We are at the half way point of school and I feel so mixed up! We are using an online charter school and I think I like it. But am not really at peace with it either! My mind has became so consumed with this mess...do leave the charter school and go back to what I know...traditional homeschooling?? What I did was make a list of all the things that were bothering me, then I wrote those same things down again...but this time with a possible solution while staying at the school online. I wanted Friday's free to group teach my kids, as that was how I used to school them...so I had to have them all double up on lessons through the week to have this day free. Next week will be our first full week with the changes I have made. We shall see how it goes! It still seems like a bit much to me. It helped my heart to look at the pictures I have taken over the course of this year and it appears to be good...they look happy! ARGG...my head is such a mess! Please pray for me! Bottom line is I want more TIME with my kids....LIVING....DOING things...one of the major issues I have is that I am not a good planner, this school is all planned and laid out...and my time is not spent planning...which makes hubby happy. There are more things...but my time on the computer is up :)

The Laundry Game!

2011-02-10T03:09:00.000-08:00

We actually have fun folding laundry! Yep, you heard that right....fun! Here's how you play the "Laundry Game"....have all your kids sit in spots around the living room...turn on some fun music...and mommy stands by the "pile"....reach in, pull out a piece of wash and toss it to the person it belongs to :) They fold their own wash and put it away! It's great fun!! They LOVE to catch their wash as it flies through the air...giggles are abundant on laundry folding days! Give it a try...it's free....it's productive...teaches team work....and it's great family fun!

What a Weekend!

2011-02-07T09:48:00.000-08:00

Oh man...did we ever have an interesting weekend! We went to take our taxes to "the tax guy" and on the way home my 6yr old started getting sick in the car..she stayed sick for the weekend...My 10 yr old daughter also got sick..she needs to go to the Dr. this evening...and I fell on a toy and sprained my ankle! We are in rough shape this week! I have been praying about some things concerning living a slower life, slowing down in school and really ministering to my kids spiritual needs...this has been a help in starting to slow things down! God gives you just what you need when you need it!

Meet Lucky

2011-02-02T14:48:00.001-08:00

Today was T.H.E. day! Ty was able to finally get his dream pet...a hamster! He saved up the $15 for it...and $110 of my money later...we were home with Lucky! I am not thrilled about having a rodent in the house...but as long as it stays in it's cage all will be well in my world! The kids are having fun watching it climb all over. It's neat to see how much the kids love animals and take such good care of them :0) So, there you have it...Lucky is the newest member of our family :0)

I'm Calmed Down Now :0)

2011-02-01T07:26:00.000-08:00

I think I have calmed myself down from the upset I was having about homeschool yesterday. I hate it when I get feeling like that, and it usually comes when I start comparing myself to other moms! This is not a healthy or wise thing to do! I "think" ...at least for now... I am going to try to stick with this school for as long as we can make it work. There are many things about this school that I like and many that I do not. BUT....the actual "school" part is just that...school. I really want to focus more on the training of my children and being with them. This school does not require much of ME...so I am free to do more with THEM. This I like :0) I am going to try to pick apart the lessons more and add what I can. I did find a similar program that is NOT a "school"...it is traditional homeschool, but it's an online curriculum that you buy. I could school them for about $400 a year. That's not too bad for 7 kids...I might look into this later on, if I feel led to do so. I would have much more wiggle room...which could be good...or bad! Ha! I am so wishy washy! I know myself so well, and I am too soft...anyways...this is the choice for now :0) I really want to try to make the best of what we are doing....we shall see! Wish me luck!

Here we go again!

2011-01-31T07:00:00.001-08:00

UGH! I feel like I am always in this same position...the homeschool rut! I LOVE teaching and doing homeschool...but it seems as if I never am happy with the material, or the set up, or something! Well, this year we decided to do a charter school...I as in ME...I really like this school...it is easy for me, there is no planning, no scheduling, it's free, there is support, you have cool extras....there are lots of things that make it easier for ME...some of the kids like it and some don't...I'm ok with that. I don't expect all the kids to like every single thing we do. My issue now is this...my husband (I do think he's right) thinks that things are moving too fast. They introduce a new math concept daily and my oldest student is having a hard time! For example, they introduced multiplication for the third graders and they stayed on it for only 4 days...tops. They had them do up 3 tables a day! Then after the 4 days they were on to something new. I LOVE the younger grades in this school...they cover all that I could dream of! Another issue is time, this school takes a lot of time and there is not much wiggle room as far as days off goes. But then, planning regular homeschool takes a lot of time too! I can't really take days off of my choice freely...which "I" like...I NEED that! In years past, I have been known to get sucked into many different things and not do as good of a job on school as I should have! This school keeps attendance, records, EVERYTHING! No need to get a GED or do a diplomacy program...great for "me"...and them, really. But are they learning....really learning?? Another example....for third grade they touched on Lewis & Clark...it was one PARAGRAPH! For 5th grade...the Boston Tea Party was a chapter! There is so much more to learn here! I try to weight the pros and cons...I am really struggling. This school year has been the most organized, and on task year we have had to date! The kids HAVE to do their lessons because it's a public school online, they would have serious repercussions if they didn't....in the same breath...we got behind while I was tending to the hearts of people who are in need....when the kids might not feel well, I still push them through school because we HAVE to do it...this is good and bad. Good, because it teaches them perseverance, and bad because they should be able to rest. In the past, I found myself taking too many sick days...I am a push-over. This school helps me stay focused and on task. There is no time left to supplement any extra materials, and the curriculum moves too fast to even add anything extra. I am not sure what to do! Here are my;
Pros
1. free books
2. free support
3. free record keeping
4. keeps me and kids accountable
5. no planning for me, it's all done
6. lots of free resources available, and I DO use them...a lot!
7. love the structure..
8. teaches kids and myself to keep plugging along, even when we want a day off...much needed for a softy, like myself
9. don't have to make a portfolio
10. don't have to have an evaluation
11. don't have to figure out diploma issues
12. free computers
13. they pay for your internet use

Cons
1. secular education, which we are adapting to by teaching them this is what the world thinks, and here is what the Bible says is true.
2. curriculum moves too fast
3. too much work to do
4. would have to pay LOTS of money for books for this many kids
5. not enough time for the fun stuff
6. no wiggle room
7. have to do PSSA's with a class and not with the evaluator
8. too strict
9. I have to figure out what to teach them and make sure they learn all they should, this scares the day lights out of me!
10. if I didn't do this school, I would have to search for and buy books,,,takes up $ and time.

To be honest only #'s 1,2,5,6 bother me at all. Any suggestions would be great! Here is what my wish list would be...
not too much planning as I don't have much free time (although, for my kids education I would MAKE the time if need be)
it would have to be cheap...I don't have much money
it would need to be organized

my head is spinning, and I'm not sure what I want to do. I just need to find something and stick with it! I thought this was it.....intil hubby told me his thoughts...HELP! LOL

Needing Frugal Organization!

2011-01-28T05:47:00.000-08:00

I feel like everywhere I look there is an unorganized mess! We are "re-doing" our kitchen...so my free time is being filled with that...but I don't feel like it's just that. I feel un-inspired to want to get things together. Maybe it's the winter blues, I don't feel sad, but kinda lazy. I don't have much time, maybe that's it. I tend to see a lot to do and shut down! I also think space is a HUGE issue for me! I am not always the most creative person when it comes to finding ways to store things or make the best use of my space...So, for the next few weeks I am going to be brainstorming frugal ways to get organized. I don't want to spend a lot of money on storage containers, shelves, and the such. for starters, of course, will be do de-clutter! From there...not a clue what I am going to do! Ha! Any ideas?

Asking for prayer

2011-01-26T07:34:00.000-08:00

I am asking that any who read this please pray for my SIL, Jill. She and my brother have tried to conceive for 13 years...they finally have and are rushing to to the hospital as I type. She has had a very traumatic pregnancy, with blood pressure issues, very sick, and has been on complete bed rest, in and out of the hospital. She got a call this morning that the blood work she had done yesterday came back VERY bad and her health is at risk, so they must take the baby via c-section today. She is 30 weeks along. Please pray for her and the baby...she is very scared. Thank you!!

Peace & Quiet

2011-01-25T07:08:00.000-08:00

I was reading a Russian folktale to my kinders today and it was titled "Peace & Quiet". It was about a man and a woman who could get no sleep due to a tree branch scrapping the window and a squeaky floor...so the sought advice from the town elder and he told them to bring a whole bunch of animals into their home. All the animals made noise and fought with each other and the couple could get no sleep and yearned for some peace and quiet so they could rest. In the end the elder finally chased out all the animals and told the man and woman to listen carefully...they heard only peace and quiet even though there was still a branch scrapping the window and a squeaky floor...in comparison it was quiet. This got me thinking about what do I consider peace and quiet? I often find myself yearning for quietness...and in some ways I pair this up with peace. They have nothing to do with each other in reality. My family went from 4 to 9 (plus I babysit two other 4 yr olds, so 11 most of the time) in the matter of 2 years! What was once quiet is no longer quiet in the same way. It made me see that I don't need things to be "quiet" in order to have peace. Gos has filled my home with people whom I love...it leaves me wondering why I ever wanted them to be quiet?? I wonder how strange it would feel if they were suddenly gone...like in the folktale, how the elder chased all the animals out...did the couple feel strange without them? I could imagine what my house would be like with no laughter, no "roaring dinosaurs", so princess songs, no "vrooming" cars, no army men, no pitter patter of feet on the floor above me, nobody calling out to me from the other end of the house...this is not something I am interested in... I'll pass on the "thought" of peace and quiet and take my noisy home any day! Thank God for showing me and teaching me this lesson before my kids were grown and gone..and then my heart would break for what could have been had I just let them be "noisy animals"...

Broken!

2011-01-24T07:29:00.000-08:00

What a day so far! Everything is breaking! I went to grab a shirt from the dryer this morning and all the clothes were still wet...I thought it was strange and went to turn the dryer back on and it made an awful noise! I called hubby and had him listen to it over the phone...he had me try a few things...and he thinks it's something he may be able to fix! YEAH! But how soon...we don't know as we will need to order parts, and it's an old dryer. I don't do wash over the weekend..so we are backed up...big time. It's FREEZING cold here and my clothes line is in the new horse pasture, the horses would eat my clothes even if I could hang them...and I don't even own any clothes bars! HA! This will be interesting! Also...I turned the dishwasher on and walked away...I came back out about 15 mins later and smoke was rolling out of it! I had to call hubby again...he had me check a few things and he said he thinks it is "toast"! EEK! We can not afford new things...so it will be interesting! I run my dishwasher 3 times a day! Our house is going to be a bit nutty this week :0) I was able to pray about all of this with my children and tell them how this was NOT my plan for the day...but it was what God allowed into my day...and I need to make the best of the day and go about taking in these things with a smile on my face :0) It was a great time to pray and talk with them...we talked about the different ways we will go about getting things done with this many people and already being behind on the wash. So far, I am doing well...keeping the smile on my face...I pray that God will help my continue to keep my eyes on Him and not to focus on these "things" that are throwing a kink in "my" day! This is the day the Lord had made...I shall rejoice and be GLAD in it!

Another Frugal Day!

2011-01-22T13:40:00.000-08:00

I wrote a post the other day about all the kids clothes, going through them, and making a list of just what was needed. Today was the day we went to the thrift store to pick up what we needed. I was amazed at how easy it was to shop...all because of the list! I had each child's name, what they needed and the size. Other people could look and see what was needed and look for it! We were about 45 minutes total...and that is with them all trying the clothes on! It was amazing! We ended up with 22 pairs of jeans, 3 shirts, and 2 pair of pj's for $85!!! I was thrilled! We also packed our lunch and drinks and ate in the van....another big savings of anywhere from $50-$90...depending on where we would have ate. It was a good day!

Frugal Friday

2011-01-21T06:01:00.000-08:00

I have set aside Fridays to review my week and do a "frugal check"! This week was pretty good as far as being frugal goes!
* I made homemade pizza
* I made my own crafts, with all the "stuff" needed for each child in a zip bag, like you would get from oriental trading!
* I resisted buying new things
* I went through EACH and EVERY piece of clothing for all 7 kids and moved things around and was able to make a small detailed list of the needs we have.
* I am going to the thrift store to buy the things on this list (tomorrow) instead of buying new at the store.
* Hubby took our hinges and handles from our kitchen cupboards to work and ran them through a grinder thing (I'm ignorant...I know) and they look as good as new! Saving us a minimum of $60! I know this because we priced the cheapest ones at Lowe's :0)
* I cooked all meals...no going out here!!

I think all in all this was a pretty frugal week :0) I like to take the day to think about the week past and think about the week coming up. Trying to come up with new ways to save, but also writing it down weekly, the ways we didn't spend, helps keep me motivated and not bored with being frugal :0)

Adoption/ Foster Care Pt 2

2011-01-21T03:44:00.000-08:00

Today I will talk about the story of my boys. Just like yesterday, this has NOTHING to do with me...all about God!
The birth parents of my boys also had 4 children...3 boys and 1 girl. In August of 2008 we got the call for an emergency placement for two boys. When the social worker got here with these two boys we were floored! The older of the two (3 at the time) was nonverbal (almost) he could say dink (drink) and pee. He would not let people touch him, didn't know his own name, and didn't know how to play...seriously. He would sit alone on the couch and stare into the air at nothing for hours! It was so sad. He was potty trained, but had no hygiene at all in the area. The youngest one (10 months) was so gross! He was really fat...lots of huge rolls. He actually had mold growing in the rolls of fat! He had an awful skin rash and never smiled....EVER. He hated people and cried if you touched him. He couldn't sit up and had cows milk in his bottle. His mom sent only a few dirty clothes and no diapers. We knew nothing about what the living conditions were like for these kids. Come to find out they were removed from the birth parents because they (all 4) were left alone at night so the parents would go party. The oldest of those four was 5 years old. The would mess themselves and take off their clothes and walk around outside naked. They were not fed good food or watched. The children had no idea about how to eat healthy foods...and all they did was drink. the reason the 3 yr old we got couldn't talk was because nobody spoke to him! As soon as we started talking to him (the day he came we started...obviously)he started trying to speak. His first word was "bearplane" for "airplane"...he spoke V.E.R.Y. slowly and with GREAT effort. He still has speech issues that are serious due to him being ignored! The baby was the worst....his mom was selling his WIC checks for money for whatever reason she wanted. He was drinking cows milk and his system was not ready. We did not know this at first and the social worker didn't know it either as it was an emergency placement...we all thought she had just moved him to milk as you would an older baby...no big deal. Not so much. I was also feeding him table foods as I figured since she didn't send any baby food or even a note he must have been off baby food. Not so much. This poor baby got really sick because I was giving him milk and food! He hadn't even started cereal yet!!! I had to take him to the Dr. to find all this out, and he was lactose intolerant! She was giving him milk...that's why he was fat (he couldn't digest the milk) and he only drank! We got that all figured out. The boys were not used to any physical activity and would sleep all the time as they were so tired from playing :0) It didn't take long to get them adjusted. They have been very easy to care for and a joy. We have had MANY issues with the family of these boys, and their brother and sisters story is a sad one...I won't tell it...but it's sad even to this day they are not settled. We had to fight tooth and nail to get these kids. We are so blessed. The birth parents are still always in trouble, still having babies that they have to get taken away as their parental rights are revoked...and still in and out of jail...unemployed most of the time...it's sad.

This was a brief summary of the story of out journey with adoption through foster care. We encourage anyone who might have a heavy heart for this work to take the leap and get involved...there is much need. Feel free to send me an email or leave a comment with nay questions I might be able to answer concerning adoption/foster care...I would love to help in any way the Lord sees fit :0)

Adoption/Foster Care & Our Story

2011-01-20T04:27:00.000-08:00

This is something God has put on my heart to share... not sure why, maybe someone is meant to read this or maybe it is a reminder to myself...I don't know. Talking about what my kids have gone through is VERY taxing on me...I am going to split their stories up. First of all, I am NOT trying to convince anyone else to do foster care or adopt...but I DO want people to be aware of what REAL kids are living with in our country...right in your own town...if you don't know..you don't know. I always felt badly for abused kids, but never really knew what they were going through...really. I will start with the story of my girls. We adopted three young girls through the foster care system and here is their story...it is a reflection on their strength and their survival skills. PLEASE know...this in NO WAY has ANYTHING to do with me...this is all God! People are always saying how wonderful we are because we adopt abused kids and foster many abused kids...it's not us...it's God! Here goes...

The parents of our girls had birthed 4 children...all girls. They were wild people with mental health problems. The mother had these 4 children with 3 different men. And often the men would molest the children..and it was OK with mom, it seems. The living conditions were what got CYS called out in the first place. The places they would live would look like this...just to give you a mental picture...in the reports it stated that there were open (huge) holes in the ceiling that let the weather come in...so imagine...it would rain and snow IN their house! They let the animals potty all through the home and never cleaned it up...hence maggots everywhere. They had no running water so the toilet was FULL to the TOP of "you know what"...which lead to using buckets and children "going" on the floor. They never did dishes, so there was moldy food all over...cigarette butts everywhere...and there was actually a nest of RATS living in one of my daughter's bed mattress! My youngest daughter was a baby at the time and her bed sheet was crunchy with dried urine. The smallest girls had awful rashes as they were never cared for. Cockroaches were many...so much the children (reportedly) smelled very strongly like cockroach dung. They smelled so bad they were forced to shower at school and later the lawyer that was helping them couldn't stomach the smell...he required that the children go to the CYS office and shower before entering his office! This is how they lived...this was really their home. Their parents were so mean and cruel, they would starve the children and then buy steak and ice cream and eat it in front of them. they would feed them ramen noodles every few days. My youngest daughter hardly ever got formula...they gave her mostly water in her bottle. All of my three girls are very small...my 8 yr old is of avg. weight now...but wasn't before...and my 6 yr old weighs only 36 lbs...and my 4 year old only 27 lbs. The just didn't grow because there was no nourishment! The parents would leave the children all the time in the hands of teen boys who were not caring for the in the right way...if you know what I mean. The parents would leave and lock them in the house. The parents forced them to watch pornography with them...the list goes on and on. The children had ill fitting clothes and they were VERY smelly and gross. They were made fun of at school. So, My oldest daughter (the second oldest out of the four) finally spoke up and the children were eventually removed from the home and put in foster care. The parents had visits with the kids but REALLY made it clear they hated my oldest daughter (my oldest of the adopted girls, I have a BIO daughter who is older) and ignored her fully. All of her siblings blamed her for the removal. They wanted to go home! Eventually the children went home...a few months later they were removed again because of the same stuff as before...so they were put back in care...all 4 of them together. Later they were split up as their needs were too great and one family couldn't put all the pieces back together and the kids were fighting with each other...and the oldest girl was in the parent role and it was abusive and messed up. From there my oldest daughter (the second oldest if the 4 girls) went to live with her birth dad...it didn't last only 2 weeks...then back to foster care....then with an aunt...didn't work...back to foster care...then with another who wanted to adopt her....didn't work...back to foster care...another family...back to foster care...then here. WOW! Her behavior is SO hard to handle that the other homes gave up....she makes it hard to love her. This is her defense....her survival mechanism. To this day she has been acting up daily since October when she got some news about her family...she is pushing us away to see if we will let her down, abuse her, and send her away. The other two smaller girls went to a foster home that couldn't have kids...and they didn't like the older of the two and blamed her for all the troubles the kids would get into...so she came to us angry and bratty...she is sweet and nice now. The youngest they had convinced she was a baby and a princess and she didn't have to listen to anyone! She told me this all the time! She is very small, so she looks like a baby...she's 4 and I just put away her 24 month clothes! She would tell me that she NEEDED to be a baby ans sit in a highchair, sleep in a crib...and poop her pants. She is now a normally functioning child...who delights in being a big girl! I left out some of the gory details to save embarrassment for the children...but you get the picture, I think. I am so grateful to God for bringing these girls into my family's life! I feel so blessed that God chose to have these precious children live here...and that He chose for me to be their mommy...forever! It's a scary thing...their birth parents have tried to even kidnap them before...but God will take care of us. I shared this with you not to make you feel sorry for these kids and other abused kids... It was a prompting from the Lord...and I am very pro-active where adoption and foster care are concerned. I want to raise awareness of the needs in our own communities...this is my mission field....God has blessed us beyond what I could ever dream of! This has not been an easy journey and is not without issues even now. These kids have major issues due to the abuse they have suffered....it breaks my heart...but God can mend their hearts.

Sunshine Award!!

2011-01-19T10:29:00.001-08:00

Recently Michelle from http://www,munchkinfarm.blogspot.com/ awarded me with a Sunshine Award!! It made my day :0) Thanks Michelle!

There are 2 rules for accepting this award:

1)Thank the person who gave it to you!
2) Pass it along to 8 other blogs that bring a beautiful ray of Sunshine into your day!!

Here are my choices...I visit these blogs often and they bring much joy to my life :0) Grab a cup of coffee and have a visit... I'm sure you'll enjoy yourself~

Rachel at http:// http://www.frugalandsimple.com/
Renee at http:// http://www.babystam.blogspot.com/
http://antsonafarm.blogspot.com/
http://mommyx12.blogspot.com/
http://agentlemother.blogspot.com/
Jamie at http://pursuingtheoldpaths.blogspot.com/
Meg at http://simplybonker.blogspot.com/
Kimmy at http://homemakingmomma.blogspot.com/

Again, I want to thank Michelle for the award...makes me smile :0)

Clothes, Clothes, Clothes!

2011-01-19T03:30:00.001-08:00

We are in the midst of growth spurt city around here! It seems as if ALL 7 kids have outgrown their clothes! I was putting off the dreded task of sorting out the clothes that didn't fit any longer. It seems like such a HUGE task to me...they have to try things on...we have to try to figure out if it is worth saving for the next person and so on. Last night I took the plunge! I sorted all 7 of the kids' clothes and made a detailed list of the needs that we have. As you can see in the picture I started folding the ill fitting clothing...then gave up and started to make a messy pile..LOL.. The great thing about this pile is that we didn't pay for any of those clothes! Those were all handed down from other people we know! God's provision is so amazing! We don't have a lot of extra money...living off one income (I do babysit...but don't make much at all...and sometimes I don't get paid) can be tight! I was rejoicing in the fact that God is such a loving God and provides for us in such a great way!! Not pictured is the clothes already put away waiting for others to grow into them...two other bags to give away. Some of these will be put away, given away, or used for rags. On Saturday (after we put the first coat of primer on our kitchen cupboards!!) Hubby is taking us to the thrift store to get the things on my list of needs :0)

My Favorite Vision

2011-01-17T02:53:00.000-08:00

My favorite vision this weekend was a pile of sleds at the bottom of the sledding hill :0) The kids had such fun in the snow this weekend! We played and played and played!!! Hubby would pull them around in the sleds...big ones would hold on to little ones as they whizzed down the hill. I cherished the moments of watching the littlest ones try to climb their way to the top of the hill dragging their sleds along. I hope my mind can hold onto the sound of their giggles and hoots & hollers all through the week. We have plenty of time to play during the school week...but not just "us"...there are always extras or some missing...which is fine too....but I look forward to "family time" too! I am blessed, indeed!

Click-n-Pull!!

2011-01-16T03:06:00.001-08:00

We fell out of the habit of going to Sam's Club over the holiday's...not a good thing! Since November I have been going grocery shopping weekly at Wal-Mart....and hating every moment of it! Then it dawned on me to go back to Sam's Club to get a month worth of food in one swoop :0) A few days before we were going to go, I read a lady's blog and she mentioned "Click-n-Pull"...light bulb moment!! I went on the site...and clicked on all the stuff I wanted and we simply went and picked it up! I was SO AWESOME! I spent less as well :0) When we started going to Sam's Club I would spend between $400-$500...by the time we stopped going I was spending around $800!!! WAY to salty for us! Yesterday I spent $342 at Sam's Club...then had hubby stop at Aldi for a few things...spent another $40. For a month worth of food (minus fresh produce, milk & bread) I spent $382! YEAH! Now, I just need to make it last! It doesn't get better than that....shopping at home...then driving to the store just to pick it up! Sam's Club is an hour drive from our house...so when we would all go in and shop we would be gone from home for about 4 hours or more...so we would always end up eating out. A trip to pizza hut for us is around $80 or so! This time we were so fast...only gone for 2.5 hours...we left after breakfast and were home for lunch! Saving more money :0)

Frugal Friday

2011-01-14T04:06:00.000-08:00

This week was a good one for being frugal! I didn't do anything amazing...but I didn't spend either :0) I made homemade lunchables....for 9 people....so that saved us about $14. I switched from cleaning with paper towels to rags. This was a hard one for me as the kids do a lot of cleaning in chore time, so it was easier for them to use paper towels...but not as frugal...so now we use rags. I keep them in a cute container that the kids can easily get at. I did a few "make-do" things....like; I needed ice cube trays to make colored ice (the preschoolers are doing an ice theme this week, and we are going to paint with colored ice today!)...my freezer makes ice cubes, so we didn't have any, I used an egg carton. I needed crackers or cornflakes for my meatloaf...instead....I took 5 minutes and ran about a billion heel pieces of bread through my food processor and now have enough bread crumbs to use instead of cracker/cereal crumbs for a long time! I have simplified my meals by far...they are healthier and way less variety! What I mean by this is...if I buy 3 different kinds of crackers...and they eat all but a few in the bag...then we have odds and ends of crackers...but say I only buy "x" amount of the same kind of cracker...then there will be less waste and less for me to try to decide. We LOVE Ritz crackers...they work for many different kinds of treats...you can put pb on them...jelly on them...tuna, cheese...lots of different variety in ONE cracker! We also are eating fruit and veggies with every meal. To me...in my mushy mind, this is way more simple! I have been cooking more of the meals...where breakfast used to be cereal...I now cook on most days. this is more simple and frugal...and it keeps them full until lunch...hence cutting out another snack...frugal and simple! I am lovin' this! :0)

This and That

2011-01-12T04:22:00.000-08:00

This Post is just a mish mash...LOL...I am feeling the winter blah's...so I needed to do a few things to make it more fun for myself and the kids! I love making special foods for the kids, but hate paying a lot of money for them...sometimes even making a new recipe is too much for me..LOL...so yesterday I made homemade "lunchables" for lunch! My husband takes the snack sized lunchables to work for a snack between breakfast and lunch. The kids thought this was cool...and it was so much cheaper than buying them :0) Add some cheese and fruit, and there you go!! Another thing I did to boost myself was to organize a drawer in my china cupboard. I used this drawer to hold "stuff"...aka...garbage! It took me 5 mins to clear it all out, clean it...5 mins to sort the "stuff" (throw most of it away)..and then I decided to put my cookbooks and aprons in the drawer. I think it turned out pretty nicely :0) I feel like everywhere I look there is a mess! I LOVE organizing and cleaning things, so I am looking forward to keeping things going!!

One More Step Done!

2011-01-11T05:19:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we received 3 out of the 5 new birth certificates!! We are so happy to have one more thing done :0) We are still needing to get new SS numbers for the kids. We have gotten all the new insurance stuff done, the names on the Dr. records changed, and them trained to use their new names....the little ones didn't even know they had a last name! How sad. Two of the little girls thought their birth mothers were Disney Princesses. They had no picture memory of what their birth mother looked like....although they show "scars" of the abuse she put them through. The older kids had a hard time using their new names as they were used to the old ones. this has been an interesting journey that is nowhere near over. The oldest adopted child is really having a hard time...she is grieving her "lost" family and can't understand why they hurt her...it's a long painful story. But, I am seeing this....getting the birth certificates....as just one more step closer to closure to the past, to the abuse, to the pain....and one SMALL step closer to a normal and happy life.

Sick....Again!

2011-01-10T03:50:00.000-08:00

We are sick....again! This is the 3rd time in 3 months that we have had sickness run it's course through our home. Sad times, for sure. hope all is well at your homes :0)

Have a Great Weekend!

2011-01-08T03:19:00.000-08:00

Hope you all have a great weekend! My sister offered to watch ALL the kids...ALL day! So, hubby and I are going on a date...AGAIN! Whoo-hoo!! We have NEVER gone out this many times before! We are on time #4 in the last 12 months~ we don't like leaving our kids often. Some people gasp when they hear we only leave our kids once a year and do something just the two of us...but it works for us. We have enjoyed the extra time this year though. Anyway, I am leaving my computer to the cat for the weekend :0) I'm sure he'll gaurd it well!

Frugal Fun!

2011-01-07T04:12:00.000-08:00

I have set Friday aside to think on frugal things....doing this will help me keep on track with trying to be frugal to get out of debt! A few frugal things this week were; grocery shopping... I went with CASH and a list... I kept track of what I was spending as I put things in the cart. I was shocked to see all that I got for $103! Another was fun....we have been feeling bad about not getting the kids "out" to have fun. They play outside daily....but it just seemed like we should take them "out". I threw that thought away and just plain old went outside WITH them...we had a ball! I do this very often...but this time I had it in mind that we were saving money by not thinking we needed to take them "out"...like to a movie, or McDonalds PlayPlace or something! I have stayed home all week...so no extra trips to the store...at all. That saved money as well :0) And we counted up all that we were able to put away (extra) to put towards debt and I think it was around $1,200! YEAH!!!

My Testimony

2011-01-06T03:38:00.000-08:00

Recently,I have come across some people who God brought to us so we could share our testimony with them for their benefit of seeing what God can truly do. I also have been told from a lady that she was embarrassed to share her testimony fully as she feared judgement from others. Are we to fear people's judgement? There is no shame in your life before salvation....after you become saved you are white as snow! I lived an "awful" life of sin before coming to Christ and I would like to share that with you today....maybe God will use my "life story" to help someone else :0) I have no shame in telling you

I was born into a dysfunctional family...always fighting...my father was abusive and my mother spineless. They had 4 children, the first was great and could do no wrong...until the day he fell in love with a pastor's daughter and got married...the next children were a set of twins. My father seemed to not like them much as they got older and was not nice to them...at all. Then I came along 5 years later as a surprise. My parents treated me like their friend most of the time. I was "forgotten"...I see that now. They would just leave for months at a time when I was about 13 or 14 yrs old....they would leave me with my sister...and leave some money on the table to get me through. When I was about 15 things started going "down hill"...I was drinking, doing drugs and dating only MEN who were 21 or older so they could buy beer. It was sad! I was out of control! I then was dating a decent guy who I had manipulated into thinking I cared for him...I was cheating on him...with my now husband. I have been with Rob since the day I met him, so that was good. I was 15 and he was 23...he was also drinking and doing drugs. He is an alcoholic. My parents were so into themselves they had no clue . I would leave on Friday night and not come home until Sunday night....no questions asked. I would even come home high or drunk and it was not questioned. they would just give me money and that was that. My mom and I would hang outand have fun from time to time....but they were enjoying their "own" life at this point. They are not saved people...I do not hold this against them. Now that I could drive...when they would leave for months...they would just leave....they would leave me lots of money...and go. During these times I would live with my boyfriend (now husband) and not go to school...or go high. I went to school on acid everyday for about a month! I was driving while on an acid trip...daily! I am so luck to be alive. I would get lost on the way to school or home because I was so impeard. Nobody at school cared enough to step up and ask me what was going on or think to tell my folks. One teacher in my whole life ever even talked to me about drugs...and I still want to thank him. My parents had no clue or just didn't care who was buying my clothes, food, and gas from the time I was 15 until my senior year. they didn't know about Rob. He took care of me. they never even saw any of my report cards! I can't believe I even graduated! rob was still drinking....a LOT...and had been in jail, and was just a mess. We go married right after I got done with high school. On our homey moon we got pregnant with Ashley. I STOPPED drinking and doing drugs at the moment I found out I was pregnant. He was still drinking...and I finally saw what was there....it was crushing. From there our life turned into an episode of Jerry Springer! Rob was drunk ALL the time. I was so scared. I thought he would drop the baby or end up hurting her because he was drunk...we worked different shifts, I was second shift, so he cared for her in the evenings while I was at work. I was not perfect either. I was still drinking and doing drugs (after Ash was born) on rare occasion. During this time I was unfaithful to my husband. My thinking was this....he was drunk all the time and I hated being his wife, so I tried to find love else where...I was with a guy (but still with Rob too) who was no better....I had moved out and would just meet Rob as we would pass Ash off when we would switch shifts. I was so worried about her that in the middle of my shift, quit my job and went home to her because Rob was so drunk he couldn't even walk. It was terrified. When I got home I caught him with another woman. This opened my eyes and I cut off my other relationship and focused on Rob...he agreed to not see the other woman again. He was still drinking...it was worse than ever before...as an example, I had to drag him out of the bathtub after he passed out so he wouldn't drown...I then found out I was pregnant again. I was so excited. things went even worse. Rob totaled our car...he didn't have a license as it was revoked due to too many DUI's. He was hurt, I was scared...we knew he would have to go to jail. We appealed the court for over a year. He was not in jail for Ty's birth. But he did miss Ty's first birthday. During the time Rob was in jail it was so hard. Ty was sick...he had stomach issues and had to go to specialists 2 hours away...I had to take care of the kids, the home, cut the grass...etc...and take Rob back and forth to jail and work. He was on work release. So, think about this...I was 21...a husband in jail...2 kids...and had to do all the work, and get to the jail (which was 1/2 hr away) by 5:00 am...take Rob to work...pick him up fro work and then back to jail...it was hard! But here the good part....before rob went to jail...God got ahold of him...he quit drinking and smoking all in ONE day! He came home from work, sat on the bench to take his boots off and announced he was done drinking and smoking! He got REALLY sick, it was so sad. But he did it...really did it! Around the same time my SIL asked me if I was saved? I honestly didn't know what that meant! She explained and through the next few days had led me to Christ! So, the entire time Rob was in jail, we were saved and more in love than ever! God worked on our restoration during that time and it was amazing! After he got out of jail, the day he came home, Ashley was afraid of him and screamed at him "your not my daddy!"..."My daddy is away at work!"...she had not seen her dad in months and couldn't remember what he looked like. He had never been so hurt in his life...and that was all it took for him to know he would never go back to that life again. And either would I! He was on house arrest for a month after he got out of jail and it was the BEST month ever! From there we decided to do foster care so we could share our story with teens. We wanted them to know there was another side to life other than drugs and alcohol. and we did. We did teen girls for 5 years. These were the kids that were so "bad" the counties couldn't place them...so we took them. It was great! From there we settled into our church...we teach Sunday School, Rob is an usher at church, we still do foster care... and God saw it fit for us to be blessed with 5 kids to adopt! You see, God can do ANYTHING! Some people think that their sins are too big to be forgiven...they are not. God forgave us for our sins...and as you read....they were many...and "big"! He not only forgave us, but used us to further His kingdom! He has blessed us so much....and blessed us with this testimony to share....without shame. How can there be shame in what God has done? I am a sinner saved by grace!

Winter Comfort Food

2011-01-05T03:13:00.000-08:00

We love this easy and frugal recipe in the colder months! The kids have named it "Thanksgiving in a Pan"! :0)
Layer in a large pan:
cooked chicken or turkey (cut in pieces) mixed with some cream of mushroom soup
cooked corn (we always use leftover)
mashed potatoes
prepared stuffing

then bake at 350 for about 40 mins or until nicely browned and crispy on top!
We love this as it is such comfort food and reminds us of Thanksgiving! We created this recipe after Thanksgiving one year using all the leftovers. I am known at my house for putting all the leftovers in a pan, putting cheese on top, and baking it for dinner :0) Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's not....LOL....but it uses up the pesky leftovers. Speaking of leftovers...what we usually do is this...we take a portion out of every meal we serve through the week and put it in a small container and freeze....then, once a week we give the frozen meals to an elderly man to cut down on his food costs. We love doing this...it helps us use the leftovers, and it helps this single elderly man not have to cook (which in my opinion is not a safe thing for him to be doing)...win win situation!! Is there someone who could use your leftovers??

Funny!

2011-01-04T05:02:00.000-08:00

My 5 yor old son was getting ready this morning and he called me in....when I go in there he was in a panic and said " I wasn't even pickin' my nose and it's bleedin'! " HaHa!!

Pre-teen Heartcheck....Just For Her??

2011-01-03T03:49:00.000-08:00

We are having to deal with some heart issues with our oldest daughter...she is almost 11. It's different now....when she was small we had to deal with small issues like naps, and getting along with brothers and sisters...but she was SO good! She's good now...obedient, but we are seeing some heart issues that need to be dealt with. It is a whole new world dealing with older kids! Their issues are so "real" and what you SAY and DO really matters. Don't get me wrong, it all matters to all kids....but she is really watching me to see how I deal with things and what I say and do in reaction to certain things. Is what I am seeing a reflection of myself...what I have taught her by MY example? I think so. There is much to be done in the way of shepording this child's heart...am I up for it? No. I'm so thankful that I have a God who never fails me, I am so thankful to have my own Bible to read and learn from, I am so thankful for good christian ladies who will guide me, I am so thankful for children to teach....as long as I am willing and open to the Lord teaching me first! I pray that I will get to spend much time with my oldest daughter and teach her heart in the ways that the Lord is teaching my heart. I am bursting with joy that this daughter is a saved person, so she will be more receptive to God's prompting and conviction! I am looking forward to this day :0)

Date Night & Happy New Year!!

2011-01-01T03:18:00.000-08:00

We NEVER leave our kids and go on a date...usually once a year....tops is three times a year...but last night (actually it was afternoon....LOL) my wonderful and loving hubby arranged to take me on a date!! We had so much fun! It was even adventurous!! We got pulled over....by two police cars with flashing lights!! We felt like criminals....my man lives on the edge....he had the wrong SHADE of the RIGHT color marker light on the passenger side!! LOL....have you EVER heard of getting pulled over for the wrong SHADE of a 2 inch light! The officer was very nice to us and I'm sure was just checking to See because it was New Years Eve. He never even asked us if we were drinking...as soon as he saw us he was making jokes and being funny. I think he must have been able to sense we are the most boring couple in the USA! LOL....It was funny!

Happy New Year! Hope everyone has a great day!

Money Talk

2010-12-30T16:07:00.000-08:00

Let's talk money! We are making a plan and new budget to get out of debt before the end of 2o12....I know...it's a LONG term goal...but we are in a lot of debt! So, I think I will try to devote Friday's to thinking about ways to save, budget, and keep on track. I am frugal by nature and love a good deal...so I will be re-visiting my old ways of saving and trying to think of new ways. I must say I fell into the world of convenience while adjusting to my all the sudden large family last year! We went from 2 kids to 7 kids in a year~ that was a BIG change! We are all settled, adopted, homeschooled....now is the time to take our finances seriously and be good stewards of all the Lord has blessed with! We are going to make our budget tomorrow...but I have a few ideas in my head for saving some money already!

~ Make more SIMPLE meals...like tonight was spaghetti,meatballs, garlic bread...we don't need so much variety all the time!

~ Serve more natural and filling foods...we will eat less if we eat more filling foods, not chips and junk.

~ Drink water all day except for one drink of juice and one drink of milk.

~ work on making sure lights are off when we are not using them.

~ Try creative things to make new outfits with clothes we already have....this will be especially for the little ones who share clothes.

~ Make sure we wait 4 days before buying anything we don't NEED....during the 4 day period we need to see if we can make do without it or figure out another way to do the job (so to speak)

~ make homemade snacks...like a slice of toast...something SIMPLE...not pre-packaged stuff!

~ Eat the portion size that's correct! We always eat WAY too much!

~ Don't even "thrift shop" for fun! Only when there is a NEED!!

~ Save one of my babysitting paychecks for Christmas shopping for next year

Those are just a few of the things I should be doing...and am excited about doing!

Another thing I am wondering is what is an appropriate food budget for a family of 9...we are all home all day (except hubby, but I pack his meals...so he eats our boughten food) and I babysit 2 children all day....What is your food budget?

2010

2010-12-30T03:30:00.001-08:00

We had a very big year! 2010 was a great year for most things. We got to adopt 5 beautiful kids, we have everyone home for school now, which was a big adjustment...we went from 2 being schooled to 7...as we do "pre-school"..., we had a few hard on your heart foster care placements, we got to know many people in our church family, we teach Sunday school, we went through very hard times this year with the children we adopted but while still in foster care, we watched the kids siblings be moved around, I got a tubal reversal and then a uterine infection, and much more! It has been the most emotional year we have EVER had! Many, many, many ups and downs this year. There were times we thought the boys (the ones we adopted) were going to have to live with their grandparents, who were not appropriate...so we fought and fought for them and what was in their best interest....we had to split up the sibling group of girls we had...there were 4 sisters (we adopted only 3)....we tried SO hard to make it work for all 4...but the oldest sister was SO mean and abusive, we didn't tell the county we wanted her removed, they told us...and a month later she molested a boy close to the same age as my special needs son....we were so sad for her. To say the least, this year has been full of growing times! We are so thankful! God is good all the time....
I pray this next year to come will be full of fun and new things! There are a few things stirring already...so we shall see what God will do. Happy New Year!

Too Funny!!

2010-12-28T09:37:00.000-08:00

This is what we found after lunch....the dog is VERY old...we can't believe he did it! We served meatloaf ....it must have smelled good! LOL

Regular Life

2010-12-27T03:13:00.000-08:00

I am SO looking forward to getting back to "regular" life! I love the time we just had during November and December, but I am ready for our slow way of life to return! We are not busy people, we are always doing something....but usually at home...and it just seems normal to us. We are not a family who likes to run about and go lots of places and spend lots of money. It seems that's all we have done the past two month...with holidays and the adoption/adoption party...it has been hectic to say the least!! This week will be spent getting things cleaned up from Christmas, the tree and decorations put away...getting out my household planner and making new schedules as our old ones will not work now that all the kids are finally home (one was in public school until the adoption) and we have taken on another child to babysit. It feels so refreshing to look at things with a clear head and know that our slow way of living can be resumed! I look forward to every moment of it! :0)

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-22T09:16:00.001-08:00

Just popping in to Wish you all a Merry Christmas!!

Romance

2010-12-21T02:46:00.000-08:00

I really do think I have the best hubby ever! We are struggling greatly with one of our adopted children...she is grieving her lost family, and is acting out in a BIG way! Rob and I have been praying and trying to do what is best for her...it feels like we are living in a whirlwind...I don't know how else to describe it...the days fly by...everything is rushed as we are trying to deal with my heartbroken child. Yesterday, my loving man was the perfect picture of romance. I am always teaching my girls about real romance, as I DO NOT believe in the ushy-gushy romance...it's not real life...I feel a woman will never find contentment in her marriage if she holds a real guy up to the expectations she reads about or sees in movies...it's not REAL! Some people have told me that I am crushing girlhood dreams by teaching this to my girls...I don't agree. Life is not ushy-gushy...mine is full of dirty diapers, dirty dishes, runny noses, and smelly animals! That's not ushy-gushy...and after having all of that....all day....I don't even want ushy-gushy! Back to my point...about my amazing husband...When he got home from work, I needed to run to the post office and then to a friends house..quickly. He ended up calling me at my friends house (he tried my cell..twice... I left it in the van, he hates that) to see if I was OK...I told him I was and we were just visiting...he told me to take my time and he would fix dinner and to stay and eat dinner with my friend and her family. Of course, I didn't...I rushed home with a full heart and made my family dinner. Then after dinner, we played with the kids, I bathed them all and tucked them in...then my oldest foster daughter called..I talked to her for a long time...my husband waits...patiently...on the couch, even though he had a plan for me...he waited...patiently. That's true love. After my phone call, he put my coat on me...wrapped a prayer shawl around my head and neck to keep me warm...he asked me to put on my chore boots ( they are SMELLY) and gave me ONE glove. Take a minute to picture this...here I am...an ugly green chore coat, a prayer shawl around my head...poopy boots, and one glove. This is not ushy-gushy, but my heart has melted at this point. He takes me outside, and he also has just one glove on...he holds my ungloved hand in his coat pocket with his ungloved hand...and takes me on a walk in our pasture. He ministers to me...shares his heart for God, shares with me what and where he feels God is leading him to teach/train me...he is so gentle and soft with me and his correction. I love this man and would follow him anywhere. This is true romance. another mental picture, just for those who may still think romance only happens in the bedroom, or some spectacular ushy-gushy way...here we are...two exhausted parents, in chore gear, smelly...because of chore gear, in a poopy pasture...and the only smooching going on was from big, slobbery, animal noses! Marriage is such a blessing and a joy...I can't believe I get to be with my husband until I (or he) dies to go be with the Lord...I love this man!

It's Right

2010-12-20T02:26:00.000-08:00

I always feel like we take up too much room, are too loud, and bug others when we go out in our town. Our town is very small and the places we go are pretty small. I always feel like we are a side show as there don't seem to be many large families around. Honestly, I don't know anyone else with 7 living children...one of my friends has 7, but only 6 are living...and 2 of those are grown and married...I have another friend with 5, and a few with 4...I'm sure there are large families in the area, just none that I know of. Anyway... I always feel like we are taking up too much space so to speak...and am on edge when we are out. Rob took us to one of our favorite places to eat after church on Sunday as a surprise! And this time...just like every other time...God helped me see things clearly! (Almost) every time we go out, people ask us questions about our size...EVERYTIME....I honestly think I can count on one hand the times that it didn't come up! In small towns, people talk to you...it's neat :0) Sometimes I get sick of it, but then God gets a hold of me...and lets me know that these are the PERFECT times to bring glory to Him with my words. Yesterday at the restaurant two different families came up to us to talk to us about our kids! They both complimented their behavior and one lady even came right out and said..."I'll bet they are home schooled"....I was floored...and checking to see if they indeed looked really dorky or something that would make them stick out....then again...God said "HEY!!!"....this lady said that because they were an example for Christ...sitting there...big ones with little ones...all mixed together...It was so neat to get to speak of my Lord to people....people who wanted to talk to us because we look different....maybe it's not just the size...maybe they see us as approachable...maybe they can see the Light of Christ in our family?? I will always, from this day forward, thank God for those moments!

Busy Weekend...and a Question For You

2010-12-18T03:16:00.000-08:00

I'll start with the question...so you;ll have time to think of a brilliant answer before the end of this post..hehehehe! Ok...I can not seem to come up with a good, kid friendly craft for my babysitting kids to make for their parents for Christmas! I have searched, and thought...I am coming up BLANK! HELP! Any good ideas....cheap and easy would be best!? Thank You!!

This is the busiest weekend of the whole year for us...Today we have a Christmas party at Rob's mother's house with all of his step sisters and their kids...then we have a Christmas party at Rob's dad's house with all of the step siblings and their kids in the afternoon/evening. In the middle of that is dress rehearsal for the church Christmas play! This morning before we go I have baking to do for tomorrow. Tomorrow we have church and Sunday school, the kids will be handing out cute dishes of the baked goods that I am making this morning. Then when we come home, we will build a ginger bread house, and bake some more...then we will go back to church for the Christmas play (this is my Christmas gift from my daughter, I don't watch any rehearsals or even let her talk to me about the play! ) After the play will be fellowship time with finger foods in the gym. After that when we get home I need to put together trays of goodies as a gift for the families we babysit for. BUSY, BUSY, BUSY! Hopefully all can be done with a good attitude and a joyful spirit...after all it is all done in the name of the Lord! Hope you have a great weekend!!

Hand Picked Gifts

2010-12-17T03:45:00.001-08:00

We all feel special when we receive a hand picked gift, rather than some pre-packaged deal that you could pick up anywhere, right? This is not a new concept...I already knew this...but it hit me like a TON of Bricks yesterday and was instantly dropped to my knees in thanksgiving... God handpicked this life for ME! WOW! We all "know" this...but man oh man, did it become REAL in my heart yesterday! I just am amazed at Him...and all He is...He picked these kids, this husband, this home, this life, for ME...Talk about feeling special! Not that...my head is big, I'm so great, kind of special...a humbled beyond words kind of special. I am SO unworthy of all He has given to me. It's incredible to me....that He will work in spite of me...I don't deserve His grace and love...but it's mine...free for the taking....I look around me...I have the BEST husband... God picked him for me, we have been together since the first time we saw each other...literally, so I believe in love at first sight...because of God. I see 7 little faces snuggled on the couch watching shows...He gave me two before I was even saved, and living a life of TOTAL sin...then when I was barren he gave me 5 children to adopt...without even asking...what a gift...it was God. I could go on and on about the blessings He has given me!! I know this sounded like a bunch of "mish-mash"...LOL...but my heart is so full, it might burst! God's greatness is HUGE and I am so thankful to know Him, and to have received His handpicked gifts!

Just Like A "Real" Mommy!

2010-12-16T03:40:00.000-08:00

This is my daughter, Kate. she's too cute for her own good! She often dresses herself up like this, pushes a baby stroller, and is usually lugging around a purse half her size...saying "Look, I'm just like a real mommy!" She must need glasses!! This is NOT the mommy she sees....here...in this house~ I never walk around in full princess gear, pushing a stroller, carrying a magic wand~ But it got me thinking, what kind of mommy do the kids REALLY see? Do they see a mommy who is frazzled and tired? Do they see a mommy who can't hide her emotions when she's upset? Do they see a mommy who loves her home and her family? Do they see a mommy who puts God first in her life? I have no clue what they see! Kids are so forgiving...and adaptable. I have had kids get in trouble all day and then when I put them to bed and kiss them...they say to me.."Mommy, this was the best day ever!" (Kyara does this all the time!)LOL...I love my kids SO incredibly much, I think I owe it to them to really dig into the Word, pray, and see what kind of mommy they deserve to see everyday.

So Hurt!

2010-12-15T08:47:00.000-08:00

Right now I am absolutely crushed. I am so sick of people treating my 5 adopted kids as if they are not "my own" kids! So many family members are making them feel as if they are not "really" part of our "family". One said to me.." All 7 kids will have the same number of gifts at Christmas, but I won't spend the same on "them" as I do the 2 birth kids."!! WHAT! Another family member wanted to just give plastic gift cards to the adopted kids and a gift to the "real" kids (their words)! WHAT!! and the last straw just broke...I just got word that my own brother and his wife are also segregating my adopted kids...and wanted to give the 5 nieces and nephews born into the family a nice and special gift, while they give the adopted kids a piece of plastic! It is not about gifts...I could care less if my kids get any gifts at all...I would actually prefer they don't! Especially since it is causing such problems! What kind of person could look at these beautiful orphaned kids as lowly...not good enough for equal treatment! These 5 kids, you know the "others", these are the ones who were nearly starved to death, raped, beaten, ridiculed, and abandoned....they should be the ones who get the special gifts...just for surviving their circumstances!! I'll tell you another thing...these people in my "family" have said to me....they said "These kids have never had a big Christmas before, so they won't know the difference!" I am SHOCKED at the mindset of these ignorant people, and since they are my family, my heart is totally broken. How am I going to realistically explain this to the 10 and under crew about the visable difference in their treatment...from people they love and who claim to love them?? One grandma still can't even say all their names right! They have been here for years! People are the most important thing...hearts...I wish I knew what to do...how to handle this...the tears just won't stop flowing...the kids see my heart broken...When did CHRISTmas turn into this mess? All I want is to rejoice in the birth of my Lord...not feel like this. Any suggestions on how to handle this would be greatly appreciated!

Mommy's Sick Bed

2010-12-15T02:37:00.000-08:00

I am not feeling well. I am not down and out, just a little sick. I went to lay down yesterday at lunch break, I REALLY needed a rest as we were having company for dinner and dessert and before that I was going grocery shopping. So, I get them all sat down and started with lunch...I announce I am going to go lay in my bed and that their oldest sister was "in Charge"! I get all snuggled in with my box of tissues, close my eyes, and here a pitter patter and then "I wuz you, mom....SO much!"...and in climbs my little man...then 5 minutes later here comes another...and another...my sick bed was getting full of kids! Needless to say, I got no extra rest at lunch break...LOL...But God got me through the day and gave me a good night of rest...and a bed full of kids!

Pantry & Something Funny!

2010-12-14T03:44:00.000-08:00

I have been busy around the house this last week! So far, I have completely cleaned out the girl's room, the boy's room, the upstairs hallway/play area, the pantry, and the TOY BOX! Oh...a closet and the old frig too. It feels good to have things getting back to their normal order....it's not perfect or pretty...but functionable! I call myself the "comfort queen"... I go for comfortable/functionalbe things over fashionable things...that's just me :0) I like things to look nice, and pretty...but am not very good at doing it, nor do I want to spend a lot of time or money on things like that...it is not important to Rob, so I can't justify the time or money spent in that area. I feel blessed to have a big pantry full of food to eat! I am thinking about "food storage" so that we have more on hand... so I don't have to make a big shopping trip weekly. As it is now, if I go a day or two over the weekly trip we start to run out of things. This doesn't really work for us, as life can be crazy and I may not be able to get to the store weekly! Anyway....this is my pantry...God has blessed us with much!

OK...for the funny...at least funny to me...my 3 yr old still jabbers a bit...and my oldest daughter made cupcakes for dessert last night...and colton was calling them "buttcakes"....LOL...he was TRYING to say "CUPcake"....but each time we had him try it would come out "buttcake"....he couldn't figure out why we were all laughing, because to him..he said it right! LOL...kids keep ya young at heart, I guess!

Oh My...What a Weekend!

2010-12-13T02:51:00.001-08:00

Oh My! That's what I have to say about our weekend! It was chalked full of highs and lows! I'll start with Friday night...Rob and I went up to watch TV and visit in our room while a few bigs stayed downstairs to watch a movie...no big deal. I get up around 4:00 a.m. to let the dog out and find our freezer (the small one, on the frig) wide open! Our second to the oldest daughter left it open... ALL NIGHT! What a mess! All the food in there was ruined...and I was MAD! So, we cleaned it all up, talked with her...end of story. We get all the kids around the table as Daddy had a big surprise planned for the family! He drew pictures for clues and the kids got to guess what we were going to go do! We were going to go ride the "Santa Express"....in the theme of the "Polar Express"....we went on an hour train ride! The kids got tickets, free hot cocoa and cookies, a gift...it was AWESOME! We took them to lunch at McDonald's play place...life was good! Especially since we got a major discount on the tickets!! The kids ate candy canes and sang Christmas carols all the way home :0) Then the "REAL" fun begins! We walk in to find our frig was completely broken! It was not working at all! We called the repair man, a trusted friend, and he said it would cost at least $500 to fix it, and since it was old anyway, Rob decided to buy a new one. The decision came after hours of fretting, struggling to try to fix the old one, getting all the food we could put other places...clearing out an overstuffed closet to get to the back of the old frig...not fun...at..all!!! So, $900 later...we had a good and long talk about responsibility with the kids! The big ones were wide eyed and understood what had happened...while the Little's were just jazzed about getting a new frig. We go to bed. We wake up to a hill covered in ice! I teach Sunday School, so we were going to church...icy roads or not...we get ready and go...church was OK...not major issues except one little had a big sneeze "blow out" and I had no tissues with me! YUCK! But it was OK! After church we have a fellowship time of coffee and a snack...great...I say to my crew that it was time to go to Sunday School...3 of them take of RUNNING out of the gym and into the parking lot! So, off we go for a group time out! Then the actual teaching of Sunday School was AMAZING! I LOVE my class...it is such a blessing! But where was my husband?? After class he came to me and said that someone gave us a substantial amount of money to buy a new stove....what?? What a blessing...God is so good! The next second he was in the church office talking with a heartbroken person....then went to pick up another one of our kids from their class...and went to hug these two twin girls...we LOVE them so much...but sadly, most people see these kids (there are 4 kids all together in this sibling group) as bad kids....but their life is so sad...anyway, he scoops them up in his strong arms for hugs and kisses, and they melt into tears. How sad. They were having a bad day...there life is one of the saddest stories ever. Rob was crushed. Like so crushed he couldn't breathe....near tears himself...CRUSHED. So, we leave...we were supposed to go pick up the little girl we babysit for a sleepover and a Christmas party with grandma & grandpa...we couldn't get there due to the icy roads...we tried and tried to get there...but were slipping and sliding all over the place!! We couldn't pick her up. We went home had the party...it was fun. I finally got to talk to her mom and found out she sat all afternoon in her pretty little penguin dress and pigtails...she was sad...we were sad. Long story short...we ended up getting her later in the afternoon...it was all good...lots of ups and downs...God is good...ALL THE TIME. This weekend gave us lots to do, think about, and pray about!!

Meet The "Littles"

2010-12-11T05:06:00.001-08:00

These are the "Littles"....they are the little people in our family. Their ages are 3,4,5, and 6. They keep our house full of mischief, laughter, and fun! They do EVERYTHING together...and are often referred together as a group....hence being called the "Littles":0) I love that God blessed us with children like this, one right after the other! I pray any future pregnancies will be this way! There is always a party as far as they are concerned! There is always someone to play with, someone to talk to, someone to snuggle with! I pray that as they grow they will be best friends and understand just how special it is for them to have brothers and sister so close to their own age. In this picture the "Littles" are watching a Christmas movie together and eating popcorn :0) Another funny thing that just came to mind was this...people ask me all the time how I find time to have "one on one" time with each child...first of all, I don't really think this is a great idea...it works out that way sometimes, to have just one child, but we believe in doing things TOGETHER, anyways....if you try to do something with just one of the "Littles"...alone....they are devastated! They can't wait to get back with the "guys"! My kids actually ENJOY being TOGETHER as a FAMILY! Crazy idea...lol....

Let Them Help

2010-12-10T04:01:00.001-08:00

I feel it is so important to let the children help decorate for the holidays...it helps them feel as if they are part of making it special! I have been in some homes that looked as if they fell out of a magazine, and for a moment, I was (and still am) jealous! It lasts only a moment...because as you look around, you feel like you couldn't touch a thing or it might break, you feel uneasy with your children even being there, they might mess it up...etc. This does not set the tone of an inviting home, to me. What I prefer is to look around my house, as it is now, and see the little messes made in the spirit of Christmas, like the "train track" one of the boys built around the base of the tree, the nativity my son set up on his desk, it's set up backwards! I see homemade ornaments on my tree....I think there is only ONE bulb on the tree! I see lots of art work made by the kiddos, I see the HUGE candy advent calender, I see LOTS of books about the birth of Jesus, I see my windows painted by small hands...with drippy and smeary paint, I see a garland of paper gingerbread men strung across my dining room doorway for all to see! I pray the people who enter my home this Christmas season will feel comfortable, and feel the love of Jesus, not feel like they need to concentrate on not breathing as they might mess something up! Merry Christmas....Merry Memories! :)

Little Girl's Room

2010-12-09T03:06:00.001-08:00

As I said yesterday, things have kind of fallen to shambles around here...and I aim to fix it! LOL...I don't mind kid messes one bit...but this was more the kind of cleaning that I needed to do...picking up toys can be done quickly by the kids :0) So, this is the little girl's room. It was pretty trashed as you can see! Our home needs some decorating help, but it works....we are warm and dry!! I scrubbed the walls, did cob webs, washed beds, and cleaned under beds, dressers, toys/books, and cleaned the floor. Looks a bit better now!

Princesses do Laundry!

2010-12-08T03:55:00.000-08:00

Even princesses do laundry! She has no maid...so she happily helps with the wash! LOL...too cute! I am hoping to make more time for such things during the next few weeks. The wrapping is almost done...I just have a few things left to wrap, so I am going to take the hour I was spending wrapping and do some deep cleaning. I am going to start with the bedrooms and upstairs. During the time of getting ready for the adoption, doing the adoption, having the flu and strep throat go through, the house work has been let go a bit. We are still keeping things up OK, just not the greatest...LOL...Things have kind of been tossed here and there...so it's time to get to work!!

Christmas Decorations

2010-12-07T04:23:00.000-08:00

I thought I would share pictures of some of our Christmas decorations. We didn't put up as much as some years. I think I like to keep things simple. We don't have much extra space, so this works for us. I do have more decorations out than what is seen in these pictures though. Things are coming along as far as Christmas goes. I just have 2 more small things to buy the next time I'm at the store. They are not for my own children so it won't matter if they are with me when I buy them :0) I have a few more days of wrapping and then that should be done! I am looking forward to having a bit of free time in the afternoon to do some cleaning and organizing to get things ready for all the new things the kids will get for Christmas. It's a good chance to keep things cleared out! We have most of our get togethers scheduled and on the calender, so that makes it nice! I am having a hard time coordinating some of Ashley's activities and the parties. I think she will miss the get together with her grandparents this weekend as she will be with the church putting on a play for a nursing home. I am going to have her do this instead as I think she needs to learn to serve others...and this is a great opportunity to do so. I am trying to make this as stress free as possible!!

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Zip Lock Bags & God

Sweet!

When Hubby Shuts Down Plan "A"

Dover...Here We Come!

What He can do!

Who Will it Be?

I've Been Tagged

Don't Trust Them!

Today's Thoughts

Singing My Husbands Praises

More SNOW...are you kidding!

Spring Cleaning Has Begun!

Menu

Don't miss it!

Sometimes It's Too Much

Rip Off!

Simple Things

Mom's Tools

God's Deliverance!

I CAN do it!

You Know It's Time...

Confessions and Repentance

What Kind Of Wife Am I?

What Our Day Looks Like

Raw Pain

Living With Kids!

Snow

What I'm Learning

Cleaning Out!

Idle Time

Uh-Oh!

A BIG day!

Library Day!

Ahh...That's Better!

Half Way Point

The Laundry Game!

What a Weekend!

Meet Lucky

I'm Calmed Down Now :0)

Here we go again!

Needing Frugal Organization!

Asking for prayer

Peace & Quiet

Broken!

Another Frugal Day!

Frugal Friday

Adoption/ Foster Care Pt 2

Adoption/Foster Care & Our Story

Sunshine Award!!

Clothes, Clothes, Clothes!

My Favorite Vision

Click-n-Pull!!

Frugal Friday

This and That

One More Step Done!

Sick....Again!

Have a Great Weekend!

Frugal Fun!

My Testimony

Winter Comfort Food

Funny!