Seven 4 Heaven

Abandoned Blog

2011-01-31T11:58:00.000-08:00

This blog has been abandoned for a long time, but I've decided to resurrect it! I've decided that it would be a great tool to journal the newest journey we've started on- ADOPTION.

He's been in our home since Dec 13th, and what an adventure it has been!

To make a very long story short, a dear friend of ours called with a serious problem involving a newborn baby and we offered to give his son a home and family. I have been praying for another child for 7 yrs. I have been praying that the Lord would open my tied tubes or open the door for us to adopt by way of funding. I never in a million years imagined that the Lord would open this door. It amazes me how the Lord answers prayer in ways that we couldn't have even thought up! He was named by his birth father, David and myself. We all had the same name in our minds and I don't believe that it was a coincidence. We named him Benjamin Michael.

I flew to Louisiana, on Sunday the 12th, picked this precious baby boy up and flew home the following day. I cannot even fully explain all the emotions that I went through that day. He was a perfect angel on the trip and amazed all the other passengers. One of our fellow travelers was a corporate Pepsi guy on his way to his annual meeting in Atlanta. He was, just like many, interested in hearing about tiny Benjamin.

The adoption isn't final, we've just begun actually, but he is here and we are going to love him just like he is a Kriner. My hope is this- that we will give him exactly what he needs- love and lots of it!

Chapter 7 & 8 A Heart That Loves

2010-04-01T05:15:00.000-07:00

Titus 2:4 "Admonish the young women to love their husbands." What exactly does that mean to "love" our husbands. The word used here is the friendship kind of love- phileo. Our love for our husband should be the kind that cherishes, enjoys, and likes our husband. Our husband needs to know that he is our best friend and that we want to be with him more than any other person.

Exactly how are we to do that? It begins with a decision. You and I must decide to make our husbands our number one human relationship. Examine your time, it will show you were you are spending your time. Begin to choose your husband over all other human relationships. We all make mistakes and it's easy to get our priorities mixed up. Often, once children enter the home our priorities change and the kids become our number one priority. This should not be so, my friends. The best gift we could ever give our children is to make their father number one.

Do you pray for your husband daily? Did you know that it's impossible to hate or neglect the person you are praying for! We all have times in our marriage when we think, why did I do this? The only way those thoughts can be overcome is by prayer. Our first response should be to pray for our husbands, not our last response. Sadly, I must admit that I've done that more times than I can count. Once we make prayer for our husband a daily decision it softens us and helps us see him through the Lord's eyes and not our own.

The writer talks about planning for our husbands. Plan for when he comes home, by picking up the house and making yourself look like attractive. You know, she makes some pretty interesting points and I think there might be some truth to them. Read the section and ask the Lord what part you need to follow and what you don't. The divorce rate is through the roof in America, so even though some of her "suggestions" might seem like they came from the 1950s, I think it would be wise to at least think on it. A long time ago, when I read this book for the 1st time, I made the decision to pick up my front room before my husband comes home and I always at least make sure my hair is tidy. I don't want the women at work to look better than I do. I want my husband to walk through the door and look at me and think "I've waited all day to see her face." If he walks in the door and I look like death warmed over, odds are he's not thinking what I want him to! I'll tell you, if my sweetheart does come through the door and I'm not there smiling, he knows I'm sick. Ladies, I know that it's not always possible when there are little kids around the house, but you can try at least. I was convicted a long time ago that the dog shouldn't be more excited than I am to see my husband!

The one thing in this chapter that really convicted me of the most is #7- Positively respond to him. What does that mean to you? What response did you have immediately after reading that point? I have to be honest, I read this and I thought, "But, I do everything for him already! Don't I ever get to say No?" Well, ladies, there are times when I can't answer a "Sure." But, I think about it in a different light now. He knows my day is super busy, so if he's asking me to do something for him then he must really need my help. The thing is that before I would have just said, "I don't have time to do that" and wouldn't have even really thought about it twice. Now, I at least think about it and I try with all my power to answer "Sure!" Just think about it, let the Holy Spirit guide you if you need to make this change.

I'd like to end this post with an excerpt from the book. "A wife who loves her husband is a wife who prays, plans, prepares, pleases, protects, physically loves, positively responds - and then prays some more! Put this whole list to work and you'll communicate -I love you" more powerfully than words alone can!"

Chapter 6- A Heart that Submits

2010-03-23T10:55:00.000-07:00

Oh no, it's that word again!! In our society it has become a taboo word and has even been dropped by some minister's in the wedding vows! Ephesians 5:22- "Wives, submit to your own husbands." As much as some would like, we can't drop it from God's Word! Here we can read it, plain and simple. Not only are we called to serve our husbands, but we are also called to submit to him. I wonder if you are thinking what I'm thinking, "Really? I have to do this too, Lord." And His response is "Yes, if you want to be a woman after my heart."

Submission is something that, as followers of Christ, we are all called to- men and women alike, so this shouldn't be something that we get "stuck" on. Submission isn't barking orders out, making everyone jump, throwing your weight around and demanding submission, it is realizing that the man has the final responsibility. The husband is accountable to God for his leadership decisions, and we are accountable to God for how we submit to that leadership. "Our husband answers to God for leading and we answer to Him for following."

My favorite part of this chapter is the "How" part! It really is simple, "as unto the Lord." Colossians 3:23- "Whatever you do {including submitting to my husband}, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men." The best advice I was ever given as a young bride, 20 yrs old, was to complete each task as I was doing it for the Lord. That meant even picking up his dirty clothes, as if they were the Lord's clothes!! I know that since the Lord is perfect he wouldn't ever leave his clothes on the floor, but it did help to silence the thoughts running through my mind as I repeatedly picked those up. Whenever the battle seems harder than normal, I do the things I need to do for the Lord. This is a total mindset ladies and if you can master it and not over think it, it will help you as you submit and serve- not only your husbands, but your family as well.

Chapter 5 - A Heart that Serves

2010-03-23T10:28:00.000-07:00

"A woman after God's own heart is a woman who carefully cultivates a servant spirit, whether she is married or not."

The key word here is cultivate. That word says to me that it is something that I have to work at. We cultivate a garden in order to get the desired outcome we want. We must also cultivate our spirit to make it servant-like. I don't know about you, but servant like doesn't come naturally to me. I will say that the closest I've ever been is when my children were born. When they lay that precious baby in your arms, you are so eager to care for them and change endless poopy diapers, but unfortunately that only lasts for a little while before the thoughts start that ask, "Where is my time?" "Who is going to clean up after me?"

I think it's just a natural response to focus on ourselves, but we must fight against those thoughts. We must fight those self-seeking thoughts and feelings even more in our marital relationships. According to Genesis 2:18- "It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him" -we are to be our husband's helper. Understanding that we are on assignment from God to help our husbands is the key to a heart after God. I don't know what that looks like in your life, but you do. Are you sharing his responsibilities, responding to his nature with understanding and love and wholeheartedly cooperating with him in working out God's plan? I know I'm not always perfect at doing that, but I want to do those things and that is the cultivation process, my sisters!

How can we? Our writer tells us to first make a commitment to help our husband. Making the decision is very important, because it means that you're willing. The second thing is to focus on our husbands. I cannot even say enough about this point. I think it is a great disservice to our children when we make our husband the last thing on our list. He needs to be my highest human priority and he needs to know that he is. Ask the Lord to show you ways you can help your husband each day. Ask your husband what he might need done and see what answer you get. I will admit that I've been answering "Sure!" a lot lately, purposefully making sure that he knows I'll help him whenever he needs it.

If you don't have a husband, then you are not off the hook! You get to God's wife! You get to serve Him and Him alone. Ask Him where you can serve, He will most surely tell you! A high calling indeed, to be God's help meet!

When It Rains- It Pours

2010-03-19T10:01:00.000-07:00

We have been in the Dr's office more in the last 2 weeks than we have in a year!! First, the boys came down with poison ivy all over and required a steroid to get rid of it. Second, Lauren needed to be checked before soccer season begins. We fear that she has a form of asthma that kicks in when she's exercising. She begins to cough and wheeze when she's running. We've been suspecting this since last season and just now got around to getting her checked- bad parenting, I know. (We don't do a lot of running around in the winter time!)
And third, I had another one of those weird "attacks." This one was number 3 since the beginning of January. I'm not sure what's going on, but the pain was more than I could take this time, so I went to the ER. After sitting there for 2 hours, I finally started feeling better and thought I should just go home. I was in pain a total of 6hrs before I started getting some relief. However, a certain person made me stay because, "This is NOT normal!" After blood work and urine check, they send me home with prescriptions that I'm not going to fill, and told me to get an ultrasound of my gall bladder. Of course, having gastric bypass surgery, I can't just go and do that without letting someone know in Richmond, so a day later and I've got an u/s appt on Mon and appt in Richmond on Fri with my surgeon. Phew! I have no idea what's going on, whether I have a gallstone or what, but I do know I don't want to have that pain again!
Just when I thought we might be on the track to normal, David took the girls to the dentist today and Oldest is getting her WISDOM teeth in! ARG! Really?? She's only 13yrs old! Unbelievable! Hence my title today- when it rains -it pours. I'm not sure how on earth we are going to afford all this, but my God is bigger than the earth- He made it- and I know that He knows our every need!

Chapter 4- A Heart That Obeys

2010-03-15T06:02:00.000-07:00

This one can be more challenging to some than others, but it is necessary to have a heart that is compliant, cooperative, and responsive to the Lord and His commands. Elizabeth George shares a story about her daughter baking brownies, where she leaves out the salt in the recipe. It made the brownies terrible and no one could eat them. In order to be a woman after God's heart, we must have the ingredient of obedience.

The chapter spends some time talking about the differences between the heart of King David and the heart of King Saul. One of the differences spoke volumes to me. Elizabeth George writes, "Even though David didn't always obey God, he had what mattered over the long haul- a heart after God. In sharp contrast, Saul's devotion to God was impulsive and sporadic." This is such an encouragement to me. I do not always do what is right and I am far from perfect, but my heart wants to obey and do the right. And that my dear friend is the ticket! Do we want to do what is right or are we kicking and screaming all the way there?

We can work on having a heart that is obedient by concentrating on doing what is right, cease doing what is wrong, confess any wrong, clear things up with others, and then continue on our walk with the Lord. Like brownies we cannot eat, because they are missing a key ingredient, we cannot be used fully by the Lord if we are missing an ingredient.

Chapter 3- A Heart Committed to Prayer

2010-03-15T05:15:00.000-07:00

I told you about the Great Exchange program available to us in Chapter 2, but that is just one of the blessings that we receive when we take time for prayer. I'm not talking about that quick, little whispered prayer before we loose it, but a more decided prayer. The one where we've decided to sit and spend some time talking to the Creator of the Universe about the things going on in our life and the lives of the people we love. As we decidedly take the time, day in and day out, to pray it becomes more natural. You really can rise up from prayer feeling more relieved and free from the heavy burdens that you've been carrying.

Mark 1: 35 tells us that Jesus got up early, before dark, and went out alone in the wilderness to pray. I was struck by the simpleness of this. Jesus was God and Man and he still needed to be alone to pray, how much more do I need to do this, since I am just a woman. The scriptures before this verse tell us about all the things Jesus had done the previous day and man was it a lot! He healed the sick, cast out demons, and taught in the synagogue. His day was filled to the brim with doing for others- I can identify with that and I bet you can too! So, if even Jesus himself needed time to be alone to recharge His battery, so do I and so do you.

There are many benefits to prayer like confidence, improved relationships, contentment, and God-confidence and those are just to name a few. The best benefit to prayer is a deeper relationship with God. Create a prayer journal this week, so you can see how the Lord moves and answers prayer in your life. I started this several years ago and I've never regretted doing it. It builds my faith as I read over the different things I've lifted to the Lord and see how He answered those needs in my life and in others. I challenge you, if you've never done one, and you are serious about wanting to grow deeper in your relationship with the Lord, pick up an empty notebook today and start. There is no formula, no right way to do it, just writing.

Chapter 2- A Heart Abiding in God's Word

2010-03-15T04:20:00.000-07:00

I hereby freely admit that I very well might have bitten off more than I can chew. There, I said it- phew! I'm sorry for the very late posts, but late is better than never. I am considering stopping this altogether, especially if I just cannot keep up. However, I am going to give it one more good attempt and see how it goes. I've decided that my time is a bit more precious than I had previously thought and learning how to best use my time is something I need to focus more on. But, for now, Chapter 2- A Heart Abiding in God's Word.

The writer compares our spiritual lives with that of a plant. Plants must have a good root system to survive the elements. So must you and I have spiritual roots that go down deep, to keep us up and alive in order to survive the "elements" of life. John 10 :10 says, "The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all it's fullness." We hear plenty of people talk about how their life has no meaning, how there has to be more than this, etc. Yes, there is and you can only find that purpose, that meaning, in Christ. This is the beginning of a spiritual plant, the realization that our purpose comes from Him, and all of us have different purposes- different things to accomplish. Understanding our purpose can only come from time with the Lord, and reading the Word that He left for us.

Spending time in the quiet with Him and His Word develops our spiritual root system. What's the one thing common among all plants? You can't see their roots! Roots are unseen. I find the parallel perfect here. We cannot tell from the surface if a plant has a good root system or not. We can pull on the plant to see if it wiggles a little and with some investigation we can know if it does or don't have a good root system. When the hot sun comes and the wind blows, does our plant stand tall or does it droop and bend over? We cannot tell what kind of spiritual root system people have, but we can watch to see what happens when the pressures of this life come and the winds of change knock on their door. This is why I can't stress the importance of spending time reading the Word of God enough. We must develop our spiritual roots, so that when the challenges of life come upon us (and they most definitely will) we have what we need to survive. You can't get the deep, down roots by going to church every time the doors are open. You can't get the deep, down roots by doing. You can only get those deep, down roots by spending time with the Lord and Him alone.

Once we've made the decision to take the time to develop our root system, we can then take advantage of God's great exchange program. That's right- He has an exchange program and it's wonderful! Some can't believe that this is actually a real thing. I mean who gives you something for nothing? Who would do that? I'll tell you who- Jesus! He died to give us this exchange program! When I take time away from the world, away from anything or anyone else, to spend time with the Lord and His Word, I can exchange my weariness for His strength, my problems for His solutions, my burdens for His freedom, my frustrations for His peace, and the list goes on and on! Amazing, isn't it! I have been focused on this for several weeks now and it really has encouraged me more than I could ever tell you.

There is so much more to this chapter than these two points, so make sure you read the rest to learn what you can do to help develop your root system deeper and deeper.
Blessings to you and the love of Jesus Christ to you all.

Heart after God Chapter 1

2010-02-17T07:07:00.000-08:00

I am not 1oo% sure how this is going to go. I've never done anything quite like this before, so I'm telling you (really warning) that is may change as we go along. The way I see this is that the amount of time you spend reading and the amount of time I spend writing are well worth our investment. There is no better investment in our time than to invest in our journey of faith and sharing that journey with fellow travelers.

We will study two chapters each week starting March 2nd. I will be in a conference next week, so the class will not discuss chapter 2 till March 2nd. After that date, we will talk each week on the following two chapters. I am planning on posting the reading schedule on the side of my blog, just in case you need it. The study will conclude on May 11th. I am excited to spend the next 12 weeks with you, as we talk about the things the Lord is doing and the changes we see in ourselves as we take this trip together.

Chapter 1- A Heart Devoted to God

Interestingly this book begins with the same story that our last study concluded on- Mary, the sister of Lazarus and Martha. Luke 10:42- "But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken from her." Mary did choose the best part, she chose to stop the busyness and sit at Jesus' feet. Continually serving without spending time at Jesus' feet is detrimental to our spiritual lives. This happens so often in the church and ladies- it should not be so. When we don't stop to spend time sitting at Jesus' feet, the joy of serving evaporates away. The time we spend with Him is what refuels us to be His hands and feet in the world. The things we do for the Lord should not take priority, but the time we spend with the Lord should.

Mary made the best choice. I want to make the same choice, and I'm sure you do too. How do we?

Proverbs 3:6- "In all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths." The writer of this book shares that this could the theme verse of this book. Here is where we must begin the "how" part. Daily acknowledging Him in every decision we make. This can be a hard thing, I know. With seven children here Monday through Friday, I understand that it's hard to stop and ask, "Lord, what should I do here?" or "what should I say?" If I did every, single time I'd be much happier and so would the children. I remember the times I worked and I know that it is a struggle no matter where you are or who you spend your day with. This is a daily thing, not a weekly, bi-weekly, or heaven forbid yearly.

In class, we talked about a personal prayer we should have each day. I think that it is important that it audible, so our own ears hear your choice to give the day to the Lord. I started this many years ago, it's not always audible, but I've found that if I give the day to the Lord, before my feet hit the floor, then no matter how good or bad the day goes, I know He was there with me all the time. I can rest in that knowledge and in that I have found peace in the midst of chaos- literal chaos!

After reading the part on a hot heart, I was immediately convicted. I think the verse in Revelations 3:15-16 speaks volumes when you consider that the Lord would rather we be cold than lukewarm. Ladies, cold bodies are DEAD. The Lord would rather we be unconscious of Him than to be lukewarm! How many recipes do you know that call for lukewarm water? None that I know of. Most recipes say hot or cold water. Same principal, the Lord cannot use us when we are lukewarm. Think on these verses for a while and try to let them sink in.

A tea kettle lets the whole house know it's hot. We need to be like the tea kettle in our homes, in our churches, in our community, in our world. A few months ago, I was able to go to a local tea house. I have driven by it many times and always said I'd like to go in there, but never took the time to do so. When the waitress brought us our individual tea pots, with the flavor of tea we requested, I was so delighted. I felt as if I were a princess, drinking from my own little teapot with my tea cup. I hadn't thought anymore of that outing till today. The lady of the tea house had put a warmer around the tea pot to keep the contents warm longer. Two things came to mind when I thought about that. 1- Tea isn't very good if it gets cold, in my opinion. Every time I get a mouth full of tea or coffee that isn't quite hot anymore, I want to spit it out. Imagine that for a minute. That is how the heavenly Father can feel about us. 2- The warmer works only for a short time to help keep the pot hot. The pot has to return to the heat source in order to be hot again! Are you following me? I don't know what kind of warmer you've got wrapped around you, but we have to return our source, our daily heat source must be Jesus.

My prayer is that I will be hot for the Lord, like the tea kettle that is squealing from my stove. It is my prayer for you as well.

Till next week...please feel free to comment and share with me what you've learned this week or what spoke to you specifically in this chapter.

It's been a long time...too long

2010-01-26T06:40:00.000-08:00

So, its been a super long time since I've written anything here and I think it's about time! Forgive me, my fellow bloggers, for spending so much of my time on Facebook and not enough time here.

To be totally honest, the stuff going on in my life just can't be spoken out on internet. I imagine that goes for many other bloggers as well, but I find myself at a crossroads. Do I get on here and talk about trivial things or do I write about the things that are causing stress in my life? That is the dilemma...what to write and how much to share.

I don't want to focus on the things in my life that are crazy and stressful. Why on earth would I want to give that junk more of my mental time?! So, this blog is going to take on a different approach. It is going to become the avenue that I use to communicate to the ladies in my church, and anyone else that wants to read, on the Bible Study we are currently in.

We will be starting the book "A Woman After God's Own Heart" by Elizabeth George. Our first discussion meeting is going to start on Feb 16th. This will be open for anyone that is interested in learning together, and sharing what the Holy Spirit is teaching each of us as we walk in our journey of faith. This blog will serve as a sharing place as well, for those that may not be able to come to the discussion each week, but want to read along with us.

More to come....now, back to my crazy but great life!

Simpler Life

2009-09-11T09:22:00.000-07:00

Lately, I've been thinking that a simpler life is what I need. Exactly how much simpler can I get though? I have honestly been thinking about cutting out the TV. I have been reading a book that I picked up off my shelf titled Mitten Strings for God. I found out talking to a friend about the contents of the book that she had given it to me!! I think I read it when she gave it to me, put it on the shelf, and forgot about it.

This book has really been challenging me in so many areas, but the one that sticks out is her thoughts on the TV. The writer of this book took her TV out completely and their family lives that way. At first my thoughts were probably like yours- No way! I'm not doing that!
Here's an excerpt:

"In our house, eliminating television cleared a space for the things we really care about. In fact, I don't think it is an exaggeration to say that turning off the TV was the greatest single thing my husband and I have done to foster creativity, imaginative play, and independent thinking in our children. What's more, we realized that we suddenly felt more connected to each other and more in touch with ourselves....Once we see our homes as sanctuaries from a hectic world, then television begins to feel more and more like an unsavory intruder, robbing our rooms of life and meaning, stealing our time, and preying on our souls."

I guess that's where I am. I am beginning to see the TV as the intruder that it is. On Tuesday evening, Dh was away for work and the TV was driving me crazy, or maybe it was the five kids fighting over what to watch that was driving me nuts, either way it was killing me so, I turned it off! The kids protested, of course, but I was soon able to get them involved in a card game (Phase10), which lasted all evening. We took a small break for dinner, but other than that we all sat around the dining room table and talked, laughed and had a wonderful time till it was time for bed. I wish that Dh had been there to be apart of it all. I went to bed feeling so peaceful. As I sat there, surrounded by my children, I literally had the thought that these days will soon be over and our kids will be grown before I know it.

Deep thoughts for today, but I think it is worth a few minutes to alteast think about.

If you see the book at the Thrift Store pick it up!

Nothing Grand

2009-08-13T09:27:00.000-07:00

No grand post today, I thought I'd update you on the goings here at the Kriner home. We are back from 10 days at Family Camp in good 'ole Buckingham. We had a wonderful time and I have NO pictures to prove it! I totally forgot my camera this year- terrible, I know. We managed to get home without harm or injury, which is a grand thing! (Maybe I do have something grand to say after all!)

I am so thankful for our friends that stayed with us when our van broke down. They could have traveled on, but chose to hang out with us for about 4 hrs while our alternator was fixed. They were a blessing to us Monday and I thank you guys from the bottom of my heart. The shop that fixed our van was great to us as well. They were so kind to us. I felt like God showed us His favor as we, literally, coasted into the shop's parking lot as our van died. God blessed us for sure. (That's another grand thing!)

During our camp stay, my sweetheart became a licensed minister in the Church of the Nazarene! This has been a long time coming people. My hubby was called to preach when he was in high school, but being a PK and all that entails, he ran from his call. I have prayed for him for years to be obedient and follow his calling...and finally this week it happened! I cannot tell you how excited I am for him, for us. Depending on where we serve, and whether it's full time or part time, will depend on when he becomes an ordained minister, but for now we are praying for God's perfect will for our lives, wherever that may be.

Our little foot turned 10 while we were at camp too! She is such a sweet girl and I found my self staring at her, wondering where the time had gone. 10 yrs ago I took her to camp when she was just 3 days old! Amazing. As I wondered where the time had gone, I thought about what call the Lord has placed on her life. I can't wait to see where the Lord leads her in the next 10 years!

As you can tell, we've been one busy bunch and the month isn't over yet! Teen Lock-in on Friday night and VBS next week....I'll let you know about how those go next week sometime.

ta-ta for now

What is Your heart set on?

2009-07-16T07:04:00.000-07:00

The Lord has been dealing with me on a few issues. (He's always working on something- which is a good thing! I don't want Him to ever stop working on me! That could/would be terrible! ) Back to the issue at hand- what are my thoughts fixed on? What is my heart set on? The answer is going to be different for each of us, but we must answer it and answer it truthfully. As much as I love my family, I can't have my heart set on them. As much as you love ______ (fill in the blank), you can't set your heart on that thing or person. "We all set our hearts on attaining things that God does not want us to have or to have right now." Our hearts and thoughts need to be fixed on Christ. When we set our hearts on anything other than Christ, we are creating an idol in our heart.

Idols in our hearts. What is an idol? An idol can be good things and bad things. An idol can be anything that we want so badly that we are willing to sin to get or attain. Once we choose to sin that means we are worshipping an idol rather than Christ. Even Christians can have idols in our hearts. As wives, we can have idols in our hearts. We can even make our husbands an idol! Each of us is worshipping something or someone within our heart every minute of every day. Who or what we worship is "what's on our mind," "what is really important to you," and "what you have our heart set on." A harsh reality, isn't it? As I read those words myself, the sting hit - OUCH!

David used the word "pontification" last night and I think it fits here. This is the time for pontification. I've been pondering on this for several days now. The best explanation I have found is in one of my most cherished books, "The Excellent Wife" by Martha Peace. She says:

"For example, going fishing is fun and certainly not sinful. However, idolatry comes in to play at the point that the fisherman does not get to go on a planned trip and he sins. The problem is his affections are set on fishing, not on the Lord Jesus. Fishing could possibly have become an idol. A person whose heart is set on fishing may become angry, frustrated, feel self-pitying, anxious, manipulative, or bitter. Fishing is not sinful, but what a person thinks about it may be."

Again, more pontification....and again, OUCH!

Be brave and ask yourself : What am I setting my heart on? I'm asking myself. Psalm 139:23-24 says, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts . See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." That is my prayer today.

I highly recommend the book quoted above. This book changed my life and my relationship with my family. Martha Peace explains idolatry in our hearts and also talks about false saviors as well. Even if you are not a wife yet, you can benefit from this book, in fact, I wish I had read it before I was married! It speaks volumes about the woman's heart and helped me to understand me. Check it out- if you are brave enough!

Mary's Heart

2009-06-30T06:15:00.000-07:00

I received a phone call the other day from the woman in charge of the Ladies Ministries at our church- Women of Grace. She asked me to consider teaching a Ladies Bible Study in the fall. Those that know me know I love bible studies. I will often do them all by myself just because. I was not quick to answer her, because I have learned to not say yes to something till the Lord has confirmed it. So, I gave her the typical response...."I'll pray about it." Now, I realize that some use this line when they don't want to do something and are just pacifying the person till a later date, but for me, I really wanted to pray about it before automatically saying yes.

1 Corinthians 6:12 says- "Everything is permissible for me- but not everything is beneficial."

I figured this possible new assignment fell in to that category.

It has been a month or so since she first asked me and thankfully, she has not been bugging me for an answer. I think I've been given permission from the Lord to do this, but now I have to ask for permission from my husband. I know, I know. There are many reading this thinking..."What? If God has given you permission then so has your husband." That is not necessarily true.

1 Corinthians 11:3 says: "But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ."

We spend a good deal of our time at the church as it is and have a ton of responsibilities already. I need to yield to my husband's desire, so that our family unit can be protected. There was a time in my married life that this would not have been the case. I would have told him what I was doing and waited for him to get over being upset about it. I've changed. The Lord has changed me. Now, I understand that my husband was put over me to protect me, not to "control" me. There is a line there and many don't see it. Just because I yield to his wishes doesn't make me less of a partner in our marriage. He will listen to what I have to say on the matter and will consider it as he makes the final decision. It all boils down to trust. Do I trust my husband's relationship with the Lord? Do I trust the Lord to show him the same as me? Control isn't the issue, trust is. (But, that is a whole 'nother ball game in and of itself.)

Which leads me to my dilemma...my dilemma isn't whether my hubby is going to allow me to do this, it is- what to study when, and if, my hubby does give the thumbs up. You know I am not a worry wart like some. I have totally given this to the Lord and trust that He will direct my path. I trust that my husband listens to the Lord, and if the Lord has truly spoken to me, then I rest in the knowledge that the Lord will speak to my husband as well. So, that's where I am now- I'm in that resting place.

While I rest, I might as well get some ideas in my mind about what the Lord would want us to study. Actually, my question to the Lord has been, what do you want me to study? I found a book at the local Christan bookstore that looks interesting - "Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World" by Joanna Weaver. I struggle in this area. I want to be Mary. I want to be sitting at the feet of Jesus all day. I could study and read all day. I could sit and enjoy the presence of the Lord all day long. But, being the Martha person that I am, where everything has a place and organization needs to conquer the chaos, we all know that can't happen. Or can it? Between the many loads of laundry, bandaging all the boo-boos, between the refereeing and hugs, Jesus is still there and I can meet him. I've just begun this book and already I wake-up each morning waiting to read a little bit more about how I can be both Mary and Martha.

Balance...that's what we all need. A balance of both Mary and Martha.

On that note, I need to put my Bible and books away

and ever-so slowly move toward the laundry-

at least for a little while.

Making A Happy Home

2009-06-16T10:00:00.000-07:00

My friend over at As For Me and My House has challenged her readers to Make A Happy Home on Monday. She chooses one area in her home that needs some sprucing up and works on that area getting it all cleaned up and reorganized. As I read her post, I thought of my kitchen hutch...it can get pretty cluttered. I decided that this summer, if I work on one area every week, things won't get so out of control around here. I can't promise that I will post pictures of my mess, after all, that would mean you would be able to see that I'm not perfect!
Here is the before pic:

After just about 20 minutes, everything is all cleaned up and looking much better. Next, week I might tackle those two drawers and the underneath part that holds my pots and pans. I do wonder how long it will take for this to get all messed up again, but for now it looks tidy.

Now, what do you need to declutter and reorganinze? Hopefully, this helps motivate you!

Do You Read Forwards?

2009-06-03T06:31:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, I don't take the time to read all the forwards I get in my inbox, but this one caught my eye, so I opened it. It moved me in a way that I cannot explain, so I decided to share it with all of you, in hopes that it will move you too! Author of this is- Unknown.

Will You Dance With Me? READ THIS VERY SLOWLY.... IT'S PRETTY PROFOUND.

Too many people put off something that brings them joy just because they haven't thought about it, don't have it on their schedule, didn't know it was coming or are too rigid to depart from their routine.

I got to thinking one day about all those women on the Titanic who passed up dessert at dinner that fateful night in an effort to cut back. From then on, I've tried to be a little more flexible.

How many women out there will eat at home because their husband didn't suggest going out to dinner until after something had been thawed? Does the word 'refrigeration' mean nothing to you? How often have your kids dropped in to talk and sat in silence while you watched 'Jeopardy' on television?

I cannot count the times I called my sister and said, 'How about going to lunch in a half hour? She would gas up and stammer, 'I can't. I have clothes on the line. My hair is dirty. I wish I had known yesterday, I had a late breakfast, It looks like rain.' And my personal favorite: 'It's Monday.' She died a few years ago. We never did have lunch together.

Because Americans cram so much into their lives, we tend to schedule our headaches. We live on a sparse diet of promises we make to ourselves when all the conditions are perfect! We'll go back and visit the grandparents when we get Steve toilet-trained. We'll entertain when we replace the living-room carpet... We'll go on a second honeymoon when we get two more kids out of college.

Life has a way of accelerating as we get older. The days get shorter, and the list of promises to ourselves gets longer. One morning, we awaken, and all we have to show for our lives is a litany of 'I'm going to,' 'I plan on,' and 'Someday, when things are settled down a bit.'

When anyone calls my 'seize the moment' friend, she is open to adventure and available for trips. She keeps an open mind on new ideas. Her enthusiasm for life is contagious. You talk with her for five minutes, and you're ready to trade your bad feet for a pair of Roller blades and skip an elevator for a bungee cord.

My lips have not touched ice cream in 10 years. I love ice cream. It's just that I might as well apply it directly to my stomach with a spatula and eliminate the digestive process The other day, I stopped the car and bought a triple-Decker. If my car had hit an iceberg on the way home, I would have died happy.

Now....go on and have a nice day. Do something you WANT to......not something on your SHOULD DO list. If you were going to die soon and had only one phone call you could make, who would you call and what would you say? And why are you waiting?

Make sure you read this to the end; you will understand why I sent this to you.

Have you ever watched kids playing on a merry go round or listened to the rain lapping on the ground? Ever followed a butter fly's erratic flight or gazed at the sun into the fading night? Do you run through each day on the fly? When you ask ' How are you?' Do you hear the reply? When the day is done, do you lie in your bed with the next hundred chores running through your head?

Ever told your child, 'We'll do it tomorrow.' And in your haste, not see his sorrow? Ever lost touch? Let a good friendship die? Just call to say 'Hi?

When you worry and hurry through your day, it is like an unopened gift.....Thrown away.......
Life is not a race Take it slower. Hear the music before the song is over..

Life Can Be So Boring...

2009-06-01T07:50:00.000-07:00

I know, how on earth can I say that, right? With all these kiddos to care for, life is anything but boring. There is always something to do, something to clean, something, something, something. However, it has been brought to my attention, from the pulpit no less, that I've been neglecting my blog and facebooking too much, so here it is...thanks Walt!

I wonder, are you the type of person who writes in your Bible? I am. I hope that when I get to heaven the Lord doesn't tell me it was offensive to Him. I just like to write myself notes of the things I've learned, the people that have been put on my heart, etc. The other day, a friend sent me some scriptures, via facebook, to encourage me. I picked up the first Bible that was handy, we have plenty of different translations around with a husband studying to be a pastor! As I began looking up the scriptures she sent me, I came across a scripture that I had prayed over my husband, as well as, some friends. I had their names and the date written. The date was 2006! I was amazed to realize that I'd been dating and naming scriptures that long. Rereading the scripture gave me great comfort, as I prayed again for those listed my the scripture.

Which brings me to my next question: do you pray scripture over people or do you just pray? I prefer to pray scripture over people. I have no reason for doing this, except that God knows His own Word, and I believe that the Word of God is living and active, so to me that makes it the perfect thing to pray over people, not my own words. I use the example I found in 2 Chronicles 20. King Jehoshaphat begins to pray being surrounded by enemies. Did he begin his prayer with "Help us?" No. He started talking to God about God. King Jehoshaphat begins this very important prayer focused on what God has already done and who God is! I think we honor the Lord when we pray His Word, His promises, and say how He has already done great things in our lives. Obviously, I can't write all the things I'd like to in my Bible, and a notebook comes in handy for that. I have notebooks, one per year mostly, that have pages and pages of prayer requests, personal thoughts on life and on what the Lord is teaching me. My notebook and my notes on the pages of my Bible are to remind me of what God has done or shown me as I walk this journey with Him. I think it is vital to our walk with Christ to have the ability to remember. In my case, I lack the ability to do that on my own, so notebooks and notes on pages are the solution. I do not allow the enemy to make me feel bad when I don't write anything for several weeks or days. This is another reason why I think some don't write in notebooks, because they don't like to be reminded that they didn't make time for the Lord. Don't fall in to this trap! The Lord is a loving God and isn't going to stand over us with our own notebook and say: "Why is there no entry here and here and here?" There are many days where I get some scripture reading in and that's it. There are other days where I have to sit and write the things going on in my soul.

The King finishes his prayer just asking for God's help. He doesn't try to tell God how to help him, or ask for specifics, he just asks for help. This is another point, but I'll save that one for later. The Lord answers the King's prayer in a way that only God can and I'm not going to tell you how either! Go look it up and see for yourself how the Lord answered the King's plea for help. I have to tell you that in my Bible I have a lot written on the pages containing this story. And even now, looking at it again I could make more notes!

Make notes for yourself, in your Bible or in a notebook, or better yet both! They are a reminder to us of what God has done in our lives. When life gets boring (stale), or stressful beyond what we think we can bear, go back to those notes and see how God worked before. He is a God who keeps His promises, we can rely on them. We can rely on Him.

Words for Thought

2009-05-05T07:27:00.000-07:00

I heard Joyce Meyers say the other day this:
"You can go sit in your garage all day and that won't make you a car!"

How true! And I wanted to shout it from the rooftops! Seriously. I am tired of going to church and seeing the people sit there week in and week out, showing no changes, no turning toward Jesus more than they did when they walked in their first Sunday. Seriously. I don't get it.

Matt 22:1-14:
"Jesus told them several other stories to illustrate the Kingdom. He said, "The Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a king who prepared a great wedding feast for his son. Many guests were invited, and when the banquet was ready, he sent other servants to notify everyone that it was time to come. But they all refused! So, he sent other servants to tell them. 'The feast has been prepared, and choice meats have been cooked. Everything is ready. Hurray!' But the guests he had invited ignored them and went about their business, one to his farm, another to his store. Others seized his messengers and treated them shamefully, even killing some of them. Then the king became furious. He sent out his army to destroy the murderers and burn their city. And he said to his servants, 'The wedding feast is ready, and the guests I invited aren't worthy of the honor. Now go out to the street corners and invite everyone you see.' So the servants brought in everyone they could find, good and bad alike, and the banquet hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to meet the guests, he noticed a man who wasn't wearing the proper clothes for a wedding. 'Friend, he asked, how is it that you are here without wedding clothes?' And the man had no reply. Then the king said to his aides. 'Bind him hand and foot and throw him out into the outer darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen." - NLT

I call this my wake-up passage, and like Joyce's words I want to shout it from the rooftops. People, we cannot fool the King! He is not going to be fooled. He will know whether or nor we are wearing the right kind of clothing. We can go to church, sit in the pews, know the right things to say and how to behave, but still not be a real Christian. Being a follower of Christ is more than being in the building, it's about the relationship you have with the King of all Kings. I want this so much for our teens these days. I wish I could get them to get "it". I want everyone to get it. Just because we were invited to the feast, doesn't mean that we will get to stay in the banquet hall!

Everyone is/was invited, but we must then choose to put on the wedding clothes offered by the host. It was custom in those days that the host have wedding clothes for the attendees to wear during the celebration. People, it is more than the acceptance of the invite, we must then accept the clothes offered to us and put them on! The clothes he offers me are different than the clothes he offers you, but he offers them to us, some times daily.

The question is: are we sitting in church waiting to turn into a Christian- it's not going to happen on it's own, just like sitting in a gargage won't make you in to a car!

Last night...

2009-04-21T09:43:00.000-07:00

we all sat and watched Dancing with the Stars. The children watched and gave their opinions on how they thought the people danced...it was very interesting. There were so many comments that I finally had to tell them all to be quiet or leave the room. I have issues with people talking while I watch TV...it's a flaw, I know. We finally get everyone sitting quietly, when our 5 yr old daughter decides to make a comment on the lack of clothing Lil' Kim was wearing.

"She doesn't have a lot of clothing on." - said very matter of factly

"That is true" - I said

"It looks like something someone married would wear to bed." -said another

And now comes the kicker....our second daughter that is 9 says.....

"It's a whole 'nother world after the kids go to bed!"

David and I just sat there, with our mouths hanging open. It was hysterical! Of course, David had to repeat her statement, just to make sure I got it. I got it.

We put the kids to bed and soon headed up ourselves. David was reading on the bed and I was watching a little TV, when Lauren comes out of her room to go potty. As she gets ready to go back to bed, she turns and looks at me and says....

"Like I said before, it's a whole 'nother world after the kids go to bed."

Just wait till she gets married and has kids, then she'll know just how right she is!

Be Purposeful

2009-04-15T10:45:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, I have no idea what to write on here!!! To be honest, most of my thoughts these days are on child-raising or spiritual things and most people don't want to hear anything on either of those! However, I am still going to be me and share with you something that the Lord laid on my heart this week.

Most people know that I've fallen for Facebook. I like it very much. It helps me be involved in others lives. I was not very good at that before FB. A hermit would have best described me. But, a hermit is not what I want to be. FB keeps me watching others and not me...I like that!

A friend that I grew up with posted something (on FB) about struggling and I just felt led to ask more, so I did- in an email. It turns out she needed someone to talk to about the things going on in her life. I should mention that before FB I had no contact with her, hadn't talked to her since my senior yr. of high school. I was so happy to hear from her, see her family, know that she is well, and walking with the Lord. After a several emails, we have been able to communicate about all the things going on in and around her. Pretty much what we arrived at is, that sometimes we feel so helpless as people around us struggle and we wonder where is God in all of this suffering.

Then I came across this scripture in Colossians, chapter 2, verse 6- "So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, overflowing with thankfulness." At the time, the part that talks about being strengthened in the faith we were taught was very meaningful to the situation, so I passed it on to my good friend, hoping it encouraged her as much as it did me. Ever since then, I have been "chewing" on this verse.

Several things come to mind when I read this verse, but one that stuck with me for several days was....

Continue to live in him. It must be something that we purposefully do- live in him. It is not going to happen naturally. Our natural self forgets about God as we go on with daily life, not because we don't love God, but because we are human. We want to go our own way and do things our way. What a lesson for us all! There are plenty of FB "friends" that have not continually chosen to live in him, and there are some that have, but I am glad that I have a way to be apart of all their lives.

I want to do things God's way, not my own, but I must be purposeful about seeking Him in order for that to be accomplished.

I hope this challenges you as much as it challenged me this week.

Be purposeful.

Okay, already!

2009-03-30T09:40:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I'm sorry for not posting a LONG time! My sweet and wonderful FIL reminded me this weekend that I spend too much of my time on Facebook and not enough time writing new blog posts. I am truely sorry for that, but time is limited, you know.

To be entirely honest, I've had nothing really to write about. I know that sounds weird, but I don't want to put all my thoughts out here...they are just too private to share right now. Today, I decided that I'd atleast write something.

This is what we've been up to around here:

laundry, lots of laundry
cleaning- I should be doing some of that now, instead of being on the computer! The new pastor is coming tomorrow night for dinner, help!
eating
sleeping
homeschooling
church
bible quizzing
lots of prayer
and settling disputes between the kids
like I said...the same old thing.
I will try to do better with my writing new posts. A friend of mine told me that I need to write daily, even if it is mundane stuff, so I might give it a try...although I'm not sure you want to hear all my crazy and weird thoughts on lots of stuff.

Can You Guess?

2009-02-24T05:20:00.000-08:00

Can you guess who this is or where the picture is taken at?

Let me give you some background info first. Every afternoon, I make my kids have "quiet time." I instituted "quiet time" because, I needed to make sure the kids were reading and I needed it for my sanity! The kids all have to be quiet for 90 minutes, reading first, then drawing, coloring or listening to their ipods, etc, but reading has to be done first! Literally, the line between sanity and insanity is about 90 minutes apart around here!

Yesterday, all was quiet during "quiet time." The fact that it was so entirely quiet should have sent sirens off in my head, but it didn't. I was enjoying it very much. When I told Lauren that "quiet time" was over, she went to tell her siblings. A minute later, she came rushing down the stairs and tells me that Micah is asleep in the bathroom! Now, my first thought was that he had fallen asleep on the toilet, she must have seen the thought on my face, and whispers "in the bathtub!" Being the crazy mom that I am, I grabbed my camera and ran for the bathroom. The picture above is what I saw when I walked through the door! As soon as I snapped the first picture, he opened his eyes...dag gone it! I was hoping for a couple more pics!

Naturally, I had to ask why on earth he thought it was necessary to read & sleep in the tub. His reply floored me....because Caleb was being mean! I must be getting somewhere with the boys, because normally Micah would have settled it with his fists! I was so proud that he decided to find a place where no one would bother him.

If that's what it takes for a little quiet around here....go ahead sleep in the tub!

I sure am glad that no one had to use the potty! That could have ended badly!

My Valentine Lesson

2009-02-16T09:54:00.000-08:00

Friday night we had a Valentine's Banquet. Now, this was no ordinary valentine banquet. My sweet DH and his BFF made all the food and the teens in the church were the waiters and waitresses. I was the photographer, and oh, I was the speaker for the night too. I am using the word speaker loosely here, I gave a short devotional that's all. I am amazed at how the Lord has changed me. The first few times I had to sing in front of a congregation, I physically shook with fear. My voice even shook because I was shaking so badly. After all these years, that is gone. I still get butterflies in my stomach right before, but now a certain calm comes over me that can only come from the Lord.

I was stressing over what the Lord wanted me to share during this quick devotional. I was up at 5 am one morning, praying over it, and for those that don't know me that is NOT normal! I was stumped. I wasn't hearing the Lord say anything or lead in any way. So, I went to my sweet hubby. David printed something and handed it to me. It was the perfect thing! The Lord really touched me while I was studying for the devotion and He lead through my husband!

This should not be a new concept for me, I know, but it really was. I preparing to tell my DH that I couldn't do the devotion and move on. I was going to give-up and throw in the towel, but something wouldn't let me. I totally think it was the Holy Spirit, because God wanted to give me a Valentine lesson. The lesson I learned is: my husband needs to be the next person I go to when I'm not sure where the Lord is leading in any facet of my life. Novel idea, I know. Sometimes, I can have the "I can take care of it myself" mentality. (We are not talking about my flaws right now, that's for another post!) I needed to learn that my husband can have the answer I'm looking for. After all, the husband is to be the head of the household -physically and spiritually. I guess, after all this time together, I still needed to be reminded of that.

I didn't receive an expensive gift for Valentine's. I received something far greater. Be open to receive instruction from the Lord and respect the husband that God has placed over you....it makes for a wonderful life.

He Has No Idea

2009-01-27T11:52:00.000-08:00

It's been a while....sorry. Things have just been so busy. I guess getting things back to "normal" has taken me longer than I had thought it would. Of course, those who know me would say that I expected things to be "normal" in a week or so....I can't help it. Unrealistic expectations- I am cursed with them!

I thought I'd share a little about the Inauguration of President Obama. Okay, but I need to clear something up first... this post has nothing to do with who anyone voted for...this post is about who was elected by the majority of the American people. Obama was elected President and I will pray for him to lead this country honestly and faithfully, whether or not he believes in the same God that I do!

Back to Inauguration Day.... I was so excited to watch with my kids, the fact that we home school was a plus, even though the public schools were out of school for the day, but that's another story. So, I'm watching and it's very early in the morning, Caleb comes and sits beside me. He begins to ask me the hundreds of questions about what this day was all about. We had a great conversation about the government, how it works, why we have it, how we differ from other countries. As the Inauguration of President Obama took place, we all began talking about why this Inauguration was special. I told them that Obama was the first African-American to become President, or as my youngest would say "brown skin." When Caleb looks at me, with glazed honest eyes, and says:"Obama is African-American?" I was speechless...really. I had to ask, just in case, "Do you know who I'm talking about?" He tells me yes and points him out to me.

People, we have friends who are African-American, white, and Spanish, so the idea that he didn't know was interesting. This mom was totally in awe. When words did eventually come out of my mouth, I said: "Yes, he is, son. You didn't notice?" He replied, "no." Trying to figure out if he really was honest in his questioning: "Didn't you notice that about Obama?" And I got a quick response, "nope" as he shrugged his shoulders.

As he walked away, emotion choked up my throat. I don't want to disrespect my parents, but the home I was raised in noticed skin color. I never liked it, but it was what it was. I just made a point to NOT repeat it. This was the first time I realized that I have raised children that don't care about the color of some one's skin, they care about the person!

People are people, all created in God's image. We have taken a step beyond the racism of yesteryear and moved to a new tomorrow, finally!

Favorite Friday

2009-01-16T07:21:00.000-08:00

On other blogs there are Making a Happy Home Monday, Tempt you Tummy on Tuesday, so I've decided that we need Favorite Friday too. Favorite anything will do.

My fav for this week is homemade soap. I LOVE homemade soap, especially the kind made with goat' s milk. My obsession with homemade soap started about a year ago. I have always had very, itchy dry skin and it seems that DD#2 inherited it. Last winter, she was really having a hard time with it. We bought Dove body wash, the extra moisture kind, and that still didn't help. I think we tried everything even putting oil on her skin after a shower to help, but it didn't last and she didn't care for that oily feeling all over. It was then that my friend over at Life at La Geron suggested trying homemade soap. I was up for anything. She sent us home with a bar or two. We came home and immediately showered with the soap. It was incredible! Seriously...it did the trick. This winter, neither of us has had dry, itchy, scaly skin.

Till next Friday...try some homemade soap, you just might fall in love with it too!

Out 1 Month

2009-01-05T11:59:00.000-08:00

It is official...I am 1 month out from my surgery date! Woo-Hoo! It has been a long month.

Today, I can begin trying foods that are not pureed. I am excited and scared at the same time. I haven't gotten sick at all (which I am truly thankful for) and I don't want to get sick either, so my courage is a little low.

So far, I have had scrambled eggs, chili, and a few shrimp with no problems. People, I am talking one egg scrambled with water to make it thinner, chili that I have mushed up with my spoon, and 3 shrimp that I chewed till they were unrecognizable in my mouth (gross, I know- but true). I have been waiting for this day to come and now that it's here I'm scared to death! I hate, hate throwing up. I think I'll try a baked potato later tonight and see how that goes. Sometimes, even with the pureed stuff I sit down and can only seem to get in two or three bites of something, then other times I can eat more. For instance, I made grits this morning, which I love, and I couldn't eat but three or four bites before I thought that I was gonna barf, so I stopped at that. What a breakfast man! Then I worked on my protein shake for the morning, which I've made to taste like an Orange Julius! For lunch, I heated up chili that we made over the weekend and was able to eat about 3/4 of a cup of that. I seem to get better at the eating thing as the day progresses.

For those who are dying to know, I have lost 29 pounds since beginning my liquid diet 6 weeks ago. I hate the number, I wish it was bigger, a lot bigger. I almost cried when I went for my check-up after surgery...the scale said that I had only lost 2.5 lbs since my surgery date! I looked at Dh and said, "I went through all that for 2.5 lbs!" I managed to hold it together till we got home, then lost it. 2.5lbs! Now, I must tell you that 1- that is totally normal, because your body goes in to shock and holds the weight like a favorite blankie and 2-The Dr's look at the total weight loss, which was that day 18lbs, so....I guess it's relative, as Dh reminds me. But, it hurt. I had thought the number was going to be this huge thing that would astound me, boy was I wrong. My good friend over at Life at La Geron told me measure my success by my clothes, not the numbers...of course this was after she and I went and got on her scale to see my progress. That was last week and I don't have a scale yet, so we are all in the dark as to what it is today.

I'm happy with the 29 lbs and my clothes, well...let's just say that the jeans I wore to my pre-op appointment are very large now. I discovered yesterday that I can take them off with out unbuttoning them! I'll take that as progress for sure! Oh, and my wedding band is already falling off my fingers...I'm not sure what we are going to do about that....I might resort to the string thing, like we did in high school for our boyfriend's class ring.

Some Christmas photos

2009-01-03T16:07:00.001-08:00

This is one tired pooch after a long day of Christmasing! Half of his booty is hanging off the couch and the other is ON MY COUCH! He's just like a kid. He knows he's not allowed on the furniture, but if only half is on, then maybe he'll only get in half the trouble! I don't think so!

Grandma Heath, my wonderful grandma. I have so many great memories with this lady. She is the best, even at 84!

Oh, my girl. She loves to throw the football with her Daddy. Funny, I never would have thought that would be her favorite thing, but it is. Any time with Dad is good, but football time is even better.

The triplets...not really, but with Lauren being so tiny and being close in age, people do often mistake them for triplets. M & C both received Legos this year. And L finally received the doll she had been asking for since her birthday.

Here they are, waiting to come down stairs. We always make them wait till I get down to get the camera ready. They really hate it, but most of them like having their picture taken and endure it for a minute or two. They are vain, oh so vain....I have no idea where they get that from. *snicker*

I love to see Chrsitams come, and I love to see Christmas go. My house is in order again, except for the boys laundry, but that won't keep me awake tonight!

2009!

2009-01-01T07:49:00.000-08:00

It is hard to believe that it is really 2009! I remember when I thought life was the best it could ever be and that was in 1990's. I thought those were the best years and couldn't fathom anything after the year 2000. Now, here we are another year past 2000 and it still feels a little weird. Oh well...time marches on.

I wonder what 2009 holds for my family. No matter what it holds, "I know who holds tomorrow and I know He holds my hand." (That's an old hymn!) So, my friends rest in the knowledge that God knows what tomorrow holds and He will give us all the strength to get through what ever comes our way.

On the thought of get us through no matter what....I just heard that Rick Warren is going to pray at President Elect Obama's Inauguration. I'm not sure how I feel about that, but I guess it couldn't hurt!

May God look down on us, hear our cries and richly pour His protection and blessings on us all.

BIRTHDAY PICTURES!

2008-12-30T06:16:00.000-08:00

The girls booth! No boys allowed!
My boys...can't believe they are 8!

MB and her BFF's. They all "helped" her open the presents.

What a great December we have had. I hate to see it go, but time marches on.

Wonderful Days

2008-12-26T08:43:00.000-08:00

One of the things that is near to my heart at the holidays is the time spent with family. Now, let me clarify what my definition of family is - blood relatives and spiritual relatives. We had a great time yesterday. We had time for just our little brood and time for both families. I was exhausted at the end of the day, but all in all, everything was smooth and fun. Only once did I get a little testy...really only once! For those that know me well, that is truly amazing. I can get a little stressed out making things perfect.

I am so thankful for the gift of Jesus. Mary was able to kiss the face of God. What a precious gift! My prayer for the new year is that Christmas would be in our hearts everyday, not just on December 25th.

Getting Ready for a Birthday Bash

2008-12-19T06:34:00.000-08:00

Wow! Yesterday was MB's 5th birthday. I can hardly believe it. It feels just like yesterday that we brought her home from the hospital. It was the best Christmas, having a new baby around the house to cuddle. But, five years have come and gone, now she's growing up in to a really sweet girl. We didn't have her party yet, we are planning a joint party for her and the twins tomorrow at Chuck E Cheese's. I know, I know...we are NUTS! It just seemed easier this year since I haven't been able to do a lot of deep cleaning like I normally would. Pray, people, pray.

In case you were wondering.....

As of yesterday, I can drive, vacuum, and all that good stuff again. Other than picking up a nasty cold I am doing great. I had a few rough days, but that was it. I'm drinking more and looking forward to Monday when I can officially have pureed food. I know that doesn't sound good to you, but for me it sounds wonderful. I've been drinking nothing but liquids since Thanksgiving! I will only have to do that for two weeks, then I can start to eat REAL food slowly. I even dreamed last night that I ate a piece of pizza! It was really funny, because I knew it was going to hurt my stomach, but I just couldn't resist. How terrible is it when you dream about eating pizza?

Christmas Play Pics

2008-12-16T05:57:00.000-08:00

The shot is a little dark, but the best I could do. Micah played King Herod (last one on the left) and Caleb played a cowboy wiseman (the boy with the cowboy hat on).

In this shot you can see Em down front, she played a village girl and Lauren is exactly above her head. Lauren was the lead character and sang a solo. She had 37 lines in the play, which was hard for my little ADD girl, but she did it! Em memorized her lines in like 3 stinking days. Her brain amazes me! Talk about this Mom being super proud.

And last, but not least, Mary Beth played Mary the mother of Jesus in the opening act. Doesn't she look ticked in this picture! I have no idea what that was about. The little boy playing Joseph stole the show shortly after I took this picture. As the other children in the play began to sing, he broke out in a dance. I think he even tried a little break dancing on stage. I was so proud of my littlest, because she just stood there and stared at him, not saying a word! I was waiting for her to be the good little wife and tell her husband to knock it off and get back to where he was supposed to be! I laughed so hard I thought I was going to cry.

The play was great. All my children (not the soap opera) did a great job learning their lines and I was almost in tears watching them up there. In fact, during their rehearsal I did start to mist up and made myself leave the room. Everything was a wonderful success and I think the kids had a great time as well.

Back Home!

2008-12-12T05:06:00.001-08:00

Thank goodness I am home! I have decided that hospitals are depressing places, no matter how good they are. All in all, I am doing well. I feel like someone has shook up my insides, but I guess that's to be expected. :)

Yesterday was our 15th wedding anniversary! I cannot believe it. Decemember 11, 1993, was the best day of my life. I look back on it as a fairy tale day - my fairy tale day! We even went to play in the arcade at Putt-Putt on our honeymoon! (That should tell you how young we were!)

Thank for all the prayers and well thoughts, and thanks for all the phone calls. I love you all.

I'll post as often as I can...we've got 3 birthdays coming before Christmas, so....busy, busy.

McDonald's Sermon

2008-12-03T05:29:00.000-08:00

Many of you may not know this, but Monday I will be going in for surgery. I am going to have gastric bypass surgery a.k.a. weight-loss surgery. This may come as a surprise for some, but really, I do qualify, I promise.

I have struggled with my weight for many, many years. I have been on every diet that I could afford, even so far as taking some really weird pills from the UK. I took phentermine for a while and lost a lot of weight, but just like with everything else it came back on with vengeance. I began thinking about weight loss surgery (WLS) last year and began praying about it.

My dear sweet hubby underwent WLS in March 2006. He has lost over 200lbs. Now, my sweetie was a totally different story. He had to have WLS to live. I don't doubt in my mind at all that if he had not had this surgery, I would be a widow today. At his highest weight he was 517 lbs. He could hardly walk and breathing was getting labor intensive, so you see, he had to have surgery.

I am not doing this because my hubby did. I am doing this because I want to be me! I want to play soccer with my kids, on the field, not sitting on the sidelines watching. I want to run and not feel like my ankles and legs are going to break. I want to be able to get on a roller coaster and not be afraid that my harness is going to pop open. There are lots of things that I want to do. But, most of all, I want to obey the Lord. I'm sure you are wondering how on earth WLS and God go together, but they do. A few years ago I heard a sermon and it has stuck with me more than any other sermon. I don't even remember what the preacher, who shall remain nameless, was preaching about, but he made a side comment and said this: "Every time you and I go through a fast-food restaurant, load up on fries, fatty burgers and such, the devil does a happy dance." I just stood and stared. I don't remember all of what he said exactly, but what he was getting at was that if the devil entices us to eat that food, gets us fat, and unhealthy, then how can we do the work the Lord has for us to do. One day closer to the grave and not able to do the very work that we were created to do! Ouch...and it stung hard.

Monday, November 24th, I began my journey to fix the out-of-control eating for good. I am sharing this because I think that their are others who need to prayerfully consider what the Lord thinks about their weight and lack of self-control. Really, it is His opinion I care about, not anybody elses. (I also put this out there, because this is my blog and I can say whatever I want! haha) The only thing I ever want to be addicted to, from here on out, is Jesus Christ!

This blog will not turn in to one of those blogs that only ever talks about how much weight they have lost, or constant talk of WLS, it is going to be my story and there is more to me than just WLS!

It's Worth A Few Minutes....

2008-11-29T08:05:00.000-08:00

to read this :http://rethinkmonthly.com/?p=217 . I hope it challenges you, it did me.

My kids were talking last night about gifts, oddly enough. Around a bowl of soup, Lauren said that all Jesus wants for Christmas is for us to give Him our hearts. It sparked an interesting conversation. I decided to let them continue and just listen. Finally, I chimed in and told them that the gift Jesus really wants is obedience. They all just looked at me. No one said a word, then Lauren says, "Yep, mom, you're right."

You see if we all were just obedient to live as He has instructed us to do, then would we be in the messes we are in? Probably, no definitely not.

As you put up your decorations at home, inside and out, remember to decorate yourself with obedience. Consider it the big red bow on the present you give to the baby Jesus.

What Do You Think?

2008-11-24T13:55:00.001-08:00

Do you like the new look? You would not believe how much trouble it was to change this crazy thing! Thanks to my wonderful friend at Noodlenest, I was able to finally get it the way I wanted it! Thanks, Jen!

I've started my shopping ( I know I should have started weeks ago, right ll? )and need to work on Christmas cards this week, as well as, make my portion of the Thanksgiving feast. We are planning on having two different feasts on Thanksgiving. First, we are having a brunch with Dh's family here at our house and then eat'n the turkey with my parents at their home later in the evening!

Good eats to all of you-

just in case, I don't get a chance to get back on here before Thanksgiving day!

It's time....

2008-11-20T07:40:00.000-08:00

to write about something! Things here are getting so busy, and I'm sure it is going to get busier as the holidays approach.

Since we are a week away from Thanksgiving, I thought I'd share a very peculiar thing that I am thankful for this year....my toilet! I know, it's a weird thing to be thankful for, but really....it is necessary, umm... no pun intended.

My boys appreciate this more now than they did a few weeks ago. The place where my Dad hunts has no running water and no facilities inside the lodge. They use an OUTHOUSE! The boys thought it was cool, but not me. My dad told me that inside, on the floor, were the biggest spiders he'd ever seen. Thankfully, they were dead. (Oh, there's another weird thing to be thankful for- dead spiders!) He said someone must have sprayed the thing down before they got there, but he said he knew I would've had a heart attack if I saw them, even dead. He was right, I would! Dad and Caleb even took Micah's picture sitting in the outhouse! He wasn't amused, but his sisters were. Em' is threatening to put it out for everyone to see on his wedding day. I assured him that if I am alive, I will not allow any such thing. He was relieved, umm...no pun intended again. But, back to my thankful toilet story....

When we purchased our home, five years ago, we knew that one of the three bathrooms had a rotten floor. So, naturally, we had the floor replaced and the leak fixed. I remember Dh and I having the conversation about falling through and how humiliating that would be. Only the "fixed" part never really happened. For the past five, yes F-I-V-E years, we have been struggling with that stinking toilet. We've replaced the valve that runs to the toilet, we've replaced the insides of the toilet and still it was running! I totally gave up on it being fixed and have been going along, just living with it. Then a couple weeks ago, I found a "spot" on the ceiling of our playroom. I put my hand up there to see what it was and my finger went right through! This was NOT good. Dh came home early from work, because I was freaking out. We found out that the toilet, in our bathroom, was leaking! And evidently had been for a long, LONG time. Need less to say, Dh said the toilet in our room was off limits as well. Great...now we only have one left. I was Ok with that, I grew up in a house with only one bathroom, it is possible to survive. True, it is harder with seven people, but I am not one to complain...at least not too bad and I did NOT complain....yet. A few days went by and I started hearing a hissing sound come from the only toilet we had working. I have never wanted to pray over a toilet, but boy did I want to. Dh came home and said that he didn't know what on earth was wrong with it, but he wanted it turned off as well! Great, great...what now? Well, two of the toilets you could turn the water on, let it fill up and then flush, but kids don't do that, they just go in and go. I was really upset now, as if I don't have enough to do. Now, I get to walk around and every time I pass a toilet, I get to turn it on, wait for it to fill-up, contemplating my life while waiting and flush it, and not forget to turn the water off again! I did this for a couple weeks. I bet you are wondering where my thankfulness comes in at this point...

Last weekend, my father-in-law, the best man there ever was, called Dh and said he was sending a man over on Saturday morning to fix our toilets! Hurray! I don't think I've ever wanted to hug and kiss him, but I did on Friday night when Dh told me what was happening! I now have three working toilets in my house and they all work on their own!

This thanksgiving be thankful for something, even if it is peculiar!

God Still Reigns

2008-11-05T05:05:00.000-08:00

Last night....well, I was really disappointed but, as I laid my head down to sleep, I came to two things- I am very proud to live in a country where all men are created equal and where freedom really does ring and God still reigns- in all areas of life -political and personal- and in that I can find peace.

Dojo Nights

2008-11-03T18:41:00.000-08:00

My boys have been in karate for almost two years now, but tonight we moved in to becoming a karate family! The older girls joined karate! I am so excited for them as they begin their journey! It was funny seeing them on the mat with their brothers.

I can't wait to see them sparring with each other....I can just imagine....Lauren and Micah now....ooohhh what a day that will be! Lauren is my spitfire and she will deck him now without a single thought about it, and now we are going to put gloves and gear on her and cut her loose- wow! It will be something to see. Most people think she's so cute, and since she's about the boys height, most underestimate her spunk, but not for long. This sweetheart who told a boy in kindergarten that she was going to beat him up and pull all his bones out! All he did was bump her in the hallway, totally an accident! Her teacher told me that she would never have believed it if she hadn't heard it for herself!

Emily will be great at this and I am looking forward to seeing where this takes her, plus it will teach her some self discipline. I am hoping that we can harness her frustrations and give her the tools she needs to properly vent them.

Littlest, for now, is watching on the side with Mom and Dad, but I don't think it will be long before we hear her say: "I want to join karate too!"

Fall, Fall, Fall

2008-10-25T15:02:00.000-07:00

Can you believe that these pumpkins were FREE!? Yeah...me neither, but they were.

This afternoon we went to a pumpkin patch, provided by the city we live in, where the kids picked these really big pumpkins. I was expecting tiny, little pumpkins, but no. The kids were so happy. M and Em decided that they didn't want to decorate their pumpkins with faces, but the other three did a good job. Of course, MB's is the littlest one. I tried to get her a big one, but she insisted that she carry it herself, and I was totally OK with that. I ended up carrying L's anyway, because it was too heavy for her. Before we left, M dropped his and was allowed to pick a new another. We hadn't bought any this year, so the fact that they all got one and could pick it themselves was wonderful.

I did feel weird when the lady in front of us said that this was her three kids 3rd pumpkin for the year. I wanted to ask why she needed 9 pumpkins anyway, but decided that I shouldn't. We didn't stay long, because it started to rain, but the kids were thrilled to put their pumpkins on the front porch. I hope the neighborhood kids don't take liberty with them....maybe that is why the lady needed 9 pumpkins....just a thought.

Any Ideas?

2008-10-14T11:09:00.000-07:00

My father took my boys to the hunting lodge this past weekend and they returned home with these! Squirrel tails! They are pretty gross if you ask me, but my boys think they are awesome. The boys had a great time with Grandad and we had a quiet weekend with the girls. I was really nervous sending them, but I knew my Dad would protect them with his own life if he needed to, so I held my breath and waved goodbye on Friday morning.

Now, I haven't been to the hunting lodge since I was about the boys' age. We went as a family vacation, renting a pop-up trailer and everything. All I remember was being barefoot and stepping on a black rat snake, while walking on the little path down to the creek. After that my dad didn't have to worry about me fussing when he and my brother went away for the weekend to the hunting lodge, nope no problem, you go right ahead. Realizing one trip can make you or break you of the experience made their leaving even more stressful for me, not to mention that if they got in to trouble, my Dad would never take them back!

I was relieved to see them on Sunday, even if they did come home carrying these "tails." They have filled us in on all the great stories of the weekend, and hopefully I will be able to show you some pics my Dad took to commemorate the occasion. It was really quiet while the boys were gone, but I am thrilled to have them home.

Wonderful Wednesday

2008-10-01T09:45:00.000-07:00

It's Wednesday and I've got to post something, before Dh asks me when I plan on posting something. So, I've decided to tell you a few things that I find wonderful today:

1- The leaves on the dogwood tree outside my front window are turning a beautiful red color. The sight is truly breath-taking.

2- First time obedience is wonderful, when it happens! We started working on this last week, seriously, I can't keep saying the same things over and over. I had toyed with the idea of wearing a whistle around my neck to get every one's attention! Thought on that for a few more minutes and realized that my ears would still be hurting when the day was over, so there had to be a better way. A friend of mine, who knows that we are working on this, held up a shirt this weekend that said: "SHE who must be obeyed". Too bad it was the wrong size or I might have taken the thing home with me. So, for now, we are working on this daily and the kids are really doing good. I don't want robots. I just want a little order to this ciaos when it's important.

3- Stepping Up by Beth Moore! Oh so wonderful. I've just finished the first week of this incredible Bible study and already I am loving it! It is challenging me and I needed some challenging.

4- Tonight, my wonderful Dh is cooking! Hurray! I love not having to worry about dinner! ( Dh is cooking at the church tonight.) Baked Spagetti, salad and garlic bread- yum!

With all the news stations and talk shows talking about how bad things are, or are going to get if this and if that happens, I'm going to try and post on Wonderful Wednesday every week. I think it's better to focus on the wonderful things in life. Wonderful Wednesday, not Worry Wednesday. "Cast all your cares upon Him."

The New Playset

2008-09-17T11:59:00.000-07:00

I am always amazed at the ways the Lord chooses to bless us. I'm not sure why this comes as a surprise to any of us, but if we are honest with ourselves, we are all guilty of underestimating the Lord's provision in our lives.

This play set a couple months ago was in someone else's backyard, but now it's in ours! A couple in our church purchased a new house and this was in the back yard. Their child is a teenager (go teens!) and said they had no need of it, and offered it to us for free! FREE! All we needed to do was get a few people over to take it down and transport it to our house. We did that and now, after a bit of time, it is completely put back together in our yard for our kids to enjoy.

Do you see the wooden fence behind littlest? That was given to us as well! It was free too! The same thing- come take it down, and you can have it! Now, the fence has been a little more challenging and has taken longer to get put up in our yard, but was a fence we could not have afforded.

Yesterday, I was looking at our back yard and thinking about how beautiful it is. Now, you might not think it's beautiful, with all the weeds and doggy p--p, and I'm sure my neighbors might argue it's beauty as well, but to me it is a picture. A picture of God's goodness and faithfulness. He really does grant us the desires of our heart and wants to give us good gifts. My backyard is the perfect picture of that.

I'm not sure what you're waiting for the Lord to provide for you, but I know if He'll do it for me, He'll do it for you, too!

It's MY Birthday!!!

2008-09-03T06:17:00.000-07:00

Whooo-hooo! I'm 35 today! My parents are really having a hard time with it....my dad doesn't like acknowledging he's getting older, so when my brother and I celebrate birthdays he can't run from the fact that he too is getting older!

The thing is I don't feel 35. I just feel like me, not older. Dh asked me if I feel different and I told him no. Then I looked at him and said, "Do you feel different? You turned 35 before me!" He just chuckled! The question is- When I'm 80, am I going to feel different on the inside? Truthfully, I hope not. I want to be the cool 80 year old that still thinks she's 25 and lives life to the fullest! We'll just have to wait and see.

For now, I'm going to enjoy being in my 30's because it won't be long before I'll be looking at the 40's....oh my.

So far, I've been given a new enV phone from my sweet Dh. This way I can text with the youth and not take forever! My parents gave me some homemade soap (I love soap made from goat's milk!), a new Amplified Bible and they purchased a birthday cake from Costco with butter cream icing and a yummy filling in the middle! My grandmother, who is 83, gave me a beautiful card with $$$ in it- that is always a wonderful gift! My dd #2 gave me a beautiful card she made all by herself and the day is still far from over!

Dh and I were reminiscing about my 19th birthday last night. Now, this will age us a little....He took me to see Disney's Beauty and the Beast on Ice! Then he took me to his house where all of our college friends were waiting! It was a wonderful evening. My cake was even Beauty and the Beast! See the picture above, aren't they cute! He dropped a lot of money on me that night- good man! Actually, it was the thought that was the best. He was, and still is, so thoughtful. For whatever the reason, we related to the Beauty and Beast story line. I guess it's because Dh is so hairy, yep. Really hairy, but not quite as bad as the beast in the story! Anyhow, he put it all together for me and that made it super special. We also talked that we have almost been together for half of our lives! Amazing!

Well...no matter the rest of the day, I will thank the Lord for another year to serve Him, hopefully, to serve Him more and serve Him better.

Back to School

2008-08-21T11:39:00.000-07:00

Are you wondering why I have Cootie pictures up with the Back To School title?

What do Cooties and school have in common?

Well, ordinarily nothing, but around here anything is possible!

This week the "K Academy" started back to school. I have been planning since we came home from HS convention in hopes that everything was covered and organized BEFORE school started. I have spent the last 2 years organizing as I went along throughout the year and it just wasn't very successful, so this year I spent all my "free" time planning. It has paid off - being organized has made life less stressful. The one thing I wasn't planning for was how long it took us to get rolling. I kept telling littlest that I would be with her in a minute.."in a minute, sweetie". I felt like it was all I had to say to the sweet thing all day. I felt terrible for her. I knew that after a couple days our new school schedule would kick in and time wouldn't be so crammed full, but try telling that to any 4 yr old and see what you get. She didn't complain about Mommy's time being packed with everyone else's needs. She didn't say a word....until Wed morning. I awoke to see her standing next to my bed with the Cootie game in her arms. What was I supposed to say? Nothing except, "Jump up here, little miss and let's play!" So, Cooties and Back To School do go together in our house! BTW- MB won the game, but she made me finish my cootie anyway! Her cootie is the one with the hair bow and buck teeth...hilarious (it reminds me of my 6th grade school picture!) and...mine is the other - I hope you figured that out!

My ONLY camp picture

2008-08-14T18:18:00.001-07:00

We went to camp for 10 days and it was pure heaven. We have a campground that we go to each year that has indoor plumbing, electricity, a pool, and a dining hall, so I'm not sure if you can call it camping, but I do. We had a great time, with great friends, and I am still just now finishing my last loads of sheets from our trip. I wish I had taken a picture of all my laundry, so you could be impressed. Just think...7 people...2 pairs of clothes a day...six beds of sheets and blankets...plus swimming wear...that adds up to a bunch of laundry and a bunch of fun- priceless. I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. Some people long to go to Disney World, but our family longs to go to the campground.

Spider Pictures

2008-08-14T18:05:00.000-07:00

After some checking on Google images, we've determined this is just a garden spider. The camera and the spider didn't cooperate very well, so this the best we could get. He still gives me the creeps! I thought I was going to throw up while we were taking these pictures. Then Dh decides he wants to get a BIG moth in the web, so he hangs out the door with his head inches away from this creepy-crawly. I had to leave the room. No joke, I went directly to the bathroom, just in case. I was totally grossed out and announced to Dh that he could stay and play with the spider, but I was going to bed! Ewww!

SPIDERS!

2008-07-31T10:48:00.000-07:00

Most who know me well know I don't like spiders. I can't even stand the little bitty ones. Now, I can kill the little itty-bitty ones, but the larger ones, no way. I am not getting that close. I almost wrecked the van on Wed evening, because a spider was on the dashboard! And it was a fast moving thing, I had no time to think of how I was going to kill the thing before it was headed for the edge and on to my body! I reached out and smacked the thing, screamed and let go of the steering wheel! Luckily, we didn't hit anyone or anything, but it could have been bad, the fire hydrant was right in my path!

This is generally the reaction that happens when I see a spider of any kind. But, the last few nights I have found myself watching, with intrigue, as some weird looking spider makes his web, night after night, outside our back door. David and I stand there and just watch as he works fervently to make his web. It is really neat. But, rest assured my dear friends there are two panes of glass between me and this weird looking spider, so I feel perfectly safe. Still after I walk away from seeing him in his habitat, I get the gross feeling, like bugs are crawling all over me. This generally happens too.

Forward to this morning, I was getting the bins ready for vacation. We travel in rubbermaid like bins, it's easier for a large family to travel that way. One bin for each kid and it keeps things fairly organized. We keep these bins in the garage to use only for traveling. Our garage is well...a disaster area. I call it "creepyville" and for good reason. As I was bringing one in I see this black, very nasty looking spider hanging and immediately scream bloody murder. I have no shoes on and I'm yelling for someone to bring me a shoe, while keeping my eyes on the thing. Ooohhh- it just gives me the willys thinking about it now. Needless to say, he met his maker immediately. I think he was a black widow. I would have to just guessat this point, because I squished him so badly that he was unrecognizable. I have seen one here before in the back yard and he was similar. I just didn't wait to look for the red spot. I know they are around the area, but my garage!! I have to do laundry out there!

I'm sure for the rest of the day I'll be feeling "spidery". I think David will be bringing in the rest of the bins. I'm not taking anymore chances. I can handle spiders outside, but not in my house and the garage counts as a part of my house! I'll see if I can get a picture of our back yard spider for you guys, but it will have to be through the glass!

Weird Friday Night

2008-07-25T18:46:00.000-07:00

I've waited for this day to come and now that it's here I'm not sure I like it as much as I thought I would. Tonight, we only had 1 child around the house! Littlest Mary went to Grandma's to spend the night. My mom became adventurous and asked to take her and my brother's daughter for the evening. She will come home tomorrow mid-morning. Then the boys were invited to a friend's house to spend the night. And Lauren has been going to a friend's VBS this week, so tonight she was doing that. We totally didn't know what to do with ourselves! We only had one child!

In honor of this rare event, we took Emily to Olive Garden. We had passed by the restaurant this week and she mentioned that she had never eaten there before. I was shocked, at first, but then realized we don't usually take the children to expensive restaurants. We all treated ourselves tonight, but I must admit I felt a little weird not having ALL the kids there. I think it was probably good for Em, because rarely does she get one on one time with Dad and I both.

As I sat and watched her, I realized how she has grown. What a young lady she is starting to become! In another ten years, she will be grown and more than likely, out on her own. Then I will look back on tonight and wish we could do it over again.

Well, it's time for me to get these TWO kids in the bed...weird, what a really weird friday night.

My Cardboard Testimony

2008-07-24T06:31:00.000-07:00

A friend sent this to me and I wanted to share it with all of you. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. What would your cardboard say? Mine would say:
Wanted to give up on my marriage/ Christ restored all that was broken!

Oh yeah, She LOOKS Sweet...

2008-07-16T19:47:00.000-07:00

How can you deny such sweet eyes and that sweet smile? I have to tell you what this sweetie pie pulled on me tonight.

It was time for bed...past the normal time for bed.

As we walk to her room, she says, "Can you read me a short, short story?"

"I suppose so" I respond.

I read her a book about the Zoo and all is well.

I reach over to give her a hug and a kiss an she says, "One more, please?"

Being the firm Mother I am, I respond, "MB I told you that you could have one story, not any more."

She looks at me, with those sweet eyes and that sweet smile, and asks, "Mommy, what is your favorite thing to eat?"

I am totally lost, and wondering why on earth is she jumping the conversation to food, but answer her question - "Salad, I guess."

"Then, can I please have another story with SALAD on top?"

WHAT? WOW! I was totally set up on that on!
Better be careful next time she changes the conversation.
And, just so you know, I did not read her another story..principles people, principles.

Camp Days

2008-07-14T09:18:00.000-07:00

All of us moms stayed together in a room at the gym. It was great!

We would put the kids to bed and then talk a bit, well...actually we mostly laughed till our sides hurt. This is my friend Kim, chillin' after we got our beds all set.
The little ones stayed in the room with us.

One night we were intertained by them singing Hannah Montana songs!

It wasn't just the big girls that had a good time acting up together, the little girls did too!

Em was not a camper this week. She helped in the Crafts room with Mrs. Kim.

Don't they look like the are having fun!

Here is two of our girls listening to Mrs. Becky during quizing.

We will begin a new study in Exodus in the fall.

A part of camp is fun! Here are a couple girls having a water gun fight with their counselors.

I didn't get any pictures of me...thank goodness! I worked in the dining hall and the snack bar, so I got to see and interact with all 114 kids last week! It was a blast! But....I sure am glad to be home!

Yesterday & Summer Fun

2008-07-03T06:06:00.001-07:00

Wow! We are having a blast this summer! This is the first summer that I haven't been "tied-down" babysitting. I am still babysitting, but I can tailor the times to allow time for my kids to do fun stuff, too. Wednesdays have become our fun-filled day and the kids are loving it!

First, we went to the FREE summer movie. The local theater shows older movies for free, but seating is limited, so you must go early. The movie starts at 10am, but we get there at 915am to make sure we get seats. We are a large bunch, you know. Littlest dd always comments whether we've beaten the buses or not. Take yesterday for example, we needed to get gas before we went to the movie, because someone left it for us on EMPTY. So, that put us about 10 minutes behind our normal time. When we pulled in the parking lot of the theater, littlest says, "Oohh, NO! Look at all those buses! We are in BIG trouble!" How could I not laugh? We literally ran to the building, just making it in ahead of the next bus that was pulling up out front. Tip for those on a tight budget -we don't eat during the movie. Since the movie is in the morning, I just make sure they've eaten a good breakfast. I do keep a water bottle in my purse for the few kids that tell me they are about to die from thirst.

And, just to make things even more interesting, we do not go to the movie alone. We always meet our friends there! I'm not sure if this is really for the kids or for us Moms, but if we have to go why not enjoy it and get some adult conversation in! We normally go with 6 other children and 2 more Moms, making the total 11 kids and 3 Moms, but yesterday, our friends from Life at La Geron came too! We had 15 kids and 4 Moms! It was GREAT! After the movie, everyone is invited to our house for lunch. We Moms talk ahead of time and everyone brings something to add to the lunch, so it's really not hard on anyone. You can hardly hear yourself think when all the kids are supposedly eating around the table, the talking and laughing is enough to deafen you.

Then off to the pool we go, hi-ho, hi-ho. We joined the neighborhood pool and friends can go too, so it's pool time after lunch. We spend several hours at the pool and come home around 4pm to crash! I love going to the pool with friends. All the kids go and play, leaving the Moms alone, so we can talk! We still have the occasional, "Look at me, Mom" but, all in all, they leave us alone. The pool and sun can totally wipe out any kid, at least littlest. Again, I'm not sure who benefits more, the kids or the Moms! Then we have a little dinner and off to church we go, hi-ho, hi-ho.

I really need a clothes line...then I wouldn't have to let the pool towels dry on the front porch!

1250 Miles in Four Days!

2008-06-23T09:49:00.000-07:00

We just got back from a trek to good ole' Ohio. We traveled in two cars vs. the 15 passenger van. We had a ton of fun traveling with the kids, staying in hotels, swimming in pools, and watching endless movies in the back seat of the cars. Which leads me to the person that invented the portable DVD player - thank you, thank you, thank you! I don't think we would have made it home with all the children without it- just kiddin'- but they would of had duck tape across their mouths at least!

This pic is in West Virginia. I loved seeing all the mountains! It was truely beautiful!

Here's me and Dh. He looked so good in his tux!

Below is all my "boys" together. Aren't they a handsome bunch!?

(The one on the far left got married this past weekend.)

Here I am with one of my very best friends. I love her so much. It was a blessings to see her home and visit with her kids, even if it was for an hour. She's one of those friends that, no mattter how long it been since you've seen them, it seems as if time has not passed. She loves me for who I am, accepts me warts and all, and spurns me on in my walk with Christ. When I am stumped by scripture, she's the one I call and we "chew" on it together. We talk about things that matter, things that make us better moms, better wifes and above all else better followers of Christ. I am blessed to have her in my life.

Going to Ohio was the awesome! And I even if I am tried today, and playing laundry catch-up is a bear, I still will praise the Lord for a great, safe trip! He made our trip possible, enjoyable and truely wonderful.

Our Girl is 12!

2008-06-05T08:09:00.001-07:00

I made her cake! What do you think? It's a beach scene with Littlest Pet Shop characters on it!

I owe so much to EM, without her I don't know what I'd do. She is the best helper anyone could ever ask for. Love you, baby!

Happy Birthday!

A Story To Think About...

2008-06-05T07:54:00.000-07:00

There was a young woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and had been given three months to live. So as she was getting her things "in order," she contacted her Rabbi and had him come to her house to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes.

She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, what scriptures she would like read, and what outfit she wanted to be buried in. Everything was in order and the Rabbi was preparing to leave when the young woman suddenly remembered something very important to her. "There's one more thing," she said excitedly. "What' that?" came the Rabbi's reply. "This is very important," the young woman continued. "I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand."

The Rabbi stood looking at the young woman, not knowing quite what to say. That surprises you, doesn't it?" the young woman asked. "Well, to be honest, I'm puzzled by the request," said the Rabbi. The young woman explained. "My grandmother once told me this story, and from there on out, I have always done so. I have also, always tried to pass along its message to those I love and those who are in need of encouragement.

In all my years of attending socials and dinners, I always remember that when the dishes of the main course were being cleared, someone would inevitably lean over and say, 'Keep your fork.' It was my favorite part because I knew that something better was coming... like velvety chocolate cake or deep-dish apple pie, something wonderful, and with substance!

So, I just want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in my hand and I want them to wonder "What's with the fork?” Then I want you to tell them: "Keep your fork ...the best is yet to come." The Rabbi's eyes welled up with tears of joy as he hugged the young woman good-bye. He knew this would be one of the last times he would see her before her death. But he also knew that the young woman had a better grasp of heaven than he did.

She had a better grasp of what heaven would be like than many people twice her age, with twice as much experience and knowledge. She KNEW that something better was coming.

At the funeral people were walking by the young woman's casket and they saw the cloak she was wearing and the fork placed in her right hand. Over and over, the Rabbi heard the question "What's with the fork?" And over and over he smiled.

During his message, the Rabbi told the people of the conversation he had with the young woman shortly before she died. He also told them about the fork and about what it symbolized to her. The pastor told the people how he could not stop thinking about the fork and told them that they probably would not be able to stop thinking about it either.

He was right. So the next time you reach down for your fork, let it remind you ever so gently, that the best is yet to come.

When the lights are gone

2008-05-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

What do we do when we see the "sparkle" gone from the eyes of people we love? What is "sparkle"? It is what you see when you look in to their eyes that lets you know they have hope- sparkle. I saw Prince Caspian last Sunday evening, we took 18 teenagers to see it! (I'll post on that another day.) In the movie, when the witch returns, there is one Narnian that tries to help her get out of her icy cell. Lucy doesn't understand why he would do such a thing and another Narnian says: "He lost hope."

We cannot lose hope, my friends. I know the battle is hard and sometimes the blows are fierce, but we have HOPE! Prayer is the only thing I know to do for those who have lost their sparkle, lost their hope.

"You are my hiding place,

You always fill my heart with songs

of deliverance whenever I am afraid

I will trust in you.

Let the weak say 'I am strong in the strength

of my Lord' "

This is my prayer: Lord, may you be their hiding place today. Fill their hearts with songs of deliverance. When fear creeps in, I pray they will trust you completely. May their mouths speak of your strength working in them. I trust you, Lord to care for those I love, because I know you love them more than I do.

Only through Christ can we stand.

Weekend by the Sea

2008-05-23T13:20:00.000-07:00

I don't know if anyone else feels the same way I do, but the ocean is special to me in many ways. It is the place where I feel as close to the Lord as I can be, this side of heaven. It also is the place my sweetheart and I spent our honeymoon, so it has a fondness for that reason alone, even if we were married in December!

Last weekend, we spent the entire time in a hotel on the oceanfront! I wish I had taken my camera, because the view was breath-taking. My sweetie could do without the sand, but I love it. He told me that sitting on the balcony was good enough for him. I have loved the ocean since I was a teenager. My parents would take us to NC and we would have a the best time. Of course, then I had no idea that the peacefulness I felt at the ocean was the quiet pull of the Lord. I look back and can see that He was waiting for me to see Him there, but being a teenager I was too self-centered to hear or see Him. All I cared about was getting the perfect tan!

This past weekend I couldn't escape the words of the Lord, as He spoke to me. It was such an amazing thing to worship the Creator standing on the sandy beach. I could sit on the beach all day if I were allowed, totally engrossed in the beauty of it all. As we walked the boardwalk, I noticed out of the corner of my eye a lady dancing, with her little girl, to the music on the boardwalk. Now, several things about her struck me. She didn't care that people were watching her. (She very well could have been "lit", but it doesn't matter.) I heard the Spirit say -Oh, that we would all worship the Creator, King of all Kings totally not caring what other people thought of us! I thought on it later and remembered that King David danced before the Lord and exposed himself while dancing, much to his wife's disapproval! The second thing was, she was teaching the little girl to do the same thing! And again I heard the Spirit say- Oh, that we would teach our little ones to worship the Lord this way? Ouch!

Several weeks ago, I scolded my littlest for jumping during morning worship time. I was singing on the platform, doing my normal count (I count to make sure that all my children are in the worship center), she was sitting where my things were and the other children sat with friends or nanny. The music begins and I see her stand up on the pew, because she could not see me when the adults in front of her stood up. I'm thinking, "Ok, I can handle that, but she is alone." I'm watching her and she starts dancing on the PEW! The last pew before the aisle! I had a fear run through me like no other. I was singing and trying to get my friend's attention at the same time, wondering where on earth my DH was! All I could see was her falling backwards and hurting herself! She didn't fall and it all turned out OK. Still, after the service, I scolded littlest and told her that it was very dangerous to jump on a pew. Don't worry I assured her that she could jump and dance with the music anytime, as long as she was on the FLOOR!

Such a beautiful sight, and I took a mental picture of the two of them, dancing care free on the beach. Even now as I see them in my mind's eye, it brings tears to my eyes. It looked like heaven! We may not be able to worship totally care-free here on earth, but when we get to heaven....we will!

Mother's Day

2008-05-12T14:06:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day!

To all my friends, that make me a better mother, I wish you the very happiest Mother's Day. I love you all so very much. I am glad the Lord made our paths cross. Each of you have made huge differences in my life and I am thankful to the Lord for each and everyone of you! Thank you for pushing me to be a better wife, mother, sister and friend. I would not be who I am today if it were not for friends like all of you!

And let me not forget the man who made my being a mother possible...thank you. Thank you for helping me (chuckle, chuckle) fulfill the dream for a large family. I can't imagine being a mother to anyone else's children.

Tutu's Are Always Fun!

2008-05-07T04:56:00.000-07:00

Littlest and a neighbor friend decided that the weather was perfect for tutu's. I couldn't resist the urge to take pictures of them as they played in the backyard.

They looked like circus girls, swinging on the net.

Or maybe they are practicing for Cirque de soule.
Absolutely great fun to jump on the trampoline in tutu's!

If you look really close, you might be able to see littlest's black eye. She fell down the stairs a week ago, really she did. When I found her, she was head first down the stairs with her feet behind her. She did a total face plant on the steps.
Springtime with friends is so much fun!

2008-05-02T05:16:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry for being a hermit lately. To make a long story short, I have a intracranial tumor that is NOT cancerous and surgery is NOT an option right now. I am not having severe difficulty because of it, just minor inconveniences, so for now, we are going to leave it alone. I am going to have to have repeat MRI's to keep an eye on it. So, all in all, I am fine, but that is the reason I have been quiet as of late.

The Lord has really been requiring me to lean more on Him. Through all the physical stuff and the day to day stuff as well. Gas prices are beginning to take it's toll on us and we are finding it harder and harder to keep up with our "normal" spending habits. (We do have a 15 passenger van to keep running, which takes about $125 to fill up.) We are trying to shave off the unnecessaries. Much to our kids dismay, the first thing we are going to have to cut out is all eating out. Many families we know have already had to do this to help with the rising cost of living. Dh and I talked today about writing out a months worth of meals to see if that helps us. We eat out less when the weeks meals are planned and shopped for ahead of time. With this large family, I should have already been doing this, but just haven't. So, I'm wondering if you could help. Can you send me your favorite inexpensive recipe? Little cost and big flavor is what I'm looking for. I know my friend at NoodleNest makes a pasta & chicken dish for the summer that I've forgotten. Noodlenest, please send that to me. I'd like to put that in my monthly meal list. Thanks for helping! If you want to email me with the recipe, let me know and I'll give you my email address.

Emotions & Friends

2008-04-16T11:35:00.000-07:00

The week has had so many emotional roller coasters that I am so ready to get off! Our friends from NoodleNest are managing, but the week did not have any happy endings for them. Her Dh did have surgery on Monday, so that is good. His pain was incredible. He couldn't even get in a wheelchair last week. We are praying that he can this week. Please keep this precious family in your prayers.

Most of our friends do not live here anymore, because we live in a military town. We have friends all over the US, which is a great thing, but also a sad thing. When you hear they are going through a really hard time, you want to be there to hug and encourage or make meals and keep their kids for them, but you can't because of the miles, the stinking miles. This is the not so pleasant part of having friends all over the US. I have wanted to hug my friend from NoodleNest all week, in fact, I told her so and we both just sobbed on the phone. (See what I mean about the emotional roller coaster.)

Watching my Dh cry this weekend for and over our friends was emotionally exhausting...Dh does NOT cry! I held his hand, as we prayed fervently for our friends, and I could have hardly control myself. After that, he co-baptized with our senior Pastor, which is moving in and of itself, but our 2nd dd was one of the people being baptized! When he baptized her, and I couldn't keep it together any longer! I'm sure I was making the ugliest face ever, but it could not be helped. (For those who do not know, my Dh is going to school to become a Pastor and is the Youth Pastor at the church we attend presently.) To see him baptize out daughter was the most precious thing. You could hardly see her head above the baptismal! The chuckle in my throat, from seeing her in there, was the only thing that kept me from letting out huge sobs as I watched them.

This past weekend I couldn't stop thanking the Lord for friends, family and His protection over us all. He sometimes allows things we wish He hadn't, but He is good. At the end of the day, when it seems like we've lost everything and we've no where to go, He is good.

I have been reminded that the only thing I know for sure is that the Lord is good.

Please PRAY

2008-04-10T04:49:00.001-07:00

What a day yesterday was! There are so many things happening in and around our lives on a daily basis, and most of the time, they don't bother our tranquility, but that was not the case yesterday.

Our dear friend from NoodleNest was in a terrible car accident. I am requesting prayer for the Dh and for the rest of the family as well. A car crossed the yellow line and hit him head-on. He is alive and we praise the Lord for that! He suffered a broken wrist, one leg is broken and the other leg has a broken ankle, as well as, a gash on the back of his head requiring four staples to close it. He is going to require surgery, hopefully by Saturday. The Drs. have told his wife that he will be in a wheelchair for at least 2 months and recovery will take around 4 months, not counting physical therapy.

Please join us in prayer for this precious family. Pray that no infection sits in, for total healing, and God's over absolute best provision for this family. We also want to lift the driver of the other car in prayer as well. I do not know the specifics on the other driver, but I'm sure they have injuries as well.

Thank you so much for your prayers.

Priorities

2008-04-03T13:55:00.000-07:00

Dh asks me.

"When are you going to write something new on your blog?"

I shrug my shoulders, but my mind is saying,

"When can I have five minutes of quiet to think about what in the world I want to write about?"

Oh, for five minutes. I wouldn't trade my noisy house for anything in the world, but there are days I do wish I could have five minutes, together, to think in the quiet. The one thing I've realized the last few years is that if I want quiet, I have to find it. Yep, find it, not make it. In the earlier years of my motherhood, I didn't get this. I struggled to keep my sanity and prayed for the strength to endure. What am I saying? I still do that. What I'm trying to say is: I guess I've found that if I make time for quiet in the morning, things don't seem to unnerve me the same as when I don't make time for quiet. Now, there are some days when I only get 15 minutes quiet, then there are others when I find more. The amount of time depends on how much I feel like I need. No matter what, I have to have 15 minutes a day. I give the Lord my day, then sit and be quiet. Really, I try to empty my mind of anything else and just be quiet. No TV, no radio, no nothing. Just me, the Lord, and the quiet.

So, back to the finding part. Well, I find time in the morning. I know, groan, groan, but it works. I friend of mine, who has 9 children (no multiples), told me that she was up at 5 am to have some quiet time to herself! I thought, "Nope- No way am I doing that!" It was out of total desperation that I found myself trying this idea and, you know what? It worked. I wasn't being the mother I wanted to be. I looked at my life as something to be endured, not something to be treasured. This wasn't OK with me and I knew that it wasn't what God wanted my life to be either, so I got out of bed one morning, made my coffee, and sat at the dining room table, Bible open, reading quietly. Inwardly I heard a voice say, "Thanks." (Don't get hung up on this, but I do believe that the Holy Spirit speaks to us) "Thanks for what?" I replied. The next thing I heard changed me, "Thanks for making me more important than your sleep." OUCH!

Sleep is a precious thing to me, but not more precious to me than the Lord. It is in Him that I find peace for my day, and strength to get my work done. So, I'm not sure why I chose to write about this today, but if you are struggling to keep your sanity, please sacrifice some sleep for your loving Heavenly Father, he will meet you there. I really don't think he cares whether it's 15 or 45 minutes, I think he just wants to see what's more important to us.

Gift Giving

2008-03-25T10:19:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure, but something inside of me is changing. I don't know if it's age/maturity, or what exactly it is, but I am looking at holidays differently than I did before. Maybe it is that my thoughts are different. Maybe it is because I want my children to understand the real reasons for our holidays. Even St. Patrick's Day was different this year. I could have cared less if I wore green or not. Learning about the stories behind the holiday has become more and more important to me. Knowing the baby in the manger is more important than honoring him one day a year, learning that Patrick was the reason Christianity came to Ireland, and believing that Easter is totally about new life found in the Risen Christ. These ideas have taken over my thought processes and have made each holiday more special than previous years. Which brings me to Easter gifts.

I had been scoffing at all the Easter decor and paraphernalia in the stores and wondering what the bunny and Jesus have in common. Why do we see bunnies when it's Easter time? I have been thinking on this for awhile. I believe that we can see Christ in everything, no matter how the world perverts it. This is what I came up with: The bunny is a very procreative animal, right? (hehe- I like following that notion) A bunny gives birth to new life (many at one time), then the baby bunnies grow quickly and before you know it they are all having their own baby bunnies. Shouldn't this be the motto of our lives in Christ? We become a believer/follower of Christ, then we "give birth" to new believers and then they go and make new believers, etc. Wow! This not a new idea here. I believe Jesus taught this model of behavior. So why do more people come to church on Easter and Christmas? My personal opinion is: ignorance is bliss. Seriously. Most people in our lives know everyone goes to church on these two holidays, so they go and attendance is good. We have dropped the ball! I've dropped the ball! The church has dropped the ball! Maybe we've had the mentality that making new followers of Christ is the pastor's job, I don't know, but if we are honest, we know that's not true. We are the people that either bring glory and honor to Christ in our lives or not. Our lives are watched by the people around us. They know whether our lives shine of Jesus or not. It is time we stepped up and accepted responsibility. He commissioned us all.

Even when we get it right, and someone asks us what puts that pep in our step or makes us shine brighter on gloomy days, we still drop the ball. We share Christ with them, tell them of His love and gift of salvation and eternal life. Then that's it, we think we've done our job. Isn't that all we're told to do? Nope. If the people we introduce to Christ have no idea they need to pray, and read their Bibles regularly to learn more about God, then they won't. We have no one, but ourselves, to blame when they are not grounded in their faith enough to bring honor and glory to God on their own. We spend little time with the newly saved people and expect them to carry on the "birthing" process. Why then are we dumb-founded when they cannot stay firm when the first wave of the adversary knocks them down? We have not learned the lesson of the bunny. She teaches her babies. We must spend time teaching new believers. We can't expect them to just know the things we've known for years. Jesus spent time with his followers, some more than others, so should we.

Jesus is Easter. He is the reason I celebrate Easter and I won't be scoffing at the bunnies next year, because they will remind me of Jesus' example, hopefully they will remind you, too. Go eat that chocolate bunny, while I get off my soap box!

Easter Bunnies

2008-03-24T17:42:00.000-07:00

Here's a few pictures of my "bunnies." She's growing up so fast!

MB didn't want to take pictures when we first got home. She wanted to open the Easter basket Grandma had sent her instead.

Check out the red cast! I should have matched L's dress with her cast.

Hopefully, no one called the fashon police!

My littlest bunny at the Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday.

She found 6 eggs, but gave 3 away to a friend that didn't get any.

I hope you had a great Resurrection Day! We did!

Easter Celebration!!

2008-03-22T07:32:00.000-07:00

What if you were there? This video is worth watching!

KETCHUP

2008-03-19T13:55:00.000-07:00

My friend on another blog wrote about a conversation that her sons had in the car the other day, so I thought I'd share the conversation that took place this afternoon while eating McDonald's.

We had a busy morning, shopping for last minute Easter attire, so I stopped and picked up McDonald's. I know, not the most nutritious meal ever, but I didn't get any fries - if that helps any... haha.

We were all sitting at the table eating when Em got the ketchup out for the few that had chicken nuggets. As soon as she squirted it, it made that sound. You know the sound I'm talking about. The sound that we adults aren't supposed to laugh at, right?

So, my boys both start cracking up, because they tend to find body noises very funny, and I shoot them "the look". The look that says, "Give me a break, it was just ketchup" and "Stop" at the same time. They both straighten up and MB says "The ketchup farted." I turned to give her that same "look" and she is staring up at me with the most serious face.

"Well, it did" she says innocently, with her big green eyes. I couldn't hold it together another second...I burst out in laughter, which thrilled the boys, and soon everyone was cracking up! After everyone was done laughing, I looked at her and she said, "I know, I shouldn't have said that werd."

I put the sternest face I could on and said, "That's right. It is not a nice word to use."

How am I supposed to teach her girly manners with those big green, beautiful eyes looking at me like that?! Heaven help me!

What do you think?

2008-03-14T10:23:00.000-07:00

My Dh and I last weekend went away for a retreat. We had a great, relaxing time. We also learned about the Lord and His Word. I learned much and could talk forever about the things I learned, but I only want to repeat one thing and get your comments on it.

"The experience you have with God is the one you have settled for."

Do you agree or disagree? Why?

Oprah is Not a Prophet!

2008-03-04T16:41:00.001-08:00

Thank you to my friend at as-for-me-and-my-house.blogspot.com . She has brought up something that I've been bothered by for weeks now. Oprah's new book. I can honestly say that I do not make it a habit to watch Oprah. I watch when Dr Oz is going to be on, but other than that, NOT. I have many "issues" with Oprah. But, this book...well, it scares me. It is leading many away from Jesus Christ and they have no idea. Sometimes, I totally understand why we (humans) are referred to as sheep!

Matthew 24:24 -"For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great miraculous signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God's chosen ones. See, I have warned you."

I have had the TV off for the last few weeks. Really, because I've needed the quiet. Well, less noise, because it can never really be quiet around here. (Even at night, I have several that sleep walk and talk!) However...the TVs been off. It has been nice. I've read, prayed, and knitted. I have really enjoyed the time, too. It occurred to me that the TV tells us how to think, act, behave, etc. Several of my kids have started picking up phrases that are not acceptable and it was from commercials! Today, I did actually turn on the TV for an hour and saw a commercial for a new birth-control procedure. I thought I was going to throw up. Something called Essure. The commercial starts with thoughts bombarding a woman while she is "playing"with her children. You'll have to see it for yourself, but it made me sick. Now, even commercials are trying to tell us how many children we should and shouldn't have! Which, leads me to Oprah. as believers, we need to speak up against the mind controlling. I applaud those that have brought it to my attention. If we, as Jesus Christ followers, would turn our TVs off more and turn our ears toward heaven wouldn't we be able to see through the "junk" being fed to our minds. It was obvious to me today, after turning my TV off for a week.

See this if you'd like to hear what a former New Age believer said about Oprah's book read this.

Broken Fingers

2008-03-03T14:39:00.000-08:00

Here is Grace...ummm, I mean Lauren!

We really had seriously considered naming her Grace, but decided against it later. It would have been totally hilarious if we had, because from the moment she began walking this girl has stumbled and hurt herself over and over. I actually took her to a pediatric eye dr when she was 3, because she kept falling over nothing. After a examination, the Dr assured me that she was fine. To make a long story short, she fell 2 weekends ago while dancing with her friends. Yes, dancing. Apparently, she fell while doing the splits. She didn't even tell me right away, till she shows me her hand and says, "My finger really hurts." Her pinkie finger was "hanging" off to the side. I just stood there, looking at Dh, like what do we do. Then she started to cry. It was obvious that something was really wrong. Sure enough, after a X-rays, it was indeed broken. She is the most joyful girl and my biggest dare devil. (Last summer, she took a pogo stick on the trampoline! )

Who knows what will happen next to this dare devil of mine!

I love books!

2008-02-20T19:06:00.000-08:00

I just finished a new book and I can't wait to get the next. I have decided that I am an old soul. I love stories from frontier times. I love reading about the hardships that they over came to create the America we call home today. It is really amazing to think how hard life was then, and still I wish I had been born in those days. Maybe that is why I love making bread, knitting and having lots of children. I know for some this is not popular, but it is heaven for me. I long for the day to hold another beautiful Kriner baby.

Any way...back to the book...."An Untamed Land" by Lauraine Snelling. Dh brought it home to me over the weekend, when everyone was sick and I was going stir crazy. He is a wonderful man. He knows that I like to occupy my head with stories. He stopped this evening to see if the store had the next book in the series for me, but they did not. We are going to try again at another store and if they do not have it there, then we'll go to amazon. I am going to start a book log on the side bar. I am currently reading several books, but the fiction ones bring me great joy.

Update!

2008-02-18T10:01:00.001-08:00

Mr. Mouse has been caught, thank the good Lord! Of course, before Dh could put him out in the garbage, all the children had to inspect him. Watching them crowd around Dh reminded me of the Wizard of Oz! You know, the scene when the house falls on the wicked witch, everyone rushes to see if she is "really, really, really dead." Then her shoes and striped socks roll under the house!

Next, came Valentine's Day. The children worked all day preparing the cards they wanted to give to their grandparents and friends. It was sweet as they all worked together, littlest included, insisting that she be allowed to write the names on herself. Dh gave me beautiful red roses and 2 cards. He has always given me two cards on Valentine's. One that is funny and one that is serious. I always try, but most of the time I just get the mushy, gushy kind. The sweetest thing happened as well, my Dad brought me flowers! They were from my Mom, too, but it was so sweet. I don't remember ever getting flowers from my father before, so it was very touching. I will post a pic of them tomorrow.

Then...the FLU! MB started with it first, then L, then EM, then M and C has managed to stay well. DH and I have only had the queazies. I really thought I was going to go stir crazy from being in doors for so long. Friday night I was supposed to have music practice for worship team, but I felt bad leaving L, she was not well at all. I told her that I wasn't going to go and would stay with her. She is so sweet and knows me so well, she looked at me and said, "It will be Ok, Mom." I was battling my flesh, so bad. I kept trying to figure out a way I could still go. Finally, I said I'm not going. I really felt pulled between doing what I love (singing to glorify the Lord) and being with my beloved baby when she was feeling terrible. I sat down at the computer, totally resigned that I wasn't to be there and God was in control. I wanted to cry, but I didn't want L to feel responsible for my sadness, so I surpressed it all. Then, the phone rang. My wonderful in laws said they would come and sit with the two sick babies, so I could go. I was stunned and thankful. Thankful to God, who saw me as I struggled with my will verses His. He saw fit, this time, to make it all work out for me to get what I want. I saw Him clearly act as my Abba Father.

"You are so good to me, You heal my broken heart, You are my Father in Heaven...
You are beautiful, my sweet, sweet song....I will sing again!" -Ben Pasley

Momma said there'd be days like this...

2008-02-11T11:54:00.000-08:00

teaching my boys to read has got to be the hardest thing I've ever had to do. I was so frustrated trying to get them to follow phonics CD's and review sounds that I just gave up. I called Dh on Wednesday last week and told him I was done. He was so sweet. He gently talked to me and reassured me that everything would work out. I hung up and prayed. Isn't it terrible that the last thing I try is prayer? I should have tried it first, because I felt so much better. I mean God can surely identify with my pain and suffering. He tries to teach us (me included) everyday about himself and do we listen? Most of the time...no. We go around and around the same thing stumbling over and over, while God watches.

It has been the same with the boys and reading. Reading with them has been painful, and hilarious at the same time. Some of the words they come up with are terrible and, out of total frustration, I burst in to laughter because otherwise I'd cry! I am so glad that God is a perfect father. I'm glad He never gets as frustrated with me as I do my boys. "Oh, to be like thee..."

Yesterday, I stepped in the boys' Sunday School class and the teacher says, "Oh, the boys just read our lesson." I stopped. They were so proud and so was I! I could have jumped for joy! I tried not embarass them, giving them high-fives as I walked out! Hurray! I think a light bulb went on and I don't even know when. God must have seen me, thrown across my bed begging for help. He totally identified with me last Wednesday and helped these boys, because there is no other explanation. I know we are not totally there yet, but a major bump in the road has been crossed and I am thankful to God for delivering me!

And his name ain't Mickey either!

2008-01-30T19:23:00.000-08:00

Can you guess? Who do you know with the name Mickey? Yep, you guessed it...a MOUSE! I wish it was just M-I-C-K-E-Y- M-O-U-S-E, but it is definitely not!

There are only few times during the day when things get quite around here and between 2-3pm is one of those times. Today was no exception. It was around 2:30pm and I walked in to the kitchen to see Peaches sitting on the floor and she was staring at my feet.

It was really odd, because Peaches has been living on top of my kitchen cabinets for about 6 months. She went up there when we brought Frankie (new kitten) home and then, when we brought Buddy (new doggie) home, she really wasn't coming down. I've had to make "allowances" for her. She is a very old cat, 12 human yrs, and has literally lost hair since we added the other animals to the house. I often refer to her as "hairless butt". She doesn't seem to mind. Those who know Peaches find her grouchy and most hate her. I, however, am very fond of her and really miss the time we would share in the evenings after the kids were in bed. But, getting rid of her isn't an option, so I've made her as comfortable as I can on the top of my cabinets and everone is happy, relatively.

Back to the story...so she's looking at me and I think: "Is it my shoes? And why are you down here?" I take a couple steps and I see her focus on something under the stove. I've seen this look before. It has to be a mouse. Now, Frankie is no where to be seen, and is much faster and, well, YOUNG. I told Emily to go find her while Peaches & I kept a close look out for Mickey. As soon as Emily brought Frankie in the kitchen, she heard "Mickey" and zeroed in on it, too. It was really funny, both of them sititng in front of the stove watching, crouched low, like tigers on the safari waiting for the kill. Frankie has no experience with mice, so she doesn't have a care in the world. Peaches takes a couple steps back and the mouse comes right out! Frankie is just standing there, frozen! I wonder what was going through her funny mind. Mickey went quickly back under the stove and the afternoon was filled with nothing, but watching these two cats wait for the mouse to return. The kids were amused and I thought, man if we lived on a farm I wouldn't have to buy any toys, because the cat and mouse games would surley keep them occupied.

We left for church, and I quietly prayed, "Lord, please don't let them get blood all over my house if they catch that thing." To add to the excitement, during dinner time at church, Mary Beth was going from table to table telling everyone: "We have a mouse under our stove and Frankie and Peaches are going to do their job while we were gone." The kids were all chicken when we first came home, so I opened the door and told them the coast was clear. We walked in the kitchen, of course, all the kids behind me and I told them I didn't hear anything and Peaches was sleeping. Then Micah whispers, "Mom, we need to call Scott." Of course, I respond with "Why?" "Because, Scott says he can hear a mouse fart." He was so serious and I thought I was going to loose it. I tried to keep my face stern and quickly reminded him that we don't use that word in our home. He apologised and I still had to keep my self together. As soon as I saw David's headlights in the drive way, I ran outside to tell him. He laughs and says, "We really have a mouse?" I was like, yeah, where have you been? Obviously, Mary didn't make it to the table where her father sat for dinner.

I don't know if the mouse stayed under the stove, went somewhere else in the house or left completely. I hope it's the latter. I hate killing the poor little things, but this is MY house and we can't both live here.

The trap has been set and if nothing happens, I guess I'll be calling Scott tomorrow, since he has such great listening powers!

Soft and Blue

2008-01-20T19:24:00.000-08:00

I finally finished it! This soft, blue shawl is finally done. I think I've been working on it for three weeks total. There are a few imperfections, but overall, I'm happy how it turned out.

A wonderful friend has started teaching me knitting. She started me on scarves in November. I finished three before Christmas. My first was, Ok, but I learned quickly how to pick the softest yarn. The first one is not the softest of yarns, so it's in the glove, hat and scarf box in my hall closet. The second scarf, I used cashmere yarn and gave it to my mom for Christmas. The third was made with an Alpaca yarn and it was for my grandmother. I have since made another scarf, for one of the kids, with Alpaca yarn again and added tassels.

The blue shawl (above) is for my Emily. I wanted to make her the first shawl, she is, after all, our first. I thought it was fitting. I know you can't tell how soft it is, but the first thing she said to me was, "OH! Mom it is sooo soft. " I hope she treasures it forever. The other girls have already put in their order for pink shawls.

I am amazed at how relaxing knitting is. I can totally relax and think. It has become a nice time for me to talk to God and for Him to talk to me. Knitting has even helped me loose weight! Really, I'm not kidding! When I want to snack, and I know I shouldn't, I grab my knitting bag and get busy. It takes my mind off the refrigerator and the snack cabinet. Silly...I know.

I asked the Lord if I was spending too much time on knitting and the verse that came to mind was Proverbs 31:27 - "She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness." So, if my household is taken care of, then knitting sounds good to me!

Down the hatch, baby!

2008-01-16T19:07:00.000-08:00

It's been a while, I know, sorry. I've had so many things on my mind that I wasn't sure exactly what I wanted to say. I think I'll tell you about the shots I had in church this past weekend. Well, maybe I am exaggerating a little. Let me tell you the story and YOU decide.

The pastor told us to come to an "encounter" weekend. He didn't tell us much, just told us (the entire church) that it would change our lives. I immediately was on board. Not that I needed a major change in my life, but I love it when preachers "step on my toes", if you know what I mean. This was an all weekend event and we had sitters lined up for Friday night and Saturday night...hooray!

There are so many things I could share about. The things I saw and the messages I heard were incredible. Maybe some of it was things I knew, but this time it was different. For instance, the cross. They played an excerpt from The Passion of the Christ. The excerpt of Jesus being nailed to the cross. Now, I saw this movie when it came out, but I can honestly say it's not one I watch over and over. To see this again made my entire body shake. I forced my eyes to not look away, because he was doing that for my petty, stupid sin. You know, sins like a bad attitude or self centeredness. That's when the shots came out. Communion cups, really, but each was filled with vinegar. As soon as the cover was lifted off the plate, the aroma of vinegar filled the air. Then they passed out the cups to each of us and read how Jesus was thirsty. He had been beaten for hours and all they would give him was vinegar. It was our turn now. Some people took a tiny sip, some only put their finger in to their tongue. I couldn't. I took the whole thing- down the hatch- like a shot! It burned all the way down.

I know you're probably thinking I am nuts, well that is debatable some days, but this time I was perfectly lucid. I wanted to taste what he tasted. I can't even imagine what he felt like physically, but I do know what he felt when he took that sip from the sponge.

Something so simple, but it was BIG for me. The entire weekend was full of BIG moments for me. I encountered Jesus this weekend, a new and a fresh, and it was wonderful! Exodus 3:26 "....the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush."

Lesson:
Stop trying to quench the thirst of your soul with worldly things. All the world has to offer is vinegar.

Christmas Memories

2008-01-06T12:49:00.000-08:00

What do these four things have in common?

A trip to Sam's Club.

One trip to Dunkin' Donuts.

One trip to Panera Bread.

And one trip to Tropical Smoothie.

Daddy!

My sweet husband took all the kids out on special "dates" during the holidays. The boys were thrilled to "hang'' with Dad at Sam's, eat pizza and share a Coke. Next, he took Lauren to Panera Bread for breakfast. The next morning, he took Mary Beth out to breakfast at Dunkin' Donuts. When she came home she was so happy, because she ate TWO chocolate covered donuts! And last, but not least, he took Emily to Tropical Smoothie for lunch.

Such joy, to have a few minutes alone with Dad. They LOVED going with just him and being able to have his undivided time. There were many gifts given over the last few weeks, but I hope this gift from their Dad will be the one remembered most. Time is a gift.

When life becomes so busy that we can't find time, then I think it's time to stop and regroup. The holidays were a perfect time to stop. We had time to just be a family and enjoy each other. Were there still fusses and arguments? Yep. Was there still name calling and sibling rivalry? Yep. It was GREAT! (I know...my sanity factor just plummeted.) I really enjoyed being together, in spite of all arguing.

Hopefully, Dad won't wait till next Christmas to do it again!

My favorite Christmas find...

2008-01-03T12:23:00.000-08:00

Hot Russian Tea! It is so wonderful that I had to share it with all of you. We visited a friends house before Christmas and the aroma hit me as I walked in the door. I immediately asked what the wonderful smell was. She handed me a hot cup of sweet & spicy smelling tea. It first I was skeptical, because I don't enjoy hot tea, but curiousity got the best of me. A few sips and the cup was gone. I think I enjoyed two cups before leaving that evening. (And, of course, I asked for the recipe) Luckily, she was willing to share! I'm glad she is the sharing type! Anyhow, here is the recipe. ENJOY!

HOT RUSSIAN TEA

1 cup instant tea (decaf, if you prefer)
2 cups Tang
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
3/4 cup of Lemonade mix
1 1/2 cups sugar (or less)
3/4 tsp allspice

Mix all together and keep in tightly covered jar.
Use approx. 2 heading teaspoons for one cup of tea.

Happy New Year!

2008-01-01T05:34:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone!

I pray God's continued blessings on each of you for 2008!

Littlest's Birthday

2007-12-19T08:07:00.001-08:00

Mary and Jordan
Daddy handing out tokens
Charlotte and Mary opening presents
Birthday cake, yum!
I think she had anxiety about blowing out the candles

We had a fun Sunday afternoon! We spent the afternoon at Chuck E Cheese! My ears are still ringing from all the noise. Mary Beth's friend, Charlotte, celebrated at the same time since their birthday's are two days apart. We all had a wonderful time visiting and celebrating these beautiful girls' birthdays with each other.

I can hardly believe that Mary is 4 years old. I remember having a small baby here for Christmas that year. It was wonderful. I remember her very chubby cheeks and perfectly shaped pink lips, just like Emily had when she was born.

Where did the time go? (I imagine that I'll still be asking that question when she gets married.)

14 Reasons Why I Love This Man

2007-12-11T11:40:00.000-08:00

It hardly seems like we've been married for 14 yrs. But, here we are again. In honor of my wonderful husband, I give you:

14 reasons why I love this man

Drum roll, please.

14.He never complains about the laundry. There is always more clothes than I have time.

13. "Works of art" created on the tops of furniture and TV screens filled with finger prints do not bother or irritate him.

12. He trusts me to cut his hair (and occasionally his ear... oops, sorry)

11. Shopping with him is great, because he always finds a front parking spot- even in the 15 passenger van!

10. He helps me change furniture around at the oddest times and doesn't complain much.

9. Emily

8. Lauren

7. Micah

6. Caleb

5. Mary Beth

4. Every morning he kisses me goodbye, even if I am only slightly coherent.

3. The insight he shows about the Word and things of God still astound me.

2. He is my Knight in shining armor, who rescues me from lots of things, but most of all, myself.

and the # 1 reason...

1. He "gets" me. Really. No one else "gets" me like he does.

Sweetheart,
I love you more and more each and every day. Thank you for giving me your heart. I will cherish and love you till the day I die.

Once a baby and then to the cross

2007-12-10T10:52:00.000-08:00

Dd came running in and announced: "Jesus is in the clouds, on the cross!"

It took a minute to register..."What?"

"Hurry, Mom! You've got to see this!"

I ran out the back door and looked up.

"Go get the camera."

Here is what we all saw:

Pretty amazing, isn't it. It disappeared in several minutes. We do have airplanes here very often and it is probable that it was them, but still...we thought it was pretty amazing.

One of the kids in my back yard asked me, "Do you think this means Jesus will be returning soon?"

I looked at him and said, "I don't know, but we sure can hope."

Yes, we can. I needed a reminder that He is always with me, even during the hardest of times. A friend said this to me a couple days ago, "You are wounded and bloody from Satan's blows, but wield your Sword and know that God will go before you." Thank you for those words, tears poured from my eyes as I read them. He was bloody and wounded that day, too, as the picture in the sky reminds me. He suffered for me, how can I not "suffer" for Him?"

One More Day

2007-12-06T10:22:00.000-08:00

If you had one more day with anyone, who would it be and what would you do for the day?

A recent TV show prompted me to think on these lines. Who would I pick if I could have one more day with anyone? It took some thinking. I spent most of the day thinking about all the different people who have left this life and who I wanted to talk to the most. I actually surprised myself when I finally came to my answer.

My great-grandmother Mary Elizabeth Long-McSherry. I thought about posting a picture of her, but I only have pic's when she was very old. The last picture I have of her is with our 1st dd when we took her to visit Grandma McSherry. Dd was only 2 months old. I wish I had a picture of her as a young woman. Shortly after taking those pictures, Grandma McSherry died, one month shy of her 100th birthday. I was thinking yesterday that I didn't know very much about her life. I wonder what kind of a girl she was, the things she played with. Was she from a upper, middle or lower class family? What was life like for her? I don't know why I've never thought of these things before, I guess I never took the time to stop and think about it. The greatest compliment I have ever been given was by my father when I told him that baby #5 was coming, he said, "Well, Grandma McSherry is probably very proud of you having such a large family!" When we announced our happy news, our family members were not as happy as we would have hoped, so my father's declaration was just what I needed to be bold in our decision to have a large family.

If I had one more day with her, I would love to put a jigsaw puzzle together with her, drink hot tea, talk all day, and maybe go to McDonald's with her. (I don't know if she liked McDonald's, but she always gave my brother and I McDonald's coupons for Christmas. Hopefully, you know what I'm talking about...I know, I'm dating myself with this one!) I'd ask so many questions. Questions about all sort of things. What was it like for her to become a widow and how did she survive the pain of it all? From the information I've gleaned from my father, she was a devout Catholic. I want to know more...what was her spiritual life like? What did she believe about God? I was really taken off guard as I sat and thought about all the things I'd like to ask her. By the end of the evening, I was sad. Sad, because I was too young to be interested in these questions when she was alive. Mad at myself for being so self-centered. If I had thought about these things 15 years ago, I might have been able to ask her. Just thinking about her brings me comfort. I think she would have understood me, not many do. She would have "got me", I think.

But, what about you? Who would you want to see again and spend one more day with? Why?

Happy Thanksgiving!

2007-11-20T12:01:00.000-08:00

Here's our front door!
Isn't this a great pic of me? ha ha, I hope she really doesn't think I look like this!

She said it was me brushing my teeth!

The boys were upset with L that she colored them wearing pink pants!
I told them not to worry, because she had colored Daddy with pink pants, too!

The kids and I spent some time today talking about the upcoming turkey feast. We had a really great time talking about the first Thanksgiving and what we should be thankful for this year. The kids and I decorated the front door with all their thoughts and answers to what they were thankful for. I added the scripture, because we wouldn't be able to fill up the door with anything if it wasn't for the Lord's continued blessing on our family. I could talk endlessly about how the Lord has provided over and over to meet our needs.

Just this week, I told dh that we had to have a fence put up, because the dog figured out he can run faster than the boys! He ran right out in the street a couple times this past week, so a fence is definitely necessary at this point. He answered me with, "I know." and the look said, "Yeah, but where is that going to come from?"

I don't know if he has been praying, probably so, because yesterday I received a call from a friend that asked me if we needed a fence! My mouth just popped open! She told me that a friend of hers called asking if she knew anyone that could use a perfectly new fence, a wooden fence, less than 1 yr old! She told me that she couldn't remember if we had a fence or not, but wanted to ask anyway! I could hardly control my enthusiasm, and told her we wanted it, no matter what. The only thing we have to do is go take it down.

Wow! God is good, so good to us. We might be putting a fence up this Thanksgiving weekend, but it will be a blessing handed from God to us. What a wonderful way to focus our minds on God's provision...to God be the glory!

My prayer is that you will have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and remember all the things He has brought you through this past year.

Candy Nostalgia

2007-11-02T10:24:00.000-07:00

Wow! I couldn't believe it when littlest dd found these in her trick or treat bag! Pop Rocks! Before I knew it, the oldest ds had traded her for candy that she knew she'd like. Sneaky boy.

Whispers were coming from the the dining room and I knew trouble was brewing. I had heard our oldest dd call the other children in the dining room, but I had no idea what they were up to.

Then the oldest four walk in to the playroom, and stick their tongues out! They had decided to share the Pop Rocks! I just sat there in absolute amazement and the nostalgia set in. It seems just like yesterday when my brother and I enjoyed that same candy. I think my brother even tried to drink a can of soda one time and made himself sick! Isn't it funny how one packet of candy can make 20some years seem just like yesterday.

Santa - if you read my blog, can you get some of those for their stockings this year? They will definitely be a big hit!

Through It All

2007-10-21T13:33:00.000-07:00

What can I say? I have had some rough weeks. I've been trying to help a dear friend. I've known her well for 2 years. Then, over the summer, her life began to spiral out of control. I knew she was messed up with drugs. My heart could see the beautiful person hiding beneath the pain she'd bottled up inside. Over the last year, I've prayed and prayed for her. Prayed for God to make a difference, but she wouldn't even give him a chance. Then rock bottom came.

Rock bottom drove her to my house. Our house was the only place she could go. I watched over her for 2 weeks as her body trembled, her sweat poured, her stomach twisted in knots and listened to her vomit after every meal. I prayed more. I knew she was a strong girl. I knew she could do this, if only she'd believe in her self. I knew that it was only by prayer that we accomplished the impossible. People said: "You don't know how to do that". True, I didn't, but God did. (That's the only reason she's clean today.) She's been clean for 67 days.

Today, she takes to wing to good ole' Alabama. She is going to continue her journey there with a much larger support of people. People who understand the journey she's been on, because they've been there themselves. She's come a super long way the last 10 weeks. She's closer to the Lord, maybe not all the way there yet, but definitely closer.

There have been many people to help her on this journey and I know it was our obedience that saved her from death. He really thought he had her this time and maybe he would have, but God stepped in. He stepped in and fought for her, when she couldn't fight anymore. We are honored to have been able to be God's hands & feet in her life and will never forget the things I've learned through it all.

Count Down!

2007-10-12T18:59:00.000-07:00

I really can't believe that Christmas is already approaching. I'm hoping that the timeline here on my blog keeps me aware of the time, as it ticks away slowly. I have to admit....I like waiting to the last minute. I know, it's just not practical with a large family. I always have good intentions, every year, but inevitably I forget something of super importance, that must be purchased days before Christmas.

Wait now...I have an excuse for this lack of metal ability - Birthdays. I have three, yes, three birthdays the week before Christmas. The twins b-day is the 22nd and littlest's birthday is the 18th. O.K. I thought having babies for Christmas was cool, now I'm not so sure. It really is fitting to celebrate birthdays so close to Christmas, it keeps all our minds focused on Christ. We've had to stop doing a birthday cake for Jesus, unfortunately. We just couldn't eat anymore birthday cake! I think one year we did a birthday cookie instead! This year I'm trying to be creative and think of something fun and new. The Christmas holiday is a fun time around here and the kids think it's great to have the Christmas tree up for their birthday parties. Poor Dh's pockets seem a little lighter, but the Lord has provided each year. (God is amazing that way.)

So....I'm trying to plan a little better, spend more wisely this year, and really looking forward to time with our family and focusing on the best gift ever given.

Maybe, just maybe, my new countdown timer will help keep me focused! Atleast...I'm hoping.

Crazy Girl!

2007-10-05T11:44:00.000-07:00

Check her out! While Dh was working, I had to make a visit to a friend in the hospital. I left them with a sitter for 1.5 hrs and I return to find my sweetie's have played with my digital camera. I think they told the sitter that they were allowed to take pictures! Ha.Ha...and she believed them! For those who know this character, you know this so her! She cracks me up! I scolded her, then snuck in the bathroom and laughed! I'm gonna have to hide my camera, who knows what she'll take a picture of next time!

For those who are counting...

2007-10-05T11:39:00.000-07:00

yes that means we've added TWO new pets in one month! I know we're crazy! It works for us!

I CAN'T KEEP UP!

2007-10-05T10:59:00.001-07:00

UGH! I'm having a really hard time keeping up with this blog these days. I don't have a clue why either. Nothing has changed. Our life is the same ole', same ole'. Busy...but that's it. Everyone knows what I'm talking about...that busy where nothing is really accomplished, but things are maintained...yep, that's it and we've been doing that for a while. Well, I'm TIRED of it! I've found myself longing for simple days. Why have I become a hurrier? I hate hurry. I know we live in a fast paced society, but do I have to live fast paced, too? I think not.

I made a decision that I'm going to slow our family down a little. Dd was talking about basketball season for the 4 older kids and I just sighed. I am planning to ask Dh if it would be alright for us to skip this season, so we can slow things down a bit. Just yesterday, Dh was remarking about a movie preview and said: "that lookes like a renter". I reminded him that we haven't rented a movie in months. We haven't made time is really the issue, but life gets busy. We all know that. But, should it get that way? Should we let it get that way?

One of the things that has made me think on slowing down is the latest addition to our family. He's black, cuddly and super sweet. Buddy, we adopted him from the shelter. He is so calm. I know...it's hard to believe, but he is the calmest dog I've ever seen! He just goes with the flow of life around here, sitting at someone's feet. During school time, he sits under the school desk at the kids feet and even now, he's right beside me, laying quietly. I have even said repeatedly- "Are you sure he's OK?"

We all need to slow down and find quiet, if only for a few moments in the day. I know for me, quiet is where I find sanity in this crazy thing we call: OUR family!

2007-09-30T19:01:00.000-07:00

The Game of Tag about your MAN
1. Who is your man? David Jonathan
2. How long have you been together? 16 years in all- 2 dating and Dec will be 14 yrs married
3. How long did you date? 1 yr dating & 1 yr engaged
4. How old is your man? 34
5. Who eats more? We are pretty equal now that he had gastric bypass surgery.
6. Who said "I love you" first? I have no idea!
7. Who is taller? He is.
8. Who sings better? Me, but only because his voice is out of training. He still has a good voice, but it isn't polished now.
9. Who is smarter? Definitely him, engineer minds always rule!
10. Whose temper is worse? That's hard to say...we balance each other over all, but I guess I'm worse on a week to week basis.
11. Who does the laundry? Me & the kids put them away.
12. Who takes out the garbage? All the kids really, but mostly the boys.
13. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? David
14. Who pays the bills? He does.
15. Who is better with the computer? He is much better!
16. Who mows the lawn? We share the task.
17. Who cooks dinner? I do, except for the grilling that's his job.
18. Who drives when you are together? David.
19. Who pays when you go out? David, but it's our money or so he says.
20. Who is most stubborn? Me, I guess.
21. Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? I think we both do.
22. Whose parents do you see the most? David's parents.
23. Who kissed who first? He kissed me. I was still thinking if I wanted to be kissed!
24. Who asked who out? David asked me out to lunch at Pizza Hut after class.
25. Who proposed? He proposed to me on Valentine's Day 1991
26. Who is more sensitive? Me, me, me!!!!
27. Who has more friends? He does. He has more friends than I could count!
28. Who has more siblings? We each have one sibling, so it's equal.
29. Who wears the pants in the family? David does and I love it!

Thanks Noodlenest for tagging me. This was fun! As for Me and My House, you've been tagged!

Been reading a great book..

2007-09-19T10:40:00.000-07:00

I love books! I bought several new books at Homeschooling Convention this year. One of which I started last week. It was full of descriptive words painting great pictures in my mind. I just LOVE stories like that. I can remove myself from what is happening around me and be totally engrossed in the story line. Ask my family they can tell you, it's true. (I can do that for TV too, but that's another issue)

At this point, I bet you are wondering...What's the title? MOTHER by Kathleen Norris.

"Mother is not a great work of literature, like something by Shakespeare or Austen or Dickens. It is not a work of high art or lofty prose. It is the simple story of one young woman's journey from discontentment to understanding and, finally, to joy....There is no shame in godly womanhood. There is no inferiority in being a wife, a mother, a daughter, or a servant. To call the Proverbs 31 woman "restricted" or "liberated" is to miss the point...."pro-life novel of the century." " ~from the Forward to the book.

Here is an excerpt from the book:

"You know...these days, when women just serenely ignore the question of children, or at most, as a special concession, bring up one or two-just the one or two whose expenses can be comfortably met! -there's something magnificent in a woman like your mother, who begins eight destinies instead of one!...she puts her whole splendid philosophy into her nursery-launches sound little bodies and minds that have their first growth cleanly and purely about her knees. Responsibility-that's what these other women are afraid of! But it seems to me there's no responsibility like that of decreeing that young lives simply shall not be..." pg 182-183

Wow! This was a great book and I highly recommend it! If you'd like to read it, email me and I'll send you my copy (only if you promise to send it back when you're done!).

Amy Wilhoite

2007-09-13T13:01:00.000-07:00

She's dancing with her creator around the throne today!

Thank you Amy for your testimony of God's grace.

May we all strive to be like you in our own sufferings.

Genesis

2007-09-13T12:27:00.000-07:00

I started reading Genesis this week. Honestly, I thought I knew the first few chapters by heart. After spending some in depth time in the first 4 chapters, I'm sure that I don't know all there is to know! I almost decided to skip them entirely, boy am I glad I didn't!

As I reread the creation story, mental pictures flashed across my mind. Can you imagine God sitting back at the end of the day smiling at the things He had created that day? Can you imagine how He must have felt on the sixth day, when He made man in His own image? I remember looking at dd1 for the first time. The love that swept over me was unbelievable. God must have felt the same way that day.

We were created to live in the Garden. We were created by love, for love, and in love. I can't wait to get back to what I was created for! If you haven't read Genesis in a while, try it! It's refreshing!

For the Quiet Ride

2007-09-06T12:55:00.000-07:00

My girls are gone this afternoon to a sewing class at the church. Dd1 has made a pillow, blanket and pj bottoms already and Dd2 is just beginning. I'm so excited for them! The lady who teaches the class is super and is so patient with the girls. I'm hoping she will teach me some things too, since I have a sewing machine and have no idea how to use it!

With the girls being out for the afternoon, it has been some what quiet and it's about to get quieter! The boys are getting ready to go to karate lessons and the two kids I babysit are going home within the hour! Dd3 will be the only one I need to look after until 6 pm! WOW!

The quiet ride to the soccer field will be like heaven! I cherish these moments. They don't happen very often around here. I'm not complaining, just making sure I cherish the quiet when it comes along. Once we arrive at the field, the craziness will resume and all will be back to normal. Well....at least our "normal".

I'm off to enjoy the time with dd3!

It's been a while!

2007-09-01T07:24:00.000-07:00

I was reminded this morning that my blog, well...is "behind the times". Can you believe that? Dh was gently reminding me that it's been a while since I've blogged, like I didn't know that. So...I guess I'll catch you guys up on the goings on here.

The number one thing has been the adoption of a daughter...yep, that's what I said. We haven't adopted her legally, but she's here to stay for a while. It's been nice to have her here and I think when it's time for her to move on to bigger and better things, I'll be sad.

And of course, it's school time! Hurray! We started school this past week and getting back in to the swing of things has been quite a chore. It really is amazing how a schedule makes things run smoother. Chores and school assignments have seemed to calm things down around here. The out of control stuff was driving me nuts! We added more subjects this year since it's our 2nd year at this homeschooling thing.

Which reminds me, I was reading new words with ds #1 and the word was trend. He was doing well, but this word threw him for a loop. As he struggled, the word TURD rolled off his tongue. How do you get from trend to TURD? I laughed so hard that I had tears coming to my eyes! He had no idea what he had said, so he starts asking me "What did I say?" He starts giggling and he doesn't even know what he's just said! Luckily for me, he had said many words trying to figure this one word out, so he was completely unaware of the potty-mouth word he had just said. I think that's what made it so darn funny! Even now, I think it was the highlight of my week! TURD!

I think I'm in trouble...what kind of mental state I am in anyway?

When Loves Takes You In

2007-08-21T15:17:00.001-07:00

That's the title of a song by Steven Curtis Chapman, off his DECLARATION cd. It's a great song. It was written to the kids they've adopted, but today, I'm thinking that it's for anyone. I've often played it on Valentine's Day in honor of my husband, who so wonderfully "took me in". I am not at all the person I was then and I am so glad he decided to love me anyways. This song could mean so many things to many different people. Like kids, who for one reason or another, need a new home, a safe home.

Why is it so hard for people to believe that forgiveness of sins is only a prayer away? Why do people choose to live life merely existing when Christ gives life and not just any life, but abundant life? I am having a hard time even wrapping my brain around that choice. Today, as I thought about this very thing, I was struck by how Jesus must have felt as people walked away from him. The knowledge that they were walking away from freedom. It makes me sick to my stomach these days. And for the first time in my life, I'm having a hard time even eating, my stomach constantly in knots. I'm pretty sure that Christ felt, and continues to feel, worse than I do. Salvation is free and only a breath away, but still some question. Questions mean more faith. More faith and more prayer from me for those who walk away.

"When loves takes you in everything changes

A miracle starts with the beat of a heart

When love takes you home and says you belong here

The loneliness ends and a new life begins

When love takes you in it takes you in for good

When love takes you in" - Steven Curtis Chapman

2007-08-18T05:34:00.000-07:00

OK- I 've been tagged by ~ll~, thanks girl! So, this is going to be interesting!

1. You have to post these rules before you give the facts.
2. Players, you must list one fact that is somehow relevant to your life for each letter of your middle name. If you don’t have a middle name, use the middle name you would have liked to have had.
3. When you are tagged you need to write your own blog-post containing your own middle name game facts.
4. At the end of your blog-post, you need to choose one person for each letter of your middle name to tag. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

My middle name was ANN, until I got married, then I changed it to BURGESS. Which one should I choose? I guess I'll do both, since one is easy.

ANN

A-Adorable

N-Naughty, only with my Dh ;0 hehehe

N- Neat- I function better when things are in their place!

BURGESS

B-Blessed beyond measure

U- Unusual and I'm Ok with that.

R- Rescuer for anything/anyone that needs it. (ex. Frankie..he needed it)

G-Generous with what I've been given

E- Excellent wife and mother, aleast that's what I try to be :)

S- Servant to my family, which I do happily.

S- Saved by the blood of Jesus Christ! Hurray!

That was hard! I could have just done Ann, that would have been the easy route. When have I EVER done easy! Anyhow.... noodlenest you've been tagged!

Guess what!?

2007-08-13T10:54:00.000-07:00

I would like to introduce all of you to the newest member of our family- FRANKIE!

Frankie was found in Victoria last week, but Uncle Frank. We asked if we could bring him home to care for him and Uncle Frank agreed! He is a perfect little thing! I even took him in a restaurant, because I couldn't leave him in the heated car while we ate! We are bottle feeding him and caring for him like his mother would. His eyes opened on Thursday or Friday last week, which puts him at 11 days old or so. We're guessing. (When Uncle Frank found him on Wed. his eyes were still closed.) I think it is amazing that he is orange, just like our beloved Pumpkin. I keep praying that Peaches will decide to take care of him- hahaha!