Baby #4

We just received the news last week that we are expecting baby number 4 in early April 2013!!

I woke up one morning with what has always been my first sign of pregnancy. My skin hurt. That's right, my skin hurt to the touch. I told my husband I was pregnant. Of course he said "no way". I said "Way! Go get me a test!". He came home with a dozen roses and a pregnancy test. He said he knew I'd need the roses either way. I needed them alright and the test was very positive. Here we were with three children (one only 7 months old) and another one on the way. Roses are good!

I think it's safe to say we are still in somewhat of a baby fog right now unable to really grasp this news. We have undecided feelings about birth control and controlling births in general but I'm not sure we were ready for this. I guess ready or not here baby comes :)

This is a very unexpected blessing for our family but the Lord knows what plans He has for us and we accept His plans with gratitude.

Community Kindness Idea

My daughters and I had a yard sale this past weekend and while it was a lot of work it was also a lot of fun and a good learning experience for all of us.

On the last day a lady came up to our sale looking for baby girl clothing and told me she was pregnant with her first baby and she was due in January. I didn't have much of my baby stuff out because I usually consign or save the good stuff, and donate the more "used" items. But what I did have, I found for her and told her she could just have it all for free. She was blessed and I was blessed. I could tell she needed those items and I would have donated them anyway if they didn't sell.

After she left I thought of a wonderful idea. How fun would it be to gather up as many unwanted things as we could find from friends, family, and our own closets and hold a yard sale where everything was FREE?!

It could be done a number of ways. We could surprise our customers at check out when they ask for their total or when they hold up an item and say "how much for this?" you could say "oh that old thing, you can just have it". I realize it would be quite a bit of work but the rewards would be much greater than the effort. Most yard sale shoppers are in need of inexpensive items and some don't have much money at all. What a blessing it would be to arrive at a sale and find out all of the items you've selected are yours to take home for absolutely nothing!

One day my girls and I will be trying this out.

A Successful Country

When someone asked me if I was a Democrat or a Republican I told them I don't think I am either and that more importantly, I am a child of God and a believer and follower of Jesus Christ.

As for our country:

I believe wasteful spending needs end.
I want murder in the form of abortion to be stopped.
I want the poor to be cared for.
I want the hungry to be fed.
I want the poor and wealthy to be treated equally.
I want to pay for my family's medical insurance with my own money and I don't want to have to sell my house to afford it.
I want to make my own choices regarding my children and their health, religion, and education.
I want to end the use of chemicals in all of our food and household products.
I want the pharmaceutical companies to stop controlling the health industry, be closely monitored, and held accountable for their mistakes. (I am not against modern medicine; I just believe it is over prescribed and not always the best answer).

I don't have a very political history but I am developing stronger opinions and a better sense of what I feel needs to change in order for our country to become successful again.

A Gift To His Children

 

In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth. Later He created man and women. Then He gave man and women the responsibility of caring for the earth. We all know the story but have we really thought about it? This is something we as Christians should take seriously? I imagine that God thinks highly of all His creations, earth included.

Over and over again the Bible tells us we are children of God. I love this comparison and I believe it is given to us because it's something we can actually comprehend. While we can't completely understand the extent of God's love we can understand how much we love and value our own children because it is a feeling unlike any other, so strong we cannot express our love with mere words. God uses the feelings we have for our children to compare the love He has for us. He created us and gave us the gift of His Earth.
"'See, I give you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground-everything that has the breath of life in it-I give every green plant for food' And it was so." Genesis 1:29-30

Parents, have you ever given your child a special gift? A gift you believed to be good. Something valuable or meaningful. Maybe something you made especially for them. only to see them being careless and irresponsible with your gift? If you're a parent then I'm sure you have experienced something similar. How did that make you feel?

"God saw all that He had made, and it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning-the sixth day." Genesis 1:31

I believe God was proud of His creation, the Earth. Why shouldn't He be, what a magnificent accomplishment! He created it for man and then said "I give you". The Earth. His gift. His "very good" gift. To us.

Lets show Him our appreciation for His love and His Earth by not acting like that irresponsible child who is careless with his gift. Lets treasure it and nurture it. The Earth provides us with the necessities we need to survive. It gives us beauty and pleasure in many forms. Let us treasure it and care for it as the precious blessing it is.

Are We Really Working For The Lord?

This week my heart has been heavy. It seems like every direction I turn, I see hurt and hunger. I guess it's always been there but only now does it seep into my soul. My soul longs for some way to help these people. But there are so many and I am so little. I am not rich. I don't even know if we qualify as middle class. We are blessed with freedom, food, a roof, and salvation. None or which we can take credit for. We have been blessed by others. This I am eternally thankful for. Thankful but not content. I want to be the one sharing God's blessings with others. I want to be the helper, not the helped. The provider of blessings not the receiver.

I wonder if people know about all of these needy bodies and souls all over the world. I mean, do they really know? We see "Feed the Children" commercials and we change the channel. We read about starving countries and child prostitutes but few actually try to help these poor people.

"Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble" Psalms 41:1

I expect more from us. More from Christians, followers of Christ. The Bible tells us to care for the poor. I know Jesus would not be spending His money on vacations or nice clothing. Jesus would not be here in front of this computer sitting in the air conditioning sipping a cup of coffee. Jesus would be serving, sweating, and working for God!!

I have a Facebook page where I post pictures of my family (mostly our children) to share with our friends and family all over the country. I have over 300 "friends" and I would guess at least 200 would claim to be Christians. When I post a cute photo of the baby, I receive some times 20 or so comments on her cuteness. But if I post a picture of a starving child, I receive one to two comments and usually from the same people every time. This makes me think there are so many others that are the way I was, knowing it's there but not allowing it to seep into the soul.

"Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others" Philippians 2:4

Our daughter Mary, helping a local charity donate school supplies to needy children.

Our family is trying to become more mission minded every day. We don't have large sums of money to offer nor do we have the resources to travel the world. But I can testify that if you truly want to serve the Lord and help the needy, God will provide a way! He has opened many doors for our family. He has provided opportunities and resources where we are right now. He is here to guide our efforts and transform our hearts & minds. But we have to want it. We have to see the world and want to change it. We have to think beyond our family's desires and instead focus on others' needs if we want to serve God. We have to open our souls and let the hurts of the world seep in until we can't hold anymore hurt. Then we have turn that hurt into work!

"Only they would that we should remember the poor: the same which I also was forwarded to do" Galatians 2:10

Something Sweet

My Honey has a very powerful sweet tooth that needs special attention every night after dinner. Our easy and affordable substitute for candy is a jar filled with organic walnuts and organic dark chocolate chips.

 A quick fix for nights when homemade snacks are out of the question!

Synthetic Goodness

Have you ever noticed how we surround ourselves with fake? Man's desire to improve everything natural has taken over. Nothing is ever good enough. We are lazy and we want for much! There have been millions of products created to get better faster results for everything under the sun. The sun. Let's start there.


How many products are on the market right now that uses God's powerful creation, the sun, as a marketing strategy? Laundry products smell like the sun and whiten like the sun. We are spending money to make our clothes smell and look like they were dried in the free sun. I'd like to mention from my own recent experiences that the sun actually works better than the fake products anyway. After discovering the miraculous abilities of the sun I went through my kids clothes and gathered all the white shirts, washed them in hot water, and hung them on the line to dry. Guess what, no more stains, no more dull white color, just bright, new looking hand-me-downs! And let's not forgot those tanning beds! Nothing says synthetic like some lovely orange tinted skin. Again, people spending money on fake when the real thing is free and better. The sun is a blessing and a tool for all of creation.

Here's another one I know most of us can relate to. How much money have you spent on candles, air fresheners, and similar products over the years? We are spending money on giving the impression we've baked some delicious goodies, "sorry Honey there's no pie or cookies; it's just my new candle". I have so many of these products cluttering up my home it's unbelievable and I haven't even purchased anything new in over half a year.

I am finding it more and more wasteful for my family to continue on like this. Don't get me wrong, I will always have a dryer, candles, and my beloved Scentsys but my kitchen and clothesline will no longer be neglected. I will use these blessings for real goodness as often as I can.

2012-2013 Homeschool Plan

Homeschooling has been such a wonderful blessing to my family. We are about to begin seventh grade and our third year of educating at home. We first took our daughter out of public school because we felt her heart needed more training and that she was being distracted too easily from her walk with the Lord. The pressure of the world can be overwhelming without a firm foundation. I hoped a few years of homeschooling would help me to provide her with that foundation.

So we planned for a year of school at home focusing on character and serving. We joined a local homeschool support group. I found discounted homeschool curriculum and bought lots of it. I didn't have any idea what I was getting myself into so I figured the more I had, the better. I thought about how nice it would if we were able to afford a packaged curriculum like Sonlight but there was no possibility of that. For fifth grade I ended up with Saxon math, Building Christian English (which we stopped after chapter 3), an old public school social studies book, a random spelling/vocabulary book, & Abeka science. I also started a 50 states notebook (we made it through 4 or 5 states), a presidents notebook (we still have not done a single page in), and a science notebook. We barely completed a few subjects that year.

Our second year, I really thought I knew what I was doing. I knew more than I did the last year, of course, but again my expectations were a little um... high. I bought my first LifePac for language arts. We LOVE Lifepac! We started The Story of the World (also love) & drew a picture after each chapter, continued in Saxon math and Abeka science, and added calligraphy and economics (we dumped the economics after lots of tears). We also continued working on our notebooking from the year before.

This brings us to the present. I can see now that a "few" years of homeschooling are certainly not enough time to build the foundation necessary to stay strong and faithful to God for an entire lifetime. It takes time and hard work to build a firm structure that can withstand the pressures of the world. The last two years have been the most enriching and enjoyable years of my life. I believe I have learned more than anyone and our whole family has definitely benefited from this experience. We are stronger as individuals and as a family. I am confident this year will be even better!

Our plan for 7th grade:

Math U See Pre Algebra
Apologia General Science
Language Arts Lifepac
Story Of The World: The Middle Ages
Reading- Christian Light
We will also continue to work on our notebooks, bible, copywork, calligraphy, outreach & service, art, and character qualities.

Our plan for Kindergarden:

Science- Apologia Exploring Creation with Zoology 1
Phonics, no curriculum
Handwriting with various programs we already own
Copywork, no curriculum
Reading and sight words, no curriculum
Real life math- basic addition, subtraction, measuring, and so on
Character, outreach & service, bible, and art are always focused on. So we will continue to learn and grow in those areas.

GIANT Baby Steps

When my family and I decided to become better educated about the food we eat, we watched various documentaries on food and the food industry like Food Inc. and Super Size Me. These eye opening films lead us to begin learning where our food comes from and what ingredients it contains.

I read countless news articles and reports on contaminated food and food recalls that I had never really been aware of before. To say the least, I was disgusted. Eric Schlosser said it perfectly when he said " There is this deliberate veil, this curtain, that's dropped between us and where our food is coming from." So once I removed this "curtain", hung by the food industry, I was left feeling helpless and frustrated. The more I learned the worse I felt. I started to recognize marketing scams like "all natural" and "no artificial ingredients/preservatives" which are on practically everything in the store! I didn't know what to buy anymore. I actually went to the grocery store to do my weekly shopping and came out with virtually nothing.

I have always just ran up to the one stop shop convenience store, filled up our cart with every household need for the week, and headed home. Bam! Two hours from start to finish. There are no seasons for fruit or veggies in the grocery store. The supply of milk and eggs is never low. Everything is always available. While this is a nice idea, having everything available at all times, we are all paying the hefty price of good health for these modern conveniences and most of us don't even know it.

According to the American Cancer Society's Fact and Figures for 2012:

"About 1,638,910 new cancer cases are expected to be diagnosed in 2012. This estimate does not include carcinoma in situ (noninvasive cancer) of any site except urinary bladder, and does not include basal and squamous cell skin cancers, which are not required to be reported to cancer registries."

"In 2012, about 577,190 Americans are expected to die of cancer, more than 1,500 people a day. Cancer is the second most common cause of death in the US, exceeded only by heart disease, accounting for nearly 1 of every 4 deaths."

Are these statistics alone not enough to make us re-evaluate our lifestyles?? What about all of the other diseases affecting Americans? Almost all of them are related to nutrition and lifestyle.

When the typical American decides to eat healthier, what do they do? That's easy, they watch their fat and calorie intake. They spend their shopping trips at the one stop shops looking for labels like low carb, low fat, low sugar, and so on. A few stock up on fruits and vegetables, but usually let them rot in the refrigerator involving bread. I know because I did it. But now I am learning more every day about real food and making changes one baby step at a time.

My family's baby steps have included:

• Eliminating processed food.
• Avoiding foods that contain msg & hfcs.
• Only organic fruit and vegetables (to avoid genetically modified food and food treated with chemicals or hormones)
• Buying milk from a local source.
• Only raw grass fed cheese.
• Free range local organic eggs.
• We are currently working on a few different meat sources. Our meat is coming from a variety of places right now, mostly local farmers or Trader Joe's. Meat is a tough one.

It's really tough to stay on our tight food budget of $600 a month and some times I can't get certain items I need right when I need them, which can be a pain. I have to be very careful to plan my meals for the week and now I'm working on monthly meal planning which I hope will make things easier.

These are my family's "baby steps" and they have been a pain. After all, baby steps can be rather difficult when you're just a baby. That's what I feel like, a baby who has everything to learn about nutrition and real food. So we may be taking small baby steps to some, but to us they are GIANT! 

Magical Tea Tree Oil

A few months ago I was introduced to a tea tree/melaleuca oil. It has definitely amazed me with it's wide variety of uses and effectiveness. I have only used it for a few ailments but I have found it to be more effective then other products I have tried. This lead me to do a little research to see what other uses there are for tea tree oil. Apparently there are tons! I advise you to do your own research before treating any condition with a home remedy but below is list I have compiled from many different resources on the uses for tea tree oil. 

But first, what is tea tree oil?
Tea tree oil is an essential oil obtained by steam distillation of the leaves of Melaleuca alternifolia, a plant native to Australia. Historically, the leaves were used as a substitute for tea, which is how tea tree oil got its name. The part used medicinally is the oil from the leaves.Tea tree has a long history of traditional use. Australian aboriginals used tea tree leaves for healing skin cuts, burns, and infections.Tea tree oil contains constituents called terpenoids, which have been found to have antiseptic and antifungal activity. The compound terpinen-4-ol is the most abundant and is thought to be responsible for most of tea tree oil's antimicrobial activity.

Uses:

Abrasions: Add 5 drops of Tea Tree Oil in a bowl of warm water to clean the abrasion. Tea Tree oil may be applied directly to the skin to stimulate regeneration of injuries and fight bacterial and fungal infection.

Acne: Using a Tea Tree Oil Soap to treat acne has been very effective for many.

Athlete's Foot: Being a fungal based problem, Tea Tree Oil does a great job eliminating the problem. Add Tea Tree Oil directly to the affected area as needed until fungus is completely healed or put 2-3 drops in your palm and add a carrier oil or lotion and apply at least once a day. Keep foot clean and dry.

Bad Breath: Add a drop or two of Tea Tree Oil and baking soda to your tooth brush. DO NOT SWALLOW!

Body Odor: Add several drops to bath water daily to fight off the bacteria causing body odor. Add a few drops to a small amount of baking soda and put in smelly shoes to eliminate nasty odors.

Boils: Wash the area surrounding the boil thoroughly and then apply full strength with a cotton swab two to four times each day for four days. A gauze pad saturated with the oil may also be applied directly to the boil for up to twelve hours. Also, there is clinical evidence that topical dermatological preparations containing tea tree oil may be more effective than conventional antibiotics in preventing transmission of MRSA. I wish I had known this when MRSA swept though my family six years ago.

Bug Buster: Keep a spray bottle mixed with 15 drops of Tea Tree Oil and a quart of water to repel insects. In the summer when you see ants on your patio or deck, spray your natural Bug Buster several times a day for several days and they'll find somewhere else to go. Natural doesn't work fast like chemicals, but then it doesn't kill a little bit of you either.

Burns: Being a non-greasy and volatile oil, Tea Tree Oil is excellent for burns. Any of the oil which has not been absorbed within 10 minutes will evaporate, allowing the skin to breathe. Speedy treatment is essential. The burn should be put under cold running water or packed in ice for one minute. Then, alternate applications of Tea Tree Oil and cold water for ten more minutes. The oil may be poured from the bottle directly over the burn. The oil can be applied liberally twice daily for three to four days if necessary.

Canker Sores and Laryngitis: Add 3-4 drops of Tea Tree Oil to one cup of warm water. Gargle this solution twice daily. Do not swallow.

Cleaning: Add 1 - 2 teaspoons of Tea Tree Oil to 1 - 2 cups of water in a spray bottle to disinfect and clean surfaces.

Cold Sores: Drastically reduce the healing time of cold sores by applying Tea Tree Oil directly or diluted if necessary to the cold sore.

Common Cold: Add a ten fifteen drops of Tea Tree Oil to a pan or sink of HOT water. Cover your head with a towel and inhale the steam from the water as deeply as possible through your nose or just add to a vaporizer.

Dandruff: Add to your shampoo for dandruff, dry or oily scalp, and itchy scalp. Use 10 drops to an 8 ounce bottle. Diaper Rash - Apply 2-3 drops of oil mixed in your palm with a carrier oil (not baby oil - it contains mineral oil which causes Vitamin A deficiencies).

Dry Skin: Add 6 - 7 drops of Tea Tree Oil per oz. of Almond Oil and apply to skin often.Earache: Add one drop tea tree oil to one teaspoon olive oil. Gently drop a small amount into the affected ear for a few moment, then tilt head to remove excess oil. You can also massage the diluted oil around the outside of the earache. Repeat as necessary. NEVER apply tea tree oil to the ear without first diluting.

Fleas: Use 10 drops to 8 oz. of water and spray on animal's coat as you rub it in. It will be good for their skin also. This needs to be done daily until the problem is under control in the home. After all fleas are gone you can put it in a spritzer bottle and give your animal a spritz all over once or twice a day if fleas are in the area.

Fungus Nails: Andrew Weil, M.D. in "Natural Health, Natural Medicine", says Tea Tree Oil will clear up fungal infections of both toenails and fingernails even if they are resistant to strong systemic antibiotics.

Flu: Add ten drops tea tree oil to a warm bath and soak. After dilute five drops tea tree oil in one teaspoon almond oil and massage your whole body. Go to bed and rest.

Genital Warts: Simply dab a cotton swab into the tea tree oil and gently apply it to the wart. Repeat this once a day for 10 days. If the treatment is effective, the wart will eventually turn white and then fall off. Note that the tea tree oil may causing a slight stinging sensation.

Hair: Add a few drops to your shampoo or conditioner.

Infected/Sore Nails - Applied several times a day.

Insect Bites and Stings: As soon as possible, apply the oil full strength directly to the bite with a finger or cotton ball. I felt immediate relief!

Laundry Disinfectant: For heavily soiled, bacteria ridden laundry, add one teaspoon to the washer to disinfect and reduce transmission of fungal infections.

Leeches: To remove leeches apply one or two drops of tea tree oil directly to the leech

Lice - Mix five drops of Tea Tree Oil in a teaspoon of shampoo and wash the hair. Repeat this treatment twice daily until the lice are gone.

Mites: Use 10 drops in a tablespoon of water.Then take a small eyedropper and squirt in one ear at a time, instantly covering the opening with the ear flap and a towel to avoid it being shaken on or around the animal. You can also use olive oil instead of water which will "stick" better to the ear. Spend at least a full minute massaging the ear to keep the animal from shaking it all out before it gets into the ear canal and begins doing its work. Massage as long as you can because it could be a one administration event if you can keep it all in there for 3 - 5 minutes. Be sure to wipe any residue off with either method so you don't have the dog or cat ingesting it since smaller weight animals can get too much of it quickly.

Mustiness and mold: Add 15 drops of tea tree oil to 2 cups water in a spray bottle and spray generously to eliminate mold and musty odors.

Nasal Congestion:  boiling water. Inhale the vapours for 5 to 10 minutes.

Poison Ivy: Add two teaspoons to 1/4 cup almond oil or other carrier oil. Dab onto poison ivy repeatedly until blisters heal

Ringworm: Apply two to three drops directly to the affected area several times per day until gone.

Skin Problems: Use one teaspoon in a tub of bath water for a very invigorating bath. It is reported to help sooth and disinfect the skin in cases of psoriasis, eczema and so forth.  That's a lot of uses!!!!!

Splinters: First, soak the afflicted area in hot water to soften the skin. Then, apply Tea Tree Oil full strength. Remove the splinter with a sterilized needle. Clean the cut, dry the area and reapply the oil.

Sunburn: Add five - seven drops to 1/8 cup Vitamin E oil and apply to burned skin frequently or dilute one part Tea Tree Oil with ten parts of olive oil or coconut oil and spread freely over the affected areas. This is reported to be soothing and pain-relieving and to reduce blistering and peeling. People have also applied tea tree oil full strength to sunburn.

Ticks: Apply a drop or two directly to the tick then gently remove tick with tweezers. If tick doesn't let go, apply another drop of tea tree oil.

Warts: Add a drop or two directly to wart frequently until gone.

Yeast Infection: Cisopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol). Mix the solution, which should appear milky white. Store the solution in the dropper bottle. Add 10 drops of the solution to a pint of water. Use this douche once a day for a week.

WOW!

Not Caring Sure Is Easy

Have you ever noticed how difficult it is to care about things? I don't mean that it's hard to care but rather when you care, life is more difficult. It doesn't matter what it is that you feel passionate about. You can bet, if you care about something your passion will cause you some pain.

The world can be so judgemental and hurtful to anyone who is different. Most people live normal everyday lives. Going about their busy days of work, school, church, meals, errands, and entertainment is normal. As long as they complete all these things each week, they are satisfied. But when you truly care about something it changes you. Caring more about anything can change the way you see everything!! Some for better and some not, but either way you will be changed.

Over the last few years I have developed a strong conviction to care more. I care more about my children. I care about what kind of an example I set for them and what kind of example the people around them are setting. I want them exposed to Godly things so one day their hearts will desire such things. We are to teach them to seek the things that are above. (Colossians 3:1,2) (Deuteronomy 11:19)

I care more about the health of my family and myself. As I learn more about the dangerous chemicals we have all allowed into our bodies and homes I want to stop it.  I want my home to be as safe and natural as possible. Does this make me strange? To the world it certainly does.

I care more about following in the footsteps of Jesus. Jesus was not wrapped up in a career. He was not busy trying to impress everyone around Him. He was not concerned with having the best or most beautiful anything, besides His perfect heart. I imagine if Jesus were on the earth today He would use our modern technology and  resources to reach out to others. He would care about the souls of the people He met. He would do God's work day and night. He would still be a perfect example of what we should strive for. Would that make Him strange? To the world, yes.

The world usually has great points when I talk with someone about my caring. They say things like "well you can't change everything", "I think you're right but, you may be taking it a little too far", "you need to be careful not to shelter your kids" or "the Bible says to be 'in' the world but not 'of' the world". While these all make sense it is very likely that if someone is saying one of these, they are "in" and "of" the world. We are supposed to be different and if our life is not difficult because of difference then we are not different enough. Not caring is most definitely the easy way to live. The world says "after all the Bible says not to worry, doesn't it?". It's funny how the world uses scripture to make a point.

I say we need to care more. Care about souls, care about family, care about doing God's work day and night. Even if it makes life hard. Even if we have no money and no time for ourselves. Care.

I know I have a long, hard journey ahead of me. But I will not stop caring!

Mother's Day 2012

This Mother's Day began much like every other day. At 3:00 am I got up to pump and prepare the baby's morning bottle. I made it back to bed fairly quickly but before I was able to fall asleep I heard a hungry little cry from over the monitor.

She drank her bottle right up and clearly was awake for the day. So at 5:00 we came downstairs and started our morning.

As I kissed and cuddled with her I took a few moments to reflect on motherhood. From there my mind wandered to homekeeping and all my "to do's". I decided that this day I would let my family spoil and take care of me, after all it was Mother's Day. I would not do any of the usual chores I so often find myself wrapped up in during family time. Today I would enjoy my family.

Then they woke up. One by one they told me happy Mother's Day, gave me a hug and plopped down on the couch. I slipped in a quick shower, got dressed (well actually half dressed) before graciously receiving my gifts. Then I managed to whip up some pancakes (they've got to eat, right?), fix hair & dress girls, pump two more times, and we were off to church, only about 7 minutes late! Shoot!! I forgot to brush my teeth.

During the hour and a half I spent calming my crying baby in the church nursery I was thankful to hear most of the sermon. I even shed a few tears while applying the lessons on mothering to my life.

Lunch was canceled due to a fussy baby so Dad took us home and went back out in the pouring rain for my favorite mexican food. The baby finally went to sleep so I got in a little homeschool research on the computer and we all watched Indiana Jones. I'll admit I didn't make it all the way through to movie. I snuck out towards the end and finished my research for our library trip the next day. I loaded the dishwasher and did one load of laundry (Daddy needed clean work clothes) while the baby and I stayed home from Sunday evening worship.

Each year Mother's Day means something a little different. At one time it was all about my Mother. Now I find it is more about my children and them feeling excited to celebrate me. A few years ago one Mother's Day I may have wanted a day "away" from it all. A day to myself, to be selfish and celebrate myself and all my hard work. But this year I celebrate this wonderful blessed life and embrace my crazy kids, dirty house, and undone chores. God has me right where He wants me and I am eternally grateful to Him for allowing me to be a Mother!! Three times He has blessed me with a prefect little girl to nurture and care for. He has entrusted me with three little souls to mold into faithful servants for Him. He has given me everything I need to do this work and provided me with His guidance and strength to succeed. I celebrate Him today!!

Now... what to feed everyone when they come flying in the door any minute???