Updates

I must say the main reason I started writing on here was to keep a journal or the happenings in our lives and I am sad to say I do about as well with it as I have any other journals I have attempted in the past. 

Update #1- Baby #3 was born June 16th at home, in the water and most decidedly is NOT a girl!

                                          Daniel Ray Holder June 16th 2012 8lbs 10oz 21 in

Oh, how I love my house full of boys! And yes, I do believe, my white hair has spread.  But....that's besides the point.  What a blessing, my cup runneth over!

Update #2 Jason did, in fact, get the promotion we were praying for and is now the leader of his own crew.  He is so grounded and good natured that he is excelling at his new role.  Of course, I could be biased : )

Update #3 Homeschool has "officially" started with Jacob, my now 5 year old.  (yikes!!)

Jacob (5) with Daniel (2 days)

 

 

 

 

 

 

We started off with My Father's World Kindergarten and I do love the hands-on, book-rich learning.  However, it is soo s-l-o-w.  Jacob cries when we finish a lesson and wants to do MORE. : p It's terrifying how many calls I would receive from the principals office if I had sent Jacob to public school. Because of his brithday they would have enrolled him in PRE-K.  He would have been so far ahead in most things he would have been trouble...pure and simple.
Because I love the Charlotte Mason approach, I believe I will start researching it more and build a curriculum based on that.  I am saving most of My Father's World for Mikey and will start at a younger age.

Update # 4 Speaking of my "little Mikey".......

Mikey after a full day shopping, barely made it in the house before passing out for a nap. 

Mikey is only 3 lbs under his brother who is 2.5 years older than him.  Mikey is strong enough to do pull ups and can carry a gallon of milk without breaking a sweat.  My "little Mikey" is no longer little and is quickly approaching 3 years old. How time flies.......

That's all I can manage for now.  I will leave you with an up-to-date picture of Daniel at 3 months and hope to write here again soon!

God Bless!

Nesting and Changes

It has been a whirlwind of changes around here lately, both good and bad. We anxiously wait to hear news of a possible promotion for Jason while we have been completely reorganizing and rearranging the house.

This past weekend we emptied our large front closet and storage shed and went through everything, only putting back in what we had to have.  Everything else is being held back for a church garage sale in April.

This is also in preparation for moving my washer and dryer from my kitchen, to our large front closet and having an actual bona fide laundry room.  : ) 

In place of the washer and dryer I will have more counter top and some simple shelves covered by a curtain.  I hope to chair before and after pictures with you. 

Besides that we are steadily decorating the children's room. It has never really had a theme and what better time to make that concrete than before a new baby gets added?
We have decided on a rustic Americana theme with red white and navy.  It's as unisex as I could get seeing as how little girl will be staying with her big brothers for several years, until we can add another room on. 

We have relocated all of the children's toys into the den/family room.  That is where we all spend the most time and it just made sense.  Clean up is far easier now that the boys don't have to haul the toys back and forth from the den to their room, just dump everything is some old trunks we have in the den. 

This also leaves their room clean, clutter free and safe.  Yes, safe. If you are a mom you know all to well how dangerous a lego, hotwheel or GI Joe can be left out on the floor.  You go to check on the kids and the next thing you know is your doing the one legged stork hop and falling into a book case.....its tragic. 

We have a fabulous church family who has lent us a nice crib and the boys have their double on bottom single on top bunk beds.  We figure we can fit a few more kids in their before we are at maximum occupancy ; )

I have set myself to learning to keep house better and so far the schedule and techniques I have learned are working marvelously.  Will have to post again about that.

Updates and more

*We found out I was pregnant again for the 4th time this fall and am now at 21 weeks.  It was a surprise, coming only a few months after my miscarriage. We are amazed at HIS blessings! Also, we are 90% sure this little one is a girl and will have another sonogram to confirm.  : ) Due date June 24th.

* My 27th birthday is this next week.  I never thought about being this age and it feels weird. 

* We took a trip to sea world in December and it was an amazing Christmas present from family.   Will post pics soon. 

* We have been struggling with disciplining our strong willed 4 year old.  I can't recommend "To Train Up A Child" enough.  Please ignore the bad press and read it for yourself. I do not stand behind the Pearl's theology but their child training tactics are based in scripture, common sense, and effective. 

* Homeschool has already begun.  And I hear what your saying, "there is no need for formal school at 4 years" But a busy Jacob is a well behaved Jacob.  I move at his pace and he is thoroughly enjoying phonics and science at this point.  Will post more about this later. 

* With pregnancy sickness and exhaustion I have been struggling to keep the house going and have backed out of all activities outside our home. 

* My grandmother is moved out and being cared for by people I chose for her..  She is undeniably not saved and a danger to our children.  We pray for her but that is all that seems to be effective at this point in time.  At 101 she doesn't have much time left so I would appreciate any prayers sent up for her.

* We have begun a new path in life, paying more attention to what we eat and use on our bodies.  We have begun using essential oils for health purposes and all natural body products.  We eat more healthy and  I cook from scratch a lot more.  I will have a separate post for this as well. 

New posts coming soon.  Have so much to write down, so many thoughts to think through. 

Its Been A While

Thank you so much for your encouragement since I have been away.  Life has become a whirlwind and recent events have pulled me away from blogging.

While I am not one to boo-hoo on the blogosphere I feel that i must share how God touched our lives this July.

I found out I was pregnant with blessing number 3 in May.  We were so excited! But I knew something wasn't right - very little morning sickness.  Yes, I know each pregnancy can be different but still, it just never set well with me.  Week 10 - the midwife couldn't find a heartbeat.  But we didn't worry too much because they couldn't find one with Mikey either at 10 weeks.  It is a doppler afterall and the little stinkers like to hide from it.
 On the night of July 4th I was 12 weeks and started bleeding.  I was shocked.  I was terrified.  And Jason was out on call.  I hurriedly called him- no answer. Odd.  Again and again I called, sobbing now and fearing the worst. Jason always answered his phone, why not tonight? I felt lost and alone.  I put the kids to bed and then, only then, did I fall to my knees and asked God "Please don't let this be happening!"

But there was my mistake.  Running to my husband is not bad in itself, but where I should have ran first was the cross. 

I can't accurately describe what I felt as I prayed.  It was like a wave of calm washed over me, a peace.  It was like God told my heart "I love you, you are losing this baby, don't be afraid".  And I knew, I knew the baby was already gone.  I trusted God, not because I wanted to, but because the Holy Spirit led me to.  I opened my bible and listened to hymns.  First one that came up was "You Are My Hiding Place" by Selah.  I wept.

And then...Jason got my messages and called me back and then rushed home.  I have no doubt that this was orchestrated by God, wanting me to learn to lean on Him.

Wanting to know what had happened I called my midwife the next day and an ultrasound was scheduled.  A horrible experience.  The tech, after performing the ultrasound, informs us that she can't tell us anything, that we would have to wait for the doctor to tell us.  But we knew.

All day we wait, but the process has already begun I am in physical pain, but the worst is my heart.  My heart aches.

That evening we find out that the baby was lost at 6 weeks, my body was just now catching up and that they couldn't rule out the possibility of it being an ectopic pregnancy.

Closure.

We named her (of course assuming she was a she).  It felt wrong not to.  She was a life, afterall.  So we named her after my late grandmother who was very dear.  Vada Ann Holder.


It seems like it happened so long ago.  Jason was my wonderful supporter during that time, I am so blessed to have him and love him so.  I thank God for him and our wonderful church family, many who have been in similar circumstances.  They were there with hugs and prayers, how amazing is the body of Christ!


And we remain strong in our belief to trust God in this area.  Who are we to think we can control life?

We are trusting God, He is the Author and Finisher of life.  May this bring Glory to His Name.

What to do?

What to do with difficult people?  (by this I mean non-believers who are hateful, spiteful or otherwise "difficult" to converse with or be around)

I know the first thing is to pray, which I have been doing with fervor.  But how do you deal with them, I mean day to day, the nitty-gritty stuff. 

I know that we aren't to call non-believers our friends or socialize with them. 2 Corinthians 6:14
Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?
But what about when its a family member? One that you are obligated to take of, not by simple morality but by Timothy 5:8.
But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. 

I know that I can not know someone's heart, I cannot know if someone is saved.  But God's word tells us we will be able to tell a believer by their works (not to say they are saved by works, they are saved by faith, but works are a fruit of their salvation).

I try to separate all other bad influences from our household.  Most come to us via entertainment but some through people that we no longer cultivate friendships with.  My question is: Am I required by God's law to cultivate a relationship with a person, even though they are not a true Christian (as far as we can tell) and are not what we would consider a good influence for our family IF they are a relative whom we must care for?
Or, are we obligated, as we currently believe, to tend to their earthly needs as best we can while fervently praying for their salvation and God's mercy for their deeds?

This questions sounds simple but then you complicate it with: Do you take this person to church with you? Even though you do not relegate yourself or your family to spending that much time with the person because of their actions any other time?  Is this a point where you "die to self" and take them as a ministry to the lost?  What if they have an alternate place of worship that they may attend (however worldly, useless it may seem)?

Can you sense my exasperation? 

If asked what we feel led to do the choice is clear.  I will be certain that person is cared for, that all of their needs are met.  But do not feel "led" in anyway to have them near my children or self again.  Prayer I believe is our biggest tool in this situation. 

And although I should not care what the outside world thinks of the situation, it worries me that our fellow believers in Christ may see our distancing, our unwillingness to participate in worship with this person (even though their worship is a farce) as a deliberate act of selfishness on our part. 

So, my question is : what to do? 

Today

Today I am tomato staking.
Today I am praying instead of getting angry when I have to separate a fight for the 100th time. 
Today I am reading the Bible and praying over Jacob when he loses his temper and when Mikey is determined not to obey. 
Today I won't cry when I repack my maternity clothes. God saw fit to take her home and I can't begrudge him for that. 
Today I won't waste my time reading about how other housewives can do it better when I should be taking care of my own.
Today I will have everything done my husband has asked me to do.
Today I will consider deleting my blog.
God is helping me today because He knows I need it. Today I am clinging to the cross.

I have no title....

I really don't......all the creativity I once had has left me. 

First, I thought I would include a link to Konbit Sante, due to a request I had. In my last post I talked about getting together with some ladies and making birth kits for Haitian women.  It was an amazing opportunity to give babies and mommies a healthy delivery.   The website it was featured on is Craft Hope, a very interesting organization, all you crafters out there should check it out!


I am very happy to report that the tomatoes are in the ground and are flourishing.  It just took us moving back into the city to be able to plant a garden....go figure.  I went a little plant crazy but was careful when choosing which varieties would do best and Jacob is such a big helper now he helps me water everything. 

I feel a little like this person when I think of spring....

I never thought I would be excited about spring cleaning but I am so ready to start on it next week!  I'll do another post about that, but would love to know y'alls tips on spring/thorough cleaning.  : )

This week has been spent recooperating from my parents visit.  Does anybody know what I'm talking about? 
The visit went really well though, we all had fun and enjoyed it.  My parents even went to church with us...again.  That is the second time I remember my parents going to church...ever.  Glory be to God for His amazing works!

Getting back in the groove of things since Sickness 2011 hit us for 3 weeks.  I am LOVING my new routine, so much so that I've had no problem sticking with it, a post will be coming tomorrow on that.  : )

And finally, I'll leave you with this picture as we say good-bye to winter and hello to spring!

February 2011

 God Bless,

Why I Haven't Been Here

Otherwise entitled: My List of Excuses.

1)We all got sick with a horrible virus (except my husband who waited on us and took care of the house, I love that man!)

2) have been going to routine Dr. checkups with my grandmother. Kind of creepy since I haven't been to a Dr. since Jacob was about 6 months.

3) Trying to get a solid routine set in place, and let me tell you ITS NOT WORKING! Its amazing how much being in a different house can throw you off.

4) We've been spring cleaning/organizing a garage sale.  This should only take us, I don't know, until next summer.....

5)Jacob and I have been doing "tot school".  Because a bored Jacob morphs into Tasmanian Devil Jacob. We've been making letter crafts and reading library books.  It all feels very "homeschool like"  and I am enjoying it. 

5) Jason and I had a talk this past Sunday because I was having a "bad morning" and threw a temper tantrum.  As embarrassing as it is to admit that, I think its important that I do.  So now, My husband has said that Saturday is officially "Get Ready for Sunday-Day" so future melt-down, hissy fits can be avoided. Ahem.

6) I was involved in a charity project to make birth kits for midwives in Haiti.  I had some friends over and everyone pitched in.  We made 18 kits!   I thoroughly enjoyed having people over and hope to do so again soon. 

So  there are my excuses, and now for my goals. 

- Jason wants to go to church Wednesday and attend Sunday School as well as service on Sunday........every week.  Yes, I know I only have 2 kids (3 if you count my grandmother!)  but it is hard work especially since I have no idea what I'm doing.  So I will be planning how to make that go more smoothly. 


- Exercise.  Ick.  I know I'll never look like 130 lb me but I would like to work on being more healthy. 

-Working on meek and gentle spirit, controlling anger and thinking joyful thoughts.  Man, that's work all on its own.

-Implementing another bedtime routine.  We get the kids on one and then jason goes on call and everything goes to pot.  *sigh*  i will be in charge of keeping up with the new routine while Jason's away....no pressure there huh? 

Thats all for now, sorry for the rambling.  But if I don't write it down it stays in my head and nothing else will fit.  : )

God Bless,

A Calling

The circumstances behind my grandmother coming to live with us seem unimportant now.  Suffice it to say that her current living arrangements with her son and daughter-in-law (my parents) was not working out. 

I would like to say that it was my grand idea, that I willingly chose to be the good granddaughter and offer her a place to stay.  But it wasn't me.

It was God. 

How do I know that it was God? 

Because I am a sinful creature and therefore far too selfish to willingly sacrifice my time and room in my house for someone, let alone the grandmother who I had never really been able to get along with.  If I had been thinking clearly I would have helped find her a nice little room in a nursing home somewhere where she wouldn't be a bother.  That's what I would have done.  But this was God.

When God calls you to do something--- you do it.  I mean, whose to argue.  So when the idea popped into my head and my husband agreed fervently that this was in fact "the best thing to do", I thought:

"Hey! This will be easy!  Everything will be smooth sailing from here because if was God's plan"

THAT is where I really messed up. 

When things started to unravel from my marvelous plan on how things were going to go I remember crying out to God.  

 "I thought you wanted me to do this!  Why is it so hard?"

And immediately in my heart, a small voice:

"I TOLD YOU WHAT TO DO, I DIDN'T SAY IT WAS GOING TO BE EASY"

Because sometimes God calls us to do messy things.  Don't believe me? Pick a Bible story, any Bible story.  Joseph and his being sold into slavery,  Esther and her calling to be a queen.....Christ.  The Bible is full of sacrifice.  Sacrifice of time, energy, money, family and sometimes their lives; all to fulfill God's glorious plan. 

Who was I to question?

People often compliment me on how nice I am to take care of my grandmother, that I am a wonderful person.  I appreciate it but I know its not true.  I am not wonderful, kind or even patient.....but HE is. And I know this because I, in my fallen nature, would not have willingly chosen this path.....it was chosen for me. 

"I can do all things through HIM who strengthens me" 

Phillipians 4:13 NASB

I would love to write more on this that I have been called to do.  I also want to let people know that "YES!" keeping your loved one at home to care for them is possible and, in my opinion, the best option.  But for now, I have breakfast to prepare, toys to find and a pill keeper to fill, in my BLESSED life. 

New Year, New House, New...everything

Last year was just plain crazy.....

Mikey was born in January 

We moved out in the country in April

Found a wonderful church in June

My grandmother had moved in with us in October.

We were baptized in November and became members of the church.

I started babysitting a one year old little boy that goes to our church in December. 

Whew....I'm tired just reading that list.  But I also feel so very very blessed. 

And this year looks to have the same sort of excitement. 

January 2011 we BOUGHT a house!  yay!  ( I know I said bought but technically we are "buying" the house, but its still a step up from renting, eh?)

The move went amazingly well and I'll tell you why:

  We have the most wonderful church family in the world! 

A usual move for Jason and I consists of many, many, MANY trips with just me and him moving ALL of our belongings.  And of course we have to be crazy reptile people so some of those belongings are huge, heavy display cabinets and aquariums.  Not to mention, the world's heaviest entertainment center crafted by my dad, rustic carpenter extraordinaire. 

When Jason and I move it takes a month easy.  It took a grand total of 4 HOURS.  That is loading everything and unloading everything.  Yeah, I know, impressive huh?

We did have a few hiccups in the moving process, ie. transferring utilities.  As you probably know calling customer service is equivalent to gouging your eyeball out.  But everything eventually got turned on.......and we did finally get a trashcan 3 WEEKS AFTER ORDERING IT.  Ahem.  I'm still a little upset over that one, can't you tell?

On the personal aspect of moving, Jacob transitioned beautifully, this is officially our "new house" to him. Mikey wasn't sure at first, but has learned his way around.  Jason and I are in LOVE with it and praise God every day for making this possible for us.  My grandmother?  At 100 you would think the move would be a strain on her but it doesn't seem so.  The only difficulty we had is making sure we located all of her stuff pronto.  And she remembers....every.single.thing.   *sigh* 

Isn't it adorable?

The house by the way, is a 3 bedroom ONE BATH.  No, one bathroom isn't a problem for us, as in Jason, myself and the kids.  But you add my grandmother into the mix and you might as well order a Porta-Potty for the backyard. But I digress.....

It's in the city, something we didn't think we wanted until we found our church home.  It became difficult to attend anything because of the drive and trying to keep my grandmother and kids on some semblance of a schedule.  Being in town, we believe, will allow us to not only attend Wednesday service and Sunday school more regularly, but will also make it possible for us to help the people of our church more.  I believe God helped us get this house for a reason, HIS REASON, therefore, we desire to bring him Glory through it. 

So goodbye country roads, hello city livin'.....again.  But its not as bad as it sounds.  Our neighborhood is excellent, and what I mean by excellent is full of little old people.  The most excitement I see is 2 old men racing each other on their electric scooters, headed for dollar general. 

Yet, I can see HEB from my house.  Hip, Hip Hooray!  Of course there are also restaurants everywhere, so fighting that temptation will be difficult. But its 8 minutes from church and Jason's work.  Can we say, "Hallelujah"?  I think we can. 

Our giant dogs seem to be doing okay and we did keep 5 hens for eggs. City law says hens are okay but roosters are a no-no.  How more annoying can a rooster crowing be than the neighbors yappin' chihuahua?

The house was built in 1950 so it still has old house charm in the way of original hardwoods and glass door knobs.  "SQUEEL!!".. 

Originally a 2 bed 1 bath, at some point they added on a huge (15 x 18) den with a fireplace and a closet.  THAT is what we converted into our room.  I'll save details and pictures for another post. : ) Okay maybe just one picture but its not very good:

There is storage all in the house, closets, cabinets....you name it, I've got space for it : )  Also there is a nice shop and carport outside.  LOVE that, but not as much as Jason.  He's like a kid in a candy store when he goes in there and starts laying out his tools.  I'm sure he's happy about not having to rebuild his make-due tent/shed every week after the wind would destroy it out in the country. : )

Anywho, gotta get back to unpacking and chasing rugrats (Now 2 one year olds and a 3 year old, man, I gotta give it up to you "moms of many" out there)

Guess what??

Yeah, you guessed it, we did end up moving.  So now you understand why I've been absent on here as of late.  A lot of changes for the new year and tons of things to blog about.  Yet, there is so much life to be lived its hard to stop to blog about it. : ) 

Hope to "see" you all again soon!

Moving?

So, What's new with you? 


We may be moving.  Again.  (((insert stress-filled sobs here)))

We moved out to our current rental property in April.  We had to move quickly because our previous landlords had sold 1/2 the land we were renting....the 1/2 with out storage shed and chicken coop on it. 
We were blessed to find what we wanted (or thought we wanted), 10 acres with a creek and a 3 bed 2 bath mobile home.  I LOVE the trailer we live in.  However, we discovered soon after moving that the land is useless.  Not only do the contents of our septic system spray over the entire back area through sprinklers but it was also the location of a junk yard.  So goodbye beautiful garden and small collection of livestock we had envisioned. : (

There are other things like the landlords being lazy but we're finding that's more the rule than the exception.  When you fix more of your rental property than the landlords.....be worried. 

Anyways, I knew Jason wasn't content with renting but he's pretty laid back and we were just waiting it out until an opportunity to buy a place came up.  With our credit we're looking at oh, 10 years? (Hey, we were young and stupid, what can we say?)

We did an estimate on our tax return however and saw that Uncle Sam was going to look kindly again on us this year.  : D Even more than last year because now we have tax deduction #2, otherwise known as Mikey. hahaha

So we were planning out the best use of the money we would have at out disposal and then one of us said it.....

"Hey! It would make a nice down payment on a house"

I can't remember which one of us said it, but I remember the look on my husbands face and I knew we were moving. 

My husband and I mesh so well together we honestly don't know where one stops and one begins.  However our personality types differ.  I get excited over things, go overboard, plan everything, and my ideas kind of take on a life of their own.  When this happens I have blinders on and don't really think reasonably.  My husband is different.  He has no blinders.  He can see and weigh possibilities and outcomes.  He also does not usually  get excited about anything. But sometimes, like in this for instance, he does.  And boy did he.

So, in the last 3 days we have looked at 5 or 6 houses. 

And we think we've decided what we're looking for. 

And its completely different than what we thought we wanted.

But the main goal is: to own our own house. 

It's my husbands vision.  And though I don't want to move, my job is to help my husband lead our family where he sees fit. I may not do it perfectly, but I'm going to try my hardest.  I'll keep y'all updated. ; )

For Today: The Simple Womans Daybook

Have always wanted to do this, what a good way to keep memories!

FOR TODAY: December 7th, 2010

Outside my window...a few remaining chickens.  Ginger, our great Pyrenees/German shepherd mix, massacred most of them over the past few months.

I am thinking...about Christmas.

I am thankful for...my husband who passed his license test for work, he works so hard to make a good life for us.

From the learning rooms...Jacob is learning his lower case alphabet now.

From the kitchen...blueberry crisp and bean  and cheese burritos.

I am wearing...a blue jean jumper with a red shirt underneath.  yeah, I wear jumpers, what of it?  lol

I am creating...lesson plans for tutoring a girl in English this next semester.

I am going...to take Jason to see a movie in celebration of passing his test.

I am reading..."The Unquenchable Flame" about the Reformation.

I am hoping...everyone can get along while they are at our house for Christmas.

I am hearing...Jacob watching Flushed Away.

Around the house...red bows and evergreen branches everywhere. 

One of my favorite things...cuddling with my 2 boys on the couch in the morning.

A few plans for the rest of the week: Cross our fingers to see if Jason got a promotion.  Grocery shopping, church and tutoring.

Here is picture for thought I am sharing..

Jacob looks tired after helping us decorate the Christmas tree. : )

 Hope y'all have a blessed day!

Potty Training Update

Okay, so right after I wrote this post about Jacob being late in potty training according to society.....he potty trained in one day. grrrrr.

One Day.

It took 1 day of me setting the timer and making him go in there every 30 minutes.It took a lot of juice and patience and some underwear.  It also took some discipline when he refused to listen and follow directions.  And I went through a lot of skittles when he did go.

One stinkin' day.

*sigh*

So since then he has stayed dry every night except twice, and that was because I gave him juice right before bed. oops.
He is still not wanting to sit and go potty but he's got the standing thing down. 

And now, I'm kind of sad.  Sounds silly but to me this was the last milestone of being a baby....he's no longer a baby.  **tear**

Now for my second one, he love the toilet.....he loves splashing in it, tries to play with the toilet brush and toilet paper....he should potty train easy right?

The New Routine

I think someone's had a little too much coffee, don't you?

You know the routine I've been meaning to start and update y'all on?

I've tried several since then, but all failed (read I failed ).  When Jason and I decided to invite my Memaw to come live with us I knew that a routine was an absolute must.  So, I did something I hadn't tried yet, I talked it over with Jason.  I asked him what was most important to him as far as a clean house.  He gave me a list of 2 things that greatly helped.

1) The walkways clear.  No toys to step over or to stab into the bottom of your bare feet.

2) The kitchen clean.  Not that I ever leave dishes in the sink or anything but.......

This gave me a starting point so, on those days when everything goes wrong, when Jacob has been knocking little Michael around and Michael has been trying to eat things off the floor I know what would make my husband happy when he gets home.

From there we talked about how Memaw would fit into our regular weekly routine, how time I needed to spend with the boys (not just near them, but with them) and how we would spend time together.

I have always struggled with keeping the house clean.  I had the awful habit of ignoring messes and laundry until we had to do a complete house overhaul.  I know this frustrates Jason so I was set to do better. 

We decided Memaw wouldn't change much about our routines. I'll post more about her care and role in the family life later on.

We made some goals for the children including potty training, regular meal times, less tv more one on one play.

Then we turned to the house and after giving me his input Jason left me to figure it out over the next week or so.

So here's the breakdown of our day:

5:30- we're both up and crawling to the coffee pot
We talk and get ready for the day until 6:30 when Jason heads off for work. 
6:30- I start laundry, make my bed and layout what we'll have for supper.
I usually have some time to myself for Bible reading etc until around 7:30 when the tornado known as Jacob wakes from his slumber.
8:00 we all have breakfast and then I wash the dishes
I get the boys cleaned up, teeth brushed and dressed.
Jacob helps me wipe down the guest bathroom (the most often used one)  and then helps me advance the laundry.
About 9:00 I am starting our weekly chores and Jacob watches PBS while Mikey terrorizes everything.
**See weekly chores below**
12:00- lunch and clean up
Michael goes down for a nap, Jacob goes outside to play.
1:00 Jacob comes in and we work on ABC flash cards, coloring, puzzles etc together.
When Mikey wakes up we all read books together. 
In the afternoon I finish up weekly chores, laundry etc.

I start supper early, around 4:00.  We pick the house up at 5:00.  I re-clean and re-clothe the boys, usually by this time they are dirty and 1/2 naked, don't ask me how. It's one of life's mysteries when living with boys.

I try to freshen up and greet Jason at the door, because at this point I look like, well, like I've been at home with 2 small boys whose mission is to make me pull my hair out.
We eat supper at 6:00 and talk for a while.
Family Worship is at 8:00 with bedtime following soon after. 

Weekly chores- I have concentration areas where we clean top to bottom.  Next week I'll post every day what exactly I clean and how I get it done with the youngin's. This will keep me accountable : )

Sunday- The Lord's Day
Monday- Family Day (Jason is off) Errands and Shopping
Tuesday- Living Room and Jason's uniforms
Wednesday- Kitchen and cleaning cloths + regular clothing
Thursday- Bedrooms and sheets, kids clothes
Friday- Bathrooms and towels, whites
Saturday- Chores outside/inside, clean van etc

I'm sure to read that was just thrilling but I figure if I put it down it will help and I need all the help I can get!

Happy Wednesday Everyone! 

Being Thankful That Thanksgiving Wasn't Worse

I could enthrall you with this wonderful tale of visiting family and paint you a beautiful picture of an exquisite Thanksgiving feast.  But it would be a lie.  Norman Rockwell did not have my family in mind when he painted that picture.

On the other hand I could whine about how things didn't go as planned and the family feud that has been going on continues to plague us.  But I won't do that either.

Instead we've chosen to be thankful that our Thanksgiving holiday wasn't worse.  Because often times we forget that yes, it could be worse. 

I am thakful:

1) That we had a safe trip

2) That Jacobs potty training went smoothly even with long car rides and strange surroundings.

3) That my grandmother's niece was happy to take care of her while we stayed at my parents.

4) That Jason's family enjoyed having Thanksgiving at the state park we reserved.

5) For a wonderful understanding husband who sticks beside me in hairy situations.

6) That putting up a Christmas tree with your husband and kids can bring you right out of the grumps.

7) For the FOOD.  That we will be eating for at least a few more days : )

8)  For 2 precious boys who can put smiles on peoples faces even when they are sad or angry.

9)  For bloggs where I can read and write and shut out the worlds problems for a few minutes

10) But most of all I am thankful for a Savior who died for me and my family so that even though we are sinners we may have new life.

This year we are celebrating Advent with the resource found on this lovely blog.  We are choosing this year to count down to what really counts.  We are anxiously looking forward to Christ's coming not the coming of presents.

Dear Lord, Help me remember to cling to You in times of trouble.  Help me to be more Christ-like in my actions. For this coming season,  help me teach my children the true importance of Christmas and thank you for giving us your Son, a true Miracle.   In Jesus' name, Amen.

The Devil Doesn't Like Baptisms

We believe that a person's actual salvation does not occur within the waters of the baptistery.

MAR 1:8  I baptize you with water, but he will baptize 

you with the Holy Spirit.

We believe that God draws people to him and they are saved by the blood of his Son, Jesus Christ.

ROM 6:3  Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized 

into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?

4  We were therefore buried with him through baptism into 

death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the

 dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

  We believe that to be baptized is an act of submission to Christs command.  We also believe it is a public declaration of our new path with God. 

Mathew 28:19  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,

baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and 

of the Holy Spirit

But although the water doesn't hold any spiritual significance in itself the Devil still does not want baptisms carried out.  I know this because almost everything that could go wrong did the morning of our baptism.

The night before: I managed to burn 3 pie crusts in an attempt to make a pie for church fellowship.  The children would NOT go to sleep.  And though I had everything laid out for the morning 1/2 of it walked away.  Do things without legs run off in your house too?  If you have a toddler just nod "yes". 

1) Jason, being the good hearted man he is, took a call for someone who was trying to get home for Thanksgiving.  So he was out from 8:30 Saturday night to 3:30 Sunday morning. 

2) Sunday morning was one disaster after another: breakfast not happening as planned, couldn't find shoes (even though I had laid everything out the night before), the kids were being difficult to say the least.  Everyone was running behind so we missed Sunday School.

3) Jason wakes up around 9.  I had let him sleep in because his late night.  He woke up sick.  A stomach virus. Bless his heart, I fill him full of medicine and let him take a shower while I wrestle 2 boys into their church clothes and prod my grandmother to hurry.  Jason emerges from the shower and looks.....terrible.  I feel inconvenienced and aggravated. I check myself, why such a hateful attitude on such a glorious day?

I think of Jesus's words "Get behind me Satan.You are a stumbling block to me...." Mathew 16:23 

"Your not whispering in my ear anymore," I say out loud to an empty room.


4) We get in the van, I think to myself that this would be the morning we blow a tire.  No, the tires are fine but the low fuel light comes on as we leave the drive way.  Jason always keeps the van filled but who wants to stop at a gas station at 3 am after working all night? No time for gas now, so we creep to church and promise to fill up on the way home.

Does anyone besides us drive carefully after the fuel light comes on?  Like its going to help. 

But anyway, I digress. 

So we get to church, late for Sunday School but early for service to find out that the tank ( I don't know what its called)  was not filled the day before and had had no time to warm up.   Can we say "brrrr"?

Jason and I just looked at each other.  We were thinking the same thing.  The devil was working overtime. 

Jason mustered his way through everything sick as a dog and exhausted.  I was so nervous I didn't even think the water was cold, now that's nervous people. 

But nothing could keep that moment from being wonderful.  We were surrounded by our church family who feel like just that: a family.  We feel like we've known them for years but have only been attending this church since June. 
We sang  Hallelujah. What a Savior!----(that song gives me goose bumps every time.)
We were publicly and symbolically washed of our sins a representation of what had already occurred in our hearts. 
We took part in the Lord's Supper for the first time. 
We sang Amazing Grace and I tried not to cry. 
We had sweet fellowship with our family. 
Jason, though sick, was so very happy, as was I.

An incredible day in all.  We have many things to be thankful for this week. 

Happy Thanksgiving everybody!

God Bless,

Sola dei Gloria--Glory to God Alone

Baptism

So this Sunday is it...... Jason and I will be Baptized at 25 almost 26 years old. 

Excited? YES

Nervous? YES

But completely and totally in awe of where God has brought us in our lives. 

We are ready to declare publicly what we already know in our hearts: we are children of God, bought with the precious blood of Jesus Christ in order to live for His Glory.  Sola dei Gloria.

Psalm 127 Part 2

Michael and me when he was 2 weeks old

So after my heart was changed and I began seeing children as the blessing they are, we felt God calling us to have another child.  Jason came in from work one day and almost immediately brought up the subject, while I had been thinking about it all that week. 

I became pregnant with Mikey about a month later. 

Mikey was due on this day.....but didn't come until almost 2 weeks later.

While I was pregnant with him God continued to work in our lives and hearts.  We discovered may families, both personally and in blogland, that had many children and welcomed more. We learned from their example that there was more than just seeing children as a blessing.  We were being called to be "fruitful and multiply" to fill our "quivers".  

We had been willing to give our whole lives to God, every little detail.......except for this one.  We foolishly questioned him:

Do we have the money, the room, the experience?  Shouldn't we space them out?

It wasn't until a few months ago that we submitted to God's will and let him have power over this matter.  I can't say it was an easy decision, we are doubting sinners, often unwilling to trust in God's planning, in his divine wisdom. 

Children are a heritage from the LORD,
   offspring a reward from him.
⁴ Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
   are children born in one’s youth.
⁵ Blessed is the man
   whose quiver is full of them.
They will not be put to shame
   when they contend with their opponents in court. Psalm 127:3-5

Now, I am often surprised at myself, how much I am looking forward to another pregnancy, even so soon, even with the memory of birth kind of fresh on my mind : )

---------------------------------------------------------

You probably noticed I did not use the term "quiverfull".  Currently (and this may change as we grow in the word) we believe this is a man made term for a biblical principle.  We don't need a catchy term for following God's will in any other circumstance and we don't believe this is an exception. Also, the theme of bearing children for the glory of God is echoed throughout the Bible again and again, we must look at it all as a whole, not just one well known verse. 

Let me also say that I don't judge.  Are you "quiverfull", awesome!  Are you not? Okay : )  I believe that I am a sinner and although I have been saved by the blood of Christ and we (my husband and I) have the responsibility to make decisions in light of scripture, we DO NOT have the foresight, divine knowledge etc to judge anyone's choice.  To do so, we believe, would be foolish.  So while I'll debate the issue with you on why we feel its a biblical matter,  We won't dare tell you your way is wrong.  (Except in the case of abortion, and then oh, believe me, I Will tell you). 

I write this here for ourselves, to look back and see where God led us, not to make anyone feel bad.  I hope that if anything its an encouragement : )