Today's Doings

Our local health food store had their stainless steel water bottles on sale. WOOHOO!! So I bought some. I have been wanting to lose weight (read NEEDING to) and I know a part of that is drinking enough water. Beloved and I have a bet going (reminesent of our dating years where we would make bets of who would do something to the other person like massage the winners feet and then play air hockey). As long as BOTH of us drink the required amount of water (2 liters at this point), then everyone is a winner. Whoever doesn't drink the required amount is the loser. Today is day one. I am the winner. :)

And now to the sad (and a bit scary news). Beloved has an inguinal hernia. My beloved was born with one and had emergency surgery where they promptly removed 6 inches of his colon. Normally, if he had a hernia, it really would not be a big deal (unless it became strangulated). HOWEVER, because this is in the same area he had his previous one, it is likely that the wall is very damaged. :( The surgery becomes more complicated because of this. :( We are going to TRY to do this naturally. Does anyone have any ideas? Prayers are appreciated.

I was VERY blessed to FINALLY have some blessings at the Goodwill the other day. I LOVE to cook in my cast iron. I have always wanted a lid for my oven set, but did not have one. God blessed me not only with a lid, BUT with a matching pan BOTH Griswold!! Yes it is only an 8, but I am STILL over the top about it!! Both are in GREAT condition (was the lid EVER used??) and the pan is WELL seasoned. Thank you Lord for a WONDERFUL blessing!!! And only for $13!!! And no, a Griswold lid does not fight as tightly on a Wagner! LOL!!! :)

Tonight's dinner was AMAZING! Fish (pan fried in olive oil with salt and pepper until flaky - not hardly brown at all). Kale and onions (lightly brown onions in coconut oil in cast iron, fill with kale, cover with your new blessing of a lid and cook until wilted, salt). Radishes and yellow carrots (cooked in ghee until still firm but somewhat brown).

Tomorrow our church is having a prophesy sermon in the evening and following is a party lasting until midnight. I am sure we will be heading home WAY before then, but it should be fun. Beloved is especially interested in the sermon (prophesy is a passion of his). And we will be with friends most all of the day. It is going to be WONDERFUL!

We aren't doing resolutions this year (and while we have TRIED to do them in the past, we never really follow through with them) and we feel GREAT about it. We know their are changes we need to make in our personal lives as well as our family and marriage. But we will make those changes as God leads and allows with prayer and in His timing. :) That said, there are a few things I plan on doing this coming year: learning to be a better keeper at home, go through the catechism, becoming healthier, being a better wife and mom. Pretty vague, I know. LOL!! The first two have more definite plans (post coming on Monday with a freebie for you).

Christmas Movies

I LOVE the movie It's A Wonderful Life. I will admit that I had never seen it until I met my beloved, but it has since become a Christmas tradition to watch the movie at LEAST once (we usually end up watching it more often).

I was excited when it came out on DVD because I wanted extras - lots and lots of extras!! How disappointing that there really was nothing special on there. How wonderful to find an interview with Jimmy Stewart online. Yes, you have to read it, but it is still a WONDERFUL read!!! :)

You can read the online article with Jimmy Stewart for yourself and enjoy!!

I also wanted to mention that I finally got a copy of the movie It Happened On 5th Avenue. I first heard about this movie on Home Living. This movie is going to be a holiday classic in our home along with the above movie. It is sad that this movie (and how many countless others) have been lost because no one cares about them. I hope you get a chance to watch it. It is REALLY cute!!

8 Random Things Tag

Cindy (a dear friend who has a really nice blog which I don't get to read NEARLY as often as I would like, but you should DEFINITELY check it out) has tagged me.

So, 8 random things about myself:

1. I cannot STAND bugs. I have an irrational fear of them. So much so that I have to flush them down the toilet so they will not come back to get revenge on me for trying to kill them.

2. While I loved to read fiction as a child, I rather spend my time reading non-fiction books now. Books that help me be a better wife, mother, and child of God. I do read fiction to the children (Five Little Peppers, etc.). And I am currently reading a favorite that is a fiction book: Stepping Heavenward. If you have never read this book, you must get your hands on a copy!

3. When I eat a Resses Peanut Butter Cup, I have to nibble all around the outside edges first, Then I eat the rest. :D

4. I do not shampoo my hair!

5. I have no decorating style or sense whatsoever. I cannot match colors or fabrics. I leave that up to my beloved!! :D

6. I used to write poetry when I was in college.

7. I was in theatre all through high school. My senior year I was in a play that went all the way to State and won second. I had a minor role (about a 4 minute scene with a short monologue I helped write), but it was moving enough that the judge mentioned me specifically in the critique as being especially moving.

8. I have a problem with pride (see number 7). LOL!!! :)

OK, so I am not sure I even know 8 people who would actually DO this tag. So I am tagging ALL of you!! LOL!! Anyone who reads this and wants to participate, post a link in the comments to your answers! I will visit them all and comment! :)

Salvation Has Come To This House

AA, our near 9yr old dd prayed on Christmas Eve to accept Jesus as her Lord and Savior. I think she had always been that way, but I think that this was just the public display for her. None the less, she has been taking this very seriously, and talks now about God has changed her. She remembers vividly what the pastor said about how we can be tempted and I ask your prayers that she will not be tempted now that she has made this public declaration.

This could not have come at a more special time, because on Christmas morning, she was given a new Bible, her very own. Yes, it is purple, her favorite color. Yes, it sparkles and has gems on it. YES, it is a princess Bible. But it is a good one too.

Today she opened it up to read to me and decided she wanted to start with Job.

Job? REALLY God? Don't You want to lead her to start with something more powerful and life changing like any of the letters from Paul, or maybe the Gospel of John?? ANYTHING but Job.

But Job it was to be. And soon I would find out why. After she read the first chapter, I talked to her about finding her OWN personal application (whereas before hand Momma would always talk about the application). I told her how wherever we are in life, God can tell us something different in the Bible, even if it is the same verse, we can get something different out of it each time we read it. What was her personal application from what she read today?

Her answer: To be praise and love God even if He takes everything away from me.

OK sweetie. But what if one of your sisters breaks something of yours? Would you still praise God by being kind and loving to your sisters??

Her answer: Yes, now that I have God in my heart.

Not two minutes later, she was put to the test. She had generously loaned her new wooden doll she got for Christmas to her 5yr old sister (MM) who is sick, to help her feel better. And it broke. AA was SO SAD. But she did not get angry. I talked to her about how sometimes, when we read something in the Bible, we will be tested to see if we are going to be true to follow through with the personal application. I was so proud of her for following through. And thankfully, Daddy said he would be able to fix the doll good as new!

Previously I would have heard yelling and screaming and blaming and crying. Today, I did hear sadness, but I heard love and forgiveness and praises to God as well. I am so thankful to God!

There is a GREAT free sermon by one of my favorite preachers, Dr. S.M. Davis that deals with answering children's questions about salvation. I HIGHLY suggest you go and listen to it (you can also download it to your computer but right clicking "Save As"). This link was sent to me by Dr. Davis (you can join his email list) as a Christmas present, so I am not sure how long the link will be available. Just a little encouragement to get it while you can.

(Side note: As I am writing this, JJ has gotten himself undressed (still has a diaper on YEAH!), brought his baby into the cradle, covered him up with a blanket and is now rocking the baby sining "Rock A Bye Baby". I LOVE IT!)

Our Christmas

I hope you all had a WONDERFUL Christmas. Our Christmas was WONDERFUL!! And we continue the celebration all through until the new year (why should it only be celebrated one day??)!

We opened gifts from Grandmom and Granddad via web cam (so they could see all the oohhhhs and aaahhhhs). :) Then we continued on and had breakfast as well as our Christmas traditions.

Then we opened the rest of the gifts. JJ was so funny! He kept wanting to open every gift, not understanding that we take turns and not all the gifts are his. :) AA was great as with each new DVD that was opened, her eyes got bigger and brighter and she wanted to watch THAT one instead. :) LOL!!! EE loved the bead kit she got. She immediately went to work making a necklace for herself and a matching one for her doll. MM loved her snowman necklace. She opened it up and made it ALL BY HERSELF! She looked at the instructions and just went for it. She only needed help getting the LAST i bell on because by then, the ribbon was a little frayed and she could not thread it. Then she needed me to tie it so she could wear it. It was PERFECT! I am SO PROUD of her!!!

The oohhhhs and ahhhhs could not stop when we opened the LEGO Indiana Jones PSP2 game!!! WOWZERS!

Then we got the BEST GIFT EVER!!! My BIL married a woman who LOVES learning and knowledge. I must admit that she supports me in homeschooling more than other family members do. And the gift she sent this year will be hard to top!! :) (Kinda like when you go on a family vacation to Disneyland - you just can't do better than that!) No pressure for her though! LOL!! Honestly though, we have always loved her gifts, but this year was AWESOME!

EVERY gift came from a scientist or naturalist. From Jane Goodal we got a nature notebook (this was one of my fav gifts from her). We got gifts from Tesla and Carver. It was AWESOME! I think my other favorite was the carnivore eating plant kit!!! I have been wanting to buy one for the girls for about a year now!!!! We have bug catching kits (oh the girls cannot WAIT to use this, they LOVE bugs), sun printing kits (the girls will LOVE this!!!) and oh so much more! I am stocked up and STOKED about homeschooling this coming summer!!! (Yes, we homeschool year round, but that allows us to vacation when all the other kids are in school, rates are cheaper and things are not nearly as crowded! It also allows us to take off to be with family or when family comes to visit. It really is nice.)

We had another $15 dollar dinner but this time it cost only about $8 and it was WONDERFUL!!! Roasted organic chicken, sweet potatoes with marshmallow topping (I know, but it is a tradition for Brian), homemade apple fritters (combining Hanukah this year), fried okra, homemade stuffing and cranberry sauce.

The movie of choice for the evening was WALL-E, as this was one that the whole family could watch.

Then to bed, to snuggle under the covers. Off to sleepyland with smiles on the faces of everyone. It was a wonderful day! No rushing. Just simple and sweet. WONDERFUL!

They Brought Him

I have always thought it interesting the gifts the wise men (notice I did not say THREE wise men, because while there were three gifts, the Bible never actually say HOW MANY MEN there are) chose to give Jesus. There was great meaning behind each gift! Each of the three gifts represented an aspect of who Jesus is and what His mission was to fulfill.

Here are a few articles on the meaning of the three gifts for those who don't already know:
Meaning Behind The Gifts of the Wise Men
Meaning Behind The Gifts of the Magi

Now that I am learning about essential oils, I am learning that Frankincense and Myrrh are known for the peacefulness and joy they bring. How WONDERFUL!!! JESUS BRINGS US PEACE AND JOY!!! How wonderfully fascinating!!!

I find it fascinating that now that I am learning about the essential oils that they STILL fit as gifts to Our King!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

God Answers Unasked Prayers

This morning, EARLY this morning, my beloved felt and urging to look at a web site that he is in charge of. It is for a VERY small, non-for-profit organization here where we live. It is all about history and keeping the good old days alive and their knowledge passed on.

Sadly, the site had been hacked. EVERYTHING was gone and the passwords were stolen. I am not sure how it happened. I do not even know WHY someone would be so hateful to such a wonderful organization (although admittedly, they were broken into several months ago and over $3000 worth of equipment was stolen). This is so very sad and devastating.

But my beloved had not thought about the site in quite some time. And yet God put it on his heart to check the site this morning.

I love how God will answer our unasked prayers!!!

Current Web Readings

Kitchen Tip - Washing Dishes With Baking Soda
I quit rinsing dishes before washing MONTHS go and it is amazing how much we save on our water bill!! But there are still a few dishes which have a little bit stuck to them. Usually only one or two dishes. I am going to try this baking soda trick and see if I have to use dish washing powder at all OR if I can just do the baking soda on the dishes and then the vinegar rinse (instead of Jet Dry, we have been using vinegar in the dispenser and it works WONDERFULLY!).

Vegan Baking 101
WONDERFUL list (BEST I HAVE EVER SEEN!) of egg substitutes for baking. She lists different types of subs, what they are good for, what to be aware of...and all from personal experience. I have printed this out for my kitchen!

FREE BOOKS ONLINE:
Christian's Secret to a Happy Life - this is a WONDERFUL classic!
The Book Of Household Management
The Home and it's Management

Combating the "Mom Should Get Out Of The House More" Mentality
I love Jess' blog. I sadly do not get to read it as often as I would like. Life happens and I love it! But this has to be the BEST post on this topic I have read! I have felt this way for a long time. I do agree that we need help and a break, but when I break I want my husband to be the one watching the kids so at least ONE of us is watching the kids). And what about dating your spouse? Brian and I try to do this in the evenings after the kids are in bed. The kids are in bed by 7-8 (depending on if they had naps earlier in the day or not). keeping kids active REALLY help them sleep at night. :) This is a post (and a blog) I highly suggest you read!!

UPDATES on my sister and baby here

UPDATED: 9PM DEC 22:
GOD IS SO VERY GOOD!! Thank you for ALL your prayers. I am sorry I was not able to update until now. I have not been able to get on the computer (yes, my monday Current Readings are set to post every Monday ahead of time).
Anyways, momma and baby are doing GREAT!!! Baby is completely breathing on his own, and after a few difficult tries is now feeding 100% on breastmilk. Now we just need to make sure he keeps nursing from momma and little baby will be able to come home Christmas day!! Please continue to pray that things will go well. PLEASE pray that my sister will realize the goodness and POWER of God in this little boy's life and hers!! THANK YOU AGAIN for all the prayers!!

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UPDATED 11AM Dec 19:
Momma is doing MUCH better. She is able to pump and getting a small amount, so please pray that it will increase. The nurses told her that the colostrum (which comes before the milk) is like vitamin shots for the baby. How wonderful they are so supportive of her breastfeeding!!

Baby is also doing MUCH better!! If things continue the trend that they are, the baby will be able to come home in 4-5 days, or maybe that is a very tired mother's hopeful wishes. Keep praying, he is not out of the woods yet.

I am humbled by your prayers for my sister. Thank you so very VERY much. From both of us. I mentioned to her when I finally got to talk to her (just minutes ago) that she had several people praying for her and for the baby, and it seemed almost like she was going to cry. It is amazing how God works through all our prayers! Thank you again!


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December 18th:

Thank you for your continued prayers for my sister and her baby boy! They are very much appreciated.

I will update this post as I get chances. (See my post When It Rains below for why I am unable to update whenever I want).

Momma went through procedure well, and is in recovery.

Baby was born 6lb 11oz. He is currently in the NICU. Baby is having a VERY difficult time breathing. Some sort of emergency procedure is being done to fill his lungs with something. I did not get all the details. Only that my sister got to see him and he was almost convulsing in order to be able to breathe and that was before they told her to leave so they could fill his lungs.

When It Rains...

I am the worst person to make lemonade out of lemons. I don't have the creativity to do it, nor do I have the optimism needed.

My sister is having a baby 5 weeks early, and I cannot be there to help. My mother is calling every so often to keep me updated as well as ask where things are and how to do things. I desperately want to be there to help my mom, but I can't be. I have to be here.

And not because of money mind you. Brian and I feel that there is no amount of money when it comes to health of family. It is MY immediately family...

JJ has scarlet fever. Sounds worse than it is as it is just a version of strep throat. He is sick and miserable and making me miserable. He needs me here (and could not be anywhere near my mom, my sister's daughter or anything like that with a preemie being born). I guess I cannot be too upset. As with the sage remedy, we were able to avoid him going down the path that he was heading down with a respiratory infection. I am thankful for that.

And Brian is getting some cancer screening done tomorrow. It is mostly precautionary as cancer runs in his family BIG time! But the prep for the screening is really hard on him (I know, I have been there before - long story).

I know that God is in control. I know that all things happen for His good and His glory. And I know that I am where God wants me right now. I just wish my flesh wasn't so strong! I want to be cloned three times over, four actually, so I can be there for the girls, for my sister/mom, for my husband and for my son. How to let go and let God?

I think I will coin a new phrase. I have Eveism. You know the kind. Where after Eve ate of the forbidden fruit, God said she would always have a desire to rule and be in charge. I struggle with this, daily. Thinking I know what is best rather than always submitting to God (or my beloved husband). And it makes me miserable. And it makes everyone around me that I love and care for miserable. Because I know what God wants of me, and yet I work against it.

I have been to the place of being in total submission to God and it is a wonderful and happy place. But when it rains, it seems that my Eveism gets worst. I don't want the rain to turn into a storm before I finally break down and submit.

Your prayers for my beloved are appreciated as the prep for the procedure tomorrow is not a pleasant one. And for the doctors to catch ANY signs of possible cancer, if there are any to be found.

Your prayers for my sister are appreciated (she is prepped and waiting at this point) as I know she is scared, tired, and very worried.

Your prayers for her son are appreciated. Five weeks early makes him a tiny little thing. Preemie boys have a MUCH lower survival rate than preemie girls.

Your prayers for JJ are appreciated as he is one active little boy who does not want to rest OR take his medication.

Your prayers for my daughters are appreciated as I do not want them getting sick.

And finally, your prayers for me are appreciated. I am so very very tired and feel overwhelmed at the moment. I need God's strength and peace. And I need to remember and be willing to submit to Him.

Thank you.