Mom Just Like You

Home School Field Trip on a Cold Day!

2011-12-14T12:57:00.000-05:00

All 5 of my younger children at Dudley Farm

Tommy

Double trouble!

Max, Joshua, and Tommy work the water pump.

A full bucket of water weighed 16 pounds!

Max does laundry the hard way.

Little E sitting pretty

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-12-14T12:31:00.000-05:00

For Thanksgiving this year our family traveled to my hometown of Sarasota, FL, to visit with my parents. In the past 21 years of my life I have only made Thanksgiving dinner twice. I know. I'm spoiled!! For years we had my brother down the road or visited with my parents. Next year I plan to do it up at home! (Just so you know.) My younger brother, Jamie, came and spent two nights with us, as well. We all really enjoyed his company! While we were there we visited one of our favorite places, Mote Marine Laboratory. Here are some photos from our visit...

Me, Jamie, and my Dad frying the turkey

Dan and Max get friendly with sea life at Mote

Goofing around at home

What Joshua did while we ate Thanksgiving Dinner...

Saying "hello" to Mr. Shark!

Love this one of Buffet looking at Eden & Tommy!

Tommy with "Squishy" the Loggerhead Turtle

Why I Have a Large Family

2011-11-22T12:21:00.003-05:00

I am a mother of 8 children. I have had 5 boys and 3 girls. (Our youngest daughter, Kara Faith, born last year is in Heaven.) Since I have a large family, I am used to those comments you get in the grocery store or when we're out and about. You know the ones. People say things like, "Don't you know what causes that? Glad it's you and not me! You have your hands full. Are they all yours?!" In my head I am thinking, "Yes, we know what causes it and we like it... I'm glad it's me and not you because people who don't want this many children shouldn't have them. Better to have my hands full than empty. No, they're not all mine. I borrowed some of the neighbors kids just for giggles." Even though I have these "not so nice" thoughts I don't usually voice them. So in all seriousness, no matter what is said, I usually beam and proudly announce that they're all mine.

So recently I got the question, "Why did you decide to have so many children?" That is a great question! There are several reasons I have a large family.

~ I love babies! I really do! After I get over the initial 14-18 weeks of nausea, I really enjoy my pregnancies. I love the feeling of new life moving inside. There truly is nothing like it and it's nothing short of a miracle.

~ My husband and I believe strongly in the sanctity of life. Our Christian beliefs quickly brought us to the point where we realized that we could not, in good conscience, use chemical means of birth control. Most women do not understand that the Pill and the IUD are abortifacient in nature. We believe life begins at conception. The Pill and the IUD work to prevent implantation in the event a pregnancy occurs. Most doctors won't tell you this and the companies who produce these contraceptives don't openly advertise it. If you don't believe me, just look it up.

~ We believe children are a blessing from God. Yes, I did say that! The Bible says this best in the Psalms.

Psalm 127 says that, "Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are children in one's youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them!"

And Psalm 139 states, "For You formed my inward parts; You knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise You for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are Your works; my soul knows it very well."

In addition, I will state that all children are a blessing. This includes children born with different abilities. I love this quote from John Piper's blog:

Our culture’s strange ‘ownership’ of the unborn child grants parents the ability to rid themselves of the burden (which seems all too real and overwhelming) even if they underestimate the potential for joy (which doesn’t seem possible in that moment). So the answer is not merely in pointing out the joy, but reminding everyone that children — all children — are a blessing from God.

Because God is both sovereign and good, we can rest in the full confidence of his character and promises as we parent our children, no matter how they come. Disability is frequently hard, but God does not abandon us. And not only are we not alone, but God has promised to supply every need (Philippians 4:19 ). His plan is to benefit us (Jeremiah 29:11 ). He will comfort us (Psalm 71:20-21 ). Jesus himself has sent the Helper (John 14:16-17 ). The Church will encourage us (1 Thessalonians 5:11 ).

~ There are benefits to having a large family. The children always have someone to play with. They are rarely "bored." My children are seldom lonely. Family events tend to be more fun with a larger number of people. Every night can be a slumber party! I believe having a large family keeps my focus off myself and on more important things. There is not a lot of "down" time and human nature tends toward the selfish bent, so being busy is a good thing!

There is more to add, but I'll speak a little about me. Did I always want a large family? No, I didn't. I originally thought I'd have 3 kids by the time I was 30. I always wanted to be a stay-at-home mother. Life circumstances happened and I was divorced with 2 small children in my 20's. Praise the Lord I met a man who was a Christian and desired more children. God has always been bigger than any plans I would have made for my life. Even when I have messed up, He has had the grace to bless me beyond measure.

In all, I have had 12 pregnancies. I have miscarried 4 babies. Two were early first trimester and two were later first trimester. Also, our sweet baby, Kara Faith, lived 7 weeks last year. She had a condition called Holoprosencephaly (HPE). You can read the story of her life and God's faithfulness. Please look in the sidebar for her link.

In closing I would like to say that living with a large family causes us to depend more fully on God and His promises. Stuart and I desire to honor Him in the choices we have made in regards to the size of our family and how we educate our children; we have chosen to homeschool. If the chief end of man is to glorify God, then I daily endeavor to do that. I am an imperfect person, a sinner. Jesus' sacrifice gives me the grace to love, minister to, and be thankful for my family every day. I am so in love with my husband, Stuart, and the children God has given to us: Celeste, Jamie, Dan, Max, Tommy, Eden, Joshua, and our baby in Heaven, Kara Faith.

Fun Geography for Kids!

2011-09-29T13:29:00.000-04:00

As many of you know, we are homeschooling our kids. This is our 12th year! The following two geography helps are great for any child.

1. For years we have had a U.S. place mat on the kitchen table. It finally kicked the bucket recently. I ordered a new one from Amazon and it is really nice!! Every home should have one of these. We reference it ALL the time!

United States Place mat by M. Ruskin available at Amazon.com

2. This summer I finally purchased an iPod Touch. I think my children get to use it more than I do! There are so many really cool apps for it and many are free. Originally, I downloaded the Stack the States Lite app, but for $0.99 it is positively worth the asking price to buy the full version! This app asks all types of questions about our 50 states. All of my children ages 5-12 love playing it. The younger ones get help from older siblings.

Stack the States available at iTunes

I hope your family has fun with these great geography ideas!

Jamie

2011-07-26T23:35:00.000-04:00

Recently, Jamie (17), came for a month-long visit. We had a good time together. A few of the things we enjoyed this month were Moe's, coffee, BBQ, pizza, church, music, and friends. Jamie really brightens up my life when he's around. Here are some pictures from his visit...

Goofing around with big brother

6 of my great kids!

Jamie on Dylan's shoulders trying to get a picture of the group.

Pizza with Joshua (& Mom) at Villaggio's

I will miss you over the next 5 months... And I love you, Jamie!

It's a dog's life...

2011-06-21T10:55:00.000-04:00

I don't normally blog about my dog, but he is like one of our children, so here goes! We own a long-legged, black & white Jack Russell Terrier. His name is Chipper and he is 13 years old. Chipper has tons of personality and was quite crazy in his younger years. There is never a shadow or reflection he doesn't chase. He tries to eat the vacuum cleaner every time we pull it out. He barks when you pull out the pots and pans from the cabinet. (It is like he is trying to protect me from them, lol!) Our neighbors have a Rottweiler that must weigh a gazillion pounds. Chipper barks and tries to go after it, as if he is a big dog himself.

Celeste has been telling us that Chipper is going to die for the past 2 years. It is kind of a running joke between us. Chipper has really slowed down over the past 6 months. We noticed his hearing is going. We will come home from being out and he won't even hear us. You can sneak up on him and surprise him now. (That is sometimes a lot of fun!) I do know one thing. We will all miss him when he's gone... God blessed us with a fun companion for all of these years!

I got Chipper for my 30th birthday from a local woman who shows Jack Russell Terriers. My daughter, Celeste, and my younger brother, Jamie both own JRT's. Celeste owns a 2 year old named Jack. Jamie has an older JRT named Timmy. Both of these dogs were from rescue programs and they are great pets. Please consider adopting from a rescue program. Jacks are great, energetic pets and extremely loyal to their owners.

Jack Russell Rescue
Florida Jack Russell Rescue

Summertime!

2011-06-08T14:47:00.000-04:00

In May we completed our 11th year of homeschooling! Yay!

Celeste left a few days ago. She was here for a 2 week visit. I really enjoyed seeing her and spending time with her! We even got in a very quick trip to Sarasota to see her grandparents. Eden came along so that we could spend some "girl time" together. Celeste is doing very well in college. She is taking summer classes and was accepted to Southern Illinois University for the fall semester. She is very homesick for Florida and her friends. Having her here and spending fun time together reminded me of how much we enjoy each other's company. Here are a few pictures from our trip...

Celeste & Pipa out on the boat

Celeste at Turtle Beach

Mommy & Eden @ Turtle

Sisters

Currently, we are experiencing the hottest June in years. Most days the temperature is 94-97 degrees. Whew! In just a few minutes we are going to head over to swim at Grandpa's pool. Dan and Max swim well and taught themselves. I am hoping Tommy and Eden will be swimming on their own by the end of the summer.

Today we went to our local library and signed up for the summer reading program. The kids can't wait to earn free Taco Bell, McDonalds, Moe's, and a book from Barnes & Noble. They all love to read. Our library website is fantastic and recently I figured out how to download eBooks to my Nook. That is quite neat!

Jamie arrives in 2 weeks and will be staying with us for a month. I can't wait to see him! I wonder if he is taller? What are your plans this summer? I would love to hear from you in my comments.

Mom's Day 2011: And then there were 5...

2011-05-10T14:15:00.000-04:00

We celebrated Mother's Day this weekend and it was the first year I didn't have all of the children home. Celeste and Jamie have always been with me on Mother's Day, so I really missed them. They made a cute little YouTube video for me and they recorded a song they did. I haven't heard it yet. They are such much fun!

The kids gave me some yummy bath gel and fragrance from Bath & Body Works. I smell like fruit and the beach now. In the morning, we went to church and had fried chicken for lunch. A great Mom's Day treat was the 1/2 price Java Chip Frappuccino from Starbucks I enjoyed. Yummy! Then we took the kids swimming at Grandpa's pool and I read a book. In the evening, a young man we know came over and played with the kids while Stu and I spent a couple hours away together. I would say it was a GREAT day for me. I always try to take pictures with the kids on Mother's Day, so here are a few we did.

Dan (12), Max (10), Tommy (6), Eden (4), & Joshua (3)

Like in a yearbook...

Not pictured here: Celeste(19) and Jamie(16)

Happy Mother's day to me!

In closing, I just want to say that most people who knew me when I was young would never have thought that I would have 8 children. I never saw it myself! God can do great things in our lives when we are willing to have faith and listen as He leads. On this Mother's Day I not only missed Celeste and Jamie, but my sweet baby, Kara Faith, as well. (Kara would have been 16 months old today.) My assurance of seeing her again some day is my joy. God bless mothers everywhere!

"Let your father and mother be glad; let her who bore you rejoice." Proverbs 23:25

Family Update

2011-04-26T10:12:00.000-04:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Resurrection Day this year! This is the most significant holiday for our family as it reminds us that we WILL see our Kara Faith again. Jesus Christ made this possible when He died for our sins on the cross. I think I missed church for the 1st time ever on Easter Sunday due to children with the stomach flu. Last Friday through this Monday we have had 3 children sick off and on. Max and Eden have not come down with it yet!

I am so excited that Celeste will be flying in on May 20th for a 2 week visit with us. I have missed her greatly and we all look forward to her being home again! Celeste is doing well in college in Illinois. She has been accepted to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville for the fall semester. Please pray for her as she has struggled with her JRA, vision problems, and shingles for the past several months. She appears to be feeling better lately. Celeste has been singing at her church and is now writing songs with her brother, Jamie.

Celeste, 19

Jamie is doing an excellent job at his new high school. He took his lovely girlfriend, Amanda, to Prom a couple weeks ago. He is supposed to be spending the month of July with us and I can't wait!!! I miss his funny disposition, helpful attitude, and interesting stories. He turns 17 in about a month. Where does the time go?

Amanda & Jamie ready for Prom

In the past few months we have had several birthdays. Max turned 10 in February, Dan turned 12 in early April, and Joshua turned 3 about 10 days ago. (Stu had a birthday, too, but he's not telling his age. Haha!) Dan, Max, and Tommy are playing baseball this year. This has kept us quite busy!! They are on three different teams. Tommy is really enjoying his first year playing T-ball. Dan is in his 5th year playing for our small town and Max is in his 3rd year.
Max, before the game

Dan in the dugout

Tommy warms up!

Eden is in worship dance and ballet this year. She just loves to dance! I have really been tickled to have a little girl to do "girlie" things with again. It makes me miss Celeste and our Kara a little less. I am thankful God gave me the blessing of Eden. Eden will begin kindergarten with our homeschool this fall!! She is the 6th child I have homeschooled and she is looking forward to it.

Our sweet Eden Joy

Joshua just turned 3 and is my youngest boy to potty train. He was out of diapers about a week before his birthday. I figured that I have had kids in diapers for a total of 17 years, so this is a major milestone for me. It is kind of sad not to have a baby in the house anymore, though. Joshua is the sweetest little guy! He is very funny and had a laid back personality. He really reminds me of Jamie when he was little.

Joshua, age 3

The Gift of Family this Christmas

2010-12-29T20:03:00.000-05:00

A beach Christmas with all of my family was a wonderful gift this year! My two brothers joined us with their families and it was the first time we had all been together in three years. Needless to say, we laughed a lot, got sand between our toes, ate some delicious seafood, fellowshipped with old friends, worshipped our Savior, and were very blessed this Christmas. Here a just a few of the many pictures I took this trip...

Sunrise on Siesta Key Beach, Christmas Morning

This was quite a beautiful sight to wake up to on Christmas Day! It was a crisp morning in the 40's, but just so calming.

Eden & Joshua

The kids building sandcastles on Christmas Day!

We were so busy that we didn't all get down to the beach until after lunchtime on Christmas Day. You can imagine the looks we drew with 7 kids building sandcastles! I'm sure they were wondering if they were

all ours...

Me with my two brothers--Jamie & Ed

Jamie, my Dad, & Celeste are all smiles!

My Maximillian Isaiah

Mr. Sandyman by Celeste...

Celeste and Jamie are moving to St. Louis. (In fact, Celeste left today.) Since they had snow there on Christmas, they thought a sandman instead of a snowman was in order.

Two Great Homeschooling Ideas

2010-12-15T10:23:00.000-05:00

This week I have come across 2 homeschooling ideas that I think would be helpful. I wanted to share them with you!

A great January Planner for you that's FREE!

We will be using this for chore charts and planning. I've already gotten started with it. It's great to have such a cute planner to work with and it really put me in a lively mood for homeschooling in 2011. Enjoy!

I found this link on Facebook and it's a great idea! I wish I had thought of it. Did you ever just want to buy a homeschool book for less? Do you ever find that you have trouble reselling things and it's a hassle? If you don't need curriculum for an extended period of time then RENTING books for homeschool may be for you. Check out this new site!

Homeschoolbookrenter.com

Light of the Stable

2010-12-12T22:22:00.003-05:00

Hail, hail to the newborn King

Let our voices sing Him our praises

Hail, hail to the guiding light

That brought us tonight to our Savior!

Eden danced this morning with her worship dance group. She is right in the middle of this precious picture of little girls. They danced to Selah's song "Light of the Stable." Take a moment to listen to the song. This Christmas may you "cast aside your fear and be thankful!"

Reindeer Run!

2010-12-12T18:43:00.007-05:00

December means physical fitness! Bet you didn't think of that!
We had quite an exciting weekend here. Three of our boys are active in a track club that meets during my Ladies' Bible Study on Tuesday mornings. They ran in the annual "Reindeer Run" this year. It was a 1 mile course and they each got a t-shirt, medal, and snazzy reindeer hat. It's been so good to see them enjoy physical fitness.

Tommy, Max, & Dan warm-up for the race.

Our Track Club--Coach Rebecca is in the blue hat! We are so thankful for our coach, Ms. Rebecca, who volunteers her time with the children for 2 hours every week. She is very enthusiastic and a great encouragement to the children. If you homeschool and enjoy physical fitness, you can start a little club like this in your area, too! All you need is a couple homeschool families and a very active mom!

My Seven from Heaven...

2010-12-05T00:56:00.003-05:00

Bat Festival

2010-11-18T10:15:00.003-05:00

I love this picture because it has the 5 youngest in it and Grandpa is in the background. Joshua did not want to touch that alligator! A gator at a bat festival... That's Florida for you!

This bat was thinking, "I vant to suck your blood." No, it's a fruit bat!

I took these pictures at the Lubee Bat Festival last weekend. It was the one day where everyone was well. The kids enjoyed the bats, but I think they enjoyed lunch at a buffet with Grandpa more!

Adventures in Homeschooling... and life!

2010-11-18T09:45:00.003-05:00

I have had high fevers around here for nearly 2 weeks. I am talking 103 and 104 degree fevers. Add to this headaches, runny noses, bloodshot eyes, upset tummies, some other yuckiness that lasts about 6 days per child and you get a wonderful formula for the unexpected. This includes late nights and early mornings. Homeschooling this week has NOT gone as I would have planned. It doesn't take much time to figure out that I am not in control. God is! This sure does take a huge weight off my shoulders. I figure if He owns a cattle on a thousand hills, then He's got this. ("For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills." Psalm 50:10)

Do you ever have this? Your plans get totally derailed? In addition to the sickies last night my truck broke down when I was on my way to take Jamie to church for Bible study. Normally I would get angry, but for once, I didn't! Kara Faith definitely taught me how to trust my days to my Creator. I've had 4 of 7 children very sick over the last 2 weeks, derailed plans with homeschooling, and a broken truck, but I'm not worried. God's got this!

Great Holiday Freebie

2010-11-13T00:42:00.002-05:00

The Old Schoolhouse Magazine has just released it's Digital Holiday Supplement for 2010. Take advantage of this FREE download and get it here.

Dudley Farm Visit

2010-11-12T23:23:00.007-05:00

Eden grinds some corn for the chickens.

Dan and Tommy have a "hay" photo op!

We all got a chance to pump water.

Here's Joshua at the general store... He's so cute!

Mom using the wringer--glad we don't have to do laundry this way anymore!

Dan 11, Tommy 6, Eden 4, and Joshua 2.5

Today was one of those days I decided to mix things up and go out for some fun. After homeschooling this morning, we packed ourselves up and headed out for a picnic at Dudley Farm. Unfortunately, Max was with his Dad at work, so it was just Dan, Tommy, Eden, Joshua, and me. (Jamie and Celeste were both in class.) We had a great time! The kids were able to grind corn, feed it to the chickens, operate the pump to get water, and run an old-time wringer. I'm glad I don't have to do laundry that way!! We even saw a big turkey! I think this is something we need to do more often. The farm has docents who dress in period garb and there is a cane festival the 1st Saturday in December. We usually go to that! Since Max missed going with us, we may go visit next week, too. We hope to get a family picture at the farm soon, so be looking for that.

Co-Op Adventures

2010-11-10T15:42:00.002-05:00

This year our family joined a homeschool co-op. All of the children have really been enjoying it! The 6th-7th grade students are taking a writing class and doing 2 science texts this year. The science units are astronomy and anatomy & physiology using Apologia's books by Jeannie Fulbright. During the first semester they are studying astronomy and had the opportunity to go to the planetarium today. Above is a picture of the group. My Dan (age 11, 6th grade) is wearing the red tie-dye shirt.

Kara Faith's Monument

2010-10-30T01:09:00.004-04:00

Today, Kara Faith's new stone was installed at her spot in the park. It is lovely! I wanted to take her daisies, but it is October and so I settled for a lovely white rose for my Peanut. A vase has been ordered to fit in the little spot on the left. I miss her a lot now. I remember how it felt this time last year as she was moving inside. I am not all sadness, though. Sharing this brings me joy and honors my little girl. To read her story go to Sweet Kara Faith.

nook problems

2010-10-20T16:44:00.002-04:00

In June I had some birthday money to spend on a gift. I agonized over what to spend it on because there are so many things that would be fun and worthwhile to buy. It ended up coming down to a few choices--an eReader or an iPod. I love to read and most books are available more inexpensively if you buy the e-version--plus taking up less space is a plus. I still really want an iTouch, but I don't think I could read books on it because of how small the print would be. After doing my research between the Kindle and the nook, I decided on the nook. Nook had just lowered its price and was available for much less than previously offered. (Now Kindle has followed suit.)

I really loved my nook. It has a wonderful touch screen and I can load music and pictures on it as well as buy books from other sites and download library books from overdrive. I mostly get free books on it. Anyway, last week it froze up--after a little over 90 days of ownership. It would try to turn it on and it kept saying loading, but that was it. I could not turn it off. I ended up finding instructions online to try to fix the problem. I took the battery out for 30 minutes and then put it back in. It still wasn't working properly. I hooked it up via usb to my computer and was able to get it to come back on. The serial number read 0. I cannot re-register the nook or login to my account to download the books I own. It's useless. I should have taken it into the store!!!! Instead, on the nook, it said to call 1-800-THE-BOOK. They told me they would send me out a new one. So I wait 5 days and today I get a refurbished nook in the mail. (I have to send back my old one.) Not happy!!!

This was a major luxury purchase for me. Being a mother of 8, I don't indulge myself the majority of the time. Also, reading has been a diversion from the pain of losing my daughter, Kara Faith, this year. Needless to say, I was pretty upset that they sent me a refurbished nook when it was their simcard failure that caused it to die. In addition, on Saturday when I called them, they said I could not return my broken nook to the store. I called the store today and they said that they would have exchanged it for a new one. (So, in essence, the 1800 people lied to me...) I called the 1800 number back and told them I was unhappy. Of course, they tried to convince me that what they sent was perfectly okay. Finally, I told them that I wanted to return the refurb one to them and take my original broken one in locally. That's not the way it worked out, but I am sending back the defective nook and taking the refurb one into the store to get a new one. It has been a major hassle. I am hoping to do this tonight. I lost all the pics and music I had put on my old one, but I can redo it. My library is safe in my online account.

All this to say what? Well, I did some research online and found a few other people that even had problems with their 2nd nook. I hope that doesn't happen. I really liked it before the simcard failure. It sounds like there are some kinks that they are dealing with. Know this, if you own a nook and have a problem go back to the store you purchased it at and they can help you. DO NOT call 1800THEBOOK!

On the Home Front

2010-09-23T12:44:00.004-04:00

Just a little catch-up on the home front here...

We just started our 11th year of homeschooling. My students this year are Dan (6th grade), Max (4th grade), Tommy (1st grade), and Eden (K4). Joshua is 2 and just doot-doots around. We joined a Co-op that meets once a week. I am teaching history to the 3rd-4th graders. The kids are getting a lot of out it so far.

Celeste (19) is taking classes at Sante Fe College. Her proposed major is secondary education. She is very interested in teaching high school history. Currently, she is volunteering in a 2nd grade classroom. Next month she will have been working for Publix for 2 years. She is a cashier and a bagger for them. Celeste is involved with RUF (Reformed University Fellowship) and loves it! This college youth is sponsored by the Presbyterian Church and they have chapters on many campuses. Celeste is living at home right now, so we have 7 children at home.

Jamie (16) is a junior at the local, rural high school. He finished last year with a 4.2 GPA and has just been inducted into the National Honor Society. He is taking very challenging classes this year which include: AP U.S. History, AP Language, Chemistry Honors, Pre-calculus, Spanish 2, and Culinary 3. He's very active in church youth and is going to be playing guitar for them during youth group. Also, he works as a ref at the local paint ball park.

My husband, Stuart, has his federal firearms license and owns a gun shop. Also, he makes custom holsters. It has gotten a bit busier, of late, which is good! We are attending a new church and loving it. The ladies are meeting tonight for a coffee house and I am really looking forward to it. It's nice to recharge my batteries. Being a mother and wife is so demanding--even more so when you homeschool and have a large family.

A couple of extra thoughts--Eden is taking ballet and loving it! She is a girlie girl for sure. Joshua is just a riot. He finally says "yes" when he means "yes" now. It comes out, "Zess." He LOVES the garbage man! Mondays and Thursdays he is quite excited when they come in the morning and back down our street. His delight in this simple thing is precious!

We are still mourning our precious daughter, Kara Faith. Today I am thinking on her quite a bit. I want to order her heart-shaped headstone, but we haven't don that yet. I remember being pregnant this time last year and how that felt. She was safely tucked inside. Things have settled down now. Less people respond. It's that time where her death is still SO REAL to us, but life goes on and others forget. It is okay with me for my friends and family to mention her, to say her name, to ask about how we are. I love to share about my daughter. It's all I have. I covet your prayers...

Recents

2010-07-02T09:53:00.003-04:00

Eden recently started taking ballet lessons from a local studio. It has been SO FUN to watch her enjoy this activity! Celeste is taking ballet at the college, too. It's so sweet to see my two girls dressed up for dance. (I don't have a pic of Celeste, though.)

The first picture is of Jamie hugging Eden before her first ballet class. Jamie turned 16 last month and he is such a sweet big brother. Jamie is gone for the summer and I am really missing him. There's six more weeks to go until he comes home... Also, Jamie got straight A's again and due to his honors classes his GPA is 4.2! He has quite a heavy schedule next year with 2 AP classes, an honors course in Chemistry, Pre-calc, Spanish 2, and Culinary 3. I am proud of his hard work!

Friday Felicities

2010-07-02T09:34:00.003-04:00

Things that make me happy...

>My new Nook ebook reader!

>Watching my children learn or experience something new

>God's Word

>Chocolate Ganache from Publix ♥

>Well-behaved kids

>Joshua's little words telling me something

Just Coasting

2010-06-17T09:31:00.008-04:00

Ahhh, home--my blog page. It probably wouldn't be a surprise for anyone for me to admit that I struggle some days with the home going of my sweet baby girl, Kara Faith. Recently, I attended a baby shower for a lovely young lady that is having her first baby, a girl. I rejoice with her. What I didn't expect was that during opening the gifts I started to realize that Kara would never wear those cute baby clothes, or take a bath that needed a cute little hooded towel, or use a pacifier. It has been almost 4 months since she left us, but I still have those moments where I'm right back to the last days she was with us, or the feelings I had right after her death. We never had a baby shower for her--not even a small one. In the back of my mind when I was pregnant with her the question was, "How do you have a baby shower for a baby that you don't even know will live?" That was heartbreaking to think of. I suppose it still is.

Kara Faith dressed in her clothes for the 1st time!

Clothes I bought and didn't know if she would ever wear...

Grief is like a roller coaster. Some days you are up and some days you are down. I had someone express to me that has lost a baby recently that sometimes you are afraid you'll get stuck in the spiral on that roller coaster, too. I have had those days and am very familiar with them. My husband just pointed out to me that we started grieving for Kara Faith at 15 weeks gestation. God has been good to us. He has given us peace during this process. I somewhat feel that that peace is starting to lift and I am feeling her life and loss more acutely than before. It may be that I just stuffed it all in a box and was trying to keep the lid on it because it was too much to deal with at the moment. We made some hard decisions in the wake of her leaving us. Life has just been hard in other areas that would be a challenge under normal circumstances, but we were truly walking through a fire... We are currently praying for direction in how to proceed with home schooling, Stuart's work, and acquiring a new peace and joy in our lives. The "new normal" is a daily adjustment. Jesus is standing right by me through this and is not offended at my ramblings. He can handle my grief. He is the most sure thing that exists in this world.

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?.... No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8: 35 & 37-39

Splash Park Fun

2010-05-28T14:37:00.003-04:00

We went to the "splash park" yesterday and they had so much fun! It was good for me to get out and enjoy my kids. To watch Max, Tommy, Eden, & Joshua laugh and have fun was wonderful. I'm trying to get back to life after Kara Faith. I love all of my children dearly. Some days it's just hard to get going. I feel very blessed by them!

Dan went to Sea World with his class from school yesterday and was quite worn out when he got home. He kept talking about riding the Kracken--a big rollercoaster. Jamie turns 16 next week on June 2nd. I can't believe that. He's about to finish out his 10th grade year and he has a 4.2 GPA currently. I am so proud of him! I miss Celeste most days. I popped in on her today. I just so desperately wanted to see her. Since she moved out I don't spend as much time with her as I'd like. Celeste took Jamie and I out to dinner last weekend and that was quite a treat! I am trying to think of fun things to do with the children this summer to keep us busy. Any ideas are appreciated!

An Encouraging Visitor

2010-05-19T12:04:00.005-04:00

Max (9) takes a picture of our morning visitor. (See his reflection?!)

The American Lady Butterfly by Max

We had a precious butterfly visit us this morning. I really feel that God sent it as an encouragement to me. It kept coming back for over an hour and so lots of pictures were taken. Max, age 9, took these two and my favorite is the one with his reflection in it!

And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” (Rev. 21:5)

Baseball Morning

2010-04-17T12:14:00.004-04:00

Max holding Joshua at the game

Joshua peeks through the fence to see Dan play ball...

Little Miss Eden Joy
After the game with Dan and Tommy

Dan had a baseball game this morning at 9, so we all went. (Jamie is working at the paintball park today reffing.) The weather is gorgeous today with a high in the low 80's and a cool wind. Perfect for a birthday party later for Joshua. He's 2 today! I will try to put up pictures from that.

Fridays

2010-04-09T13:54:00.003-04:00

Fridays are special around here because of Little Miss Peanut Kara Faith. So today the girls are wearing purple. Well, my friend, Carly, has twins named Sydney and Abby. Abby has HPE like Kara Faith. They are wearing purple today, too. Please hop on over to their blog and see these cute little gifts from God. I feel very cared for by this gesture!

CUTE GIRLS IN PURPLE...

Dan turns Eleven

2010-04-08T16:16:00.004-04:00

Happy 11th Birthday, Dan!

Here is our Daniel Allan. He likes to go by Dan. He was born today in 1999. This year he is in 5th grade. Currently, Dan is attending Oakview Middle School part-time learning Math/Science and is homeschooled the rest of the day. Dan is in his 4th year playing baseball. Right now his team is undefeated! Stuart and I lost a baby before Dan, so we prayed for Daniel and were overjoyed when he arrived just a few short days before Easter. He is a good BIG brother to his younger siblings. Max (9) says Dan is fun to play Wii with and Tommy (5) enjoys playing with him outside. (Everyone else is napping or unavailable for comments,lol!) We love you very much, Dan!

Raffle for Holoprosencephaly

2010-04-07T17:04:00.002-04:00

Please hop on over and visit Kara's HoPE webpage. We are doing a raffle for a Porsche Boxter to raise funds to help other families with children and babies who have HPE. Thank you!!

Happy Birthday to My Husband, Stuart

2010-03-25T13:43:00.003-04:00

I made this slideshow for my husband yesterday. It was his 42nd birthday! It's been a tough several weeks since Kara Faith went home to Jesus. We are just taking things day by day. Sometimes it's hour by hour for me. I hope you enjoy this. Some of the pictures are repeats from Kara's slideshow, but I can never get enough of her...

Free picture slideshow customized with Smilebox

A Celebration of Our Sweet Kara Faith

2010-03-07T18:28:00.004-05:00

Kara Faith spent 45 days in the Level III NICU at Shands Hospital and another 4 glorious days at home with our family. We are so thankful for that special time with her. Please visit her webpage listed in the sidebar for more information on our "Little Peanut" and a link to the foundation we've created in her name.

(Please scroll down to turn off the music before viewing the slideshow)

Months ago, as I was searching for information on HPE online, I decided to start a blog for Kara Faith. God led me to tell her story to encourage others who may, in the future, go through similar trials. In my wildest dreams I never imagined what impact Kara’s little life would have on so many people! Only God could do that! I am so humbled to have been part of God’s plan. I feel so blessed to have had the privilege of being Kara’s mommy and to be able to share her story. My sincerest hope is that Kara Faith has inspired hope and increased the faith of many. Our tiny baby has strengthened my marriage, grown my own faith in Jesus, and has shown me how completely in control God is—and it is good! There is no need to waste time on fear for He has ordered everything down to the last detail. Remember this, in Psalm 139 it says that God has gone before you and behind you and knows all of your ways.

Home With Jesus

2010-03-07T00:35:00.003-05:00

Sweet Kara Faith

January 8, 2010 ~ February 26, 2010

7 weeks old forever

She looked like her Daddy and her big brother, Dan.
Her eyes were a light, icy blue.
She had Grandma Sara's hands
and Eden's little feet and tushie.
She stole all of our hearts
Such a gift from God, she is!

Coming Home SOON!

2010-02-15T21:07:00.003-05:00

All the kids together with Daddy on Valentine's Day!
Kara Faith smiles!

Little Miss Kara Faith is going to be coming home in about 1 week. They told us the goal is Monday, February 22nd. That seems soon and there is SO much to do! Because of all her equipment and some of the care she will need, we are going to set her up in what is now our home school room. It is right off of the family room and kitchen and it will be a good location for her. We are still troubleshooting to see if she will be able to handle a bouncy seat. Also, I think she will come home from the hospital in a car bed and not a car seat. All new to us. At home there will be a heart monitor, suction machine, oxygen, and a humidifier for her trach. Pray for us as we care for her around the clock. We will have to work some schedule where we take turns sleeping. Someone needs to be awake with her 24/7 and they are having a hard time finding a nurse for us that will come at all--let alone the 11-7 shift so we can get some sleep. Evidently pediatric in-home nurses are rare in our area and then finding one that will care for a child with a trach is another hurdle. We will need a supernatural strength that God can provide. Leaning on Him during these wonderful and apprehensive days ahead!

My Kara Bear

2010-01-18T18:28:00.002-05:00

Here is Kara Faith after a bath. I love the sweet hat that one of the NICU nurses found for her to wear! Hop on over to her blog to read an update on her. We are praising God for every sweet day with her and the miracle and blessing of her life! God is good!

Our Little Miracle Has Arrived

2010-01-10T20:46:00.002-05:00

Kara Faith

January 8th, 2010

6:42 a.m. via C Section

5 pounds, 14 ounces

We are praising God she is here! We need continued prayer for the days to come and trust Him with every precious day we walk with our sweet baby.

365-1 (Mommytography Project)

2010-01-02T00:11:00.002-05:00

Even though I didn't take this picture today I couldn't resist! This is Eden on her new bike on Christmas Day. I love the pure joy on her face!

A New Project

2010-01-01T01:06:00.002-05:00

I am participating in the 2010 Mommytography 365 Project! For this year long project I will be posting an image a day (that's the goal anyway!). Anyone interested in photography can join, no need to be a Mommytographer. Come join the fun!

Doings

2009-12-18T17:12:00.004-05:00

I have been mostly home bound due to my HUGE belly issues--see Kara Faith's blog for updates on how my pregnancy is going and such. BUT life still goes on. Jamie is leaving tomorrow for St. Louis for a visit for a couple weeks. I (and we) will miss him during this Christmas holiday and I pray Kara doesn't come while he's gone. Celeste has been busy working a lot and trying to save as she is moving out in January. I can't believe I'm old enough to have a child who can move out! I will miss her and she better come visit her mom...hint, hint.

The other kids have been pretty bored with being housebound. I'm going to try to bake some cookies with them this coming week and do some things around home that will be fun. Pray for energy for me. It's really hard for me to stand too long, so that makes things limiting. I hope your family is having a wonderful Christmas season!

Christmas Greetings!

2009-12-18T16:54:00.000-05:00

God is BIG Enough

2009-12-10T16:06:00.004-05:00

(Baby Kara Faith @ 29 weeks)

They say that I am crazy for letting you be born,

But one look at your angel face makes crazy all the scorn.

They say we can’t afford you–that you’ll need a lot of stuff,
But your pudgy cheeks remind us that our God is big enough.

They say it’s strange–seven kids so far–and ask what’s wrong with us,
How could we know that proof of married love would cause this fuss?

God’s Word tells me He made us, so when they look at you,
I’ll tell them not to ask me why, because He made you too!

Kelly Crawford

(I found this poem on Generation Cedar.)

Stu & Nancy--12 Years Together Today

2009-12-06T05:38:00.001-05:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

A look back over the past year...2009 in review.

30 weeks pregnant with Kara Faith

2009-11-24T14:52:00.002-05:00

Yay For Eden!!

2009-11-14T21:17:00.002-05:00

Super News! Eden is now officially potty trained! Woo hoo! Currently, we have one child in diapers. I was trying to remember the last time that was the case. It must have been over 3 years ago when just Tommy was in diapers. At one point, when Joshua was born, I had 2 in diapers and 1 in pull-ups for quite some time. For the past week, Eden has been wearing underwear and had NO accidents. I declare her trained. I told her I would buy her a pack of Cinderella underwear and she says, "No, Mommy, I want Tinkerbell!" I'm hoping they make 'em.

So we have a reprieve until Kara arrives. IF we get to bring her home, then we'll have 2 in diapers again, but I won't care. Kara is doing quite well. There are periodical updates on her blog page. We go for a 3D/4D ultrasound this Monday, November 16th. I can't wait!

Some Cuteness

2009-11-13T01:05:00.003-05:00

After bath fun with Celeste & Joshua

This is what your brothers do to you when you fall asleep at our house...

Joshua loves Eden's Bitty Baby!

Not the best day

2009-10-28T11:51:00.003-04:00

I'm having a difficult day. I am in so much pain with my right hip it is hard to think straight let alone deal with 5 active children who are at home with me. I called my chiropractor and they don't take my insurance anymore. Boo! Now I have an appointment with someone a friend recommended. Last time I saw someone I didn't know (when I was pregnant) I was in worse pain for 3 days afterward. Nervous.

Life is just really difficult for our family right now, so we would appreciate your prayers. I don't want to complain because I know that would not honor the Lord. It's so difficult, though. I'm praying, too!

A Visit to the Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-12T16:34:00.005-04:00

Joshua--Looks like trouble...
Pumpkin Patch Max

Eden--pumpkin sitting

Mommy and Joshua (What a cute smile!)

Dan and Tommy--Love this one!

My Cute Tommy

Me with my 5 littlest pumpkins

Help From the Lord

2009-09-29T17:09:00.004-04:00

I don't have any great words of wisdom right now. Life is going by at a recklessly fast pace with lots of crazy diversions. We have one unhappy teenager's car which is broken at the moment and may be quite costly. We would appreciate prayers for a reasonable bill and the ability for said teen to pay it. ;) Chauffeuring an 18 year old around isn't making this mom's life any easier. Hopefully, a lesson will be learned for all of patience and moderation.

In church on Sunday a wonderful young man, David, led worship. He read Psalm 121 and it greatly encouraged me. I thought I would include it here. Enjoy!

Psalm 121--My Help Comes From the Lord

I lift up my eyes to the hills.

From where does my help come?

My help comes from the Lord,

who made heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot be moved;

he who keeps you will not slumber.

Behold, he who keeps Israel

will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord is your keeper;

the Lord is your shade on your right hand.

The sun shall not strike you by day,

nor the moon by night.

The Lord will keep you from all evil;

he will keep your life.

The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in

from this time forth and forevermore.

Eden Joy is 3!

2009-09-21T10:41:00.002-04:00

I am still excited about having a girl after 4 boys and 15 years of waiting! I enjoy Eden every day and fondly remember her as an infant. She was and is just precious! (BTW, her picture is the one featured in my header at the top of my blog...) We'll put up more birthday pictures as we get our day rolling. I'm home with just the 3 kids 5 and under today, so don't have a lot of time to be on the computer. ;)

JOSHUA 17 months old

2009-09-17T20:12:00.005-04:00

Today Joshua Ezekiel turned 17 months old on the 17th! He is a really cute baby and has a wonderful personality! The whole family adores him...

I caught him reading the 5 ladybug book. He's pretty attached to his "Nah" (nuk) as he calls it.
In the bath playing with his alligator--GO GATORS!

Here is Joshua making a funny face for Mommy with the camera.

Peek-a-boo!

Sweet Tiny Baby

2009-09-10T22:53:00.001-04:00

Kara's little hand gives us the "thumbs up" today. Hop on over to her blog for a full report!

Ordinary Day

2009-09-07T10:31:00.004-04:00

Hey, I just found one of the many missing snack cups underneath the computer desk. (I had been looking for that one.) Such is the life of a mom of many or a mom with lots of littles. It's Labor Day. No plans today. Daddy (Stu) just went outside to mow. We have a riding mower, so I think he likes it now. Hey, maybe I should grab my iPod and be the one to go do it... (Mmmm, time alone) Nah, it's getting hotter by the minute out there and I'm almost 5 months pregnant. Since Joshua is taking a nap I think opting for a bath where I can actually shave this week might be the best use of my time... I just realized that Eden needs to get cleaned up, so it looks like a shower with her is it. At least it's well before lunch!

Cute Little Pregnancy Ticker

2009-08-29T00:17:00.002-04:00

Happy 5th Birthday, Tommy!

2009-08-25T13:38:00.003-04:00

Tommy was born 5 years ago on August 24th. He was my last "natural birth" attended by my favorite midwife, Jane. Jane and Stuart delivered him. I remember it like it was just a little bit ago and can't believe 5 years have gone by!! Now I am homeschooling Tommy for his kindergarten year. He is a great student and really enjoys learning. That makes it easy for mom!

Hurting and Hope

2009-08-19T04:35:00.005-04:00

Sleep is elusive. Between our puking Jack Russell and cute Eden in our bed, I am awake in the wee hours. Since Kara's diagnosis I awake at odd hours and my thoughts click on and I can't seem to turn them off. We are hurting. Hurting and wishing for things that may never be. Hurting for there have been things done and said. Sometimes I don't even know what to do with myself. I have taken it to the Lord in prayer and await His response to my grief, my sorrow, my pain. And I believe He answered with this: "but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint." Isaiah 40:31

Sweet little babies,
it’s hard to understand it ‘cause we’re hurting
We are hurting
But there is healing
And we know we’re stronger people through the growing
And in knowing-
That all things work together for our good
And God works His purposes just like He said He would…
Just like He said He would… (Glory Baby by Watermark)

Diagnosis

2009-08-18T10:37:00.006-04:00

Kara Faith, 15 weeks, 5 days

Last Wednesday, August 12th, 2009, our baby girl was diagnosed with Holoprosencephaly (HPE). We saw Dr. Richards at Shands at UF. We weren't given too much information at the time of our appointment. Dr. R drew a picture and wrote the name of it down on a piece of paper. He told us our baby would not live very long once she is born. At almost 16 weeks, her other systems looked normal on the scan, which was good. He didn't detect a cleft lip/palate on the ultrasound. He said that my pregnancy should go to term. A possible problem could be overabundance of amniotic fluid due to the baby having trouble swallowing (polyhydramnios). We ask for specific prayer that this would not happen. We will go back to Shands for another ultrasound with Dr. Richards at 22 weeks. There is so much to tell, but the past few days have been trying. We are praying for a miracle from Jesus for our daughter. If that is not His will, then we are praying that He would transform us through this situation and use our baby girl as a testimony and instrument of His grace.

I had an appointment with my favorite OB yesterday. It was not encouraging, but the ladies that I have met on the holoprosencephaly support group I joined are very supportive. Meanwhile, I'm trusting in God and am thankful for ALL the prayers we are receiving. We really feel them!

Kara Faith comes from: Kara which means "Pure" and Faith which was given to me after some prayer. God gave me the word Faith and a scripture to go along with it a couple of weeks (8/1/2009) before we knew what we were having or that we would be on this journey of faith. Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." I wrote this note, "For we do not always know where we are going, but we can trust in Him who does." Wow, God is so faithful to meet us at our need!

So, I believe that the gift of Kara Faith is going to take us on a journey of pure faith. I am thankful for a special name for my sweet little girl.

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." James 1:17

I will be updating about Kara as I am up to it on her blog Sweet Kara Faith.

Changed forever

2009-08-12T12:29:00.003-04:00

I am now almost 16 weeks pregnant. Yesterday I went in to see my OB and he did an ultrasound in which we found a problem with our sweet baby. She, yes she, has a partially developed brain. The outlook is not good. I know I serve a BIG GOD and He is going to walk me/us through this. I am praying for a miracle, but barring that I am praying for His strength to guide me as I go day by day. We have an in-depth ultrasound this afternoon and will be talking with a specialist. Please pray for our sweet baby girl and our family. Thank you!

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Phil. 4:13

2009-08-02T16:08:00.003-04:00

I know I never blog anymore. I just don't know what to say... (without being too negative) I feel like one day runs into another and one is no different than the next. It's just a "get through it" and move on feeling. I am hoping I will feel better soon. Between the pregnancy and some other aches and pains I have some days are just quite difficult. I feel like I need something to look forward to, but don't know what that is. Fall? I enjoy that season. It is so hot here right now. Most days it's in the 90's. We have no tree cover, so the kids don't go outside. We're all just in the house here. I would take them swimming more, but I have no suit that fits and only the 2 older boys can swim. I don't feel too good about supervising 5 children swimming with 3 who can't swim. Right now, Dan, Max, and Tommy went to Grandpa's pool to swim. Eden is still sleeping. (I wish she could have gone, too...) Joshua needs to go down for a nap, but I don't know if I can handle the crying. We just moved him out of our room to the boys' room and he doesn't like it. He cries a lot. I wanted to have my bedroom to myself for just a few months before I have to share it indefinitely with another baby, so... I don't think I have ever been this challenged in my life. I don't feel I can say any more, but that's just the rub I'm in.

The Slacker

2009-07-23T17:03:00.002-04:00

Oh, I am such a slacker! This summer is just dragging on and I'm just trying to get through the "yucky" feeling part of pregnancy. I really miss my 15 year old son. He's my right hand guy during this time. He will be home from St. Louis in 16 days, yay!

This week, Dan, Max, & Tom have been attending VBS. They are really enjoying it. We've had some good conversations about God and Jesus. It has been good for them to have something to do instead of sitting around the house all day. Dan asked me today, "Who created hell?" His teacher couldn't answer that question. I did tell him that I believe "hell" is eternal separation from God. At 10 years old, it is good for him to be thinking about eternal perspectives. This is going to be a big year of learning for him. I always crank it up with my 5th graders.

I have a mom's night out for church tonight. I feel pretty crummy, but am looking forward to speaking with some adults. I have been very discouraged lately. It seems there isn't much immediately to look forward to and this always really gets me down. Please pray for my attitude. Thanks!

Coming Late January 2010...

2009-07-13T09:55:00.004-04:00

"For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them." Psalm 139: 13-16
Wow! Some days that is all I can say... I choose to focus on the sovereignty of God. He knew all of this, that I would be a mother to so many, before I was born. I think He must have a huge sense of humor because I am really not doing this very well. We need prayers for provision more than ever. Please bless my husband in his endeavors to support our family--especially in this downturned economy and tenuous political time. I am currently 11.5 weeks along. I don't feel too terribly bad. I really could use more help. Too bad Jamie is gone for the summer. He loves to cook and does our family cooking when I am feeling sick. This ultrasound was from my 1st appointment. It looks like Dr. M wants to do another C-Section as it would be my 3rd. Also, please pray that some would have a kind word instead of criticism as my life is more challenging than ever and I don't want to deal with strife and others' negativity right now.

Celeste is 18 today!!

2009-07-10T13:36:00.001-04:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

**Turn off the music at the bottom of the page before watching this!

Updates

2009-07-01T18:03:00.002-04:00

Okay, why is it that whenever I get close to someone (make a really good friend) they move away?!? This has happened to me twice in the last year and now it looks like my good friend, Charity, will be moving to Ohio. God sure does have some interesting plans for us. Sometimes I wish I could have a peek into the future, just to calm my nerves. (Although, it probably wouldn't do that!)

Recently, we've had some medical stuff around here. Eden is dealing with a staph infection. I took her in last week and it wasn't that bad, so they didn't really do anything, but it got worse over the weekend. Daddy took her to the pediatrician yesterday and she is now on antibiotics. At almost 3 years old this is only the 2nd time for meds for her. She had an ear infection when she stopped nursing at 13 months. I wish she didn't need them. I think of them as rather a pollutant to the system. (They kill all the good bacteria, too...) Dan has had hives for the last week. He went with Eden to the ped on Monday and they say it's a reaction to a virus. He is taking Zyrtec to help with symptoms. Also, Celeste got her eyes checked today and what a blessing it was that my friend, Tara, stopped by and watched the 5 youngest for me!

I am missing Jamie. He will be home in another 5.5 weeks. Celeste is going to St. Louis for a visit later in the month. I didn't realize how much Jamie helped with cleaning and the kids until he wasn't here. He is an amazing 15 yo young man!

Cuteness

2009-07-01T12:27:00.002-04:00

Eden put these sunglasses on Joshua last night. It was so cute! He was watching Daddy mow the lawn. Chipper was there, too!
Eden was dancing and singing in the kitchen. She is doing that a lot nowadays! Tommy is in the background.

My All Star

2009-06-25T14:47:00.003-04:00

Dan is going to Orlando for the Florida All-Star Baseball Championship tournament today. Games run through Saturday and then depending on their win record, they may play Sunday, too! Grandpa (80 years old) drove him down and will do so again tomorrow because Daddy has to work and mommy is caring for littles. I wish I could see him play! Good luck, Dan!

A Summery Sunday

2009-06-14T17:23:00.002-04:00

We're deep into what really feels like summer, but it doesn't officially begin until June 21st, right?!? Temps here have been in the mid-90's with heat indexes of over 100. Needless to say, we are trying to keep ourselves busy indoors. We only have a couple small trees on the lot, so we venture out after 7 p.m.

Jamie left for St. Louis today. Stu, Dan, Max, & Tom drove him to the airport in Orlando. He will be gone for 8 weeks. :( I will miss his help cooking, his fun card tricks, and long hair. Dan and Max are still in baseball All Stars and have a couple games and practices this week. I will be glad when baseball season is over. It's been long this year! They have learned a lot and are both better players, but all the nights home alone are wearing on me. It's hard to drag the little babies to the park in this heat, so we just stay at home. I have a sore throat today and a runny nose. I think I've got the cold the kids have been passing around. Ick! Now I'm off to figure out something for dinner. Have a super week!

A picture thought

2009-06-04T10:51:00.002-04:00

It's so hot that Eden even wear sunglasses at breakfast!

Summer

2009-06-04T10:46:00.002-04:00

Ah, so it begins. It begins, with birthdays (Jamie's and mine), All-Star baseball practices and games, hot days, rain, antsy kids, Jamie leaving, homeschool planning for next year, and what to do with all this time on our hands? I'm trying to plan some fun things that are free or virtually free. The problem is the heat. We have no trees on our property, so my kids don't play outside during the day. They would be scorched in the 90+ degree heat. What I need is a good vacation, but that's not going to happen! So, any ideas appreciated!

Happy 15th Birthday, Jamie!

2009-06-02T14:30:00.003-04:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Turn of my music at the bottom of this page to watch this slideshow! Thanks!

The Latest

2009-05-28T23:07:00.002-04:00

The most recent news is rain and lots of it! Due to this, the boys' baseball tournament had to be cancelled. They kept rescheduling and finally gave up. However, Dan has try-outs for All-Star team on Saturday morning. He was one of 3 pitchers for his team this year. I'm praying he makes it!

Joshua's newest thing is learning to walk. He is 13 months now and is getting more brave by the day. He took 6 steps to Max today. Joshua is very reckless as a walker and enjoys crashing at the end of his walking attempts. This child is going to get hurt!

Eden spent Saturday afternoon at the emergency room. She had a anaphalactic-type allergic reaction to something she ate. Her tongue swelled up 2.5 times normal size, she had trouble talking, and was gasping for breath. We think it was coconut oil in some gummie snacks. I'm not sure I want to do that again soon!

Jamie is out of school in 6 short days. Thus ends his first year of public school since kindergarten. He currently has a 3.83 GPA and won 2 awar ds: an academic honor for 3.5 and above, and the Most Outstanding Integrated Science Student. That's #1 in the whole 9th grade folks! I knew homeschooling him paid off! He will continue at the high school for at least one more year and then is planning on dual-enrolling in order to earn college credit while still in high school.

Celeste has been working a lot and is making plans for continuing her college education in the fall.

We have pretty much wrapped up homeschooling for the year. Max has a little more math to do. We add Tommy as a kindergartner next year. He already knows all of his letters and beginning sounds. He can print pretty well and he can count to 100.

I'm selling Thirty-One Gifts and having lots of fun with it! I'm having an eShow right now, so you can click on my name and shop! Stuart is busy with his holster/gun business, PbPrecision. And that's our update for now. June is coming!

No, Mr. President. Killing is killing no matter what we call it.

2009-05-19T16:55:00.004-04:00

Please watch this...

John Piper addresses the sanctity of life.

Thirty-One

2009-05-18T09:04:00.005-04:00

I have a new endeavor and I am SO excited about it!!! I am a Thirty-One consultant and can't wait to share it. In an effort to help with our family finances I am looking forward to sharing these neat products. Check out my Thirty-One website. For the best view, click on place an order to look at the neat totes, purses, lunch sacks, etc. Most can be personalized. How fun!!

Verse of the Day

2009-05-12T13:33:00.005-04:00

Mother's Day 2009

2009-05-10T13:42:00.004-04:00

My children on Mother's Day 2009

Celeste 17, Jamie 14, Dan 10, Max 8, Tommy 4.5, Eden 2.5, Joshua 12 months

(and our Jack Russell, Chipper--he's 11)

Celeste made me a cool flip photo album. I got a Starbuck's card, birdseed, music, & bath salts. Happy Mommy!

Wednesday--A Picture Thought

2009-05-06T11:04:00.002-04:00

Eden says, "Look, I wearing socks!" (They're Daddy's.)

The Long Haul

2009-05-06T10:53:00.002-04:00

Graduating our first homeschooler this past week has caused me to think on things. There are 6 dear ones behind her. Currently, my youngest will graduate high school in 2026 and I will be 57 years old. Life is an adventure. God has given me so much! I am richly blessed! At first, I think of the long road ahead. Everyone has been asking me if I am relieved after the graduation. Honestly, I cannot say that I am. I am proud of Celeste's (and my) accomplishment. I am excited for what comes next. I am contemplative. Relieved, no. Thankfully, God's grace is there every day of my life and I can do all things through Him. It is awesome to think on what great things God has for us and what the future holds. I am thinking on this verse today:

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-4

May God's grace be evident to you today and may you lack nothing in Him.

Pictures from Graduation 2009

2009-05-05T08:59:00.003-04:00

My Sweet Grad
Celeste with Max and Joshua

Zach, my Jamie, & James (The Cheeseballs)

Stuart & I with Celeste--Proud Parents!

Celeste with her display board

Here She Is!

2009-04-25T07:49:00.004-04:00

Celeste Marie

Life Verse
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2

High School
During her high school years, Celeste has been very busy with many interests and activities. Some of these include: piano lessons, MimeTime, Community Band, 180 Youth Group, helping out with child care, and volunteering. Celeste is an avid reader, amateur photographer, and enjoys scrap booking. When not in school, she works part-time for a local grocery store. Currently, Celeste is dual-enrolled and will complete her high school education having earned 30 college credit hours. Her family appreciates all the effort she has put into school and work for the past 2 years!

Future Plans
Celeste plans to complete her Associate of Arts degree in the next year. After this, she hopes to transfer to University of Florida or another similar university. Celeste desires to continue to develop a Pro-Life Advocacy Group and to one day become a Godly wife and mother.

Our First Homeschool Graduate

2009-04-25T07:36:00.002-04:00

It's going to be a busy week! Next Saturday, we will graduate our 1st homeschool graduate. It has been a lot of hard work, so I am quite reflective at this point. It makes me think about our decision to homeschool and how we got here. Back in 1996-1997 I used to manage a medical office. Every day the UPS Man would come in and testify about Jesus, his church, and how much he loved his wife. Also, he began to tell me about homeschooling. At this point, Stuart & I had just gotten married and we had Celeste(6yo)and Jamie(3yo). We were starting our own family and God led us to make the decision for homeschooling. Read Deuteronomy 6:4-9. We have had challenges and made mistakes, but God has been so faithful to Celeste. She is a very hard-working young lady who is currently taking 12 credit hours at the local community college and working at a local grocery 20-25 hours per week. I don't get to see her as much as I'd like! I'm going to post her bio in the next post.

Raising Money For Adoption

2009-04-24T00:57:00.002-04:00

My friend, Becky, who designed this blog, is adopting a second little girl from China! They are trying to raise money for this adoption, so please visit her website that has an auction-style garage sale of really cute little girls' clothing.

Chloe's Closet

They received their placement and can't wait to bring little Jada home. Please pray that this would go smoothly and they would get to love on their new daughter VERY soon!

Joshua Turned 1 Yesterday

2009-04-18T11:19:00.003-04:00

Border Patrol Beats Baptist Pastor

2009-04-16T18:26:00.003-04:00

This says it all...

See this eye-opening video HERE.

Some favorite baby things

2009-04-13T16:52:00.002-04:00

Being a mother of 7 children, I have tried out quite a few baby products. I thought I would share a list of some of my favorite things.

Graco Contempo High Chair--I don't have much use for the extra tray that sits on top, because Joshua likes to pull it off and throw it. :) This is probably the best high chair we have owned!

Graco Quattro Tour Travel System--This stroller, while not light-weight, is very sturdy and has held up better than ANY full-size stroller I have owned.

Britax Roundabout Convertible Car Seat--Hands down, this is the absolute best car seat I have ever owned! I've had mine 3 years now and it was passed down from Tommy to Eden and then to Joshua. It is the easiest to install, is comfortable, and has a nice velcro feature for the straps when not in use.

New Avent bottles BPA-free (Finally!)

Nuk brand pacifiers

Huggies Diapers--the regular ones

Sprout Organic Baby Food by Tyler Florence--It's like you just made it!

Baby's Only Organic Formula (If you can't nurse...)--We used this for Tommy, nursed Eden, and then are now using it for Joshua.

McClaren Volo Lightweight Stroller--I bought this little baby in 2001 and have NEVER regretted it. It has been through Max, Tommy, Eden, & Joshua and is still going strong! I have owned it for 8 years! You can sling it over your shoulder. Great stroller for toddlers for travel or whatever. Highly recommend!

My SlingEZee baby sling--I have tried others that are more costly, but this is my favorite.

Graco Jump-up--I have owned this jumper for 15 years!! Can't live without it. Great for showers and computer time!

I'll stop for today... I need to go make dinner and we have a storm on the way. I think baseball may be cancelled for this evening. I have really been looking forward to the games tonight, but I can't control the weather!

Happy Birthday, Dan!

2009-04-10T15:09:00.004-04:00

Dan turned 10 on Wednesday this week! I can't believe it's been a decade already! He is growing into a helpful young man. Dan loves to read and is quite smart with his school work. He's a great pitcher for his baseball team and I am just enjoying him this year.

The nature of Jesus Christ

2009-04-07T00:46:00.002-04:00

I am currently participating in a Beth Moore bible study called, "Believing God." This particular verse impacted me tonight during my study time.

Colossians 1: 15-17
"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together." (NIV translation--bold print my emphasis)

First of all, let me say that God is Sovereign. He allows the current government that we, as U.S. citizens, are enduring. My concern is that Christians are concentrating too readily on the gloom and doom purported by the media. While this nation's economy (among other things) is not a rosy picture, may I suggest that we can trust God to move mightily during this time in His own way.

Secondly, "all things were created by him and for him." The chief end of man is to glorify God. I am asking myself, "What am I doing on a day to day basis that glorifies Him?" Consider this point carefully and move to meet its challenge.

Third, "in him all things hold together." Hold fast to this statement. In difficult times, in uncertainty, in sickness, in trial, let us hold to God's promises and pray fervently, believing in Him who has the power to accomplish anything. I am letting God hold me together and trusting in the Hope that he has given me for my future. Amen!

More pictures

2009-04-06T09:15:00.004-04:00

They all pretty much look alike! Dan (almost 10), Max (8), Tommy (4.5), & Joshua (11 months)
Dan pitching.

Max's Eye

2009-04-06T09:09:00.003-04:00

This is what Max's eye looked like 3 days after getting hit with a baseball bat. Today, you can hardly tell and it's been a week. Both he and Dan won their baseball games on Saturday. They did a great job! Dan pitched an inning where he struck out 3 players and Dan got a home run at one point, too. This week we are on "spring break." Older brother, Jamie, is in St. Louis for the week. Eden threw up several times yesterday. I'm hoping it's isolated and others don't get sick this week. It seems that every year during our break someone gets sick and we are stuck at home. I am hopeful we'll enjoy a great week. Dan turns 10 this week!

It's going to be better this week...

2009-03-30T13:56:00.003-04:00

Hopefully, this week will be much better than last week. On Tuesday, I took Joshua to the doctor for an infected boo boo. He is on 3 different meds to get him better. On Saturday, Celeste was in a car accident with her boyfriend. (It was his car.) Someone smashed into her passenger door. She is sore, but doing alright. Last night, Max got hit in the eye socket with a baseball bat. His brother, Dan, was trying to show him "something" and Max didn't back up far enough. Oops! After 7 hours in the ER and a CAT scan we are just observing Max for concussion-type symptoms through tomorrow. God is good! Everyone is okay! I hope to post more this week. I have a lot to say running through my mind, but with 7 children it's hard to find time.

Unfailing Love

2009-03-23T23:52:00.002-04:00

I am doing a Bible study called "Believing God" by Beth Moore. If you haven't read her books or ever participated in a Bible study by her then I highly recommend that you do! In my course of study this past week I came across this verse:

"Though the mountains be shaken
and the hills be removed,
yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken
nor my covenant of peace be removed,
says the LORD, who has compassion on you."
Isaiah 54:10

Wow! God's love for us is unfailing. His covenant of peace will not be removed. He has compassion on us. I am thankful and grateful for the truths of this verse today. Read it out loud. He loves us SO much! Have a great week!

Eat. Sleep. Breathe.

2009-03-19T16:47:00.005-04:00

Little League

Joshua is 11 months

2009-03-18T14:46:00.004-04:00

Joshua is now 11 months old. It happened yesterday on St. Patty's Day. It has been an amazing journey with him. I can't believe he is almost one! I'm sad inside because I know how fast they grow up and I love, love babies. He isn't my best sleeper, but I am cherishing the moments to hold him. That won't last forever. He is currently cutting 6 teeth. Joshua has his moments with that, but is doing quite well.

Chick-Fil-A

2009-03-14T10:02:00.002-04:00

Celeste says she always wants to go on Sunday. Mmmmm, waffle fries...
(Scroll down to the bottom of my page and pause my music to listen to this.) I just love Tim Hawkins!

A Recent Trip to Siesta

2009-03-10T13:30:00.006-04:00

I just got back last night from a 2-day trip to visit my parents in Sarasota. Celeste (17) and I went to Siesta Key Beach, out on the boat, and to Philippi Creek Restaurant. It is Celeste's spring break and I needed a little respite. It was fun, but I am glad to be home again!

Money Saving Link!

2009-03-10T13:24:00.001-04:00

Here is a link to a site that can save you A LOT of money on different things. You can sign up to get daily emails sent to your inbox on the best deals. I recently got a Huggies diaper coupon for $5 off. That is well worth it! And this is FREE. (Unlike some websites...)

Never Pay Retail Again

Haiku Friday

2009-03-06T15:27:00.003-05:00

Trip to Siesta

A great break for sure, Woo Hoo!

Sand, sky, gulf with 'Leste

Thanks to Amanda for inspiring this sad bit of poetry. Gotta know I'm not a poet. Tomorrow is opening day for baseball and then it's off for a couple days. Celeste is on spring break. Pray for Stu will all the littles. (Wink!)

Rarely seen here...

2009-03-05T18:33:00.005-05:00

Here is Jamie. He rarely lets me photograph him now, but here is evidence that he still is around! His hair is getting quite long. (Shhh, he uses his sister's Chi, but don't tell anyone...) Jamie is always eating. He pointed out to me that he was putting groceries away in this photo; not eating them!

Please pray for this baby

2009-03-04T17:22:00.003-05:00

Jonah has a very rare skin disease. Please pray for baby Jonah and his parents who love him. Click on the picture to learn more. Thank you!

This week

2009-03-02T17:57:00.002-05:00

Here I am! I had one of those "there's only one of me and 5 of them" days. (I'm speaking of being home and trying to homeschool with kids 9, 8, 4.5, 2.5, and 10 months.) It was a crazy day, but I made it through. Right now Daddy is at the ball field with Dan & Max at baseball practice. We have a big week for that! Opening day is Saturday and there's practice on M, T, and Th this week. Plus we have caregroup on Wednesday night. Busy, busy!

I have a new love/interest. It's coffee... I think. ;) I don't own a coffeemaker and I would love to get one. I'm not sure I would want something sitting on my counter all the time. I think I would probably fire it up 3-4 times a week. Any info or suggestions would be appreciated. I think I like the flavored types like mocha, french vanilla, etc.

I'm off to finish up dinner. Tonight it's 5 can soup (listed on my recipe blog--sidebar), white rice, and homemade cornbread. It will cold here in FL tonight with a low of 25. Chili was in order. Have a super Monday night!

I just have to laugh...

2009-02-25T09:50:00.005-05:00

Things just keep breaking around here! Have you ever had one of those days/weeks/months?!? Here is a list of things that have happened recently:

~garage door needs new springs (small children, not ours, were riding on it)
~yet another window in my 4 yo home won't open
~vacuum died (hubby fixed it!)
~Stu's car has broken down 3 times
~the doorbell broke (Celeste fixed it!)
~the home pc and my laptop crashed due to viruses (both in the last week)
~the ice dispenser on the 4 year old fridge stopped working

Needless to say, we're all waiting for the other spring to let go on the garage door one day soon. Oh, and we are so disadvantaged now because we have to actually open the door to the freezer and reach in to the ice bucket and pick out our ice. (She says sarcastically...) Stu was funny, he told the kids he used to have to make his own ice in the little cube trays. They really should be thankful. I just have to laugh at all the stuff that's breaking. It is at the point where it's almost comical. Last week, we husband lost his job. The company he was working for closed its doors locally. He is still "doing" real estate, but the market is moving at a snail's pace. So, in light of all of these crazy things, I am thankful for:

~healthy children
~a roof over my head
~yummy food to eat
~Jesus (he's free, too!)

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." 1 Thess. 5: 16-18

Recipe Blog

2009-02-23T18:33:00.002-05:00

Check out my recipe blog. I just added a recipe for Easy Chicken & Rice. We are always looking for simple, low cost meals to feed our big family. If you have one, please leave a comment for me. Variety is the spice of life!