I've figured out the secret to getting through a hard time.
Just cling to the Lord. Rest and trust in His Word, and when your emotions are running down, ask for fellow believers to pray for support.
After a day of watching my little angel lie on the couch with fever, uninterested in anything, totally lethargic, and then ending it with bloody diarrhea, I certainly needed some support. I did very well actually, considering the other two girls were hyper all day, I am in the 8th month of pregnancy, and I was endlessly doing laundry. By the time dh got home I was feeling pretty wore out though, and he was able to strengthen me and lift me up.
Leiah had an accident on the carpet so bad he just went out and bought a steam cleaner. Yeah. Then we discover blood and mucus in the diapers and I have to call the doctor. However, she started perking up last evening and eating a little, and today has been herself. I was continually speaking healing scriptures over her and praising God for her healing though. She is fine now, not up to eating real food yet, but appears fine. Thursday we'll know if she had some type of bacterial infection or what.
Anyways, sorry if too much info, but that's reality. Just because I am a Christian doesn't mean I never struggle or life is roses and honey :) There are major, real struggles, BECAUSE I am a dangerous Christian- a faith filled standing on the promises of God one.
I so long to be writing and doing homemaker-y things here. Life isn't affording me to opportunity to do that yet, besides being the nurse :) I just try to keep in my mind the verse Jesus says about whoever does this (give food or water, visiting the sick...) unto the least of these (as in children) does it unto Me. It doesn't go unnoticed by Him.
June 30, 2009
June 29, 2009
Craziness
I've been away for awhile huh?
Well, we went on our family vacation as planned. It was fun and packed full! We're tired, and unfortunately, when we got home Saturday evening our air conditioner wasn't working. So we had to pack up yet again and stay with my parents. Then we were able to get someone to fix it yesterday.
The effects of being in many public places and eating lots of junk/not getting enough sleep have made my oldest child susceptible to some kind of virus. She's had fever, some vomiting and diarrhea. Not pleasant, poor thing.
She is keeping food and drink down but doesn't appear to be feeling well. The fever isn"t over one hundred degrees so I've been holding off on the medicine. I'm trying to help her naturally...
I've still had the tightening and cramping off and on, but since I know it's ok now I just take some Tylenol if it's really painful and move on. We are now 33 weeks along, so we're getting there. Overall I've been quite miserable. The heat has been in the 100s here, I've been sore in my hips and legs, not sleeping much and just feel big. Trying to get ready to move and prep for a new baby has been difficult as well.
I was planning to start our new diet from Body Ecology today, but have had to hold off with all the other stuff going on. I'm going to have to modify it a bit, simply because I don't have access to everything needed at this point. What we're going to do basically is cut out gluten and uncultured dairy, all refined sugar/processed anything, lots of cultured veggies and food combine.
Food combing is this: fruit is eaten alone or with protein
protein and veggies combine
starches and veggies combine
NEVER combine protein and starches, as apparently they don't digest together
I did food combining in the past, and while I'm not entirely convinced that it's the way to eat, it does make digestion better and I did lose weight. So you can have a veggie soup with grilled chicken and salad, or baked potatoes with butter, sour cream and more veggies. Or you can do all vegetables. This might be an adjustment for the kiddies, but we'll figure it out.
The idea is you're getting rid of the bad bacterias and yeasts and then repopulating your gut with the good ones. Candida (bad ones) love sugar and anything that turns to sugar, which is why it must be cut out, at least until symptoms are gone. If nothing else we'll just get healthier :)
Gluten free doesn't mean no grains, just different ones like millet, quinoa, cornmeal and I'm including rice. I'm also going to include some oats but ferment them longer so they're really digestible. No more coffee and tea or juices. But it's ok, I've done a similar thing before and you get used to it.
Anyways, we're working on it. I hope to have something more interesting to write about this week. However I'm in the midst of a MASSIVE laundry pile- we're talking diarrhea ALL over the entire bed, even the pillow itself has to be washed, plus everything from the trip, ALL the towels because our air conditioner was leaking and so on.
Fun. But, God is with me. I'm not alone in this. Thank you Jesus!
Well, we went on our family vacation as planned. It was fun and packed full! We're tired, and unfortunately, when we got home Saturday evening our air conditioner wasn't working. So we had to pack up yet again and stay with my parents. Then we were able to get someone to fix it yesterday.
The effects of being in many public places and eating lots of junk/not getting enough sleep have made my oldest child susceptible to some kind of virus. She's had fever, some vomiting and diarrhea. Not pleasant, poor thing.
She is keeping food and drink down but doesn't appear to be feeling well. The fever isn"t over one hundred degrees so I've been holding off on the medicine. I'm trying to help her naturally...
I've still had the tightening and cramping off and on, but since I know it's ok now I just take some Tylenol if it's really painful and move on. We are now 33 weeks along, so we're getting there. Overall I've been quite miserable. The heat has been in the 100s here, I've been sore in my hips and legs, not sleeping much and just feel big. Trying to get ready to move and prep for a new baby has been difficult as well.
I was planning to start our new diet from Body Ecology today, but have had to hold off with all the other stuff going on. I'm going to have to modify it a bit, simply because I don't have access to everything needed at this point. What we're going to do basically is cut out gluten and uncultured dairy, all refined sugar/processed anything, lots of cultured veggies and food combine.
Food combing is this: fruit is eaten alone or with protein
protein and veggies combine
starches and veggies combine
NEVER combine protein and starches, as apparently they don't digest together
I did food combining in the past, and while I'm not entirely convinced that it's the way to eat, it does make digestion better and I did lose weight. So you can have a veggie soup with grilled chicken and salad, or baked potatoes with butter, sour cream and more veggies. Or you can do all vegetables. This might be an adjustment for the kiddies, but we'll figure it out.
The idea is you're getting rid of the bad bacterias and yeasts and then repopulating your gut with the good ones. Candida (bad ones) love sugar and anything that turns to sugar, which is why it must be cut out, at least until symptoms are gone. If nothing else we'll just get healthier :)
Gluten free doesn't mean no grains, just different ones like millet, quinoa, cornmeal and I'm including rice. I'm also going to include some oats but ferment them longer so they're really digestible. No more coffee and tea or juices. But it's ok, I've done a similar thing before and you get used to it.
Anyways, we're working on it. I hope to have something more interesting to write about this week. However I'm in the midst of a MASSIVE laundry pile- we're talking diarrhea ALL over the entire bed, even the pillow itself has to be washed, plus everything from the trip, ALL the towels because our air conditioner was leaking and so on.
Fun. But, God is with me. I'm not alone in this. Thank you Jesus!
June 25, 2009
Weird
Well, I had an eventful night.
Last evening around 7pm I started having lots of Braxton Hicks contractions and cramping. I didn't think much of it until it kept happening. So I went to bed and fell asleep. I woke up feeling very hot and cramping. Finally at 2am I called the hospital. They told me to take a bath and drink some water. Did that, felt better, went back to sleep.
When I woke up about 6am, everything was back. I checked the signs of preterm labor and I had ALL of them. Backache, cramping, pressure in rear, possible fluid leakage, regular contractions...so I went to my doctor early this morning.
Nothing. No dialation, no real contractions, nada. The doctor couldn't really offer an explanation for all of that except that since I've had c-sections I have more scar tissue that doesn't stretch the same way as muscle.
Who knows. So now, if it happens again, I know what to do. I was just afraid to let it go because I've never had anything like that for 12 hours, plus, my own mom did that with me, kept thinking it would go away, and surprise, I was born early.
We are continuing on with our plans though. In a minute we're heading to an indoor/overnight waterpark and taking a weekend vacation. Later!
Last evening around 7pm I started having lots of Braxton Hicks contractions and cramping. I didn't think much of it until it kept happening. So I went to bed and fell asleep. I woke up feeling very hot and cramping. Finally at 2am I called the hospital. They told me to take a bath and drink some water. Did that, felt better, went back to sleep.
When I woke up about 6am, everything was back. I checked the signs of preterm labor and I had ALL of them. Backache, cramping, pressure in rear, possible fluid leakage, regular contractions...so I went to my doctor early this morning.
Nothing. No dialation, no real contractions, nada. The doctor couldn't really offer an explanation for all of that except that since I've had c-sections I have more scar tissue that doesn't stretch the same way as muscle.
Who knows. So now, if it happens again, I know what to do. I was just afraid to let it go because I've never had anything like that for 12 hours, plus, my own mom did that with me, kept thinking it would go away, and surprise, I was born early.
We are continuing on with our plans though. In a minute we're heading to an indoor/overnight waterpark and taking a weekend vacation. Later!
June 24, 2009
Barbie Mania
I've been looking on ebay for toys for my girls. Old ones, that I used to play with, because frankly, the stuff available now is not appealing to them or me.
Anyhow, I found this listing. Unbelievable! I think as a child I would have fainted had I seen all of this!!!
Go here.
Anyhow, I found this listing. Unbelievable! I think as a child I would have fainted had I seen all of this!!!
Go here.
June 23, 2009
Sewing Video 4
Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com
***I plan to post a picture of her wearing the dress when it gets finished. My air conditioner hasn't been working and it's really draining me to be so hot all day. I didn't finish the dress yesterday, maybe today :)
Awakening
For those of you with higher speed internet I wanted to let you guys know about an awesome opportunity. Every Wednesday at noon central time, there is a live prayer meeting going on that you can join via computer. The focus of the prayer is the Awakening of the World to God. There are archives of past meetings, which began in March that you can view as well. Very powerful.
The lady that's sort of in charge is Billye Brim and she said the first Wednesday after they announced there was prayer going on, their server crashed because well over 10,000 people from all over the world (60 countries) were logging on to pray for awakening! Awesome huh?
So don't despair, God is at work, and He needs us to pray and be the workers :)
Go to www.billyebrim.org and click on 'Live Prayer' under the search feature on the right side of the screen.
The lady that's sort of in charge is Billye Brim and she said the first Wednesday after they announced there was prayer going on, their server crashed because well over 10,000 people from all over the world (60 countries) were logging on to pray for awakening! Awesome huh?
So don't despair, God is at work, and He needs us to pray and be the workers :)
Go to www.billyebrim.org and click on 'Live Prayer' under the search feature on the right side of the screen.
June 22, 2009
More on the Gut
My husband and I are planning to make some major diet changes soon. Ordinarily, I wouldn't be planning to do such a thing when so many other changes are in store. Making major diet changes is hard enough without all the other things going on. But, we have discovered some new info and feel it best to begin right away.
The last week or so, I've been consistently coming across lots of information (without really even looking for it, it just keeps popping up) regarding the connection between the gut and the brain. Most of you guys are familiar with my oldest daughter Leiah. She was born very small even though full term and was delayed in her normal development. As the years went by, we finally sought out specialists to see what was wrong with her. Finally at the age of 4, we had some genetic testing and found she has something called Trisomy 9 Mosaic. She is a miracle child really, because most children with this do not make it to be born, much less function as well as she does.
At one point a doctor said she had autism, which just didn't sound right to me at all, because she was social and understood her surroundings. Anyways, many many children with autism are being healed through special diets that focus on the gut- healing the holes in the lining of the intestines and repopulating it with good bacteria. Leiah has always been healthy- I pumped breastmilk for her for a month so she got good bacterias from me and antibodies, plus when she ate solids I fed her yogurt just about everyday of her life!
Only recently have I noticed that she seems a bit more susceptible to illnesses, especially upper respiratory ones. I think it's because she has had lots more processed foods through school, some antibiotics and I haven't focused on re-establishing the flora in her gut. Plus, my middle daughter has the profile for adhd, which can also be helped through these diets. The two diets I've been reading about are the GAPS diet- Gut and Psychology Syndrome- and one called Body Ecology.
The first one is very extreme- I don't see how in the WORLD we could do it. I mean, it is Nourishing Traditions based so I'm familiar with it, but putting us strictly on bone broth mixed with yogurt and vegetables and meats doesn't seem compatible. The Body Ecology one is very similar, but it's more focused on probiotics- kefir, yogurt, fermented veggies and drinks and gluten free grains, plus meat, veggies and healing fats like coconut oil.
My husband also wants this because he feels his health isn't what it needs to be, and even if my children don't miraculously change, we will all be healthier at the very least. Plus, I'm sure I would finally lose all the extra weight I've carried around and a healthy mom will benefit a baby too. SO, I've ordered the book Body Ecology, and hope to begin integrating it into our lives.
The hard part will be not relying on storebought items when I'm tired or not prepared. My children can't snack on crackers and cereal anymore; I can't whip up a box of macaroni and cheese if all my meat is frozen, and anything with sugar is OUT! No more concentrated juices or lemonade mix- water or fermented drinks only. I may negotiate with the coffee- I only drink one cup a day and sometimes it is very necessary :)
But, if Miss Leiah starting talking and going potty, it would be worth it. If my Alexa could be saved from extreme emotional highs and lows and be able to sit still, it would be worth it. If my husband could go a day without feeling worn out, have acid reflux or feel dizzy, it would definitely be worth it. We have never stopped believing for Leiah's healing, and continue to praise God for it, but sometimes He uses other means to help us for other reasons. In this case it could be just to get our whole family in a much healthier state.
So, the first week or so may be very hard. Especially where cravings are concerned and just getting used to a lack of things we love. (BREAD and oatmeal and sugar) May have to take it very slow for awhile. But, as soon as I get the book and get started, I will let you know how it goes.
The last week or so, I've been consistently coming across lots of information (without really even looking for it, it just keeps popping up) regarding the connection between the gut and the brain. Most of you guys are familiar with my oldest daughter Leiah. She was born very small even though full term and was delayed in her normal development. As the years went by, we finally sought out specialists to see what was wrong with her. Finally at the age of 4, we had some genetic testing and found she has something called Trisomy 9 Mosaic. She is a miracle child really, because most children with this do not make it to be born, much less function as well as she does.
At one point a doctor said she had autism, which just didn't sound right to me at all, because she was social and understood her surroundings. Anyways, many many children with autism are being healed through special diets that focus on the gut- healing the holes in the lining of the intestines and repopulating it with good bacteria. Leiah has always been healthy- I pumped breastmilk for her for a month so she got good bacterias from me and antibodies, plus when she ate solids I fed her yogurt just about everyday of her life!
Only recently have I noticed that she seems a bit more susceptible to illnesses, especially upper respiratory ones. I think it's because she has had lots more processed foods through school, some antibiotics and I haven't focused on re-establishing the flora in her gut. Plus, my middle daughter has the profile for adhd, which can also be helped through these diets. The two diets I've been reading about are the GAPS diet- Gut and Psychology Syndrome- and one called Body Ecology.
The first one is very extreme- I don't see how in the WORLD we could do it. I mean, it is Nourishing Traditions based so I'm familiar with it, but putting us strictly on bone broth mixed with yogurt and vegetables and meats doesn't seem compatible. The Body Ecology one is very similar, but it's more focused on probiotics- kefir, yogurt, fermented veggies and drinks and gluten free grains, plus meat, veggies and healing fats like coconut oil.
My husband also wants this because he feels his health isn't what it needs to be, and even if my children don't miraculously change, we will all be healthier at the very least. Plus, I'm sure I would finally lose all the extra weight I've carried around and a healthy mom will benefit a baby too. SO, I've ordered the book Body Ecology, and hope to begin integrating it into our lives.
The hard part will be not relying on storebought items when I'm tired or not prepared. My children can't snack on crackers and cereal anymore; I can't whip up a box of macaroni and cheese if all my meat is frozen, and anything with sugar is OUT! No more concentrated juices or lemonade mix- water or fermented drinks only. I may negotiate with the coffee- I only drink one cup a day and sometimes it is very necessary :)
But, if Miss Leiah starting talking and going potty, it would be worth it. If my Alexa could be saved from extreme emotional highs and lows and be able to sit still, it would be worth it. If my husband could go a day without feeling worn out, have acid reflux or feel dizzy, it would definitely be worth it. We have never stopped believing for Leiah's healing, and continue to praise God for it, but sometimes He uses other means to help us for other reasons. In this case it could be just to get our whole family in a much healthier state.
So, the first week or so may be very hard. Especially where cravings are concerned and just getting used to a lack of things we love. (BREAD and oatmeal and sugar) May have to take it very slow for awhile. But, as soon as I get the book and get started, I will let you know how it goes.
June 21, 2009
Video Ideas
Ok, so just wondering what video I should do next. I rather dread doing the zipper because it might go terribly wrong :)
So, I could try doing one of me making challah bread- the six strand braided sweet bread I made loads of for church. I don't want to do a house tour because we are moving soon and this house isn't too pretty right now.
I really feel like a wimp right now. I'm uncomfortable and tired and sore and cranky and sleepy. I finally succumbed to asking for help with my housework and kids so that I can manage packing boxes among other things. Yes I know maybe if I didn't make videos for my blog I would have more time, BUT, it's rather a lack of physical energy and ability rather than time right now.
I am soo rambling here so I'm gonna go. But, if you have video ideas, pass them on. I need to go to bed now :)
So, I could try doing one of me making challah bread- the six strand braided sweet bread I made loads of for church. I don't want to do a house tour because we are moving soon and this house isn't too pretty right now.
I really feel like a wimp right now. I'm uncomfortable and tired and sore and cranky and sleepy. I finally succumbed to asking for help with my housework and kids so that I can manage packing boxes among other things. Yes I know maybe if I didn't make videos for my blog I would have more time, BUT, it's rather a lack of physical energy and ability rather than time right now.
I am soo rambling here so I'm gonna go. But, if you have video ideas, pass them on. I need to go to bed now :)
June 19, 2009
The Skirt
Be forewarned that I look a little rough and am quite chatty---I'm a bit spacey and sleepy today :)
Lean not on your own understanding
Well, I stayed busy yesterday working on housework and did actually pack a box. I sewed the ribbon sash onto the top part of the dress and I'm hoping to video the skirt today for you. I also started some clothes for this baby- the vintage layette pattern I showed awhile back.
It's amazing that, in the midst of a time when I would normally be stressed out constantly, God has been reminding me to trust in Him and I've been able to! I know that He knows what's going on, and that He will provide what I need. To worry is the trap Satan has set so that he can snatch God's Word away from me.
The things on my mind:
Baby- why won't she turn head down? Why doesn't she move a lot? Is she growing right because I'm not real big? Is Samantha really the right name?
Other Children- I wanted to spend a lot more time doing fun things with them this summer, but have been preoccupied with other stuff and plain ole tired. We've been dealing with discipline issues as well and that's just taxing. The days are loooonngg...
New House- I am standing that we will get to move in the early part of next month. Apparently the papers haven't even made it to the underwriter yet, but, dh and I are praying for favor from the Lord that it gets done fast. All things are possible with Him! We also have to buy a refrigerator, which I was excited about until we realized the space for it in the house is very small and will cause it stick way out in the pathway of the kitchen. I also need to buy a cooktop, get all my curtains etc., we really need a bigger kitchen table and whatever shelves we will need. We may have to rent a storage building too unless we're able to get rid of a lot.
Present House- it's very plain since I'm packing up non-essentials. It is big and hard to keep straight, the air conditioner is leaking into the carpet, a toilet keeps overflowing and various other things are breaking.
Packing- where do you get boxes?? For free?? All of our sources before are now recycling boxes, so we're scavenging all around trying to get some boxes. We also need to sort through many other boxes of stuff, which may lead to having empty boxes. Still, it's a process, especially for the husband because he is a paper junkie.
Birth Prep- I have to go to the doctor an hour away every two weeks until July, then every week. I have to order all supplies I need for herbal healing of the incision and for breastfeeding help and my compression belly binder (more about that later); order the cloth diapers and other baby items.
I need to have time to set all baby gear up after we move so that things will run smoothly after birth.
School- all children have checkups and possible shots on July 2. After we close on the house I need to enroll my children in the school, get all the stuff set up for meetings for my oldest, buy all supplies/clothes they will need and so on.
SO, with all this stuff floating around in my brain, it's easy to get overwhelmed. But Father knows my needs and desires; He knows the plans He has for us and that they are to prosper us, not harm, lol!
So, I'm going to end this post with a few pictures of our new house-to-be. It is a manufactured home, but as i've said before, I am borderline redneck :) We don't care and we like it :)
THe Front
The Living Room
The Kitchen
My Bathroom...oh, the tub, how I wish I could have it now!
The back Porch
Front Yard, needs a little work...
Nothing fancy, but it suits us and we're happy about it.
***Oh yeah, last night I think baby turned. Every time I woke up I felt major movements, almost painful like she was doing flips, then this morning she had hiccups and they were down low and lots of feet kicking up towards my ribs. Yay!
It's amazing that, in the midst of a time when I would normally be stressed out constantly, God has been reminding me to trust in Him and I've been able to! I know that He knows what's going on, and that He will provide what I need. To worry is the trap Satan has set so that he can snatch God's Word away from me.
The things on my mind:
Baby- why won't she turn head down? Why doesn't she move a lot? Is she growing right because I'm not real big? Is Samantha really the right name?
Other Children- I wanted to spend a lot more time doing fun things with them this summer, but have been preoccupied with other stuff and plain ole tired. We've been dealing with discipline issues as well and that's just taxing. The days are loooonngg...
New House- I am standing that we will get to move in the early part of next month. Apparently the papers haven't even made it to the underwriter yet, but, dh and I are praying for favor from the Lord that it gets done fast. All things are possible with Him! We also have to buy a refrigerator, which I was excited about until we realized the space for it in the house is very small and will cause it stick way out in the pathway of the kitchen. I also need to buy a cooktop, get all my curtains etc., we really need a bigger kitchen table and whatever shelves we will need. We may have to rent a storage building too unless we're able to get rid of a lot.
Present House- it's very plain since I'm packing up non-essentials. It is big and hard to keep straight, the air conditioner is leaking into the carpet, a toilet keeps overflowing and various other things are breaking.
Packing- where do you get boxes?? For free?? All of our sources before are now recycling boxes, so we're scavenging all around trying to get some boxes. We also need to sort through many other boxes of stuff, which may lead to having empty boxes. Still, it's a process, especially for the husband because he is a paper junkie.
Birth Prep- I have to go to the doctor an hour away every two weeks until July, then every week. I have to order all supplies I need for herbal healing of the incision and for breastfeeding help and my compression belly binder (more about that later); order the cloth diapers and other baby items.
I need to have time to set all baby gear up after we move so that things will run smoothly after birth.
School- all children have checkups and possible shots on July 2. After we close on the house I need to enroll my children in the school, get all the stuff set up for meetings for my oldest, buy all supplies/clothes they will need and so on.
SO, with all this stuff floating around in my brain, it's easy to get overwhelmed. But Father knows my needs and desires; He knows the plans He has for us and that they are to prosper us, not harm, lol!
So, I'm going to end this post with a few pictures of our new house-to-be. It is a manufactured home, but as i've said before, I am borderline redneck :) We don't care and we like it :)
THe Front
The Living Room
The Kitchen
My Bathroom...oh, the tub, how I wish I could have it now!
The back Porch
Front Yard, needs a little work...
Nothing fancy, but it suits us and we're happy about it.***Oh yeah, last night I think baby turned. Every time I woke up I felt major movements, almost painful like she was doing flips, then this morning she had hiccups and they were down low and lots of feet kicking up towards my ribs. Yay!
June 18, 2009
Sorry I have no video for today. Yesterday I was out and about trying to get some corrective shoes for my oldest and spent all day away. (one of her legs is longer than the other) I was hot and tired when I got home late yesterday afternoon. I do actually need to get some housework done today, lol, so I'm not promising the next video installment yet.
The hardest part of the dress is done, besides the zipper. The skirt is MUCH easier than the sleeves :)
Yesterday I got blessed with many homegrown ripe tomatoes! So exciting, for me anyways. We already ate several of them at dinner last night, and I have enough to possibly make some fermented salsa. I might give it a try later.
I must say, I am having a hard time staying on top of stuff. I can either take care of the home, do laundry and cooking etc. OR pack our house. I can't seem to do both. I am considering hiring some help for a little while. I wake up every night HOT, need to go to the bathroom etc. and can't get back to sleep for awhile. This causes me to sleep later, thus getting started later in the day, plus I'm just slower.
Ok, time to get started on some stuff, maybe I'll 'see' you later :)
The hardest part of the dress is done, besides the zipper. The skirt is MUCH easier than the sleeves :)
Yesterday I got blessed with many homegrown ripe tomatoes! So exciting, for me anyways. We already ate several of them at dinner last night, and I have enough to possibly make some fermented salsa. I might give it a try later.
I must say, I am having a hard time staying on top of stuff. I can either take care of the home, do laundry and cooking etc. OR pack our house. I can't seem to do both. I am considering hiring some help for a little while. I wake up every night HOT, need to go to the bathroom etc. and can't get back to sleep for awhile. This causes me to sleep later, thus getting started later in the day, plus I'm just slower.
Ok, time to get started on some stuff, maybe I'll 'see' you later :)
Happenings
Today I hope to do another video showing the dreaded sleeve sewing. I'm also going to show the first dress I made and how I plan to embellish the dress. I'm going to break it up in chunks, so after sleeves I'll do one showing the skirt, then the zipper and finishing. You're going to see the real deal, mistakes and all. I am much better at sewing than I used to be, but far from perfect or expert.
Also, if I can find a place high enough to set my camera (I'm tall!) I was gonna show you a profile of my 31 week preggo belly :) I haven't taken a picture in forever because I don't look much different. I think the baby is still feet down :( She isn't very active still and most of the kicks are down really low on my bladder. Her name is going to be either Samantha Abigail or Samantha Faith. So we'll have Leiah, Alexa, Sarah and Samantha.
We are still getting everything in order for our house. I think it's all basically done, just waiting on the actual bank to get everything together and done- praying it gets done soon. I need shop around for refrigerators and cooktops so I know what I want to put in if it gets done early. I am DEFINITELY getting a fridge with the freezer on bottom- I am tall and pregnant and I had a layer of living slime on the bottom of my fridge simply because I couldn't see it! Plus after surgery, bending down ain't gonna be nice. And I am DEFINITELY getting a cooktop that is flat- no coiled burners. Everytime I cook on mine it starts burning whatever I dropped in there from the last time.
Also, I notice in my videos I seem very serious and almost bland. So odd because that is so not me. I guess because I'm not actually conversing with someone I get really focused on what I'm doing. I'm actually pretty animated. Oh well.
Oh and everyone feel sorry for me, I am so hot all day long. This poor air conditioner just isn't working well enough for the Texas humidity. I'm just plain hot, all the time. That's why I was wearing my not so flattering big loose thin sundress yesterday- the only thing I own that doesn't cling!
Also, if I can find a place high enough to set my camera (I'm tall!) I was gonna show you a profile of my 31 week preggo belly :) I haven't taken a picture in forever because I don't look much different. I think the baby is still feet down :( She isn't very active still and most of the kicks are down really low on my bladder. Her name is going to be either Samantha Abigail or Samantha Faith. So we'll have Leiah, Alexa, Sarah and Samantha.
We are still getting everything in order for our house. I think it's all basically done, just waiting on the actual bank to get everything together and done- praying it gets done soon. I need shop around for refrigerators and cooktops so I know what I want to put in if it gets done early. I am DEFINITELY getting a fridge with the freezer on bottom- I am tall and pregnant and I had a layer of living slime on the bottom of my fridge simply because I couldn't see it! Plus after surgery, bending down ain't gonna be nice. And I am DEFINITELY getting a cooktop that is flat- no coiled burners. Everytime I cook on mine it starts burning whatever I dropped in there from the last time.
Also, I notice in my videos I seem very serious and almost bland. So odd because that is so not me. I guess because I'm not actually conversing with someone I get really focused on what I'm doing. I'm actually pretty animated. Oh well.
Oh and everyone feel sorry for me, I am so hot all day long. This poor air conditioner just isn't working well enough for the Texas humidity. I'm just plain hot, all the time. That's why I was wearing my not so flattering big loose thin sundress yesterday- the only thing I own that doesn't cling!
The Awakening is coming
I guess I need to clarify my last post.
I am basically saying that it might be very easy to run and start storing up provisions because other people are doing it. Things look real bad for the future, so yes, it would be smart to think ahead. If I read on so and so's blog that we need to prepare for emergencies, and then run out and start doing it without talking to my husband or God about it, then to me that isn't wise. In my opinion. Do what you must.
When the Israelites went out of Egypt, did they have months worth of stored provisions with them? No, but God provided what they needed. All they had to do was obey.
I am just saying don't be afraid of starving if you're obeying God. Don't be afraid of not having a place to live or not having clothes etc. I am mostly trying to help the body of Christ calm their fears- we are not to be swept under with the rest of the world. If you're doing what He says, your needs shall be met. That's all I'm saying. I know I go against the grain with what I say. I know that my affiliation with certain 'Word of Faith' ministers is looked down upon, but if I had to pick, I'd certainly pick them, because they're preaching blessing in the midst of famine. Faith instead of fear. Living in the land of Goshen while the Egyptians are starving. I think I'll go with that.
And you know what, I can attest that it IS the truth, because I am living it. God's blessing is raining down, and I am able to give more to others and back to Him. God HAS already supplied our needs and wants exceedingly abundantly all we could ask or think, and it keeps coming!!!
There is a mighty awakening coming, and I pray I get to be on the front lines of it. I believe we're going to see miracles like back when Jesus walked the earth. I feel it in my core, I feel that THIS time is what I was created for. God needs us to work up until the end- He depends on us to be the ones to carry Him to the needy ones in the earth. Faith works. God works by faith in love.
I know I'm rambling here, but the Lord has spoken some deep and awesome things not to just me, but to our church yesterday and through so many others I've read about, or heard on the radio/TV. IT IS COMING!! SOON!!
I am basically saying that it might be very easy to run and start storing up provisions because other people are doing it. Things look real bad for the future, so yes, it would be smart to think ahead. If I read on so and so's blog that we need to prepare for emergencies, and then run out and start doing it without talking to my husband or God about it, then to me that isn't wise. In my opinion. Do what you must.
When the Israelites went out of Egypt, did they have months worth of stored provisions with them? No, but God provided what they needed. All they had to do was obey.
I am just saying don't be afraid of starving if you're obeying God. Don't be afraid of not having a place to live or not having clothes etc. I am mostly trying to help the body of Christ calm their fears- we are not to be swept under with the rest of the world. If you're doing what He says, your needs shall be met. That's all I'm saying. I know I go against the grain with what I say. I know that my affiliation with certain 'Word of Faith' ministers is looked down upon, but if I had to pick, I'd certainly pick them, because they're preaching blessing in the midst of famine. Faith instead of fear. Living in the land of Goshen while the Egyptians are starving. I think I'll go with that.
And you know what, I can attest that it IS the truth, because I am living it. God's blessing is raining down, and I am able to give more to others and back to Him. God HAS already supplied our needs and wants exceedingly abundantly all we could ask or think, and it keeps coming!!!
There is a mighty awakening coming, and I pray I get to be on the front lines of it. I believe we're going to see miracles like back when Jesus walked the earth. I feel it in my core, I feel that THIS time is what I was created for. God needs us to work up until the end- He depends on us to be the ones to carry Him to the needy ones in the earth. Faith works. God works by faith in love.
I know I'm rambling here, but the Lord has spoken some deep and awesome things not to just me, but to our church yesterday and through so many others I've read about, or heard on the radio/TV. IT IS COMING!! SOON!!
June 12, 2009
How I feel about Emergency Preparations
I know that there are a lot of folks who are feeling a push to stock up and prepare for catastrophe. A few months ago, when we started seeing how much trouble the economy was in, even my own family started changing the way they were spending and saving, just in case you know. We can really learn a lot from our forefathers in the way they were prepared just with food. For one they were living off the land, at least most of them, and knew how to survive with very little and/or make it themselves. But they stored up their harvest of food, which most of us don't do. At least I never have.
I do not feel an urgency to store up provisions. As children of the living God, I know that He is my provider, and that to worry about what I will eat or wear is sin. His Word is full of promises stating how He will care for us if we are obedient to His Word and not to worry about our needs, because He knows what we need. However it can be easy to feel fear when we see what is happening around us. That is where faith comes in. Completely walking by faith and not by sight :)
Now while I know that He is my provider, I do feel it wise to make sure I am buying good quality things that will last or can be reused. For instance, I plan to order cloth diapers for our baby. Sure we'll have the money to buy disposables, most likely, but doesn't it just seem a bit smarter to go ahead and purchase something that can be used over and over again if for some reason we needed it? I was also on the fence about whether to bottle or breastfeed, as in should I give it a try at all? Then I got to thinking, it is free, it is best for me and baby, and in this day and age I should do my best to give her the best start possible! I can eat good food and pass it to her in the same way as I do in the womb. So I am preparing to set myself up for success that way.
With the herbs, I just have personal experience knowing that herbs DO work. Quality herbs prepared in the right way are powerful and effective. Since we choose all natural options whenever possible, it makes sense to just use what knowledge I have and make our own. I am also planning to have plenty on hand to give out to others that won't listen to me and order their own herbs :) I wish I could grow my own, but that's another project altogether! There is something so satisfying and empowering about being able to provide things by making it yourself!
I would love to get back into making our soap again. It isn't really that hard, but the ingredients are toxic, so I would have to make sure no children are around at all, which is never!! I can afford to buy soap yes, but it's good to at least know how to do these things, should the need ever come up. Plus I just like making stuff :)
So, I think that if you feel a push to store up, then do it. Maybe it's not for you, maybe you will be able to help others in the future. I think as homemakers, it's important to keep learning new skills and have some knowledge of making things from scratch, because you just never know when you might need to pull that knowledge up. I don't want to be totally dependent on the store and like learning how to do what I can with what I have.
At this stage I have been relying on the store a lot more. It's just necessary at this stage of life. I don't make my own cleaners right now, I haven't made toothpaste in forever, I buy laundry soap and dishwasher soap, I buy pullups and don't compost my food scraps. I buy bread when I'm not in the mood to bake it myself. I even bought the baby crib set instead of sewing it like I had planned. But once I can get back to myself, I'll be hanging out my cloth diapers on the clothesline, making cleaners, freeze and can some foods and possibly even make some soap!
And yes, I certainly do plan on posting videos and recipes of my herbal concoctions. Fun huh?
The point of all of this is that you must listen to what the Lord is telling you, not what the media and all the 'Chicken Littles" shout out to you>
"And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19
I do not feel an urgency to store up provisions. As children of the living God, I know that He is my provider, and that to worry about what I will eat or wear is sin. His Word is full of promises stating how He will care for us if we are obedient to His Word and not to worry about our needs, because He knows what we need. However it can be easy to feel fear when we see what is happening around us. That is where faith comes in. Completely walking by faith and not by sight :)
Now while I know that He is my provider, I do feel it wise to make sure I am buying good quality things that will last or can be reused. For instance, I plan to order cloth diapers for our baby. Sure we'll have the money to buy disposables, most likely, but doesn't it just seem a bit smarter to go ahead and purchase something that can be used over and over again if for some reason we needed it? I was also on the fence about whether to bottle or breastfeed, as in should I give it a try at all? Then I got to thinking, it is free, it is best for me and baby, and in this day and age I should do my best to give her the best start possible! I can eat good food and pass it to her in the same way as I do in the womb. So I am preparing to set myself up for success that way.
With the herbs, I just have personal experience knowing that herbs DO work. Quality herbs prepared in the right way are powerful and effective. Since we choose all natural options whenever possible, it makes sense to just use what knowledge I have and make our own. I am also planning to have plenty on hand to give out to others that won't listen to me and order their own herbs :) I wish I could grow my own, but that's another project altogether! There is something so satisfying and empowering about being able to provide things by making it yourself!
I would love to get back into making our soap again. It isn't really that hard, but the ingredients are toxic, so I would have to make sure no children are around at all, which is never!! I can afford to buy soap yes, but it's good to at least know how to do these things, should the need ever come up. Plus I just like making stuff :)
So, I think that if you feel a push to store up, then do it. Maybe it's not for you, maybe you will be able to help others in the future. I think as homemakers, it's important to keep learning new skills and have some knowledge of making things from scratch, because you just never know when you might need to pull that knowledge up. I don't want to be totally dependent on the store and like learning how to do what I can with what I have.
At this stage I have been relying on the store a lot more. It's just necessary at this stage of life. I don't make my own cleaners right now, I haven't made toothpaste in forever, I buy laundry soap and dishwasher soap, I buy pullups and don't compost my food scraps. I buy bread when I'm not in the mood to bake it myself. I even bought the baby crib set instead of sewing it like I had planned. But once I can get back to myself, I'll be hanging out my cloth diapers on the clothesline, making cleaners, freeze and can some foods and possibly even make some soap!
And yes, I certainly do plan on posting videos and recipes of my herbal concoctions. Fun huh?
The point of all of this is that you must listen to what the Lord is telling you, not what the media and all the 'Chicken Littles" shout out to you>
"And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19
June 11, 2009
Herbal Care
Many of you know that I love the herbalist, Dr. Richard Schulze. You can go to his website by clicking on the left hand sidebar link "Dr. Schulze". I truly believe his products are THE best, because for one he is not in the business for money. He genuinely wants to helps us get healthier. Two, he personally chooses the herbs he puts into his stuff, it's all organic and wild harvested, and he stuffs as much herbs as he can into his vats when make tinctures. Great guy!
However, that being said, his products are rather expensive when buying for a bigger than normal family. (yes, I will have 4 kids soon which is bigger than normal) So I've been looking into making my own stuff. I've wanted to do this forever, but for some reason never found time to do it. But now that I've been researching it for a few years I am ready to take the plunge. Great timing huh? Not like I don't have a million things going on right now or anything. But, honestly, it doesn't appear to be that time consuming.
What I want to make are herbal tinctures, which are generally alcohol based, and some ointments/salves. I want to make an immune boosting tincture, a calming/stress busting one, a salve for bug bites/stings, a healing ointment for after surgery and ointment for diaper rash. Plus, I want to have several blends of herbs on hand for making teas.
What I have learned: the best herbs for immune boosting are echinacea tops and roots, elderberries, cayenne peppers and garlic. Ginger, thyme and a few others certainly fit in there too. A high quality echinacea tincture will cost about $30, whereas I could make a gallon of it for that price by making my own! We also like to use a product called Sambucol, or immune boosting syrup made from elderberries. For one 4 oz bottle you pay at least $10. With 4 kids, that doesn't last long. So I can buy a pound of dried berries and make my own, at least a quart of it for about $10.
So what all is involved here? Well, with a tincture, you basically fill a jar half full of dried herbs, cover with 80 proof alcohol and allow to sit for several weeks. You can put it in the sun, or even do it in a crockpot in just a few days. When the time is up you strain out the herbs, cap it and store it in a dark cool place. Hard huh? When you need to take it, you start out with 1/2 t per hour for adults, a few drops for kids.
With the berry syrup, you just boil the berries in water for an hour, add honey and a tablespoon of brandy for perservation and there ya go. Not hard at all. I am still learning about making salves and ointments, but for the most part you just heat the oil, add herbs and allow to steep, then strain the herbs out and pour the oil into a jar where it will harden up. (you can use beeswax, coconut oil or even vaseline!)
I am still learning, and haven't figured it all out yet. For more information visit www.bulkherbstore.com, www.thefamilyhomestead.com or www.fromfieldsandgardens.com
However, that being said, his products are rather expensive when buying for a bigger than normal family. (yes, I will have 4 kids soon which is bigger than normal) So I've been looking into making my own stuff. I've wanted to do this forever, but for some reason never found time to do it. But now that I've been researching it for a few years I am ready to take the plunge. Great timing huh? Not like I don't have a million things going on right now or anything. But, honestly, it doesn't appear to be that time consuming.
What I want to make are herbal tinctures, which are generally alcohol based, and some ointments/salves. I want to make an immune boosting tincture, a calming/stress busting one, a salve for bug bites/stings, a healing ointment for after surgery and ointment for diaper rash. Plus, I want to have several blends of herbs on hand for making teas.
What I have learned: the best herbs for immune boosting are echinacea tops and roots, elderberries, cayenne peppers and garlic. Ginger, thyme and a few others certainly fit in there too. A high quality echinacea tincture will cost about $30, whereas I could make a gallon of it for that price by making my own! We also like to use a product called Sambucol, or immune boosting syrup made from elderberries. For one 4 oz bottle you pay at least $10. With 4 kids, that doesn't last long. So I can buy a pound of dried berries and make my own, at least a quart of it for about $10.
So what all is involved here? Well, with a tincture, you basically fill a jar half full of dried herbs, cover with 80 proof alcohol and allow to sit for several weeks. You can put it in the sun, or even do it in a crockpot in just a few days. When the time is up you strain out the herbs, cap it and store it in a dark cool place. Hard huh? When you need to take it, you start out with 1/2 t per hour for adults, a few drops for kids.
With the berry syrup, you just boil the berries in water for an hour, add honey and a tablespoon of brandy for perservation and there ya go. Not hard at all. I am still learning about making salves and ointments, but for the most part you just heat the oil, add herbs and allow to steep, then strain the herbs out and pour the oil into a jar where it will harden up. (you can use beeswax, coconut oil or even vaseline!)
I am still learning, and haven't figured it all out yet. For more information visit www.bulkherbstore.com, www.thefamilyhomestead.com or www.fromfieldsandgardens.com
June 10, 2009
Upcoming
I am getting ready to head out for shopping with my brood of girlies. Just letting you know that for anyone interested, I did cut out fabric and will do my best to get a video done tonight. (dh has the camera for some house stuff today) I'm not showing how to lay out the pattern on fabric and cut it this time, but I will show how to thread the sewing machine and the construction of a basic dress. I will not be cleaning up my sewing room prior, so there will be piles of stuff and junk in the background :)
*********Um, last night the power kept going out because of storms and I was physically beat- no video...don't worry though, you'll be seeing me here live again soon:)
*********Um, last night the power kept going out because of storms and I was physically beat- no video...don't worry though, you'll be seeing me here live again soon:)
June 9, 2009
kefir!
The website I recommended, Fermented Treasures, isn't offering milk kefir grains. I thought I ordered them from there. I checked another place, Gem Cultures, and I believe that is where I got them. They are quite pricey now at $22, whereas when I bought them they were $14 I think. You can also check ebay- I ordered both kefir grains and kombucha scobies from someone that way before.
For more info about kefir, please go here to the most extensive website I have ever seen on a subject!
For more info about kefir, please go here to the most extensive website I have ever seen on a subject!
How did it go?
Yesterday went pretty well, schedule wise. Not so well attitude wise. My children were very grumpy and whiney, probably from overtiredness from the weekend. This was a huge challenge for me to not fall into the same grumpiness, which I did some, but got out of it somehow :) I was actually able to get about everything done, except I didn't do a lot of cleaning- the house wasn't too bad and the grumpiness took precedence over mopping the floors. We also had a flooding toilet and a blood splattering incident...no mopping worked out fine :)
Today I changed things a tad. My husband was up late trying to find some papers for our loan and I didn't get to spend much time with him. So this morning I got dressed and made my bed, then let the girls get up so we could see him for awhile before he left. No big deal, they just got dressed and tidied the bedroom after they ate. Today I'm supposed to work in my kitchen, which will be baking bread, soaking some things, maybe baking cookies, cleaning out the refrigerator and microwave and scrubbing my sink. I am actually almost caught up with laundry, a massive accomplishment for me :) Hopefully I will be able to get things ready to do a sewing video for ya too.
I am curious to know how many of you deal with an overly busy husband. For those of us who stay at home, life can be pretty um, the same. We do have interesting things that happen and sometimes it can get really crazy, but for the most part, daily life is routine. I find myself sometimes falling into a feeling sorry for myself trap, because I am always here. The work I do is the same over and over again and much of it is completely ignored and/or unappreciated.
Because of the lack of adults in my life, I get very 'needy' of my husband's time. The past week or so, things have come up every evening, and he is busy and I'm too tired to work on anything, so many times I'm literally just sitting. I feel very disconnected when I barely spend any time with him, yet he really can't help it. And forget any romance!
This morning I was a bit preturbed because I had no idea when he went to bed last night and in order to see him I got up early and made him breakfast etc. Well he spent all morning time searching again for these papers and was in a bad mood and ran out the door. He did tell me sorry for having our papers in such a bad order, but still, to me it didn't make up for the time I wanted. However, what is the proper response here? He has to go to work, has to have these papers to meet with the guy for our home loan, or he has to finish his work so others can get on with their work, or he has to get music ready for church etc. I can feel dejected and lonely, which I do at times.
How do you not fall into the trap of self pity? I can think of all that I am doing and how it's not noticed, and then feel justified that I'm being mistreated, when in reality there is nothing to be done here- he is doing his best. He is just plain TOO busy to even think about other things sometimes, which is the fault of his job and his one track mind, lol.
Remembering that God sees what I'm doing does help a little, but sometimes it's very hard to get my emotions under control. When I see less of my husband or get very little attention from him, this is what starts going through my mind:
I am un-interesting therefore he doesn't find time to be with me.
I am fat and unattractive now and that's why he doesn't make time to pay attention to me.
I don't do a good enough job around the house for him to pay attention to it.
The food I make is no longer that great therefore he doesn't notice it much.
I don't do enough around the house therefore he has to work on it and we don't have time. (yard work etc.)
I don't complain much about pregnancy ailments therefore he thinks I'm perfectly fine all the time and pays no attention to extra needs.
All these things lead me down a path of feeling unworthy, unsuccessful, and unhappy. Yes, it should come up in his brain to think about me some each day, but my worth isn't defined by his response. My worth is defined by the fact that I was created in the image of God. If I am doing what He commands, then I really don't have to worry. I know my husband loves me and is not intentionally trying to ignore or hurt my feelings. But being the female I am, I remember the times when we were first married or courting and how attentive he was and wonder what happened. Well, our lives changed is what happened!
So, all these feelings I get into are really based in fear. Fear of failure, of not measuring up to what my husband wants or needs, not being the best. But Jesus tells us not to be afraid, so I need to work on that. I'm glad for this revelation because I never realized all these feelings were fear. Now I know and can do something about it.
Ok, got a little off topic there. I'm still interested in what others do or think when they feel a bit neglected though. Maybe we can help each other.
******Edited to add: Just thought I'd mention that last night my husband came home with a small bouquet of flowers and spent the evening with me. I guess he sensed what I was feeling, even though I hadn't really said much to him about it. Thanks for all the encouraging words ladies. I am a slight perfectionist, so I want to make sure I do everything right! I forget about unconditional love :)
Today I changed things a tad. My husband was up late trying to find some papers for our loan and I didn't get to spend much time with him. So this morning I got dressed and made my bed, then let the girls get up so we could see him for awhile before he left. No big deal, they just got dressed and tidied the bedroom after they ate. Today I'm supposed to work in my kitchen, which will be baking bread, soaking some things, maybe baking cookies, cleaning out the refrigerator and microwave and scrubbing my sink. I am actually almost caught up with laundry, a massive accomplishment for me :) Hopefully I will be able to get things ready to do a sewing video for ya too.
I am curious to know how many of you deal with an overly busy husband. For those of us who stay at home, life can be pretty um, the same. We do have interesting things that happen and sometimes it can get really crazy, but for the most part, daily life is routine. I find myself sometimes falling into a feeling sorry for myself trap, because I am always here. The work I do is the same over and over again and much of it is completely ignored and/or unappreciated.
Because of the lack of adults in my life, I get very 'needy' of my husband's time. The past week or so, things have come up every evening, and he is busy and I'm too tired to work on anything, so many times I'm literally just sitting. I feel very disconnected when I barely spend any time with him, yet he really can't help it. And forget any romance!
This morning I was a bit preturbed because I had no idea when he went to bed last night and in order to see him I got up early and made him breakfast etc. Well he spent all morning time searching again for these papers and was in a bad mood and ran out the door. He did tell me sorry for having our papers in such a bad order, but still, to me it didn't make up for the time I wanted. However, what is the proper response here? He has to go to work, has to have these papers to meet with the guy for our home loan, or he has to finish his work so others can get on with their work, or he has to get music ready for church etc. I can feel dejected and lonely, which I do at times.
How do you not fall into the trap of self pity? I can think of all that I am doing and how it's not noticed, and then feel justified that I'm being mistreated, when in reality there is nothing to be done here- he is doing his best. He is just plain TOO busy to even think about other things sometimes, which is the fault of his job and his one track mind, lol.
Remembering that God sees what I'm doing does help a little, but sometimes it's very hard to get my emotions under control. When I see less of my husband or get very little attention from him, this is what starts going through my mind:
I am un-interesting therefore he doesn't find time to be with me.
I am fat and unattractive now and that's why he doesn't make time to pay attention to me.
I don't do a good enough job around the house for him to pay attention to it.
The food I make is no longer that great therefore he doesn't notice it much.
I don't do enough around the house therefore he has to work on it and we don't have time. (yard work etc.)
I don't complain much about pregnancy ailments therefore he thinks I'm perfectly fine all the time and pays no attention to extra needs.
All these things lead me down a path of feeling unworthy, unsuccessful, and unhappy. Yes, it should come up in his brain to think about me some each day, but my worth isn't defined by his response. My worth is defined by the fact that I was created in the image of God. If I am doing what He commands, then I really don't have to worry. I know my husband loves me and is not intentionally trying to ignore or hurt my feelings. But being the female I am, I remember the times when we were first married or courting and how attentive he was and wonder what happened. Well, our lives changed is what happened!
So, all these feelings I get into are really based in fear. Fear of failure, of not measuring up to what my husband wants or needs, not being the best. But Jesus tells us not to be afraid, so I need to work on that. I'm glad for this revelation because I never realized all these feelings were fear. Now I know and can do something about it.
Ok, got a little off topic there. I'm still interested in what others do or think when they feel a bit neglected though. Maybe we can help each other.
******Edited to add: Just thought I'd mention that last night my husband came home with a small bouquet of flowers and spent the evening with me. I guess he sensed what I was feeling, even though I hadn't really said much to him about it. Thanks for all the encouraging words ladies. I am a slight perfectionist, so I want to make sure I do everything right! I forget about unconditional love :)
June 8, 2009
Trying to schedule our life
Hey everyone!
First I wanted to let you know that I am still going to do some more videos, I just had to stop for the week last week. I did do one of my house, but like I said I ran out of batteries and kept forgetting to get more so I could download it to the computer. I might redo it though because we've changed some things this weekend.
We finally got the house stuff going. We were back and forth on the phone Friday night making offers and counter-offers!! We finally got it settled and signed papers. So this week there has to be an inspection and a survey done, and I'm not sure what else. A huge blessing is that we will be able to pick out a brand new cooktop and refrigerator. I will certainly be getting the flat top cooktop- no coiled burners!!! And hopefully I can get the kind of fridge that has a freezer on the bottom so that the refrigerator is eye level- much easier!
I'm 30 weeks today! Wow, time is flying by. My baby is breech and I'm wondering if she is stuck. I've been having LOTS of pain in my hips and inner thighs, and this morning under my incision from past c-sections, which I never have. So there may be something out of alignment, and I'm going to pay a visit to the chiropractor this afternoon.
I devised a loose schedule/routine for this month/summer. Last week was difficult with adjusting to having Leiah home all the time and not having any set routine. I have a lot to get done, and can't keep doing no routine. Now that I don't have to get up early, I can allow myself to wake up when ready and it doesn't take as long for me to get started.
So my new plan is:
Monday- focus on cleaning, like an emergency quick clean or home blessing- sinks, toilets, wipe stickies, mop, vacuum, some laundry
Tuesday- focus on food prep- making breads, culturing stuff, clean out fridge etc.
Wednesday- groceries and errands, including dropping stuff off at Goodwill from all my declutterin
Thursday- focus on packing/getting rid of stuff- my goal is to pack at least 6 boxes a week, more laundry
Friday- touch up clean, more packing etc.
Daily Stuff
Morning Chores- tidy bedrooms, make beds, tidy bathrooms, get everyone dressed, make and eat breakfast, kitchen clean up, start any laundry
Cleaning stuff/packing
Kid time- my mom bought us this reading program for babies called Your Baby can Read in hopes it would help my oldest, plus the younger ones will benefit. They watch a dvd and do flash cards. We also need to practice writing letters/names for my 5 year old.
Children have some alone time- on beds or on a couch while I do lunch
Eat and clean up, then outside play. If it's too hot we can switch this time with the reading program
Naps/rest
Afternoon work- finish up laundry, tidy the house, work on dinner or other food preps if needed
Evening- have dinner, clean it up, family time, baths/showers, bedtime stuff, vitamins
After children are in bed- make sure house is tidied, kitchen cleaned up, breakfast prepped if needed, clear a junk spot, personal hygiene stuff
Bible study, time with dh, bed :)
I am great at making plans, but not exactly at implementing them, so we'll see how this goes :) I'm going to try hard to stick to it for my sake, because I need the help! Things will vary though since I have doctor appointment Thursday morning, and I may want to do groceries at night or on the weekend. But at least we have a basic framework getting all bases covered. The same goes for planning menus. I plan it out, but we rarely ever go by it exactly. Things always change. Today I was supposed to cook beans, but I didn't get them soaking last night, and we CANNOT have beans without the soaking process- affects us for days, lol! Nor did I get oats soaking for oatmeal.
So this morning I cooked some packets of istant oatmeal and fried me an egg. After I get done here and start my laundry, I'll throw some cooked ground beef and ingredients for meat sauce in my crockpot, and we'll have pasta and a freshly picked salad for dinner. I might even make a loaf of bread for garlic bread.
So, after finally getting myself awake this morning, I made my bed, tidied my room and got dressed, then had the girls go ahead and get dressed and fix their beds/room. Then we went to have breakfast. I like how this works- we can be done with the bedroom stuff and not have to go back and do it after eating etc. I'll try to make this a habit. I made breakfast and did the dishes while mentally figuring out dinner. I ate my breakfast and am visiting the computer a bit to rest my ligaments (around my belly). Then I'll get back to work :)
And now it's time to end the lengthy post.
First I wanted to let you know that I am still going to do some more videos, I just had to stop for the week last week. I did do one of my house, but like I said I ran out of batteries and kept forgetting to get more so I could download it to the computer. I might redo it though because we've changed some things this weekend.
We finally got the house stuff going. We were back and forth on the phone Friday night making offers and counter-offers!! We finally got it settled and signed papers. So this week there has to be an inspection and a survey done, and I'm not sure what else. A huge blessing is that we will be able to pick out a brand new cooktop and refrigerator. I will certainly be getting the flat top cooktop- no coiled burners!!! And hopefully I can get the kind of fridge that has a freezer on the bottom so that the refrigerator is eye level- much easier!
I'm 30 weeks today! Wow, time is flying by. My baby is breech and I'm wondering if she is stuck. I've been having LOTS of pain in my hips and inner thighs, and this morning under my incision from past c-sections, which I never have. So there may be something out of alignment, and I'm going to pay a visit to the chiropractor this afternoon.
I devised a loose schedule/routine for this month/summer. Last week was difficult with adjusting to having Leiah home all the time and not having any set routine. I have a lot to get done, and can't keep doing no routine. Now that I don't have to get up early, I can allow myself to wake up when ready and it doesn't take as long for me to get started.
So my new plan is:
Monday- focus on cleaning, like an emergency quick clean or home blessing- sinks, toilets, wipe stickies, mop, vacuum, some laundry
Tuesday- focus on food prep- making breads, culturing stuff, clean out fridge etc.
Wednesday- groceries and errands, including dropping stuff off at Goodwill from all my declutterin
Thursday- focus on packing/getting rid of stuff- my goal is to pack at least 6 boxes a week, more laundry
Friday- touch up clean, more packing etc.
Daily Stuff
Morning Chores- tidy bedrooms, make beds, tidy bathrooms, get everyone dressed, make and eat breakfast, kitchen clean up, start any laundry
Cleaning stuff/packing
Kid time- my mom bought us this reading program for babies called Your Baby can Read in hopes it would help my oldest, plus the younger ones will benefit. They watch a dvd and do flash cards. We also need to practice writing letters/names for my 5 year old.
Children have some alone time- on beds or on a couch while I do lunch
Eat and clean up, then outside play. If it's too hot we can switch this time with the reading program
Naps/rest
Afternoon work- finish up laundry, tidy the house, work on dinner or other food preps if needed
Evening- have dinner, clean it up, family time, baths/showers, bedtime stuff, vitamins
After children are in bed- make sure house is tidied, kitchen cleaned up, breakfast prepped if needed, clear a junk spot, personal hygiene stuff
Bible study, time with dh, bed :)
I am great at making plans, but not exactly at implementing them, so we'll see how this goes :) I'm going to try hard to stick to it for my sake, because I need the help! Things will vary though since I have doctor appointment Thursday morning, and I may want to do groceries at night or on the weekend. But at least we have a basic framework getting all bases covered. The same goes for planning menus. I plan it out, but we rarely ever go by it exactly. Things always change. Today I was supposed to cook beans, but I didn't get them soaking last night, and we CANNOT have beans without the soaking process- affects us for days, lol! Nor did I get oats soaking for oatmeal.
So this morning I cooked some packets of istant oatmeal and fried me an egg. After I get done here and start my laundry, I'll throw some cooked ground beef and ingredients for meat sauce in my crockpot, and we'll have pasta and a freshly picked salad for dinner. I might even make a loaf of bread for garlic bread.
So, after finally getting myself awake this morning, I made my bed, tidied my room and got dressed, then had the girls go ahead and get dressed and fix their beds/room. Then we went to have breakfast. I like how this works- we can be done with the bedroom stuff and not have to go back and do it after eating etc. I'll try to make this a habit. I made breakfast and did the dishes while mentally figuring out dinner. I ate my breakfast and am visiting the computer a bit to rest my ligaments (around my belly). Then I'll get back to work :)
And now it's time to end the lengthy post.
June 5, 2009
Fixing the Gut
Dear Joy,
You came to the right place for your questions honey! I have sort of become a bowel expert, simply because I dealt with problems and so did my mom. What we had was IBS, or irritable bowel syndrome. The medical field will tell you there's no cause or cure, but it what it comes down to is you have random bouts of either constipation, diarrhea or both. Usually any stressful situation can trigger it and a lot of times bad food choices. It got to where we (mom and I) couldn't eat out at all. It was guaranteed that late that night 'IT' would hit us. Immodium was our lifesaver-never left home without, and sometimes took it before we went somewhere just in case.
After dealing with mine for over a year, I finally went to a gastroenterologist. You know what he said? He gave me an anti-depressant. That's it. Oh, and increase fiber and exercise. Doctors don't know jack.
So after coming home and balling my eyes out thinking my life was over at the age of 22, I prayed for God's guidance. Right after that I found an herbalist named Dr. Schulze. LIFESAVER!!
Then I learned about probiotics, the next lifesaver.
So this is what I recommend for you Joy. First, and I know this sounds scary but it is not I promise. You need to get the pockets in your bowel cleaned out, because it's just harboring old fecal matter and allowing bad bacteria to grow. Go to the link in the lefthand sidebar called 'Dr. Schulze'. Read what he has to say. Order the bowel detox, specifically the Intestinal cleanse #2. I did this twice and never felt bad, never had problems at all. It will literally 'put the fire out' in your intestines and scrub the walls clean, gently. Next you need to refill your guts with the good bacterias found in fermented and cultured foods.
We started drinking kefir in January 2008. We have only benefited from it. I have actual grains, the living organism. What they do is 'eat' the lactose in the milk and the by-product (yes, what it 'poops out') is a thickened drink FILLED to the brim with healthy bacterias and yeasts that will actually take up residence and colonize your intestines. Yogurt is good for keeping the intestines clean, but the kefir will stay alive in you. It is so gentle and so soothing to the insides. If our tummies are little upset or if we have heartburn, it is very soothing. The word kefir literally means 'to feel good'. So don't be afraid. I know I was at first, and we drank some storebought kefir first in small amounts before I ordered the grains.
How did I get grains? I ordered them from www.fermentedtreasures.com. They were very healthy and after two weeks of making it everyday, the texture of the kefir was perfect and my grains had doubled in size! I have had the same ones and given out many to friends and family. My mom finally got on the bandwagon and has been faithfully drinking kefir. Most of her problems went away and she is missing her gallbladder! As far as the powder goes, I am not familiar with how it works except by watching how Candy did it. The powder is easier to use I suppose, but the grains are much more potent and alive.
You asked about mold and food poisoning. The neat thing about cultured and fermented foods is that they don't go bad generally. They just keep fermenting. Yesterday my fridge wasn't cooling so I packed the meat and dairy in the ice chest, but left the kefir, buttermilk and yogurt because I knew it was preserved already, as long as it stayed cool. I've been culturing dairy for a year and a half and never had mold. Cultured foods are protection against foodborn illness. They starve out the bad bacteria.
So, don't be afraid of it. People lived off of fermented foods for thousands of years. You will only benefit from it. Try some storebought kefir. See how you like it and how it makes you feel. Buy the bowel cleanse and give it a try- you can always start out slow and not do it as intensely as he recommmends. Or you can take a dose everyday. Then decide if you want to make your own kefir. It's not hard and you get into the habit of thinking about it. It literally takes 2 minutes! I have fermented veggies, dairy, sourdough, and made kombucha, a fermented beverage made from tea and sugar, and we've NEVER had a bad reaction to any of it :)
I will also add that after you clean the bowel and colonize it, there may be areas that need some healing in the walls. I started eating virgin coconut oil about two years ago and wow, it really helped. Your intestines need good fat to repair and this fat is so easily absorbed that it can be used immediately. There are SO many benefits from it. Check it out here. Wouldn't it be awesome if during the whole process, you got healed? Rather than prevent it from getting worse, it could actually go away completely. Pray about this and commit it to Him- stretch out and believe for complete healing- nothing is too hard for God!
Let me add, I cannot even remember the last time I had an 'attack'. Occasionally, I might get a crampy feeling like I'm going to have diarrhea and it may be looser (sorry it's gross), but haven't had a real bowel attack in at least two years :) Thank you Jesus!!!
You came to the right place for your questions honey! I have sort of become a bowel expert, simply because I dealt with problems and so did my mom. What we had was IBS, or irritable bowel syndrome. The medical field will tell you there's no cause or cure, but it what it comes down to is you have random bouts of either constipation, diarrhea or both. Usually any stressful situation can trigger it and a lot of times bad food choices. It got to where we (mom and I) couldn't eat out at all. It was guaranteed that late that night 'IT' would hit us. Immodium was our lifesaver-never left home without, and sometimes took it before we went somewhere just in case.
After dealing with mine for over a year, I finally went to a gastroenterologist. You know what he said? He gave me an anti-depressant. That's it. Oh, and increase fiber and exercise. Doctors don't know jack.
So after coming home and balling my eyes out thinking my life was over at the age of 22, I prayed for God's guidance. Right after that I found an herbalist named Dr. Schulze. LIFESAVER!!
Then I learned about probiotics, the next lifesaver.
So this is what I recommend for you Joy. First, and I know this sounds scary but it is not I promise. You need to get the pockets in your bowel cleaned out, because it's just harboring old fecal matter and allowing bad bacteria to grow. Go to the link in the lefthand sidebar called 'Dr. Schulze'. Read what he has to say. Order the bowel detox, specifically the Intestinal cleanse #2. I did this twice and never felt bad, never had problems at all. It will literally 'put the fire out' in your intestines and scrub the walls clean, gently. Next you need to refill your guts with the good bacterias found in fermented and cultured foods.
We started drinking kefir in January 2008. We have only benefited from it. I have actual grains, the living organism. What they do is 'eat' the lactose in the milk and the by-product (yes, what it 'poops out') is a thickened drink FILLED to the brim with healthy bacterias and yeasts that will actually take up residence and colonize your intestines. Yogurt is good for keeping the intestines clean, but the kefir will stay alive in you. It is so gentle and so soothing to the insides. If our tummies are little upset or if we have heartburn, it is very soothing. The word kefir literally means 'to feel good'. So don't be afraid. I know I was at first, and we drank some storebought kefir first in small amounts before I ordered the grains.
How did I get grains? I ordered them from www.fermentedtreasures.com. They were very healthy and after two weeks of making it everyday, the texture of the kefir was perfect and my grains had doubled in size! I have had the same ones and given out many to friends and family. My mom finally got on the bandwagon and has been faithfully drinking kefir. Most of her problems went away and she is missing her gallbladder! As far as the powder goes, I am not familiar with how it works except by watching how Candy did it. The powder is easier to use I suppose, but the grains are much more potent and alive.
You asked about mold and food poisoning. The neat thing about cultured and fermented foods is that they don't go bad generally. They just keep fermenting. Yesterday my fridge wasn't cooling so I packed the meat and dairy in the ice chest, but left the kefir, buttermilk and yogurt because I knew it was preserved already, as long as it stayed cool. I've been culturing dairy for a year and a half and never had mold. Cultured foods are protection against foodborn illness. They starve out the bad bacteria.
So, don't be afraid of it. People lived off of fermented foods for thousands of years. You will only benefit from it. Try some storebought kefir. See how you like it and how it makes you feel. Buy the bowel cleanse and give it a try- you can always start out slow and not do it as intensely as he recommmends. Or you can take a dose everyday. Then decide if you want to make your own kefir. It's not hard and you get into the habit of thinking about it. It literally takes 2 minutes! I have fermented veggies, dairy, sourdough, and made kombucha, a fermented beverage made from tea and sugar, and we've NEVER had a bad reaction to any of it :)
I will also add that after you clean the bowel and colonize it, there may be areas that need some healing in the walls. I started eating virgin coconut oil about two years ago and wow, it really helped. Your intestines need good fat to repair and this fat is so easily absorbed that it can be used immediately. There are SO many benefits from it. Check it out here. Wouldn't it be awesome if during the whole process, you got healed? Rather than prevent it from getting worse, it could actually go away completely. Pray about this and commit it to Him- stretch out and believe for complete healing- nothing is too hard for God!
Let me add, I cannot even remember the last time I had an 'attack'. Occasionally, I might get a crampy feeling like I'm going to have diarrhea and it may be looser (sorry it's gross), but haven't had a real bowel attack in at least two years :) Thank you Jesus!!!
Goings on
There probably will not be anymore videos this week. I keep forgetting to buy extra batteries for the camera! Plus, I haven't been sleeping well at night at all and it was getting to me. However I did finally sleep last night, and even when I woke up, I was able to go back to sleep. Hooray!
I am planning to show some pictures of our new house as soon as I know the people will accept our offer. We are negotiating all of that right now, which is somewhat stressful, for me anyways. I am having a hard time knowing what to do right now. Most of my time is taken up with caring for the children, cleaning and cooking and laundry, and trying to catch up on rest! Packing up the house, starting the baby quilt and layette etc. hasn't fit into the equation yet.
The projected closing date is July 22. It may be earlier, but that means I will only have 2-3 weeks before the baby arrives. It will take about a week to get things set up and unpacked, longer if we are wanting to do any painting before we move in. So what to do? I need to focus on packing up all the non-essentials and getting rid of everything we don't want. For some reason this is hard for me to do with all the kids underfoot. Hmmm...I'll have to think on it.
Also, can anyone tell me how can I nest when I have no nest to nest into?? I can't nest here because it won't be where we have the baby, and I can't nest there because we don't own it yet. Yet every particle of my being is crying out to NEST!!!!
Still no name. I can't get the husband to settle down and help me pick. We now like Samantha, Christiana, Elizabeth, Felicity and Megan. We still have time I guess...
Anyways, have a blessed Friday and weekend! I finally don't feel tired in the eyes this morning, a great plus for me!!
I am planning to show some pictures of our new house as soon as I know the people will accept our offer. We are negotiating all of that right now, which is somewhat stressful, for me anyways. I am having a hard time knowing what to do right now. Most of my time is taken up with caring for the children, cleaning and cooking and laundry, and trying to catch up on rest! Packing up the house, starting the baby quilt and layette etc. hasn't fit into the equation yet.
The projected closing date is July 22. It may be earlier, but that means I will only have 2-3 weeks before the baby arrives. It will take about a week to get things set up and unpacked, longer if we are wanting to do any painting before we move in. So what to do? I need to focus on packing up all the non-essentials and getting rid of everything we don't want. For some reason this is hard for me to do with all the kids underfoot. Hmmm...I'll have to think on it.
Also, can anyone tell me how can I nest when I have no nest to nest into?? I can't nest here because it won't be where we have the baby, and I can't nest there because we don't own it yet. Yet every particle of my being is crying out to NEST!!!!
Still no name. I can't get the husband to settle down and help me pick. We now like Samantha, Christiana, Elizabeth, Felicity and Megan. We still have time I guess...
Anyways, have a blessed Friday and weekend! I finally don't feel tired in the eyes this morning, a great plus for me!!
June 3, 2009
Our Garden
This is for Mrs. Darling at the Dishpan Dribble blog. She has been posting a lot about her garden and I thought I'd go ahead and upload this video I did on Monday. Sorry the sun is glaring badly in some parts, it was hard to tell on the camera screen how it looked, but most of it is alright.
Tuesday Video
Alright, you're seeing the REAL me here. My hair is bad, my clothes are stained, no makeup and I look tired :) I look better today, but the video I did today will have to wait because I'm out of batteries.
Why am I awake?
Yea, I'm up in the middle of the night again. First I just woke up, then I realized I was hot, then I noticed my bladder was full, my stomach started growling and baby started kicking...so I ate a snack and finished making my menu/grocery list for the next week.
I'm glad everyone liked my video. I have since made another one, however it takes a good while to upload them, so I'm not sure exactly when I'll get Tuesday's up, but it'll get there :) In the meantime I'll post my menu, just in case I lose my paper and for anyone who needs some help with their menus, like me!
Breakfasts:
melon balls, yogurt with granola
bagels with homemade herb cream cheese, fruit
oatmeal, fried eggs and kefir
blender batter pancakes, sausage
scrambled eggs and toast
yogurt and granola, fresh fruit
fried eggs and toast, tomato slices
Lunches:
corndog muffins, cream cheese dip and veggies
tuna sandwiches, yogurt dip and fruit
ramen noodles with veggies and shrimp-my girls like shrimp now
macaroni and cheese, veggies
other kinds of sandwiches
leftovers
Dinner:
Wed.- hamburger gravy, homemade biscuits, green beans
Thurs- homemade macaroni and cheese, salad, broccoli
Friday- oven fried chicken, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob
Sat- homemade sloppy joes, oven fries
Sun- leftovers generally
Monday- garden veggie chowder, grilled cheese sandwiches
Tuesday- salmon/tuna cakes, oven fries, cole slaw
Desserts: apple crisp on Wednesday, cookies on Friday
I've had some video requests, one to do a tour of my house, which I plan to do once I get caught up on housecleaning. This week has been weird with having Leiah home now and I've been feeling very tired (hmm, wonder why?). So, after I get the baskets of laundry done, the floors cleaned up and my groceries bought and stored, I may try to do it.
Also I was asked to do a sewing video. I certainly plan on doing that one, especially since I need to get cracking on my baby quilt! When I do, I'll be making two dresses at the same time, and show how that's possible. I'm not going to go over the basics of sewing, but I will show how to lay out pattern pieces on fabric and how to construct the dress, put in sleeves, gather the skirt, put in a zipper etc.
Ok, maybe I can nap a little before morning is upon us...
I'm glad everyone liked my video. I have since made another one, however it takes a good while to upload them, so I'm not sure exactly when I'll get Tuesday's up, but it'll get there :) In the meantime I'll post my menu, just in case I lose my paper and for anyone who needs some help with their menus, like me!
Breakfasts:
melon balls, yogurt with granola
bagels with homemade herb cream cheese, fruit
oatmeal, fried eggs and kefir
blender batter pancakes, sausage
scrambled eggs and toast
yogurt and granola, fresh fruit
fried eggs and toast, tomato slices
Lunches:
corndog muffins, cream cheese dip and veggies
tuna sandwiches, yogurt dip and fruit
ramen noodles with veggies and shrimp-my girls like shrimp now
macaroni and cheese, veggies
other kinds of sandwiches
leftovers
Dinner:
Wed.- hamburger gravy, homemade biscuits, green beans
Thurs- homemade macaroni and cheese, salad, broccoli
Friday- oven fried chicken, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob
Sat- homemade sloppy joes, oven fries
Sun- leftovers generally
Monday- garden veggie chowder, grilled cheese sandwiches
Tuesday- salmon/tuna cakes, oven fries, cole slaw
Desserts: apple crisp on Wednesday, cookies on Friday
I've had some video requests, one to do a tour of my house, which I plan to do once I get caught up on housecleaning. This week has been weird with having Leiah home now and I've been feeling very tired (hmm, wonder why?). So, after I get the baskets of laundry done, the floors cleaned up and my groceries bought and stored, I may try to do it.
Also I was asked to do a sewing video. I certainly plan on doing that one, especially since I need to get cracking on my baby quilt! When I do, I'll be making two dresses at the same time, and show how that's possible. I'm not going to go over the basics of sewing, but I will show how to lay out pattern pieces on fabric and how to construct the dress, put in sleeves, gather the skirt, put in a zipper etc.
Ok, maybe I can nap a little before morning is upon us...
June 2, 2009
Monday's Kitchen Work
Just wanted to say I did not get everything on this video. Dinner went out because dh called and we had a meeting with a realtor last evening. I am hoping to show how the ferments turned out and the garden later. I also forgot to explain what kefir is and why we drink it...
June 1, 2009
The week's agenda
Monday again...it comes every week doesn't it? LOL. I like Mondays though, especially if I've maintained things over the weekend.
I don't know about you all, but summer has definitely arrived here in Texas. Yesterday it was at least 92 degrees! I was at a cookout with my husband's work staff and it was plain ole HOT! I had to go inside for awhile to get cooled down. I'm not used to it yet...wait, I don't think I ever get used to it! Born and raised here and still hate the heat!
But that's ok, I'll be alright. Thank you Jesus for air conditioning! Well, I got the memory stick for my camera. Why didn't I get one of these three years ago?? I'll be playing around with the video later, so we'll see what I can do. If anything it will just be a short kitchen post, and then I may do a sewing one later in the week if I can get my act together. My husband is going to do one for our garden which I plan to post here too. I can't believe I haven't posted any pictures of our little garden. The frost bit it back, but most of the plants came through and are thriving out there! The only things that didn't make it were our peppers and my basil, but we replanted.
I have some great summer recipes to post- just ones that I came up with over the weekend. I bought a watermelon, which happened to be sweet, blended it up with fresh mint and made popsicles out of it! So good. I also made homeade lemonade with mint and a yummy dip for veggies. Mint is EXTREMELY easy to grow, in fact, you have to watch out because it can take over the yard if you plant it in the ground. Mine is somewhat contained a flower bed, but it survived the winter, so it's hardy.
What's on the agenda this week for me? Well, today is Leiah's last day at the dumb co-op school. Tomorrow is a water play day at a park. We are also going to make an offer on the house and get all of that rolling. I am trying to create a loose daily routine/schedule for the summer, because my children have been fighting a lot. They just can't have free reign to play at will all day-bad things. I am trying to come up with things they can do at the table or individually. I'm working on a craft box for each of them to have and I may buy a jewelry making kit or something. I will need them to be still and occupied anyways so I can do some packing. And then I need to get the rest of my sewing projects cut and sewed up. Now if you watch that video down below of Nancy Today, just keep in mind that my videos may be like that. I am no expert, I have been very clumsy lately, and especially with sewing, anything could go wrong!
Time to go and finish my morning stuff and get the girls working on theirs. See ya later!
I don't know about you all, but summer has definitely arrived here in Texas. Yesterday it was at least 92 degrees! I was at a cookout with my husband's work staff and it was plain ole HOT! I had to go inside for awhile to get cooled down. I'm not used to it yet...wait, I don't think I ever get used to it! Born and raised here and still hate the heat!
But that's ok, I'll be alright. Thank you Jesus for air conditioning! Well, I got the memory stick for my camera. Why didn't I get one of these three years ago?? I'll be playing around with the video later, so we'll see what I can do. If anything it will just be a short kitchen post, and then I may do a sewing one later in the week if I can get my act together. My husband is going to do one for our garden which I plan to post here too. I can't believe I haven't posted any pictures of our little garden. The frost bit it back, but most of the plants came through and are thriving out there! The only things that didn't make it were our peppers and my basil, but we replanted.
I have some great summer recipes to post- just ones that I came up with over the weekend. I bought a watermelon, which happened to be sweet, blended it up with fresh mint and made popsicles out of it! So good. I also made homeade lemonade with mint and a yummy dip for veggies. Mint is EXTREMELY easy to grow, in fact, you have to watch out because it can take over the yard if you plant it in the ground. Mine is somewhat contained a flower bed, but it survived the winter, so it's hardy.
What's on the agenda this week for me? Well, today is Leiah's last day at the dumb co-op school. Tomorrow is a water play day at a park. We are also going to make an offer on the house and get all of that rolling. I am trying to create a loose daily routine/schedule for the summer, because my children have been fighting a lot. They just can't have free reign to play at will all day-bad things. I am trying to come up with things they can do at the table or individually. I'm working on a craft box for each of them to have and I may buy a jewelry making kit or something. I will need them to be still and occupied anyways so I can do some packing. And then I need to get the rest of my sewing projects cut and sewed up. Now if you watch that video down below of Nancy Today, just keep in mind that my videos may be like that. I am no expert, I have been very clumsy lately, and especially with sewing, anything could go wrong!
Time to go and finish my morning stuff and get the girls working on theirs. See ya later!