It Happened

She's 2 months!

And since our camera broke (at least the picture taking mechanism) here's some videos.

Saturday November 12 ,2011

Jonathan got his first deer with his bow!

And for some other "It Happened" events:

1.  The kids erased all the pictures from our SD card.  I wanted to cry.  All of GraceyAnna's newborn pics, our summer pics, our birthday pics, our-well you get the picture, no nobody does 'cause there all gone-sob.... : )

2.  We passed our first homeschool meeting with the board of educaion, YAY!

3.  We RUINED an element on our stove from a bone dry Pressure cooker (the seal went bad so the liquid boiled out) So now we need a new element and a new pressure canner.

4.  We survived our first house fire- Thank God!  We were all taking our Sunday nap, Emmaus put a washcloth over the lamp in the girls room and it caught fire.  Jonathan came to the rescue and got the foot high flames out and spent the next 2 days airing out their matresses, washing bedding, shampooing carpet and airing out ALL their clothes.  We converted the back porch into "the cleaners"  Thanks Babe!  Have you ever seen melted light bulb? It's sharp and won't come out : )   Oh, and all our smoke alarms work.

5.Silas has to get his heart fixed.  He has a hole in it and the left side of his heart is dialated (enlarged), he will be going to John Hopkins to have a heart catheter sent up a vein to see what can be done to close the hole.  Your prayers would be appreciated!

It's just about me....

Yesterday I woke up with a horribly swollen face, above my eyes, my lips (big and luscious haha), my cheeks, my chin and even my ears. My ears were bright red, swollen and sore. I looked a mess and felt AWFUL! I had chills and a fever as well, so I finally called the doctor and was seen yesterday afternoon at 3:30. He prescribed a steroid for my face, saw me again this morning and prescribed an anti-biotic for a severe sinus infection. Thankfully the swelling in my face was much better today!

Last night Jachin woke up screaming and feverish, we gave him some medicine and he threw up everywhere. So there was a not-so-nice mess to clean up. I was so thankful I was with it enough to take care of him, I cleaned him up and we cuddled in the living-room rocker for an hour. He is going to the Doctor today and hopefully get some relief for whatever is bothering him.

Maryland is great and I love living here, but the pollen is horrible and I have had a lot of trouble with allergies here, never have anywhere else we have lived. Guess I am just getting old : )

That's what's been going on here-I haven't been to church in a week and a half, I am so hoping to make it Mother's Day!

Adventures of a Pastor's Wife #2

I'm Joining Internet Cafe Devotions for WFW


I am too prone to worry, and worry is something I am daily surrendering to God. However there are times when I am frail and worry and carry out crazy scenarios in my head and really have to turn to God, and give them over to Him, yet I am so glad to know He is never too busy for me, even for my "small" problems!

Sunday mornings during the preaching I take the children downstairs and we have Children's Church. I have really been working hard to make this time exciting and enjoyable to my young audience. This is a special time to teach them God's Word, how to pray and many other wonderful truths. Right now we are learning the 10 commandments and are making banners using felt pieces with the commandments written on them in glitter glue. I don't mind doing crafts, as long as they are not pointless and won't go into the trash a few days later.

We have 3 teenagers 13-16 who have joined us in Children's Church in the past, and are bored out of their minds and who have complained about what we have done. On Sunday as I was taking the children down ( ages 1-7) these 3 teenagers got up to come down too. I told them to please go sit back in the service as they were too old for Children's Church. I knew there would be people who would be upset, and I was so tempted to stay downstairs and hide when service was over : ) We were told that if there was nothing for these teens, they did not want to come to church. The age gap was just too great for them to be in with the children and yet I wanted them to have a class too, but I am only one person. We are also a small church...so what was the answer? The family who told us their kids wouldn't want to come left when we first came here to our pastorate and there were some issues with gossip. Jonathan also started a Youth Group on Thursday evenings for these young people and I just didn't know what more to do. *Sigh* I fretted and stewed and told Jonathan that I guessed they could come down as long as there were no complaints and they behaved : ) I was very distressed, and didn't feel too much better after lunch and as I was drifting off to sleep for our afternoon nap.

However, when I woke up, the Lord brought such a sense of peace to my heart, so very much what I needed! And then Sunday night our pianist offered to do a class for the youth, how wonderful is that?

But the real re-assurance came Monday morning in my Devotions and prayer time. I have been reading through the Psalms, and have been enjoying them, but there is nothing like opening God's Word and having the Lord speak straight to your heart, that's what the Lord did for me Monday morning.

He will not allow your foot to be moved: He who keeps you will not slumber.

Psalm 121:3

A Day in My Life

I am desperate to keep the floor picked up, and to train all of us in putting our things away-hence our lost and found. If anything is left laying around (on the floor or counter or anywhere out of place) we are putting it in here. It will be emptied once a day by me and one of the children.
Today is laundry training day, the girls did great! I was so proud of them and they were so cute with their smiles and concentration.

And this morning we woke up to a cold house, BRRR. Our heat and hot water are on the same system and for some reason the heat was not working. With no hot water....this is what the kitchen looked like, this was after our dinner last night and Movie night snack. I decided if the heat and hot water didn't start working I was going to have to heat water on the stove...but I also decided I would have to be pretty desperate for that, like no dishes in the cupoboards to use desperate haha. Our heat and hot water are working again, and the house is warmer than 50 degrees so I will be tackling thses dishes soon.
Also Jachin has had a stomach bug, and is finally doing much better, he can be soooo cranky! But on a positive note, he couldn't keep anything down but breast milk, I was so glad I am still breastfeeding him! It prooves breast is best : )
Have a great Saturday everyone!

Friday Forget Me Not

These Friday Forget Me Not posts will be posts about random things in our life that I do not want to forget. Funny, I was trying to go to sleep last night and the idea popped into my head for it. So here goes : )

Several months ago we were at the bank with Silas (3) and Jachin (10 months). There was a lady there smiling and admiring the boys. We went out to our van ahead of her and while we were putting the boys in their car seats she said: "Make sure you cherish these days! I miss them...my boy is in Iraq, and now all I have in my backseat is a mop!" I looked in her backseat and sure enough there was a mop : )

Wednesday night December 15, 2010, was an eventful service. Jachin was grouchy in his usual "Let me go play" mood, he was NOT wanting to sit through the service. I put him on the floor and was trying to keep an eye on all of the children. Vaughn said, "My nose is bleeding!" It was. Silas was wigglly and squirming, so I grabbed his hand, told Vaughn to go to the bathroom and bent down to find Jachin, who was quickly scooting away towards the back of the church. I snagged him and we all headed to the bathroom. When we got there I wiped Vaughn's nose, and looked inside, and there way up inside was something green. "It's probably a boogy" I thought to myself (yes I think in child talk haha). Lo and Behold he had put a bead up his nose...." Now how in the world am I supposed to get that out?" Well, he made it suprisingly simple, he blew and it went flying across the bathroom floor. Whew, bead crisis avoided!

After the service we made up the Christmas treat boxes for Sunday. While we were all involved with that (including our children) Silas lost his coat. We looked for 20 minutes...and we have not found it yet. I really think he was laughing inside....and he doesn't remember where he put it. (Of course!) So he had the honor of wearing my coat on the walk over from the church, he cried all the way. I was stuck between feeling sorry for him, and laughing that he was that upset about wearing my coat...with a little "Well that's what happen's when you lose your coat thrown in" : )

I get through motherhood by talking to myself and laughing and complaining to little old me.Silas wearing my coat...doesn't he looked traumatized? : )

These are a few things that I don't want to forget!

What They Don't Know Won't Hurt Them!

In Fact it might even be good for them : )

Jonathan is away hunting, he left this morning at 4:30, and like a good wife I stayed in bed out of his way haha. He got his own breakfast and his lunch and everything he needed ready all by himself like a big boy. I know, I am not real supportive, especially if it means getting up at 4am ughhh. So, I am home alone with 5 children and we decided to fix a nice breakfast. We had carrot pancakes, which they quickly ate, then we made Green Eggs and ham. I blended the eggs, some carrots and spinach together in the blender and walla, we had green eggs. I was wondering how I was going to convince them to eat my concoction when Karagen excitedly said " Oh Mommy, your making green eggs! You have to add some ham too!" Thankfully Jonathan had brought some lunch meat ham that worked nicely, the children helped me break it up and put on the griddle. THEY GOBBLED IT UP. LOL.

So it just proves that sometimes what you don't know won't hurt you....and this is true in so many other ways as well. The older I get the more I realize there are some things in life I would rather NOT know, and this is funny because I used to be pretty nosey.

Have a great day everyone!

Ordinary Day

Today has been a pretty good day. Jachin got me up around 4 times during the night, and Jonathan as well since I sleepily elbowed him to "get the baby." It is unusual for him to wake up that much through the night and I figure he is growing, so my day started with a too much interrupted sleep headache. Have you ever had one of those?

The day can be catagorized as good because of several things. #1 Jonathan helped me clean the house this morning. I know many people have their house cleaning down pact, but I sometimes feel like I fight a losing battle against laundry and dirt and dishes. So when Jonathan helps me get a handle on it, it is so wonderful! # 2 We went on a date. It was not highly romantic (can Wal-Mart and Bob Evans be classified as romantic ? : ) Of course when you are with the one you love haha. We had a very nice date, we stopped at a little second hand store and then went and ate, then off to our biggest spending place-Wal-Mart.

Who watched the kids? Well God has really blessed us with a christain neighbor. Her name is Rose and she has become a very dear and trusted friend. She is always checking on us and bringing us things and listening to us when we have something we need to talk about. She is so unique and so precious. We love her to pieces even though we have only known her for a short while. After Emmaus went on the bus at 12pm we went on our date so she only had to watch Silas and Jachin. And when we got home at around 4pm. Jachin was in his booster seat smiling and cooing and she was grinning too. A welcome sight for me!

I am hiding right now. I came into the study and closed and locked the door so I could blog. I have a little buddy on the floor, he is amusing himself by pulling apart old tapes. Anything to keep this Grumblebug happy.

Thank you to those of you who have followed at my new blog, I so appreciate your comments and want you to know that I really enjoy reading your blogs as well. I will make a point to come and see what you have been up to lately.

Singing in the Shower

Spread some love on your kids.

It doesn't take much to make a child feel loved!

When I bathe my children, and I do one by one sometimes for extra one on one time, I sing them a little song just for them.

It doesn't rhyme.

It doesn't even have a great tune.

But they love it, and so do I!

It goes something like this:

I love you, you make my heart so happy. You are so special, a gift from God! You are a special treasure and God has a special plan for you. You are my special little man (or girl).

I also add some other things unique for them.

It's my way of saying I love you.

They love when I sing to them in the shower.

Quick Update

I will not be posting much this week or weekend. My husband and our family will be traveling to Henderson Maryland so we can visit a church there to see if we are a fit to be their pastor. My husband is a pastor and we are earnestly looking to return to the ministry.

We will be leaving Saturday morning and traveling there, then we will be staying with the District Superintendant and his wife. I am nervous and wish we could skip this part and just know where God wants us and go there. So unrealistic I know : )

Sunday we will be seeing the church and we are supposed to sing a special and Jonathan will be preaching twice, once in the morning and once in the evening. One thing I am pleased with is the church has a wonderful pianist, since I do not play this is wonderful news.

This church has a 4 bedroom parsonage, 5 acres and a fellowship hall. It is located in a beatuiful section of the country near the Chesapeak Bay. There are numerous parks and State parks around it as well. It is very close to Deleware, just a few miles from the border and is surrounded by other tiny towns, from what I have gathered it is a true country church.

I am focusing this week on helping Jonathan with his messages and spending time with the children.

Please keep us in your prayers. I hope to take pictures and will share them when we return. I really appreciate each of you and count you as friends, your support means so much to me!

Never Enough

Have you ever wondered why you can have a great relationship with someone, have a wonderful time with them, talk to them, share your heart with them, feel so full and so free. Then a few hours or days later, it's no longer enough?

I love my husband we have an awesome relationship but he doesn't fill me.

I have 5 beautiful children but they don't fill up that void.

I have friends, relatives and a church family, but they are not enough.

I have myself, my mind and the thoughts of my heart, but that is not enough.

I always need MORE!

When will I ever get "enough"?

To the woman he said,
"I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you. Genesis 3:16

"The curse for Eve and all her daughters cannot be limited only to babies and marriage, for if it were true then every single woman without children get's to escape the curse. Not so. The meaning is deeper and the implications are for every daughter of Eve. Woman is cursed with loneliness (relational heartache), with the urge to control (especially her man) and with the dominance of men (which is not how things were meant to be, and we are not saying it is a good thing- it is the fruit of the fall and a sad fact of history). Isn't it true, aren't your deepest worries and heartaches relational, aren't they connected to someone? Even when things are good, is your vast capacity for intimacy ever filled in a lasting way?"
John and Stasi Eldredge in Captivating

I know there are other women who have felt this same way, I have talked to them and we have shared this openly. But never have I really understood the reason. I have always sort of wondered....why?

I have experienced this today. A long day home with the children, my husband gone to work on a project. My deep need for relational communication was sooooo apparent and haunting to me. Understanding why I sometimes feel so needy and so alone really has helped me understand myself. God made me the way I am, a relational creature, the curse makes loneliness something I will never escape. Now that I know that, understand the why, I actually feel much better, accepting myself without judgement and with a stronger reliance on the God who created me.

Slow Down!

I tell my husband that a lot when he is driving. "Slow down, you don't want to get a ticket!" (I don't want you to get a ticket) I have rushed through days, rushing here, rushing there. I have always been in a hurry when pregnant to get the delivery over quickly, something my body has never helped me with :) I have rushed through saying goodnight to the children. I have gulped down my food at meal time, for what I can't remember. I have rushed out of bed, rushed into bed. I have rushed so we wouldn't be late, snapping at the children while my patience wore thin. I can probably think of times I have rushed much more easily than the times I have slowed down. Our society has geared us to rushing. Believe me, I have rushed!

But today, on a cool summer afternoon I am Slowing Down. I feel very thoughtful and reflective today. Thinking about my life, what I take the time to appreciate, to think about, to fill my hours and moments with.
As I was nursing my baby I thought about my future...right now it's unknown. I was tempted to rush to feeling anxious, something that is too easy to do. Just as quickly, I heard the birds singing outside, my eyes fell to the precious face so close to mine. I breathed in the sweet baby smell, caressed the tiny fingers holding mine and asked God to help me SLOW DOWN!

To slow down before I get anxious. Slow down before I get impatient. Slow down before I have missed what my little one is trying to tell me. Slow down before I miss a moment to gaze at my husband and remember why I love him.
Slow down to feel and cherish these fleeting and all too quickly passing moments of young motherhood. Slow down before I miss a moment that I can never regain.

Today I am thinking of the verse in Psalm 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God.

7 Goals Today

Due to our family being sick the past several days, I don't feel like doing much! And I think everyone knows that when your body isn't well, your spirits sag.

I have 7 goals today...important ones for me.

1. Hold Silas to help me (I mean him) feel better. : )

Have you ever noticed how holding and comforting a child makes you feel warm inside? It ALWAYS does for me! (this is listed first because it was one of the first things I did this morning)

2. Read my Bible and pray, I feel very needy right now Lord!

I hope no one thinks I'm a super saint (not that it wouldn't be nice)

3. Do a little bit (of everything, laundry, dishes, housework, lovin on the kids) I am pacing myself today.

4. Talk to my husband Connecting with him gives me a boost for the whole day.

5. Take a nap A good nap does the mommy good.

6. Focus On the blessings in my life and who is really in control.

7. Give it to God Even if it has to be a second by second thing, I am going to give all my worries and fears to God.

June 22

On June 22, 2002 we pledged our vows. Eight years later, I would do it all over again, every bit of it!

Because of you

I say "I do"

Not just today, but for always!

Your love has made

My heart it's home

And now I'll never be alone.

Because of you!

Lyrics from Because of You, a song I wrote and sang to Jonathan on our wedding day!

I Knew I was a Mom When...

I knew I was a mom, when I would take ANY help I could get!

I knew I was a Mom when my child was WAY cuter than anybody's pet!

I knew I was a Mom when I considered this funny, not dangerous!

I knew I was a Mom when these moments were what I lived for!

I knew I was a Mom when my heart was as full as my hands were.

Thankful Thursday

Daddy

I am thankful for a husband who is a true father to his children.
I did not have this growing up, my own father will freely admit this.
So my husband has shown me in many ways what a good father is.

Studies have shown that having a good relationship with ones father is paramount to success and confidence in individulas lives. Children with good fathers, handle stress better, interact with peers better and have an over all better quality of life.

Focus On The Family had a wonderful radio program on fathering intitled "Being a Champion to your Wife and Kids" by Josh McDowell, explaining very interesting statistics how much we need a fathers love. If you have time, I would highly encourage you to listen!

He states:

"If the very heart of a child does not believe that their daddy loves them, they will walk away from your truth.

All scientific research shows that a baby's brain is wired to connect through relationships, not emotionally, not spiritually, but physically. Children need cuddled and loved through affection.

What encourages a child to believe? Relationships"

Incidently there is a study that shows that children who were born via the anonymous sperm donor methed suffer. Why? Because there is no relationship. http://www.slate.com/id/2256212/

Today I am thankful for a huband who is also a father!

Thinking Outside The Box

I have to do this every day. I adjust my expectations of what I want and think should happen.

Like this morning, I was going to hit the stores with my 3 youngest kiddos, then Jachin threw up, I could hear him while I drove, then Emmaus noticed it and announced it in her panicky voice. Change of plans, we are going home instead.
Thinking outside the box = Adjusting my expectations.

Then there was last night. I had been at home all day with the children by myself. I was tired. After everyone was in bed, I went to the gym, even though it was already 10pm.
Thinking outside the box = A healthy body

Like today, I had plans to go shopping for sandals for the children, but it was raining, heavy. We went anyway and got all wet doing it. I had the van.
Thinking outside the box= Getting the job done, even though it's tough.

Like right now. I am going to make what I call my "junk muffins". They have spinach and bannana puree in them. Unbelieveably they are delicious.
Thinking outside the box= No wasted food

I do this a least a thousand times a day, that's what makes my life work.

Better Safe Than Sorry!

This morning there were tornado warnings and watches all over our area. My family and I did not attend church this morning due to Vaughn getting a severe concussion yesterday. We were all resting and keeping an eye on the forecast. I personally hate storms, I'm still scarred of them even though I am a grown woman.

So when the tornado warning was for our direct area, we packed up the kids and went to a friends house who has a basement. (Thank God for good friends!) I would rather feel stupid and over protective than to wish I had been. We have all seen the horror pictures of homes wiped out from tornadoes, and I didn't want to be in my home, without a basement if a tornado touched down.


5 Dead in small Ohio town.
So although no tornado ever came through and messed up our house, this could have been my town, my home. This is why I am better safe than sorry!

A Day in My Life

So, today has been one of those days where I feel tired all day and would really like to be sleeping right NOW! I did not go to bed until 1 am as I was simply addicted to working on my new blog, so it is my own fault for being tired today.

I re-arragnged my living room to suite me better which meant moving around a super heavy piano all by myself. It's funny, it fits where 4 men with measuring tapes told me it would not fit. I had 2 little helpers, Silas and Emmaus. Every time the piano moved an inch they said "Mommy, I moved it!" Once it was in place I said "let's celebrates moving it with a little tune", and we all plunked away, with me actually trying to play and the kiddos pounding away to their hearts content.

When Karagen and Vaughn came home, all the kiddos had some chocolate milk, even me. I looked at the calories after drinking about 8 ounces. What 230!!! So much for eating (make that drinking) right. And tonight is pizza and movie night, so there goes my diet. Maybe I won't eat 4 pieces of pizza like I did last week.

So there you have it. Hope I feel a little more awesome tommorrow.