There's so much going on!

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The entire family is exhausted today! We've all woken up late (those of us who've made it out of bed so far, that is!) and I kind of elected to just stay home on my own... my husband is still snoozing away! There's just been so much going on lately, outside of our little family, that we need a day to recoup!!

Josh had the children all day yesterday all by himself, and while he is perfectly capable of tending his own children, he's just not used to all day stints! lol-He's pretty tired from yesterday! But he kept them all day because I desperately needed to go shopping in several stores where the aisles are not big enough for an adult to get down without bumping into expensive items, much less an adult with six children!

OK- first a little background so that my blog doesn't get to be unreadable!

BJ is my husband's sister. She got it a little backwards and she and her fiance got pregnant before they've gotten married. Seeing as my sister-in-law is also my best friend, I am in charge of hosting the baby shower (she wanted to plan it and get all the stuff, she just doesn't want to have to host her own! haha- Believe me, I've offered to do it all for her; she's just the type that enjoys planning things!) AND matron of honor (which I am 'sharing' with my other sister-in-law, Jamie who lives in Florida- but because I am right down the road I get all the duties and Jamie gets to look pretty! Which she does exceptionally well, I must say!).

My exceptionally pretty SIL, Jamie!

BJ's due date is December 5th, and the baby shower is scheduled for November 7th. So anyway. Since next Saturday is Halloween (and we DO NOT want to be in Nashville on Halloween), and the next Saturday is both the Goodwill 1/2 off sale AND the baby shower, we decided we had better go baby shower shopping yesterday. (Because there's no way we are going to miss the Goodwill 1/2 off sale!)

BJ and her big prego belly! :)

We left at 8:30 so we could have breakfast at Hardee's while we were out- we usually end up pulling up as breakfast is ending! (So, my dear husband literally had the children almost all day!)
On our long, very exhausting day, especially for a 8 month pregnant woman, we went by The Dollar Tree, Party Central, Micheal's, Hobby Lobby, the Goodwill, Game-stop (that one was for a treat for our men lol), Rivergate mall (where we ate lunch at Subway-yummy- and went to Hot Topic-I love the shoes!-, Motherhood Maternity, Journeys, Icing, and Macy's), and one of my favorite stores- Parent-Teacher Store, which is not really in the mall, but right behind it. :)

I found a very cool game about the human body designed for preschoolers through 1st grade. Harmony has been bugging me that she wants to know the different bones in the body, how they work, and why they stay together. I can teach her the basics, but I'm not a doctor or nurse and can't remember all the names of the bones- this game teaches that, so I was excited to find it and she was excited to get it! And it was only $15!

I also found a new wall calendar, like we used to have in classrooms, that matches the new green (BH&G's shade of 'dill weed' LOL) on my walls. It has polka-dots! It's so cute!

I bought Harmony a Word Family dictionary, that she will 'make' herself, and me a new planner for her lessons as well. I have had a hard time finding a planner that works for me AND her. My goal with it is for me to be able to write out her assignments and her to be able to look inside and know what it is that she needs to do. I want to teach her to that when she needs to do certain things- like copying her Bible verse, doing a coloring page, her math drills, etc that she can do on her own- she is capable of getting them out and getting them completed without me standing over her. This one is very simple and straight-forward so I have high hopes for it!

We were both about ready to drop when we left Parent-Teacher so we headed on home. The kids were still in bed from their naps and I spent about an hour putting Harmony's next week's lesson plan in the new planner, and organizing her 'school drawer', filing papers, etc...

After supper, another of my good friends, Sarah, sent me an email. She is getting married in January and Harmony is going to be her flower girl. I think she's finally picked out her dress!


That's not Harmony, obviously, it's from the David's Bridal webpage. But I think it's adorable. I'm not quite sold on the spaghetti straps but if she can wear a shrug or an under tank, it should be perfect! I don't quite know the etiquette though, of whether Sarah will be buying the dress for Harmony or if we need to buy it! I don't mind buying it, because she did find a reasonably priced, at $99 + the sash and shoes, dress so we can afford it anyway :) It's actually a fairly decent price for a formal wedding, I think! Of course, we will have to get the others a formal dress/ suit to wear in attendance but there is a local dress shop that sells children's formals for around $20-$50 a piece, so that shouldn't be a problem.

*WHEW* I got tired again just talking about everything that I did yesterday! LOL

Rambling Thoughts

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I saw an episode of Wife-swap yesterday (Yes I know, I have much better things to be doing with my time!) about a woman from a conservative Christian family who lived as a 'help-meet' for her husband, home-schooled, taught her daughters to be home-makers and mothers, and her son to be a provider and protector. She was swapped with a woman who took a very liberal view of God, was the sole provider of her family, and her husband raised her daughters to be liberal and not believe in the Bible as it was written... when the Ms. Non-conservative arrived at Ms. Conservative's home, she immediately began attacking the values of the family- telling the children that their parents were not teaching them right and making every effort to contradict the values of purity, virtue, and obedience to God that resounded in the home. When Ms. Conservative arrived at her 'new home' she began trying to instill a work ethic in the children and husband, and set out to serve the family with joy and love.

Yet, when it came down to the table meeting, Mr. and Ms. Conservative were repeatedly attacked by Mr. and Ms. Non-conservative for being 'brain-washers, close-minded, and bigots', whilst they took their verbal beating with grace and composure.

Coincidentally, a devotion showed up in my inbox this morning on the meaning of the word "Christian" from the Institute for Creation Research which says :

" 'Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.' (1 Peter 4:16)
....
We can "glorify God on this behalf," or "in this name." This implies more than just praising the name. We can glorify God in what we do--in how we live in that name. We can certainly also bring dishonor to the title "Christian" by our actions. A solemn responsibility is then ours, to bring honor and glory to God through our lives."

Both women called themselves Christians, but which brought 'honor and glory to God through their lives"; which could you look at and really see the grace and love of our Precious Savior in?

It is for this reason that when I walk into a crowd and am picked out as a Christian based on outwardly signs (my large family of polite, -mostly- well-behaved children, mine and my daughters uncut hair, our modest dress, and orderly appearance) people seem to immediately shy away, fearing either a heretic, holier-than-thou family, or a bunch of crazy 'bible-thumping Christians'.

Yet we, as Christians are commanded to be a light unto the world- to go out and share the gospel with all that we meet, to live our lives in service of the Almighty so that the world may know us, not by our words, but by our actions! How is it possible when people are reluctant to talk to you- fearing a beating and condemnation for all of their sins? Simple. Sharing the gospel doesn't always mean immediately shoving Bible verses down their throats nor does it mean that every other sentence should begin or end with "By the grace of God" or "Praise Jesus"

You see, I make it a goal whenever we are out and about to always start up a friendly conversation with strangers- the over-whelmed mother dragging her unruly twins, the scared looking father trying to find the best diaper brand, the young woman looking through cleaning supplies with a befuddled look on her face... the punks, the goths, the rednecks, the corporate types... whatever name society has given them, they all find their way onto my radar and involved in discussions with me about everything from fertilizer to child-rearing to decorating styles to video games. :) I try to remember that no matter what a person's outward appearance, they were all created in the imagine of God... of my God. And He loves them!

No matter what direction their lives have taken they were all created with one purpose- to love God with all their hearts, minds, and souls. They may be biased against Christians or they may have had no experience with religion but they are still precious.

Sharing the love of Jesus with unbelievers doesn't mean being pious and un-reachable. Sharing the love of Christ means reaching out to all people, understanding and excepting them, and through your actions and reactions showing the grace and forgiveness that you have been shown. No matter what (Godly, I hope!) topics comes out of your mouths, if you're actions don't back up your words, you will be branded a fake and lose the blessing of sharing Christ with that person!

Always remember : Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be always seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man. (Colossians 4:5-6)

Creative Writing Part 1

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I think better when I am typing! I know I am probably not supposed to share the entire thought process in a blog, but I enjoyed it! Here's to hoping you do, too! Oh and anyone who wants to know where I got the questions or to join in the fun- just go here!

#1- I want to write to other mothers; those seeking out a way to raise their families with Biblical principles and, like me, do not find very much support from their families. I want to be able to encourage those who are frightened of letting God be the central theme in their lives and also to tell about my journey through the world as a homeschooling, quiverful, God-centered, organic gardening, homemaking mommy!

#2- a-As a mommy of many little bitty ones, I spend my days organizing, managing to find the time (usually!) to accomplish in one day what most 'normal' families take several days to do. I have learned that I must live as though I am always having company over, otherwise the chaos will take over!
b- My life is unique is many ways! I had six children in the span of four years- four of those being two consecutive sets of fraternal twins! I breastfed all of my children until they were at least six months old (some a little while shorter and some for a little while longer and several of them while being pregnant with the next one(s)!). Two of my children have potentially life altering medical conditions that require consistent, highly qualified medical care. We are in the process of stripping out and remodeling our home while we live in it, and making it efficient for the home-centered life of eight people. I struggle to make my life as simple as possible while living with a techie husband who wants (and has!) all of the latest gadgets and is in school full time to gain a degree in a technical field! I am an organic cook, but try to make as much good food as possible on a very small food budget. I could go on and on... maybe there's a lesson in that!
c- When asked what do I know that could help other people, I immediately think of pregnancy, child-birth, and raising children. I don't claim that my children are perfect (or even as perfect as I want them to be!) but when I think of what's asked of me most often- it's related to pregnancy, delivery, child-birth, and child-care. I am also an expert (in my own way!) on multiplies and having tried many different approaches to breastfeeding and raising my first set of twins, once the second set arrived, I was prepared and still to this day can honestly say that the entire process of bringing those children to toddler-hood was the easiest of my child experiences yet.

So my five topics would be : #1- Caring for babies in large family or stressful situations #2- Dealing with cronic health problems in your child #3- Efficient living in unusual situations for large families #4- Using real life to home-school #5- Leading a simple, Godly lifestyle

#3- I believe that, yes, these topics are worth discussing! All five of my topics are integral parts of my life; I have an endless store of knowledge (learned from both intensive book study and personal experience) on all five of those topics. I also believe that I just might be able to impact someone's life- give them encouragement or useful ideas with posts about any five of those topics. Since I believe that all of the above mentioned topics (which are really parts of my everyday life) were given to me by God to live and learn and teach (at least my children, family, and friends) I do believe that they would be God-honoring if expounded upon. :)

*I would like to write a post on Making a Small House fit Your Family!

(Probably not the best post topic but it's something I am very involved in right now!)

#4- I would want my readers to feel encouraged that it's not the size of their home but the size of their creativity that limits them. I would want them to actually use some of my tips for coming up with ideas to expand the usable space in their home!

#5- I will have to come back to this one! I don't have time right now to fully think it through- I hear kids up playing in their bedrooms! LOL

One Last Exercise!
Why is a coffee cup like a bathroom?

A coffee cup is like a bathroom because they both start out beautiful and shiny and without being filled with the proper amounts of water and soap regularly will both make your stomach churn!

Trying to Figure This Out.

3:24 PM Edit This 0 Comments »
So I decided I was going to decorate my blog a little, and ended up messing up BIG TIME! I usually am pretty savvy about these types of things, but for some reason- Blogger is escaping me. I am not completely satisfied with my layout (although I do like the three columns!) and I messed up and deleted all my blog rings! Not that I get many, if any visitors right now but I still enjoying flitting back and forth between the blog rings! *sigh*

If anyone happens on this post and has any advice- HELP ME PLEASE!!!

20 Questions (I Don't Know If I've Done This Right...

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But I saw the link on RaisingArrows blog (and I hope she doesn't mind me linking to her either! But I LOVE her blog so I hope she takes it as a compliment!!) and followed it to the Harvest of Friends! So here's my answers to the questions!

20 Weird Questions That Will Give a Little Insight Into Who You Are
(Pick whichever ones you want to use , use all of them - or make up your own)

1. What is your favorite thing to snack on while you're blogging?
Coffee!! I'm not a big snacker, but I LOVE a good cup of coffee!

2. What is one thing you wouldn't want to live without?
My Bible and a notepad and pen... wait just one thing?!? I'd need my Bible and I'd be ok!

3. Beach, Mountains or Farm? Where would you live if you had a choice?
:D On a farm in the mountians

4. What's your least favorite chore/household duty?
I enjoy household chores... so this is hard. My LEAST favorite would have to be.... changing sheets, I suppose!

5. Who do people say you remind them of?
I don't know of anyone!

6. Prefer parties and socializing or staying at home with the fam?
Staying home with my family

7. What's your all time favorite movie?
I don't know that I could choose just one.

8. Do you sleep in your make up or remove it like a good girl every night?
I don't wear make-up! But I wash my face every night and morning with my Mary Kay like a good girl :)

9. Do you have a hidden talent or a deep desire to learn something that you've never had a chance to learn? What is it?
I would like to learn to play the guitar.

10. What's one strange thing you're really good at?
I can name most songs off the radio with one or two notes :)

11. What first attracted you to your spouse?
I could see his blue eyes flashing from across the room :)

12. What is something you love to smell?
Oranges.

13. Tell something about you that you know irritates people.
I always have the right bit of trivia to solve a debate lol

14. When you have extra money (HA!) what's the first thing you think to do with it?
Add to my yarn and shoe collection!

15. Are you a silent laugher or a loud laugher? What makes you laugh the hardest?
Loud! My children and my husband cutting up make me laugh the hardest!

16. Where is your favorite place to shop?
Goodwill! (and yes, I know how bad that sounds but my SIL and I make a trip once a month 45 miles to hit the Goodwill sale!)

17. What's one thing you'd do more often if you had more time?
Train my dogs to behave!

18. Are you a big spender or frugal?
Frugal

19. Who is your favorite character of all time (from a movie or book)? (Can't be real)
Ayla, from the Earth's Children series by Jean Auel

20. Would you want to be famous?
No, except maybe for my writing!

Here Am I

8:28 AM Edit This 0 Comments »
Good morning, blogging world.

I have been gone for quite a while, although I don't know how many people were around to miss me LOL. We've had a very different couple of months: My husband lost a close family friend, one of my friends was violently murdered, and we've been recovering from the stress of those topped with the "official start" of the homeschooling year, birthday parties (I have two 4 year olds- where has the time gone?), planning a baby shower (although not :( for me ), and being the matron of honor in wedding planning for my sister-in-law, and out of town visitors trickling up before the ice and snow sets in.

I am finally willing to admit that it is fall in my sleepy little hollow. Fall is both depressing and exciting to me. I have to go outside and bed down my gardens for the winter, get everything spic and span because before too long the wind in this hollow will be far to biting to do more than dash outside and jump in a warm van before a trip to the grocers.

However, fall signals the beginning of the holiday season- which I particularly love! Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, and my anniversary, all within a two month time period! It's a hectic and slightly mind numbing amount of time and celebration, but I enjoy it nonetheless.

It's also begins my craft season... and I LOVE me some crafts! Although we live in a Southern state, where our little house is located, on the side of a steep hollow, the temperature can plummet way below 20 degrees and the wind chill is often way, way below 0, and house rattling. I am not an idle person by nature, so to keep my hands occupied I knit and crochet, do plastic canvas, paint, sew, do bead work and Kumihimo, and work on interior decorating. It keeps me sane in the forced enclosure!

I made my girls a crude Kumihimo disk yesterday and began to teach them how to weave necklaces. They both worked very hard on theirs, and each have an almost finished necklace to wear about their necks. I just let them make theirs out of yarn; it seems easier to me for a first project. I am almost out of floss for it, so I will have to pick some up next time I am in a big town- we no longer have a source here!

I was also out in search of hat patterns to crochet. It's still early in the season and I don't want to start a large project until I genuinely have no escape outside. While I didn't find any child hat patterns I love yet, I did come across a blog that had the absolutely cutest pair of fingerless gloves that I think I've ever seen. I really stopped right there and crocheted up a pair! They took less than 2 hours and are so adorable! She also had a "head hugger" that I particularly loved- although for the first one I am making, I've modified it to be worked with a G hook and to fit me (because it's in a child's pattern). I will post pictures of the set when I get them finished!

Well, my children have told me they are reduced to eating pickles since I am not making them a snack to tide them over until lunch (lol- they just ate about an hour ago!) so I will say adieu! Until Next Time!
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