Almost Ready!

OK, I have had two wonderful days of school. We have completed our school lists before 3 p.m. which hardly ever happens!!!! Isaac got 100% on a science test, I made up 6 dozen muffins and have two chickens ready to make something and I have menu plans taped to the fridge for all the meals while I am gone. I am feeling more ready to leave than ever. Yesterday, I started thinking I cannot leave this all to Jordan. I've been planting little seeds like "Wouldn't be great if I came home and the house was cleaner than when I left?" "I'm coming home while you are asleep so the first thing I'll see is the house." I know Kevin will probably kick into action Wednesday night so that it isn't too bad. It is amazing though how much people don't do when I'm not here to prod them. They don't see a thing wrong with stepping on things and piled up counters. Today we are hitting the school books hard until noon and then taking the day off to plan our celebration for Riah's 4th birthday. We'll have cake and ice-cream tonight and she'll open a couple things. Tomorrow when I'm gone she'll eat the birthday cereal she picked out (the only time they get sugar cereal is on their birthday when they can pick out any cereal they want) and open her presents from the kids. I have a very excited girl today.

Well, I'm not only thinking that way, how clean the house is when I get back isn't my main concern. I'm praying for safety and for the little ones to have their needs met since they still need mom and loving several times a day. I've been gone for a day or two for home school conventions and a baby shower once but nothing like this so I ask for you to pray for my family while I am gone. I, however, will be in a place where it is around 67 degrees, not 20 below zero. I am surely looking forward to that. How to pack is hard though. 67 isn't like our hot summer and will there be air conditioning so will it be cool inside most places? I'm throwing in my jean jacket so I'll have something to throw on. Thanks for the comments. I'm jealous Erin of the high speed internet. My time will come but we just finally did the cell phone thing last week so high speed internet will be awhile in coming. God Bless and may you all have a good weekend.

Trip Mode

Do you remember what it is like to get ready to go on a trip, you plan for weeks ahead and start doing things each day the week before? Well, I am in trip mode. I leave Saturday for Las Vegas for my brother's wedding. I am thinking of things I can do now to get ready. (I am not thinking of what the children need to do for school today!) I have a suitcase, which was of priority since I had thrown all of ours away some years ago. I am sharing a room with my mom at the MGM Grand. The MGM has something like 20 restaurants, 5 swimming pools and a river!!! I have not stayed in something so "grand" before. I have searched online for things to do, and happily found a list of free attractions. I checked into the shows offered and the acrobatics one had tickets starting at $109, going to a show is not an option for me I guess:) I checked into things I could do with my brother's and girlfriend's three kids that would be fun but free. I feel confident there is enough to do that won't compromise my beliefs in any way. I was quite apprehensive at first on going to Las Vegas, you know isn't it called "Sin City"? Well, my church family is praying for me and I am feeling more excited about going and am very happy my brother is getting married. I have two very good books, Persuasion by Jane Austen and Faith of My Fathers by Lynn Austin so I will always have a friend along:)

The only real difficulty in going now is leaving my family for 5 days. Riah's 4th birthday is the day we leave:( I have it all planned though. I just need to make out a menu plan for my oldest and then I'm set. I decided not to make all the meals ahead because it would get too stressful. Jordan is very capable of doing it so I am a comfortable with that. Please pray for things to go smoothly this week for my brother (he's more stressed than me) and for us all to communicate well. Thank you and God Bless. I think I missed a friend's birthday so I hope I'm right in this but Happy Birthday Jan. Sorry I missed it!

I am still here!

Hi, my computer again. I just can't get on here so I'm at piano lessons using her fast internet connection. Not much new. We are so incredibly thankful and blessed by the donations given for the adoption. Please pray at this time for God's leading to a child and for the funds to be available when or if we need them.

A cute child moment happened a week or two ago. My youngest girl was telling me how I make the goodest food. I said she could make good food for her husband someday. She replies, "Then he'll buy me a necklace?..........with hearts on it?" I do not know where she got this idea since I haven't gotten any necklaces for making good food but it was sure good for a few laughs.

Have a Happy Valentine's Day if I don't get on here before then!

My new 10 year old!

This is my new 10 year old. Here he is with the birthday plate and cup last week. He is also the one with the health issues. The stomach-aches are nearly gone but still come and go irregularly. We have made as much this last week with fresh whole wheat as we can trying to get him on a different diet since the doctor said he is sensitive to white flour and sugar. We have tried more fruit and veggies for snacks and mealtimes than usual. I am also buying no hormone eggs and milk. Plus we are eating a little differently and I think maybe we are eating less since we aren't eating so much carbs that are sugary and that you crave like the chocolate chip cookies we had yesterday. Mmmm! Have to do that once in awhile.

Isaac is a creative one, making lego creations that are inventive. He likes to draw and is learning piano, Spanish and a little guitar this year. He is very much like his oldest sister. They also get along the best, enjoying reading Brian Jacques books together. He likes history, especially any tapes we can find for him to listen to. He likes to play foos ball with dad, likes to help cook some of the meals and play knights or pirates. He has learned to dust and wash floors this year. They each have a little area to do to help spread the work out. Plus, I'm hoping he'll make a good daddy and husband someday helping his wife when she needs him!

We love the dentist!

The kids were doing a countdown to the dentist and five kids and me had cleanings and check-ups. They enjoy going. I was hoping for no cavities but we have three of them. One is on a baby tooth and doesn't need fixing. My 6 year old had one they thought might not be because of brushing and it is small and doesn't need anesthetic to fix and actually they said my 8 year old's cavity wasn't really his fault because of where it is on a back tooth. I have a couple small spots but I asked if he could replace all my mercury fillings with something else. I've been reading about mercury fillings again and found lots online to support getting them replaced. It is worth a try but my dentist says there is no scientific evidence to support mercury causing any troubles. Look up mercury fillings on a search and see how many articles you find. I even found a dentist and read the stories of patients and some stories sound like mine; the insomnia, sensitivity to sound and light, tiredness that comes and goes. I know these can be symptoms of many things but there is more and I won't bore you by complaining about my many ailments! I'm just hoping I can find a good dentist and do it for a reasonable price and that it works!!!!

We are off to the orthodontist today! No wonder we can never save any money for the adoption!!! Have a good day!

Prayer lists

In school the kids and I are studying Philippians and we were uncovering the stone about praying. It had the kids start their own prayer lists. During the lesson I encouraged the kids to put one name per day and we would add more later. Of course this didn't work as they went busily adding names to different days. Well, how uplifting to this weary mother to wake and find her kids with their prayer lists out praying and adding more names. Isaac added his brother to every school day not just one day. He knows so well that his brother needs prayer every single school day. He should add me to that right along side of him since I am the one most challenged by this. But this difficult child got up this morning and made us all breakfast, apple muffins. He is now cleaning up the kitchen after it. He can be so changeable.

Has anyone read the Maker's Diet? I got it quite a long time ago from a friend and scanned it but picked it up yesterday and it is really very good. The young man's story of healing from an incurable disease is amazing and God's working in his life. The intro told a scenario that is right from my life, waking up but not feeling like you slept, feeling achy and generally not good and wondering where those extra 30 pounds came from since getting married, wanting to eat right but not really feeling like it. I want so much to have more energy!! I am going to slowly incorporate this eating plan and I'll let you know what happens. God Bless You in your day!