Why do I doubt?

Why do I doubt anything when I know that God is in control?

I've been thinking about this for the past few days as God has miraculously answered un-uttered prayers for our family. We have some needs, He always meets them, we always look to Him to meet them even when it looks bleak. When He shows through - I'm always shocked and amazed.

Here's one example. The house we started renting in August in going through foreclosure - we found this out from the bank in September. Moving is quite exhausting and expensive, you have to take time off from work, find boxes to pack everything in, find time to box everything in boxes, find a truck or u-haul of some type to transport all of your possessions, and find friends and family willing to help you with the actual moving. Then there's the whole "we've never had our own house before, been living with my parents the past 8 years so we don't have a lot of house items" issue, so we had to purchase a lot of things for the house (still have a few of those things on a 'back burner' so to speak). Our savings was drastically hit and we couldn't afford to move again, not until the spring. So, even though we were trying not to worry about what we were going to do and just letting God be in control, it was lingering in the back of our minds.

We kept getting letters from the bank for our landlord. A court date was scheduled for the end of October to decide on whether or not the landlord could have any more extensions. About two weeks before the foreclosure, Bank of America (the loanee) has temporarily halted all foreclosures in the US as they review processes and redetermine some criteria. Is that in God's hands or what?!?! We placed the issue at His feet, but were completely astonished at what He had done - halting foreclosures for the entire US?! How awesome is He!

Now, as we near the Christmas season, we have some needs and some wants that we weren't sure we'd be able to fulfill. Enter a blessed friend from work who just happens to have a few things for the kids - Thank you, God! Enter a blessed family member who just happens to want to send us a gift card to help with the tightness that comes from the holiday season with lots of little ones - Thank you, God! Then another blessing through work - God SOO has this! So, why is it that I'm so surprised all the time?

No, wait. I should be surprised. I should be amazed and astonished. I should marvel at the great things He has done. I should thank Him for allowing my eyes to be opened to His working. May I never take for granted the great things He has done.

How awesome is He!

Who needs a title anyway?

We've had a very busy last few weeks. Well, busy may not be exactly the right word, hectic and crazy are more like it. Turns out the Sunday coming home from Disney, I got shingles.

I remember driving to my parents house from our house, after unloading all of our luggage, when I felt a strong prick on my right shoulder. I thought something stung me, but didn't find a bug anywhere. When we got to my parents house I looked in the mirror and saw a red rash forming an L shape. It hurt, but again - I thought it was a bug bite. I felt kind of crappy the rest of that week, but the week before our Disney trip I had a cold and did I slow down? Nope! I had to pack all of our things for the trip and my girls things for their weekend sleepover. I had to make sure the house was cleaned up (nothing nicer than coming home to a nice clean home), had a mid-term and a paper due in school, and oh yeah - then there's work. So I just thought I'm still coming off this cold and must be having an allergic reaction to the bug bite - my body ached, the rash burned, I felt pretty horrible. Did I slow down? Nope!

Little Man had his five year check up on Wednesday while Lulu and Buddy Boy had an appointment to get flu shots on Friday. Both of these days, Wednesday and Friday, I almost called in to work I felt so horrible. But, I only had a five or six hour work day due to appointments, so I pushed through it. By Friday evening I was hurting so bad I finally gave in to Ryan's concern and called the doctor. "Hmm, sounds like you have shingles. Can you come in right away?" Oh crap.. yes, I'm about 30 minutes away, but let me get dressed (it was 7:30 at night) and come on over. We get there, the doctor sees me right away and confirms that it is shingles. Can I have an antiviral drug? No - because stubborn me waited too long to go to the doctor. They prescribed me some pain killers and said it could last from 2-4 weeks, or possibly longer. Great.. I get it now, next time my body screams for sleep and rest, I'll give in (I usually do). So that night ends up being horrible, now that I know I have something serious I allow my body to fully ache and hurt - it's horrible. Sunday, I get up and go to church and am miserable the whole time. The rash is on my shoulder, so any type of clothing hurts, every time I move my neck it hurts, just sitting and breathing hurts. It hurts!

I stay out of work the entire week, in the mean time my mother rushes over to visit her mother in Mississippi (she's been battling lung cancer since January) and my grandmother passes away on Thursday the 21st. It was a peaceful passing, but still it stings. I was unable to make the funeral which stings even more.

It's now been three weeks since getting shingles and I am starting to feel normal again. I can finally turn my neck with only slight pain and can wear clothes with only minor irritation - the end is in sight!

Many good things have sprung out of this: next time I feel crappy, I'm going to rest. Next time I think I have a bug bite - I'm running to the doctor for confirmation. Next time I want to complain about my husband - I won't!! Ryan stepped up to the plate big time - he picked up the cooking, cleaning, child rearing, entertaining, etc. that I usually fulfill. He borrowed movies for me to watch to help pass the time, bought me a get well kit with my favorite candy in it, and took the kids out of the house when I needed it most (which only happens when I'm really sick - they're like medicine to me most of the time). He's a trooper!

So yeah, it's been a crazy and hectic few weeks. I've learned empathy for those who've had shingles previously, an appreciation for my co-workers for their prayers and picking up of my duties, to my children for helping to clean the house, for my parents and inlaws for taking the kids for us, for my husband for taking such good care of me and the kids, and for my Jesus who walked me through it and brought me close to Him.

"Done"

We are done.. with birthday's that is. Yay! My handsome husband turned 30 just over a week ago and my darily Little Man turned 5 on Monday. This season is so much fun! We surprised Little Man with a Batman birthday last Thursday. Ryan and he went to Nanny's house to use their internet while the girls, Buddy, and I frantically decorated the kitchen with a batman table cloth, napkins, plates, and dinner (don't remember what we had now...). Right before they came home, we darkened the house and hid behind furniture and doors. As Little Man came walking in, we turned on the lights and yelled "Surprise!" His little mouth fell open and he started laughing - I think it took a good 30 minutes for it to hit him :)

Then Friday, we took the girls to my parents house and the boys and I headed off to Disney. We had a BLAST! Now, I know you're probably thinking, "Wow, that's kinda cruel, leaving your girls behind to visit Mickey Mouse." The thing is, they had just been to Disney last fall with my inlaws and had a FABULOUS time. Last time we went was before Buddy was born in the spring of '08, and Little Man barely remembered the park. (Plus, ever tried to find a cheap motel for 6 people?? doesn't happen.. for 4 people you can find them cheaply, but not 6.)

So we had a blast at Disney - Buddy's first time being there, Little Man's first time riding the big kid rides - was SO awesome and so different than taking the girls - it was quiet and relaxing, they make it crazy with all their excitement and jabber (I missed them terribly, but it all worked out well). Little Man's favorite ride was Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. He got off the first time, covered his agape mouth and laughed "That.. Was.. AWESOME!" He and Ryan rode it again later that day.

We actually had so much fun we toyed with the idea of taking all four kids down there next month - staying over the night before and then coming home after the park - but realistically, we can't afford to do that. Maybe we'll go again in the spring - my wonderful parents have a timeshare there and already booked a week to go and said we could go along as well.. may have to take them up on that offer.

Now we're back to school and work - I have a midterm and paper due this week (make that a mid-term only, already turned in the paper -high five). The girls (and Little Man) are learning about owls this week and have told me all sorts of interesting facts (kids retain so much!!). This weekend we're making various owl munchies to celebrate the end of their unit. We're also going to make homemade pumpkin pie. Love it!

Train Up a Child

It's finally occured to me that parenthood isn't just about training up a child, it's also about training up a parent. So many times over the course of parenthood it's really about keeping me accountable, holding me responsible, making sure I'm making the best decision possible for each specific child.

A good example is potty training. While it's a good idea to wait until the child is interested to start pursuing this opportunity, I think many kids are ready to begin this adventure months before their parents are. Really, who wants to jump onto the potty after every meal, every sip of water, before every outing, after entering each store, etc. Just thinking about it seems exhausting. Yet, doing this for just a few days can make a HUGE difference to the world of potty training. Doing it for a week or two and bam - you're little champ is trained.

Same thing with doing school work. Now of course it's about teaching the child the subject matter, having fun teaching and learning it, and building special stepping stones that will be used for the rest of his or her life. It's also very time consuming, stressful, takes a strong commitment, and is a lot of hard work. Training myself to make sure I set aside time (an hour or more most nights) to do math and writing work each school night and making sure the lesson plans I prepare are not only educational, but fun and engaging as well. Not just going through the monotonous motions of regurgitating what the teacher books say, but really getting the material on my girls level, making it applicable to them, showing them how what they learn is going to be used forever in their life. It's tough!

So my purpose in typing this, is that I hope to look back to it frequently and remember "Yeah, I am accountable, responsible, and can handle it." Giving it my all, working at everything I do as if working for the Lord, making the most of each opportunity and each day, that I will not only better my children, but better myself in the process.

My children are worth it. Every sweat pouring minute in the heat of the day, every tiring moment at the end of the day, and all moments in between. God is using each second to train me up in the way I should go, hopefully I too can train my children up in the ways He wants them to go.

Two down, Two to go

So we've come to the season known as "birthdays" in our house. It's nestled between late summer and early fall. Within 7 weeks, four out of the six of us have birthdays (poor me and Lulu, stuck all the way out there in November and February - smack right next to Thanksgiving and Christmas- caching). So thus the title, "Two down, Two to go." Next up is Ryan, my wonderful hubby and best friend. A few days later is Little Man. Now if we really want to complicate this we can add in days before Ryan's is my brother-in-law's birthday and right after Little Man's is my sister-in-law's, but that's just too complicated. :)

We're still adjusting to the new house - have hit a few snags, but are trusting in God for his provision and guidance. One of the things the kids love is all of the cows and goats (and even a donkey) that surround the neighborhood. There must be 300-500 head of cattle all within 3 miles of our house - it's awesome! The kids love seeing them, especially Buddy Boy who says "Look Mama! Cow! Cow!" So much fun :)

School is going well. The kids have had a two week "imagination" unit where they've created their own creatures (part animal, part ampliance - think "microphant" by Lulu; or two different animals - Eaglion by Doodle) and their own hamburgers. It's been so much fun! Last week we had our very own Crazy Burger night where the concoctions the kids created were brought to life and enjoyed (mostly) by all. I'll have to tell you about their unique burgers later - so cool. Tonight they're going to bring their crazy animals to life via clay. Can't wait!

I'm now reading through a study on Women of the Bible. I've done two of these types of studies before and always learn such amazing things - I'm only one week into this study and have thoroughly enjoyed it. So much to glean!

Chicken Nuggets, Garden Salad, and Green Beans

You know you're a parent of multiple little children (MLC's) when you have a date night with your husband and instead of going out, you zap some chicken nuggets in the microwave, zap some leftover green beans in the microwave, and pair it with a garden salad for dinner. :)

We are all moved and settling in. It's wonderful! We are fortunate to live in a very nice quiet neighborhood with quite a few other MLC's on the street. Our house is small, but not too small and our front yard is massive. The kids have had a great time exploring the yards and meeting our very nice neighbors.

The girls (and Little Man) started school last week and seem to be doing well. Some of the same battles we had with Doodle Bug last year have popped up their ugly blood sucking heads, but we're popping like zits on a 15 year old boys face. Pop! Ok, sorry for the mental image that just conjured up.

Anyways, my school starts back next Monday, so we're gearing up for another busy season. And can you believe it - Doodle Bug and Buddy Boy have birthdays coming in next week and week after - they'll be 8 and 2. Yes, 8 and 2!! I can't believe it. I'm relishing this young age, it won't be long until Doodle Bug is "too cool to hang out with us." So in the mean time, we're playing Barbie's, Pioneers, and trying to keep Buddy from hurting himself as he climbs any and everything he can inside and outside the house. It's a chore, but a wonderfully good and fun one!

Moving time

So the last few months of chaos and craziness are coming to a close.. well at least they will by this time next month (I hope). We're moving!!! YAY!!!!

We found a wonderful mobile home in a very nice area that we will be calling home. It's it a nice little neighborhood with some children, sherrif deputies, and police officers. I can't wait!!

We still have a lot we need to do, but we're getting it done slowly and surely. I look forward to just being moved, being settled, and being at home. Now, we're still renting, not owning, so it's not exactly "our home", but close enough for me.

The girls both passed their grades this year (YAY!!!!) and are eagerly awaiting to be 3rd and 1st graders. They grow up so fast! I remember when the girls were each 2 and 3, teaching them just to color on the paper instead of the table was a huge accomplishment, now they can read, write, do math problems and so much more. How wonderful it is to be able to be there and teach them!

My school is over as well, thankfully. It was a difficult semester. Seems like each semester and each class gets harder and harder. I wasn't sure if I would pass this class (statistics), but appears that I made a high C in the class. Now, I'd much rather have an A or a B, but I've resolved myself to be ok with passing - that is after all my goal now. Pass each class, glean some knowledge, and press on towards my degree.. which I will have.. eventually.

I'm reading through the Upperroom Discourse in the book of John. It's another study by Lenya Heitzig and Penny Rose. I've read these chapters many times over the years but it always amazes me the little nuggets I'm able to glean from them with each subsequent reading. So wonderful to be able to dig deeper into the root of the words and meanings. I just need to remember to take time and soak in His wisdom, not rush through it to get my day going.

Hope and pray you're doing well.

Time flies when you're... busy

That pretty much sums up the last few weeks: busy. "House" hunting, finishing the fiscal year at work, finishing the school work with the girls, finishing up school work with me.. phew... BUSY!

We think we've found a place just a few miles from work (not the best side of town), has onsite security, maintenance, pool, playground, and laundromat. Plus, right outside the mobile home we are hoping to get is a huge field and two big oak trees that I KNOW Little Man would LOVE to climb. I think that's where God is leading us. Lots of 'little' things falling into place, makes me wonder if this is where He's leading us.

The work year ends tomorrow. It's been a bit busy making sure all accounts are paid properly and all reimbursements are ready to go for next year's opening. My work isn't as hectic as others in the area, but still keeping me on my toes.

The girls finished school two weeks ago. We're just trying to work with Doodle bug on her math. She is not remember to carry or borrow all the time, so she's getting things confused. We've gone back to square one with her. Praying it will work as she will be evaluated next Thursday (prayers, please!).

I'm taking Statistics this semester and have really enjoyed the class, but am finding it hard to keep up with the course work. We have assignments due every week, which is good because it forces me to stay ontop of things, but I don't get a chance to breathe. I've applied for some financial aid to help with books. I get two classes every semester for free thankfully, but still have to cough up $100 or more for books each semester. I'm praying I get approved, but if I don't then I know He'll provide for me. He always has and always will :) He's cool like that.

God is showing me the quiet times amidst all of the chaos. He's showing me His love and His rest, which I so deeply need at times. Some people ask for more hours in the day, not me - I'd just fill them with more frivilous and confusing stuff.. I just ask that He goes with me through the day, not giving me more than I can handle. Helping me to be a good witness for Him, for His cause. Loving others when I'm out of love, helping others when I just want to sit, praying with others when I'd rather just leave. He's changing me.. it's a good thing, but not always comfortable!

Our whole family is in for a change. When we're used to almost instant access to TV or the internet, we'll be relying on books, board games, and (dare I say it) more family time. I'm really looking forward to it, but it's going to take some getting used to. My prayer is that we draw closer to Him as a family, become the family He wants us to be - a witness to our neighbors, a help to our neighbors, a light in this oil filled world. I'm excited for what He has in store.

Experiment #1

A few months ago my husband took our nice big TV out of our 'family' room. He replaced it with a 19 inch old TV that was in our bedroom (which is where we normally watched TV in the evenings). It took about a week to really adjust to not watching TV every night. The kids still watched some PBS during the day, but other than movies, we really didn't watch anything at night.

It started as part of an experiment, how we can adjust to not having TV in our lives (or at least not having a large amount of TV). We found ourselves enjoying life more. Instead of being bored and popping on the TV, we'd read, do chores (had a very clean house for a while), or play board games.

Then my husband started watching TV through the laptop via Netflix, Hulu, and CBS. It was great! We snuggled up close and got to decide on what to watch, either a 30 minute program or an hour long one. We didn't do it very frequently, deciding to spend our nights reading or playing board games, but it was nice to be able to watch something and relax.

Well, now that the World Cup is on TV, my husband hooked up the big TV in our room (what a nice clear, big picture!). Was supposed to only be for World Cup, but I think he and the kids spent most of Saturday afternoon watching cartoons on it.. at least they were together right?

Now I fear we're back into becoming zombies. We'll see how the rest of the World Cup goes... :)

I will never complain of being bored again.. I promise

So be careful what you pray for.

The beginning of this year has been pretty routine, work has been slightly slow, home life has been active but normal (homework, school, grocery shopping, sports), and we've enjoyed many leisurely nights. Well, except for the last two weeks!

Work is quite busy right now as we prepare for the end of the fiscal year. Trying to see what we have left to spend, trying to prepare next year's budget, trying to predict what we'll spend and how. A project I'm working on is coming into full swing - it's a lot of fun! But also a lot of work. One of my co-workers is leaving (her last day is today :( ) and we've been busy trying to fill the position. Who knew that trying to get in applications and call people for interviews would be so time consuming! We have three ladies coming in for interviews this week and next, I'm praying for discernment on the ladies - I want to hire whomever God wants in our organization. So I need to stay out of the way, so I can hear Him (not easy for me to do).

The girls school year is winding down now, only three more weeks left. We're trying to make sure they remember all of the things they learned last semester and haven't fogotten any of the major things like how to write your numbers correctly (Lulu) and how to borrow when subtracting (Doodle). I'm very confident Lulu will pass with flying colors (some of the things she's doing is actually 1st grade work because she finished her kindergarten curriculum early). Doodle is doing well also, but I'm a little nervous for her math and writing. If you're right there with her - she does her math PERFECTLY, but as soon as you leave the room she forgets what she's supposed to be doing. That's been difficult. She KNOWS what to do, but either isn't confident in it, or doesn't care.. I'm not sure which. Also, her writing has come a LONG way, but I'm not sure it's where it's supposed to be for the end of second grade. So we're a little nervous, but just trying to put it into God's hands. We feel lead by Him to homeschool them, so He'll work it all out in the end.

We're also in the process of moving - yay!!! But we have quite a few 'little' things that still need to be done/figured out. We've been spending the last two weeks getting our ducks in a row after work/school/dinner at night and it's exhausting! We're looking into a few places in town and are excited at the prospects. If you could pray for discernment for us on this issue it'd be much appreciated. We want to go where He wants us, not where it seems 'right' to us.

So yes, 'bored' is not in my vocabulary right now.. which is funny, I'm now longing for a leisurely night instead of saying "Again?!?" Be careful what you pray for, He may just give it to you! :)

Amazed

We have two boards hanging up in our living room and the kid's room that we use to display school assignments and artwork. Yesterday, one of the empty tacks fell off of a board in the kids room and Doodle's little foot found it. She came to me crying a little and said "Mama, I just stepped on a tack." I know those hurt, my heart just went out to her! I checked it out and it was slightly bleeding so we put bandaged it and she sighed and said "I'm glad I found it and not Buddy, that would have hurt his little foot so badly. I bet he would have cried and cried." Now my heart really went out to her. What love she was showing! As a parent, I frequently have this same emotion "I wish I would've gotten hurt instead of her/him." My heart just leaps out of my chest. But here, at 7 1/2 (or 'almost 8' as she calls it :) ) she's learning this great love. How wonderful.

That's my girl!

Doodle had two games last Saturday. She played very well in both games, but especially well in the second one. She scored two runs and caught someone out at first base (she does better on first base than at any other position). Here are some pictures of my girly :)

Here is she is getting ready to bat. She has started using Lulu's bat for the last few games, it's lighter in weight, and has done MUCH better at hitting - she now hits everytime she's at bat.

Proud and not so proud

Proud
I'm so proud of Doodle Bug this weekend. She had a game Saturday morning and came up to bat four times, hitting the ball AND getting on base each time. She made two runs and could have made a third, but didn't run quite fast enough to 3rd base before being tagged.

We tried a new (lighter) bat for her and it was SUCH a difference! Now if I can just convince her to let me put tissue in the tops of her shoes, they'll fit better and she'll run better. We received the shoes as a gift from a friend who's a shopaholic, but they're one whole size too big. She found them on clearance for less than $3 - they're normally $40. Needless to say, I can't afford a $40 pair of shoes for her, so we've been making do. :)

Not so proud
The girls and I went to Walmart after church on Sunday to pick up some school supplies. Our cashier was a very talkative man. Doodle told him that we're buying school supplies because "we have a lot of school left." He looks at us and says "I thought school was just about over. Seems like they used to finish at the end of May. I think they finish at the end of May this year. Maybe it's June, I don't know. Sure is a lot of school supplies." I really didn't plan on replying, was just saying "Yeah" when "Well, we homeschool so our schedule is a bit different" popped out of my mouth. He gave me this horrified expression and said "Don't trust the school system, huh?" I have NEVER had this response before, didn't quite know how to handle it so I laughed and said "No, it's not that. I was public schooled and came out OK, this is just something we've been very blessed with." To which he replied "How do you know you're teaching them correctly, that they're learning their normal things?" Does he THINK I'm an idiot or do I have it plastered on my forehead somewhere?

This is where I got mad.. because my pride was hurt.. I shouldn't have said anything.. I should've just kept my tongue.. I'm working on it.. really I am.. "Well, Florida has very strict homeschooling laws, so my kids are tested every year to make sure they know what they should." "Yeah, yeah I know. Kids are tested every year. But what about yours? You could be skrewing them up" he replied. Hello? Was he not listening? So I repeated it a bit louder, the lady behind us backed up, my face got a bit pink and I said "I have them tested every year, by a certified teacher. Florida has very strict homeschooling laws. I don't get to do whatever I want, let them learn to eat paste and crayons and run around like barbarians all day. That'd be horrible." He just looked at me and finished bagging my groceries and gave me my receipt. Behind him, in another check out lane, an older lady was smiling at me. Either she was giving me a "That's wonderful" smile or a "Wow, you're crazy and I don't want to make you mad" smile.

As we walked out of the store I started calling the man names, right in front of my girls - wow, what a role model! Then I said "You know what, I wasn't very nice to him. I'm going to pray that GOd blesses him and then forgives me for being so mean." The girls agreed that it was the thing to do, and prayed with me.

I don't normally have a problem with my mouth - really. I've been reading through James for the past 5 weeks about how your actions and speech should match and guess I'm being tested heavily.. As a song from Great Awakenings says "Let the Words of Your mouth, fill this place" not my mouth.

Oh the joys of learning

Last night Doodle Bug was writing a thank you letter to someone and she did a very good job. When she was finished with it and addressed the envelop I told her "Do you realize that you just did school work?" She gave me this half blank half confused look and said "I did? When?" I told her "When you wrote that letter to Miss Nancy." She takes a second to think and says "Really?" I reply "Yes, you learned how to write letters and address envelopes this year. Remember all of those practice letters you would write in your workbook and the fake envelopes you would fill out?" "Yes," she replied "I don't think I want to write anymore letters."

Ha!

She has this mental thing about schoolwork being boring and dull. But the funny thing is, she'll spend her free time (if she's not playing) by adding up items in her pretend store, or writing letters to us, or even talking about inclined planes and rocks, without even realizing it! This is why learning is so much fun. It's SO diverse, interesting, and stretching. You can learn anywhere and anytime about anything! She's applying these precious skills throughout the day without even realizing it.

I hope someday she has a hunger for learning. There's always something new to learn, new to explore. Take God's Word for example. You can read the same chapter or book every day for a week and each day you'll learn something new. Repeat this for the rest of your life and imagine the richess and gold you can store in your heart about our great Teacher!

Duh!

I forgot two very awesome things that have happened recently.
Number two (I'll count down this time): Ryan and I celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary on Easter Sunday. We went out to the movies, went to Dairy Queen, and then walked around Lake Ella. We haven't been out on a date since before Buddy Boy was born. We usually wait until the kids fall asleep at night and then we'll watch a movie or listen to a sermon or do something. It's great, but actually being OUT of the house together was wonderful!!

Number one, in early March we went on a field trip to the Jacksonville Zoo. It was so much fun! The kids loved being able to see the animals - espcially the "I-no" as Buddy calls the rhino. Doodle is old enough now she could read the signs that told about the animals, so she had a great time running ahead of us and telling us all about the animals we were seeing. It was a cool day, but thankfully almost all of the animals were out and about, so we could see them doing more than just laying around. I was going to post some pictures here, but only have them on Shutterfly right now.. I'll see about putting some up from the home computer later on.

A lot has happened in the last two and a half weeks.
Ryan chipped his tooth while biting on a pen cap (he does that sometimes). Little Man broke and badly cut his toe while cleaning up his plate from dinner on the same night as Doodle's first softball game. Lulu and Doodle have been sick with hay fever. Doodle Bug ended up getting a very bad ear infection and had to get some strong antibiotics. Work has been very busy. Closing in on the end of the fiscal year, seeing what money we might have leftover (if any) and trying to budget for an even tighter year next fiscal year. Been busy!

I fell into the routine the week before last of sleeping through my alarm (or turning it off actually) and waking up with the kids. Problem with that is, when I wake up before the kiddos is when I have my Bible time. I get to read and soak up all the goodness He has for me. I tried bringing my Bible to work with me and reading during lunch breaks, but wouldn't you know, I'd be too busy for a lunch break or something else would pop up... Last week I was better, I made an effort to get it read. This week I've gotten up every morning (although this morning was very hard for some reason). My days go SO much better when I take the time to start the day out right. I have energy to get everything accomplished, I have guidance of what to do at certain times, I have more patience for my lovely children, I have time for my husband. Amazing! I'm trying to keep Ssatan from having a foot hold. Pray for me on this.

On a different note, I'm attempting to finish my AA degree by the summer time. I only have five classes left, but between working full-time and having a family to care for I can only get in one class a semester and I only go two semesters a year (I need a break sometimes). I've really enjoyed the break, but now I need to push through and get it finished. I looked up some Bachelor's degrees at our local university and would love to go into Business Management somehow, but I don't have the required classes for the program. So I may just go back to what everything teacher I've ever had has always told me.. Get a degree in English. I LOVE reading and writing - am having a joy teaching Doodle Bug (who's gotten very good). So maybe that's what I'll do.. who knows. I'm trying to see where He's directing me, I just need to pay attention to what He's saying!

Hope and pray whomever reads this is doing well.

'Tis the season for sneezin'

Softball is well underway and Doodle has her first game tomorrow night - I can't wait! She really hasn't played much since the season ended last May up until practice began at the beginning of this month, so she's quite rusty, but improving.
She has some great coaches, I think there are two official coaches then about three other dads that hang around to help with the kids. It's different than T-Ball last year, some for the better some not.. but they're also 'more grown up' now - they don't need snacks every game/practice or their names on their shirts even if I think it's cute :)

The kids and I have been reading through their children's Bible in the morning time and they've learned the first five books of the NT and are learning the first five of the OT. We have a CD by "The Bible Song Band" that lists the 66 books of the Bible, so I've been using that to teach them the books, it's great!

School break is over now and the kids are learning all about toys this week. Toys?! I thought this was school? Well it is, they're learning about the history behind their favorite toys like Barbie, GI Joe, Lego, etc. Learning about how they're made, how they've changed over the years and about what toys were popular 60 years ago and what's popular now. Can't wait to hear about it when I get home! Ryan's been having a blast getting it all prepared for them. All I have to say is I'm SO glad we have YouTube, the internet, and a computer at home. It enriches their learning so much.

I'm finishing up a study on Esther by Lenya Heitzig and Penny Peirce Rose. It's excellent! This is a book I've studied many times before, but the insight and self exmaination they show in their study is wonderful. I'm also reading through "Living by the Book" by Howard Hendricks and it's pretty great. Gives you quick and easy ways to study through the Bible. Some of my favorite tactics include reading the same book or chapter for five days - you always get something different out of the chapter, disect the text - look for prepositions, joining words, etc because they've been put there for a reason, and listen to the Word in audio format. Great stuff.

Spring is here and it's beautiful in deed, but as Doodle said "'Tis the season for sneezin'" In fact Lulu is at home sick today, not sure if it's 'hay fever' or a cold, but she feels rotten. Hopefully she'll feel better soon so she won't miss out on Doodle's games this week or the Spring parade this weekend.

I want to end on this verse, it was in my Esther study last week and just really spoke to me. It says it's good to receive wealth and health from the Lord, sure. But it's an actual GIFT to find joy in your work and to accept what He has graciously given to you in life. "And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life—this is indeed a gift from God." Ecclesiastes 5:19 (NLT)

Thankful

Last week my husband, out of the blue, took all four kids and went to Walmart and Publix- while I was at work, an amazing feat. He called me while they were there and asked what I needed "Um, lots of things, why?" I said. "Because we're here, getting all of our groceries," he replied. "OH! Did you take my list and coupons?" I asked. "No, I didn't know where it was." "Oh ok, just get whatever we normally get then." I said, trying not to be frustrated. I had about $8 worth of coupons for things at Walmart and Publix and a very detailed list of what was needed. But I decided that whatever he got would be great. It's not like it's his first time shopping for the family. He's had to do it plenty of times when I've been sick or after I've had one of the babies, so he had a general idea of what we get each week. Did he get everything on the list? No, but he did get a lot of things we needed. Did he use coupons? No, but they don't expire until Thursday--maybe I can make a trip to the store to pick up those items - if not, it's not going to break our bank.

Then, he did two loads of laundry. Washed, dried, folded, and (here's the shocker) put up. He also had dinner ready for me when I got home. Did aliens invade and take over his body you ask? No, he's just an amazing man and I'm one lucky lady. :)

Yesterday he washed our windows, window sills, and the walls next to the windows (some had gotten moldy--but I haven't been able to get to due to regular chores). He is just awesome!!

He says he's been lazy for way too long and wants to ease my burden by helping out. He's done this a few times before, but it only lasts 2-4 weeks. I'm hoping he's able to continue this one for a little bit, it is wonderful.

The kids are on their two week break right now and start back to school next week. I told him that he won't be able to do as much with them in school, to which he replied "I know, but I can at least do one or two things." This is just fantastic!

The Lord is really working in his life and it's so beautiful to see.

We've been together for 10 years this week and to see how he's changed over those 10 years is awesome. He went from talking the talk to actually walking it. He has such a heart for the Lord and it encourages me. Don't get me wrong, he's not the only one who's changed - I have too. And it's wonderful to be changing, learning, and growing together. What an amazing journey God has for us.

10 years

A few weeks ago, my husband reminded me of a very important anniversary, the day I finally came to Christ. It was February 14th, 2000 and I was driving home from somewhere (can't remember where--probably my best friend at the time - Kelli - or Kelleigh as she liked to spell it). After denouncing Christianity and God about 7 or 8 months previously and living life how I wanted it, I realized how empty and unsatisfying it was. I didn't find the freedom I thought I would. Being able to do what I wanted to do, when I wanted to do it. So naive. God, in His amazing providence, put people in my life - Christians in my life - to draw me back to Him. After speaking with them about their beliefs and their book, I realized I had it SOO wrong. I spent about a month studying - just to make sure it was all legit - and was amazed at what I saw. Before now, reading the Bible was boring and blasse, now things were leaping off the pages at me. It actually made sense!!



So on that drive home, on the day our country celebrates love, I found out what true Love is.

"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not
love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing . And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails . "1 Corinthians 13:1-8

May you all come to know true Love.

Confessions of a Couponaholic

I've been cutting (and using) coupons a lot more recently in an effort to save more money for our move in the next few months and this could get addicting! I would always look for sales for things we buy, but wouldn't use a whole lot of coupons. Well, after talking to an amazingly organized and resourceful friend, I have reorganized my shopping strategy. Clipping coupons for items that I know will go on BOGO soon at Publix, going to brand name websites to search for coupons there, and scouring my parent's Sunday paper for additional coupons (we don't buy the paper, thankfully they do). Sometimes my efforts only unearth one or two coupons, sometimes I find 25 coupons that don't expire for another month. I'm having a lot of fun with this!

My most favorite find this weekend was at Kohl's. We have a lot of little kitchen and household items that we need, so we've made a list, allotted some money to use each month, and are searching for sales. Kohl's had their entire section of kitchenware on sale this weekend. I had $10 Kohl's cash from a previous purchase (Pyrex kitchenware that was 60% off with coupons, sales, and mail-in-rebates), and received another $5 in e-mail. I was able to get a very nice bamboo wooden spoon and a very sturdy (and very cool looking) measuring cup set for FREE!! I actually still have $1.98, but it expires today and I don't forsee using it. My adrenaline is pumping.

I'm trying to instill in the girls the importance of finding the best deal (but not spending hours upon hours of looking). Right now they're learning about comparing "price per ounce" on grocery items and comparing prices for namebrand and generic items (we buy about 90% generic items at our house - the 10% namebrand are either onsale or I had coupons for). It's made a little adventure when we head down certain aisles like the cereal aisle. They have a game where they find the cheapest price per ounce cereal. Sometimes they are surprised at which ones are cheapeast!

If anyone has any coupon clipping ideas they'd like to share, feel free to do so - I could use any and all suggestions!

The Budding Writer

As Doodle as progressed into writing more "stories", her writing style is beaming with 7-year-oldness and it's just awesome! Last week she and Lulu spent an entire week learning about Coral Reefs. So this week I let them make up their very own coral reef animals and they did a pretty good job. Lulu created an eel that curls up like a snail, and it's name is Eelya. :) Doodle created a fish called a Nailfish. Turns out, its predator is the Scalloped Hammerhead Shark. The shark tries to hammer the nead into the Woodfish (it's true, she even called Uncle Bobby to tell him all about it). What imagination!! She had to write a story about her fish last night, as if she herself were the creature. She surpassed my expectations. Aside from forgetting to capitalize I a few times and mispelling some words, her story is fabulous! Can't wait to have her write more.

To accompany her story, both girls got to make awesome stained-glass art of their animals. We took black construction paper, drew on their animals and habitats with a pencil, then went over the pencil with glue. We let the glue set over night then brought out Doodle's oil pastels (only, I can't call them "Oil Pastels" because Lulu says that word "pastel" sounds weird... so we can only call them oils..). The girls colored around their lined creations and added some extra dazzle to their pictures (Doodle said that the Nailfish lays 500 eggs at one time, similar to the Clownfish who lays 400 at a time.. so she decided to draw about 100 beautifully colorful fish below her nailfish). They turned out great! I'll have to take some pictures and upload them on here for you to see.

We talked a little bit about how much fun it was to create your own animal, what it looks like, where it lives, what it eats, etc. And we came to the conclusion that God must've had an awesome time creating all of His creation - hopping toads, flying birds, fish the size of an airplane. The Bible tells us that He frequently looked at His creation and said "It is good."

The Storm

So the storm did come after the calm, but thankfully it wasn't a hurricane, and God is using it for good. Doesn't He always? Boy, I'm glad He does.

On another note both Doodle and Lulu lost teeth last week (D's third and L's first). What excitement! The cool part is that Lulu let me pull her tooth out (which only a little bit of effort). Doodle was terrified at the thought of someone pulling her tooth out, so she left it hang by a thread of flesh for two days (eew). In addition to this, Buddy got two of his molars in after many consecutive-exhausting-Tylenol-filled nights. Little Man was feeling a bit left out, he has all of his baby teeth (for now) and doesn't have any loose teeth yet (he's only four). But, that'll be over when he visits the dentist for a check up tomorrow. Yes, it's tooth month at our house.

We're debating on whether or not to get a (low) mortgage and buy a (cheap) house or to throw our money away suck it up and pay rent. I think we may apply for a loan, just see what we could be approved for and what's available. If we're declined then I guess we have our answer (if only all decisions could be solved this easily).

Doodle is learning how to write stories and we're having so much fun!! I'm trying to play her writing assignments off of things she's done with her regular school work, so this week she's going to be writing about a book they read last week called Caps for Sale . It's a hilarious book, and I'm going to have her write about why the monkeys were stuck up in the tree when the peddler took his nap (makes you want to read the book, doesn't it?). Should get her creative juices flowing and of course she'll provide the artwork to go along with her writing. Two weeks ago she wrote a story called "Buddy Boy plays ball" that detailed Buddy playing ball in his room, outside, and somewhere else---can't remember now. But it's a cute story. Should be great to see how her writing progresses throughout the year.

That's it for now. Hopefully we'll get some more bike riding in this week since the weather's supposed to be gorgeous most of the week. Fun stuff!

Fruits of the Spirit

Since this weekend, we've seen a major change in Little Man. The once very strong-willed toddler is now becoming a wonderful little boy. He was throwing a fit about something before church and we've been working with him for a long time to calm down. The kids know that when they whine, it's an automatic "no" response, and that has helped. But he's so different from the girls. I keep forgetting that boys aren't generally as mature as girls are, so it may take longer for things to "set in" with them. Well, all of a sudden his fit stopped and he said "Mama, I'm going to be good now. I'm done with my fit and I'm going to behave now." It was awesome!! He's learning self-control! He's done this two more times since Sunday and it's just a joy to see. Of course, he gets smothered in kisses when he does this, that helps too :) Last night he was spending some time with my parents and my dad commented that it was so nice to see him so well behaved.

Speaking about self-control, I'm reading a study on Ruth (love it!) and was challenged to pick a fruit of the Spirit this week to begin asking God for and living it out. Well, I need more patience. Some days it overflows, other days it's as dry as a desert. I'm trying to lean on God for the patience, because He knows I don't have it in me otherwise. I want to raise patient children and set a patient mood for the home, since kids learn best by observation, I really want this fruit in my life. I want my family to reap the rewards for this planting.

Now, I'm turning onto my oldest, Doodle Bug. She's just started reading chapter books (although she really could've started reading them months ago) so we borrowed a Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew book from the library. She was reading it to us last night and I was amazed at some of the words she was able to decipher. She's so good!! After struggling to read in Kindergarten (our fault, not hers) she is reading way above grade level. It's wonderful!! Feels like we're doing something right for a change :)

Things have gone so smoothly since our Christmas break, and I thank God for it and also hope it's not the calm before the storm.. but even if it is, I know He'll get us through it and around it or over it - whatever it may be. For now, we're just enjoying it, it's wonderful!

Hello 2010

I'm back at work after a wonderful and much needed 2 week break. The kids had a short break from school and it was nice to just hang out and be together.

I finished reading completely through the Bible some time last year and have had the sense that I really need to dig deeper, but don't really know how to start. Well, apparently my husband did, because he bought me 4 Bible study books for Christmas! I started reading the Ruth/Esther study last week and am thoroughly enjoying it. Ruth is one of my favorite books of the Bible, brought to life by our dear pastor many years ago. Esther is also a dear book to me, as our oldest daughter is named after Esther. It feels good to be digging deep again isntead of merely "skimming the surface" as it feels like I've been doing for the past year. I'm excited about the things God is showing me and the things He has in store for me. Hopefully I can better conform to the image He has for me and be the wife and mother I should be.

On another note, this is my "off" semester from school, and already I'm loving it. I only have five classes left to complete my associate's degree, but it will take me a while to finish. Some days I just want to tackle 2 classes a semester and get it done quickly. Then I realize that it's hard to even fit in one class a semester, juggling two is just asking for a stressful disaster. I'll be glad when it's finally over, even if it does end up taking me 11 years to finish.

And I'm leaving with this, some of the new vocabulary Buddy has added over the last month: apple, lap (accentuate the 'a'), down, Lulu, Dassah, mine, Pop (and Pops), I don't know (ah dunno), yes, and my all time favorite 'yep' with a very loud 'p' sound. :) Too cute.

I hope and pray you all had a Merry Christmas and are excited for this New Year God has given us.