Nikki's Notes

Do You Put Ice in Your Tea?

2012-01-30T07:35:00.001-05:00

I grew up drinking tea...with ice in it, of course. Aren't you supposed to put ice in your tea or water or whatever it is that you're drinking? Except for orange juice and milk. But I really don't like to drink my glass of tea with ice in it; the ice gets in the way, bumps my teeth, and spoils the drinking experience.

One day, I had an epiphany. Why do I need ice in my glass if the tea is already cold? Aha! I don't put ice in my drinks anymore...unless they're not cold. How wonderful! Now I don't have to dodge pieces of ice while trying to get at my drink.

I wonder how often we do things just because we're supposed to. I think that it is good sometimes to evaluate the reasons that we do things to see if we're wasting our time or spoiling the experience...for no good reason.

At a recent MOPs meeting, our speaker told us about one of her friends who doesn't fold underwear anymore. She had always done it, but she realized one day that she didn't have to anymore. She felt so much freer after making this decision. And it saved her time and aggravation.

Is there something that you are doing that is holding you back, ruining your experience (like ice in my tea), or wasting your time (like folding underwear)? Maybe it's time to reevaluate why you do it, and if there's no good reason, maybe you can stop!

Have you already quit doing something silly that you couldn't find a good reason for? What do you think?

Rachel's Birthday Recap

2012-01-27T07:34:00.002-05:00

Here are a few pictures from Rachel's birthday.

So intent on opening her presents.

Sarah Beth showing Rachel where to pull to get the present open.

Oh, boy! Look what I got!

Sarah Beth and Daniel were almost as excited about the gifts as Rachel.

Rachel received another costume and a bathing suit. In this picture, she has both on.

Happy Birthday, Rachel!

2012-01-26T07:00:00.002-05:00

Today is Rachel's second birthday. She is such a joy to have around our house with her vibrant personality and infectious laughter. We call her our "diva" because she knows that she is cute, and she expects everyone she meets to tell her so. When we take her places, she tries so hard to catch someone's eye just for that interaction. With her curly hair and blue eyes, she usually gets the reaction she is looking for.

Rachel loves making little nests in two chairs that she has claimed as her own. She has decided that my blue blanket is now hers, although she is willing to share. But if one of her siblings wants to sit in one of "her" chairs, she lets you know that does not make her happy! (Part of that vibrant personality, it goes both ways.)

Rachel also loves to dress up. She has worn that ladybug costume so many times that it's falling apart. She still only has about fifteen to twenty words that we understand, but she chatters all day long. Sarah Beth did the same thing, and it's very cute.

We really enjoy having Rachel around, and we look forward to seeing what God will do in her life.

Tuesday's Tip: Getting Places on Time

2012-01-24T07:12:00.000-05:00

I hate being late. I hate feeling rushed because I think I will be late. I hate driving like a maniac and feeling like I need to in order to arrive on time. I like to get ready quickly and efficiently without haste, getting where I'm going at just the right time. Here are my tips for achieving that goal:

Pretend it takes longer to get there than it actually does. If it takes me fifteen minutes to get somewhere, I plan to leave half an hour before I need to be there. That extra time gives me a little leeway for the inevitable emergencies that come up, and it also allows time for buckling the kids in their car seats and unbuckling them once we arrive.
Pack the diaper bag the night before...and whatever else I may need. I make sure that the diaper bag (and all of the other paraphernalia we may need) is ready to go and waiting at the back door so that I just have to pick it up on the way out the door.
Set children's clothes out the night before so all they have to do is dress. Honestly, I don't usually do this.
Get up earlier. If I have to be somewhere first thing in the morning, I try to get up just a little bit earlier. A little extra time is always a good thing!
Be flexible. With children involved, plans almost never go as, well, planned. Invariably, my children either get up earlier or sleep later than I expected, frustrating my well-laid plans. But that's just life with children.

Of course, I still don't always get where I'm going on time, but I do try. To me, being late means missing part of the program I'm attending or wasting the time of the people who are waiting for me. And I find both of those things unacceptable.

How do you get where you're going on time? Please share!

A New Post...on my Other Blog

2012-01-23T06:43:00.002-05:00

After a long time of ignoring my other blog, I have finally written a new post for it. Pastors and some lay people have been arrested for praying in public. You need to read about it here.

Eternal Life and the Government

2012-01-20T07:53:00.000-05:00

I'm currently reading Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis, and I read this quote yesterday. I found it interesting, so I thought I would share it with you to see what you think. Lewis has been talking about how eternal life changes our priorities, as the things of this world are short-lived when compared with living forever.

...Immortality makes this other difference, which, by the by, has a connection with the difference between totalitarianism and democracy. If individuals live only seventy years, then a state, or a nation, or a civilization, which may last for a thousand years, is more important than an individual. But if Christianity is true, then the individual is not only more important but incomparably more important, for he is everlasting and the life of a state or a civilization, compared with his, is only a moment.

Here is one more reason why Christianity and democracy (or a republic) go hand-in-hand. In democracies and republics, people are free to be what they want to be (for the most part), whereas in totalitarian governments and most other religions they are oppressed. What do you think?

How Blessed We Are

2012-01-18T07:00:00.002-05:00

I started reading Safely Home by Randy Alcorn the other day, and before I finished reading the second chapter, I was struck by how blessed we Americans are...without even really appreciating it. Safely Home is a fictitious story about an ordinary, Christian Chinese man and an American businessman. Most of the little bit that I have read so far takes place in China.

Quan and his family get up at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday mornings and bicycle to a house church. They worship and pray but have to be finished and gone before dawn because prying eyes may see them after the sun comes up. Prying eyes can lead to arrest, imprisonment, or even death. Only a couple of people have Bibles, and the one that Quan has was hand-copied by his mother. During this particular meeting, the police storm in, threatening anyone who does not renounce God and leave. Quan fully expects to be beaten, at the least, and imprisoned, if not killed.

How different from our experiences here in the United States! I know that I am guilty of not praying for my persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ. I know that I do not appreciate the danger they are in and how easy my life is here. May God forgive me for my callousness, and may He use this book to soften my heart to what is happening right now in other countries.

Do you pray for the persecuted church? How so?

A Trip to Disney World

2012-01-17T07:19:00.003-05:00

My husband certainly is adventurous, isn't he? Just a couple of weeks ago, he took Sarah Beth and Daniel to Louisiana for a kind of family reunion. Yesterday, he took them to Disney World, the Magic Kingdom. Isn't he brave?

Because he was by himself, he wasn't able to take too many pictures, but here is a few that he did take. They didn't say so, but I bet that Sarah Beth's and Daniel's faces hurt from smiling so much. When Daniel walked in the door, he said, "I had a wonderful time!"

Sarah Beth couldn't stop telling me all the different things that they saw and did.

John took this picture right after they rode Splash Mountain which explains why they look a little wet.

I have to admit that I'm jealous of the fun they had without Rachel, Mary, and me. We plan to head back down in a month or two, taking the whole family this time!

What did you do this weekend?

Mary's One Month Update

2012-01-13T10:38:00.000-05:00

Mary is one month old today. It's hard to believe that we've had her for a whole month, although at the same time I can hardly remember what life was like before she arrived. (Of course, I don't really remember what life was like before any of our children came except Sarah Beth, and that's only because I was working full-time.) Isn't it amazing how quickly children become part of our lives?

What is Mary doing? Well, not much. She's doing great at night; usually, she only wakes me up once. She is still sleeping a lot during the day, and she is typically very fussy in the evening (aren't they all?). Her brother and sisters love her to pieces, especially her sisters. Rachel isn't as gentle as she should be, but she's learning. Sarah Beth loves to sit by me when I'm feeding her and pet her little head. They're still calling her "the New Baby" which I think is adorable. The biggest thing is that Mary started smiling Wednesday. They're just little, bitty smiles, but I can see them!

I didn't think so at first, but it looks like she's going to love her swing as much as her older siblings did.

Mary had a doctor's appointment this morning, and she is 10.13 pounds and 21.7 inches. When she was born, she was 8 pounds, 11 ounces and 19.37 inches. She is now in the 90th percentile for weight and the 70th for length. My mother calls my milk "butterfat," and I think she's right since Mary gained two pounds in a month!

How am I doing? I love being able to sleep on my belly again, and being able to breathe is a wonderful thing. I had a touch of insomnia while I was pregnant, but it's all gone now. As soon as my head hits the pillow, I fall asleep; Mary's crying is the only thing that wakes me up. I even sleep through John's alarm half the time. I have to admit that I'm glad not to be pregnant anymore except that I miss being warm. When those pregnancy hormones left, well, I started freezing.

How are things going at your house?

Booking It: 2012

2012-01-12T15:49:00.000-05:00

I'm excited about joining with Jessica at Life as Mom in her Booking It Challenge again this year. Here is the list of books that I want to read this year, in no particular order:

Spring Rain by Gayle Roper
When Did we Lose Harriet? by Patricia Sprinkle
If I Perish by Esther Kim
Heirs of the Covenant by Susan Hunt (This book is left over from my last year's list, and I just didn't get around to reading it.)
Maid to Match by Deeanne Gist
Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis (I was inspired by Jessica's review and decided I needed to read this book.)
Safely Home by Randy Alcorn (My mother recommended this book, and she always has good recommendations.)
A Duty to the Dead by Charles Todd
Sergeant York and the Great War by Tom Skeyhill
The Hidden Art of Homemaking by Edith Schaeffer
The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery
So Far from the Bamboo Grove by Yoko Kawashima Watkins
The Beautiful Fight by Gary Thomas
So You're Thinking about Homeschooling by Lisa Welchel
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

Just like last year, I plan to supplement this list with books that I receive from PaperBackSwap, BookSneeze, and Blogging for Books. But since I don't know what will be available and when, I cannot plan for those books. There will also be books that I read with my oldest daughter; she has discovered "chapter books," and we can't read enough of them.

What are you reading this year?

Update

2012-01-09T07:00:00.001-05:00

I'm having a little bit of a writer's block. I just don't have anything to write about, it seems like. But I wanted you to know that was the cause of no recent blog posts; there's nothing wrong...although I am pretty busy with my four little ones, especially the littlest.

Mary went on her first outing yesterday, if you don't count a trip to the doctor or the trip to visit my family for Christmas. We went to church. And we sat in the nursery the whole time because she didn't want to be quiet during the service. Oh, well. We tried.

On a different subject, please pray for my good, real-life friend Laura. She's having some complications from her epidural after giving birth to her seventh child. I've heard those epidural headaches are awful; thankfully, I've never experienced one.

Book Review: December 1941 by Craig Shirley

2012-01-04T07:00:00.000-05:00

December 1941: 31 Days That Changed America and Saved the World by Craig Shirley tells the story of how the United States got into World War II. There are thirty-one chapters, one for each day of the month. The author apparently reviewed many newspapers in order to compile this book. This book doesn't read like a story; it reads like a compilation of newspaper articles, but it works! There is tons of information in this book about the United States in this time period, not just about the war and how we entered it. There are prices for airline tickets, what people were buying as Christmas presents, what they were doing, etc., which really gives the reader a nice glimpse into life in the 1940's. Of course, there is also loads of information about how we got into the war and how people and the government did their parts.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. There were many things that I learned that amazed me: how even the government didn't know exactly what happened at Pearl Harbor until days later, and how FDR felt no compunction in censoring that information to the rest of the country. This book is packed full of information, and if you like history, especially history about World War II, you'll want to read this book.

However, this book isn't perfect. It could have used better editing, as some of the sentences didn't make sense, and there were many other errors that better editing would have caught. Also, the book tended to repeat itself; it has the same exact information in different chapters. If you can overlook these problems, it is still a great book to read.

I want to thank BookSneeze for my (kindle) copy of this book, but my opinions are my own.

My New Year's Weekend or The Little Girls and I

2012-01-03T07:00:00.001-05:00

I spent this weekend alone...well, alone with Mary and Rachel. Here's how that happened.

One of John's cousins threw a New Year's party Saturday afternoon. Since he hadn't seen most of his extended family, who live in Louisiana, in years, he really wanted to go. And he decided to take Sarah Beth and Daniel with him. They left Friday afternoon and didn't get back until Monday afternoon. Of course, it would have been nice if we all could have gone, but it was just a little too far for Mary and me.

While they were gone, I enjoyed my two littlest girls. Rachel loved being an only child...when she was the only child. When my hands were full with Mary, Rachel didn't like that so much. We spent a lot of time reading books and playing. And I have to admit that I watched too much t.v.. But it gave me something to do while I was holding Mary, trying to get her to sleep. I forgot how much time newborns take, even though they sleep so much. It seems like, if they're not sleeping or eating, they're fussing...and you're trying to get them to stop.

I also baked two batches of cookies which won't be conducive to my losing weight. One batch, the Vanilla Wafers, I put into the freezer. The other batch, the Chocolate Minty Melts, I left out so we can eat them all and remove my temptation. We took a couple of walks, too, and I got to see some of the golf course I hadn't seen before.

I wish I had been able to take some pictures, but there wasn't anyone to take any of Rachel and I snuggling on the couch reading or sitting at the table playing with the different colored, stackable pegs. I wasn't even able to take pictures of Rachel playing with Mary because she would follow me as I went to get the camera. *Sigh*

What did you do for the long New Year's weekend?

New Year's Goals

2012-01-02T07:00:00.001-05:00

It's that time of year again: time to make goals for the new year. Honestly, I kind of enjoy this practice of making goals; I enjoy thinking about things that I want to do over the coming year, and a new year gives a perfect time to start. (Of course, if I were more disciplined, I would make goals throughout the year and begin implementing them immediately.)

Last year, I made a few goals, but I was unable to complete all of them. Beginning with a hard first trimester of pregnancy, then followed by John being out of town for two months, then two moves in three months, I gave up on my goals for the year. But it's time for new ones, and so here are my goals for the upcoming year.

School. We need to get back to this since we have taken some time off with our latest move and Mary's arrival. But I think we're going to wait a little bit longer until Mary is in some sort of routine.
Reading. I hope/plan to read two books a month: one a good, fun read, like a novel or biography; and one that's a little more challenging. (We'll see how that goes with a new baby, however!) I also plan to join in again with Jessica's Booking It at Life as Mom.
Losing weight. I've got some baby weight that needs to go (about twenty pounds). Hopefully, I'll figure out how to do some exercising with four small children tagging along! Mostly, I'll just be watching what I eat.
Run a 5K. Our local care pregnancy center has a 5K run in September or October, and I plan to train for that. (When John reads this, I'm sure he's going to laugh since I haven't jogged at all since we got married.) I don't plan to start jogging, however, until probably April.
Hospitality. We haven't had people over since we moved to Florida, but we hope to remedy that this year...but not for a little while. We might wait a month or so for Mary's sake.

I'm trying to keep things simple this year since we have a new baby. Do you make New Year's goals or resolutions? Would you like to share them with me?

Induction vs. Natural Labor

2011-12-29T09:19:00.001-05:00

As I promised two weeks ago, here is my post on whether I prefer to be induced or go into labor naturally. To answer that question succinctly, I prefer to be induced. (You could probably figure that out by my earlier posts.) Why do I prefer to be induced?

I'm a planner. I want to know when the baby is coming so I can plan accordingly: who will keep the other children, when to clean the house, when to pack my suitcase, etc.. Then I'm not caught by surprise as I was when I went unexpectedly into labor with Mary. (I had to hurriedly pack in the middle of the night, and I left a messy house.)
My labors are shorter when I'm induced. And once you get an epidural, it doesn't really matter how strong your contractions are from the Pitocin. Of course, I'm sure that part of why this labor was so long was because the residents weren't in any hurry since they were there all day anyway. With my previous labors, I had a private practice physician, and she had other patients to see so she was in a little bit of a hurry. She got there early and broke my water shortly after the Pitocin was started so I delivered quickly. (And I liked that!)
An induction guarantees that my doctor will deliver my baby, not whoever is on call. I prefer to have someone I know getting that familiar with me.
With my inductions, I got my epidurals much more quickly than I did laboring with Mary. Again, that probably has to do with the difference in a teaching versus private hospital.

So, there you go. Have you gone into labor naturally and been induced? Which did you prefer and why?

Book Review: Shadows on the Sand by Gayle G. Roper

2011-12-28T07:00:00.000-05:00

Shadows on the Sand by Gayle G. Roper is a murder mystery, thriller, and romance novel all wrapped up in one. Carrie owns a little cafe in a seaside town, and Jase, one of the men who washes dishes for her, turns up murdered. While she does not set out to solve this mystery, she plays an integral part in capturing the murderer. Along the way, she and Greg, one of her cafe's regular patrons, begin dating, and both of them have lots of baggage to overcome as they progress.

I really enjoyed this book; I had a hard time putting it down, and I can't remember the last book I read where I had this problem. The love story between Greg and Carrie is a sweet one. Since they are both mature (not old) Christians, they know what they want in a relationship and are not willing to settle for less. There is no flirting or other silliness that often ends up in romance novels. This is a straightforward relationship, and therefore is believable. While it is obvious who killed Jase, you have no idea how it will turn out and how Andi, a waitress at Carrie's cafe, is important to the story.

If you're looking for a fun book to read, I recommend this one. I haven't read anything else by Roper, but I plan to remedy that. If her other books are half as good as this one, I won't be disappointed.

I want to thank WaterBrook Multnomah for my (kindle) copy of this book, but my opinions are my own.

What We Did for Christmas

2011-12-27T07:00:00.000-05:00

For the past month, we have been contemplating whether to head back to our old stomping grounds for Christmas. We hadn't been back since we moved, and it would be so nice to see my family. I really wanted to go, but I wasn't sure how it would work with a newborn. Then I had an induction scheduled for November 30, and I thought for sure that we'd be able to make it back to visit my parents and siblings for Christmas.

Well, you know how that induction worked out.

Then as the time got closer and closer to Christmas, John and my mother convinced me that heading back to my hometown wasn't the best idea. So I started preparing mentally to stay home for Christmas...which would be fine. We had a nice, small Thanksgiving, and a nice, small Christmas would be good, too.

But Mary is such a good baby, and so far she's fairly easy, so we started considering again heading up to Georgia for Christmas.

(Do you see how many times we changed our mind?)

Finally, last week on Wednesday, we decided to make the trip. And we're so glad that we did. We left Friday morning and got to my parents' house in late afternoon. One of my good friends dropped by for a quick visit. Then my younger brother and his family and my sister and her children showed up for supper. Our children had soooo much fun playing with their cousins, and Rachel was spoiled with all the attention she got.

We stayed with my sister which was really nice. And we saw some more good friends (Laura with her family and Audrey with hers) Saturday night.

And, of course, Sunday was Christmas. We had a big, Christmas dinner, and all of my family came to my sister's house for it. I felt a little guilty since I didn't prepare a single dish for dinner. But it was wonderful to spend so much time with family, especially since I hadn't seen them in so long.

Then we came back home Monday. And it's so nice to be home. As Dorothy said, "There's no place like home."

My only regret is that I didn't take a single picture. Argh!

What did you do for Christmas?

Busy, Busy

2011-12-21T10:11:00.003-05:00

I had forgotten how busy newborns keep you. Between all the feedings and the rockings to sleep, babies are almost a full-time job in themselves! Thankfully, John is still home, helping with our other children. I'll get to the induction vs. natural labor as soon as I get a chance -- probably next week.

In the meantime, I thought I would let you know what else we have been doing. My sister and her daughter came for a visit on Monday, and it was so good to see them. We haven't seen them since we moved down to Florida in August. John has been doing a good bit with our older children, leaving me at home with Mary. He even took the older three shopping at a mall that's about 45 minutes away on Tuesday. Wasn't that brave of him? Right now, he's playing golf with the older two. I've got Rachel and Mary and clothes to fold.

Here are a couple of pictures for you:

Proud big sister. Doesn't Sarah Beth look so grown up?

Our Christmas picture. We had to wait until Mary was born to take them, so our Christmas cards will be late this year.

Mary's Birth Story

2011-12-19T07:00:00.001-05:00

When I went to bed Monday night, everything seemed "normal." I had no idea that I was going to go into labor later that night. I got up a little before 1:00 a.m. to use the bathroom, and I realized that I didn't feel "normal." I wondered if I were in labor, but I had felt not-quite-normal several times before, so.... When I climbed back in bed, I realized that I was having contractions. They were coming about every four or five minutes, but they weren't very strong. I watched the clock for an hour, making sure that I was actually in labor. I certainly didn't want a false alarm.

A little before 2:00, I woke John up, saying, "I think I'm in labor." He jumped up so fast! I got the phone and called one of my new friends here in town. As a matter of fact, I only know her because a mutual friend told her that I would need some help with my children when I went into labor. This kind lady volunteered to help out; she also has a seventeen year old daughter who was willing to help, as well. Then I called my parents. I laughed when my mother said that they couldn't leave right away, that they would leave first thing in the morning. I knew she wouldn't be able to get back to sleep, and they would be leaving soon. While we waited for the daughter to get here, I finished packing my suitcase. When she arrived, we left.

We got to the hospital about 3:00 a.m., and my contractions were still about five minutes apart, but they were getting stronger. As I waited in the lobby for John to park the car, my mother called to let me know that they were on the way. I knew it! I finally got checked in and everything about 4:00 a.m., and I was four centimeters. Since I went from 4 cm to delivery in an hour with both Daniel and Rachel, I figured I was almost done. But I really wanted my epidural before the baby came.

Meanwhile, my contractions were getting stronger and stronger, and it was about 5:30 before I got my epidural. And that was the worst thirty minutes of my life. I won't say anything else because I don't want to alarm anyone, and I don't want to relive it. But I was thankful for the epidural when it was all over. I will say that I think the difference in this epidural and the others I have received was who gave it. My other ones were done by full-fledged doctors, and this one was done by a third year resident.

At this point, it was about 6:00 a.m. -- shift change for the residents. (Yes, I was at a teaching hospital. Never again!) The nurse's shift change was at 7:00. So I didn't see anyone for about an hour and a half. I was pretty irked by that. I really wanted someone to come in and break my water so I could have this baby. But no one was in a hurry for me to deliver...except for me.

Things continued to drag on all morning until about 8:45 when I insisted that the doctor (a second year resident which I chose because everyone else on the team was a man) come and check me. (The nurses at this hospital aren't allowed to; isn't that ridiculous?) I was hoping that she would break my water at this time, too. At 9:15, my water broke. Then I insisted even more strongly that the doctor needed to come because I was sure that Mary would be coming soon. She got there about 9:30. They got everything set up, and she wanted me to start pushing.

I pushed once, and everyone (the doctor, nurses, and John) were amazed at how far down the birth canal Mary moved. As I relaxed, waiting for the next contraction, my parents opened the door. It was too late for them to come in, but I was so glad they had made it there for the delivery. Mary arrived with the next push at 9:45. She was 8 pounds, 10 ounces which is my biggest baby. She was also 19.29 inches long which is shorter than my other babies.

And there you have it! This labor was my longest one at nine hours. My others were four to six hours long. I really think that if my water had been broken earlier, I would have delivered much earlier. Like I said, I think I was the only one that was in a hurry to have this baby. But from this side of it, I was glad that my parents made it, and they just did! And I was so relieved to have my epidural.

My cousin Angela asked me if I still prefer to be induced or if I liked doing it naturally better. That will have to be the subject of my next post because I figure that, if she's wondering, someone else probably is, too.

And the Winner is...

2011-12-16T07:00:00.000-05:00

Last night, John took our oldest three children out for supper to give me some quiet time with Mary. And I took the opportunity to do some catching up on the computer like uploading some pictures of Mary onto facebook. You know, important things. Then Mary did one of the things that newborns do best -- she fell asleep in my arms. So I put her down and figured I would be a little productive and draw the name for the giveaway while I had the chance. I used random.org, and it drew number 8 which is my good, real life friend Laura at Six Little Arrows. Congratulations, Laura! I will get the snowflakes in the mail as soon as I can, and hopefully you'll get them before Christmas.

What Happened?

2011-12-15T14:32:00.002-05:00

Are you wondering what happened to my announcing the winner to my giveaway yesterday? Well, I warned you that I wouldn't be able to draw a name or announce the winner if I were at the hospital having a baby...although I didn't have her Wednesday morning. Rather, Mary Rebekah arrived Tuesday morning at 9:45.

So I've been just a little bit busy for the past few days. I hope to draw a name and announce the winner tomorrow, but I'm not promising anything. And I also hope to write up Mary's birth story this weekend, but again, I can't guarantee anything.

We are doing well, and our other children are adjusting nicely to having a new baby in the house, even Rachel. But I may not be around much in the blogosphere in the near future.

Rachel's Antics

2011-12-12T07:00:00.000-05:00

The other day, I left my crocheting things out because I was hoping to spend some time that afternoon working on snowflakes. (I usually put my crocheting away because Rachel can ruin hours of work in less than 30 seconds, and I don't want to take the risk.) When I found Rachel, she had pulled out several hooks from the little package and stuck them into my skein of yarn. I thought her "artwork" looked neat so I took some pictures. Doesn't she look proud of herself? Then I took it away from her before she unraveled the skein of yarn.

A couple of days later while John was out with Sarah Beth and Daniel, I found Rachel down in the playroom, playing with Sarah Beth's doll house.

Do you see that she had climbed onto the end table in order to reach it? She's not allowed to play with it because it has small pieces, and she still puts things in her mouth. As soon as she realized I had found her, she started shoving the furniture and dolls back into the house. I know that I should have taken her down immediately and disciplined her, but I just had to get the camera and take a few pictures. I have no idea how she got up there, but she did!

I told you a while ago about Rachel's vibrant personality, but she is also sneaky and mischievous. She is always looking for something to get into, as evidenced by her fun with my yarn. And if you haven't seen or heard her in the last five minutes, you had better go check on her because she will find something to get into. Sarah Beth and Daniel are not like this; they aren't sneaky. But Rachel sure does bring a lot of fun into our lives!

Do you have a sneaky or mischievous child? What kinds of stunts have they pulled?

Giveaway Times Two

2011-12-08T13:23:00.002-05:00

First of all, I want to let you know about the giveaway that Laura is having at Six Little Arrows that is for these beautiful hair flowers. You can go here to enter. (Oh, and I "borrowed" her picture of the flowers. Aren't they pretty?)

I was inspired by Laura, and in honor of today being my due date, I thought I would host a giveaway, too. Since I've had some extra time on my hands lately, I've been doing a little extra crocheting. I found this great pattern for snowflakes, and I adapted it just a bit to make them into Christmas ornaments. I mean, who really wants orange, green, blue, red, etc. snowflakes. So I just made them all white, and the yarn has a little bit of shimmer to it which is very nice for snowflakes, too, I think. Please excuse the "tails;" I haven't gotten around to weaving the ends in yet. (But I will before I send them to you.)

To enter, just leave a comment. For additional entries, blog about this giveaway or link to this post on facebook; then leave another comment stating that you did so. The winner will receive a set of three snowflakes. The drawing will be open until Tuesday, December 13, at midnight. I will announce a winner on Wednesday, assuming, of course, that I'm not at the hospital giving birth.

Disappointed...Again

2011-12-07T07:48:00.003-05:00

At my appointment yesterday, once again I was disappointed in my hopes and plans to have this baby. While I was more ready than last week, my doctor did not think I was ready enough to be induced. I know that my old doctor would have induced me at this stage of readiness, and I did try to change his mind. But he wouldn't be persuaded. However, he did strip my membranes. I wish he would have told me beforehand because I would have asked him not to. I don't think he understands that I don't want to go into labor spontaneously; I want to be induced. I listed all my reasons for being induced here, and here are my worries about going into labor at home.

John works half an hour from home, so it will take him at least that long to get here.
Everyone who has volunteered to keep our children, if my parents aren't here to help, live half an hour or more away.
My labors tend to be short, between four and six hours, but that's when I'm induced. Will they be longer or shorter without Pitocin? If they're shorter, will I make it the hour to the hospital where my doctor delivers babies.
Of course, if my doctor isn't on call, what does it matter where I deliver, really? If a stranger is going to deliver my baby, it may as well be at the small hospital in my town, don't you think?
I just don't do well without a plan, and it stresses me out thinking that I may go into labor.
I do not want to have this baby in the car.

We do have a plan, assuming that I don't have this baby before next week. My doctor scheduled an induction for Thursday when I will be 41 weeks. He did not schedule an appointment to check me beforehand, so he can't change his mind. It just seems so long until then. And I haven't gone that far before. With Sarah Beth, I was induced three days after my due date. With my other two, I was induced at 39 weeks.

Once again, I'm left with trying to figure out what I'm going to do with this extra week I've been given. More cookies? I'm almost done with Christmas shopping. I can't think of anywhere to go with my children. And I can't get motivated to work on these boxes that I still need to unpack. *Sigh* Do you have any suggestions?

What's in Our (Extended) Backyard?

2011-12-06T07:00:00.000-05:00

Since our house is on a golf course, we have an extended backyard. Sometimes in the evenings, John will take our children out to play on the fairway that is behind our house. The golfers are usually done for the day, so we aren't bothering anybody. And we have the benefit of a much larger backyard that we don't have to take care of!

The other day, John thought he heard a bald eagle out in the little lake that is on the other side of the fairway. The next day, he actually saw it. So he took his camera out and took some pictures. Here is a sampling of the pictures that he took.

You have to look closely to see the bald eagle. If you look closely, you can see his white head.

It's a little easier to see now.

Didn't John get some good pictures?!

What's Happening This Week?

2011-12-05T07:00:00.000-05:00

After my huge disappointment last week about not being ready to be induced, I'm cautiously optimistic this week. Since I'll be forty weeks on Thursday, surely I'll be ready to have this baby. Surely. I have a doctor's appointment Tuesday afternoon, and we have an induction scheduled tentatively for Thursday, assuming.... If things look favorable, my parents will drive down for the birth and to help with childcare on Wednesday. If not, well, they won't.

I realized that some of you may not understand why I want an induction so badly, so I thought I would list some reasons. Just in case you're interested.

I've been induced with all three of my children so far, and I have had great experiences with being induced.
I'm a planner. I like to know when things will happen so I can plan for them. Having an induction (or a C-section, I guess) lets me plan. And it keeps me from having to call someone at 3 a.m. to come stay with our children.
My labors tend to be fairly quick (about five hours), and the hospital where my doctor delivers is about an hour away. If I go into labor spontaneously, we will not try to make it there; I will deliver this baby at the little hospital here in our small town. That's not really a problem except that I would like for my doctor to deliver my baby.
Being induced lets my parents know when this baby is coming so they can be here for the birth. (It's a five hour drive, so they'd never make it in time.)

Meanwhile, I plan to keep doing what I've been doing: resting and baking cookies. I have a friend and her children coming over today for a play date, and that should be fun. I have a few other last minute chores to do but nothing major.

I just hope that my plans for this week include having a baby!

What do you have planned for the week?

Finished Object Friday (on Saturday)

2011-12-03T07:19:00.002-05:00

I didn't get to this post yesterday, you know, since I have so much to do just sitting around and waiting for this baby to come. Really, that's pretty much what I've been doing. Oh, and baking some cookies.

Anyway, I finished this blanket a while ago, but I never got around to posting about it. I made it for Rachel because she used to steal Sarah Beth's blanket and Daniel's, and she would try to steal John's. So I thought she would appreciate having her own. I used such a vibrant color because Rachel has a vibrant personality. She is almost always happy; she walks around with a smile on her face. But when she's not happy, oh, boy! She's not happy! And her moods can change with the drop of a hat, from crying to laughing and vice versa. Honestly, we're not sure where Rachel came from because John and I (and our first two children) tend to be more even-keeled than that. But she makes a fun addition to our family!

The thing is, though, that Rachel doesn't seem to care for this blanket. She hasn't touched it since I gave it to her. I'm not sure what to do now. I guess I'll just put it away and try again later. Maybe for her birthday in January?

For more Finished Object Friday, or to add your own, head over to Fresh from the Chari Tree.

What to do Now?

2011-11-30T12:45:00.003-05:00

When it comes to things like "dilation" and "effacement," my doctor decided yesterday that I'm just not ready to have this baby. As I said, I'm very disappointed because we had made plans assuming this baby would be born today. My biggest disappointment comes from the fact that today is my father's birthday. Since this child is likely to be his last grandchild, I thought it would be special for her to be born on his birthday. Oh, well. I guess it's not to be.

When my doctor told me that I wasn't ready, he was disappointed, too. And he was very apologetic, but I pointed out that I was not arguing with him, not trying to persuade him to go ahead and try. If I'm not ready, then I don't want to try to force the issue. I certainly don't want to end up with a C-section just because I was impatient. Mostly, I'm taking comfort knowing that God is in control. He knows what is best for me and for this baby, and He will work things out for our best.

Since I'm not having this baby today, I'm left with a little bit of a quandary. I mean, I've basically gotten everything ready because I thought this baby would be arriving today. However, I'm left with another whole week with nothing to do. Actually, I've come up with a few ideas:

bake Chocolate Minty Melts. I've been waiting for the Mint Truffle Kisses to come out for Christmas just so I can make a batch of these cookies.
bake another batch of "Our Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies" for John because he loves them. (Who am I kidding? I like them, too!)
watch Christmas movies with my children to get into the mood.
finish the Christmas shopping.
crochet snowflakes as ornaments for our Christmas tree.
rest.

Do you have any other suggestions? If I get really ambitious, I might even make some Vanilla Wafers. Can you ever have too many cookies in your freezer? I didn't think so!

Disappointment!

2011-11-29T19:29:00.003-05:00

At my doctor's appointment this afternoon, he decided that I'm not quite ready to have this baby. We're going to try again next week, but I'm so disappointed right now that I just want to cry. My parents drove down six hours to get here; some friends planned a small shower for me next week; John has made plans; etc.. We were counting on this baby coming tomorrow. Ugh! So I guess we were all wrong in my "contest" Monday. But thank you for your prayers.

A Baby Contest

2011-11-28T07:00:00.002-05:00

Assuming that my doctor declares me "ready" at my appointment Tuesday afternoon, I'm planning to be induced on Wednesday. I thought it might be fun to have a little contest with my readers to see who can come the closest to the actual delivery date and time. Since I'm being induced, we already know the date. My other children were induced, too, and they were born at 12:01, 12:16, and 12:18, so I've been bragging that this baby will be born at noon, too. (I've probably jinxed myself!)

What do you get if you win? Well, for the person who comes the closest, I'll give you 100 points. But if you hit the nail on the head, I'll give you 1000 points. If you even get the date correct, I'll give you five points.

What can you do with these points? I don't know. As Drew Carey used to say on "Whose Line is it Anyway?," the points don't matter. (Wasn't that a fun show; oftentimes, it was too crude, but funny!)

So what do you think? When do you think this baby will be born? (For reference, here is Daniel's birth story and here is Rachel's. I haven't gotten around to getting Sarah Beth's up here yet.)

A Quiet Thanksgiving

2011-11-25T08:37:00.005-05:00

Addendum: We found the box!! It was hiding in the playroom behind a little table. Hooray!!

Since we planned such a quiet Thanksgiving Day, I thought maybe I could be a little productive, especially since I have so much to do before our baby comes (hopefully) next week.

In the morning, we sat around a little bit and enjoyed each other's company. Then it was time for John to head outside with the older two children to fry the turkey. (And boy! was that turkey good!) Rachel had to stay inside with me because she is not trustworthy around the turkey fryer. I finished up the casseroles and got them in the oven. The pie was already made; yea for preparing ahead!

Meanwhile, I started washing all of the baby's clothes. Goodness! Babies have a lot of clothes, don't they? Is it because they go through so many outfits in one day? Is it because their clothes are just so cute that we can't keep from buying more? Maybe a combination of both?

I also washed the covers for the swing, the car seat, the bassinet cover, burp cloths, bedding for the crib, and blankets. (We seem to have lost a box in the move, the one with all of the blankets that my Granny crocheted a border around and all of the blankets that I crocheted for my older children. Ugh!!!!!) Then I put everything back together and made the crib, although I doubt she will sleep in there anytime soon because she'll be in the bassinet.

Then I sat down and put my feet up until suppertime. John and I weren't hungry, so we just fed our children some sandwiches which they gobbled up. How could they be so hungry after such a huge meal for lunch?

After supper, I was so tired I couldn't get out of my rocking chair, so my sweet husband finished putting the last load of clothes into the dryer. Today I plan to fold all of those little, bitty clothes and put them away.

Our house is starting to look like there's a baby coming!

What are your plans for today? Did you do anything out of the ordinary (like I did) yesterday?

Thanksgiving Plans

2011-11-23T07:32:00.000-05:00

With our having moved twice in three months and the baby coming next week, John and I decided to have a quiet Thanksgiving at home this year. Certainly, we don't need to be driving up to middle Georgia two weeks before my due date. And while I do have family here in north Florida, it will be nice to have a quiet celebration at home. (And we did invite my aunt and uncle over here, but they needed to stay home, too.)

Since we're having a small, quiet meal here at home, I'm not preparing too much, just some of our favorite dishes. John is frying a turkey breast which frees up the oven. And fried turkey is soooo much better than baked, don't you think? Oh, you haven't tried it? You need to! We are also having:

sweet potato casserole
green bean casserole
5-Cup Salad*
Grasshopper Pie (Sarah Beth has been asking for this all year long. I haven't made it since Christmas, but every time anyone mentions a pie, she says she wants the "green one." She didn't care for my chocolate pecan pie.)
Sister Schubert's rolls (I'm cheating this year and not making any homemade rolls.)

As I looked at last year's menu, I realized that I prepared these same dishes. Oh, well! I reckon we're making traditions!

*If you're wondering what 5-Cup salad is, it's a super yummy salad containing five cups, hence the name. There is one cup each of crushed pineapple, mandarin oranges, chopped pecans, sour cream, and marshmallows.

Giveaway!

2011-11-22T08:45:00.000-05:00

Laura at Six Little Arrows, one of my good real-life friends, is having a giveaway for this beautiful baby hat that she crocheted. (I shamelessly stole this picture from her post.) If you would like to enter, you can go here. And if you don't have a baby and aren't going to have one anytime soon, feel free to go ahead and enter. If you win, I would be glad to take this hat off your hands!

Book Review: Not by Might by Al Lacy

2011-11-19T08:56:00.000-05:00

In Not by Might by Al Lacy, John and Breanna Brockman are a happily married, newlywed couple in the late 1800's. John is the Chief U.S. Marshal, and Breanna is a traveling nurse. There are a couple of plots in this book, but the main one is how a gang of outlaws want to kill Brockman. Breanna has several patients that she cares for; one is a woman who has just had a baby, and another is a newly-paralyzed doctor.

What did I think of this book? Two words: unbelievable and unrealistic. Everyone in this story is so sweet and nice to everyone else, even the outlaws. No one ever says anything mean to anyone else, and at one point, two of the outlaws apologize to each other for arguing. Everyone that Breanna and John talk to becomes a Christian, and men argue over whose wife is the prettiest. The dialogue is disgustingly sweet. Combined with that are unrealistic plot developments. I won't go into these, just in case you read the book because I don't want to spoil anything for you.

In short, the only reason I finished this book was because I had agreed to review it.

I want to thank WaterBrook Multnomah for my (kindle) copy of this book, but my opinions are my own.

Moving Day Pictures

2011-11-18T07:14:00.004-05:00

I forgot to show you these pictures of our children on moving day. They were funny that morning as we were preparing to leave our rental house, well, at least two of them were.

We didn't explain to Rachel what was going on, but she picked up on it anyway. She gathered her special toys together and toted them around so they wouldn't be forgotten.

Sarah Beth did the same thing, gathering up everything that she was afraid we might forget and carrying it around just in case....

Poor Daniel, though, was sick that morning. He felt pretty lousy, so we made sure to get his special toys for him.

All I Want for Christmas...

2011-11-16T07:00:00.000-05:00

I was going to show you just this picture this morning. We were sitting on the couch, watching television Saturday afternoon when I heard Sarah Beth say, "Oh." She had pulled out her tooth. This tooth was the third one she had pulled out. But before I could get around to posting that picture, Sarah Beth pulled out her other front tooth on Monday at lunch. *Sigh* She's going to bankrupt the Tooth Fairy.

Since I had a few pictures of my older daughter, I thought I would include some of her younger siblings.

Aren't they precious?!

Pictures of Our New House

2011-11-15T07:00:00.001-05:00

Here are the pictures from our new house that I promised you yesterday. I'm sorry that there are so many, but there are even more on our computer!

Our living room. Yes, it's as big as it looks. The opening on the right goes down one step into our sunroom and then down a few more into the playroom.

Here is our sunroom. It runs the length of our living room. We're not sure what we're going to do with it yet, but we do know that we need some chairs for it.

Our kitchen.

Another view of the kitchen. It's dated and needs to be re-done, but it can wait a couple of years.

A view of our kitchen from the living room. Don't you love the "saloon" doors? John took them down the same day that we closed!

The master bedroom. We have a small porch through the sliding doors.

Our bathroom. Isn't the color of the sink, shower, and even the toilet lovely? This too will be redone...eventually.

What do you think of the harvest gold sinks in the kids' bathroom? Yes, the shower and toilet match.

Our house has a lot of strange features like this sink. The knob on the left is for hot water, right? Nope. It raises and lowers the drain plug. The home inspector said that he has inspected over 30,000 homes and has never seen this before.

The playroom. This room is HUGE, measuring 25 x 25. We plan to use it as a playroom and as the school room...once we get a table and storage for the school books.

Another view of the playroom.

The view from our sunroom.

The back of our house. Can you see it through all of the live oaks?

The view I have every morning as the sun comes up.

I don't have pictures of the kids' room or the baby's room because they just didn't turn out well. But the kids' room is really big and looks like a dormitory room with the two beds and Rachel's crib. The baby's room is a good size but smaller, and it's an absolute wreck right now. I've got to go through things and make it neater. Oh, and I forgot the laundry room. I really should include a picture because the linoleum is soooo ugly. Oh, well. The pictures of the dining room didn't turn out well, either, but I think you've gotten enough pictures for now!

Pregnancy Update: Almost 37 Weeks

2011-11-14T07:00:00.001-05:00

I technically won't be 37 weeks until Thursday, but I thought that you may be more interested in knowing how the baby and I are doing instead of seeing pictures of our new house. (But I could be wrong. And I hope to get those pictures up tomorrow.)

John and I agree that I am bigger with this pregnancy than with my previous ones. I haven't gained that much more weight, only about five pounds, so we don't really understand why I seem so much bigger. The baby isn't especially big, either. Oh, well! But I really do look huge in this picture, don't I?!

How am I doing? Well, I'm tired. And I feel bulky. But I seem to be sleeping better, although I think that's because I'm doing so much during the day. I feel a little overwhelmed, too. My mother came down for the move, and she was a tremendous help, but I still have boxes to unpack. And I have things that are unpacked that need to be put away. And I have casseroles to prepare for after the baby comes. And I still have my daily chores to do. Oh, and I can't forget that I still have three children and a husband who need me as well. I feel like I have so much to do and so little time.

At my appointment last Wednesday, we agreed that I should be induced. I was induced with my previous three pregnancies, and I had great experiences. I want to be induced with this one, too. It certainly helps with the preparations! My doctor wants to schedule my induction at 39 weeks. That's just two weeks away. Two weeks! And I've got so much to do!! I think it's time to prioritize. And to realize that I may not get everything done. *Sigh*

My other good news is that my baby has turned so that she is head down, in good birthing position. Praise the Lord!

It's hard to believe that in a little over two weeks, I will be holding my new baby daughter in my arms. Where has the time gone?

Book Review: Sunrise on the Battery by Beth Hart

2011-11-12T07:42:00.005-05:00

In Sunrise on the Battery by Beth Hart, Mary Lynn and Jackson are on the verge of entering the social elite in Charleston. They have worked their way up from poor beginnings and are thrilled that they are about to "arrive." While Mary Lynn is a nominal Christian, Jackson is not one at all. On Christmas Eve, Mary Lynn prays that God will touch Jackson's heart and bring him to Him. But she is not prepared for what God actually does in Jackson's life. After a lot of struggling with himself and with God, Jackson embraces the Truth whole-heartedly and is willing to give up everything he and Mary Lynn have worked for. Mary Lynn is happy with her shallow faith and her social status and isn't sure she wants to stay with her husband who is so enraptured with his faith.

I enjoyed reading this book. It was enlightening to read about Mary Lynn and Jackson's beginnings through flashbacks. And it was fun to see how quickly Jackson's life changed when he believed. I was challenged in my own faith as I saw how Jackson lived out his faith and how he strove to learn as much as he could about it.

I want to thank BookSneeze for my (kindle) copy of this book, but my opinions are my own.

Finished Object Friday: A Blanket for MY Baby

2011-11-11T12:36:00.000-05:00

I wish I could say that I worked on this blanket during all of my "off-line time," but actually, I finished it the night before we moved. And I didn't do too much crocheting because I was too busy unpacking and spending time with my mother who was here to help us move.

Anyway, I made this blanket for my baby. Since I think that every baby deserves something handmade that belongs only to him, and since I enjoy making baby blankets, all of my babies have had at least two blankets that belong only to them. (Here is the other blanket I've already crocheted for this baby.)

I found the pattern for this blanket in Crochet Today!, and I thought it would make a nice, warm blanket. Yes, we live in Florida, but I hear that it does get a little chilly here. Better safe than sorry, right? Here is a close-up so you can see the pattern a little better.

The raised stitch was something I had never done before, so I enjoyed learning something new. And the strips were single-crocheted together or else I would not have made this blanket. (I hate sewing things together.) This was a fun blanket that I will probably make again...at some point.

For more Finished Object Friday, head over to Fresh from the Chari Tree. (Check out that scrumptious-looking cake she made.)

I'm Back!

2011-11-10T12:46:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to let you know quickly that we're back online. Finally, finally! It feels like it's been forever! I've got too much catching up to do to post anything significant today, but hopefully, I'll get back into the swing of things next week. I can't wait to show you pictures of our new house! And I may just have some information about my baby for you; don't worry, it's all good! Everything is still fine, and she has flipped into the correct position for birthing. Meanwhile, I will be trying to catch up with your blogs, facebook, and other things that I haven't been able to do during the past two weeks.

(Almost) Two Week Hiatus

2011-10-28T07:00:00.000-04:00

I'm back. Yes, I know -- that was quick. The other night when John talked to Comcast about our new house, they told him it would be almost two weeks before they could get there to hook us up. Two weeks! What am I going to do for two weeks without internet? No email, no blogging (reading and writing), not knowing what's happening on facebook? What will I do?

Well, I've come up with a short list:

Read. With no internet, there will be more time to read, and that's always a good thing.
Study for the Florida law exam. This is the last thing I need to take care of in order to get my pharmacist license here. And I hope to get it done before this baby comes.
Get the house in order. That would be a good thing, too, wouldn't it?
Start cooking and baking for when this baby comes.

So I just wanted to let you know where I would be for the next couple of weeks because I don't want you to worry.

What would you do with your "computer time," if you didn't have the internet for two weeks?

Planning a Little Time Off

2011-10-26T07:00:00.000-04:00

I plan to take a little time off blogging. My mother is coming this afternoon to help us pack up, and we're moving into our new house on Saturday. I imagine that I will be pretty busy for the next few days as we get ready for the move, and I know that we'll be busy unpacking next week. Besides, I'm in a little bit of a writer's slump; I just don't have anything to share with you. However, when I come back, I'll have pictures of our new house to show you. I can't wait!

I do plan to be around the blogosphere a little bit over the next week, and I may even come up with a new post or two for you. But my priorities are elsewhere! I hope you understand, and I hope to come back refreshed and energized by our new house!!

Book Review: Lonestar Angel by Colleen Coble

2011-10-24T07:03:00.002-04:00

Six years ago, Clay and Eden met and had a "fling." When they discovered that Eden was pregnant, they married, but their marriage had a shaky foundation. Six weeks after their baby Brianna was born, she was kidnapped and presumed dead. Eden left Clay, and they haven't seen each other in years. Now, five years later, after both have become Christians, Clay has received a picture in the mail of five little girls at a camp for foster children along with a note saying that one of these girls is Brianna. Clay contacts Eden, and they head down to the camp as counselors to try to discover which of the girls is their daughter. But someone, one of the kidnappers, apparently hates Eden and doesn't want her around.

I enjoyed this book! It was fun watching Clay and Eden fall in love again. While the plot was a little tangled and twisty, it was easy to follow. The premise of this story may be a little far-fetched, but it worked. And the culprit, well, you've got to be following the story pretty closely to be able to figure out "whodunit." This book has love, danger, and intrigue. And it's about Christians and therefore clean. What more could you ask for?

I want to thank BookSneeze for my copy of this book to review, but my opinions are my own.

Recipe Fun Friday: A Cake and Muffins

2011-10-21T07:00:00.001-04:00

Last week, I tried a couple of new recipes. I don't have any pictures to show you, but the sites where I got the recipes do. So go check them out!

First, I tried the Awesome Apple Cake recipe that I found on Everyday Mom. I had been wanting to bake a cake, and my mother was coming so it seemed like a perfect fit. And this recipe obviously has apples in it which makes it nice for fall. And it has chocolate chips in it! Could anything be better? Apples with chocolate chips? We enjoyed this cake, and the kids kept asking for it even after it was gone. Thanks to the apples, it remained nice and moist.

Next, I tried a new pumpkin muffin recipe that I found on Savvy Little Women. Oh, boy is this recipe easy! A box of cake mix and a can of pumpkin are all that you need. I really liked these muffins, but no one else did. John thought they were okay, but the children didn't even really try them. (I think they were distracted by Grammy.) That's okay; I'll still make them again, and if I'm the only one who eats them, so be it! They were great the first day, but they got a little more moist on subsequent days. I didn't mind because they were still delicious!

Have you tried any new recipes lately? How did they turn out?

DVD Review: What's in the Bible?

2011-10-20T13:43:00.000-04:00

Last month, I discovered that Phil Vischer, the creator of Veggie Tales, had come out with a new DVD series entitled "What's in the Bible?" And I told you that I would let you know what we think about them, after we had watched a couple. Well, here you go!

The first DVD, In the Beginning, talks about the Bible: how it's put together, who wrote it, things like that. There are also short cartoons about Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and Noah and the ark. The second DVD, Let my People Go, talks about how the Bible got put together (who chose the books) and defines "salvation." It also contains short cartoons about Moses and the children of Israel. Most of the narration is done by puppets with Phil Vischer also doing a little bit.

I hate to admit it, but I was disappointed in these DVD's. I thought they would mostly tell the stories out of the Bible with maybe a little other knowledge thrown in. Instead, they give a bunch of other knowledge (good stuff, too!) with just a little of the Bible stories thrown in. That said, my children love these videos even though most of them is over their heads. And I have learned a few things, too. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm disappointed in these videos because my expectations were wrong. We enjoy the ones that we have, and Daniel and Sarah Beth may get another one for Christmas. (Shhh! Don't tell them.)

On a deeper level, I was disappointed with more in the first video. Vischer discusses briefly that some people believe that God created the world in six days and that others believe that God used much longer. He leaves it there and implies that it's really not a big deal. That disappointed me. And when Adam and Eve sin, there is no talk of the curse, no talk of a Savior who would come to rescue us from the curse. Disappointing, too. I didn't notice any problems like these in the second video.

Anyway, if you're looking for good, fun videos for your children, you ought to look into these. No, they are not complete, and there is some information lacking, but isn't there always?

Have you seen these videos? What did you think?

Update on My New Routine

2011-10-19T07:00:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, I was under the weather. I know that it was from eating two eggs from free-range chickens. Have you had any problems eating those? Yuck! I plan to throw out the rest of the eggs the next time we head to the dump.

Continuing with my kind-of theme from last week about housekeeping, I thought I would give you a little update on how my new routine is working. Basically, it's the same, although I've had to make a few changes. The biggest one is that Wednesday is now my Kitchen Day while Thursday is my Cleaning Day. I had to make that change because we have church on Wednesday evenings, and I was wearing myself out! Besides, the clothes that I wear to clean in aren't exactly appropriate for church.

Monday is my Office Day which works out great since it is the start of the week.

Tuesday is my Errand Day, although we only usually run one or two errands. And one of those is almost always the grocery store. After doing school, we don't have much time. And I just don't think that my children would appreciate errand after errand, and I know that I would wear myself out. Besides, there aren't too many places to go in this little town! (I'm not complaining; it's nice!)

Wednesday is my Kitchen Day. I've been taking it easy lately since we're moving next week. Now is the time to use up what I have stored in the freezer, not add to it. After we move, however, I plan to start baking and cooking again. I want to fill up our freezer, especially with frozen dinners, for after the baby comes. I'll have to be careful not to overdo it, though!

Thursday is my Cleaning Day. It's nice knowing this in advance so I can dress appropriately.

Friday is my Laundry/Catch-Up Day. Our laundry cannot always wait until Friday, but I don't really mind if it doesn't. I can do all of our clothes in three or four loads with my huge washer that I love! Towels and sheets are done at other times of the week, so they don't add to my loads on Friday. Being so far along in my pregnancy and tiring so easily, I let some chores fall on Friday. It's a great day to run another errand or two, bake something else, or finish the cleaning from the previous Thursday.

As for the weekends, well, I don't plan too much. I never know what John would like to do, so I try to hold my plans loosely. The big things that I feel like I need to get done during the weekend are scheduling my next week and preparing for school for Sarah Beth. If I get those two things done, I'm happy. Occasionally, I'll be able to get another chore done which is just an added bonus.

How do you get your weekly chores done? Do you try to take the weekend off, or do you pile up your chores to do then?

Last Week's Happenings

2011-10-17T07:00:00.000-04:00

As I told you last week, my mother came for a visit. She actually came to babysit while John and I drove down to my doctor's appointment. Wasn't that sweet of her?! And we really enjoyed her visit, even though it was a little short. But she's coming back in less than two weeks to help us move; yes, we're closing on our new house in two weeks! Hooray!! (I really wish that I had taken some pictures of my mother while she was here, although she's probably glad that I didn't. Maybe next time....)

A couple of other fun things happened last week. Sarah Beth has a couple of dress-up outfits that she loves to wear, and she decided that Daniel needed one of his own. And he agreed. Well, with Halloween coming up, it seemed like a good time to get one.

My little Spiderman! (It's the only superhero that Daniel knows about, and it's actually kind of a long story as to how he found out about him.)

Sarah Beth came out of her room one day during playtime, proudly showing my mother and me that she had just pulled her tooth. Yes, she pulled another tooth. (She has now pulled out two of her teeth.) And I didn't even know that it was loose. Apparently, she had told my mom that it was loose, but I didn't know!

Can you see the "window" in her mouth? Silly girl just won't smile for the camera.

I can't forget a picture of my little "ham." She loves to have her picture taken.

How did your last week go? Did you have any visitors? Did anything exciting happen?

Book Review: Just in Case You Ever Wonder by Max Lucado

2011-10-15T07:00:00.001-04:00

Just in Case You Ever Wonder by Max Lucado is a children's book that reassures a child that his parents will always love him...just in case he ever wonders. This book starts with how God makes each person special and places him in a just the right family, a family that will take care of him and teach him about God and heaven.

My children and I enjoyed this book. The message is good and the illustrations are well done. However, when Lucado talks about parents teaching their children about heaven, he leaves it there. I don't understand why there is no mention of Jesus, the way to heaven. It seems like it would fit very nicely right there. I'm disappointed because I expected more of Lucado.

I want to thank BookSneeze for my copy of this book to review, but my opinions are my own.

Finished Object Friday

2011-10-14T12:39:00.000-04:00

I made this blanket for one of my new friends down here in Florida. (If you know who I'm talking about, please don't tell her because I haven't given it to her yet.) She doesn't know if she's having a boy or girl; that's why it's a neutral color. Here is a close-up, so you can see the pattern a little better.

I don't know what else to say about this blanket except that not having a yarn store in town (even something like Michael's or Joann's) is aggravating. I finished this blanket two weeks ago except for two sides of the last round of the border. But I had nowhere to buy yarn, so it languished for a couple of weeks until I could get another skein to finish it. Ugh! But it's done now; hooray!

To see more finished objects, or to add your own, head over to Fresh from the Chari Tree.

Great News!

2011-10-13T07:17:00.002-04:00

As you may remember, I've had a complication with this pregnancy. We weren't sure how serious it was, but we were praying that it would not be very serious at all. Yesterday, I had another ultrasound plus my first appointment at the high risk OB clinic. We'd been praying hard (as I'm sure a lot of you had, too) that we would receive good news. More importantly, however, we want God's name to be glorified.

Well, we got our good news! The ultrasound showed the same enlargement of the ventricles in the brain, but it was no bigger. We saw a new doctor (that's what happens in a teaching hospital, isn't it? New doctors every time.) who explained to us that the enlargement is at the upper end of normal. Since the reading hasn't changed any, maybe this enlargement is just the baby's "normal." I made the whole team laugh (yes, there was a team of residents and students looking at my big, ole belly and sonogram) when I told them that my children do have big heads. Dr. D thinks that this enlargement is stable and should continue to remain just as it is. He doesn't foresee there being any problems with the baby or with my having a vaginal delivery. Praise the Lord!

I want to thank everyone who prayed for us and for this baby. And I want to thank God publicly for answering our prayers about this baby.

Now we just need her to turn over because she's breech. But she's got eight weeks to do that!

Tuesday's Tip: Picking out Clothes the Night Before

2011-10-11T07:00:00.002-04:00

Have you heard of women laying their clothes out the night before? Do you do that? I really didn't think that I needed to do that. Usually, I wear a t-shirt and shorts (or jeans), and that doesn't require much forethought. If I were going somewhere where I wanted to look a little nicer, I might lay my clothes out...or not.

I'm not sure exactly when I started laying my clothes out every night before going to bed, but it's a helpful little activity. When I get up in the morning, it's still dark outside, and I don't want to turn a light on just to pick out my clothes. (It hurts my eyes!) And I certainly don't want to have to think about it. It's nice just to grab what I had laid out the night before and take it into the bathroom with me for my shower. I don't have to worry that my clothes may not be appropriate for the day; I thought about it the night before when I was thinking clearly. Grubby clothes for Cleaning Day and nicer clothes for Town or Errand Day.

Laying out my clothes the night before may not save me much time in the morning, but it does save me a little effort before my brain gets going in the morning. And that makes it worth it to me.

Do you lay your clothes out the night before?

How We (Typically) Spend Our Day

2011-10-10T07:00:00.001-04:00

My mother is coming today, and we're so excited! We haven't seen her for almost two months, and after living in the same town as my parents, that's a long time. Because she will be here, I may not be around on the blogosphere as much as usual. I can think of few things more rude than spending time on the computer instead of with my guest. However, I do have a few posts planned for you, and I will be around a little.

I've read a few posts lately about how women spend their days at home. I find those type of posts relatively interesting, and in case you do, too, here is a look into our typical day. (Of course, this schedule is not set in stone, and things do not always go according to plan.)

6:00 - I roll out of bed and hop into the shower.

6:20 - I read my Bible, pray, and read a good-for-me book. Afterwards, I get on the computer and catch-up until my children wake up.

7:20 - Sarah Beth and Daniel make their appearance, and I get Rachel up. They get dressed, and we have breakfast.

7:50 - We clean up the kitchen, finish getting ready for the day, and do a couple of small chores.

8:45 - We start school. Here is what we are doing, if you're interested.

10:00 - School is over. Usually, I read a few books to my children, then I start to work on my chores. We play, do chores, and such until lunch time.

11:30 - Lunch. After cleaning up the lunch dishes, I play some more with my children and maybe work on more chores for the day.

1:00 - Rachel's nap time. And I get on the computer for half an hour while Sarah Beth and Daniel color at the table next to me.

1:30 - More reading to Sarah Beth and Daniel.

2:00 - Sarah Beth and Daniel have an hour of playtime in their room. I read a good-for-me book for ten to fifteen minutes, then I watch some television while I crochet.

3:00 - Snack time. Afterwards, we may play outside, read more books, finish chores, whatever. Also, I finish getting supper ready.

5:30 - 6:00 Supper, depending on what time John gets home. After supper, John usually spends time with our children while I finish cleaning up the kitchen.

7:30 - Children's bedtime. Yes, I know that's early, but by this time, I'm exhausted. We don't expect our children to go to sleep this early (and they don't!). They just need to be relatively quiet. I get back on the computer for a few more minutes and watch a little more television with John while I crochet.

9:00 - My bedtime. John usually follows shortly afterwards since his morning starts so early at 5:15.

I had no idea that my day was so regimented. Sure, there's lots of free time there, but we live by this schedule for the most part...at least, during the week.

What does your day look like?

Recipe Fun Friday: Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-10-07T07:00:00.000-04:00

I received an email from John on Sunday with the subject "Cookies." What in the world is this email about? I wondered. When I clicked it open, he asked me to try this recipe for chocolate chip cookies. I was already planning to bake some chocolate chip cookies this week; it was just a different recipe that I wanted to try. Why not make my husband happy by trying out his recipe first? (John doesn't usually ask me to try recipes. Occasionally, he will look through a cookbook and point out one or two recipes he would like for me to prepare, but he has never emailed me a recipe before.) Chocolate chip cookies are our favorite, but we like them chewy instead of crunchy. I have searched and searched for a good, chewy cookie recipe, but I haven't been lucky so far.

So Wednesday afternoon, Sarah Beth, Daniel, and I prepared the cookie dough. Wednesday seemed like a good time since we have church that evening, and my children might not mind (as much) not baking the cookies immediately.

Then yesterday afternoon while Rachel napped, we baked the cookies. The dough was a little hard since they had been refrigerated overnight, but my scoop was able to handle it. Then, of course, we had to sample them. What do you think? Do you think my children enjoyed them? Rachel woke up in time to get one, too.

More importantly, what did John think? He loved them! He said that they were the best cookies I've made. Wow! These cookies are very good, and they are chewy! If you're looking for a good, chewy chocolate chip cookie, you should try these.

If you click over to the original recipe, you'll see that it calls for pastry flour. Have you heard of that before? I hadn't. When I looked it up online, I discovered that pastry flour has less gluten (the sticky part of flour) than all-purpose flour but more than cake flour. So you can substitute some of each in a ratio of 2:1 all-purpose flour to cake flour. That's what I did, what I had to do, since our grocery store in this little town doesn't carry pastry flour.

Also, if you print out the original recipe, you'll discover that it makes 8 1/2 dozen cookies, and I didn't think that my mixer would handle that much dough. And I didn't feel like chopping up chocolate, so I just used chocolate chunks and chips. (I forgot to buy enough chunks.)

So here's the recipe that I used, after all of my tweaking:

Ingredients:

1 cup butter

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 cup AP flour

1/2 cup cake flour

3 cups bread flour

1/2 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1 bag (11.5 oz) chocolate chunks

1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

Cream together the sugars and butter.
Add eggs.
Add flours, baking powder, baking soda, and vanilla. Mix well.
Add chocolate.
Let dough sit at least 24 hours in the refrigerator before baking.
Scoop cookie dough onto baking sheets.
Bake at 350 for 10 - 15 minutes until lightly browned but still soft.
Cool slightly on baking sheets before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

I'm not sure what refrigerating the dough for 24 hours does, but I did it. And it made clean-up easier because I was able to clean up all the mess from making the dough on Wednesday and the mess from baking the cookies on Thursday. That was kind of nice!

Oh, and I got almost six dozen cookies from my halving the recipe; apparently, the person who came up with this recipe used a bigger cookie scoop than I did.

Does your husband ask you to try out new recipes? Does he email them to you? (I think he just did that because it was the easiest way to get the website to me.)

The Grass is Always Greener....

2011-10-06T07:00:00.002-04:00

"The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence." Back when we had horses, I remember seeing them with their heads stuck through the boards of the fence, nibbling at the grass on the other side. There was plenty of grass in the pasture with them, but apparently, it looked better on the other side of the fence. Sometimes, like horses, we look longingly on what we can't have. It looks so much better than what we do have, and it's hard to be content.

Several years ago when I was still working full-time (pre-children), the pharmacy at the hospital I worked for decided to make some changes. None of us pharmacists were happy about the changes, and several of us talked about leaving. I'll never forget what one woman told me, "There are problems everywhere; you just leave the problems that you know for the ones you don't." Yes, I had learned to deal with the problems where I currently worked; was it worth it to exchange those problems for ones that I knew nothing about?

What brought about all of this reflection? Last night, I heard about a woman who was leaving her husband so she could find someone "better." She sees the greener grass on the other side of the fence. But my wise, former co-worker would tell her that she is just exchanging one set of problems for another -- problems she knows and has learned to deal with for problems that she knows nothing about.

I wonder how often we do this: wish for something that we don't have, not realizing that what seems so wonderful to us actually has just as many, if not more, problems associated with it. Oh, how I need to pray for contentment because God has placed me in these circumstances, and He surely knows what He is doing.

Are you often tempted by the "greener grass"? What do you do about it?

Book Review: The Grace of God by Andy Stanley

2011-10-04T07:00:00.000-04:00

The Grace of God by Andy Stanley takes the reader through the Bible showing how God's grace is made manifest through so many ways. Some of the ways are surprising, like His reaction to Adam's original sin, the giving of the Ten Commandments (and the myriad of other laws for the Israelites), and even His orders to exterminate all of the Canaanites. Of course, Stanley also goes through the ones that are easier to understand: Jonah, the Prodigal Son, etc.. If you're looking for a good introduction to what God's grace really is, you should read this book.

However, as with everything else this side of heaven, this book is not perfect. Stanley says, "Much of our confusion around grace stems from our confusion about sin. Simply put, we severely underestimate the impact of sin on our souls and on our world" (p. 11). True, true, but this statement doesn't go far enough. The reason that we don't understand how powerful God's grace is, the reason we don't understand the full impact of our sin, is because we don't understand how holy God is. Without that knowledge of God's holiness, we don't realize how much God did for us when He gave His Son to die in our places.

Another place this book misses the mark occurs in the epilogue "How Sweet the Sound." He makes it sound as if we can do whatever we like, that nothing is required of us, once we have God's grace. This is not true. Yes, grace is a free gift of God; there is nothing we can do to earn it. If there were, it wouldn't be grace. However, as Paul says in Romans 6:1-2, "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?" (emphasis added). In other words, because we have experienced God's grace, we should work very hard not to sin any more. Or as Evangelism Explosion puts it, we should live a life of gratitude for what God has given us, that is, to stop sinning...as much as we are able.

Despite these two shortcomings, I did enjoy this book. It was easy to read, and it explained a good bit about some of the cultures during Biblical times. And, as I said before, it is a really good introduction to God's grace. Just be sure to keep reading; don't stop with this book!

I want to thank BookSneeze for my copy of this book to review, but my opinions are my own.

A Trip to the Zoo

2011-10-03T07:00:00.002-04:00

I haven't posted many pictures of my children lately, and I thought I would take this opportunity to remedy that. We went to the zoo on Saturday; finally, we got some fall-feeling weather with a high of only 80. It was wonderful!

Sarah Beth and Daniel looking for a stingray to touch. Rachel and I stayed out of the area, and I love our zoom lens for the camera because it looks like I was right there!

Here are their faces.

And here is a decent picture of John. I don't get many pictures of him on my blog, do I?

While we were waiting for the others to pet stingrays.

Playing on an alligator statue.

Same thing, different children.

Hard at play.

Riding the carousel was one of Sarah Beth's highlights.

This was the only carousel horse that Daniel wanted to ride. We don't know why he didn't want to ride the real, moving ones.

I just thought this was a cute picture. We were waiting patiently for Sarah Beth's carousel ride.

Sweet girl rode around in the stroller all day. Just look at that wild and crazy hair! We have a trip planned to get it cut this week.

What did you do this weekend? Anything fun?

Finished Object Friday

2011-09-30T07:07:00.000-04:00

I made this baby blanket for my good, real-life friend Laura. She is pregnant with her seventh child, and I have already made her several blankets, but each baby deserves his own, don't you agree? I remembered that she really liked this blanket I made last year, so I offered to make one for her using the same pattern. These were the colors she picked: green with white peeking through. Here is a close-up so you can see the pattern a little better.

This pattern makes a nice, thick blanket which (hopefully) will be good for Laura since her winters should be a little colder than ours down here in Florida.

What have you been working on lately? Be sure to head over to Fresh from the Chari Tree and check out Finished Object Friday to see what others have been doing.

Rachel's Language

2011-09-28T07:00:00.000-04:00

The other day, I was complaining about Rachel still not talking. She is twenty months old, and it is time for her to talk! (Does this post sound familiar? Like the one about her not walking?) Yes, we can get her to say, "Uh-oh," but that is the only word we can get her consistently to say. She does appear to be saying "daddy," and I think she said "done" yesterday morning when she finished breakfast. Maybe she is learning our language.

Anyway as I was complaining, I realized that Rachel may not be speaking my language, but she has taught me hers. I can tell her different fussings apart: there's the one when she has lost her bear; there's the one when she is hungry; and there's the one when she is frustrated with her brother and/or sister. Goodness! If I know her language so well, why should she learn mine?

Then my thinking progressed to God. Since we cannot understand His language, He had to learn ours. He has to talk to us in our language, or we cannot understand Him. (Of course, God did not have to learn our language because He knows everything, but you get my point.)

I am amazed at the things, spiritual lessons, that God uses my children to teach me? What about you? Does God use your children to teach you?

Tuesday's Tip: Little Helpers

2011-09-27T06:58:00.002-04:00

"Mommy, what can I do to help you?" Aren't those some of the most precious words you can hear from your child? Sarah Beth has recently started asking me how she can help me, and I admit that I love hearing those words.

But I think that in order to hear those words, you have to be willing for little ones to help you. And that isn't always easy. Last night, for example, as we emptied the dishwasher, I asked Sarah Beth and Daniel to help. Rachel didn't want to be left out, and she was so cute as she took one fork or spoon at a time to the silverware drawer for me to place inside it. (She's still too short to reach, and oh, how I wish I had a picture. She was so proud of herself!) It was lovely to have all of that help, but there was some confusion.

I don't know about you, but I don't like confusion. I like order and peace. Honestly, I would like to send all three of my children into the other room to play while I clean up the kitchen after meals. But that doesn't teach them to help, does it? So I let them help, and I endure the chaos because I know the time is coming when I won't have to supervise anymore. Won't that be nice?

More important than having my children help me so the household chores take less time, I want them to grow into adults who know how to do things for themselves. I don't want Sarah Beth to learn how to cook after she gets married, as I did. I don't want Daniel not to know how to clean a bathroom. I want Rachel to know how to keep her own home clean. And children learn these things by helping.

Yesterday afternoon, Sarah Beth asked if she could help me wash dishes. And I told her, "No." I wish now that I hadn't. I stifled her desire to help. I hope that she will continue to ask me to help because that is so much more pleasant than making her help.

Do you encourage your children to help you around the house? How is that going for you?

Responsibility and our Children

2011-09-26T07:00:00.001-04:00

As you probably know, I am reading the Little House on the Prairie series to Sarah Beth right now. She loves it! And since I haven't read them before, I'm enjoying these books, also.

When we were reading On the Banks of Plum Creek, one of the scenes stuck out to me. When it was time for Mary and Laura to attend school, Ma and Pa sent them on their way. The trek was two and a half miles each way, and Mary and Laura were 7 and 5 years old, respectively. Their parents did not walk with them to show them the way. They just told them to follow the path until they got to town.

Mary and Laura had never been to town, so Pa had told them how to find the school building. On the second day, he sent money with them so they could buy their slate. They had to find the correct store and make the correct purchase. And they were such young children!

It made me wonder about how much responsibility we assign our children. I would never think of sending my children out for a two and a half mile walk. I would never send them into a store to buy something without me.

Yes, times are different now, but things were still dangerous back them. Maybe Ma and Pa didn't have to worry about kidnappers or cars, but they had to worry about packs of wolves and other dangers on the wild prairies.

All of this thinking made me wonder about how much we expect from our children. Do we expect too little? Are the times really that different? What do you think?

Recipe Fun Friday: Vanilla Wafers

2011-09-23T07:00:00.000-04:00

I came across a recipe for vanilla wafers a few years ago, and I thought, "What a great idea! If I can make my own, they will be more healthful, and I won't have to buy any." Well, I never got around to making them...until Wednesday. (By that time, I had to find a new recipe because I had lost the old one.)

All three of my children crowded together on one chair to "help." It was Rachel's first time "helping."

Sarah Beth and Daniel had a great time helping me make these cookies, and Rachel enjoyed being on the chair just like her big brother and sister. We all enjoyed eating these cookies. And boy! are they good! If you decide to make them, however, be sure to double the recipe. I was only able to get thirty cookies from this recipe, and that won't last us very long, especially since these cookies are so delicious.

Have you tried a new recipe lately? How did it go?

Thankful Thursday

2011-09-22T07:00:00.001-04:00

I know that my post on Monday was a little bit of a downer since I complained so much about this pregnancy. I figured that I would try to change my point of view a little bit and see how much I have to be thankful for...even in the things that are bugging me right now.

I'm tired of being tired. Being tired gives me a great excuse to sit down and put my feet up. And read a chapter or two to Sarah Beth.
I'm tired of sleeping on my side. At least, I am able to sleep. Some pregnant women have terrible insomnia. Mine, I think, is moderate.
I'm tired of feeling bulky. There's a great reason for this bulkiness, and it should mostly be gone in a few months.
I'm tired of feeling hot. At least, I'm not cold. And I'm grateful, oh so grateful, for air conditioning.
I'm tired of wearing men's shirts. At least, I have shirts to wear and could afford to buy new ones...even though I don't like them.
I'm tired of little elbows digging into my big, ole belly. I'm thankful for my older children who have those elbows.
I'm tired of working so hard just to get off the couch. I'm thankful that we have a couch (and other furniture) to get out of.
I'm tired of the uncertainty. Without this baby, there would be no uncertainty, so I am grateful for this baby and the uncertainty revolving around her. And I am thankful for the opportunity to bring glory to God through our circumstances.

Have you been complaining about something lately? Can you turn it into something to be grateful for?

The American Christian Idea

2011-09-21T07:00:00.000-04:00

This weekend while I was reading my copy of World magazine, I came across an article about Phil Vischer. If I had known that article was in there, I'm sure I would have read it first. Do you know who he is? He created Veggie Tales! And we love some Veggie Tales in our house. I enjoyed reading the article, but I was saddened to find out that his company Big Idea had to declare bankruptcy, and then he sold it. But that's not the purpose of this post.

In this article, Vischer talks a little about what he calls the American Christian idea, and I thought this quote hit the nail on the head, so to speak.

We're drinking a cocktail that's a mix of the Protestant work ethic, the American dream, and the gospel. And we've intertwined them so completely that we can't tell them apart anymore. Our gospel has become a gospel of following your dreams and being good so God will make all your dreams come true. It's the Oprah god.

How true is this! I haven't heard anyone put this idea so succinctly before, that we believe that God will give us what we want if we just try to be good and put a little bit of trust in Him, that God just wants us to be happy. And isn't it a sad statement about us Christians here in the United States?

What do you think? Do you think Vischer knows what he is talking about? Or do you think he is completely clueless?

*By the way, Vischer started another company Jellyfish Labs and has a new series of videos about the Bible coming out. I've already ordered the first one, and I'll let you know what I think after we've watched it. I can't wait!

Muffins

2011-09-20T07:13:00.000-04:00

A few years ago, I was a woman on a mission. We loved eating blueberry muffins for breakfast, but I couldn't find a recipe that we liked. I tried recipe after recipe, but nothing seemed to compare to the store bought mixes. And I really didn't want to keep using those, for a myriad of reasons, none the least of which was the fact that I wanted to eat real blueberries in my muffins, not blueberry bits. I was about to give up when I discovered this recipe. Perfect!

John and I agreed that this recipe was delicious and solved our problem. However, the topping was a bit decadent for routine use. We thought the muffin without the topping tasted pretty good, so we tried it without the topping. Very good! This recipe has become my go-to muffin recipe.

3 cups flour*

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon salt

4 teaspoons baking powder

2/3 cup oil

2 eggs

about 2/3 cup milk

2 cups blueberries**

Mix all the dry ingredients. Then measure 2/3 cup of oil. Add both eggs to the oil, and use enough milk to bring the volume to 2 cups. Mix wet ingredients with dry, and gently fold in blueberries. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or so. (Since I use dark, non-stick pans, I bake mine at 375 for 18 minutes.)

Do you see another reason why I love this recipe? Besides the taste, of course, there are only eight ingredients. Easy peasy!

Another reason I love this recipe is that it is versatile. John loves eating chocolate chips muffins for breakfast on the weekends. Oh, who am I kidding? So do I! And we use this recipe, substituting 2 cups of chocolate chips for the blueberries. I've also used it for strawberry muffins, but only once because it was tedious cutting up the strawberries into tiny pieces.

But I feel like we're in a little bit of a rut with muffins. I would like to try something new, and I hope that you will be able to help me out. Do you have a muffin recipe that you love, that you would be willing to share? Since fall is almost here, something with apples would be great. Or really, anything would be nice to try. Please help me in my search for another yummy muffin recipe to try!

*I usually use half all-purpose flour and half whole-wheat flour when making blueberry muffins. However, John prefers me to use just all-purpose flour when making chocolate chip muffins.

**The blueberries can be substituted out for chocolate chips or strawberries. Maybe something else, too, but I can't think what.

Pregnancy Picture and Update

2011-09-19T07:00:00.000-04:00

I'm now 28 weeks along in this pregnancy and starting my third trimester. It's hard to believe that I'm two-thirds done! Everything seems to be going well with me during this pregnancy, just as it has with my previous three. Isn't that a blessing?! We're still not sure about "Baby Sister," but I have another appointment in a couple of weeks. Hopefully, we'll find out more then.

Meanwhile, I feel pretty good, but I tire more easily than I wish. Could it be that I'm trying to do too much? Could it be that I have three little children? Does it matter? But while I love knowing there is a new, little life growing inside of me, there are aspects of pregnancy that I'm getting tired of.

I'm tired of being so tired!
I'm tired of sleeping on my side. (I'm usually a stomach-sleeper.)
I'm tired of feeling bulky.
I'm tired of being hot.
I'm tired of wearing men's shirts because I can't find any modest, not-too-tight maternity shirts.
I'm tired of Daniel's little elbows digging into my big, ole belly as he gets down from sitting next to me on the couch.
I'm tired of working so hard just to get off the couch.
Mostly, I'm tired of the uncertainty.

Don't get me wrong, however. I do not want this pregnancy to end any earlier than it should. I do enjoy feeling "Baby Sister" move...for the most part. (Sometimes, it is uncomfortable.) And I hate to sound like I'm complaining because I know that so many women have much harder pregnancies than I do. I'm thankful that God blesses me with such easy pregnancies, but it's easy to dwell on the negative instead of the positive. I need to work on that.

Thanks for bearing with me today.

Giveaway!

2011-09-17T10:01:00.002-04:00

Laura at the Muncks Quiver has a giveaway going on. You can win this beautiful bag filled with school supplies, or there are a pair of lovely earrings, if you would prefer. Head over, and check it out!

Finished Object Friday: Another Baby Blanket

2011-09-16T13:31:00.000-04:00

I made this blanket for "Baby Sister" even though she will be born in December (or maybe the end of November). We do live in Florida where it doesn't get that cold, so maybe she will be able to use it some. The pattern is called "Snowflake;" do you see why? It's nice to have something put away for her, and now I can try to find a more practical blanket for her to use this winter. More practical, yes, but just as pretty! I wish I had a closer picture so you could see the variegation in the yarn, although you can see it a little bit in this picture.

For more Finished Object Friday, head over to Fresh from the Chari Tree.

Time to Read?

2011-09-15T07:00:00.001-04:00

When he saw my Booking It post on Sunday, John commented that I had read a bunch of books last month. Did you think so, too? If so, I thought that you may be wondering how I fit so much reading into my schedule.

First of all, you make time for what's important to you. I love to read, so it's something that I make time for.
I divide my books into two categories: good books -- ones that are fun to read, like novels and biographies, and good-for-me books -- ones that will edify me as I read them. And I read these books at different times of the day.
After I pray and read my Bible in the morning, I spend ten to fifteen minutes reading a good-for-me book. This plan, of course, assumes that my children are still in bed; I cannot read these types of books with them around because, well, honestly, they're distractions -- good, wonderful distractions, but distractions all the same.
During nap time (for Rachel) and play time (for Sarah Beth and Daniel), I again pick up my good-for-me book and spend another ten to fifteen minutes reading it.
When I go to bed at night, that's when I spend ten to fifteen minutes reading my fun book.
There are times, especially on the weekends, when I am able to find a few more minutes to read, and I try to take advantage of these times. Usually, I read my fun book because there are interruptions, good interruptions called my husband and my children.
As for all of the books I read with Sarah Beth, almost every time that I sit down, she asks me to read another chapter. And since I enjoy reading these books, too, I usually comply. Sometimes, we'll read four or five chapters in a day. (Honestly, I don't like it when she asks John to read these books to her because then I feel left behind. Selfish, I know.)

Now I'm asking you for tips: how do you make time to read during your busy days? There are so many books on my to-read list that I would love to have even more time for reading!

Tuesday's Tip: Breakfast Preparation

2011-09-13T07:00:00.001-04:00

We ate Cheerios for so long that we were no longer stuck in a rut...it was more like a ditch. And my poor children didn't really know any different. Cheerios for breakfast, Cheerios for midmorning snack, was there anything else? Are you stuck in a similar rut? Do you want out?

Breakfast time is a tough time for homemade meals, isn't it? Either you have to get up super-early to get something made before your children get up, or you have to listen to hungry children clamoring for breakfast. And isn't it delightful to have a nice, warm, homecooked meal for breakfast? As they say, breakfast is the most important meal of the day! Here are the things that I have tried that have worked for me:

I like to make big batches of muffins all at once... or twice. I bought a half gallon of buttermilk and made eight dozen Buttermilk Oatmeal Muffins, most of which are now in the freezer. It took me a couple of days to make all of those muffins, but I won't have to worry about it again for a while. (And these muffins are very filling.)
I prepare pancake mixes ahead of time. I put the flour, baking powder, and other dry ingredients into little baggies so that all I have to do in the morning is add the milk, oil, and an egg. I can mix it up while the griddle heats, and we have pancakes in no time.
Sometimes, I will do the prep work the night before. Friday night, I put together cinnamon rolls that I only had to bake and frost the next morning. We didn't eat them all so I now have some in the freezer. Yum!
Crystal at Money Saving Mom makes her version of Egg McMuffins, but I doubt my children would eat them. They might work for you, though.

With my new routine after our move, I decided that we wouldn't have Cheerios anymore for breakfast...except in emergencies. And we have all benefited from that decision.

What do you do to make breakfast preparation easier? Do you need help getting out of a rut? Do you have any suggestions that you can share with me, other ideas that I could try?

Sitting Still

2011-09-12T07:00:00.000-04:00

"The problem with sitting still too long is that you discover a million little things you wish you hadn't. That's why it's so overrated."

--Rachel Balducci in How do You Tuck in a Superhero?

Booking It: September Edition

2011-09-11T19:53:00.001-04:00

I don't feel like I got much read this month, but I guess maybe I did. And none of these books are on my reading list for the year. Oh, well. Here's what I did read:

Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell. This book reminded me of Mansfield Park by Jane Austen, but it wasn't nearly as good. Molly, a quiet and shy young lady who never asserts herself, reminded me of Fanny while Roger seemed like Edward, the second son of an important man who falls for the wrong woman. Despite the similarities, this book was very different from Austen's work, and it wasn't nearly as good. It was looong, and the parts in between the action were, well, rather boring. I didn't enjoy this book as much as I had hoped, but I did finish it. However, if you love Jane Austen, you may want to try this book since it is written similarly.
Jim the Boy: A Novel by Tony Earley. This book really isn't a "coming of age" story although it does tell the story of one's boy's life during one year. This book chronicles how several changes during the year affect Jim's life: going from a one room schoolhouse to a multiple-room school, learning that the "mountain" boys aren't that different from the "town" boys, meeting his grandfather for the first time, seeing the ocean for the first time, and finally getting electricity in his hometown after having had his house wired for it for years. (This book takes place during the Depression.) I rank this book up there with The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and the Mitford books. If you like those, I really think you'll like this one, too. Meanwhile, I'm going to see what other books Earley has written so I can add those to my reading list as well.
On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder. My daughter and I really enjoy the "Mary and Laura" books, and this one didn't disappoint. It tells how the Ingalls family moved to a "civilized" place (re: small town) and spent the first few years there, fighting locusts, prairie fires, blizzards, etc.. I enjoy reading this series with my children because it exposes them to a different time period. If you haven't read this series with your children, you should!
By the Shores of Silver Lake by Laura Ingalls Wilder. We continued our reading with this book, and we enjoyed it just as much. Things weren't going well on Plum Creek, so Pa moves the family further West to Silver Lake where he works in the railroad's store for the summer. After the railroad shuts down for the winter, the family stays there pretty much by themselves. Pa does find their new homestead, and the family moves there in the spring. This book enchanted and delighted us just as much as the first ones in the series did.
I reviewed Large Family Logistics by Kim Brenneman here.
I reviewed The Chocolate Diaries by Karen Linamen here.
I reviewed 100 Read and Sing Devotions by Stephen Elkins here.

To see what others have been reading, head over to Life as Mom: Booking it September Edition.

Recipe Fun Friday: Slow-Cooked Corn Chowder

2011-09-09T07:00:00.002-04:00

I sure hope that John does not get tired of slow cooked meals. Have I mentioned before that I love my new cookbook Taste of Home Slow Cooker? This week we tried Slow-Cooked Corn Chowder, and we all liked it. I paired it with some honey muffins that we had in the freezer, and it was an easy, delicious meal. John had a couple of suggestions that might make this recipe taste even better, although less healthful. Instead of using milk as the base, John thought it would be even better using cream. I bet it would! And instead of adding ham, we thought we should try adding shrimp, all ready cooked since shrimp doesn't do well in the crock pot. (That's what I've heard anyway.) And he recommended having French bread as a compliment. Sounds good to me.

I also baked some Spiced Carrot-Zucchini bread, and I had forgotten how good it is. Yum! We ate half a loaf last night with supper, but I have two more in the freezer. Yea!

Have you tried any new recipes lately? How did they turn out?

Follow-Up on "Baby Sister"

2011-09-08T07:00:00.001-04:00

When I told you about my first OB appointment here in Florida, I wasn't completely honest. When I got home from my appointment, there was a message that I needed to call the office back. When I did, the receptionist told me that the doctor wanted to see me Monday morning at 8:00 a.m. to discuss the results of the ultrasound. My mother was in town, and she had kept my children for me for this first appointment, but she was leaving on Saturday. And getting to the doctor's office, thirty minutes away, by 8:00 with three little children was going to be tough. And if the doctor was just going to tell me that everything was fine, I didn't want to make the effort. So I asked if I could come back that afternoon. Then the doctor got on the line.

She told me that they had found a "bright spot" (or echogenic intracardiac focus) on "Baby Sister's" heart which is an indicator for trisomy 21 or Down's Syndrome. She thought the possibility was rare, but she wanted another, more detailed ultrasound done to be sure. When I discussed it later with John, we agreed to have this ultrasound done. If the baby were "normal," we would want to know. If she has Down's Syndrome, we want time to prepare. It doesn't really matter, either way, because we will love her the same no matter what, but it would be nice to know.

After we made that decision, I felt a peace about the whole situation. I'm not sure exactly what it was: God's peace about the future comforting me, denial that this could happen to my baby, or knowing the odds were in "Baby Sister's" favor. And honestly, it's probably a combination of all three.

So last Friday, John left work early and drove the hour down with me for this specialized ultrasound. My sweet aunt also drove an hour from her house to keep Sarah Beth, Daniel, and Rachel during my appointment. Concerning the possibility of Trisomy 21 or Down's Syndrome, everything looked normal. There were no other defects that would lead us to think that she has Down's. As a matter of fact, even the "bright spot" that the sonographer found a couple of weeks ago wasn't there anymore. She wasn't sure if it just went away or if there was a glitch in the other ultrasound machine. It doesn't matter, does it? Our baby does not have Down's Syndrome.

However, since this ultrasound was more specialized than normal ones, the sonographer found an anomaly in our baby's third (I think) ventricle -- one of the ventricles in the brain. It was a little enlarged so she got the neonatologist or perinatologist, I forgot which, who also looked at it. Basically, this ventricle is moderately enlarged, probably from producing too much CSF or spinal fluid. It doesn't look like there is a blockage because the third and fourth ventricles are not both enlarged. But there is cause for concern -- hydrocephalus. The doctor thinks our baby will be fine, but he wants to do more tests. The next thing to do is to draw blood (from me) to see if I have had CMV because it can cause this. I haven't been sick with this pregnancy (except for morning sickness), so I don't think I've had this. If I have, though, I may need IVIG before this baby is born to get rid of the virus. If not, they will just monitor the baby via ultrasounds; I have my next one scheduled the beginning of October. They also want to transfer my care to the doctors in this practice; I will deliver there (instead of in the small hospital here) in case "Baby Sister" needs specialized care when she is born.

We have a few prayer requests:

1. That God would be glorified through all of this. We know that He has a plan, that nothing happens by accident, and we know His glory should be our main focus. "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28

2. That said, we would like to have a completely normal, healthy baby. While the doctor does think that the prognosis is good, he doesn't think the enlargement will go down in this next month. I won't be surprised if it does, however, since it is the only abnormality and is only moderately enlarged. But he's the doctor, and he knows better, so I also won't be surprised if he's right.

3. Peace and comfort about this situation. In many ways, it's harder than the other "scare" because there is so much uncertainty. With the other one, it was either yes or no. With this one, there is a wide range, and I don't do well without concretes.

4. Wisdom. We want to make the best decisions for this baby that we can with the information that we have. I don't want the doctors to do things just because.... On the other hand, I want to do what's best for "Baby Sister." There's a good chance that I will have to have a C-section to keep from putting more pressure on her brain during delivery. However, if everything looks fine, I don't want a C-section just because they want to do one. Things like that. I want to fight for the right things and give in on the right ones.

We are so thankful that we are under contract for a house in the next town over because it is only half an hour to my new doctors from there instead of the hour from our current rental house. We should close at the end of October, but we hope to be able to move the date up.

In the meantime before my next appointment, I have decided not to worry about "Baby Sister's" outcome. We will love her the same as any of our other children regardless of anything. My worry will accomplish exactly nothing. No matter how much I chew my fingernails, or if I pull every single last hair out of my head, I will change nothing. "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." Matthew 6:34. So I choose to delight in the fact that we are going to have another daughter. I plan to crochet her some beautiful blankets, like I did for my other babies. And I plan to enjoy my time with my other three children before "Baby Sister" gets here and disrupts all of our new routines. (But aren't newborns supposed to disrupt routines? And isn't that part of why they're fun?) I may even buy "Baby Sister" a new outfit or two, even though I have plenty of hand-me-downs from her big sisters. Every baby should have something new, shouldn't she?

Good News!

2011-09-07T07:00:00.001-04:00

While we originally planned to live in our rental house until January after "Baby Sister" came, we couldn't help looking at houses just in case.... And we found one! I don't have any pictures because the house still has all of the current owner's things in it, and I'm not comfortable taking pictures like that, and I'm especially not going to post pictures of his stuff on the internet. But we are really thrilled about what we found. (I waited a little while to tell you about our good news because of how it turned out last time.)

Would you like to know a little bit about our new house? It is situated in a golf course community and actually overlooks the golf course with a beautiful view of some live oaks and a lake. We feel a little swanky, buying a house in a golf course neighborhood, but we got a good deal on it. The main part of the house is one story (and I will not miss having stairs), and there is a "game room" that was added on. This room is huge, and we plan to use it as a play room/school room/office. There are only three bedrooms, but one of them is really big, big enough for our three girls...in a few years when "Baby Sister" is older. When we move in, Daniel with share this room with Sarah Beth and Rachel. There are three bathrooms which we consider almost a must with our soon-to-be four children, although we don't actually need three full bathrooms quite yet. The house is older; it was built in the early 70's and has not been updated. That's okay. It's good enough for now as it doesn't need anything before we move in, and we can renovate and update as we please and as we have the money. There is also a basement which is unusual in Florida. You have to go outside to get to it, so we'll probably just use it for storage. Is there anything else you would like to know?

We started the process to buy this house last week, after making an offer the week before (and negotiating a price). This house is in a larger town about a half hour from where we live now, and the placement and timing of buying this house is providential as you will learn tomorrow.

But we're excited about this house, and we can't wait to make it ours!

Labor Day

2011-09-06T07:00:00.003-04:00

Since John had yesterday off for Labor Day, he planned to take Sarah Beth and Daniel to Weeki Wachee Springs, a Florida state park. Meanwhile, Rachel and I would be left at home to get a few things done. But it rained during the night, and the drive was farther than we thought at first. So John stayed home with our older two children...and Rachel and me.

But we were both still able to get a few things done. I finished my grocery list and took Rachel (just Rachel!) to the grocery store. John got the oil changed in his truck. And somehow we made it through the day with no hot water. (The propane ran out Sunday morning early. Boy, am I glad that I washed all of our clothes on Friday. But it's strange to wash dishes in cold water.)

In the afternoon while Rachel took her nap, John did take the older two to a state park, one that is less than half an hour away. They had a great time exploring until thunder and the threat of rain drove them back to the car and home.

I spent the afternoon catching up on some things on the internet, then settling down to read a book. I felt a little guilty about reading, but I don't usually get the chance to read during the day, so I decided to enjoy it. Labor Day is a holiday, isn't it?!

Dinner was in the slow cooker, and all in all, it was a restful yet productive day.

How was your Labor Day? Did it go as planned? Do you do anything fun? Do you have hot water?

Recipe Fun Friday

2011-09-02T07:00:00.002-04:00

I tried out a couple of new recipes this week. I'm really enjoying getting back into cooking and baking after taking such a long time off with me being so sick from morning sickness and John being out of town at his new job. (Hooray for us all being together again!)

As I told you before, we've been eating a bunch of Cheerios for breakfast, and I started last week remedying that situation. Homemade muffins, etc. are soooo much better tasting and sooo much more healthful. This week we tried Baked Oatmeal. I've heard a lot about it on different blogs, and I keep wanting to try it, but I keep putting it off. No more. But...it wasn't the best thing. I'm sure part (or maybe most) of the problem was my oven. It's old, and it doesn't cook at the temperature you set it at. I need an oven thermometer. Anyway, I think I overcooked it because it was kind of dry and very crusty. Daniel and Sarah Beth didn't much care for it. I will probably try baked oatmeal again but maybe not this recipe.

I have also wanted to bake some cookies for a couple of weeks, and I finally got around to it Wednesday afternoon. I used this recipe for Ultimate Chocolate Cookies that I found at It's Our Good Life. Again, they were okay, but I think the problems were probably mine. Problem #1: I didn't realize that I didn't have any light brown sugar, so I used dark brown sugar. Problem #2: After we mixed the dough, I realized that I was supposed to freeze the dough balls for an hour before baking. I had two children (and one mommy!) who didn't want to wait an hour, so I just stuck them in the oven. Oh, well. They still tasted pretty good, and I'm sure we'll eat every single one. Afterwards, Sarah Beth suggested that we take some to our neighbors. What a sweet girl!

Have you tried any new recipes this week? How did they turn out? Do you have a good recipe for Baked Oatmeal I should try? What about one for chocolate chip cookies? They're my favorite! A recipe for chewy chocolate chip cookies would be wonderful!!

Book Review: 100 Read and Sing Devotions by Stephen Elkins

2011-08-31T12:32:00.000-04:00

100 Read and Sing Devotions by Stephen Elkins is a fun devotional book for children. The messages are short and sweet, great for short attention spans. The book is full of wonderful pictures that capture a child's imagination, and this book comes with two CD's that contain tons of Christian, children's songs. The best part of this book are the simple messages which are Scripturally-based. Instead of reading that, if you just love God and do what He says, everything will go well for you; there are messages that say that life sometimes isn't fair, that bad things happen to good people, for example.

My children and I enjoy this book. I've been looking for a devotional book to use with my children, and this one fits the bill. My older two children are five and three, and this book is perfectly suited for them. However, older children will be bored. The songs are okay; there are a few hymns included but most of the songs are the little ditties that I sang in Sunday school: not much theology, but fun to sing.

I want to thank BookSneeze for a copy of this book to review, but my opinions are my own.

Tuesday's Tip: Learning Where Things are in the Grocery Store

2011-08-30T07:03:00.001-04:00

As you may (or may not) remember, I used to know exactly where everything was in my old grocery store. I knew that bread was on aisle one and that flour was on aisle 7. I made my list accordingly and rarely did I have to backtrack because I forgot something. I have to admit that my old grocery store had a pamphlet that had everything already listed according to aisle, and I used that until I learned.

But we moved. And I have a new grocery store. And I don't know where anything is anymore. And I hate not knowing. Because I end up wandering. So what did I do?

Last week, when I made my grocery list, I did the best I could. I do remember that milk and apple juice are on aisle one. (Is it just me, or is that a little weird?) And I kept a pen handy as we roamed the aisles, and I wrote down what aisle everything on my list was on.

Yes, it took a little bit longer to negotiate the grocery store aisles as I had to stop, look for my pen, and write down the aisle number, but I think -- I know! -- it will pay off in the future. Taking three children (and soon four) to the grocery store isn't easy, but knowing where things are will help immensely. And after "Baby Sister" arrives, when John does the grocery shopping, I'm sure he will appreciate being able to walk down just the aisles he needs to.

Yesterday, I started a "master list" of where things are in the store. I took my grocery list from last week and wrote down where I had found things in the store. There are things on my list for today that I'm not sure where they are, so I'll just write it down on my grocery list and then transfer it to my "master list" probably on Office Day next week.

Do you know where things are in your grocery store? Have you done something similar? Or am I just weird that way?

My New Routine

2011-08-29T07:00:00.001-04:00

When I started reading Large Family Logistics by Kim Brennemen, I figured that I would pick up a few pointers to help my daily routine flow a little better. I didn't think that her wonderful book would inspire me to create a completely new routine. But as I said before, it seems like a good time for a new routine after a move. Brenneman suggests grouping like tasks together in a day which sounds like a great idea, so that's what I did! I've only followed this new routine for two weeks, but I've enjoyed it so far. I'll try to update you on how it's going in a few months to see if it's still working for me. Here is our new weekly routine:

Monday is my Office Day. During Office Day, I do office-type things such as making phone calls (the ones that can wait), paying bills, making the menu for the week, and writing out the grocery list. If there is extra research that I want to do on the internet and haven't been able to fit in during the previous week, Monday is the day for that as well. It would also be a good day to write a letter.

Tuesday is my Town Day, also known as errand day. It's my day to get out of the house to do things, although we don't tend to do much more than go to the grocery store. With three little ones (and another one on the way) and temperatures in the upper 90's, I don't want to be out much. I may also try to schedule appointments on this day, and as the weather cools off, we'll be able to do some things in the afternoon, too, after Rachel's nap.

Wednesday is my Cleaning Day. While I try to do most of my cleaning on Wednesday, there is, of course, cleaning that needs to be done the other days of the week. Some things can't wait...and we don't really want them to.

Thursday is my Kitchen Day. When I look at my week, this day seems like the most fun. We have been eating a lot of Cheerios lately, and I'm using this day to prepare more healthful breakfasts and snacks for us. Last week, I made two dozen Buttermilk Oatmeal Muffins, and I put together mixes for pancakes. This week, I plan to make more muffins and maybe some cookies. I would like to make some Spiced Carrot Zucchini Bread, but I killed my little food processor (that I spent $4 for), and I'm too lazy to grate enough for three or four loaves by hand.

Friday is my Laundry/Catch Up Day. I've actually been doing laundry two days a week, but I think I'm going to try to stretch it out to once a week. I know that John has enough clothes, and Daniel and Sarah Beth and Rachel; I'm just not sure that I do! We'll see. Of course, I'll do the occasional load during the week: towels, cleaning rags, sheets, etc.. Since there isn't much work to be done while the washer and dryer work, I also use Friday to catch up on things that I haven't had time for earlier in the week. And it's a great day for another errand or two, if necessary.

Like I said, I've just started this routine, but I like it so far. I can't believe how productive I've been since moving into our new, rental house. (Of course, I was extremely unproductive during the transitional period while John was in Florida and I was in Georgia.) Meanwhile, there is still time in the day for homeschooling Sarah Beth and playing with all three of my children.

What kind of schedule or routine do you have? Do you group like activities together or spread them out over the week? Do you have any suggestions for tweaking my routine?

Recipe Fun Friday: Slow-Cooked White Chili

2011-08-26T07:00:00.001-04:00

It has been a long time since I've done this, hasn't it?

I bought a new cookbook Taste of Home Slow Cooker last week, and I'm so excited about trying some new recipes from it. Wednesday night, we tried Slow-Cooked White Chili, and it was a hit with everyone, even my picky eaters. We hadn't had a white chili before, so I wasn't sure how this would turn out, but we will definitely have it again. As a matter of fact, it was so filling that my older two children were unable to finish their cornbread muffins.

I didn't bother browning the chicken before tossing it in the crock pot; I figured it really didn't need it. And I didn't realize that I didn't have any cumin until I was putting it all together. Since I was too lazy to load all three children into my car and drive to the grocery store just for cumin (and I don't even know what cumin tastes like), I just threw in some Tony Chachere's, and that was good enough.

Have you tried a new recipe lately? How did it go?

Being Neighborly

2011-08-25T07:00:00.000-04:00

Yesterday morning, as my children played outside and I rested after cleaning a few windows, one of our neighbors dropped by. She had been out walking and saw us, so she walked over to meet us -- again. Apparently, we had met at one of the churches we've visited recently, but I didn't remember her. Anyway, my neighbor had the foresight to write down her and her husband's names along with their phone number. That relieved my concern over remembering her name.

We have now met neighbors from two of the houses near us, and we really appreciate that. Both sets are retirees and seem to enjoy having a family with young children move in near them. We enjoy knowing our neighbors...at least a little bit.

At our old house, whenever new people moved in near us, we tried to make an effort to meet them. It's hard moving into a new neighborhood; it's even harder when it's a new town. And no one wants to go around, knocking on doors trying to meet people. I also try to take some kind of baked good, just because it seems so "neighborly."

While we may never do more than smile and nod at our new neighbors, we really appreciate the effort they have taken to meet us.

Do you try to meet the new people in your neighborhood when they move in? Do you take a treat along with you?

Book Review: The Chocolate Diaries by Karen Linamen

2011-08-24T07:00:00.000-04:00

The Chocolate Diaries: Secrets for a Sweeter Journey on the Rocky Road of Life by Karen Linamen is an inspirational book about how to make the best out of bad or hard circumstances. Along with the author's own life stories, there are encouraging stories of people who overcame difficulties. Also, included are delicious-sounding chocolate recipes.

I have to admit that I was disappointed in this book. I thought it would have more about God and how He helps us through the hard times. God was scarcely mentioned in this book, so I felt like I wasted my time reading this book. However, if you don't care, and if the rest of the information included in this book sounds interesting to you, you ought to give this book a try.

I want to thank WaterBrook Multnomah for my Kindle copy of this book, but my opinions are my own.

Tuesday's Tip: Wearing Gloves for Cleaning

2011-08-23T07:00:00.001-04:00

Do you like to wear gloves when you clean? Usually, I don't care, although I really hate sticking my hand into the toilet. Yuck! (That's why I use a toilet brush.) Anyway, when we moved into our rental house, I knew that parts of it would need a good, deep cleaning; and for that, I would want to wear gloves. So I bought a pair of gloves that I wore all day while cleaning. The problem was that my hands sweated inside the gloves. The gloves kept my hands from the yuckiness I was cleaning, but my hands made the inside of the gloves nasty. And I didn't want to wear them again.

My mother showed up and gave me a great suggestion: use disposable gloves. They keep your hands just as clean as reusable gloves, but when you get done with them, you just throw them away. What a great idea! My mother uses these gloves for all kinds of things, like picking dead flowers, weeding her garden, planting flowers, anything where her hands can get dirty.

Now I have a box of disposable gloves under my kitchen sink for those tough, nasty jobs when I really want to wear gloves and keep my hands from nastiness. For most jobs, again, I don't really care, but when I do, I have what I need.

Do you use gloves when you clean and/or garden? What kind?

School Starts Today!

2011-08-22T07:00:00.001-04:00

Sarah Beth and I are starting school today. It will be a new experience for both of us because, although we have done school-type things before, we haven't sat down at the kitchen table and called it school. I ordered all of our materials last weekend, so most of them haven't come in yet. I don't think that's a problem. Actually, I think it's an asset -- we can start with one or two subjects and add the rest as they arrive. It sounds like a good idea to me; what do you think?

In case you are curious, here is what we plan to use this year:

Hooked on Phonics. I actually ordered this set last year, I think, and we've worked through a little bit of it. Now it's time to get serious about reading! Teaching Sarah Beth to read is my primary goal for kindergarten.
Cursive First. My good friend Laura uses this curriculum to teach her children to write, and after some research, I think it's a great idea!
Saxon Math I. Laura, also, uses this curriculum for math, and she recommended it to me. When I looked at the teacher's manual, I agreed that it looks very good.
For Bible, we're going to use The Big Picture Bible Timeline along with The Child's Story Bible.

I said that my primary goal for kindergarten is for Sarah Beth to learn how to read, but I plan to start our day with Bible because the most important thing for her (and my other children) to learn is about God. However, the only resources we have right now are the phonics and writing programs, so that's what we will actually start with for now. As soon as the other things arrive, though, we'll start those as well.

When does school start for your children? What will they be learning?

Guess What!

2011-08-19T07:00:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, I had my first OB appointment here in Florida. I like my new doctor, but I did not get a chance to meet the midwife. I'm hoping for a midwife delivery, but I guess it doesn't matter. As I expected, everything was normal and fine. I thank God for my uncomplicated pregnancies. I certainly wasn't expecting an ultrasound, but they fit me in. And I am so excited to know what we are having!

IT'S A GIRL! We're having another girl! How exciting is that?! Poor John and Daniel will be outnumbered, but then they already are. Poor John! He's got two daddy's girls, and I'm sure this one will be, too. He's running out of lap! And since I still have everything from Sarah Beth's and, more importantly (because it's the same season), Rachel's infanthood, we shouldn't need much at all. Besides, there's not much you need anymore by the time baby number four comes along.

I've had a feeling all along that this baby was a girl. This pregnancy is similar to the ones I had with Sarah Beth and Rachel. John had a suspicion that this baby was a girl, too. And everytime we asked her, Sarah Beth said this baby was a girl. I guess we were all right!

So we're excited today about our new "baby sister," and we look forward to welcoming her home...but not for a while!

Book Review: Large Family Logistics

2011-08-18T07:00:00.000-04:00

I have been reading Large Family Logistics by Kim Brenneman along with Connie at Smockity Frocks. I have not been able to join in the weekly reviews because of our move, but this week I can! And this book is wonderful! (However, I have discovered that we do not have a large family. Three children with a fourth on the way is just the beginning for large families.)

I cannot say enough about how jam-packed this book is with practical information on everything you think you should know (and a few things you probably haven't even thought of). And there is so much Scripture on every, single page that you could almost use it as a devotional. From honoring your husband to teaching your children, from doing laundry to cleaning the bathrooms, from doing things yourself to delegating to children, this book has it all in it.

Whether you have a large family or not, you should read this book if you think you have any room at all for improvement in your home management...even if you are just starting your family.

To read what Connie has to say about this book, and to read what others think, head over to Smockity Frocks.

New House Equals New Routine

2011-08-17T07:00:00.001-04:00

As you may remember, I haven't been doing much around the house lately...before the move. I had a maid keeping the house clean for all the showings; John wasn't home so I didn't need to cook; since I didn't need to cook, grocery shopping was just for bare essentials (especially since I was trying to use up some of our stock before the move). Now that we have moved, and things are getting back into some kind of routine, I think it's time to step back up to the plate, so to speak.

Monday, I sat down and wrote out a menu plan for the week for the first time in months. Yesterday, I went grocery shopping* for more than just staples. This week, we will have home-cooked meals every night (unless we take my mother out to eat one evening). And I feel pretty good about these steps. (But I think I spent too much at the grocery store. I need to start shopping sales and clipping coupons again.)

Of course, I cleaned the house before we moved in, but now I need to come up with a schedule for keeping it clean. I have to admit that having a smaller house is a good thing right now. Cleaning a smaller house takes less time, obviously, than a larger one. And since I have no maid to fall back on, it's all up to me.

Adding to my new (but in actuality old) daily and weekly routines is school. Sarah Beth is five, so we're going to start kindergarten. I ordered her curriculum this past weekend, and I think we're going to start each subject as the books appear. We've enjoyed five years of playing and learning without any sort of plan, and I think it may be a little difficult when we have to actually sit down and study.

Have you started any new routines lately? Does this time of year, back-to-school, seem like a good time to start them? What about right after a move?

*I know that I haven't done much grocery shopping lately, but I cannot believe how much the prices have increased lately. Goodness!

Tuesday's Tip: Going out With Friends

2011-08-16T07:00:00.000-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, before we moved, two of my good friends and I went out for dessert one night. We had so much fun together, just talking and laughing...and of course, eating dessert! I wished we had planned times like this more often. We did try to go out for each other's birthdays, but that's still only three times a year. Now I hope and pray for new friends to spend time like this with.

If you want to call this time together a Girls' Night Out, I guess you can. We didn't. And we scheduled it to be as unobtrusive and as easy for our husbands as we could. Like I said, we met for dessert. We didn't even try for dinner. (Wouldn't you rather have dessert anyway?) We met at 8:00 so that we could help our husbands put our children to bed. Then we left our husbands, hopefully, with a quiet house. We wanted to make this outing as easy as possible for our husbands so that it wouldn't impose on them and because we felt that it would be selfish for us just to walk out of our houses, leaving them with all of the work. We really didn't want them feeling resentful of this time with friends.

We had such a good time that night, and I hope that I will get to go out for dessert again soon with new friends. Here is my biggest tip for making this happen:

Check with your husband to find out when is convenient for him. Maybe Saturday afternoon for dessert would work better for him than after bedtime. (We did this once.) Maybe Saturday morning early before your children wake up.

You know you enjoy time with your friends, and I think it's an important thing to do occasionally. Of course, you don't want to overdo it; your family is your first priority.

Do you get out often with your friends without your children? How do you do it?

Book Review: The Seraph Seal by Leonard Sweet and Lori Wagner

2011-08-15T07:00:00.000-04:00

The Seraph Seal by Leonard Sweet and Lori Wagner tells an apocalyptic tale based very loosely on the book of Revelation in the Bible. The year is 2048, and the world is coming to an end, destroying itself. Most people foolishly think life will return to normal, but the wise few see that the end is near. The only problem left to solve, the only decision left to make, is whether the end will bring something better or something worse.

This book is supposed to be a Christian book, but I just can't see it. I think Jesus Christ is mentioned less than five times in it, the book of Revelation is equated with Mayan prophecies, and the outcome of the apocalypse is left in the hands of our hero Paul Binder. I just don't know where to start with the problems in this book. My biggest problem, though, is how small a role God plays in it. In Revelation, Christ returns as a conquering hero, and no one can stand before Him although many try. There is no ambiguity about Who will win the last battle, but The Seraph Seal throws all of that out the window and leaves the fate of humankind in the hands of a few people. Needless to say, don't waste your time reading this book unless you enjoy a good (and it is written fairly well) book about the end of times that has absolutely no basis in fact.

I want to thank BookSneeze for my copy of this book to review, but my opinion is (obviously) my own.

We're Here!

2011-08-12T07:04:00.000-04:00

It's been over a week since I wrote a "real" post, and maybe you would like to know what we've been up to. Last week, the movers came on Wednesday and packed up about 85% of our house. On Thursday, they finished packing and loaded everything onto the truck. On Friday, we drove down to Florida. We went to the zoo on Saturday, and it was very hot. When we left at 1:00, it was 96 degrees. Ugh! But we had a good time anyway, especially since we had ice cream for lunch. On Sunday, we went to church. Afterwards, I worked at cleaning our rental house. I hate to do work like that on the Lord's Day, but I felt like my "ox was in the ditch" (Luke 14:5).

The movers delivered our stuff on Monday, and my mother came down to help unpack. We've just pretty much been unpacking all this week, but we got most of it done. I wouldn't have gotten a quarter of the boxes unpacked if my mother hadn't come to help. She left yesterday morning, and we miss her already. It was only God's providence that had our move came at this point in our pregnancy. Since I'm in the second trimester, I don't feel bad (most of the time), and I have more energy. But I'm also not as big as I will be so I can still breathe when I bend over to pick something up. Whew! This move would have been so much harder in either of the other two trimesters.

When I saw the house Saturday afternoon, I was pleasantly surprised. John had led me to believe that it was smaller than it actually is (and that's how he remembered it, too). Our rental is much smaller than our home back in Georgia, but it will be okay for a few months. Sarah Beth and Daniel love sharing a room although they get a little boisterous sometimes when they should be settling down to sleep. My favorite part of this house is that there are no stairs. Yea!! My least favorite part of this house is that the dining room (the only place to put the kitchen table) has carpet. Yuck! And I dread the inevitable spills. (At least, it's just a rental! Isn't that bad?!)

Hopefully, our old house will sell soon so we can start looking for a new house. Of course, we still don't know where in the area we want to live so renting for a while looks like a really good idea for now.

Booking it: August Edition

2011-08-11T17:56:00.000-04:00

As my pregnancy has progressed into the second trimester, I have felt soooo much better. Can you tell? I'm reading a whole lot less! Of course, it also helps that we've been in the middle of a move, and there's always lots involved with that. But the ones I've read are good ones, and I have enjoyed them. The books I read this month:

To Have and to Hold by Mary Johnston. This book was written in the early 1900's, and it takes place when Jamestown was just a small settlement here in the New World. Both of those facts make this book an interesting read. When Captain Percy decides to take a wife, he takes that decision seriously. The woman he marries, Jocelyn, does not make the best wife; she doesn't cook or clean or perform any other wifely duties. The marriage is in name only, and neither is happy with it. Then the protagonist enters, Lord Carnal. He followed Jocelyn all the way from England to Jamestown because he wants her so badly. Since he is the king's favorite, everyone assumes that Percy will just give her up. Nope. They are married, and even though it is a loveless marriage, he will not surrender his wife to someone she abhors. At this point, Percy and Jocelyn embark on a series of adventures with Indians, pirates, etc., during which time they do begin to love each other. I enjoyed this book, even though some of the action was a bit far-fetched. I especially liked seeing how devoted Percy was to his wife even when he did not love her. Amazing!
When You Rise up: A Covenantal Approach to Homeschooling by R.C. Sproul, Jr.. This book is jam-packed with information about homeschooling: why you should homeschool, what you should teach, how you are qualified to teach your children, the different things boys and girls should learn, etc.. If you homeschool or are thinking about it, you should really read this book. (You can read more of my thoughts on this book here.)
The Seraph Seal by Leonard Sweet and Lori Wagner. You can read my full review here.

The books I read with my children:

Pollyanna by Eleanor H. Porter. This was the first time I had read this book, although I do usually like to "vet" books before reading them to my children. We enjoyed it, and it gave me an opportunity to introduce how bad things can happen sometimes when Pollyanna is hit by a car and loses the ability to walk.
Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Sarah Beth loves listening to stories about Laura and Mary. This book was a fun read about the Ingalls' journey in a covered wagon from the Big Woods to the prairie, how they built their house and barn, and made new friends. These books are a great introduction for my children to lives that are very different from ours.
The Great Brain by John D. Fitzgerald. This book was not my choice for our next chapter book, but Sarah Beth was determined. I'm not sure how much she understood about this boy (the Great Brain) and how he tricked and manipulated people, but I enjoyed it. This story takes place at the end of the 19th century, and it's fun to read about a different time and place. While the Great Brain is wily and crafty, he is usually caught, so I wasn't too worried about my children picking up bad habits.

To see what others have been reading, head over to Life as Mom: Booking It.

Christmas in August: Christmas Meme

2011-08-10T07:00:00.000-04:00

(This post was originally published December 13, 2010. It's the last in my Christmas in August series which I hope you enjoyed! And I also hope to be back posting new posts soon!)

Here is a fun Christmas meme I found at It's Almost Naptime. Feel free to play along!

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?

Hot Chocolate, definitely. Honestly, I've never even had egg nog. (It just sounds gross.)

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?

Santa does not come to our house, so all the presents get wrapped.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
This dilemma was huge when John and I got married. I grew up with small, white lights, and he grew up with BIG, colored lights. We compromised with small, colored lights.

4. Do you hang mistletoe?
Nope. Don't need to.

5. When do you put your decorations up?
Usually, the week before Christmas, however, we bought and decorated our tree last Saturday.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish?

I don't really have a favorite, but I love that there is a great excuse this time of year to make cookies and pies. Yum!

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child?

I don't really have a favorite; they were all good but not spectacular. (I hope that doesn't sound like I'm complaining because I'm not.) However, my Granny used to make all kinds of candy when we came to visit for Thanksgiving and Christmas: buckeyes (or peanut butter balls), turtles, Mississippi mud, etc.. It was wonderful to walk through the dining room and eat a piece or two without my parents saying I had had enough.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?

I never believed in Santa Claus. I have a brother and sister who are almost five years older than I am. They probably spoiled it for me, although I really don't know. I don't feel like I missed anything, though.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?

What a great idea! Thanks for the suggestion!

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree?

We just put lights and ornaments on it. How do you do it?

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it?

Love, Love, Love it! Since we live in the Deep South, we never get it. It's always a holiday (literally!) when we get some.

Funny story: The only white Christmas I have ever had was in Jacksonville, Fl., visiting my grandparents. But it wasn't snow; it was ice.

12. Can you ice skate?

I doubt it since I've only tried once and that was in high school.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?

I'm not sure what my favorite was, but one of my favorites was a clock-radio (remember those?) that my parents gave me when I was about twelve. The neat thing about it was that it played tapes. Oh, I loved that present! As a matter of fact, I still have it. Thanks to my trusty (old!) clock-radio, I know what it is in the middle of the night and I'm never late to work or wherever else I'm heading for the day.

14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you?

The most important thing is that Jesus Christ gave up the splendors of heaven for us (for me!) and came down to earth as a lowly, poor baby. Isn't that amazing?!

Of course, I also enjoy spending time with family.

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert?

I think I have a new favorite: Grasshopper Pie. Yum!

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?

Opening presents. Is that bad? Maybe we need to start some traditions.

17. What tops your tree?

Honestly, we have an angel for the top of our tree, but I really need to replace it. Angels aren't pretty tree-topping things; they are scary creatures. Whenever they appeared to men, the first words they uttered were, "Don't be afraid."

18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving?

While I enjoy both, I have to admit that I prefer receiving. It's my love language.

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song?

"Joy to the World!"

20. Candy Canes: Yuck or Yum?

Yum.

21 Favorite Christmas Show?

No doubt about it, my favorite show is A Christmas Story. "Don't shoot your eye out!"

22. Saddest Christmas Song?

Christmas should be a happy, joyful time because Christ came to be with us. Immanuel! If pressed, however, I guess I would have to say "Mary Did You Know?," but I don't much care for that song...probably because it's sad.

Christmas in August: My Favorite Christmas Hymn

2011-08-09T07:00:00.002-04:00

(This post is part of my Christmas in August series since we are very busy right now with our move. I hope you enjoy!)

Joy to the world! The Lord is Come:

Let earth receive her King;

Let every heart prepare Him room,

And heav'n and nature sing, And heav'n and nature sing,

And heav'n, and heav'n and nature sing.

Joy to the earth! the Savior reigns:

Let men their songs employ;

While fields and flood, rocks, hills, and plains

Repeat the sounding joy, Repeat the sounding joy,

Repeat, repeat the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow,

Nor thorns infest the ground;

He comes to make His blessings flow

Far as the curse is found, Far as the curse is found,

Far as, far as the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace,

And makes the nations prove

The glories of His righteousness,

And wonders of His love, And wonders of his love,

And wonders, wonders of His love.

(words by Isaac Watts)

Christmas in August: Feeling (Un)Welcome

2011-08-08T07:00:00.001-04:00

(This post was originally published December 8, 2010. I am republishing it as part of my Christmas in August series since we are very busy right now with our move. I hope you enjoy!)

Last night, our family went to a church Christmas party for dinner. My children and I got there a few minutes early, but I was still one of the last ones to arrive. John was coming, too, but he was later than I was. When I got there with my hands full (diaper bag, purse, Floppy Seat, Rachel), everyone was already seated, and there was just one place for me and the children - an empty table. That's where we sat, waiting for John. A few people smiled in welcome, but only one person came to greet us - our pastor. And no one thought to come help a mother with full hands.

Sarah Beth and Daniel climbed into their seats, and finally a waitress brought me a high chair for Rachel. As I sat there by myself, feeding Rachel her supper, I couldn't help but think, "I could be doing this at home." John finally arrived, and then another couple (who was later than we were) came and sat with us. They don't know it, but this couple redeemed the whole party for me.

I don't write this post looking for sympathy. I write it to remind you (and me!) that we need to be on the lookout this season (and always) for people who need some kindness. There are people in our churches and at our social functions who feel lonely and left out. As a family of believers, this should not be.

I am thankful that this happened to me last night because I hope that the next time I am in a similar situation, but on the other side, I remember what it's like to be alone. I want to remember so that I pick myself up out of my comfortable chair, my familiar setting, and my encouraging conversation, and go make someone else feel welcome. How hard is that? And yet how meaningful?

Finished Object Friday

2011-08-05T07:00:00.002-04:00

I decided to make a blue blanket for one of my friends that's having a baby boy, and I tried so hard to find a good pattern, one that I liked. I looked through most of my crochet books (and I have a bunch!), but I couldn't find anything that I really liked. There were a couple of possibilities, but the more I looked at them, the less I liked them. What was I going to do? Then I walked by Daniel's room and saw this blanket. Of course! I'll just make that one again, but with more baby-ish colors! And that's what I did.

This blanket measures about 3 feet square, and I made it with Bernat Softee Baby yarn. The pattern came from Snuggle Squares. (I'm writing all of this stuff down so I'll have it for future reference. I really hate it when I want to remake a blanket but cannot find the pattern for it.)

For more Finished Object Friday, head over to Fresh from the Chari Tree.

Christmas Time Generosity: A Good Thing?

2011-08-04T07:00:00.003-04:00

(This post was originally published December 1, 2010. I am republishing it as part of my Christmas in August series since we are very busy right now with our move. I hope you enjoy!)

What is it about this time of year that makes us feel more generous? Fishmama at Life as Mom has a list of ways we can demonstrate God's love to to others during the Christmas season. Doesn't it make us feel good to do things for others?

While these random acts of kindness are great, why should we do them duringthis season? I mean, what is so special about Christmastime? If these acts of kindness and generosity are good at this time of year, aren't they good all year long? I've read through the Bible a few times, and I haven't come across any command to give more freely or to love one's neighbor more during a certain time of the year.

Of course, I do not want to discourage you from doing good this month. In fact, I want to encourage you to act upon these suggestions. However, I do want to challenge you to continue these good deeds into January and February and March and...you get the idea. What's good in December is still good in July.

Christmas in August

2011-08-03T07:00:00.007-04:00

The movers are coming today to start packing up our house. They plan to pack us up today and tomorrow and then load everything into the truck on Friday. I figure that I'm going to be super busy for the next week or so, and I don't know when I will "lose" our computer (via packing). I had planned all year to do a Christmas in July series, but the timing worked out better for a Christmas in August series. Basically, I plan to repost some things I wrote around Christmas last year because there are things that we try to do especially at that time of year that we should really try to do all year long. Also, it's a good time to start thinking about Christmas, especially if you plan to make any gifts. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

Who I'm NOT Buying Christmas Gifts For

(This post was originally published December 20, 2010.)

(To be grammatically correct, the title of this post really should be: "For Whom I'm Not Buying Christmas Gifts. I know that, but it sounds kind of funny, don't you think?)

Buying gifts for people at Christmas can get expensive. It seems like you have to buy something for everyone, and it can be hard to find the perfect gift for each and every person on your list. We have a secret: we don't buy gifts for many people. It saves a lot (a lot) of time, money, and aggravation.

It is actually easier for me to list the people for whom I do buy gifts than those I don't. I buy gifts for John, and we buy gifts for our children and three of my in-town nieces and nephews. That's it. How do we get away with it? Why do we not buy gifts for my parents, siblings, and the rest of my nieces and nephews?

My parents do not need anything. They do not even want much, and what they do want, they buy for themselves. Since there is nothing they need or want, we make a donation to their choice of ministry in their names. This gift makes them happy, and it helps out a worthy ministry. (I do have a small gift for each of them to open, however. Shhh! Don't tell!) While it doesn't save us much money, it saves a lot of time and aggravation.
All of my siblings and our spouses used to buy gifts for everyone else, and that got expensive since I have two brothers and a sister. We decided to draw names, and that worked well...for a few years. One year when John and my brother-in-law exchanged gift cards to the same store, we decided it had gotten a little ridiculous. Then we started playing the "White Elephant" (aka "Dirty Santa") game. We just quit doing that a couple of years ago, and I'm not sure why...but it's kind of nice not to worry about it.
There are a bunch of nieces and nephews in our family (eleven to be exact), and again it's expensive to buy gifts for all of them. So we draw names. How does that work since John and I have three children but my younger brother has two? Well, you draw the number of names that you have children. We draw three, and my brother's family draws two. The children still get gifts, and we still have the fun of picking presents out, but it's limited. And let's be honest; they don't really need a toy from every aunt and uncle.

Do you do anything similar to cut costs for Christmas present-buying? What other methods do you use?

Tuesday's Tip: Business Cards

2011-08-02T07:00:00.002-04:00

"Business cards?" I'm sure you're thinking. "Why do women who stay home with their children need business cards?" I heard about this idea a while ago, and I thought it was a great one. Whenever you meet someone new, someone that you would like to reconnect with later, you just hand them one of your cards instead of hunting for something to write with and something to write on. "What a great idea!" I thought. The only problem is that I rarely meet new people since the church to which we belong is rather small.

Now that we're moving, however, I thought it was time to revisit this idea. Instead of writing down my new Florida address umpteen times to give to people who want it (assuming that anybody does!), I can just hand them a card. After we move, and I start (hopefully!) meeting people at our new church, I can hand them a card with all of our contact information on it, too. How easy!

What information do I have on my "business" card? Here's my list:

All of our names -- just in case people forget
Our address -- mostly for our old friends who might want to send us some snail mail (hint, hint!)
My email address -- my email address seems to be the permanent one in our family. Also, email is my preferred method of communication, so this information will be good for our new friends (I hope!).
My blog address -- I included this information mostly for our old friends who may want to keep up with us after our move.
Our phone number -- obvious reasons

I don't plan to show you a picture of my card because I don't want most of this information posted out there on the internet...even though I know most of it already is. But I think you get the idea.

I got my cards from VistaPrint because they offered free business cards. Of course, I still had to pay for shipping and handling which was a little more than $5. But since I will receive absolutely nothing if you order your own from VistaPrint, I really don't care where you order yours from, if you order any.

So, if you have to write down your personal information very often, you may want to think about getting your own set of "business" cards.

What do you think?

I just discovered on MoneySavingMom that you can get 100 free black and white business cards at Staples. Here's the coupon.

Pregnancy Update

2011-08-01T07:00:00.000-04:00

I am now 21 weeks along with this pregnancy which means that I am over halfway through. Hooray! I cannot believe that I'm wearing the same dress as I did in my fourteen week picture, but I guess I shouldn't be surprised. I've only got so many dresses that I can wear right now. I really don't look much bigger when I compare the pictures, but I definitely am. I can feel the baby moving now, and it's getting uncomfortable to sleep on my stomach. I just wish I knew whether this baby was a girl or a boy!