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Sunday, January 31, 2010

I'm alive...

...but sick as a dog!! I know so many are checking on us and have been praying for us. I just wanted to take a minute and give a quick update. I'm pretty sure this is the sickest I've been with any of my pregnancies. I just feel nauseous and extremely fatigued most all day. There seems to be a good window late in the evening before I go to bed, but other than that it's been pretty bad. Fortunately due to weather, Wesley had a long weekend. I've pretty much not left the couch for days. I had slept all day long today, so I thought I was feeling up to going to church tonight. I got up, showered, and off we went. This was my first outing since Monday's doctor appointment. About halfway through the trip I started feeling terrible. I think the motion did me in. Wesley was willing to turn around and just call it a night. I said, no hoping that once we got there I would feel better. But, I never made it out of the van. Ugh!! In the past I've never been sick beyond about 10 or 11 weeks. If that remains true this time, I've got just a little bit more than 3 weeks to go. Not too much longer!!! My spirits have been good, and I know that this is part of it. I'm trying to be content in all circumstances. I'm sorry that once again this post is all about me. Wesley and the kids have been so good to me!! I've got several posts in mind from the past week and a half, but I just don't have the energy to work on them right now. Hopefully soon! Thanks again for praying! Our next appointment/ultrasound is Tuesday morning.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Relaxing with Bella Peace

Ha, ha!! I've just cracked myself up with the title to this post. "Relaxing with Bella Peace", now that is an oxymoron!!!

I did end up staying home from our Wednesday night mission activities. Wesley came home and picked up the three big kids and took them. I kept Bella Peace home with me, because she has had a really runny nose. Also Bella Peace goes to bed pretty early, and this way I could go ahead and get her in bed on time tonight. However, she's the hardest one to keep up with right now! What was I thinking?!

So that I would not have to really work hard, I decided to occupy Bella Peace with a nice, long, warm, bubble bath! She LOVES bath time!! My plan was to just sit in the floor by the bathtub and relax while she played. However, Bella Peace had her own plan!! The bubbles faded fast, and my little bundle of energy decided that we should play all her favorite bath games!! One of her current favorites is, "peek-a-boo-around-the-shampoo"!! What, you've never heard of this game? Well I think these pictures sum it up!! It involved a bit more energy that I wanted to expend, but it was totally worth it!!







I'm actually feeling some better. Maybe it's the smiles of my sweet girl above. Maybe it's the fact that I'm always better at night. Maybe it's because, I'm not having to do anything right now. I'm just sitting in the bed moving only my fingers and wrists. Maybe it's the tips I received from my sweet friend, Jamie, who called today. If anyone knows how to get through pregnancy related sickness, it's this girl. She gets really, really sick when she is pregnant!!! Thanks, Jamie!! Maybe it's also an answer to prayer. Regardless, I'm thankful and I hope it last! I'm going to try to get lots of sleep tonight, I've got a busy day tomorrow! Good Night.

*Note - Just in case you missed it, there's a post from earlier this afternoon below this one.

Sick and Tired

I'm oh so sick and extremely tired, but in the very best way possible!!! I've been feeling a little nauseous and very tired for several days, but today has been by far the hardest. I'm trying to be grateful, because I know this is all just part of the process. I don't actually "get sick" like some. I just feel very nauseous like I am about to get sick at any moment. I actually think if I would just go ahead and get sick, I'd feel so much better. I'm also very light-headed, jittery, and very weak. I have zero appetite and trying to eat just makes me feel worse. UGH! Actually the only thing that seems to help is sleep!!! I feel like I could sleep for days and days! I'm hoping to make it to Missions Friends with the kiddos tonight, but it ain't looking to good right now! Thanks again for praying for us. When you pray, would you specifically remember Wesley right now. He has so much on him trying to keep up with his work responsibilities and pick up pretty much all the household responsibilities too right now!

Heavenly Father, please help me to not complain, but to be grateful. Help me remember Your lovingkindness and tender mercies towards me and our family. Help me to persevere. Strengthen me by Your mighty hand. Give me endurance for these few hard days or weeks. May they pass quickly. Help me focus on the things that matter most right now and let the other things go for this time. Strengthen and encourage Wesley as he has so much on him right now. Help the children to be understanding and patience with Mommy. Lord, I'm so thankful for this new little baby you've given us!! Thank You for all that You have already done and all that You are going to do in our lives! I love You, Lord!! Thank You, Lord!

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Baby's First Picture, About 6 Weeks


Please forgive me for taking so long to give a full update. We are so thankful for all the prayers that are being offered up on our behalf. Yesterday before starting the ultrasound, our nurse Jeanette (one of my new favorite people!!) cautioned us that we may not see a baby or heartbeat yet. She told us it could still be too early. She encouraged us not to think the worse or jump to conclusions if we didn't see these things yet. But I knew that typically at 6 weeks, you can see these things. I had been all over the place with my emotions, and yesterday I was still anxious but very hopeful. Wesley admits, he was not expecting good news. So it began, and instantly - BABY!! Then - HEARTBEAT!! We were thrilled. Jeanette was surprised. Wesley and I were glued to the image of our sweet little baby on the screen. Mrs. Mathis joined us for the ultrasound, and she was crying. It was very exciting!! So far, everything looks "picture perfect", and our little baby is measuring perfectly!! I did ask Jeanette to look around and find us a second "bun", but she could not find one. We will gladly accept one little bun!! As far as the bleeding goes, she said it's just one of those great mysteries. It's actually gotten a lot better in the past couple of days. I'm blessed to have doctors and nurses who genuinely care. I'll be going back for weekly ultrasounds for quite awhile. Thank you again for praying for us!!

I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
Psalm 139:14

Monday, January 25, 2010

GOOD NEWS!!!!!!

Can't do a full report right now, b/c I've got to drive our sitter back home. BUT, the ultrasound showed a perfect, healthy baby!!!!!!! More later on this afternoon!

Praise Be To God!!!!!

Hope

It's tomorrow, I mean today!!! Now let's get to 9:30 AM!!!

My friend Katy has just started a new blog. Her last entry is perfect for me today!! Hop on over there and check it out!

http://hope-overflowing.blogspot.com

Dear Lord,

You know the desire of my heart regarding this baby, but Lord I desire to know You deeper and more than anything else. I desire Your will above my own. I know Your plans are for my good. I accept whatever You have for me today. I love You, Lord. May I glorify and praise You today regardless of what the outcome is.

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Is it tomorrow yet?

No tomorrow isn't here yet, and it CANNOT get here soon enough!!! I'm so ready to have the ultrasound and find out what's going on! While I've continued to have spotting (actually I've had a lot more than spotting), it has improved some today. Also I've not had any serious cramping, which is a good sign. Today, I feeling very hopeful! I've done a little bit of internet research and found out an interesting tidbit. Spotting/bleeding is more common and heavier with multiples. Oh, how AWESOME would it be to go in tomorrow and find out there's more than one bun in the oven!!! It took Wesley two buns to figure things out, so maybe there's two buns in there now!! I would LOVE it!!! I keep going back to the same answer over and over, only time will tell.

Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.
Psalm 27:14

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Only Time Will Tell

Well, folks, I have to say, things aren't looking too good for our little "bun", at least from my perspective. My spotting has continued and has continued to worsen. At times, I'm almost overcome with fear and anxiety. Other times, I have supernatural peace. Fortunately, the past 24 hours have been packed with things to keep me busy and keep me from dwelling on what might be happening. Only time can tell us for sure what's going on. I've discussed the situation fully with a nurse from my doctor's office. The only thing to do (unless something drastic happens) is to wait for Monday's ultrasound. I can't remember a time when I've been more ready to get through the weekend!

Last night, Wesley and I went out to dinner. Thanks to Lainey who babysat for us!!! And to the Maddox's who gave us a gift certificate to dinner for Christmas!! Wesley and I enjoyed getting out together alone! It doesn't happen often!!!

Today, Wesley has had to work which means I've been busy around the house with the kiddos. I'm expecting Wesley home in about two hours!! Can't wait!!! I'm feeling extremely tired! I'm planning to go to bed when he gets here. We also had a little bit of excitement around here today. It's a fun, good story, and I want to share it in a separate post.

Keep us in your prayers!

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Results

I've received the results from yesterday's lab work. My numbers are all NORMAL!!! I'm thrilled with this report, but still struggling with feeling a little anxious. I'm also still spotting. I spoke about it to the nurse who called to give me the results. She assured me that this doesn't necessarily mean anything, but only time would tell us for sure. Also at this point, we will don't have plans to do more lab work, but will start monitoring things by ultrasound. An ultrasound will definitely give us more information about how things are progressing. I'm looking very forward to seeing our little "bun in the oven"!!! AND, we will get that chance on MONDAY!!! We are 6 weeks today!! Hopefully by Monday we will be able to see a healthy little heart beating!!! It's going to be a long weekend! Thanks for your prayers!

A Storm Brewing

Today feels ominous. The sky is dark. You can see deep, dark clouds moving in. The wind is blowing hard. There's clearly a storm brewing outside. It's out there, and it's coming our way. I fear another storm of life coming my way. I guess when you've lost three babies, it's inevitable that there's going to be some level of anxiety. Oh, I'm trying not to be tossed by the various winds of my emotions right now. I keep giving my fears over to the Lord and then taking them back, giving them to Him, taking them back.

My spotting is worse. I'm waiting on a call from my doctor with yesterday's lab report.

Lord, please calm my anxious heart. Help me to fix my eyes on You, to trust You! Help me to find my hope and joy in You alone!

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

There's A Bun In the Oven


I'm feeling much better tonight. Less anxious, less worried. I will get the results back on my lab work tomorrow. Thanks for your prayers! I really feel it's nothing to worry about, after all this has happened with all of my pregnancies. Either way, it will be fine! I know my family including this newest member is in God's hand. Since I am feeling better, I thought I would take the time to share the very cute story of how I told Wesley the news!

Wesley told me long before we had our first child that he thought it was cool for the wife to surprise her husband with baby news. He thought there wasn't any fun in watching a stick!! :-) So, I've done my best to tell him in cute, creative ways. I'm starting to run out of ideas, so this time I went with an old classic thinking it would be an easy give-away. But, to my surprise and his, he didn't instantly get it!!!

I took a home pregnancy test late Friday night/early Saturday morning after he had fallen asleep. I had planned to wait a few more days to take a test, but that night I had a lot on my mind and just couldn't resist. The test was of course positive. At that point, I knew I wouldn't be sleeping much! My mind was racing!!! Among other things, I started trying to think of a cute way to tell him. The only thing I could come up with was a play on the old cliche, "there's a bun in the oven." So when I finally did go to bed, I put a hot dog bun (the only kind of bun I had) in the oven and turned the oven light on knowing that the light would draw some attention in the morning.

Early the next morning, Wesley and Luke went into the kitchen, and Luke spotted the light and the bun all most immediately! He said, "Daddy, why is there a bun in the oven?" I run in to see Wesley's reaction, but find Wesley standing there looking dumbfounded. "Hum," he says, "I don't know why there's a bun in the oven." Looking at me, he says, "do you know why?" I just smiled and kind of shrugged. Then without another thought, he opened the oven, took out the bun, threw it in the trash, turned off the oven light, and WALKED AWAY!!!!! I could absolutely not believe that he actually said the words, "there's a bun in the oven" and didn't get it! How could he not get it!!!! AND, how could he just walk away without getting to the bottom of it. I think he seriously thought I might really be losing my mind this time and decided to just play it cool. I was left just standing there thinking, "now what." After giving it some thought, I decided I would just repeat the process until he finally figured it out. I share this hilarious story with a couple of girlfriends and the joke became, "how many buns in the oven will it take for Wesley to figure out there's a bun in the oven"! (BTW, he's told me before that he doesn't care if I tell him first just as long as I surprise him!)

The next morning finally came, and once again I put a bun in the oven and turned on the light. In an almost "Groundhog Day" (the movie) kind of moment, Wesley and Luke went back into the kitchen. This time Luke said in a very excited voice, "Daddy, there's another bun in the oven! Daddy, why is there another bun in the oven?!" I got close enough to hear well, but didn't rush in thinking that I would give him a second and he would figure it out. Much more perplexed than before, Wesley says, "I don't know, go ask your Mother why there's a bun in the oven." Luke comes running to me and asked me, "why there's a bun in the oven." Making sure that Wesley could hear me, I said in a playful voice, "Luke, go tell Daddy, that I didn't put the bun in the oven. He did." Thinking Wesley would for sure figure it out now, I went into the kitchen. But NOPE!!!! He still has NO CLUE!!! At this point, neither of us were really paying attention to Luke anymore, but Luke is just laughing hysterically even though he has no idea what is so funny. So Wesley says, "Yeah, yeah, you did (put the bun in the oven)! You did! Really what are you doing? What's going on? I heard you in the kitchen this morning. Really what's going on?" At that point, I think Wesley was starting to be sincerely concerned for my mental health. So I said, "well, let's think about this. Hummmmm." Then slowly, "there's a bun in the oven." Ding, ding, ding!!! The light bulb moment!!! Wesley's mouth literally feel open, and his eyes got as big as two moons. His response, "NOOOOO WAAAAY!!!! ARE YOU SERIOUS!!!! NO WAY!!!" Still not having any idea what's really going on, Luke starts rolling in the floor, laughing, and as if it were planned, he is chanting, "there's a bun in the oven, there's a bun in the oven!" Wesley starts pacing the floor, and his head looks as though it is going to spin off. Then he actually said, "I don't think I can handle this," but even as he said that he was smiling as if everything was right in the whole wide world!!! AND in that moment, everything was right at least in our own little "Minor" world!!! I LOVE my husband! No matter what happens, I will forever be grateful for the those precious moments on the morning on Sunday, January 10, 2010.

My Hope

Scratch what I said before about not being anxious. I'm having some spotting now, which has me very anxious. Sorry if that's too much information. I've spotted with every pregnancy so I'm trying to keep things in perspective. I'm already going in for lab work later today. I'm praying that the results will be reassuring. I'm also trying hard not to put my hope in a good lab report. I'm not expecting to get the results today, but I will update when I have them. Please pray for me!

This hymn has already been on my mind the past couple of days. I think it's appropriate for today.

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly trust in Jesus’ Name.

Refrain

On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

When darkness seems to hide His face,
I rest on His unchanging grace.
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.

Refrain

His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood.
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my Hope and Stay.

Refrain

When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh may I then in Him be found.
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.

Refrain

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Thanks and Comments

Thanks for all the sweet emails and well wishes! Several of you have said that you are having trouble commenting. I'm not sure why that is. If you are having trouble, you might consider chosing "anonymous" as your profile.

We will have more lab work done tomorrow. I will probably not get the results until Thursday afternoon, but I will update as soon as I have any news to share!

More Answers

Several people have asked if the dates in our trivia question were birthdays. I forgot to answer that one in the last post. They were not birthdays. They were the original due dates of each of our children.

Another statement/question I get regularly (like every time I leave my house) goes something like this, "you sure do have your hands full". I heard a great response to that from a friend recently. "Yes, I have my hands full, but my heart is even more full!" I love that! That's my new answer.

My heart is full in a way I cannot describe. I'm sure many of you know that fullness. But there is also a heaviness for several people in my life. If you've ever struggled with fertility or experienced the loss of a baby, you know that sometimes hearing this kind of news can be hard. I can remember feeling a bit of a sting soon after my first loss when a close friend announced that she was pregnant. I was genuinely happy for her, but it still hurt just a little. God has placed several people in my life for whom hearing this latest news was a little difficult. Each one of these people are truly happy for me, but are wrestling with their current circumstances. I bet many of you know people who are also in this position. Let's remember to pray for each other. If you are one of those people in my life, please know that I will try to be sensitive and please know that I'm praying for you!!

One final question I've been asked is what does this mean for our hopes of adopting. Wesley and I still feel a call to adopt internationally. We've prayed and asked God to show us His timing for this. Obviously that is not now, but it doesn't change our desire at all. We totally see international adoption in our future! We will continue to seek Him and look to Him to show us His perfect timing!

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

(I prefer KJV, but I memorized this a long time ago in NIV and it is forever in my mind this way.)

Monday, January 18, 2010

Answers

OK, so there are a few family members and friends demanding answers. So here you have it:

YES!!!!!! We are pregnant!!!

Yes, again!

Yes, I know this makes 8 pregnancies, in as many years. I know I've been here for them all.

No, we haven't lost our minds.

Yes, we know how this keeps happening. Apparently that's why it keeps happening!

YES!!!! WE ARE THRILLED!!!!

No, we were not "trying".

No, I wasn't surprised. Remember this makes 8, and I kind of just know by now.

Yes, Wesley was surprised, because we were not trying and because he doesn't feel extremely tired until I let him know how extremely tired I am!!

Yes, the kids know. If you've been in earshot of them since we told them this weekend then you know they know.

Yes, they are so so very extremely excited!

No, we are not feeling scared, fearful, or anxious. We know we are in His hands, and absolutely nothing happens that is not filtered through His hands. We know that only God can create life. We believe this is His will and our calling!

No, we don't have it all figured out or have all the answers. But, we are trusting The One who does have it all perfectly figured out!!

Yes, everything looks great so far! I'm about 5 1/2 weeks right now. I'm being monitored very closely. I will probably have my first ultrasound next week.

Yes, I have many other things I want to share including cute stories of how I told Wesley (he loves for me to surprise him with the news), how we told the kids, the medical specifics, and how God is already moving in our lives through this new life within me! But, I'm all out of time for tonight. More later!

Did I mention, YES, WE ARE SOOOOOOOO EXCITED!!!!!!!!

Happy 100th Day!!!!

Today is our 100th day of school this year!!! Only 70 more to go!!!! It's been a good day. We've not really celebrated in any way. But, it's not to late! Saturday Grace and Mary Ruth worked together on a school project. They made their own cookie dough from scratch!! They measured everything, preheated the oven correctly, even cracked the eggs!! I stood close by and supervised, but they really did it all. The cookies turned out really good, and we still have some leftover cookie dough in the frig. I'm thinking today is a good day to enjoy some more of those!!!

Today is also Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. We detoured slightly from our regular activities to learn more about who Martin Luther King, Jr. was and why we have this day in his honor. We also enjoyed a little bit of this nice weather and got outside. I'm curious as to where all my homeschool friends are in their school year. If you homeschool, please leave me a comment or email and let me know what day you are on. Also more details about our "Minor" trivia question coming soon! Stay tuned!!!

Friday, January 15, 2010

"Minor" Trivia

Here's a little "Minor" trivia question for you. Can you figure out what all these date's have in common?

January 3, 2003
April 8, 2004
October 8, 2005
March 25, 2007
September 8, 2007
May 16, 2008
November 18, 2009
September 18, 2010

When you figure it out, leave me a comment letting me know! And don't go checking out the comments until you figure it out for yourself!!!

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Baby Boom

First let me start with a little bit of vanity, Mama got a new do, whoo hoo!!!! Well it's not a new cut, just a trim and new highlights. But it's been a while, and it feels new!! Thank you, Hillery!! If you are looking for a new stylist, Hillery is amazing!
Hillery Parker ~ Dominion Salon and Spa ~ 256-270-9291


This week has been busy as usual, but in different ways. The kiddos have finally hit the books hard again, but it's been with Daddy's help a lot this week. (Wesley, you're my hero!) Monday I had a couple errands that I had to run myself, Tuesday I had an unavoidable outing, Wednesday we had a field trip to Sci-Quest and had Mission Activities at church, and this morning I left early to go have my hair done and to visit a close friend who had her baby yesterday.

It seems as though there's a bit of a baby boom going on. I have several close friends who have either just had babies or are currently pregnant. If you are a serious blogger, you may have also noticed this seems to be true in the blog world also.

My good friend Amy just recently gave birth to her 6th child, a whopping 10 lb boy named Tanner. I didn't get to visit Amy in the hospital, but I stole this adorable picture from her Facebook.


Then yesterday another close friend, Melody gave birth to her 2nd child and 2nd girl. Here I am with enjoying a little bit of Baby Anna today. And unlike Tanner, she is just a little bit! Isn't she a sweety!


Of course, I can't leave out Janie Beth. The Karr family is still in my thoughts constantly. This is such a difficult time for them. Michelle and I share many of the same friends. She definitely rejoices with these families, but it's bittersweet. Please continue to pray for their family and hop on over to Michelle's blog and reminder her that you are still praying!

Me and sweet Janie Beth


I just realized that I was wearing the same outfit today that I was wearing when I held Janie Beth. That seems significant to me.

LO, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.
Psalm 127:3

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Remembering...

Janie Beth Karr


Joey, Michelle, Josiah, Katie Jo, Eli, and Janie Beth, we love you!!! We are praying for you!!!

Today was Janie Beth's Celebration of Life Service. We sang the hymn "Because He Lives". I think this is my new favorite hymn. The words touched me deeply.

Because He Lives

God sent His son, they called Him, Jesus;
He came to love, heal and forgive;
He lived and died to buy my pardon,
An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives!

Chorus
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives!
How sweet to hold a newborn baby,
And feel the pride and joy he gives;
But greater still the calm assurance:
This child can face uncertain days because He Lives!

Chorus
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives!
And then one day, I'll cross the river,
I'll fight life's final war with pain;
And then, as death gives way to vict'ry,
I'll see the lights of glory and I'll know He lives!

Chorus
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives!

Saturday, January 9, 2010

Psalm 139:13-18

13 For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.

14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

15 My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curriously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

17 How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God: how great is the sum of them!

18 If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.

Friday, January 8, 2010

Happy Dog

It was another cold one 'round these parts!! We didn't get anymore acculumation, but it snowed off and on all day. And, the snow is still on the ground from yesterday which is so cool! We decided that with tempertatures near singe digits that we needed to show some love to our favorite pet, so we've let Buddy sleep inside. This is no "minor" thing for the Minor family. I don't do inside animals!!! But I do really love this old mut! You can't really tell from the pictures, but Buddy was really one very happy dog!!


My mother-in-law will be so happy!!!

This week has been so great! I almost hate to see the weekend come (what did I really just say that, I usually can't wait for the weekend), because I know that real life is just around the corner. But on the other, I feel really ready, motivated, and excited to get underway with a new year!! Speaking of the new year, I'm still hoping to finish up some old blog posts I started about our new year resolutions. Maybe I'll get to that this weekend.

Hope you all stay warm!

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Snow Day

Our first really big day back at school and it snows! Can you believe it? I can hardly believe this is our second snow with accumulation this season!! This just doesn't happen a lot 'round these parts. We managed to still get in a good day of school and enjoy the snow with the help of Daddy who got to stay home since his school was closed! Whoo Hoo!!!

Here's a few pictures. I tried to get a little creative and artsy with some of these. I use to dabble a bit in photography, but that was long, long ago. Now I don't have the time or equipment, but one day I will get into it again. I was inspired by the photographer who took pictures for the Karrs. She actually uses photography as a ministry! She spent a lot of time at the hospital with the Karrs, even having to find a sitter for her own children. I could see myself doing something like she does one day. Thank you Kelly. If you are looking for a great photographer, please look up Kelly ~ Kelly Clark Baugher Photography.





What I lack in time and equipment, I make up for in inspiration. Wouldn't you agree?

Here's my little snow bunnies!!




Of course no day is complete for Luke without a little shooting action. Grace surprised us by wanting to shoot with him. Which really is a big surprise since she isn't very outdoorsy and doesn't like to get cold!! Don't worry, they were only shooting cans and were closely supervised!


Luke on the other hand never, never, no not ever, tires of the great outdoors!





On another note, my heart is so heavy for the Karrs. I've not mentioned them here in the past few days, but that's not because I've forgotten them. In fact the first thing I thought of when I woke up to snow this morning was that Janie Beth was not here to see this. The Lord gently reminded me a little later that she's not missing a thing! It's just us missing her, and oh how she is being missed these days. Please join me in continuing to lift the Karr family up in prayer.

Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. Psalm 30:5

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Recipes

I've promised several people several recipes lately, and I can't remember who I've promised what. So hopefully if you've been waiting on something, you will find in here!

I absolutely LOVE this new recipe I have for chicken noodle soup.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients:

4 - boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 - TBSP chicken baste (this comes in a little glass container and can be found near bouillon cubes)
2 - 32 oz containers of Swanson chicken broth
4 - cups of milk
1 - 12 oz bag of egg noodles
1 - family size can of cream of chicken soup
1 - can of cream of celery soup

Directions:

Cook chicken in chicken baste in crock pot until tender and falling apart (in my crock pot this was about 4 hours on high). Shred chicken and return to crock pot leaving all juices. On the stove top combine chicken broth and milk and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add egg noodles and cook until tender. Pour this mixture into crock pot with chicken. Add cream of chicken soup and cream of celery soup and mix well. This completely filled my crock pot. I have the oval kind that holds 5 quarts (I think). The mixture will be very soupy. Cook in crock pot on high about another 3 - 4 hours until soup reaches desired thickness.

I've only made this recipe once. I had it first at my SIL Heather's house. It was sooooo yummy that I could not wait to have it again! Thanks, Heather!!! I've changed up the recipe up a little bit not because it needed changing, but just because I seem to always do that. The original recipe Heather gave me called 6 chicken breasts, and I'm always looking for ways to save a little. It also called for you to combine the soups to the mixture on the stove top and bring it all to a boil together. I didn't do it this way because I don't really have a good size stock pot to do that. I can't really say I notice any difference in with these changes. I might even make another shortcut next time I make it and experiment with skipping the stove top part all together. I'm going to try to just dump in all together in the crock pot after cooking and shredding the chicken. I've cooked noodles in the crock pot before so I think this will work out. I'll let you know when I try it this way. If you try it this way first, please let me know how it turns out. Hope you all enjoy this one as much as we did!

Here's the next one:

Potato Soup

Ingredients:

2 - bags frozen hashbrowns the cubed kind - thawed
4 - cans cream of potato soup
8 - cups skim milk
onion flakes (I just pour some in, probably 4 TBSP)
pepper (same as above, I just shake some until it looks right - sorry) :)

Directions:

Combine all ingredients into a crock pot (again this mixture completely fills my oval 5 quart crock pot). Cook on high about 6 hours until desired thickness is reached. Serve with all the fixin' to top it with - shredded cheese, bacon bits, chopped green onions, soup cream, and of course bread on the side! UMMMM, UMMMM, GOOD!!!

The potato soup recipe is extremely modified from a recipe I got out of a magazine a long time ago. It's so modified that I proudly consider it my own creation. It took several not so great tries to get this one just right. We all really love it, even the kiddos!!

Alright, just one more tonight.

Life Changing Nachos

Ingredients:

1 - lb ground beef
1 - pack taco seasoning
1 - diced onion
1 - diced green bell pepper
1 - bag of saffron rice (yellow foil bag)
tortilla chips (scoops)
banana peppers
1 - diced tomato
shredded cheese
sour cream
black bean and corn salsa

Directions:

Brown meat, drain. Cook the rice according to package directions while cooking the meat. Add peppers, onions, and seasoning to meat and cook until onions and peppers are tender. Preheat round pizza stone in oven at 350 for about 10 minutes. When stone is hot, layer chips, meat, rice, banana peppers, tomatoes, cheese. Cook until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes or so. Serve with sour cream and salsa.

Let your life be changed!!!

OK, that was was the original unchanged version and it really is the best. However, I sometime short-cut. In a hurry you can leave out the onions, bell peppers, and tomatoes and it still taste amazing!!! It just saves a lot of time dicing all that stuff up, however it also hurts it's nutritional value so consider that. Also I (big gasp here) don't currently own a stone at all. So I if you are in the same boat I'm in, it also works great to cook it on cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil (easier clean up). I don't heat up the cookie sheet, just throw it all on there and pop it in. I also use the Great Value tortilla rounds instead of Scoops because they are so much cheaper. Also I only put banana peppers on the about half, because I'm not so sure how the kiddos would do with banana peppers. Do yourself a favor and prepare this one according to the original recipe the first time and be sure you have it with the black bean and corn salsa!! There you have it! When I first served this one to my family, they all agreed it was life changing well at least moment changing for sure!!

I'll add some more favorites another time, and maybe next time I make these I will take some pictures to add. We generally come home on Sunday's for lunch and these are some of our Sunday lunch favorites!!! With crock pot meals, I usually mix everything up in the crock pot the night before so on Sunday morning all I have to do is pull it out of the frig and turn it on. You would have to start a little earlier on Saturday night to have the chicken noodle soup one all mixed and ready the night before. With the nacho recipe, I dice everything and cook the meat and rice the night before. Then when we get home from church, I layer everything on my pan and pop it into the oven. I takes a minute or two longer in the oven since the meat was cold, but I can still walk in the door and have it on the table in like 15 minutes tops! Wesley and the kids come in and change into something comfy and get to the table just in time!!

If you have any questions about these, please let me know!

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Skippin' School

Today has been a really nice day. I had planned for yesterday to be somewhat of a in service day, so that I could get all my ducks in a row to start today. Today was scheduled to be the first day of the second semester. But, guess what? We skipped school today!!! :)

Luke and Wesley have been in desperate need of a haircut. They really needed one before Christmas, but it's been so busy! This was the first day that we've really been able to work it out. Luke was going to be gone right in the middle of the morning, so I just said let's wait one more day. We are a little bit ahead of where we need to be, so it will be fine. It also worked out well because yesterday I really didn't get prepared like I needed to. So I've spent a good part of today doing that. As I've been planning, I've gotten really excited about starting back!!

Sidebar, Wesley has been sporting the same style now which I love and think really suites him since 2002. I've been encouraging him to change it up a bit. So he's decided a new decade calls for a new look. It's nothing drastic just a subtle little change, but I think it looks really good on him. (Thanks Ms. Carolyn for keeping my guys looking good!!!) I didn't get a picture of Wesley earlier today, but I will have to take one and to a before and after post. :)

Ok getting back to what I was writing about, we are going to be doing some really fun new things in school this semester, and I am really excited!! The thing that I'm most excited about is that Wesley and I have decided that the entire family is going to either listen or read through the Bible this year. We haven't started the kids just yet, because we really just decide yesterday that this would be a family thing. We've got a gift certificate and we are going to purchase the Bible on CD this weekend and get started right away. We are also going to get a little more into Science and History. Of course I'm really very excited about all this now, because planning is what I do best. Implementing is a bit harder, so we will see how it all goes.

Tomorrow won't be a regular day either. We will have school, but we also have somewhat of a field trip to attend with Bright Lights (our preschool homeschool group). Tomorrow we are having a Community Helpers Day and several different community helpers will be speaking to us about how they serve the community and how we can help. I think it's going to be a lot of fun. We recently been reading through a book about Community Helpers, and now it's time to see them up close and personal!

I've got a billion things to do, so I must go for now but I'm so proud of myself for doing a quick light-hearted post!!!

Monday, January 4, 2010

Whose in charge here?

I have several different post started, but I'm having a hard time finding time to finish them. I'm just wondering if it takes other people FOREVER to put into words what's on their minds and hearts? I LOVE blogging, but it takes me forever to post something. Anyone else that way?

So much is on my mind right now. I had somewhat of a light bulb moment a few minutes ago. I was feeling rather stressed and kind of stepped back to think about what was really bothering me. And then it occurred to me. I am such a control freak and a perfectionist!! OK I know most people reading this are thinking, yeah, duh, we know that. But it really, really hit me. I am constantly spinning my wheels trying to control everything. This has worked out for me OK for most of my life, but at this stage it's not working so well. As the kids get older and older, I cannot control everything. Everything cannot be my way all the time. I'm not always going to get what I want or have things done the way I think they should be done. This effects every part of my life.

At the moment it occurred to me, I was in Luke's room with him. I had asked him to clean it up, and he had cleaned it up. However, it wasn't as clean as I thought it should be. I was feeling very frustrated about this. I know it is important to teach the kids to be diligent, and most of the time they are pretty good at doing their chores. However a lot of times when I feel frustrated and think they aren't being diligent, it's possible that my standards/expectations for them are actually too high. Also I'm realizing that part of the problem is that I've spent years doing things for them so that it could be done my way. I can't keep doing that. For one thing, I can't keep up with everything. For another, it's not helping them to develop good character and a good work ethic.

I started thinking more and more about my tendencies to try to control everything, and I realized just how widespread this problem is. I've got to stop for myself and everyone around me!!! I'm always juggling a million things and don't want to drop anything. I always have so much on my mind because I'm always trying to figure something out, find the answer, the solution, make it perfect, etc. It even effects this blog. I ponder forever what I want to say so that it can be just perfect. Ugh!!!!

You know when you are controlling everything or trying to, that makes you responsible for the results. When I was with Luke in his room and feeling frustrated, I was also feeling responsible for his actions, feeling like I've failed to teach him to be diligent. The fact that his room was not perfectly clean is not necessarily an indication that I've failed. Luke belongs to God. I am responsible to the Lord to do my best to teach him, but ultimately as he grows up I am not responsible for the decisions he makes.

Yesterday morning Brother Jimmy's sermon was on realizing that, God owns everything. Everything is His!! Everything!! He referenced Psalm 24:1, "The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell within." I really pray that this year, I start to get this message. It's time that I let go and let God be God. Let Him be in control. I mean it's all His anyway, right?

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Happy 7th Birthday, Luke!!!

Luke turned 7 years old today!!! I can hardly believe it. Where have the years gone? It seems like just yesterday that I was sitting on the couch taking pictures of my 3 day old baby boy. We came home from the hospital pretty late on January 4, 2003. Of course Wesley and I were both up and down all night long with feedings. But around 7 AM, I got up for the day with Luke. It was just me and him sitting on the couch, and I can remember every detail about that morning. The sun was coming in through the window, and it felt warm even though it was a very cold January morning. I remember unwrapping Luke and looking him over again and crying with joy. It may have been the first time that I had really been alone with him. To this day, I can remember feeling so wowed by the fact that I was his Mommy and he was my son. It felt like a dream come true.

3 days old


1 week old


5 weeks old


3 months old - This may be my all time favorite picture of Luke.


Luke and his Daddy - Then


Luke and his Daddy - Now




It was a dream come true!!!

Luke, I love you more than words can say!! Happy Birthday!!!