I had a breast reduction when I was 18. The reduction has effected how much milk I make. I've tried with babies #2 & #3 to nurse. I didn't try very hard, though. Honestly, I didn't have enough information, and I was very much into 'scheduling' my baby which kinda made the nursing thing more difficult. Now, I'm on a quest to figure out how to successfully nurse this next baby.

Here's a website about breastfeeding after surgery that I'll be exploring in preparation for September. Out of all these pregnancies, this is the first time I've come across it. How exciting!

http://www.bfar.org

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Here's my latest  cake, this is the first one that I've ever sold. It took much longer than I anticipated, and I'm hoping that I get faster at this.

 The colors are a tad off in the picture. The green looks too dull and the darker pink loos too dark.

I should have done a rope border out of fondant, but it was 4 in the morning, and I wasn't sure how that would turn out. So I did florets and the typical shell border.

I just love these little ladybugs! Makes me want to have a little girl. Thanks for letting me share.

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Tonight my 9yo pitched his first baseball game. He loves baseball, but can be a bit awkward at times. This has been a tough season for him, as he hasn't had a single hit. He wanted to try out for pitcher at the first of the season, but the coach didn't let him. I think he thought my son was just too clumsy to be a good pitcher.

Son and hubby have been practicing at home, and my son finally got the courage to ask his coach for a chance to show him his pitching skills before the game. Well, it started out as one coach watching him, and then the coach went and got another coach. They both stood there, knodding their heads.

Later in the game, our son told us that if they scored a few more runs (ie, if the lead was big enough to take a chance on my son) the coach would  let him pitch. Before we even had the chance to blink, he was on the mound.

The smile on his face was amazing. He did so well. He struck out two batters and walked several, but he was so awesome to watch. At the end of the inning, as he left the field I could tell that he felt like a superstar. I thought to myself, that the smile on his face and the pride that he felt was better than having any of my own accomplishments.

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Most Christians have pondered the hypothetical scenario that has come to be the benchmark of a person's faith. The scenario is as follows: If someone were holding a gun to your head and told you to deny Christ and live...what would you do?

I believe that, while the above scenario would be a serious test of a person's faith, it is not the test that most of us need to be worrying about. Why? Because most of us will never face a madman with a gun to our head. But many of us daily face the enemy and his minions and the lies that they whisper in our ears.

"God doesn't love you or you wouldn't be going through this."

"God isn't here with you."

"Can't you feel my presence more than His? Where is He, if he loves you so much?"

The true benchmark of our faith is how we responds to the lies that are being fed to us by Satan. When desperation kicks in, and everything around us is falling apart, do we entertain these thoughts? Do we question God over and over again, accusing Him of not loving us or not helping us? Do you we tell Him how angry we are with Him and the circumstances that He has divinely allowed?

I believe that when we do these things, we are essentially denying Christ.

I'm not saying that moments of helplessness and hopelessness won't come, believe me, I've had more than my share. BUT...when the circumstances are beyond our control and not to our liking, we must remember the TRUTH and stop denying it by believing lies.

God is always with us. We must stop asking Him where He is. He is everywhere. He has given us the Holy Spirit. So, at all times, even frightening, painful times, He is with us in two forms, God the father and God, the Holy Spirit. We must believe that. God loves us. His love is so great that He sacrificed His son for our benefit. We may not always feel loved, but the heart is deceptive. We must not be deceived.

We must stop denying Christ. No, there's no gun at our heads. But our lives are at stake. If we can't fight the spiritual forces around us, what makes us believe that we could remain strong under the threat of death?

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This morning I didn't want to be at home. When I get overwhelmed by the state of the house, I tend to throw the kids in the car and make a beeline for town. But between insane fuel prices, living 20 minutes from town, and driving a gas-guzzling-mega-truck, I am allocated to one trip a week. So, this morning, I was feeling sorry for myself. I decided to sit down and write out all the things that I was thinking and praying. I'll let you peek, just in case these words can help another overwhelmed mom.

Lord, I don't want to be here today. I wish I could take the car and drive anywhere. Sometimes I hate being stuck here. I feel like I am at a crossroads, but I don't know which road to take. I don't want to get up from this seat and still be discouraged. At some point, I have to make a change. At some point I have to choose to be happy where I'm at - which includes babies, and dishes, and high gas prices, and loads of laundry.

Why can't I find joy in any of these things? I just want to be a cheerful mother and homemaker. But I feel like its impossible. The house is always a mess and the kids are always screaming.

I'm afraid this is my last chance. I have a feeling that whatever I do when I get up from this seat will determine my future. I can choose to live like I have been or I can choose to change. I can get up and let the kids run around the house while I cope with the chaos by surfing the internet. Or I can choose to RIGHT NOW get up and do the dishes and smile and have the children help me.

But mostly, I can choose to be content with where I am right now. I am in a house that needs some cleaning and surrounded by kids that need some training. Yes, the job will be hard. No, it won't be much fun. But whose job is it?

It's mine.

After that, I got up, put on some upbeat Christian music, assigned the kids jobs and went to work on the dishes. The dishes were stinky, I'm not sure how long they sat there. The 2yo kept getting water all over the floor (he was my washing helper) and the baby kept snuggling his face into my rear, as a means of saying "Hi mom! I'm down here, don't you want to play?" But, I did it. I prayed and sang, and winked at the baby, and God proved to be good.

I know how you feel, when the house is a mess and your kids are a mess and your life is a mess. And each day we have to make the choice to ignore the mess or to tackle the mess. It was the hardest thing to get up from that seat and choose to not ignore my mess any longer. Only with the help of God's grace, which He gave freely after I poured out my frustrations to Him, was I able to get past the stinky dishes and the noisy kids, and see that this was a mess that was worth cleaning up.

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We are on night four of Pukefest 2008. Wednesday night and Thursday night the three littles turned into puke monsters and dirtied every blanket or sheet in the house. Friday night, my oldest son and I became the vomit kings and managed to puke everywhere but the toilet.

My husband pointed out OFTEN that the 3yo managed to make it to the toilet each time, but th 9yo and the 30yo didnt. It was nasty. I know my husband loves me because he has seen me with chunky orange liquid rocketing from my mouth and dripping off my clothes. Attractive, yes?

Tonight, we assume that oldest son and myself will still continue to vomit, though right now we are feeling fine. I'll update you in the morning, if you are interested in our bodily fluids.

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I've got pukey little ones today. Technically, I had pukey little ones last night. Today, they haven't been pukey, just not very hungry. I think I saw more than my share of vomit in the past 24 hours. I'm glad its almost over :)

This morning my 2yo refused his diaper. He said he wanted underwear. We stole a pair of his brother's and he proudly showed off his spiderman underpants. He stayed dry ALL morning. We had several trips to the potty, but nothing to show for it. Finally, before naptime I took him to the bathroom and he peed 6 inches from the toilet. Huh!

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Alright folks, I'm pooped from being pregnant and unable to put together words in a coherent way. So, I'll just point you to a blog post by Candy that discusses taxes, Christianity, and slavery. Its a great read.

http://myblessedhome.blogspot.com/2008/04/why-i-think-government-handout-programs_28.html

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My thoughts on this won't be nearly as effective as the following. I have permission from the author to reprint this. His blog is http://voiceofjohn.blogspot.com.

Crying out against the State of Texas

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I can't possibly begin to say everything that needs to be said about this ridiculous case, in which children were stolen from their mothers. I get madder everytime I think about it. Here are some great articles that discuss many of the crucial points of this case.

http://heartkeepercommonroom.blogspot.com/2008/04/polygamy-and-child-abuse.html
http://heartkeepercommonroom.blogspot.com/2008/04/more-on-polygamy-case.html
http://heartkeepercommonroom.blogspot.com/2008/04/polygamy-case-updates.html
http://heartkeepercommonroom.blogspot.com/2008/04/polygamy-case-updates_18.html
http://heartkeepercommonroom.blogspot.com/2008/04/polygamy-court-transcripts-sort-of.html
http://heartkeepercommonroom.blogspot.com/2008/04/original-phone-call-was-hoax.html
http://heartkeepercommonroom.blogspot.com/2008/04/children-might-be-abused-some-day.html
http://heartkeepercommonroom.blogspot.com/2008/04/cps-investigator-voss.html
http://heartkeepercommonroom.blogspot.com/2008/04/day-2-updates-from-flds-hearing.html
http://heartkeepercommonroom.blogspot.com/2008/04/call-me-prophetess.html
http://heartkeepercommonroom.blogspot.com/2008/04/texas-cps-witness-birth-control-for.html
http://heartkeepercommonroom.blogspot.com/2008/04/all-416-children-will-remain-in-state.html
http://heartkeepercommonroom.blogspot.com/2008/04/thought-police.html
http://heartkeepercommonroom.blogspot.com/2008/04/thought-police-ii.html
http://heartkeepercommonroom.blogspot.com/2008/04/sophies-choice-and-identification.html
http://heartkeepercommonroom.blogspot.com/2008/04/poisoning-well.html
http://heartkeepercommonroom.blogspot.com/2008/04/when-adoption-should-not-be-option.html
http://heartkeepercommonroom.blogspot.com/2008/04/reason-and-side-of-caution.html
http://heartkeepercommonroom.blogspot.com/2008/04/some-of-those-teens-are-indeed-adults.html
http://heartkeepercommonroom.blogspot.com/2008/04/homeschooling-connection.html
http://heartkeepercommonroom.blogspot.com/2008/04/is-this-for-real.html

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This post is for hubby. Everyone else can disregard.

2 to 3 raised beds, each one 5x8. They need to be 8 inches deep, non treated lumber.

One with a trellis would be cool, but not necessary.

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I'm sure my post won't make much sense, but give me a break. I've already been interuppted by little ones four times during the writing of this post.

Well it seems the phone call that got 416 kids stolen from their mothers was a big hoax. Yet, somehow, the government still has control of these children. This whole situation sickens me. No matter how we feel about what this sect does, there was no evidence to warrant a massive removal of children.

If all of this is about sexual abuse, then what are we going to do with the parents who oversexualize their children by allowing them to watch MTV or other things on tv that show inappropriate conduct? What about the mothers who allow their 12 year olds to come to church dressed like sluts? Shouldn't we do something about that? What about the dads who take their sons to Hooters and encourage them to gawk at women whom they are not married to? Why don't we remove kids from their parents for that type of sexual abuse?

What about all of the regular families (ones that don't wear funny dresses, have long hair, and marry old guys) whose teen daughters get pregnant? Shouldn't we remove the kids from those parents for allowing their daughters to have premarital sex?

I've heard so many arguments for and against this entire situation. One that I'm tired of hearing is that 14yo girls shouldn't be mothers. I'd MUCH rather my 14 year old be mentally and physically capable of raising a family than wasting her life by spending the day texting her friends, shopping at the mall, and trying to get the latest boy-toy to like her. But hey, that's just me. Call me weird.

I'm praying that these children get returned to their mothers, and that no harm will come to them.

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A few weeks ago I hosted a Bunco party at my house. Our bathroom was in sore need of a makeover, since we had begun ripping wallpaper off months before, but hadn't  finished the job. The wallpaper wasn't coming off completely and was leaving an ugly mess behind, so we kept postponing finishing the job. Having company is always a good excuse to complete undone projects.

We used a sand-textured paint for the walls, to cover up any dings and scratches. It worked really well. The only thing we would do differently is to cut in the edges with plain paint (same color, no texture) and then texture the rest of the walls. Cutting in with thick, sandy paint is difficult. Or so says my hubby. I don't paint. Not out of laziness, but out of my hubby's desire to not dislike my sloppy job.  :)

Here are some pictures to show you how nicely everything turned out. My oldest son wanted a beach theme, and I didn't want it looking like a cheap Florida condo. I think we have a good compromise. Most everything was bought at WalMart, except for a wooden seagull we found at Ross and the shells that we put into the glass jars.

To save money, we spray-painted our old brass light fixture brown. It looks like new for less than $5. Eventually, I'll spray the brass cabinet hardware, but I haven't yet. We may also put a new countertop and faucet in, but not for awhile. I spent about $130 on the bathroom. We were blessed to get a refund from my airline tickets, so we had a bit extra to spend. I was thankful that hubby let me spend it on the bathroom.

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Go see this movie. www.expelledthemovie.com that opens tonight.  It talks about how intelligent design has been expelled from school and how darwinism is really a religion.

Here's the trailer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxGyMn_-J3c

 

 

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Last night I had the opportunity to interview Shawn McDonald, Jason Gray, and Marc from Downhere. I didn't find out about the interview until 5 pm, and it was supposed to happen at 6:15. I freaked a little, and had to make rush babysitting plans and come up with interview questions in the car (with no research!)

Fortunately, I had already planned to go to church and the concert after, so the boys were dressed and we were headed out the door. My 9yo acted as my secretary and took dictation while we drove to my parents'  house.

I didn't have time to be nervous, but I got nervous anyway. This was my first interview with strangers. All of the interviews I've conducted, so far, have been people that I know - missionary wives and women who have dealt with stillbirth or early infant death. I've done a few 'man on the street' type interviews of kids at concerts, but nothing like this.To add to the pressure was the fact that they were professionals, and had been interviewed before. So, they would know a good interview from a bad interview. Talk about sweatin'.

All in all it went well. The guys were incredibly gracious. They said the questions were good, but who knows if they were just being nice. The concert after was awesome, except for the fact that my 9yo got a tummy ache and we had to leave right before Shawn McDonald hit the stage. Bummer. But, my hubby and I have the privelage of taking them, their crew, and spouses out to dinner tonight. I'm sure we'll have a blast.

Homeschool mom by day, Christian rock journalist by night. Yeah right?!

 

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Remember a few weeks ago, I posted about Oprah and her new age beliefs? Well, here are some clips that use HER WORDS to prove that she is by NO means a follower of a Christ. She is leading people astray and CHristians everywhere are falling hook, line, and sinker.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JW4LLwkgmqA

Choose for yourselves this day who you will follow. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

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Please pray for the 400+ children in Texas who were stolen from their mothers by the out of control, government agency, CPS. It sickens me that CPS has so much power and can do anything as long as they wave the banner of child abuse while they do it. Pray for the spiritual and physical protection of these children while they are in the custody of the state.

On a similar note, but not necessarily related, please check out this video by parentrights.org. Find out how you can help protect the rights of parents to make decisions for their children.

http://www.parentalrights.org/action/downloads/video

 

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I asked my 3yo and 2yo what they wanted to be when they grow up and here are their answers:

3yo:   I be daddy.

2yo:   I be daddy too.

3yo:   NO! I be daddy! You be a hamburger.

 

  

 

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Voddie Bauchum has several great videos on youtube. Today I'm listening to  his series on Biblical Womanhood. Check it out. This is part 1 in an 8 part series. He doesn't really get into the Biblical womanhood until part 2, and part 3 has a great section on the Biblical view of love.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6uNj7lauhA&feature=related

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Down by the mailbox, the little boys are bent over examining some microscopic speck of utmost importance. Their conversation reaches me in twitters and whispers. I cannot tell what they are saying but I can tell that they are excited about their discovery. I realize, as I watch them, that there will be many of these moments. Moments that are insignificant, but that quietly build their bond as brothers. Moments that I cannot be a part of, except to observe.

I worry that these tiny moments that we spend together will soon be forgotten. As I get older my memory isn't as clear with all of the busyness and chaos that has infiltrated my life in the past few years. I find myself unable to recall even the most basic information from the boys' infancy. And the little ones themselves are far too young to even remember these miniscule moments. I hope that even if all of these moments are lost to forgetfullness, that they will somehow be stitched into our spirits, our hearts, our experience. Invisibly woven into the tapestry of our life, making it stronger and subtly more beautiful.

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