I am currently reading through Psalms, and the minor prophets, and Paul's letters depending on my mood and where the Spirit leads me. At bedtime the boys and I in Exodus. I'm also reading Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child
Our Curriculum:
Horizons Math Grade 3, Apologia Science (Swimming Creatures), Sequential Spelling, Lifepac Language Arts (getting ready to start Grade 4) and we'll start a new History unit on Egypt when we finish science.
for you this morning: You are my strength when I am weak You are the treasure that I seek You are my all in all Seeking You as a precious jewel Lord to give up I’d be a fool You are my all in all Jesus Lamb of God Worthy is Your name Jesus Lamb of God Worthy is Your name Taking my sin, my cross, my shame Rising again I bless Your name You are my all in all When I fall down You pick me up When I am dry You fill my cup You are my all in all
HELP MEET CHEAT SHEET 1. Refuse to miss a day of Bible Reading Do not read in front of your husband – keep it private so that you don’t appear more spiritual. 2. Pray before reading your Bible, “Open my eyes, Lord.” 3. Teach the Word to your children 4. Make a commitment to prayer. 5. Make a habit of prayer. 6. Acknowledge any sin God reveals to you and confess it to the Lord. 7. Pray for your husband. 8. Pray for your children. 9. Seek to know your God-given role as a wife and mother. Find books, sermons on CD or DVD and study and meditate on God’s Word and the teachings that apply to the most important things in your life: being a wife and mother! 10. Keep a song of praise in your heart at all times. 11. Keep a prayer in your mind at all times. “Lord, be with me at work at this moment and let me be a testimony.” “Lord, give me the energy to joyfully do my job for just five more minutes.” “Lord, thank you for the home you have provided me.” “Lord, thank you for this hot running water.” “Lord, thank you for a husband and children. Help me to be the wife and mother You want me to be.” “Lord, bless my child and help her to grow to be a strong Christian.” “Lord, bless my husband wherever he is at this moment.” “Lord, I am so angry right now, I’m just going to tell you about it.” “Lord, I am so hurt right now, I’m just going to tell you about it.” 12. Study and know your husband. 13. Be a servant to your husband. "Let me get that! (water, keys, coat, shoes, seconds at dinner, ketchup, dessert, the remote, a snack, a tool, etc.)" Keep his clothes clean and put away so that they are easy to find. Keep his “area” neat (favorite chair, desk, his side of the bed, his toiletries) 14. Follow his leadership at the slightest opportunity (where to eat out, how to handle a home situation, whether or not to go somewhere, whether or not to buy something, what to watch on TV, how to fix something, etc.) 15. Readily accept his advice for any situation and acknowledge that it is good advice, and thank him for it. 16. Don’t be contentious or resistant to him in your spirit. 17. Don’t embarrass your husband (your speech, appearance, behavior, neglect of your family or home) 18. Prepare for his arrival each day (make sure his first perception of the house is that it is clean—even if it’s only the entry way and the area where he sits to relax, have a smile on your face, freshen your hair, clothes, or make-up, have the children clean and occupied, and have a smile on your face.) 19. Never belittle him or make cutting remarks of any kind, even in jest. 20. Speak a sincere word of praise or appreciation whenever possible: “Thank you for fixing that. I’m so fortunate to have a husband who can do that.” “Absolutely you made the right decision.” “You are absolutely right.” “You couldn’t have handled that (work situation, etc.) better. “That was very smart.” “That was totally the right thing to do.” 21. Meet his gaze showing your love and acceptance of him—do not avert your eyes to show your hurt or disapproval and to punish him. 22. Respond readily to his physical affection. Do not be stiff when receiving a hug or a kiss. Do not resist sexual advances: Pray instead. God will provide the grace. 23. Offer a warm hug, a warm smile, and an unexpected kiss of approval and appreciation. 24. Do not be financially independent. Let him control the finances. Even if you have always controlled and balanced the checkbook, start checking with him on budget amounts and spending decisions. Immediately concede to his input of any kind. Look for every opportunity to praise his wise financial decisions. Do not spend his money foolishly—make sure he never has to worry about how his wife will spend his money. Check with him on any purchase that is not a necessity. Do not argue or resist his financial decisions, even if you know they are bad ones. Pray instead. (Your silence and support is actually more powerful of an influence —try it and you will see!) Remember that whatever decision your husband makes, it is God’s will for you. Your resistance and interference will actually cause more problems. 25. Do not take matters into your own hands. Defer to your husband’s decisions whenever possible. 26. Do not be your husband’s conscience. 27. Do not nag. Ever. It is never a life or death matter. 28. Show loyalty to him at all times. Never seek counsel outside of him without his approval. 29. Encourage and wholeheartedly support any idea or goal he shares with you. 30. Listen with your eyes, your ears, and be aware of your body language. It doesn’t matter how busy you are. He cannot talk forever. Stop and listen and show him he is important to you and that you support him. 31. Share his excitement over anything. 32. Laugh at his jokes 33. Look at him with admiration when he is around his peers to inspire their respect. (It is your job from the Lord to reverence him and to make him look good at all times.) 34. Always seek to make him look successful. 35. Spend the time and effort needed on your appearance because it shows you reverence your husband. 36. Dress to please your husband. 37. Dress modestly so he does not worry that you may be trying to attract other men. 38. Remember what your husband likes: Cook his favorite meals. Keep his favorite snacks handy. Keep his favorite beverages handy. Keep his remote handy and the batteries working. Wear clothing you know he likes on you. Wear your hair the way you know he likes. Wear a perfume you know he likes. 39. Care for your clothes and his clothes. Eliminate unused clothes. 40. Create order in his environment (one step at a time is fine) Organize the bathroom cabinets Organize his socks and underwear and keep it that way. Make a permanent and tidy place for his pocket stuff (wallet, keys, change, receipts, screws, batteries, business cards). Keep track of his “stuff” however you can 41. Keep the home free of clutter 42. Train your children to be neat, clean and organized 43. Keep a meek and quiet spirit 44. Do not speak in anger 45. Stop a backbiting tongue by silence (Proverbs 26:20) 46. Ask your husband your spiritual questions. 47. Expect nothing from him (put all your expectation for fulfillment on the Lord, especially in moments where you feel empty or alone) 48. Do not have the “marriage is teamwork and you’re not pulling your share” attitude. YOU commit 100% to your husband, regardless of how you think he is performing (you will only answer to God in the end for the kind of wife you were to your husband). 49. Learn to prioritize (quick prayers often clear up moments or days of confusion). 50. Organize one drawer, shelf, or area a day until your home has a place for everything and everything in its place—then keep it there. 51. Train the children so that they make him proud. 52. Train the children to love him and respect him. 53. Never say a bad word about your husband to your children. Don’t even suggest in any way to them that he is not the “dad” he should be. 54. Do not try to solve any of his problems without his consent. 55. Overlook his faults. 56. Overlook his little mistakes. 57. Overlook his big mistakes. 58. Forgive any offense that hurts you as quickly as you can (urgent prayer will take care of this—pray until you feel your anger subside and your pleasure in your husband return.At first this may take a few days. After a while, you will cut it to a few hours. With continued practice, you will be able to forgive, with prayer and God’s help, within a few minutes to a few seconds) 59. Remember DAILY back to the beginning of your relationship and all the things that attracted you to him. Recall the smiles you had for him them and smile them all again. 60. Stop for one minute and thank the Lord for your husband. 61. Pray for God to bless your husband as the leader of your home and as the provider for your family. 62. Smile. 63. Laugh. 64. Have joy. 65. Be lighthearted and create a lighthearted mood in your home. 66. Make him proud of his home, his wife, and his children. 67. Make sure that he would be proud to invite his boss to dinner. 68. Ask him for advice whenever you can, and always take it seriously—and tell him what good advice it is. 69. When he tells you about his work, tell him how good he is at his job, in his position, and praise his strengths at work (his leadership, his diligence, his honesty, his integrity). 70. Try to make all your words positive. 71. Never talk bad about his friends or coworkers. Do not affirm when he talks bad about someone. You can nod sympathetically, but do not verbally agree. 72. Do not be negative. 73. Keep your speech clean and pretty—becoming to a lovely wife with a sweet spirit. 74. Do not correct him. Especially in front of others. Let it go unless your life is on the line. 75. Do not criticize him about anything. Not even about a shirt, how his hair looks, how he spends his time, what he spent his money on, or…anything. 76. Pray for God’s strength and grace whenever—WHENEVER—you feel tired, angry, or that you just can’t do it. Even if it means praying 2,000 times a day. All you have to say is one word, “HELP!” He will. 77. Pray for God to reveal to you the opportunity to do something on this list whenever possible.
Peter often tells me I appear too perfect in my blogs (and he'll be the 1st to tell you how far from perfect I am). That is not at all my intention, it is just that I blog to encourage people, and how encouraging could it be to tell about my bad days, or all the ways I fall short? But today on a blog I read the writer was completely honest about her bad days, and it was SO encouraging to me! A great reminder that I am not alone, and how hard adapting after a baby (she her a baby days before I did) is and that it is ok to stumble as I try and figure out what life is going to be like with 3 children.
Yesterday was one of those bad days! I woke up and needed to shower and it threw my ENTIRE day off! (I normally shower at night since having Abigail for a couple reasons. Partly because I have too much to do in the morning, partly because after her crying all evening I need the relaxation of the hot water!). After my shower I still had my normal morning chores (laundry, unload dishwasher pick up the house etc) and I was so caught up in trying to get that done I didn't get her down for her morning nap on time (about an hour after she wakes up). Which meant she was already overly tired by the time I tried to get her to sleep and protested which made her more tired (the Healthy Sleep book I blogged about yesterday truly opened my eyes to how it is a vicious cycle for her). All day she didn't sleep much which made her more tired and more cranky when she was awake. We've had many days like this since she was born, and I just this week figured out what was causing it. So all the other times I was so frustrated not knowing WHY she was crying or why nothing I did would console her). At 3pm I was DONE! The whole day was undone. I didn't get half my tasks done, I was tired and cranky so I popped in a DVD and went to bed with Abigail until Daddy got home (the boys sat on the bedroom floor and watched it with us). For dinner we ordered Pizza Hut (They have the new Natural pizza), and the break from not having to cook or clean up and do dishes helped me have the energy to get caught up on the dishes and picking up last night so that this morning could start off right! And she did end up being up a good portion of the night screaming so bad we ended up sleeping on the couch! So I hope it is as encouraging to you as it was to me to know we all have bad days, and no one is perfect!
I love the Old Testament. There are such great messages in it, amazing promises, and after thousands of years they are STILL applicable. Isn't that just amazing? Our God is awesome and unchanging. He's been truly speaking to my heart from the Old Testament lately, and I want to share these promises with you.
Psalm 55:16-17 16 As for me, I will call upon God,
And the LORD shall save me. 17 Evening and morning and at noon
I will pray, and cry aloud,
And He shall hear my voice.
Psalm 55:22 22 Cast your burden on the LORD,
And He shall sustain you;
He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.
Psalm 56: 3-4 3 Whenever I am afraid,
I will trust in You. 4 In God (I will praise His word),
In God I have put my trust;
I will not fear.
What can flesh do to me?
Psalm 56:8-11 8 You number my wanderings;
Put my tears into Your bottle; Are they not in Your book? 9 When I cry out to You,
Then my enemies will turn back;
This I know, because God is for me. 10 In God (I will praise His word),
In the LORD (I will praise His word), 11 In God I have put my trust;
I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me?
Psalm 61:1-3 1 Hear my cry, O God;
Attend to my prayer. 2 From the end of the earth I will cry to You,
When my heart is overwhelmed;
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. 3 For You have been a shelter for me,
Zephaniah 3:16-18
let not your hands be weak. 17 The LORD your God in your midst,
The Mighty One, will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.” 18 “ I will gather those who sorrow over the appointed assembly,
God is bigger than any of our problems, and he offers rest and peace to those who seek Him. So often it is easier to get wrapped up in earthly problems and to forget He is in control, He will care for us through our trials, He has already saved us from hell, how bad are these things we deal with now compared to that great feat?
Completely on a different thought , another verse really stuck out at me as well.
Zephaniah 3:2 2 She has not obeyed His voice,
She has not received correction;
She has not trusted in the LORD,
She has not drawn near to her God.
How I would hate to be the "her" mentioned here. I know the verses are talking about Israel, but does it not apply to us today as well? Woe to those of us who do not obey, receive correction, trust in the Lord. I would hate to come to the end of my life and have those things said about me! I strive to trust in the Lord, to drawn near to MY God. We are so blessed that the God who made the universe, who is able to do all things wants a relationship with US! No matter how often we mess up, how badly we fall short, He still loves us. Doesn't he deserve our love and trust in return?
A friend from church lent me a book recently after hearing about all the issues we've had with Abigail. When I first spoke with her on the phone and she suggested it sounded like a sleep issue I was skeptical. It HAD to be more than that, but I figured I'd give the book a try anyhow. Last night I read for hours (as Abigail slept peacefully!)! and today I've snuck in tons of time reading it too. It makes so much sense and it described Abigail PERFECTLY!!
Peter was an amazing sleeper, he'd fall asleep anywhere when he was tired. When we bought a toddler bed at 9 months he would walk over, crawl in and take naps on his own. Seriously he was the EASIER baby. Andrew was harder, I had to put him to sleep before he got too tired but as long as he was at home in our bed he was fine.But even now he still needs occasional naps and I know he could sleep better (And I'm looking forward to the chapter on his age in the book!).
The book talks about letting babies go no more than 2 hours awake before putting them to sleep or else they get overtired and can not fall asleep easily. Just since applying this yesterday I'm seeing a difference! It talks about how important consistency in soothing (and offers many techniques for you to choose from) and gives you options based on your parenting styles. If you want to nurse to sleep, or use a bottle, or cry it out, or attachment parenting he shows you how to apply the techniques through your parenting style.
What really stuck out to me was the importance of motionless sleep. He says "vibrations and motion during sleep appear to force the brain to a lighter sleep state and reduce the restorative power of the nap". I had been letting Abigail do almost all of her daytime sleep in the Moby, but since reading this I started laying her down once she fell asleep (before I was afraid she'd wake up so I left her, but I am still letting the Moby soothe her to sleep) and she is sleeping much longer and hasn't really cried at all today! When she wakes she has a diaper change, eats plays a bit eats and goes back down. There is no frustration on her part so no need to fuss and cry!
I cant wait to read more!
The book is called Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Marc Weissbluth.
Thank you so much Lisa! (and Kristina, I'll make sure it gets to you next!)
*PSA: If a word is underlined in my blog, it is most likely a link. I've been adding a bunch of links to my blogs lately!
Little Peter asked for some chicken soup last week so Friday I pulled a chicken out of the freezer, and today we made soup! First I tossed the chicken in my new BIG stock pot! Then I added a ton of parsley and garlic powder, some salt and pepper, a little chicken boulion and 3 tablespoons of vinegar and let it boil until the meat was starting to fall off. Then I took out the chicken and let it cool, shredded it and put as much as I needed back into the soup, ate a little and froze the rest for another recipe.
While the chicken was cooling I took the veggies, chopped them and softened them a bit on some olive oil. Doesn't it look so pretty? Then I tossed them in the soup, added 2 handfuls of pasta and we had lunch!
Then I took the bones of the chicken carcass and tossed those in my crock pot to make chicken stock Nourishing Traditionsstyle:
Carcass of one free range chicken (ours usually has meat on the wings still)
2 T vinegar
1 onion coarsely chopped
2 carrots coarsely chopped
3 celery stalks coarsely chopped
1 bunch of parsley
1 garlic clove chopped
Add all this to the crock pot with enough water to fill it. Let cook on high 12 hours. Drain out everything, use broth.
My boys LOVE this chicken stock, and I love how healthy it is for them! I'll freeze this batch (usually when I make it its gone within the first day and I never have any to freeze!)
"Rich homemade chicken broths help cure colds. Stock contains minerals in a form the body can absorb easily—not just calcium but also magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, sulphur and trace minerals. It contains the broken down material from cartilage and tendons--stuff like chondroitin sulphates and glucosamine, now sold as expensive supplements for arthritis and joint pain."
These are the GREATEST children's books! They have GORGEOUS illustrations, and teach Bible truths!
And I want to thank you blog readers! This new book for Abigail was a gift from YOU! The cool amazon recommendation thing on the sidebar of my blog (for you Myspacers its on my REAL blog) paid for it. Not only do I love sharing the items that work for my family, if one of you purchases items from my list I get a percentage of the amount you spend in Amazon credit! SO I used the first bit of credit I had earned to get this book free! I truly appreciate it!
It has been so much fun getting girl stuff! I've already started buying girl toys!
This was a set I could NOT pass up! I asked for 100% cotton instead of polyester fill, and even the boys love it!
And here is another set I had made in 100% cotton. I wish I woudl have held out though, she has even more beautiful fabric now than she did when I ordered in January!
Hope you all have a great weekend!
We've been busy here. I finally feel like I can say life has returned to normal!
And we're finally getting glimpses of spring, a day here and there, or even a couple hours of sunshine are a welcome site!
We spent last year studying flying creatures (birds insects etc) and it consumed our whole life! We fell wholeheartedly in love with these creatures God has created, This year we are studying swimming creatures, but I admit our hearts still lie with the flying creatures! Maybe because there are so many just here in our backyard. Andrew has been so excited to find caterpillars in the backyard (at least 3 different kinds) as well as worms and insect larvae. And we are all enjoying the birds once again(except Daddy who complains about how much we spend on bird food LOL). Little Peter still outdoes me in knowing a new bird long before I figure out what kind it is. This year we had 3 new species come so far (a nuthatch, a creeper and flickers).
Some of our goldfinches (and a house finch): We have more Rufous hummingbirds this year than I can count! We had to put up a 3rd feeder because they are such demanding little birds!
And then I was recently reminded just how blessed we are to look out behind our house and see this site regularly. Not many people can say they see bald eagles regularly in their own neighborhood! I'm so thankful God brought us here to Washington!
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.
1 Have mercy upon me, O God,
According to Your lovingkindness;
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
Blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me. 4 Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight—
That You may be found just when You speak,[a] And blameless when You judge.
5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
And in sin my mother conceived me. 6 Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts,
And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.
7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8 Make me hear joy and gladness, That the bones You have broken may rejoice. 9 Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me away from Your presence,
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit. 13Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted to You.
14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
The God of my salvation, And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness. 15 O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise. 16 For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart—
These, O God, You will not despise.
18 Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion;
Build the walls of Jerusalem. 19 Then You shall be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness,
With burnt offering and whole burnt offering;
Then they shall offer bulls on Your altar.
So I posted before about cloth diapers and mentioned we were trying some different kinds with Abigail, so I wanted to update on that.
I had made those pretty prefolds... HATED them! Used 1 twice and the rest are nice burp cloths! Lots of people love them, not me! I need a simpler, comfier diaper.
Then I had tried a BUNCH of fitteds with covers. I didn't like those at all in the newborn stage. Now that we are in size small I have to admit I LOVE our bamboo fitteds with Thirsties covers. But we have only 2 of those. Non bamboo fitteds are still not for me, no matter how pretty they may be. And I was NOT a fan of one sized diapers.
We're using mostly Fuzzi Bunz now. Like I had mentioned in the other post, that is all we had used with Andrew. They were the first kind of diaper I learned about and the easiest. I'm still really happy with them (though I wish we had more pink ones!)
Abigail was AWESOME today. She slept well and was happy when she was awake. That makes for a GREAT day here, we've had just a treasured few days like this. Isn't she beautiful? I'm so in love!
Abigail was AWESOME today. She slept well and was happy when she was awake. That makes for a GREAT day here, we've had just a treasured few days like this. Isn't she beautiful? I'm so in love! And today we went to Home Depot and got some tomatoes. Some grape tomatoes and some yellow ones (last year Andrew got on a kick where he wouldn't eat the billions of tomatoes from our garden, he only wanted the yellow tomatoes from Miss Joanie's garden! So we are planting yellow ones just for him, and most likely he'll decide he doesn't even like them LOL). I'm headed outside to plant them now. They will join our spinach, lettuce, carrots green beans and pepper seeds (plus our herbs left from last year).
I try to find some good quality fresh tuna and sprinkle some lime juice over it then bake it until its done. Sometimes Peter wants something a little less healthy so we get some breaded tilapia from Costco. Tonight is tilapia night. Just cook the fish and set out some fish taco sauce, pico de gallo, shredded lettuce (we are not cabbage fans), shredded cheese (cheddar or chipotle cheddar here) and tortillas.
I serve it with my new favorite food. Cilantro lime rice. I had this in Seattle a couple weeks ago and became obsessed! Its just salted white rice with a ton of cilantro mixed in and some lime juice squeezed over the top.
Fish Taco Sauce:
1 part mayo 2 parts sour cream, juice of ¼ lime, chopped cilantro, dash or dried oregano, cumin, salt, pepper, a dash of chili powder
(To make fish for tacos, cover tuna or mahi mahi with lime juice and grill)
Pico De Gallo
3 tomatoes
½ onion
1/3 bunch cilantro
½a jalapeno
½ lemon (juice)
½ tsp salt
Pepper
2 cloves chopped garlic
Chop everything up and store in bowl with sealing lid. Refrigerate.
And then I had to laugh when I called the boys in from the backyard to eat. They laid their weapons on the table then sat down. Got to love boys!
Matthew 6:33 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
As Christians we should be living in light of eternity.. Is everything we do , say and think done from an eternal perspective? Some day we will give account for our failure to speak words of love and encouragement. There is only one thing we can take to heaven with us, and that is people! So we need to take our job of sharing God's love with others seriously! We need to pray for help in seeing our lives in an eternal light. As mothers, we need to ask God for the wisdom and strength to raise the children He has given us in a way that is pleasing to Him. As wives we need to pray for help in being an encouragement and helper to our husbands.
Open Skies: David Crowder
Praise Him under open skies Everything breathing praising God In the company of all who love the King I will dance, I will sing It could be heavenly Turn the music loud, life my voice and shout From where I am From where I've been He's been there with me He's built a monument His very people So let his people Sing
And it's so wonderful
Lift your voice to heaven Lift up your head and sing To the One who gave his love This is our offering Lift your voice to heaven Lift up your head and sing To the One who gave His son Here our lives we bring
From wherever you are Wherever you've been He's been there So let his people sing
And it's so wonderful to be here now Wherever you are wherever you've been He's been there
I also got around to making some bread today. I HATE store bought bread! Even the "healthy" ones (which are hard to find) have so many preservatives and junk in them! I even soaked the flour Nourishing Traditions style but that threw me off with the liquid measurements, and while it turned out OK in the end, we had a yummy, healthy but UGLY loaf of bread!
It took me a long time to find a WHOLE wheat recipe that works for us, and this is the one I found. It's from The Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book: A Guide to Whole-Grain Breadmaking (which is at the Oak Harbor library), and it is a great book for anyone interested in bread. It really helped me a HUGE amount!
I'm lazy and make my bread in a breadmaker. I've used a lot of brands, but this cheap Walmart one is the BEST! It goes down to about $20 after Christmas!
FLUFFY Wheat bread:
Mix 6 T warm water with 1 t yeast mixed in until each grain of yeast is wet in a coffee mug
3 cups whole wheat flour( room temp.) (use 2/12 cups wheat berries if you grind your own)
1/3 cup plain yogurt or kefir plus 1 teaspoon salt plus 2/3 cups hot water
(or 1 cup warm water with 1 ¼ t salt if you don’t have yogurt)
2 T olive oil on butter
½ cup honey
1 tsp salt
*I apologize if my thoughts are sporadic today, blogging with a finicky baby on my lap and 2 "Jedis" near by has me somewhat distracted!
Meanwhile, here on the home front I have been BUSY! Trying to get my home in order, my children in order, homeschooling in order, healthy meals in order.. My children are my #1 effort right now. We are currently tomato staking. 2 months with a well meaning Grandma has left me with bickering boys who have forgotten how to do their chores properly. So I've been keeping them close, catching and dealing with misbehavior as SOON as it happens, and retraining them with our expectations.
We did some spring cleaning this week, Freecycling some unwanted items and outgrown baby clothes (my 6 week old wears 3-6 month clothes!). We also rearranged the playroom to make it fresh and more usable since I didn't get the new storage items I had wanted.
I even got over to meet my new neighbor today! She's been here over 2 months already! I felt like such a slacker!
3We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing. 4Therefore, among God's churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.
This is truly my prayer for you guys (and I do pray for my blog readers regularly, those who I know read and those I may not know about). I pray that your faith grows more and more and that your love abounds! I pray this for myself as well!
5All this is evidence that God's judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. 6God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you 7and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. 8He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power 10on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.
Wow! This is something I take for granted. Knowing I am saved stops me from really thinking on what is in store for those who do not "know God or obey the gospel". How many of my close friends and family fall into this category! What a scary thought. Just another reminder how important it is to win people for Christ, the time is short! I am truly convinced that Jesus is coming back SOON!
11With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith. 12We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.[b]
I've been doing LOTS of reading lately! I can read blogs with a baby sleeping in my arms, or nursing, than I can type. A couple blogs I LOVE as far as health for you that deal with baby feeding (and health in general): I'd love to give you all the great info I have learned but figured it be easier to send you to the source! Both blogs are awesome but the links just deal with feeding babies, be sure to look around the other posts too!)
Also a site that has been super helpful to me since Abigail was born (you'd think I hadn't breastfed 2 babies already with al the issues we have had) http://www.kellymom.com/index.html
I'm a few days late, but Abigail is 1 month old already! It's been a busy month. Getting reaquainted with Daddy, and the first 2 weeks I was having a difficult recovery. A trip to the ER helped figure out what was wrong with me and shortly after that was resolved Abigail started having issues. Crying and screaming for hours at night. Our first stop was the chiropractor of course (she is so awesome!) but even that didn't help, so I started trying to pinpoint what it could be. We figured the most likely cause was food sensitivity but I kind of thought it could be reflux too. The 3rd day after cutting dairy she got much better! Peter kept teasing me saying it was a fluke and I was torturing myself for nothing, but yesterday I had a slice of cheese thinking it couldn't hurt and sure enough a couple hours later she was screaming in discomfort! I LOVE cheese, milk, all things dairy so it has been HARD! At least I can still have my dark chocolate! I've also upped my probiotics in hopes that it will help her tummy as well!
So that is a quick explanation of our month and why I haven't written too much. It's hard to blog with a crying baby!
I did want to share a yummy recipe that I have always loved, but even more now that so many treats are restricted! Plus they are super healthy!
No bake cookies:
2/3 c PURE maple syrup
¼ c coconut oil
4 T cocoa powder
1 t cinnamon
½ c natural peanut butter
1 t vanilla extract
2 cups rolled oats(old fashioned)
Melt maple syrup with cocoa powder on low heat, pour over other ingredients, and blend well. Drop onto wax paper and refrigerate about 30 minutes. Store in refrigerator.
I also add about 1/4 cup spirulina for extra nutrients!
Apr. 11, 2008 - Mrs Dunwoody’s Guide to Living Beautifully
*Realize each day is a gift from God, treat it as such *Focus on life's blessings, as this is continuously uplifting and affects who you are as a person *Develop a keen appreciation for the little luxuries in your life-the smell of coffee in the morning, songbirds outside your window, a loved one's smile.Take time to notice these blessings and savor them. Pay attention to the details in your life *Create a home you love to live in *Spend time outdoors, nature replenishes the soul *Do something kind for someone at least once a week, aim for every day, try to do it anonymously. The more you give the more is given back to you *Enjoy the company of others daily *Use fine china when you have your tea *Cultivate gratitude in all things and circumstances. Search for good in all *Speak only kind words *Laugh everyday *Give continual thanks and praise to your Creator and ask Him to guide your hear
As you begin the planting season, may I suggest the following for your gardens.
Plant 3 rows of squash
1. Squash gossip
2. Squash criticism
3. Squashindifference
Plant 3 rows of peas
1. Purity
2, Patience
3. Perseverance
Plant 6 rows of lettuce
1. Let us be unselfish and loyal
2. Let us be faithful to duty
3. Let us search the scriptures
4. Let us not be weary in well-doing
5. Let us be obedient in all things
6. Let us love one another
No garden is complete with out turnips
1. Turn up for church
2. Turn up with a smile, even when things are difficult
3. Turn up to always do your best
4. Turn up for family and friends when needed
*From Mrs Dunwoody's Excellent Instructions for Homekeeping
O God, make the door of this house wide enough to receive all who need human love and fellowship, narrow enough to shut out all pride, strife and envy. Make its threshold smooth enough to be no stumbling block, but rugged and strong enough to turn back the temptor's power. God, make the door of this house the gateway to Thine eternal kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. -Seen inside the doorway of the old rectory at Crowhurst, Sussex, England
"The low state of the spiritual life of Christians is due to the fact they do not realize that the aim and object of conversion is to bring the soul even here on earth to a daily fellowship with the Father in heaven. Once this truth is accepted the believer will perceive how indispensable it is to take time each day with God's Word in prayer to wait upon God for his presence. "
Apr. 9, 2008 - Excellent Instructions for Homekeeping
Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear,
Even though the earth be removed
I spent today trying to combat the dust that has been collecting in my house since my days of bed rest. It is SOOO nice to be back to my normal activities! We also headed to the library this afternoon. I picked up a WONDERFUL book (Mrs Dunwoody's Excellent Instructions for Homekeeping) that I plan to share snippets of with you as my screaming baby allows.(she believes all sleeping should be done in Mommy's arms, and all other sleeping surfaces are horrid things)
"Have nothing in your home that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful"
This book has so much information, about housekeeping (from cooking and cleaning and gardening) to entertaining to life in general. Mrs Dunwoody was an extremely wise woman!
"Our family members will carry that atmosphere we create in our homes for the rest of their lives"
Strive for excellence not perfection
"Perfection does not exist. Perhaps it is one of the most important things you can learn.There is a great difference in striving for excellence and striving for perfection. The first is attainable, gratifying and healthy. The second is impossible, frustrating and neurotic (not to mention obnoxious).
Never lose sight of the big picture. Try to maintain perspective, and remember people (especially children) and always more important than things. Today is all we have to work with, do not borrow from tomorrow. Trust in God and do the next thing. "
A Little Great Advice:
"Regardless of how tired you are resist the urge to leave your dishes dirty in the kitchen overnight. Nothing is more depressing to a homekeeper than waking to a dirty kitchen. "
"The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention"
"We can never depend on things to make us happy. They only temporarily shelve our dissatisfaction. Eventually the nagging, God-shaped hole inside each of us returns, begging to be filled. Man has tried to fill it with fame, fortune, power, immoral conduct, and indulgent behavior. "
1 Thessalonians 3:12 And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all... 13 so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.
1 Thessalonians4:10 But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more; 11 that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, 12 that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing.
1 Thessalonians5:12 And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. Be at peace among yourselves.14 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all. 15 See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies. 21 Test all things; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil. 23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.
We have more Rufous hummingbirds this year than I can count! We had to put up a 3rd feeder because they are such demanding little birds!
