Hi all!

I have really missed writing here in the last months.  It's been so long, I feel like I don't remember how to write!

We have been so busy.  I wanted to share with you all what's been going on with us.  We were unable to keep our home in the country, and have recently moved into town.  We are so blessed to have another home to move to!  It's been a difficult time, but our children have adapted so well. 

We have gone from a 2800 square foot home with 1100 sq. foot garage, to an 1800 sq. foot home with no garage.  Now, 1800 square feet is not really small, but when you're used to something much larger, it's definitely an adjustment.  We've had to scale down and trying to figure out what goes, what we keep and what goes into storage is, well, a lot of work.

Also, we left five acres for 1/3 of an acre.  But it is really much more manageable for us.  We have TIME to spend with our family the way we want to.  Actually, in many ways, this has been a very good move for us -many advantages.  We would not have CHOSEN to do this on our own.  But God has a way of working things out for our GOOD, and we can definitely see Him in this.

He knows our hearts.  Our hearts are with our children.  The country house was a financial burden and time eater.  We've spent the last 3-1/2 years living there not realizing what we were sacrificing.  Now we see it clearly.  Hindsight is 20/20, right?

So, we are enjoying living close to town, but still having a little bit of land to grow food on.  We don't have any neighbors, which is nice.  We live about a mile from our office, so Beloved comes home for lunch most days.  We are a mile from the park and only a few miles from the library.  We're saving A LOT of money on gas.  I could go on and on...

I so appreciate those who come by and read my log, and I'm sorry I haven't been here in a while.  I am hoping to post at least once a week, now, probably on Saturdays.  I will be limiting my time online for a while until I get better organized.   But I'll be around.....

Blessings today,

Miss Kris

If you don't yet know about this film, I strongly suggest you follow the link below and check it out.  My family and I are priviledged to know Victoria Emmons, who plays the starring role in the film, and her sister, Christina, who worked behind the scenes.  We were also blessed to see the film here in our hometown last year.

It's a fantastic film of Christian values, including standing up for what is right, and purity before marriage.  Please join me in supporting Christian films.  Let the filmmakers know Christian values are important to you with your money and prayer support. 

Christian films will only get better.  I'm excited to see what Advent Films comes up with next.

http://www.comewhatmaythemovie.com/about.php

This is an Extremely Conservative Blog and anyone who would be offended by an argument against Population Control should refrain from reading the following post. 

This is a not a place to stage a debate.  This is my place to write about my life and what I believe in.  Properly written, respectful comments are always accepted.  But anything inappropriate or attacking will be taken care of according to my discretion.  Fair warning!

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Here is a cleaned up version of my letter to our local editor last May.  I have removed all personal names, etc., from the letter to protect the innocent and ignorant of my dear city.

May 26, 2008

Dear Editor,

It’s interesting that Ms. K of Our City (May 23 Letter) would accuse Ms. M. of being “clueless” when Ms. K herself seems misinformed on the subject of overpopulation.

“Overpopulation” is a debatable theory, not a fact.  The earth is capable of supporting us all.  The problem is not with a lack of resources, but with poor distribution and bad policies.  If we have a lack of resources in the U.S., why does the government pay farmers not to farm their land?

If the world is overpopulated, why are 80 countries known as “below replacement fertility,” meaning they cannot replace their own population?  Declining death and birth rates create a society where the majority of the population is over 65, a recipe for economic disaster. 

France is paying mothers to have children.  Australia is asking those who can have children to have one each for mom, dad and country.  These countries have done the research and see that to have a healthy economy, they must have a healthy population of young people.  Abortion, birth control and infertility have all contributed to our present day Social Security problem here in the U.S.

As a mother of five children, I resent the suggestion that family planning is the answer to the supposed “population problem.”  Is it not obvious that forced family planning is unconstitutional?  This is not China.  This is America.  Better management and distribution of our resources seems like a more constructive (and legal) solution to me.

Ms. K is certainly free to limit her family size, just as I am free to expand mine.  But when Ms. K retires and collects her first Social Security check, I hope she realizes whose children are working to pay for it.

Sincerely,

Kristina M.

My City

I would like to add that Ms. K. did respond to my letter (which was written in response to her letter accusing a friend of mine of being "clueless" and insisting some kind of population control should be required in our country), and I have since learned that Ms. K. is already retired and travels extensively in Third World Countries.  Seeing that kind of suffering and poverty is what has made her feel that population control is the answer to our world's problems. 

Ms. K.  also suggested that myself and others like me believe it is only Caucasion peoples that should be able to have as many children as we like and that we think that others not like us should be controlled.  Accusing someone of being racist when you have no idea what color they are to begin with is ludicrous.  Ms. K. was and is obviously completely out in left field.  Another gentleman wrote later "Shame on her for making an accusation like that."

And, of course, anyone who knows me would say I am one of the last people to be racist.  After all, I'm married to a Latino!  I had to chuckle about that!

I quickly went to Doug Phillips Blog last night to see what he had to say and I needed to read this post he  made the other day.  Here is the link to that post below. 

He is absolutely right.  It is hard for me not to get myself involved where concern for our personal freedoms are concerned.  After Obama's win last night, my children asked me, "Can we still be homeschooled?"  I assured them that they would be homeschooled no matter what.

http://www.visionforum.com/hottopics/blogs/dwp/2008/11/4562.aspx

Beloved and I will definitely be operating a little differently for the rest of the year compared to if McCain had won.  But that is just being prudent.

Have a great day,

Kris

This is NOT a political blog, and for the purposes of this entry, I will assume that my readers are all pretty conservative, as you may have noticed I am.  If I have readers who are not on the conservative side and are supporters of Obama, this entry is not for you.  And this is not meant to be offensive in any way.  This entry is directed to those who already vote conservatively and are considering voting for someone other than McCain/Palin or Obama today.

I have great concern about the outcome of the elections today.  There are many reasons conservatives should not want to see Mr. Obama claim the White House, but I will not get into those on my blog.  Suffice it to say that if your personal freedom is important to you, we need to do everything we can to keep Mr. Obama out of the White House.  But I feel something should be addressed among conservatives who may not understand what voting our conscience will get us in this election. 

If I were to vote my conscience today, I would be voting for Ron Paul.  My personal beliefs actually line up more with the Constitution Party than with the Republican Party, but I am registered Republican and I always have been.

The first presidential election I voted in had a STRONG third candidate running, Ross Perot on the Independent ticket, if I remember correctly.  But he was not strong enough to win.  Perot ran as a business man who could run the financial end of the country with skill.  Folks were somewhat fed up with the economy at the time, as we were in a financial bust during the early nineties.

MANY conservatives voted for Ross Perot that year (I didn't) and the result was a split of  the conservative vote and victory for Bill Clinton, who, in my opinion, made a mockery of the Office of the Presidency.

So if you were too young to vote that year, or you didn't learn from that election result, let me remind you that if you do not want Mr. Obama to enter the White House on January 20, think long and hard about who you vote for.  Don't split our conservative vote.  Vote for the major party, Republican, if you want a conservative in the White House.  Vote for McCain/Palin today.

I thought Saturday was going to be one of the hardest days of my life.  But God is so good.  We had a baby due on Saturday, but it wasn't meant to be.  I didn't even remember until Sunday morning when I woke up.  But it so much easier, because I have someone else to look forward to meeting soon.

The Lord has been so gracious in gifting us with another blessing so soon after the loss of our fifth baby.  That is one of the reasons we are naming this baby what we are.  It means God is gracious.  I appreciate the prayers and support of all my friends during that most difficult time in February & March.

Blessings today,

Miss Kris

I'm pretty sure I talked about this last year at this time.  But I wanted to direct you all to the link on my sidebar.  Please visit Heart of Wisdom and read what they have to say about this day of the year.  It is very informative.

Blessings,

Kris

Here is another fruitful vine who has made the news this week.  What a beautiful family!

http://news.aol.com/article/woman-44-gives-birth-to-18th-child/104381?icid=200100397x1206351139x1200336861

We lost a baby on February 25.  I had started having problems before I even knew I was pregnant. I was in the ER on one Monday, and by the following Monday, I was sent into emergency surgery.  I had an ectopic pregnancy and was bleeding into my abdominal cavity.  If it had not been caught in time, I would have died.

Up until yesterday, I thought the pregnancy was an ovarian ectopic pregnancy and did not involve my tube.  But at my followup appointment I found out that the placenta was in the middle of my tube and my tube had to be cut open to remove it.  The baby was, indeed, on my ovary.  My tube is still there.  But the way the tube heals and the possibility of scar tissue may affect my fertility.

This was a tough thing to go through and there are so many stages of emotion that follow something like this.  The first few days after the surgery, I felt happy to be alive and I felt so much better physically.  By Thursday, the grief hit.  I think in some ways it was easier because I didn't know I was pregnant until after I started having problems.  I never allowed myself to feel the joy I normally feel when I find out we're expecting another bundle.  I hoped that everything would be okay, but I didn't know. 

The grief comes and goes, now.  But God has been faithful and very gracious to me through it all.  Beloved and I are praying that my fertility will not have been affected.  And, we hope to be blessed again soon.

I call the baby Grace, because number five represents grace, and this would have been our fifth child.  We don't know the gender, of course, but I feel it is appropriate nonetheless.  And we know Baby Grace is in Jesus' arms, waiting for us to join him or her one day.  Especially on November first, when I would have been due, I will remind myself that the Lord wanted our little one to join Him sooner than the rest of us.  And I will not second guess His plan.