What God Has Done For Me This Week

Tuesday was a bad day for me. Nothing went wrong but I had one of those days where as a woman you just need a good cry, or chocolate, or to go shopping and blow money on pointless things. Women understand that statement...... men don't, that's ok.

Anyways, when it comes to certain things (most things) I am an organized, VERY planned OCD type person. 

Side note.... My birthday is coming up and I would really LOVE one of these life planners from Erin Condren  

Just Sayin.....

Anyways.....  I like plans and when something comes up I need a plan or solution right away. Otherwise I spiral downhill into one big stressed mess. Well at this moment I have not one, not two but 6 situations that have no plan or solution to. Now these aren't major in fact they are very minor (you would laugh at what can stress me out) but still the no plan/ solution has me in one big stressed mess.

Tuesday I went to the doctor about my hand and found out I have tendinitis in my hand. A round of steroids should take care of it but I have to take it easy on my workout for a little while. I was HARD on myself about this and this coupled with the other 6 situations that I have no plans for, caused me to want chocolate, a good cry, pointless shopping or all the above ( I only got the good cry).

I laid awake that night just talking to God. Feeling like a complete loser coming to him with my stupid minor problems that were causing me no sleep. Time with God hasn't come easy lately ( I blame the MANY days of school being closed and interrupting my normal routine), I could give every excuse that we all have but here I was crying out to him to bring me peace when I have been such a slacker at my time with him.

But he is so good and his love is unconditional and his mercy falls on me like rain.

I finally got a little sleep that night and when I woke up the next day, I tried to put a smile on my face, mask the stress and start the day off right.

At one point I picked up my phone to check email, instagram and text messages and would you believe I had an email from a friend telling me she was praying for me, a message on instagram from someone saying they prayed for me and a text from Tim saying he was praying for me. Now only Tim knew I was having a bad day the day before. The other two had no clue.....just lifted up a prayer for someone who came to their mind. And that turned my bad mood around and put my focus up, to my Creator. How can people deny Him??? He is with us and He loves us more than we could ever even comprehend.

I am thankful for His love!

Random Catch Up

OK so last week was a crazy not typical week for us that started out bad and ended on a great note. 

So here is a recap.....

This was actually a few weeks ago but I wanted to post the sweet picture. We met up with our great friends after bible study a few weeks ago and let the kids play and play and play while us moms caught up on life. It was so refreshing and more needed than I ever realized. 

So this is how last week started off. We lost power Sunday Night (Superbowl night) for a few hours. Little did we know it would be the theme for the next few days. We lost power for an hour or more every day until Thursday. Tuesday we were without power for nearly 10 hours. BOO! 

The kids were out Monday for icy conditions and Tuesday they went back to school only to get out early when the rain was freezing rapidly to the trees and power lines (that's why we lost power for so long that day). The kids were out of school Wednesday and Thursday and went in late Friday. Our area got hit pretty hard by the ice. 

The kids thought sleeping on pallets in the living room, when the power was out, was such a fun adventure. Tim and I..... not so much!

We may have started to go a little crazy and have major cabin fever! 

We were supposed to have more winter weather hit this week but I think there forecast has lifted the watches. Thank Goodness!!! I am sick of cold wintery weather. 

I got my Essential oils in the mail last week and I was so giddy! 

I already LOVE the diffuser and have diffused Thieves oil in it a few times (Thieves oil kills germs and helps you fight off any sickness coming on). We haven't really felt bad but this time of the year is always bad for illness so we are being proactive. 

I had sinus burning/ pain yesterday morning and Frankincense oil rubbed under my eyes and over my nose helped it go away and I haven't had another pain yet. 

This sweet girl is really into praying. I LOVE that! If she hears someone say they are not feeling good or hurting she stops right away and prays for them! I mean seriously.... a 3 year old taking notice of others needs and praying for them..... I could learn a lot from her! 

This morning she woke up and the first thing she said to me (in the sweetest little voice) was "mom, I prayed for you!" 

Now that's a great way to start your day. 

She knows my hand has really been bothering me and she has covered it in prayer. LOVE IT! 

Speaking of my hand.... here is a picture of it. The swelling was bad this particular day. I have a good day and then a bad day etc... this particular day was a bad day of course. I finally am breaking down and going to the doctor. tomorrow. I believe it may be fractured and I am thinking that since it has been 2 weeks without much improvement that I better have it looked at. UGH! I hate the inconvenience of taking the time to go to the dr. I wish there was a natural remedy for that but alas there isn't! SIGH! 

OK I am hoping this week will be a better blogging week. At least I have power today to get this post up. 

What God has done for me this week

Thursday started out ok. Not great but it certainly could have been worse. 

I was SO tired from getting up everyday at 5:00 to work out and the arthritis in my hands was really bothering me (possibly due to the push ups???). We have also had a VERY busy week this week with no time for naps. 

Rascal had woken up Wednesday night complaining of his ear feeling weird and there was a bunch of junk in his ear. My assumption was his ear drum had ruptured. This happens all the time for Rascal around this time of the year. His allergies start bothering him, snot and mucus build up resulting in fluid on his ears and before we know it his ear drum ruptures. I have been giving us all local raw honey (along with other things) to help with the allergies and I admit, I was super bummed that in my best attempts to ward off sickness or dr visits, we still were going to be heading to the dr on Thursday. 

Baby A woke up Thursday morning saying she had a sore throat and she complained about her hips hurting. Nothing major but since we were already going to be taking Rascal to see the dr, I made her an appointment too just to check things out. 

I took Scooter on to school and bless his sweet heart he never pouted or said a word about being the only one to go to school that day. That helped me out so much. 

I got an appointment to see the dr and to be completely honest I was mad. Here I had tried all these things to keep us well (which has taken time to buy, make and research) and we are still sick and we are still going to the doctor. Everything within me wanted to go back home crawl in to bed, and just have a pity party for the rest of the day. Well all fellow mothers know that whether we feel like it or not, we must keep going and caring for our family. 

We got to the doctor and saw one that we typically don't see, our usual doctor wasn't in that day. I see now that this was a God thing. (hindsight is 20/20). We get into the room and Baby A is growing whinier by the minute. The nurse checks their weight and temp (Just a few mom notes; Rascal weighs 55 pounds now and Baby A weighs 39 pounds.... both had no fever) and then we waited on the doctor.

She came in and checked Rascal first, asking if they had colds or sinus problems recently; which they haven't. Rascals ears checked out great! WOO HOO!! What he felt was a lot of ear wax moving out of his ear canal and that is what we saw. 

Next up was Baby A..... she wasn't so lucky. She has some suspicious spots on the roof of her mouth and they tested her for strep. It was negative. Then they tested for the flu. She was getting worse by the minute and was now running fever. The flu test was negative also... the verdict was a virus (story of my life).



Then the doctor began a "lecture" on ways to keep the kids healthy during this season.... her first sentence "You may want to think about cutting out all sugar from their diets. " HAHAHAHA oh she had no idea who she was talking to. I explained all that we have done and she was shocked and highly praised me.  You see she had cancer a few years ago and the chemo and radiation did a number on her body. She began researching natural ways to help and what was the first one she tried..... Apple Cider Vinegar!!! She also cut out all processed foods and was telling me about all the chemicals (nitrates, GMOs etc...) in hotdogs, lunch meat etc... We talked about natural remedies for a good 30 minutes and she encouraged me because both her and her mother (both cancer survivors) have seen them do amazing things for them, She was so proud of all I had researched and done for us and didn't even get onto me about being against flu shots (yes I had the guts to tell my kids dr that I didn't agree with flu shots). She didn't necessarily agree with me on that one but she did tell me that I was helping them tremendously by the steps we have taken so far. 

That turned my day totally around. Even though we had to go to the doctor I can plainly see how God used that entire day/ situation and showed me that I am doing the right thing for our family. It encouraged me to keep on and you can bet we will be seeing that doctor from now on when possible (but hopefully a whole lot less). I love having people on my side encouraging me with natural remedies and helping us steer clear of all the processed foods (and some medicines) and chemical crap out there. 

We will still catch the occasional virus, stomach bug or sickness after all we don't live in a bubble. However we have options on ways to treat those things when they do come up. 

I give you full permission to call me weird wellness girl now. I get that some people think it's weird and maybe even dumb and really disagree with it all but bottom line is this is my family and I am striving for the very best for them. 

God is SO Good!! 

Funny Sayings

**Levi spent the night last weekend and Baby A and I were checking on him by looking at his video monitor.

Baby A: What is that noise?
Me: It's just static

Baby A: OH, from his hair!!!! 

** On the way to church for trunk or treat.....

Baby A: Are we going to church? 

Me: Yes we are going to trunk or treat

Baby A: Where is trunk or treat? 

Me: In the parking lot

Baby A: NO we can't do that! We'll get hit!! 

I explained to her that the cars were parked and she would be with mommy and daddy so it was ok. 

Baby A: So we will get candy? 

Me: Yes

Baby A: Oh so we will run and go find it in the grass!!!! 

Poor girl, clearly she was very confused about trunk or treating this year. She was getting Easter and Halloween mixed up. 

** Baby A was playing with her magnetic doll puzzle

Baby A: ok now we have to get ready for church. Let's try this outfit on. Oh no that doesn't look good let's change. You need to wear this dress but not with those shoes. 

** This one is not really funny but OH so sweet. On the way home from Rascal's field trip from the pumpkin patch.

Rascal: I think I will give Baby A this pumpkin I got at the pumpkin patch. 

Me: well Rascal that is the so sweet of you. 

Rascal: well I know she would really like it and I did take her pumpkin to school so I'm just replacing it. 

We pick up Baby A and he gives her the pumpkin.. 

Baby A: Thank you Rascal! I love it so much! I'm so proud of you! 

She has picked up a few saying from me and Tim and she has not yet learned how to use them in the right context. 

** We had to have Lucy shaved due to so many mattes. I picked the boys up from school and then we headed to get Lucy. While I was paying they brough her out and the boys were the first to see her...

Scooter: What?!?! She looks like a poodle!!! 

Rascal: Is that Lucy??? She looks like one of those hairless cats! 

Baby A: She is UGLY!!! 

I turn to see just what they were talking about and laugh out loud! Every one in the office is staring...

Me: Well she has a look only a mother could love! She is SO UGLY! 

We take her home and she acts very embarrassed about her new look but not nearly as embarrassed as I am to take her out to potty and have neighbors see her! 

Tim comes home..

Tim: I refuse to touch her she is so ugly! Let's take her to trunk or treat, she'll scare everyone! 

Here are some before and after pictures and I'll let you make your own judgment on her looks

Before:

                        

Here she is right after we picked her up:

They left her tail and face/beard entirely too long so I cut them when I got home. 

Here is what she looks like now: 

A LITTLE better but she is still ugly. I am hoping her hair grows out quickly! 

Fourth of July

I LOVE the Fourth of July! It's one of my favorite holidays. I swell with pride for this great country we live in. I make sure my flag is proudly displayed outside our home and for as long as I can I will make sure my kids and I are dressed in red, white and blue. 

 My kids take after me and are not the biggest fans of fireworks. They have a healthy fear of them and really really hate the loud noise. Uncle Jonathan helped the kids out with his gun range headphones which they had to pass around and share. 

You can't help but laugh at this picture....

Tim and his brother are like most men on the 4th. 

They turn into kids again and want to blow up all sorts of things. 

Jonathan is such a great uncle and bought the kids all sorts of fireworks. My kids love the smoke bombs, snakes and sparklers the best. 

Baby A was very hesitant about them this year but she was MUCH better than last year. She stayed inside the entire time last year. This time she even got brave and held sparklers. 

Tim had the next day off so we stayed until dark and shot some fun fireworks off. Their neighbors spent who knows how much on fireworks and we had a fantastic show to watch. 

It was such a fun day and I love seeing my kid just soak up family time. 

Here is a little comparison picture from last year. 

Rascal looks the exact same but MAN have Scooter and Baby A grown up SO MUCH!!! 

Random

It's been crazy around here. So blogging has taken a back seat. I'll try and do some posts this week but right now sweet Rascal has a stomach virus. I'm tending to his needs and preparing myself for others to get it. Here are a few pictures from my phone,  just a few to make you smile. 

Advent Days 2-5

I am posting several days at once since all these were pretty low key activities.

Tim was out of town these days so we didn't want to plan and major activities for those days. 

DAY 2

I have no pictures from this since we just listened to music on the way home from church

DAY 3

We originally planned to make a scripture chain but to make a long story short it wasn't what I thought it was so we switched. Day 11 was supposed to be candy cane hunt and puzzles and we have a dinner to go to that night. So we scratched that night's activity and did it on Day 3 instead.

The candy cane hunt was a big hit! 

I hid 24 candy canes through out the house. The boys had to find 10 each and Baby A had too find 4. 

( I apologize for the crummy pictures. They were taken with my phone while they raced around the home) 

After they found all the candy canes they got to eat one and put the rest on the Christmas tree. 

Then after the candy cane hunt we all sat down in the floor and worked some Christmas puzzles. 

DAY 4

We read Christmas books this night. I had gone to our library and checked out some Christmas books the kids had never read before. They loved this so much and I can't tell you the joy i had with all 3 kids cuddled up next to me while I read to them. For the most part they didn't move or say a single word. They simply listened to all 6 stories we read. 

DAY 5

Movie Night!!!

While at the library I also checked out a Christmas DVD that the kids had not seen before: 

As I suspected..... Baby A was only into the first few minutes and then she was up playing. 

If it isn't Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, Little People, Cat in the Hat or Curious George forget about it!

Rascal being the loving brother he is, gave up his spot in the recliner for Baby A and took her spot in her pink chair! I'm telling you... that boy loves his sister to pieces! 

I'll try to get caught up on advent activities this weekend.

Random

Well I have SO MUCH to post about but it seems my laptop has died. I had started a post to schedule on Monday and to make a long story short ..... it will have to come another day.
Our laptop was SO convenient to post from and now I am resorting to our other computer and it is old and set in it's ways. Seriously it has a mind of it's own and that is one reason my saved post won't be posted anytime soon.

Anyways, a quick update on what's going on around here:

~ We are ready for Christmas... as in all gifts are purchased and wrapped and under our tree :) Well except for the BIG present but we can't wrap that and there may be a scavenger hunt to find it on Christmas morning.

~ We had our Children's play last Sunday night and the kids did so good. I was so proud of each and every one of them. This year both my boys were in it and they both had a solo. They did so great and brought tears to my eyes. I am SO PROUD of the sweet sweet boys they are!!

~ Baby A has caught on to the whole Christmas gift idea. Right now she is asking for this:
* a blue puppy
* a pink and a blue baby
* a barbie doll
*and a ball.

My boys are asking for this:
Scooter:
* stilts
* trash pack (have the slightest idea what this is)
* and of course pokemon games

Rascal:
* Scooby Doo play set
* pogo stick
* monsunos
* Pokemon games

We got them all at least one thing off their list and lots of things that weren't on their list but know they will LOVE!!

~ Monday was a rough day..... We found out of laptop died, Tim had a flat tire on the way to work, I had a good size deer jump out in front of me (thankfully I missed her)...Side note: since having that one deer hit me back in the summer, I am COMPLETELY PARANOID of them now! moving on... I had to run to the grocery store and get groceries and then come home, unload them, clean house, do laundry and start baking.When I got home from the grocery store, I realized I had my shirt on backwards... I could only laugh at that point.

~ Scooter beat everyone in his class and now moves on to the school wide spelling bee! We are so very proud of him. I'll try to get pictures during the spelling bee next week.

~ A funny conversation (the scene... dinner with all 5 of us around the table)
Both boys are making yummy sounds and saying how great dinner was.
Tim: Boys when you get older and are looking for a wife, you make sure to find one exactly like your mother.
Scooter: I already have a girl I like Dad
Tim: Well is she just like your mother?
and without any hesitation at all Scooter turns to me and says: Mom were you dramatic when you were a kid?
 HA! I nearly choked on my food and Tim and I both died laughing!  If you knew me as a child then you know that I was the definition of dramatic!!
Tim response: Yes she was son, yes she was!

~ Baby A was in my bathroom the other day playing in my stuff while I did my make-up. I glanced out of the corner of my eye and saw she was mimicking every move I made and pretending to put make up. She had an empty compact and one of my brushes and was very concerned about getting her make-up just right. Finally she says to me... "Mommy do it?" I replied yes I am putting on my make-up.  She tells me then.. "no mommy put some on me!!" So I knelt down, took her empty compact and brush and pretended to put make-up on her. It was the best and something I have always dreamed of doing with my little girl!

~ Rascal is ALWAYS into his appearance. It may not be the best looking outfit but the boy knows how he wants to look and makes sure his hair looks good, shoes match his outfit and he always double checks his hair in my rear view mirror before getting out of the van to go to school. One day his librarian was on car line duty and she was standing there as they got out of the van. As the boys walked away she turned to me and told me that Rascal was the heart breaker of his class. Apparently there are 3 girls who like him and when he is in library, they follow his every move. The librarian told me he really doesn't give them much attention but they still fight over who will sit next to him. Oh heaven help us. I can only imagine what the next 12 + years are going to be like!

~ I finished my crocheted infinity scarf! I love it and I have a picture only it was on the laptop and so now it is gone. I'll try to load it to this computer and post the picture but I make no promises. This computer doesn't do what it is told!

~ All three kids are coming down with colds. I am giving them vitamins, washing hands and trying to keep them resting when they get home from school (key word is TRYING). Last year we had NO sickness on Christmas and I am praying we can make this the second year in a row with out sick kids.

Advent Day 1: Christmas Tree Farm 2012

Advent has started and we had an AWESOME time with our first activity. 

I knew that I wanted a real tree this year and I searched and searched to find a fun Christmas tree farm. 

We went to Ward Grove Tree Farm and it did not disappoint!! 

We got up early Saturday morning and started off for the farm (it was a good ways away from our house) 

The kids were SO excited on the way there which made the hour and a half drive lots of fun ;-) 

The farm offers a mule pulled wagon ride out to the field, a cozy cabin where you can drink hot chocolate by a fire and all kids get a free candy cane and coloring book when they leave. 

My kids were so excited by it all. They watched everything around them in total amazement. 

Here is the mule pulled wagon that we rode out to the field. 

Ignore Rascal's arms in his shirt, I told him to grab a jacket but he said he didn't need one. 

Maybe one day he'll learn to listen to me!

Baby A loved the mules. She had her eye on them at all times and I could not get her to look at the camera. 

Look at all the trees! 

The search for the perfect Christmas tree was on and man were the boys really into picking out the right one. 

 Scooter thought maybe this one.....

Baby A thought this one was good....

But then Rascal and Tim found this one and we all agreed on it. Look at her sweet finger pointing at it in the bottom corner of the picture above. :) 

Here are the three kids standing in front of the tree we picked. 

They cut it down for us and then hauled it back to the wagon. 

I love this picture of the boys holding the tree. 

They were not fans of holding it because of all the sap. 

I am not a big fan of this picture of me but at least it's proof I was there too. 

Waiting for the mules to pull the wagon back

Baby A kept a look out for them the whole time and when she saw them she squealed with joy!

Here they come to pick us up and load up our tree

I love this picture of her and Tim. 

She was so excited!!!

Here are the mules Kate (on the left) and Jim (on the right) 

We loaded up the wagon and headed back to the cabin for hot chocolate.

 (never mind the fact that it was near 70 degrees outside) 

We stopped for some lunch before heading back home. 

It appeared that picking out a Christmas tree was quite exhausting. 

We got it home and put it up in our dining room. 

We had to trim a few branches and they smelled so great I couldn't just toss them. 

So I found some vases and put the fresh clipped sprigs in them as a centerpiece. 

That night after dinner and the kids' showers, we let them decorate the tree. 

It's not as easy to decorate a real tree since the limbs aren't perfect and some aren't strong enough to hold the ornaments up. Even still I think they did a great job decorating the tree. 

You can bet we will be doing this every year! 

It was such an awesome family activity that we all enjoyed so much!