Learning, Writing and Answered Prayer!

I'm trembling in my flip flops here! I love to write, I need to write and I feel like God has given me a message to write...and I say that with real trepidation...


I'm working on a book....there I said it. I've started books before, but I can't seem to get past the introduction and first chapter. Partly because of my extreme case of self critique which I'm already feeling. Yesterday after spending a good amount of time writing and feeling like I was getting a lot done, I loudly exclaimed "God, don't let me be wasting my time here!" What I meant was, I want the words to come from Him, and not my own often too introspective self.

The picture above is a hint at what I'm writing about....;)

He is so faithful!

I just want to share something that happened the other day that was so cool and thankfully I had the eyes to see it (do you also ever wonder how much we miss?).

I was spending some time praying for specifically my husband. We were waiting for someone to pay us and we really needed them to pay in order to literally keep our lights on. Meanwhile my husband is busy with his online classes and I could also sense that he was feeling a little lost as to what to do about money, work and life.

Going back a little, when we went to a conference last month Bill explained afterward that he "is completely changed!" and I've seen a difference! Inwardly he seems to have more peace and outwardly he's doing things different too. He turned on music while working on his classes and he first turned on his usually rock station...then halfway through the first song he found a Christian station and started listening to that! Okay, I know some other wives will know how huge that really is!!

Anyway, seeing these changes I prayed that God would bless him and show my husband His faithfulness. Of course I was thinking that us getting the money we're owed would be the way to do it...then my prayer changed a little and I said "God, I know you have something better in mind...I'll lay aside my request about the money and wait for what you have for us".

I was gone that evening and Bill texted me later and said that he'd prayed with Brayden to ask Jesus into his heart!!! Bill was so incredibly blessed and excited, it practically brings tears to my eyes thinking about it again.

Then he had Brayden call me while I was still driving home and tell me the news for himself. So cute!!

I got off the phone and, seeing how God had answered my prayer, I found myself in a state of utter amazement! Seriously, God is amazing!

And we did get paid that next day and our lights did not get turned off, but my happiness at that point was riding on something greater.

A big part of January's fast for me was fasting from asking. The purpose was so that God would show me how to ask for what He wanted to give me and I'm seeing how He's done that in my life. I know I've got much more to learn, but learning this sure feels good!

If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. John 15:7

Flip Flops & Painted Toes

We had a great Mothers Day yesterday. We went to the beach, ate, sat on blankets and watched the water, hiked barefoot through the woods with the little ones and spent quality time with the family. I was so relaxed I forgot to take pictures!

My mom and dad and brothers came so it was good to spend time with all of them.

With the nice weather this week while at Old Navy I bought everyone their first pair of flip-flops and even before we went to the beach I was noticing everyone (me included) was in dire need of a pedicure.

So, this morning I got out my stuff.



I soaked each child's feet, used a sugar scrub, soaked them again because they were really filthy, patted their toes with tea tree oil, massaged with mango lotion and polished in the color of their choosing (okay Brayden didn't get to choose). It was so much fun.

Sometimes it makes my day to do a little something extra for my sweet little tornadoes;)

And I didn't say Brayden didn't get his painted. I just said he didn't get to choose to the color. Here he is again showing off his "manly black" toe nails;)


Did you have a lovely mothers day?

A Nice Walk With A Handsome Little Man

On Saturday Brayden and I had some time to spend together, so we decided to go for a walk. I pushed him in the stroller and since we were having nice weather at the moment we decided to go further up the hill, where there are beautiful views of the water and the snow capped Olympic Mountains.

We were walking along and kind of singing together. Yep, my son sings with me:) I was asking him to point out things like grass, sky, trees, etc. and then started asking him about colors. I said "the grass is green" and he said "nu-uh, Mom, it's blue!"

I said "The sky is blue Brayden," to which he again said "Nu-uh, Mom, it's green." If my son decides not to be a singer, maybe he'll have a great career in law! Just kidding.

Then we were walking along looking at the water and a couple of birds flew high above us. I stopped and said "Look Brayden, birds," but he had already seen them. He had his two little fingers pointed (machine gun style) and said "Bogshhh" (the best way I can spell out his gunshot sound effect).

My son was shooting the birds! After he felt like he made the shot, he lowered his weapon and stuck one of his fingers back in his mouth like nothing!

Oh my, boys are so different!

Just a Check-up

We had a traumatic morning in the doctor's office yesterday and I'm still recovering!

I know there's been so much out there about immunizations and my non-confrontive self is a little nervous about posting anything about any of it, but yesterday's experience is one I just have to talk about. I'll just say that what I'm discribing is what we do and if you do something different, good for you:)

Personally I think most of the vaccines are very important in keeping my children and others safe from dangerous diseases.

We decided to delay our vaccines. I've never allowed the Hep B shot in the hospital, but with Brayden, going a more natural route overall, we delayed his first vaccines until he was 9 months.

There's two popular ways you can delay vaccines. One route you can go is separating all the vaccines out so you're not putting so many different toxins in their bodies at once. But when you do this you end up going back practically every single month to get poked...not in my mind a good idea...

Note~There is a good resourse by Dr.Sears, from his website AskDrSears.com. Here is what he says about immunizations.

The other way is to start late and spread them out a little farther than what's on the regular schedule. The point is to help your baby build their immune system between shots. This is what we have done, but it means that when the kids get shots they each will get up to five (usually combined into 3 or 4 pokes).

So yesterday was the day. And to make things "easy" for me I made back to back appointments for Brayden, Ruby and Emma.

Everyone's doing well, growing fine, developing great.

In fact we can't call Ruby "little Ruby" anymore because she's in the 80% range for her weight! Wow, since for awhile there we had so much trouble keeping weight on her and getting her actually on the charts!

Then it came time for the shots...the nurse came in and said "So, how should we do this mom?" I told her Emma was going first (since she only had one little catch up shot) and she was going to show Ruby and Brayden how brave she'd be. Her voice started shaking a little when she hopped up on the seat. Then she saw the needle...

It was all down hill from there! Emma started crying, thrashing and kicking. I tried not to be embarrassed when the nurse called for back up...

After Emma was done I looked at Brayden and Ruby and Brayden said "Ruby go!" So it was Ruby's turn and Emma, who was supposed to be being helpful, was trying to fight her way across the small exam room to save Ruby from the mean needle people. She was crying hysterically at this point saying "Don't poke her with that thing! Don't hurt my sister!"

It went on like this and at one point every kid of mine was crying hysterically. It was traumatic for everyone including myself.

Maybe there is something to going every single month because they get used to needles. Or maybe it would just be everyone crying month after month.

I think that's why I spent pretty much all of yesterday being pretty lazy:)

Oh and after the kids picked out stickers and suckers we were leaving. Emma, who had had her shot on her arm, rolled up her sleeve so everyone in the room could see her tough snoopy band aid...LOL.

I better write this down before I forget

Two years ago today our youngest child was born. We weren't planning on having any more children, but I remember driving down the street one day and realizing that no matter what we planned things were in God's hands. I found out two weeks later that I was pregnant.

We were so sure we would be having girl number 5. We thought "we populate the world with girls" and so when we saw that little penis on the ultrasound we were both in tears. A boy!

Planning a home birth was really exciting for me. I had gone natural before and just the experience of prenatal care with a midwife was such a nice change for me. No in and out prenatal appointments, she left plenty of time to answer each and every one of my questions.

"What if the cord is wrapped around the neck?"
"What if we have to go to the hospital for an emergency C-section?"

"What if he's turned the wrong way?"

"What if, what if, what if???"

She was so patient and reassuring and finally instructed me to stop watching Special Delivery on Discovery Health, a show featuring high risk deliveries.

My midwife, Charlotte Geddis, has delivered thousands of babies and told me stories of miraculous situations she's seen. Real miracles! That assured me that having this baby in the setting we were choosing was a step of faith, but God would meet us and be with us through it all.

On the night I went into labor I wasn't sure it was labor. No body tells you that the more kids you have the more false labor you have so I had already called her on two different occasions thinking it was it when it wasn't.

Bill went to bed and I got some sleep too. I did rest a little and then woke up and realized the contractions were still going. During false labor, going to sleep at night would be the end of them. I took a shower and the hot water felt great on my back. Then I sat on my exercise ball and watched some late late night TV. Finally the contractions were getting to the point where I needed to breathe through them so I woke up Bill to tell him it was for real this time.

And it was, they suddenly were very intense and pretty regular. I decided right then and there that I would rather go to the midwife's office instead of having her come to our place. I think I decided that because I was suddenly worried about progressing slowly. With Ruby (and pitosin) I kept thinking I was transitioning because of the pain and when the nurse checked me I was only almost to 3cm. I know that had to to with being induced, but I was still afraid that would happen again.

Our kids had spent the night at my parents house so that was already taken care of. I originally was going to have my two older girls there, but changed my mind about that too.

I was the one having the baby so I went with what I wanted.

We got ready to head over to Charlotte's and then we realized we couldn't find the keys to the suburban. No problem...we had Bill's work van! Not a comfortable ride.

We headed over and I suddenly forgot my very simple breathing patten of deep breaths in through the nose, out through the mouth. I started taking little breaths and hyperventilating until my husband reminded me how to do it. He was so good and how did I respond?

"You are getting a vasectomy!!!!" I yelled. He drove faster.

That ride was so bumpy that when we got to her office I stumbled out of the car and barfed.

I told the assistant to prepare the tub. The midwife wanted to check me first. I didn't understand why they couldn't multitask and start the tub and then check me but I guess they sensed I was farther along then I thought. Yep, 9 1/2 cm.

She broke my water, I quickly got to 10 cm and the contractions pretty much stopped.

After some contraction inducing tactics they started back up again and I started to push. This part of it was what my husband appreciated and why he recommends everyone to go to a midwife. Charlotte was praying over us while she was watching, taking care that I didn't tear and waiting for my little boy's big round head to descend.

Just to give you an idea, Emma took all of three pushes, Ruby took absolutely none at all, but Brayden's hard head had me pushing for 40 minutes.

But then he emerged into the world and into my arms (I actually reached down and pulled him up onto me) and the feeling of euphoric elation overcame my tired body. He went right on my breast knowing exactly what that was for.

After the placenta passed, Bill cut the cord. The midwife and assistant cleaned and weighed him. 7 pounds 14 ounces and 21 inches long and that was two weeks early.

I stayed and snuggled with my baby boy while Bill went home to get the suburban and the car seat.

He got back and we headed home, stopping at Dairy Queen for a bigger meal than I'd had in weeks.

The girls were so excited to meet their little brother.

For the rest of the day I laid with him in bed, rested and fell more in love.

Then night came. My milk of course had not come in and clearly the yellow stuff was not enough for my hungry boy. With the girls they simply whimpered and sucked on their hands when they were hungry as a tiny baby, but not Brayden. He screamed! Every two hours he screamed! I seriously remember saying something along the lines of "Oh no, what did we get ourselves into?"

And where was that cute little baby cry that babies are supposed to have?

My milk came in and he slept for longer than two hours but screaming his head off when he was hungry continued.

I got his name from one of those 35,000 baby names books and I thought it was an English name that meant "broad hill" or "wide valley", one of those. But then I found a name very close to his in my Strong's Hebrew dictionary. The word brayed means "to scream with hunger"....yep that fits him.

So, his verse is this "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. " Matthew 5:6

This morning I sang Happy Birthday to Brayden and then said "How old are you now???" He exclaimed "10!" Hey not so fast buddy! Happy 2nd birthday.

Glitter happens to be my long lost motivation

This morning I sent the second and third child off to the bus, put the dog outside (I’m sorry I know it’s cold) and poured fruit loops for Ruby and Brayden. I thought surely that would give me a few minutes to check my email and Facebook (that’s right I have not at all stuck with my ban of that – it’s like a drug! I don’t even like how it makes me feel afterward, but I keep being drawn back to it, like a bug to a light zapper).

I checked out everyone’s Haloween costumes and watched a couple of You Tube videos so I guess it did take a little longer than I had expected. Then I went to check on the kids and found GLITTER EVERYWHERE. Mixed in with their cereal, covering the floor and table, not to mention my children. Usually messes like this overwhelm me and make me say things under my breath about life, all I do is clean, etc. But for some reason the sight of bowls filled with milk, fruit loops and sparkles made me laugh and smile the whole time I cleaned.

The smile remained while I mopped the floor on my hands and knees, and then while I washed the dishes. I kept smiling while I threw all the sparkly clothes in the washer. And it kept going. I have officially started on my “Fall Cleaning” and could not be happier about it. I've been looking for my motivation for a week now and who knew I'd find it where I did. I still don't know where they got the glitter in the first place though...

Oh and while I was in the middle of the kitchen cleaning I peeked in to see my sweet little children looking at books quietly on the couch.

Yep, I’m counting my blessings today.

Some Summer Fun

Ruby is saying "Yee-Hawwww"

Shariah and her friend Dani scaring Mom. After this I let them continue jumping from the trampolene into the pool, only one at a time!

Brayden (the little prince of our brood) chillin while Grandma pushes him gently around the pool.

Motivated Monday

I have a few different projects that are in the works. Here is one of them. This is our dining area and what has been done so far is my husband's doing. He installed drywall, which took care of my #1 complaint about owning an "old" house. The walls are tongue and groove planks and they were covered with thick wall paper. So non practical!

He also put in a ceiling system and is going to install 1/4 inch MDF boards up between the beams, but you can already envision it right? Oh, and that light/fan? My #2 complaint! It's going!

My project is to prime and paint. Before the room was painted Dutch Boy's "Red Wine" which I have continued to love for 3 years now. But we're thinking we might be putting our house up for sale sometime soon, and according the the experts over at HGTV, "red is not a color for everyone". So, I think I'm going to go with a muted teal. I am too lazy to look for examples so stay tuned for the finished pictures:) It might be awhile though. After husband is done with the ceiling and we paint, we're going to sand and laquer our hardwood floors.

This project isn't really going to be my doing, but I just wanted to show something sad. Remember when it snowed and then the ground froze? And then it snowed some more and then froze some more? Well, I remember wondering what would happen to my poor plants. So, when spring finally showed its sweet self, I went out with the pruners to give my roses a little care. This is the finished result after cutting away all the dead branches. Boo hoo:( My neighbor and closest rose expert tells me they may have gone back to wild and I may or may not be getting roses at all this summer.

Here's another project that is going to take some work. I am not a baker. I always say I love to cook, but baking is not my thing. Maybe because I think the professionals already do it so well, so why try? I think I have potential to be a good baker. I like measuring things exactly right, leveling off the cup of flour and whatnot. Maybe I don't want to bake because baked goodies are my absolute weakness and I don't want to find myself eating whole cakes. Or half cakes.

But I want to learn how to bake bread. I already know how to put a mix into a bread machine and press the button, but I would like to learn the old fashioned way of doing it. I would love to teach my kids too. So, after making up my mind that I would learn I committed myself by purchasing a 50 pound bag of bread flour at Costco. The bag on top is the 5 pound bag that I usually buy.

I have another project that has to do with this but it's a secret for now.

And this isn't a project but I thought I throw in a picture of my two guys. Aren't they adorable??? Last night we went and relaxed at the Camano Island State Park. Lovely night, lovely sunset, lovely family time!

Eating pudding is serious business!
I'm done, I can play.

Ridin' in my dump truck.



And yes, sometimes I let my kids sit and eat on the floor!