Life Is Going

Things have been pretty good. 

I see a counselor every other week, well it was every other week we'll be every four weeks after this. That has been helpful. 

Still using the progesterone cream but only once a day now. All the supplements and such I'm still using. 

It is nice to actually feel like doing things again. :) I've been doing more of the housework. Have been planning the menu and doing some cooking.  Went to city council meetings two weeks in a row. Also going to a weekly bible study with some friends. 

There are still times when I feel down or overwhelmed, but it's still better than where a was a few months ago. 

Big news is a possible move. We are frantically getting our house ready to sell in hopes of being able to buy a house. The house we are wanting is 5 bdrms 3 ba. On 3/4 of an acre. In the city. Nice neighborhood. The house needs a lot of work but the price, location and size are all just what we are looking for. God willing everything will work out. 

Oliver is 7 mos now. Crawling. Pulling up. Getting teeth. So cute and chubby and such a happy boy! :)

Life is good. 

Sickness

We've been passing strep around at our house for about two months. Cora got it twice. I thought I was going to escape, but no. I was so sick. Ended up at the urgent care and got 2 liters of fluid and some IV antibiotics. Plus the shot I'd gotten the first time I went to the UC and oral pills as well. God willing we have it licked now. 

I missed my appointment with the counselor last week because of being sick. I have an appointment in an hour and a half. I didn't make much progress on my 'homework'. 

Good things: Kyla will be getting a car next week and hopefully her regular license soon after that. Emma has been helping the man at the office. And this week I will start going to a weekly Bible study with some friends. 

Oh! Edward has been using the toilet! He's doing quite well. I'm glad I've not pushed him. This way of letting them figure it out in their own is much less stressful than 'training' them. :)

Play

Last night I was reminded why I keep having babies. Kids are fun! :D

After church, me, hubby, and seven of the kids went to the park across from the church to wait for Kyla to get done with choir practice. We had so much fun.

There is not a more joyous sound in the world than a child's laughter. Or hearing your 3 year old say, "This is amazing!" when push her high on the swing.

It is great to see my husband running a race with his kids. Or him trying to show up his boys by climbing to the top of the swings! Now that was funny! LOL

Kids are fun, and people who don't like kids are just... weird! Having kids is the best of life. I need to remember that more often. :D

Frustration.

Contractions all day and night that seem to be getting slowly more intense and even a little longer and sometimes closer together but that stop every once in awhile. I know this happens every time, but I still find myself getting frustrated with it. It is discouraging! And everyone asking all the time doesn't help. My husband being the worst! LOL

On a happy note. My girl will be home on Friday! Yeah!! I've not heard much the last several days, no internet access where they are I guess. It will be so nice to have her back home! I look forward to hearing about everything she did and saw!

Not much else. Just trying to keep busy and get enough rest and keep the house in some sort of order!

Its Getting Close!

It is less than 4 weeks now until Kyla leaves for Zambia!! I am starting to get nervous. I can't believe I am sending my 15 yo half way around the world!! The worst part is that I won't be able to stay in touch with her very well. No talking on the phone every day or chatting on the computer. She has been working hard to prepare for this though. Monday was her last class for the Teaching Children Effectively through CEF. Now she'll go to Africa and teach little kids about Jesus! :D She had to get a bunch of shots too. She didn't like that part, but I was proud of her for being a grown up about it! :)

And it is just over 6 weeks until the baby is due. I am honestly hoping that babe will wait until July, but I am not very confident that will happen since that would mean babe being over 2 weeks overdue. We still haven't decided on names, my husband is being difficult! When did he get to be so opinionated?! LOL I have been doing some crochetting, hoping that would make me feel a little more excited. I'll have to post pics of what I've made... sometime! LOL

Life with seven kids is...

if nothing else exciting! :P

Today the kids decided to "surprise" me. By painting the kitchen.

It would have been fine if they had stuck to painting the walls. But no! That was not quite enough for them. They painted the table. The cabinets. The chair. The floor. The stove. The refrigerator. Thankfully the cats were safe snoozing in some secret place.

So here's pics of the damage.

Christians, Facebook, and Matthew 18

I have been losing a lot of facebook friends lately. Most of them just disappearing from my friend list inexplicably. I could just assume that they are all weeding, as I have done on occasion. But six in one week?! And about 10 in the last month? Two that I know of for sure were upset with me about something I said or posted. I know because they sent me messages before they unfriended me. And most of the lost friends are Christians, which isn't surprising since at least 90% of my friends are!

Anyway, on to the point of this blog. Why don't Christians follow the instructions in Matthew 18 for handling conflicts? They don't in life and most especially don't on facebook or other social networking sites. For those who may be unfamiliar with the instructions in Matthew 18, here they are:

1. If you are having a controversy with a brother then you take it to that person privately. Verse 15
2. If he (or she) won't listen then get one or two other people to go with you to approach the person. Verse 16
3. If he won't hear that then you take it to the church at large. Verse 17
4. If that does no good he is to be treated as a heathen.

I dare say that step one would be sufficient in most cases to bring a resolution. But no one ever does that. Instead they backbite and gossip and ignore the problem and the person. Does that please God? Certainly not.

As for the other steps, if they are ever needed it would have to be over something pretty serious, not just a disagreement about political issues or other life choices (i.e. vaccination, home birthing, smoking, etc). Those other steps should be reserved for a serious doctrinal thing, if the person was slandering someone, stealing, lying, or something overtly sinful.

Another question I have is, why is it that people think that we must all believe certain things? One of the things I was unfriended over was because my husband (using my account) commented on a post by a lady. She had posted something about the Ft. Hood shooter and Muslims in general. My husband replied that even Muslims need Jesus (or something to that effect). The other person unfriended me because I don't care about whether a business says "Merry Christmas" or not, it really makes absolutely no difference to me whatsoever! Are either of those issues worth losing a friendship over? I don't think so, but those ladies obviously do!

What silly frivolous things to end a friendship over! How is that going to play out at the judgement seat of Christ I wonder?!

What really gets me though is the lack of reason. The lack of circumspection. There was no discussion or debate, just an ugly message and a severing of a connection!

And the most recent friend loses I am unable to explain. I've not posted anything lately that I think is especially controversial. But then maybe my political fervor and apparent lack of spirituality are that disturbing!

I am thankful for the real friends I have. The ones who take the time to discuss things and love me even though they think I am completely off my rocker on certain issues.

So I suppose I should not regret those friends who don't want to be my facebook friend anymore, but part of me does. I really like some of those people.

The End! :P

Yard Sale today...

was successful....sort of. We made about $300 but still have lots of stuff left. Some will go to the consignment store and some will go to charity.

Hubby is off applying for a second job...not sure how I feel about that. We need the money, but we see him so little as it is...

Kyla and Emma will be leaving in just over a week to go stay with Mom and Dad for a few months. Things will be very different around here.

Hoping for a restful Sunday and a pleasant Labor Day.

Busy Life!

Once again I have been completely neglecting this blog!

Let's see....

Cora had her first meet (a 'mini' meet with just the girls from her team). She did well. Her first *real* meet is Sept 12. She has been working so hard and I am proud of her.

Kyla and Emma will be going home with Mom after Cora's meet. Mom is coming out for that. They are excited. They will be staying for a few months. I have to get together all the school work they will be doing while they are there.

The only thing left in our garden is the tomatoes, which are finally starting to produce! We have at least a dozen tomatoes growing right now. We have had a really cool spider living in them. We did have grasshoppers eating the tomato plants but the kids have been catching them to feed to the mantis they caught.

I have gotten through about half of the Dyslexia program with Kyla, Emma, and Ellis. Now if we can just keep Wesley and Gilbert and Sara from messing up the letters and numbers in clay I think we might get through it before Kyla and Emma leave!

Oh! We found a beautiful moth last night. I'll have to post a pic later.

We have had a trip to the canyon. And done lots of weed pulling. And made too many trips to the doc.

Sara sprained her ankle a couple weeks ago. She had climbed up on a stool and then fell off. She got a bump on her head and hurt her ankle. Then a few days ago I noticed a bruise on the bridge of her nose, which I have no idea how she got! Sara has had more injuries than any of my other kids! She already knows how to jump, kind of. She jumps up and falls on her butt. And she loves twirling. I will have to post the video I have of that. It seems each kid gets more daring than the last! I suppose they feel they have to keep up with the older ones.

Missing my dog Fuzzer. I've had people offer dogs or suggest going to the shelter, but I just don't want to get another dog... Emma has been having bad dreams since Fuzz died. She said she keeps dreaming that Wes or Sara wander out in the street and get run over...she was much more affected than I thought. She has always been cautious about what the younger kids do but now she is worse! She completely spazzes out if they are even out in the front yard! And she doesn't want me taking the little ones places by myself...afraid they will run off in the parking lot or something. Can't get her to understand that I have been a mom a long time and that I've had just little ones before. LOL

Hubby has been working a lot. Long hours and weekends.

Started school Monday...well actually Tuesday. Monday I had to take Cora to the ped for an eye infection so that kind of messed up the schedule. Don't know how much I'll get done today since Sara is being VERY fussy and was up most of the night. Not really awake but just very fidgety and it kept me up and I am very sleepy now.

I have taken over as the organizer for our local C4L meetup group! That is exciting!

Reading a good book, "Piety & Politics: The Right-Wing Assault on Religious Freedom" by Barry W. Lynn. I don't agree with him politically, but he makes some good arguments and I find myself agreeing with him more often than not. So far, I like Chapter 3 best but I am looking forward to Chapters 6 and 7.

I will save my political post for later. :D

Well...there is a busy day ahead and I need to get started. Have a blessed day all.

Randomness

We finally have a tomato growing! We have had loads of flowers but I noticed the first tomato a couple days ago. Peas are bearing again. No bell peppers yet although lots of flowers. Used our first onion! I am ashamed of how little time I have spent in the garden, but with Kyla's and Cora's activities and sickness and petsitting I have not had much time.

Today Wes is sick(update: he has strep-gave him penicillin injection). He has had a cold but this morning he is running a fever and vomitting. I am taking him to the ped later. Kyla had an appt to get vaxes this morning for her trip to Zambia but they were out of some that she needed so we are going to try and go to a pharmacy here that does travel vaxes.

Wes has decided to be Wes today instead of superman so he has clothes on! LOL For some reason when he is superman or spiderman he must be naked (except for his cape when he's superman).

Sara is walking! She is still quite wobbly, but so cute! She does not say any words, except "Uh-oh" with any regularity. She has said "Mama", "Wesley", and "Emma". Wesley is still her favorite person. She loves the gun sounds app on Daddy's iPhone. We've not been doing so well with going potty though. With everything that has been going on I kept forgetting to take her and now she is refusing to go most of the time. That is a little disappointing.

I am going to be the new coordinator for the Campaign for Liberty Meetup in our town. That is exciting! The young man who was doing it is going off to college.

I am still reading "Thy Kingdom Come" and "Democracy in America". Enjoying both but not getting very far with them very fast. I can't read them late at night because I am too sleepy to digest what I read.

Not too much else going on, just livin'.

I don't want anymore bad news!!

About two weeks ago Sara got a bump on her head, but it was soft. Never had seen a soft bump like that so I took her in to the ER. ER doc said that it was likely just a hematoma and nothing to worry about. I still just had this feeling that something wasn't right, so I called the ped the next morning and got her in. Ped ordered a CAT scan and yes the bump on the outside was a hematoma, but there was also another hematoma next to her brain. So today I took her for another CAT scan, just to be sure the hematoma was going away. Well, this time they saw a fracture and there is a bleed as well so now we get to have an MRI done! YEAH! :S I am so glad that I did not listen to that ER doc!!

But that hasn't been the only thing going on. A few months ago Kyla was in to the ped for strep. The NP heard a murmur while we were there so they sent her to see a cardiologist. That appt was last week. When he was examining her he asked if she'd ever suffered from joint pain and an associated rash. I told him about something that had happened about 7 or eight years ago...

Back then Kyla had complained of joint pain. We had taken her to the ped and she was referred to an allergist who diagnosed her with JRA (juvenile rheumatoid arthritis). After a few months on the meds she was no better so I quit giving her the meds (those were some serious drugs and not to be taken unless one REALLY needs them) I never felt comfortable with that diagnosis. Anyway, after a month or two off the meds Kyla's symptoms disappeared, and we assumed that it was just growing pains and that Kyla was a weanie. She has had a couple other episodes of joint pain since then.

Well after hearing that the cardiologist said that he believed what she had was rheumatic heart disease. That is caused by untreated rheumatic fever which is a result of an undiagnosed or improperly treated strep infection.

Kyla suffers a lot of strep (3 cases in just the last year). With rheumatic heart disease each case of strep causes more damage to the heart. Different parts of the heart can be affected. In Kyla's case it is her aortial valve.

Kyla will have to be on antibiotics for the next 5 years, or more, to prevent future strep infections.

I hope this is all I have to deal with right now...I just don't know if I could take anything else at the moment!

I really do neglect this blog!

It has been nearly a month since my last post! I had such grand dreams of blogging at least once a week! LOL

I have been busy with the garden. I think I killed the cantaloupe...I was trying to 'help' it! :( One of the bell pepper plants died and one of my last two remaining corn stalks was attacked by Wes. But the tomatoes and the peas look great! We've even eaten some of our peas! :D It has been constant work to keep the grass out of the beds. The weeds are easy, but GRASS! UGH! I hate grass! :P

Peas

One of the tomato plants

Corn

Sara is just beginning to walk! She has taken as many as four consecutive steps before falling! Won't be long now and she'll be running after her big brothers.

Sara standing on the trampoline

Kyla has been very busy with CYIA (Christian Youth In Action). She completes her training on Friday and they are all going out for pizza that evening. She will be helping with 5-day clubs during the rest of the summer. She will also be taking a class at the college starting next week. She is growing so fast! Next time I blink she'll want to be leaving home or getting married! :-O

Cora is busy with gymnastics and doing very well.

The rest of the kids are doing well and growing.

We are planning a trip to D.C. in Sept (for the 'Tea Party). I am excited and hope that everything works out for us to go. My mom will be going with us and that will be nice.

I have a new job!! I will be pet-sitting. It should be mostly fun...the animals I am watching starting this week are just too sweet! One of the dogs is just so nice! She laid her head on my lap when I bent down to pet her! If she wasn't so big, I could see her being a very cuddly lap dog. :) I am so thankful for the opportunity! I had been praying that the Lord would provide a way for me to make a little extra money and then my friend called and asked if I was interested. It is great because it really isn't a rigid schedule and I won't have to be long from home at any one time. And if I absolutely must I can have the kids ride along with me and they can wait in the van while I feed and water the animals. It is very convenient having two girls who are old enough to babysit!

Now to politics! :D

For those who live in Texas- CALL THE GOVENOR! and tell him to veto SB 1440 the bill that will give CPS license to take children and 'interview' them without court permission and without the parents' knowledge or consent (which they already do enough of) and the stipulation that CPS must show compelling evidence has been removed. This would be a huge blow to parental rights. So call!

For the rest of the nation- There is just too much that is highly disturbing going on in Washington...I don't have the energy to keep up with it all! It is discouraging. :( The president who was going to 'change' things in Washington isn't following through...he is accomplishing large changes but not in how things run...it is the same old political game with the same disregard for the will of 'the people' and more government grabs for power. Very disheartening!

So on that happy note I will end for now! :P Have a blessed day!


P.S. Sara has this weird bump on her head. It is on the left side and is about the size of a quarter. It is not red or inflamed and doesn't seem to be sensitive to touch at all. It is not hard but feels kind of like bubble wrap (sorry that's the most accurate description I can come up with). I don't recall her hitting her head. I called the ped last night when I noticed it and then ended up taking her to the ER, just because it is so strange. The ER doc said it is just a hematoma and didn't reccomend doing a CAT scan since she seems fine otherwise. Has anyone else every seen anything like this? I really am trying not to worry about it...I have seen PLENTY of head bumps with the kids but this one is just...well, weird! Anyway enough of my hypochondriac mommy moment! LOL

The garden...(and other miscellaneous ramblings)

is just waiting for the seedlings to mature. I am getting a late start I suppose but there has been bad weather (60 mph gusts) and then snow and sick kids and a lost cat and fundraising for Kyla's Zambia trip and karate and gymnastics...You get the idea.

So next week we will plant and hopefully I will remember to charge my camera and then upload pics before it goes dead again.

I am pleased with how much work I did on that garden. It was hard work and I am not the hard-working type! LOL

After the planting I want to paint the eaves on the house and so some work on the front yard.

We are planning a yard sale for next weekend...trying to help along our $1000 emergency fund as our Baby Step #1 in Dave Ramsey's "Total Money Makeover".

Then there is a possibility (a very small one) the hubby will be going to preach at my mom's church next month and then perhaps a jaunt up to hubby's grandpa's 84th birthday party. (Those would have to be trips that were at the same time, Mom and Dad live about halfway between us and where the party is)

Well that is all I have time for right now. I will be back to do a political blog later I am fuming over so many things and writing it out will help!

Blog Fodder

I haven't blogged in quite awhile. There have been too many things I wanted to blog about.
The "Stimulus" Package. The AIG bonuses. The MIAC report. The Continental Congress. Homeschooling. Gardening. Kids.

There has been plenty said about the so-called "Stimulus Package", but here's my two cents anyway. The government is broke. It has no money. Just because the FED promises to print more funny money and increase inflation, thereby hurting the 'little guy' Obama claims to be trying to help, doesn't mean that the government actually HAS that money. Obama said that if there was no lending the economy would fall apart. That is a BIG FAT LIE!!

If there was no debt the economy would prosper! Imagine, people running businesses in the black!! All the time! Wouldn't that be a good thing?! Wouldn't that be creating REAL, not pretend, wealth?! Not according to Mr. Obama. My husband owns a company. He has not borrowed any money to run it. Sure, it is a squeeze sometimes to make payroll, but he has. Of course, the income tax the company owes will likely put him out of business this year, but that is a whole other story! (It is funny how the government defines 'profit')

The whole 'stimulus' thing is just a way for the federal government to exercise more control and become a bigger monster that steals, yes STEALS, more of the people's money.

One down.

The AIG 'bonuses'. (disclaimer: I have not studied this thoroughly so my understanding may not be complete) AIG was under contractual obligation to pay these bonuses. If they did not they would be sued. I do not, not even for a second, believe that Obama (or any other person who voted for or asked for the bailout) did not know that from the start. He knew. Geithner knew. They all knew. But the taxpayers found out and they got mad because it was their money that was being paid out; so now Obama and his henchmen must save face and while saying that he accepts responsibility makes sure that we know that it was really Bush's fault.

Do we really want our government to decide to make void contracts at will? Really?!
As for the idea of taxing the bonuses at 90%, I would remind the Congress that Article 1 Section 9 of the Constitution says, in part, "No bill of attainder or ex post facto Law shall be passed." The kind of targeted taxation Obama is asking for is unconstitutional.

Two down.

The MIAC report. If you haven't heard about it, Google. To sum up the Missouri law enforcement officials believe that those who support third party candidates or want the Constitution to be upheld or who are patriotic are violent terrorists. Of course after a huge public outcry Missouri retracted that statement. Gotta keep the rabble happy.

Three down.

The Continental Congress 2009. I believe that this is the movement every American that wants to see the continuation of our freedom MUST get behind. All the smaller groups, while all valuable, must coalesce; and this is where to do it. My entusiasm for this is very great. This is our only chance of getting the government to hear.

Four down.

Homeschooling. Well...unschooling. Really not much going on of note. Ellis has learned to read a few words and Gilbert is learning to write letters. Kyla can do the multiplication tables in chinese.

Five down.

Gardening. It is very hard work!! I managed to get plots for corn, tomatoes, watermelon, cantaloupe, peas, and bell peppers tilled 10-12 inches deep. What a job! My muscles were so sore!! I am glad that I hadn't put any plants out yet. We got about 6 inches of snow yesterday. In a couple weeks we will plant and then the really hard muscle work will be over...I think.

Six down.

Kids. Kids are so much fun, and at the same time a challenge. I have more to say on that but I am tired and my mind is fuzzy so I'll save it.