Charge!

Today I got some things done, in spite of swollen feet and a belly in the way! (I rested my feet…see,… I have them propped up right now.)

First, I attacked my bedroom. It was still clean really but the floor needed sweeping and a few things put in order. Then I swept the girl’s room and then Jakin’s room. THEN, I plunged in on the hall. Yeah, the one that was piled with stuff that I had thrown out of my room when I cleaned it up before, along with other misc. items. So, the back half of my house looks great right now. I am happy for now. I got some other misc. things done as well this morning…

Now if I could borrow a snow shovel from someone for the front half of my house…

BTW, I have some awesome helpers. They can make some awesome messes, but when it is time to clean up, I have a crew that can get in and get it done. I feel very blessed. And hopeful. With a new baby on the way, having big helpers can be very encouraging to think about! Thanks, guys!

PUPPPS...

I went to see my midwife yesterday for a full check up and all. Baby is doing great! She thinks, and I agree, that this looks like PUPPPS, minus the itch! Okay, I am not going to do any complaining or arguing here. No itch with this thing is just fine with me!!!( I do have bumps on my ankles now as well.) I am praying for all the symptoms to leave… itch or no itch!

The strange thing with this is that it usually associated with first pregnancies. But, hey, when have I ever been accused of being normal… I have thought about it though, and one theory is that this is the first pregnancy after my battle with cancer. Things are probably different in a lot of ways. Which ever or why isn’t really that important to me, but I did think it was interesting. I have definitely felt like this is like my first pregnancy… J

So, what do you think? Should I make a face on my belly? I could have a cool belly pic with acne…

More Belly News...

I saw my midwife last night and she said that nothing about this seemed serious to her. The fact that there is no itch is a pretty good indicator that there is nothing seriously wrong. But… I was wanting to take belly pics sans spots!!! I am to the point now that I could make some good ones, but not with spots all over!!! There is just nothing that sweet about a spotted belly! :)

So, here I am. Pregnant, getting kicked and pounded, my back hurts, I can’t breathe right, heartburn, two more months of this to go….and spotted. I think it is time for me to get the sympathy I deserve! :-)

Belly Spots?

Last night I noticed these spots on my belly. I wasn’t sure what it was, but thought maybe they had something to do with the tummy panel on my pants. Well, they are still there this morning. They don’t itch or anything, but I don’t get it. What are they? Anyone want to take a guess?

Files Camping Trip...

This week we camped at Brownwood State Park, which is only about 30 miles away. It was so pretty. The sites were nice, things were pretty clean and the scenery was peaceful. We enjoyed the walking trails as well.

Oh, and the food was awesome! David cooked over the fire and we had plenty to eat. As well as a lot of fun! :-)
Sarah decided that she needed to take care of me while we were on the trail. It was so sweet. She said, “Now, you follow me, Mommy, so you don’t fall down.” She then went ahead on the trail and moved briars out of the way and warned me about the bridge we crossed. It was so sweet and cute! I felt very loved! :-)
We ended our time with some swimming. The kids will tell you that they learned to swim. :-)They had a great time, until they got out of the water and the wind hit them! But they all said that they liked the swimming the best!

I was happy. It got down to the mid-40's while we were there. I got cold!!! Yay for me!!! I loved it! :-) The fire felt so good... I forgot the hot chocolate, so I just had to imagine that I was drinking it!

BTW, this is a dolphin. But, of course, you knew that. :)

More Baby Stuff...

I have had some questions about the things we need this time around. So, I put together a few baby registries online to give anyone who wants to know an idea of what we need/like. (I did a few since not every place had the things I was interested in...)

Wal-Mart

Target

BabysRus

Amazon.com (This one has the most on it right now....)

Baby Stuff...

Yup, a new post!

I have been busy getting ready for baby, among other things! I am learning all I can about different topics, including,

Infant Potty Training (also known as IPT, EC, etc. This is practiced in different parts of the world with huge success and is a growing movement in the US.)

Babywearing (Another worldwide practice that goes along with natural parenting…)

ETC, ETC……

Here are a few links to interesting sites that I have been on lately….

The Baby Wearer

The Momatoto Project

Tribal Baby

Infant Potty Training

The EC Store

The Sling Station

I have had a lot of fun learning and planning. I am hoping to keep things more simple this time around as well as save time and money. :)

I am in true nesting mode now...

I think I am recognizing the symtoms....

• My bedroom is clean for the first time in several months... (Like, clean for real....)
• My desk is clean for the first time all year, I think.....
• I cleaned the kid's rooms up...
• Every thought and most conversations turn at some point to getting ready for baby, how we are going to do this or that when we have the baby....
• I am getting things done so far ahead I am beginning to scare myself....

If anyone thinks that I have misdiagnosed the symptoms, let me know! :)

Good News!

Praise the Lord! We had 2" of rain last night. We were really needed some to swell the peaches. They will ripen now. Next week we could have peaches. This looks like it could be our best crop yet.

I have shared with most, but have not posted online, but......we are expecting our 4th baby in Nov! We are very excited. David and I are acting like kids about to have our first one and the kids....well, they are just thrilled. My belly is now a point of observation. "Oh, mommy," I hear, "Your belly is getting BIG!" I am only about 4 months along, so it is not that big, but progress is progress to them!

I have been feeling good and getting a lot done. This is the time during pregnancy that I esp like. I don't feel yucky, my belly is not in the way too much yet and I have a drive to get things ready. Later I might be tired more, but right now, lemme at 'em. :-)

I am so hungry for information. I have had 3 babies already, but with this one I have a desire to read every pregnancy type book that I can get my hands on. I guess you never stop learning. I sure don't want to.

No promises, but I will try to post again soon. :-)

Okay, So I Haven't Been Blogging....

Hello, anyone reading. Here I am. Back in blogland.

I think about blogging. I plan posts. But I just haven't come to blogland to blog.

But here I am so......

First to post an update on the CTBHHM books....

I still have some available. BTW, if the shipping seems high in the paypal cart.... I will refund anything that is not used in actual shipping of the book.

I am so happy that spring is here. I am enjoying the beautiful foliage that is on the trees now and the green grass that is working to take over the pasture.

We are enjoying goat milk now. Not much since we are still feeding baby goats, but some are weaning now and that will help give the people more milk!

We now have a porch on the house. I will try to post some pics soon. The roof is all the way across the front and decking the length of the living room. It is very plesant to sit on. Now we are waiting to be able to do the west side and east side. Getting the roof done is the biggest priority as that will provide the shade.

Was It Worth It?

Well, I am on the other side of my trip to Denton now. I battled a bladder/kidney infection right before I left. I cleaned the Suburban on the inside throughly.... which was very satisfying... I left the kids with David, (or...was it David with the kids.... :-) ), and headed out. It was a lot of work to get ready, it took time out of David's productivity, cost money.... So, was it worth it? Did it really go as well as I had hoped? Absolutely. It was well worth and way beyond all the effort that went into me going. I had a blast, but more than that, it was real. Real bible teaching, in-your-face bible teaching, exhortation that I needed to hear. (All humbly yet boldly put forth.) Every part of the conference was timely for me. There was not one moment that I wondered if I should have come, or was this really for me. I never even had a moment where I kind of turned my ears off because the speaker was getting into some foolish jesting about things that are not to be jested about or expressing less than ideal attitudes about husbands, etc. I don't know if those reading know me that well, but that is very rare for me. I am a pretty thick-skinned person most of the time, and am pretty good at spitting out bones in messages and getting the meat. But I usually find myself spitting bones a lot! It was rather nice to be able to just enjoy the fare set before me and not have to examine and pick off trash before eating. :-) It was rather refreshing! I had a great time of refreshing and have come home with new resolve and vision. I was also just greatly encouraged that what I am doing here at home is important and valuable.

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Hi, Ho, Hi, Ho, It's Off To Denton I Go...

Okay, maybe the guys who made the "Hi, Ho" song famous were not excited,.... but I am. :-) Tomorrow I leave with several ladies from our church for Denton to a Revive Our Hearts Conference. Am I excited? Yes, I am!

Nancy Leigh DeMoss will be the speaker, someone I highly respect and look up to. I am looking forward to hearing what she has to say this weekend.

Wow, the moon is so pretty tonight. I would love to try to photograph it. But, without a tripod it turns out a bit shaky. (Lets see,.....find Prayer list......add.....tripod.) Anyway, I think that it would make a really good picture tonight. I might try it anyway, we'll see. I still have some laundry to fold before I leave for the conference. (Did I mention that I am excited about that?)

Organizing...

I have made some big strides in organizing in the past few months. As you can see from the pictures posted, there have been some interesting projects going on. :-)

In August I set up: a new filing system, (The pic on the left is the works-in-progress picture and the one on the left is the result.), a new bin system, (an idea I borrowed and modified from my friend, Molly that has a bin for everyone in the family, and I added catagories like, give away, sell, give back, etc.),

and a new, well, modified laundry system. While all the projects mentioned above are wonderful and are working well, I think the one that has made the most difference and is the most pleasant to use is the bathroom cupboard. My only regret is that I didn’t take a before picture of that cupboard. It was hideous and the difference is striking.

I also did a bit of decorating. The wall behind our woodstove is much improved! It was hard to get at an angle to take the picture that the pipe wasn't in the way. :-( But maybe it gives the idea.

I am working to stay on top of things better. I feel like I’m stepping up to the next level in this home management course that the Lord is taking me through. :-) Oh, I am far from perfect and not even totally satisfied with things, but I can see progress and that spurs me on. :-) I am determined to win.

Happenings in a Quick Nutshell...

Hello again!

Once again I have pulled out my trusty, “I haven’t posted in a while” template! Oh, well! :-)

Much has happened at our place since I last wrote. A new shop has been built for David, we are in the process of building porches, I have my dishwasher installed, we have been to my youngest sisters’ wedding in OK, I've made more advances in managing my home, started learning Spanish, got my ears pierced, etc, etc.

While things have been going on in the above mentioned areas, much has been going on in me, too. I have felt a call to pray more and a growing in listening as the Spirit prompts me to pray.

We are now hosting a cell group in our home. It has been enjoyable. Right now we are not studying anything in particular, but are just enjoying each others' company and fellowship. This week we did some activities with the kids. The guys made toolboxes with the boys and the girls made cornsnakes with the ladies. (An altered version of bean bags. We used old kid socks and since I didn’t have many beans, we used corn to stuff them. They ended up being long and skinny, like a snake, so I called them cornsnakes!)

Hope things are well with all reading this post. God bless you and yours.

Virginia Tech

I have been grieving over the Virginia Tech shooting. I grieve for the families and the kids, but I am also just really sad for the killer. He needed Jesus. He was in such pain and turmoil. Bitterness, anger and despair just destroyed him. Jesus was the answer. Not a bandaid but the solution.
I have not heard much about his family yet, but I am praying for them also.
If any of the families and friends of the victims run across this page, please know that I am praying for you, too. Jesus is the answer for you, too. Bitterness destroyed Cho Seung-Hui and he destroyed others. Don't let it destroy you. Give the pain and bitterness to Jesus who will set you free. He endured pain and injustice. He experienced the pain of abuse that was totally undeserved or justified. Yet He died for those who abused Him. He laid down His right to require payment and made the payment Himself. He extended forgiveness to us and experienced total freedom from bitterness. He can give that same freedom to us when we come to Him.

Houston

I had a good trip to Houston the 4th and the 5th. I did all my tests on the 4th and then saw my dr. the 5th. All the tests came back good! It was what I expected, but it was still good to hear. My Dr. was also very encouraging. She said that they were anticipating me to stay cancer free, esp. because of how the cancer had responded to the treatment, and had not returned for a year. They were also thinking that one of the proteins that were present with the cancer was going to help with staying free. They will continue to watch me closely, I go back in 4 months, but she said that they don’t expect me to have a relapse.

As you might imagine, I am encouraged and excited by that report! Thank you all for praying for me and please do continue! And join me in blessing and praising the name of our God for the great things He has done!

Farm Kids

We are still enjoying our goat kids! Keilah is living the book, “Hedi,” and just having a wonderful time with her ‘herd.’ She watches them carefully, counting often during the day to make sure that they are all accounted for. I laugh continually at their antics. Earlier was a typical example. (Note the goat on the swing!)

David took the tractor and trailer to the pasture to do some work on the fences. Two of the kids decided to follow him, bouncing along beside the trailer. When he would stop for a moment to open a gate or some such thing, they would jump onto the trailer. After bouncing around all over that, they would hop off as it started moving again and bound along beside it. It was hilarious to watch, although I knew that it was difficult for David. :-) He finally had to stop, get off, catch the little imps and put them back on the house side of the fence. They stood there a minute and watched him leave. Then they threw their heads up in the air, turned and bounded for the house. (Note: The picture shown was taken later when David was just moving the trailer. For some reason it is very popular with all kinds of kids. :-) Believe it or not, most of the goats shown rode the trailer all the way until David stopped to unload some of his pile. That turned into another adventure!)

I did have someone comment on the pictures of the goats in the house. :-) The question was asked how we keep them out now that they have been in.

Well, we have to race them to the door and stick a foot out to keep them from coming in. :-P Sometimes we lose and they get in before us or along with us. Getting them back out is not too hard. The house is not that interesting anyway now that they are a bit bigger!

I’m dreaming… of a …White, ……Easter……?!

These pictures are not from Christmas! These were pictures I took the Saturday before Easter. We had snow mixed with sleet dumped on us all day Saturday. I called my brother in Oklahoma, and was surprised that they didn’t get anything but a few flurries. Jakin was so excited. He kept asking, “Is it Christmas again?!” :-)

The kids didn't mind another chance to play in the snow! Really, I simply couldn't keep them in. :-)

We were blessed and excited to receive some much needed rain recently. It was not, however, without some excitement that bordered on the scary side. :-)

A large storm system moved across our area bringing rain and hail. Some areas had bigger hail than others did. We received some hail that was from large pea to marble size. The hail did affect the orchard- how much it was affected is still hard to tell. There was a small tornado that touched down at Carbon, but from what I have heard, it was out in a field and did no harm. Looking at the sky, we knew that we should be near the storm cellar, so we went to Ma and Pa’s. These top 2 pictures you see are what I took on our way over.

Later that day we delivered some food to a family in Gorman. There was another system watering the earth when we left to go. We got out of it driving to Gorman, but hit it again on the way back. It was a slow moving storm. We got a lot of runoff from both systems. The creek was running when we got home, and our tanks were full. That was really good to see!

Always Obey...

I was visiting with some friends the other day and one friend told this hilarious story about how he learned what sarcasm was. Or I found it to be hilarious anyway. :-)

As a kid he was handling some eggs in the kitchen for some reason and as often happens with kids and eggs, one fell onto the floor and broke. His mom sarcastically remarked, “Why don’t you just step on it?”

He was confused. Why would you step on an egg and make it into a bigger mess? Maybe it was a great cleaning secret? Still confused, but thinking that she must have a reason for telling him to do such a strange thing, he obligingly stomped the egg.

Imagine his surprise when he found himself in trouble, for obeying! She thought he was being a smart alec!