Progress on the Downstairs

Casey has really gotten a lot done already. We had to wait for the air conditioning unit to get here since the whole plan hinged on whether or not we could get a deal on it. We bought it directly from the manufacturer - there's a plant here in town - and saved a ton!

This is the new closet in the big bedroom downstairs. I'm hoping the double folding doors will make this wide closet more accessible than the one in Brenna's room which only has a narrow door - and lots of wasted space.

Here's the bathroom. It has a wall now and a bathtub! We've done a lot of wondering about why the builders put the toilet so close to the plumbing for the tub - there is just enough room. I'm looking around now for a vanity and sink. I really like this... but $1500.00 (on sale!) is a little out of my price range! I'll have to see what I can come up with...

This is the closet in the small bedroom. I originally didn't want a closet in this room. It's fairly small and I didn't really want to eat up any floor space. Plus I already had the furniture all arranged in my head:) But after discussing it with hubby and my remodeling guru, Meredith, I mentally rearranged things and made space for a closet.

I'm getting very excited about all this. Hubby keeps reminding me that there will probably be very little cash left over for decorating when we get done - I think he's worried I'm getting too carried away:) But I'm hitting the yardsales and planning on having one myself to raise some spending money.

Perhaps this should've been a big kid only event...

I thought we'd make homemade valentines. Seemed like a simple enough project. I let them eat their valentine candy from Grandma. Oh. My. Word. The control freak in me wanted to hand them each little heart shaped doily and tell them where to put it and how much glue to use, but I'm trying over come that impulse. Mostly because it doesn't work - they're way too fast for me. And that's why some of the valentines Brenna made have candy wrappers glued inside - that's right, empty (possibly licked clean, but I kinda hope not) candy wrappers. They had lots of creative fun - that's what I keep telling myself. Now excuse me, I have some slave driving, um, I mean supervising to do.

New stuff at my house

It's looking like a season for new stuff at our house. The new haircolor is looking pretty good. It isn't a new color exacly, just a little more "toffee" and a lot less mousy. I liked the Perfect 10 haircolor alot (the comb thingy is great), but the scent was quite strong. The conditioner smelled great, though.
In other news...Levi is ready for first grade work. We've nearly finished everything I had planned for kindergarten because he flew through the work (and because I didn't want to overschedule him so I didn't plan enough). By the end of February he'll be done with the Starfall reading workbooks - which we have loved - and with the Saxon Math K (I should have just started with the first grade Saxon). It's also time for the third Draw Write Now book. I'm ready to start planning for the fall, but I guess I'll be planning out the rest of this year first!
We're planning our garden. I've never done a vegetable garden before. Casey tilled up some land for me at our old house when Levi was a baby because I wanted a garden, but surprise, surprise having a baby was more of an adjustment than I thought and the garden just didn't happen. This year I'm planning to start very small and put my little helpers to work!
And one final new thing...an exercise program. Now the whole weight loss thing is hardly new to me. Stop laughing, y'all. But exercise is a whole different story. My aunt has had wonderful success with Leslie Sansone's Walk Away the Pounds videos. Dawn recommended them ages ago and I even went so far to as to buy the video a couple of months ago, but I put off trying them until the other night and now I'm kicking myself for not trying it sooner. It's so quick and simple, I can do it in front of the tv without moving furniture around and it's effective - I can feel the burn:) Meredith's post about her new scale really got me thinking so I've been talking to Levi and Brenna about being good stewards of our bodies and making healthy choices...hopefully my desire to be a good example will overrule my desire for more chips.
So, all that, combined with working on the downstairs, means there's a lot going on here at Walton's Mountain:) But that means more to blog about!

It's the first ever Fight the Frump Friday!

I'm sitting here at the computer in my black yoga pants and black t-shirt with my really dark brown (when did my hair get so dark?) hair pulled back in a ponytail. Blah. No makeup, no polish, no perfume. Blah. Care to guess how I'm feeling? That's right. Blah. So I've been reading Mrs Fussypants' fabulous blog and waking up to the idea that a) I've gotten frumpy and b) there is something I can do about it. I'm just tickled with her Fight the Frump Friday idea so I'm joining right in.
Now I could use some new clothes, I need to lose weight, and I'm dying to try that new mineral makeup stuff. But yesterday I pulled 14 grey hairs out of my very dark hair so I'm starting at the top with this stuff...in butterscotch boom or full-tilt toffee (who comes up with this stuff?). I use to dye my hair all the time but I haven't done it in ages because, well, because I have four kids and I don't have time. But it only takes 10 minutes and I need to lighten up:) Also, there was a $7.00 off coupon. Just how expensive is this stuff if they're going to take seven bucks off? Whatever. I want to feel pretty:)

A happy ending

A mom in the UK got a wonderful gift from her twin baby girls when they were born. Y'all go read all about it!

Where did my positive outlook go?

I'm generally a "try to see the good" kind of person. But four to five to six months after I have a baby I lose it a little. Or a lot depending on time of day, depth of mess. Some days are better than others. I'm not so much depressed as just discouraged and overwhelmed. And tired. Of course much of it's hormones...I get that. But also this is just hard. Four kids is hard. Four kids when the oldest is just six is HARD. Just when I need a a positive outlook the most, it's no where to be found. So here it is, my search for a better attitude.

• Yes, my kitchen is a disaster area. But a yummy supper is all cooked and the dishes in the dishwasher are clean.
• I look a mess, but I did get a shower this morning.
• We're not going to make it to church tonight, but the new kids class doesn't start until next week (and I'm sure I'll have it all together by then, hahahahaha).
• Christian seems to want to nurse all.the.time...but he doesn't seem to have any of the reflux problems Jack had.

Some how I just know things will look better when bedtime rolls around:)

Doesn't Christian look thrilled to be my model?

This is our heirloom dedication gown (I'm not exactly sure what all of the differences are between dedication ceremonies and infant baptisms). At least it will be an heirloom one day. My grandmother made it when I was expecting Levi. When she made my wedding dress, she saved the leftover material and used that to make the baby gown. It's actually made from the soft cotton material that lined my dress and its lining is made from the ivory satin that was the outside of my dress. Like my wedding dress inside out. We knew that Levi would be a boy and we didn't want anything that looked too girly. You know, for a dress:) The gown is very simple. I requested something more Little House than Victorian. It has a thin line of simple lace on the hem. The blue ribbon on the front is easily changed for a baby girl - although I've only had to swap it out once. There is a precious bonnet that goes along with the gown but it is temporarily misplaced. It also has blue ribbon for ties, but I don't change them since Brenna wore my baby bonnet/wedding hankie for her dedication.

All our babies have worn the gown and we hope all our grandchildren (maybe even great-grandchildren!) will be able to wear it. My plan is to eventually embroider the names or initials of every baby who wears it around the hem.
I'd also like the embroider "made by Grandma Mary" somewhere in it.

Most of the Nazarene churches that I've been to don't make as big a fuss over baby dedications as other churches that have christenings or infant baptisms. I'm sure a few of the people at our church think a gown is bit over the top:) It's a very special tradition though, so we tend to go all out. You can read a little more about the ceremony here. After the church ceremony, we've usually gone out to eat with the whole crowd of family, but this time we decided to have everyone come back to the house. It was so lovely. We were able to invite the pastor and his family, my children's "church grandparents" and our friends Debbie and Steve and their precious kids. Plus we could just relax and visit with everyone instead of only getting to talk to the people at your end of the table. If we're ever blessed enough to do this again we'll definitely skip the restaurant.

Traditions are really important to me. I'm not sure if it's because of growing up as an Army brat and moving so often or if it's because I come form such a large but close-knit clan. Or maybe the combination of the two. But whatever it stems from, I love my family's traditions and I love creating new ones for our family. I'd love to hear about your traditions, too!

And so we begin

When we bought this house four years ago we got a decent deal because the bottom half was unfinished (well, except for the laundry room). But with just one toddler and one on the way, we weren't in any big hurry to finish it. Three bedrooms, a living room and a playroom (shh, it's really a dining room), a kitchen and two baths seemed so huge! But with four kids we're starting to feel the squeeze. First it was a bigger table...ours is from our newlywed days and really only seats four - not five and a highchair. Then we started talking about the master bedroom which is essentially a catch-all for the stuff that doesn't fit anywhere else - Casey's guitar's and speakers, my sewing machine and craft stuff. Before we knew what happened we were thinking about finishing the downstairs!
This is the front bedroom downstairs. We'll have to put in a closet, but nothing too major in here. For now this will be a guest room and my sewing room. I'm not quite ready to move any of the kids downstairs yet and they're all enjoying sharing rooms for now anyway so there's no need to.

This will be the bathroom. I have lots of ideas for in here, but hubby keeps pointing out where things "have to go" and that is so annoying. He just doesn't appreciate my vision. Of course he would say that I don't appreciate he has to build this stuff:)

This room is behind the garage. We're planning on putting up a wall just this side of the white door you see down there to make this a smallish bedroom or office. The rest of the space will still be hubby's workroom accessible through the garage.

This is one end of the den/schoolroom. We've been using it to store outside toys so we'll have to come up with a plan for those. For awhile at least this room will be the playroom - no tv!

This is the other half of the den - the schoolroom half. I'm getting so excited planning all the bookshelves (although hubby reminds me we need walls before bookshelves - buzzkiller).

But, first things first, we have to set a budget. Casey is planning on doing the majority of the labor himself with some help from a friend at church (an a/c guy), my dad (former electrician) and my grandpa (a carpenter). I'm so lucky to have such a handy hubby and so many other smart men who are willing to help!

This house is such a blessing. If we never finished the downstairs, I'd be content - the upstairs is really wonderful. But as our kids grow and as our family keeps growing (I hope!), it sure will be nice.

Jack's 2nd Birthday

He's getting so big! That's a balloon in his hand, by the way:) My little buddy!

The big meal plan

In my effort to get things a little more organized around here, I finally got around to making a list of the meals we eat pretty regularly. I tried to plan for a month's worth although what we actually eat in any given week depends on what is on sale and what we have on the calendar for that week. Having this nice neat list means I can just check the sales ad and pull menus from the list - no more "hamburger's on sale.....hmm, how many diifferent ways can we eat hamburger meat." Also, it should make stocking and shopping from the freezer a lot easier. We'll see...

30 Days of Supper
Flank steak, grilled or broiled, vegetable, & twice baked potatoes*
Hamburgers*, grilled or broiled, salad and fries
Potatoes and sausage (frozen potatoes o‘brien w/ sliced keilbasa), veggie tray
Spaghetti w/ meat sauce, meatballs*, or marinara*, salad & garlic bread
Pizza, veggie tray
Tacos (made with browned then frozen hamburger meat), salad & fries
Chicken and red pepper quesadillas, veggie tray, and fries
Country vegetable plate (cabbage, potatoes, squash, blackeyed peas, macaroni and cheese*)
Fajitas or enchiladas*, salad & fries
Gyros pork pockets, vegetable, baked potatoes
Pork lo mein*, egg rolls
Inside out egg rolls, rice
Baked steak, mashed potatoes & gravy
Ravioli (frozen) w/ bottled or frozen spaghetti sauce, salad & garlic bread
Potato soup, salad & garlic bread
Chili, cornbread
Tortellini soup, salad & garlic bread
Wager schnitzel, vegetable, mashed potatoes & gravy
Pork chops w/ peppers and onions, potatoes alfredo, vegetable
Pasta carraba (fettuccini w/ chicken, peas, and mushrooms in alfredo sauce), salad and garlic bread
Beef stew, biscuits
Meatloaf*, vegetable, potato wedges
Salisbury steak*, vegetable, mashed potatoes & gravy
Pork roast, vegetable, sweet potato gnocchi or baked sweet potatoes
Lemon pepper chicken fingers, potato wedges, salad
Chicken marsala, garlic mashed potatoes, salad, garlic bread
Breakfast (sausage, pancakes or Hashbrown casserole*, eggs and grits)
Philly cheese steak wraps, salad or veggie tray, potato wedges
Lasagna*, salad & garlic bread
Chicken and dumplings, biscuits salad

Vegetables
Steam/sautéed: kale, green beans (add soy sauce), broccoli, spinach, squash
Corn on the cob
Roasted or grilled onions, asparagus, cauliflower
Squash casserole*
Veggie tray usually includes baby carrots, celery sticks, grape tomatoes, sugar snap peas and/or cucumber with dip

* make two and freeze one or make a big batch for the freezer
italics - super fast and easy

A Quick Homeschool Idea

One of my ideas for this year is to incorporate some new things into our homeschool, to fill in a few holes. One of the problems I've been having is keeping up with our reading. For one thing, we read in spurts and I wanted reading to become more of a daily habit. Also we would bring books home from the library and wind up reading them all in one morning the day they were due:( And I could never remember what we had read and I had no way of knowing approximately how many books we were reading. So...I've been browsing at lots of wonderful blogs to get ideas and I ran across this great idea at By Sun and Candlelight. And our new reading program was born.
Each month I'll make or buy some small decorations (snowflakes for January, maybe hearts for February) and when we read a book, we'll write the title on it and hang it on the french doors at the end of the school/play room. At the end of the month I can take them down and copy the titles into a word.doc and then throw the decorations away. I also cleared off the sofa table at the other end of the room to display the books I want to read for each week. We'll read those during Snack and Story time (Levi's brilliant idea). One idea he didn't care for at first was a daily reading time. We've always had quiet rest time (mommy's sanity demands it) and it used to be that they were occasionally allowed to watch a few shows during QRT (Levi and Brenna, anyway, Jack still naps in his room and Christian usually naps near me), but you know how fast that went from occasionally to every stinking day. So now the first part of QRT is reading time for Levi and picture-reading time for Brenna, then the second part is a show mommy picks or a real rest.
The first two days were a struggle (I want to watch tv. I don't like those books. I'm done already, why can't I get down. Etc.) But today went perfectly and I am greatly encouraged. At a baby shower once we all went around the circle and gave the new mommy one word "gifts" that she would need to be a good mother. I remember someone said love, someone said patience. I don't remember what I said back then with only one perfect angel to my name (I think he was a couple of weeks old at the time), but I know what I'd say now. Perseverance! No matter how strong willed they are, my will has to be stronger (or fake it til you make it, right?).

The Best Funeral I've Ever Been To...

We lost my Aunt Ef this week. I would say that she was my favorite aunt, but I actually have several favorite aunts (some of whom may read this!). She was very high on my list. She died very suddenly in a car accident, just a year and a half after my Uncle Jack. Yesterday would've been his birthday and I think maybe Jesus called her Home to be his birthday present. Her funeral this afternoon was soo...her. There was lots of laughter through tears (her favorite emotion - and a line from a favorite movie). There were lollipops. There was a big old purdy grapevine wreath she would have loved. There were lots of family and friends telling stories about her. And there were some good stories y'all. This was a woman someone should write a book about. As my hubby said..."she wasn't the life of the party, she WAS the party."
We're all supposed to think of some things that will remind us of Aunt Ef - her daughter read quite a list. Here's mine...

• a red hat
• a toe ring
• sunglasses on the top of someone's head
• flipflops
• a buffet

I went on several "sister trips" with her, my granny and two more aunties to the mountains. I don't think I can really describe these trips - let's just say they were full of yard sales, flea markets, 2-hour feedings, apple barns, boiled peanuts (which we snacked on between the two hour feedings), and laughing - the pee-your-pants kind of laughing. And I got quite an education on those trips. Actually, I got to thinking last night about all the things I learned from my Aunt Ef.

Play with your husband, have fun together always. A lady should always have a hankerchief. A glue gun covers a multitude of sins. If someone comes to your house they must eat. If your fixing them something to eat, make it fancy and delicious. If they try to leave, beg them to spend the night like nothing would make you happier. If you succeed in getting them to stay, get up real early to make a big old breakfast for everybody. Anything you really need you can find at a yardsale. If you find something you like, pick it up and carry it with you until you decide if you want it. And go on and buy it, because you'll kick yourself later if you don't. Pretty always helps. Fat may be the truth, but just say fluffy. Don't neglect your girlfriends! Kiss and hug hard - like you mean it. Never be too embarrassed to have fun - and tell the story when you're through.

She was amazing and I was blessed to have her for an aunt. I will miss her so much, always. I'm off to put on my biggest & gawdiest earrings, prop up my freshly painted toenails and drink a margarita in rememberence:) I love you, Aunt Ef.

Ideas for the New Year

I don't do resolutions anymore. I'm finally old enough to realize that I have tendency to go overboard and, while I always manage to pull a rabbit out of the hat (thanks to my mom!) sometimes the stress of resolutions and deadlines is just more trouble than it's worth. So, while I've read all the articles on how to set goals (write it down! make it qualifiable! set a deadline!) that's just more than I feel like biting off right now. So instead I have...ideas. Thoughts. Things I'd like to think about and maybe get started on. Yeah, it's gonna be that kind of year:)
Idea number one - I want to lose weight this year. Now I've said that every year and every year I start a diet and fail. I'm not going to do that this year...instead I'm going to preform a little experiment. I'm giving up coke (stop laughing if you know me in real life! I said stop! Really, I mean it this time!). I'm just giving it up for a few weeks to see if I lose any weight. If I lose a couple of pounds without any other changes, I think that will be motivation to give it up for good - plus I'll be over the withdrawal symptoms so it should be easier. I give it up every time I get pregnant so I know it can be done! Once I'm over that hurdle I'll see what other steps I can take.
Idea number 2 - getting a fresh handle on our budget. Making a budget is never a problem for us, it's figuring out the practical day-to-day how to make it work that gives us fits. Do we use the envelope system? The in-house checking account system? The cash-only system? We need something that doesn't fall apart the first time I buy something online and that prevents Casey from stopping in for milk and coming outwith a cartful - you know, cause he's the only one that does that;)
Idea number 3 - homeschool. We've been chugging along in kindergarten this year. Levi's reading well and he's learning every day. The problem is I haven't been very organized about it so far. We have days where we get a lot done and days where we don't do much of anything and I've been fine with that. But I'm feeling not so fine with it lately, mainly because he needs more of a challenge and because I know we're going to need much more structure as we get into "big kid" stuff. So I want to start setting aside some time to prep every week. There are so many wonderful things to do and learn about! I've gotten so much inspiration from Dawn at By Sun and Candlelight. I've even taken her fabulous filing crate system and made it my own.
My last (for now) idea...getting more "religion" in our lives. I know how that sounds and y'all will have to understand that I don't mean we need "religion" in a pharisee-like way as if that's what saves us. What I mean is that over this last year we have really enjoyed Christmas and Easter much more because of our focus on Him - the religious traditions (like the Adornaments and Easter Tree) that teach us and points us to Him have added so much to our holidays. I'd like to start observing more of the traditions of my faith, not in a legalistic way but in a what a privilege kind of way. I'm especially thinking about the Sabbath and about teaching the kids to worship. Also, I want to get more involved at church this year. I've really pulled back over the last few years since Brenna was born - it was absolutely necessary, too! But I really miss it so I'm looking for new ways to be involved that don't mean abandoning my family responsibilities.
So...lots of exciting stuff to think about. Almost too much for my tired mind to process right now. Especially when I have a grocery list to make and extra blankets to find (it's finally good and cold here, y'all!). I guess I'll reread this in the morning so I can remember what I'm supposed to be thinking about:)

What a couple of weeks!

It has really been a whirlwind around here. Just before Christmas, and just after my parents and sister got here, we had Christian's dedication. It was so precious to me. Our pastor has dedicated all four of our kids now and he gives us a rose for each one to symbolize the beauty and pain in each life. His daughter, our favorite babysitter, sang Jesus Loves Me and the second stanza of Because He Lives (how sweet to hold a newborn baby and feel the pride and joy he gives...but greater still, the calm assurance...this child can face uncertain days, because He lives) - it was so beautiful. Christian wore our family gown, sewn by my grandma when Levi was born from the leftover lining of my wedding dress. Thankfully, he slept through the whole thing. Afterwards, we had family and friends back to the house for a buffet lunch. I had plans to do the whole thing myself, a la Meredith, but got quite behind and my mother saved me from an all night cooking marathon with a quick trip to Walmart for cream puffs and many other goodies. She is incredibly generous. We wound up having a really yummy meal. Spiral sliced ham - I bought the Kroger brand on sale a few weeks ago and froze it, then glazed it with honey mustard. It got lots of compliments. A big veggie platter with dip (the sugar snap peas went the fastest). Big crockpots full of shells and cheese, rolls for sandwiches and a relish tray. Then dessert...oh delicious dessert. We had cranberry bars and white chocolate bark with orange, cranberries, and walnuts. And the cream puffs! My sister had brilliantly stashed an extra box so we had a few more while we sat and rehashed the party (there were more than enough on the buffet). It was so nice to sit back and relax with everyone instead of trying to visit in a restaurant.

Then we had Christmas Eve at my grandparents' houses. Jack got sick so we called it a night a little earlier than usual. Christmas morning was just about perfect - I think we hit a nice balance this year with the gifts. The living room still looked like FAO Schwartz exploded though - they have very generous grandparents and great grandparents and aunts and uncles:)

My sister left on the day after Christmas for a mission trip to Mexico. I'm on pins and needles waiting for her to get home so I can hear all about it (and so I'll know she's safe - we haven't been able to talk to her since she left San Jose).

My niece and nephew were here from Ohio. It always amazes me how much they can grow in the six months between visits. My nephew and my parents got to be with us on Sunday when Casey was re-baptized. Y'all that just made my whole holiday! He was baptized as a kid, but he said he just felt like he wanted to recommit himself to God and this was a great way to show it. It had such an impact on Levi and on my nephew, Eric - you should've heard the questions!

I know this post has been super long already, but one more really incredible thing happened this holiday. My best friend since forever, Betty, had a beautiful baby girl - Lily Rose. Isn't that the lovliest name? I'm just so tickled for all of them! With all of our kids (mine mostly boys, her's mostly girls) I sure hope some of them wind up getting married:)

And now...on to the New Year! I have so many plans for our homeschool and I'm considering using this blog as a way to keep myself organized and accountable (I'm all about the big plans...follow through, not so much). So how is your new year going so far?

Our Christmas Letter

Merry Christmas
from
the Millers!

I hope you’re having a wonderful Christmas, enjoying your family and celebrating the birth of The King. We’ve had such a busy year that I’m really soaking up the peacefulness of this season - staying up to stare at the Christmas tree is my new favorite pastime:)
Most of you know we were blessed to enlarge our home again this year…by another two feet! Christian is such a joy; we can’t remember what we did without him. He seemed pretty serious those first few weeks, wondering what he’d gotten himself into no doubt, but now he’s settled right in and made himself at home.

Jack has really grown this year. He started the year on the small side due to reflux, but once we got that under control he started eating like a champ! He’s kind of the court jester around here - he loves nothing better than to make one of us laugh.

Brenna turned three this summer - she had a princess party and that still sums up her personality pretty well. I took her to see The Nutcracker last week and we had the best time. She’s asking for ballet classes already so that may be something that we start this year…well, we’ll see:)

Levi started kindergarten at our little homeschool this year. He was a little annoyed at the beginning of the year that his friends had to go to “all the time school” and weren’t quite as available to play, but now that we’ve met some other home schooling families with boys his age, I think we’re over that hurdle. We took our first field trip with the local home school group to the fire station and, when you’re a five year old boy, it just doesn’t get any better than that:) His big news though is that he learned to read this year! We celebrated by getting him his very own library card.

My baby sister, Bethany, started college this year - I can’t believe it either. She’s studying to become a missionary and going on her first foreign missions trip this winter. I’m so glad I begged for a baby sister for all those years:)
My brother had a big year, too. He enlisted in the Army after leaving the Navy and is serving in Iraq. We all wish he could be home for Christmas, but hopefully he will get leave soon and get to come for a visit. I am so unbelievably proud of him - please keep him in your prayers.

Casey and I haven’t changed much from last year so you’ll have to just remember what we look like. Apparently we’re always behind the camera! He’s still working hard and being the best husband I could ever ask for (and a pretty incredible dad, too!). And I manage to keep busy:) Really though I feel like I’m doing exactly what God made me to do and that’s a great feeling (notice I didn’t say I was always doing it well, but I guess I’ll work more on that next year).
I hope all of y’all have an amazing Christmas and a wonderful New Year.
All our love,
Casey, Shannon,
Levi, Brenna, Jack, and Christian

This brought tears to me eyes

Most of y'all probably know my baby brother is in Iraq. I miss him something fierce and I sure would love it if y'all would pray for him. This movie just made my heart swell today. Military men and women sacrifice every day - they're away from their home, their family. My brother misses things like grits and koolaid. Can you imagine missing grits and koolaid?
It doesn't matter where you stand on the war or what your personal politics are - it just matters that we owe these men and women and their families our gratitude. Be on the look out for a soldier or a seamen you can thank this holiday...if nothing else bake your local recruiter some cookies! They have a pretty tough job these days.

The end is in sight

The end of the Christmas projects that is. I'm working on denim quilts for the boys' new bunkbeds and fancy pillows for Brenna's princess bed. Also we're having a lot of company on Sunday after Christian's dedication (cause I like to do everything all at one time) so I decided to finish Brenna's doll furniture, too. And I'm making a gift or two - one down, two or three to go in that department. Plus the cooking! I've got quite a bit of that planned as well. My parents and my sister will be here on Saturday so they can help with the after dedication buffet food, but I'd like to have the goodies for Christmas Eve done before they get here. I'm so excited about making the fudge for my grandma's house this year! Levi asked her for her "secret recipe" a year or two ago and he's finally going to get to really help me make it. I'm not sure why he thought it was a secret - she uses the recipe on the back of the marshmallow fluff jar:)
We're also making baklava, oreo truffles, saltine toffee, divinity and nuts:) I can hardly wait! The menu for the buffet is still in the works. I bought a spiral sliced ham when it was on sale and I've decided on dessert (the only hard part is narrowing it down!) - pecan tassies, flourless brownies, and lemon squares. Yum! I might as well make the desserts for Christmas Day at my sis-in-law's while I'm at it - Red Velvet Cake (without nuts per my nephew's request) and Lemonade pie (another of my Grandma's specialties).
With this much to do it seems like I'd be all stressed out doesn't it? But actually it's been fun:) I've taken a brief leave from housekeeping for a day or two, but it always gets picked up before hubby sees it anyway (well, almost always!). And we're officially on Christmas break from homeschool, although he's still reading books and helping me cook and doing lots of science experiments with his fabulous new science kit. It's just so good to be a little creative, a little hospitable after almost a year of trying to keep my head above water. That's a mighty nice Christmas gift for me:)

Decking the Halls (and doors!)

The silk flower wreath I got the year I got married has been past its prime for quite some time. I don't think I've even hung it since we've been in this house. So I tore it all apart this afternoon and. remembering Meredith's post about reworking artificial wreaths with fresh greenery, set out to make it presentable again. Only one problem, our puny fake tree didn't offer up any trimmings. But, hey, Middle Georgia is known for its pine trees so off I went into the woods behind the house. One pine tree y'all. One pine tree with anything green on it at all. This drought is nasty when the pine trees give up. But I hacked off enough sprigs to fill in the wreath and added my favorite ornament - the Nativity - it's too heavy for the fake tree. Maybe it will give our visitors something to think about while they wait for me to shovel a path, uh, I mean walk to the door.

I totally spaced on posting the updated laundry pictures (for before pictures see here). My camera is taking very fuzzy pictures and it's been in my bag to ask my friend the camera expert about. I still need a rolling cart or something to corral the detergent so I can use the top of the dryer, but I am so happy with the coverup! I've had this beautiful valence in my closet forever. I loved the Waverly pattern, but it just didn't quite fit anywhere in the house. Now it's making me happy every time I do laundry!

Praise Baby (which we love!) is giving away free stuff so naturally I'm taking advantage! Go here to try to get some free stuff of your own:)

My birthday boy!

Levi turned six today! I'm going to replace this picture tomorrow (edited to remove a precious picture of other people's children) with his official "on the steps" birthday picture, but some good friends (they must be good friends - I let them in my house even though it looked like a tornado hit it!) stopped by and this is the motley crew we wound up with on the steps. That's the birthday boy down front. I don't know where Jack's other sock went.
Levi had a boy's day with his friend Ryan on Saturday. We picked him up for a picnic at the park. Little did they know they'd find themselves on a secret mission! After playing for awhile and eating lunch they found a mysterious envelope addressed to Secret Agents Levi and Ryan (actually I used their last names, but I don't want to do that here). The note inside said that there was a birthday surprise waiting for them if they followed the clues. The next note led them to the pet store where we visited with all the animals while a very helpful salesgirl hid the next clue for me...that one led us to the library where we looked at all of Levi's favorite books until we found the next clue which led us to this fabulous little ice cream parlor where double scoops were waiting for them. I had actually planned a few other stops, but I didn't want to rush them and we were on a schedule so I cut a few things. I think it was long enough to hold their attention with out getting (as Brenna is wont to say) bwa-wing. They had a ball! What amused me the most about the whole thing is that it never crossed their minds that I might be behind the whole thing! They went through a list of every person they'd ever met trying to guess who the other "secret agent" might be and my name was never even mentioned! So, I'm either a truly gifted actress, or (more likely) so completely uncool that I'm not "secret agent" material.
I just simply can't believe that my baby is six already. When I started this blog he was just barely three, freshly out of pullups. Now he's all about Transformers and science kits. He promises he's never getting married - never going to leave me, but I have a feeling I won't be able to hold him to that.

Busy day!

I finally got the batteries in my camera recharged so I can post pictures soon. Right now I'm getting ready for Levi's birthday surprise. He turns six on Monday (I'm pretty sure someone had accelerated the earth's rotation since he was born!) and since we only do parties on odd years, I wanted to come up with something just a little different for him to do this year. We'll have a family dinner (pizza - his favorite!) and cake on Monday, but today...well, I'll let you know how it goes!

Nuts

Ever since I saw this post over at Meredith's the other day, I've been thinking about making some jars of spiced nuts for gifts (or to beef up another gift). My grandma always makes sugared pecans at Christmas and they are so good. But she also has a yard full of pecan trees. Nuts are not especially cheap - especially the yummy ones like pecans and cashews and macadamias! Since I didn't go down to Grandma's to pick up pecans from the yard this fall (but somebody remind me to next year - I can put Levi and Brenna to work!), I thought I was going to have to table the idea for this year. But yesterday when we headed out to buy groceries I got brave enough to venture in Big Lots first (it takes a lot of gumption to take four kids on more than one errand in a day!). Big Lots had nuts everywhere! I bought several 9 oz cans of Cashew Lovers Mix (cashews, almonds and macadamias) for $3 each. Then Kroger had roasted peanuts on sale 12 oz cans for $1. If I mix the two, two cans of the mix to every 1 can of peanuts (much better than the standard can of mixed nuts which advertises that it's no more than 50% peanuts), that comes out to six 10 oz jars for $1.40 each. Unless my math is fuzzy. Or I can't find the canning jars that I know I stored somewhere. Or I eat too many of them while I'm cooking them (you know, to make sure they're good).
By the way, pictures are coming of the laundry room in all it's new glory. I didn't get everything done that I wanted to (yet!) but it looks so much better!

Crystal's Challenge

I have been dying to take part in Crystal's Challenge this week to make our homes a haven. But I'd already missed the first day and I knew I'd be busy this week and might miss more days...and if I can't do it just right, I don't do it at all...and that's why some places in my house still look like we just moved in, even though we've been here almost four years! So I figured something is better than nothing and decided to get busy in the laundry room. And, gracious, it needed some work.
This is the first thing hubby sees when he gets home since he enters from the garage. Sad, huh? Also, in all honesty, I have to tell y'all that this is not all the laundry. There were three baskets on the couch waiting to be put away. The actual laundry room is behind folding doors and it's not so pretty. The grocery sack for trash - ick. The piles of handwashables waiting forever to be hand washed. I don't just love looking at the outlet and water pipe thingies behind the washer. What to do...what to do?

And, to show you how often I clean off the top of the dryer...

That's my mom's diet coke. She was here before Halloween. Sigh

I probably won't get after pictures up until tomorrow...but I promise it'll look better today!

I love a real tree. The smell and finding just the right one and, did I mention?, the smell. But the biggest reason I love a real tree is that I hate (yes, I said the "h" word) putting together the artificial tree. Ugh! All that work and it itches your arms and you still haven't even started decorating! But we just didn't have the time to go looking for a real tree this year once we discovered we'd also have to buy a new stand. So we hauled out the fake one and I plastered a smile on my face. And that's when the very first miracle of my Christmas season happened. Y'all, Levi and Brenna put that tree up by themselves. And they were happy to do it. That blessed day that all the other moms of many have been promising me (the day when the oldest kids will finally start to really be some help!) has arrived!
We had a tree trimming party - just the six of us - with sugar cookies and cider and eggnog (for me - no one else likes it)and Christmas music. I let the kids hang the ornaments so my tree looks like this...

But, tonight, sitting here with my new baby and smelling his milky breath while my "big kids" are all nestled snug in their beds...it feels like this...

The Caramel Cake recipe

This is a really good cake and if you don't tell anyone that you used a cake mix, they'll never know:)

1 pkg white cake mix
1 c milk (try to use whole, it makes a difference)
1 stick of melted butter
3 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
Frosting
1 stick butter (I said good, not good for you!)
1 c brown sugar (you can make it with light or dark, but it's best with half of each)
1/4 c milk
2 c confectioners sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla extract
Bake up the cake in two layers and let them cool. When they're cool, make the frosting. Mix the butter and sugar in a saucepan. Stir over med-high until it boils. Add the milk and bring it back to a rolling boil. Then take it off the heat. Add the confectioner's sugar and the vanilla and beat by hand (or use a spoon, haha) until smooth and thick. Frost fast because this stuff will harden up. If it gets crunchy before you're done, heat it up slowly while stirring and it should smooth back out. It makes a pretty and yummy cake! Let me know how you like it, Dawn!

Happy Thanksgiving

The turkey is turking and I'm waiting on the rolls to rise. Cherry topped cheesecake is calling my name and all that's left is to make the icing for the caramel cake. Then we'll load up the car and head over the river and through the woods to Aunt Carla's house (my sil). The kids are bouncing off the walls they're so excited;)
I have an unbelievable number of things to be thankful for...far too many to list. God is so good and I am so blessed!

I don't usually look this...evil

Staring straight into the camera is a bad idea - just for future reference. I got a haircut today and I am so excited because it isn't horrible and because it's been a year since my last haircut. A year, y'all!

Now let me hurry and think of something else to post about so I don't have to stare at myself for long...

Time to start thinking Christmas...

I like to enjoy my holidays one at a time. To me it's just not right to see Christmas displays out before Thanksgiving (or Halloween in some stores!). I'm just not "in the mood" until after Thanksgiving - I guess in part because I really love Thanksgiving. That being said, there is no way I could pull off even our simplified Christmas unless I start planning now. SO my idea is to get the planning out of the way early so that I can focus on the important stuff like worship and family.
Casey and I have started discussing gift possibilities for the kids so I thought I'd participate today in Melanie's Holiday Shopping Carnival. There are tons of great ideas over there so go check it out when you get a second. I'm extremely concerned about all the toy recalls. Levi had been begging for aquadots - it's scary to think how close I was to buying them, especially considering that Jack puts everything in his mouth. We're joking about buying him groceries for Christmas - the boy loves to eat! Anyway. This is what we're thinking about for our tribe:)

• These blocks look good. My kids love to build stuff so we can't have too many blocks, legos, lincoln logs and knex. My grandpa has a wood working shop - I've actually been thinking about going down there and cutting about a gazillion wooden blocks - ya know, if I knew how to use a circular saw.
• We're also thinking about a table and chairs. It would be great for doing school for right now. The one they use at Sunday School is just the right size.
• Of course books! Here are some to start with...For Brenna, The Hundred Dresses, A is for Annabelle (did I say for Brenna? I meant for me!), and My Mommy, My Teacher. For Levi, Saint George and the Dragon, and If I Built a Car (actually this is perfect for my uncle Butch and Bobby - I know it's a kids book, but they would love it). For Jack, Toddler Prayers.
• DVDs like Letter Factory (Brenna's working on her letters), a ballet class for toddlers, Three Stooges (unless Casey gets it first!) and probably a praise baby dvd or cd - love these and the baby faith dvds.
• we're looking for science kit possibilities for Levi, but I haven't decided about that yet...

I'm actually having a hard time coming up with stuff, mostly because they already have so much and what do they play with? Paper and crayons. Legos. Levi's rockbox (a large sandbox, but filled with peagravel). I do have some not under the tree type gifts like going to see The Nutcracker.

And for Christian? Well, since he's too little for most everything he's getting some practical gifts like a new pillow or possibly one of these less practical (but funny!) onesies.

We didn't go trick or treating

Not because we don't do Halloween. We usually have no problems with a little trick or treating up and down the street and we did go to the church Trunk or Treat on Sunday evening. No we didn't go trick or treating tonight because the kids were bad. It was one of those days that make mommies want to pull their hair out. It was a didn't I just spank you about that kind of day. So I had to be the meanie and stand firm and draw the line in the sand...and I feel mean. But I do think I got my point across and maybe they'll remember and maybe I'll only have to be the meanie about a billion more times and then they'll really get it, right? Right? They will eventually get it, right? I sure am praying they catch on before my will power wears out, y'all!

8 Weeks Old

Time really is relative. The last two months of this pregnancy seemed to drag by, but these last eight weeks have flown! Even with the hormonal rollercoaster and complete lack of sleep, I'm so in love with this little guy. He wants to be held pretty much always - the baby pouch and the baby wrap both come in very handy - but he likes the swing or rocker seat for a little while. His personality is already so evident. He's so curious! He would break his neck to see who's holding him. And I mean really see. He stares hard. I love to hold him and look into his eyes - it's almost impossible to look away. His smiles are few and far between, but well worth the wait!
I love this time with a new baby, getting a feel for each other. Thinking back over the first weeks with Levi, Brenna and Jack I can really see how their personalities shined right from the beginning. It's amazing to hold this little person in your arms and imagine the years you'll spend getting to know them. Yes, we'll shape them somewhat, hopefully passing on our values, and the environment they grow up in will have a big impact. But they're already their own little person - already the person God made them to be. Getting to be a part of this whole new person coming into the world is such a miracle! It makes all the pregnancy stuff and delivery stuff so worth it (even if I still don't want to think about it too much!). So when I wonder whether they'll be a fifth little one in our future - and I have to wonder since that has replaced "you're pregnant again?" as the most frequent thing people say to me - I have to hope God will bless us again. But for now I'm so content to hold my blessings tight and praise God for each one!

Just catching up...

I sure haven't been around here much lately. These first weeks with Christian have been so precious (six weeks already?!) - he is a good baby, even if he does like to stay up until one in the morning! We're getting back into the swing of things, slowly but surely.
School has been very hit or miss lately, but Levi's reading so well that he hasn't been too bored. It is definitely time to start cutting out the tv. It's been my faithful babysitter, but even the *good* shows are not terribly worthwhile. And the commercials...oh my word. We usually stick with commercial free children's programming - PBS or Noggin, but Levi also loves the old cartoons (Pink Panther, Tom and Jerry) on Cartoon Network. It seems like every commercial is for a toy I'm not going to buy them (Bratz dolls, anyone?) or for a show I don't want them to watch. And with Halloween coming up, there are a lot of terrifying things popping up even on "children's channels." It's just time to turn it off. I'm considering letting them each pick one show a day to watch.

A lot of other stuff has been happening lately. My granny had a mild heart attack and wound up having surgery last week. She and I have always been very close and it's really difficult for me not to be able to stay with her at the hospital more often. One of the hardest parts of having lots of littles, for me anyway, is not being able to drop everything and help with things like this. Especially considering that serving others is a very important part of why I wanted to stay at home in the first place.

Thankfully, my parents were able to come for a visit and be here for the surgery. It was so wonderful to have them here! My mom is such a great grandma:) Having an extra pair of hands around for a week has spoiled me though. That and having someone to talk to when I'm up at one in the morning with one (or two or three) babies.

My friend Debbie had last week off and finally got to see the baby. Since Casey sleeps in the daytime, we don't usually get to have people over. But Debbie did the sweetest thing! She packed an entire lunch and we took all the kids out into the yard for a picnic. There was nothing for me to do but sit back and enjoy visiting. And, just to cement her status as a really great friend, she kept Levi and Brenna for 10 hours on Tuesday so I could be at the hospital while Granny had her surgery. Now that's a good friend.

I have lots of projects coming up that I hope I'll remember to blog about (not because they're terribly interesting, just because this is such a handy way for me to think through things and because y'all have such awesome ideas!). There's Halloween/Trunk or Treat. Brenna wants to be a rock star and I want Jack to be something where he wears a hula skirt (he loves to wear Brenna's hula skirt). Levi is undecided. I'm also working on bedspreads for the kids' beds and sewing a new baby pouch and nursing cover. I'm trying to get my wardrobe in order. As I lose weight I know I'll have to change it around, but I'd like to have clothes that fit right now in a nicely organized closet. Christian's dedication needs to be soon before he outgrows the family gown. I'm waiting to find out when my parents can come back. It's time to start planning for the holidays and time to get back on budget. Something about having a baby always makes me want to reorganize and get a fresh start:)

Works for Me Wednesday

I haven't had a brilliant idea for WFMW in ages, but since today is the Backwards Edition I knew I could come up with a question. So here's what I need help with - please advise:)

How does one go about finding an occasional daytime babysitter? My kids are all little and I usually just take them with me or stay home, but there are times I have to go somewhere during the day and the kids just can't go. My grandparents are the only people I know who don't work in the daytime and they are wonderful. But when they aren't able to keep the kiddies, I'm out of luck. Our pastor's daughter would be a great choice, but she's in school during the day. Any ideas?

A big day for homeschool!

We started school pretty early this year because I knew I'd need some time "off" while we all adjusted to having a new baby. While on hiatus, Levi spent a lot of time reading on his own. It finally dawned on me that my boy is reading! Not just the little one sentence per page books - anything he puts his mind to! I wanted to do something special to celebrate - something special that didn't involve going out for ice cream. There's a great new ice cream place close by and we've done a lot (this stuff is good, really good) of rewarding/bonding/celebrating with ice cream lately. So...I took Levi to get his very own library card! He was so excited! I think we'll make it a tradition that as each child learns to read they get their own card. Brenna is already working harder on her letters - if Levi has one, she wants one, too.

A fashion update

It's hard to tell with my poor picture taking ability, but Brenna wore the most adorable outfit to church yesterday. The dress is a cream colored shift with pink flowers and a simple pink bow. The jacket has lace around the collar and sleeves. The real kicker? It was mine when I was little! My grandmother made it for me! I try so hard to keep my home decluttered and not be too sentimental when it's time to get rid of things, but I am so grateful that my mom held on to things from my childhood so that I have them to pass on.

Christian's birth story

I'm surprised that it's taken me so long to sit down and write about Christian's birth - he'll be two weeks old tomorrow! I usually bore everyone to tears going over and over all the details. I just felt more at ease this time, I think, so there was less to process after the fact.
I was pretty sure when I went to bed Wednesday night that I'd be in labor by morning. I don't know if it was just my own wishful thinking or intuition or what. I started having contractions around 2:30 when I was up with Jack (teething pain was keeping him up), but I decided to try to rest for awhile. After all, no one sleeps through labor, right? By 4:30 the contractions were strong enough to wake me up and convince me to call my doctor and call Casey home from work. While I waited on Casey to get home with his mom (our middle of the night babysitter), I finished packing my hospital bag and laying out everything the kids might need.
We finally left the house for the hour long drive just as the contractions seemed to slow down. They were getting stronger though so I felt pretty sure we wouldn't be going home empty handed. The drive was peaceful (although Casey could qualify for Nascar when he's a little nervous) and it was so good to have a little time to talk, just the two of us.
Once we got to the hospital and got settled in, the doctor checked me and decided we would need to go ahead with the c-section. But I had to wait my turn and I was fifth (that's right, fifth!) in line. Apparently my frequent flier card meant nothing to these people. My family started to trickle in - grandparents, my favorite aunt - around lunch and my mom called every hour to check on me and update me on her attempt to find a plane ticket out of Texas.
Finally they wheeled me into the operating room where I got a spinal and relief from the contractions. There's something very unfair about having to go through both contractions and a c-section. I had the most wonderful anesthesiologist. She was hysterically funny and reassuring all at the same time. She put me totally at ease, although it is hard to have a good belly laugh when you're numb from the sternum down. My doctor, too, was in rare form joking that Casey could come in as soon as I was covered up because "we can't have him seeing you naked!" When Casey did come in he was so sweet - it was so precious to be holding his hand when Christian was born.
I did have a few issues after the birth - serious shakes for about two hours, high blood pressure for the first week, nausea (always with the nausea). But I did not throw up on the operating table and for that I am immensely thankful!
The baby had to stay in the nursery for a little bit (the pediatrician wanted a chest x-ray because Christian was making a slight grunting noise) which postponed breastfeeding a bit and (I think) contributed to him having jaundice. Overall, though, things went very smoothly. Lots less drama than we have had with other babies:)
The kids came for a visit that afternoon and every day while we were in the hospital. They love the baby although Jack was not too happy with me while I was up there. I had to bribe him to even get a goodbye kiss! They had a really good time with Casey while I was gone and Levi got to go to the Cracker Barrel. I don't know which he was looking forward to more - the Cracker Barrel or the new brother.
My grandpa was especially happy -not only did we name the baby after him (Bethel is his last name) and give him the "Bethel nose" (well, not intentionally - sorry, Baby!), but he was born on Grandpa's birthday! We have a a real thing about naming the kids after someone we love and admire - someone we'd want our kids to be like as they grow up. My grandfather spent a big part of his childhood in an orphanage and enlisted in the army when he was so young he had to find his father to get permission. But he went on to build an incredible family of his own. And he really "adopted" my grandmother's family when he married into it - helping her sisters the way a brother would, not the way an in-law would be expected to. He served in two wars (twice in Vietnam). He and my my grandmother have been married for more than 50 years and their family includes 24 people now. If Christian grows up to be the kind of man that he's named after, I'll be very proud indeed.

What we've been doing all week

The big kids (even Jack!) are crazy about NewBaby. We were worried that Jack might be jealous, but so far so good. I keep meaning to sit down and write out Christian's birth story, but I honestly just haven't felt like doing much of anything just yet. On the one hand, I'm so happy I could bust. On the other hand, the littlest thing sends me scrambling for tissues and the big things (jaundice, doctor's appointments and disagreements, getting things "back to normal")have me falling apart. Ah, hormones.

He's Here!

Christian Bethel

August 30, 2007

7 pounds.7 ounces

A time for rest...

A few weeks ago, while my niece and nephew were here, we had a really nice relaxing afternoon at my grandparent's house. All the kids insisted on fishing even though it was about a million degrees. Well, all the kids wanted to fish except Brenna - she's like her mama, we'd rather just sit in the air conditioning and make the cole slaw for the fish fry! That's Levi sitting down waiting for a bite - hopefully that patience will start to spill over into some of his other pursuits:)

My grandparent's house is kind of my home base. I'm an army brat so we moved a lot while I was growing up. Staying with my grandparents in the summer or between moves or while my dad was deployed gave us a real sense of stability though. So now it's the place I go to when I need to "go home." The yard is beautiful and the house is always neat (except when my tribe and I have been there awhile). There's always family coming in to visit. It's just so restful for me. Which I guess is why I'm thinking about it now...I could use some rest! NewBaby will be here in just a little over a week (unless he makes an early appearance) and I'm feeling so swamped with things to do. I know a lot of it is not truly necessary so I'm doing my best to prioritize and let things fall off the bottom of the to do list. But I'm so huge and tired and puffy and did I say tired already? that I can hardly do anything. Getting to church yesterday took every ounce of energy I could muster (and I had to wear tennis shoes with my dress because they are the only things I can get on my feet - they don't fit, but they're slide ons so I can make them work if I don't pick my feet up when I walk). Anyway.

I have gotten lots done already. The freezer is stocked. There are still a few meal I'd like to add if I get around to it, but if I don't we won't starve. Casey and I also made a big grocery trip this weekend to stock up on convenience foods - Hamburger Helper (on sale for $1 a box!), frozen pizzas, breaded chicken tenders, and bottled spaghetti sauce - that he can throw together while I'm in the hospital. I think his mom and my granny will stay with him most of the time, so they'll probably be eating a lot better than that:) I made myself a big batch of granola to take to the hospital for breakfast or snacking. I don't know how they expect anyone to recuperate on what they feed you in there! I also have outfits planned for the kids and my bag is all packed ( a first for me! I've never packed a bag ahead of time before!).

Now if NewBaby (maybe Caleb?) will hold out a few more days so my mom can finish a paper she's working on for her doctorate, we'll all be set:) I'm so impatient to meet this little guy (and see if we can tell what his name is!) and to get started recovering already. I can hardly wait!

Two Weeks and Two Day To Go (at the most!)

The meds I'm taking have completely stopped the contractions. I'm only planning to take them until Sunday when New Baby will be 37 weeks old. I'm so grateful that they've given this little guy more time to grow and develop. Jack was only a little early, but he still had a little difficulty with breathing at first which led to some feeding problems at the beginning and then (I think) to pretty serious jaundice. Oh, how I'd like to spare this little guy all that! But the brethine is still causing me quite a few side effects - awful insomnia and the shakes being the biggest two, I guess. I'm very nauseous, too, but who can tell if that's from the medicine? :?
In the meantime, my to do list seems to grow longer as the days get shorter! I am managing to get some things done - the freezer is getting well stocked, the baby clothes are washed, my bag is (almost) packed, and we have plan in place for the kiddies. But there's so much more I think I need to do and even more that I want to do. Dawn had a great post on cleaning your plate that was very helpful to me. There is a limit to just how much is even possible for me on a good day and these days, when I'm carrying an extra twenty pounds in each foot and who knows how many more in this baby belly (I don't know because I don't look at the doctor's scale!) AND when the weather outside is unbelievably hot...well the list of what's just not possible is getting longer and longer, too. So my lesson for this week (and probably next week and the one after that and after that...) is on accepting my limitations. But isn't it in our weakness that we see how much we need Him? I hear people all the time say "God won't give you more than you can handle..." But He gives me more than I can handle every single day! There's nothing He can't handle and so I can do all things through Him, but when I'm trying to do it on my own it's a whole different story!
So I'm sitting here looking at this list of 40 things that I need to do and I'm praying that He'll show me which of these are important and help me get them done. The rest I will let go of without guilt or stress since if it's not important to Him, it's not important to me.

A glitch in my plans

Somethings just can't be controlled. Like babies! My day yesterday started with big plans - a little cleaning and organizing, then I planned to move on to some fun school stuff for Levi and making up some cookie dough for the freezer. But at lunch all my plans came to a screeching halt when I started having serious "can't talk through them" contractions. So it was off to the doctor, where they stopped (just like when you take your car to the mechanic and it suddenly doesn't make that noise anymore). Everything is fine - it wasn't officially labor. But my cautious doctor started me on brethine anyway to be on the safe side - I really want to keep this little guy on the inside for a few more weeks! The brethine is working like a charm on the contractions, but, boy! The side effects are something. I'm shaking like a leaf! If all goes well today we'll ease up on the dosage tomorrow - but for today I guess I'll just deal with it. At least it's amusing the kids:)