A small book review

I just wanted to tell you about a book I just finished that I think is a fun, encouraging read. It is Lord, Please Meet Me in the Laundry Room by Barbara Curtis. She is a mother of 12 and she tells about her life's journey and all the things God has done for her. I really enjoyed her insight on looking at life through a toddler's eyes. It has helped me be more relaxed with my toddler as he is learning new things. I found this book encouraging. God knows my path even if I don't. If we trust in Him, then we don't have to worry about the future. This book was a quick read and enjoyable. A great thing for a busy mom!

I am also reading The Mommy Manual by Barbara Curtis, Children of Character II by Mardy Freeman, and Humility by C.J. Mahaney.

Our trip

Stu with Tommy at Jungle Gardens

Me (22 weeks pregnant) and Dan at Siesta Beach

Max holds a bird at Jungle Gardens--great smile!!
Tommy just LOVED the seaweed!
All the boys got to hold an alligator at Jungle Gardens.
The children play in the sand and have a grand time!

I've been trying to add some pictures, but have been unsuccessful all day. We had an unbelievably busy weekend. Here it is:

Friday: Arrive, Lunch at creek with my Dad, go to beach condo, play at beach with kids, clean up, go to Dad's for dinner, back to condo and collapse
Saturday: Up at 7, go to Jungle Garden with kids, Lunch at the Field Club, afternoon at beach, evening dinner plans and pool fun with my friend, Russ, from high school, back to condo and collapse
Sunday: drive to Punta Gorda to visit my mother, drive back to Sarasota and get A's giant sandwiches for lunch (YUM!), eat lunch at condo, afternoon at beach, boating with Dad at 5, dinner at Demetrios (YUM!), back to my parents to celebrate Jamie's bday, back to condo and you know what happens
Monday: up early, boys go fishing with my Dad, girls go shopping (and baby), lunch at the Creek, afternoon cleaning up condo and beach fun, leave and get home at 8:30 PM, do LOTS of laundry and watch Star Trek (old) before collapsing.

It was fun!! Sure was busy! Next time we need more days. The baby proved to be a bit difficult. I think it's just his age, but it's hard to travel with toddlers. I figure we won't get to go next year b/c we'll have a 9 month old and a 2 1/2 year old. We'll see!!! The kids really did have a wonderful time. I love to see them laugh, play, and have so much fun. I am sooo blessed!

Having Fun...wish you were here!

We have done SO much while here! We have eaten well, of course! We went to Jungle Gardens, the beach (several times), visited with friends, shopping, boating, fishing. Today the girls are going shopping and the boys are fishing. We'll finish our trip with one last trip to the beach and then head home later this afternoon. I'll post pics in a couple days when I have time!!!

This is the day that the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it!

Off to the beach...

God has blessed us with a condo directly on Crescent Beach in Sarasota for the next 4 days!! This was arranged by my Dad--a friend of his is letting us use it free! WOO HOO! We're going to have fun fishing, walking, swimming, going to Jungle Gardens, and visiting friends and family. Please pray for Tommy as he has had a fever for the past couple of days, but no other symptoms. Also, Celeste was exposed to an illness that the teens at church are trading. We're praying she doesn't get that and in turn share it with her brothers.

Every good thing comes from the Lord! See you when we get back with pictures!!

God has blessed us with...

IT'S A GIRL!!!!! We are so excited!!! Stu seemed very pleased as well. It was like he has been secretly wishing for a girl, too. We won't worry about those teenage years just yet, lol. God truly has given me the desire of my heart. I am so thankful to Him. Praise Jesus!

On Mother's Day...and new babies!

Here is a picture of me with the children taken on Mother's Day! (See that Celeste straightened her hair!) They were so sweet. They got me a dozen red roses and some chocoloates (which I mostly shared because I can't really have them right now). Thanks Stu! I got 2 ecards from Celeste...one was just a tear-jerker. The little boys both drew me pictures. They were cute. Stu gave me a card, too. I am very thankful to be a mother. It was all I ever wanted!!! And now 6 times over, too, what HUGE blessings I have received.

Hey, today we find out what the baby is (hopefully). Please pray with us for a healthy baby and we'll update you later!

Look Mom, Breakfast!

This is what Tommy did this morning in the couple minutes no one was looking...I didn't get mad. It was just too funny--as long as it doesn't happen again very soon! And Celeste had just vacuumed everything yesterday! We had already cleaned up a bit when someone yelled to get the camera. Too fun!

At Our House...

A picture of our house from the front during winter. It's prettier in the Spring! It looks small, too. It's 2200 sq. ft. We still have several kids who aren't feeling well. Upset stomachs and the like. Max threw up again last night. I won't get too graphic. Just to say this is all getting rather OLD.

I did get to pick up Creative Memories' new Memory Manager for our computer. What an awesome program!!! If you scrapbook, you've got to have it! It's $30 and well worth the cost. You can make individual albums, put things in folders, name and edit your digital photos. I just love it! I spent the majority of my morning playing with it and showing it to the kids.

I'm off to take Celeste to get her eyes checked. She needs a new pair of glasses since it's been a couple years. She wears contacts most of the time, but you always need a pair of glasses as back-up. Maybe one day I'll get contacts again! Have a blessed day!

Flu U.

Yes, I have just graduated from Flu University. In fact, the whole family, all 7 of us have! Needless to say it was a horrible weekend which started very early Friday morning. I had to get phenergan to keep myself out of the hospital. We are all still recovering to varying degrees. Celeste is feeling the best while Max would probably be the last one out. Please pray for Tommy as he has had throwing up and/or diarhhea since last Tuesday off and on. After nearly 3 weeks of this, he's rather thin.

Danny just left to go take his CAT5 testing. I am a bit nervous about how he's going to sit for several hours taking a test. I am praying he's quiet, on his best behavior, and obedient. We'll see when I go pick him up!

18 days 'til the ultrasound! TTFN!

Ridiculous Diet

How would you feel if you were put on this crazy diet and told that you were 80 pounds overweight?? Oh, and you're 17+ weeks pregnant...

You may have NO--Cereal, bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, corn, beans, cheese, milk, juice, fruit except 1 apple daily, fast food, sweets, sugar, fried foods, mayonnaise, alcohol

You may ONLY EAT this: Egg whites, Oatmeal (PLAIN), Beef (but no sausage or bacon), chicken, fish, shrimp, pork, protein shakes, salad w/ olive oil&vinegar, grean leafy veggies (non-starchy), one apple a day, 500 mg 3x day of calcium, mulitvitamin.

You paid over $500 to see this doctor and have to go back in 2 weeks. I understand a diet to stay off of insulin, but does it need to be this strict. I'm FREAKING OUT!

Tommy update

Tommy only threw up about 5 times yesterday. He seems to be acting okay today, but now has some loose diaper issues. We can handle that, but I am praying for a quick recovery and the return of a decent appetite!

New Technology

I am so excited. Stuart just installed my new HP printer/scanner/copier and I was able to print some photos from my digital camera. So much fun!! Also, it prints b&w in record speed! It's the HP PSC 1610. We got a new computer about a month ago and it's amazing how much faster everything is. Fortunately, my older children know how to operate this stuff better than I do--how did that happen?!?

Tomorrow morning I go see the endocrinologist to discuss my gestational diabetes and my thyroid (which is high). I am hoping to stay off of insulin as long as possible. My back-up OB wants me on it, but I'm lobbying for a reprieve at this time. Please pray for me in this regard! My fastings have come down a bit since I upped the Juice Plus. Let's hope that does it! Now that I went to the Chiropracter today I can go for a walk, too. God bless!

Tuesday

I'm 17 weeks today, yea!! I have grown a bit over the past few days, so I'm feeling achey. My right hip is noticing it, too! In other news, Celeste and Jamie will be blueberry picking this morning for a friend of mine. Currently it's for money, but in a couple weeks we can go pick for ourselves. Yummy!! It's better to pick in the morning before it gets too hot.

Dan finished his spelling, handwriting, and will be done with his phonics this week. That just leaves math. He's excited! Jamie finished his entire Saxon Math book last week!! ALL 120 lessons and investigations and the tests. I was so proud of him. He's ready for Pre-Algebra--he's so smart it'll be a breeze. Celeste is working hard on her biology, ancient history, etc. She finishes her logic course this week and her English. She has some papers to write and math will be a challenge to finish before she leaves for the summer. She has a FULL LOAD planned for next year.

As I was typing this earlier Tommy threw up on the kid's card game. He has since done it two more times. He must have picked up something in the toddler room at church on Sunday. I am SO MAD!!! He is the one that can't afford to be sick again so soon. Please pray for him!!! I hope no one else gets it. We've had too much of this!!

When Diamonds AREN'T Your Best Friend

An unwanted visitor--Eastern Diamondback Rattler



Jamie with his kill!
We had an exciting afternoon here at our house! Max found an Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake as it slithered onto our back porch. 5 kids were playing in the back yard and they knew what it was right away. After a quick phone call to Stu, we decided to have Jamie kill it. I didn't want it hanging around anyway!! The snake was young with a small rattle and was only about 1 1/2 feet long, but still! I have always warned the children of this, but was hoping we'd never see one. Luckily, it was an educational moment and everyone was safe.

On another note, Tommy has some sort of horrible flu virus. After 13+ hours of throwing up every 20 minutes or so on Sun/Mon, he started running a fever yesterday. He has since stopped puking and is quite puny. We're having a hard time getting him to drink anything. This is supposed to last 3-4 days, so pray he gets over it soon. Plus I was up getting checked out in Labor & Delivery on Sunday evening (when the puking began--poor Celeste) because I was having spotting and crampiness. Everything is fine and baby looks good. I'm 15 weeks today. I just need to take it easy right now. Pray that no one else gets sick! It's supposed to be limited to babies/toddlers. All this and we're taking Spring Break this week. I'm sorry it's a little boring for the children, but such is life! I try to be thankful to God in every situation. God Bless!

Happenings

Well, if you're anywhere around the news then you know that the FL Gators beat UCLA in the NCAA Championship game that was played Monday night. Go Gators!! The score was 73-57. We don't usually follow sports, but all of us watched the game and it was quite spectacular. It's not every day FL gets this kind of well-earned honor!

In other much more exciting news....my friend, Valerie, went for her ultrasound yesterday. She is 19 weeks along with her 5th baby. Val had a 4D ultrasound and said the baby looked just like her daughter, Rebekah, SO it's a GIRL!! WOOT! I'm so excited for her. This was the tie-breaker. Val has a 9 year old daughter, twin 8 year old boys, and a 5 year old daughter. I can't wait for mine, but it's going to be about 6 more weeks, ACK! I can get 4D, but it costs an additional $150 and we already have to pay for it anyway, so I'm not so sure I'll do that.

Well, I've got 4 baskets of laundry sitting in my room and a child who can't find something to wear. Yes, this is reality. We need to get on top of it. So I'd better go and get kiddos ready and start home school.

Berry Kix Deficit

Okay, BLAST General Mills from discontinuing the production of their Berry Kix cereal!!!! Tommy LOVES the stuff and for the past couple of weeks we haven't been able to get it, so Stu finally asks at Publix and they say, "Oh, they're not making it anymore." You're kidding, right?!? Children everywhere are weeping and gnashing their teeth (I'm sure). At least mine are! Oh well, we'll just have to find a substitute. They sure were great for keeping baby busy in the high chair.

On another note, my friend Valerie (who is 18 wks pregnant) rented a doppler on my suggestion and is having a blast with it. Now she can check on baby anytime. Modern science is just amazing. She had been worrying. I guess I'm at that stage, too. I'm at the I-feel-better-but-not-looking-pregnant-enough stage. So people of the world are thinking, is she fat or is she pregnant?? BOTH! Hey, I'm happy anyways!

Going to Tampa tomorrow to visit my friend, Celeste. Her daughter, Isabella, turned 5 this week and is having a birthday party. We haven't seen them for over a year, so it's time to go. My Celeste has a mimetime performance at the Spring Arts Fair in the morning and then we'll scoop her up and take off. We haven't been anywhere since Christmas, so it's about time! We'll be in Sarasota for Resurrection Day and we're also planning a beach vacation before the older kids leave for summer. TTFN!

Sneak Peek

Well, we got a sneak peek at our little baby this morning. I've been having some issues and we were worried about little one. Jane (my midwife) couldn't pick up a heartbeat with her doppler which is not unusual at almost 12 weeks--plus I have some fluff, so we snuck into the u/s room and took a look. Baby was jumping all over the place. I saw knees and little hands and a beautiful heartbeat. God is good all the time!

On another note, I received my order of Happy Phonics in the mail yesterday. I think this program is going to be great in teaching Max how to read...and Tommy...and baby #6. I have a lot of cutting out to do, but I think that's fun. Celeste is going to help me. We also got a huge world map to hang on the wall. I think I may get it laminated before we do that.

I hope to write again in a couple days. Read John 10:10.

Of pickles and ice cream...

Okay, I have made it to 10 weeks and 1 day already. A small victory for this "tired of this nauseated phase of pregnancy" momma. Please don't take this as a complaint. I am SOOO thankful that I AM sick this time. Everything seems to be just at it should be. Despite 2 migraines in a 24 hour period I am still hanging in there. Even with the hormones, I would have to say I'm less grumpy this pregnancy than I usually am. I'm sure there's a Hallelujah in there from my hubby and kids! So far the only craving I have had has been a "Homewrecker" from Moe's. Well, actually, I got the vegetarian version which is called an "Art Vandalay." It was wonderful going down...we won't talk about later... I have this horrible taste in my mouth most of the time which I try to get rid of by eating various things, only for it to come back moments later. Any previously pregnant women relate??? And now I'm hungry all the time. Not good when you're a little extra fluffly.

I am in the throes of trying to decide on homeschool curriculum for next year. The kids are plugging along with their studies and dreaming of those long summer days. They have been working so diligently that Celeste, Jamie, and Dan will be done with some of their subjects in early April this year. But there is no rest for I have additional studies planned! Max is doing great in K math, but the phonics will take more work. I found a little program called Happy Phonics. It's only $40 and I think we'll buy it and give it a try. It has several games included and I think this is what we need to make it fun!

That's what is going on with us. Stu has been very busy with work and I haven't seen much of him lately. We haven't had a date in so long...but I don't generally feel well in the evening hours, so that's been a little difficult. I'll feel better in a few more weeks...TTFN!

Heartbeat of Heaven

We went to see the midwife and have an ultrasound today. Yes, there is only one baby in there and he/she has a heartrate of 176 BPM. Woo hoo! I am praising God today!!! Just a wee bit of news for ya!

Should I stay or should I go?

Yes, I've been a posting slacker. I have spent most of the days laying on the couch or in my bed feeling rather puny. I've been doing slightly better on a morning sickness remedy that's vitamin B6 and 1/2 a unisom. I'd hate to think what it might be....

There's a concert I REALLY want to go to next Friday 2/24. It's 4Him and it's their final concert tour. I have always wanted to see them and never got the chance to. It's in Sarasota, so I could stay overnight at my parents. I haven't bought tickets yet. I thought I'd go to my appt. tomorrow and see how everything is and then make a decision. Stu thinks I should go, but I don't know how much more sick I'll feel in the next week. I would take my two oldest children with me. I'm going to pray about it. I really don't want to venture out that far, but do want to go to the concert. Ugh, I hate decisions like this!