Happy 9th Birthday Bubba!

Merry Christmas!

The presents are bought, and wrapped. The cookies are baked. Christmas dinner groceries are in the fridge. The kids are dying to open their Christmas Eve gift, which they strongly suspect (and hope) is a whoopie cushion. The house needs cleaned for the company that will be here early tomorrow morning. Savannah's crayon drawings need washed off the computer desk and fridge.

Christmas pictures to follow, promise.

Have a good day! Don't stress out Momma's! Enjoy your little ones, they won't be little for long...

Jeremy, the kids and I, just wanted to wish everyone a

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Number Five

Another heartbeat has awakened.

I am again amazed at how something so very small can affect our lives so deeply. The moment I confirmed it I was frozen, shocked, not quiet believing. I wanted desperately to be happy and thankful. But I feel like I'm not ready..I thought I wouldn't have any more children...I'm not done babying Savannah (now 2.5 years). All of these selfish thoughts reeling through my head. Shame on me.

I AM thankful, and blessed. Especially when I think of friends who want to become pregnant, and aren't yet. When I think of friends who have lost their babies. When I think of those who can't, or won't, ever have children of their own.

I'm just a planner. And this wasn't planned. My whirlwind of a month was sort of settling down...and I thought I would soon have things under control. That was my problem. I need to realize ("practice what I preach" is probably more accurate) that I am not in control...

And the Lord has reminded me of that in the most beautiful way...

If my calculations are correct, baby is due around July 1, 2009.

Happy 11th Birthday Big Guy!!

Summer 2008

Today, Jeremy and I have been married 13 years..

Happy Anniversary!

Are you ready?

Seriously people. I know it's easier not to think about it. It's easier to think about your plans for the next weekend, or what shoes to wear out to dinner tonight.

But the writing is on the wall. It's out there for all of us to see..yet no one cares.

There is a very real possibility that America is heading for economic collapse, if not WWIII. What do I mean? Have you ever seen gas prices reach $4.00+ a gallon? Did you ever think we would have a terrorist attack (9/11) on American soil? Are you naive enough to think it couldn't happen again? Not to mention the housing market, gulp. Have you noticed that food prices are rising? And, that retailers are putting limit's on bulk food purchases?

What if, just what if, there was another attack, say nuclear, here in America? What if the dollar crashes like it is being predicted to do? That means that your paper money (Federal Reserve Notes) will be worth nothing. Zip. Zero. Do you know that the Royal Bank of Scotland issued a global stock and credit crash alert? Did you read the news article about the IndyMac bank in California closing it's doors, and not letting it's customers have their money?

What if grocery store shelves were empty in a week? I don't mean "picked over". I mean empty. How could this happen? (stock market crash/terrorist attack..gas prices go up to $10 a gallon..trucks stop delivering goods= shelves empty)

Are you ready?

How long would the food you have in your house right now last your family? A week? A month? What happens to you and your family after that?

So, how do you prepare? After it finally sank in that this is a very real possibility..I began researching, and stocking up. Here is some information that I hope helps those of you still reading (the ones who don't think I'm nuts).

This page has a link "food storage calculator" that you can punch in your family size (adults/children) and it will calculate the amount of food you need to have for a ONE year supply. It will humble you.

http://lds.about.com/library/weekly/previousyears/aa102201b.htm

This page has many useful and informative links on food storage, rotating, etc..

http://lds.about.com/od/preparednessfoodstorage/a/foodstoragewhat.htm

I have also done MUCH price comparing, so if you would like that info, please ask..

Even if you don't think that anything major is going to happen here in America, isn't it wise to store food anyway? My parents always did..

And no. I'm not ready either.

More Vacation Photo's

Misty, and I. My friend since 6th grade.
Adrian, Austin, and Jackson camping.

Adrian, his usual charming self.
Savannah and Adrian watching the geese, Granite Lake, WY.

Family Stuff..

Above: My mom and dad, camping.
My brother Keith and wife Lisa

Above: Me, Kelli and Keith (my younger siblings, twins)

Alyssa, my sweet niece, that I met for the first time on this vacation.

More vacation pictures..

Above: My boys and cousin Ryan at Boulder Falls, Boulder, CO.

Savannah picking wildflowers in Wyoming.

Savannah watching the other children play in the fountain at Pearl Street, Boulder, CO

Savannah bored silly from the 16 hour car ride home..

We're Home.

We enjoyed 2 wonderful weeks of beautiful scenery,

family, and friends..

more pictures in the upcoming days. I think between Jessie (a friend that went with me to help with the drive and kids) and I, we took around 400 pictures.

Vacation Updates

We survived 3 days of camping in the Rocky Mountains. The boys tent-camped with Grandpa, while the girls occupied the camper. My boys caught their first trout, and were sooo proud of themselves.

Tomorrow we plan to go to Denver, to visit my sister, brother and SIL, neice and nephews.

Sunday we are planning a day trip to Estes Park CO, complete with rides on the sky tram overlooking the Rockies, shopping, a 2 mile hike, and picnic lunch. After that we will drive the peak-to-peak, down the canyon into Boulder to feast on Rocky Mountain Pies, at Beau Jo's Pizza.

I am unable to post pictures, as my parents computer is somewhat dated. I will get them up ASAP.

Blessings!

Staci

Dear Friends,

We have had a really nice start to our vacation. We made our 1000 mile trip in record time, with no car trouble or delays. :) The weather here in Wyoming is beautiful, in the 80's and no humidity (major change from Indiana).

Today we had a family get together, and my friend from school brought her family up to Cheyenne to visit us. We had a really nice day. Later this week we are going camping/fishing, the kids are sooo excited.

Emma- HAPPY 20TH BIRTHDAY!!!!! Hope you had a good day, sorry I missed it! Love you!!

Hope everyone had a nice holiday weekend!

Staci

Top 20 things that are more dangerous to children than lead paint in Mattel toys


by Mike Adams of naturalnews.com

The mainstream media is amusingly irrational when it comes to reporting scare stories. The latest example involves the lead content of Mattel toys made in China. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued a third recall of Mattel toys involving over 700,000 toys containing unacceptably high levels of lead paint (over .06 percent lead). Irrational parents are rushing back to retailers in droves, turning in their Mattel toys to "save their children" from the dangers of lead paint. Mattel, for its part, is being rightly blasted in the media for selling shoddy products made with toxic heavy metals.But here's the interesting part in all this: Parents directly poison their children every day with products far more dangerous than Mattel toys. Don't believe me? I'll name twenty things in this article that are far more dangerous to children than Mattel toys. It doesn't mean Mattel toys are safe, of course. They apparently do contain unacceptably high levels of lead, and there's no question about the toxicity of lead. But children don't eat toys nearly as often as they eat some other toxic substances given to them by their parents, and even as parents are herding back into retailers to refund their toxic lead-laden toys, they're returning home and poisoning their children with many other products that are far worse. The press, of course, reports nothing about these other toxic products. And why? Because they're made in America.


(leaving some of the article out here to save space)


The top 20 things that are more dangerous to children than lead paint in Mattel toys:

1. Mercury fillings. Often called "silver fillings" to hide the fact that they're made from mercury, these highly toxic fillings are placed directly into the mouths of children where they are inhaled (mercury vapor) and swallowed, causing systemic mercury poisoning to the child and leading to long-term neurological damage. Visit http://www.iaomt.org/ and watch the "Smoking Teeth = Poison Gas" video to learn more.


2. Vaccines. Think vaccines are safe? You've been hoodwinked by the popular media parroting drug company propaganda. Vaccines are preserved with methyl mercury, one of the most dangerous chemical forms of the toxic heavy metal. This mercury is injected directly into the bodies of children where it causes severe neurological damage. And yes, it does cause Autism, despite what you've read in the dumbed-down press. Only a fool would inject their child with mercury-preserved vaccines.


3. Hotdogs. Hotdogs are made with horrifying processed meat parts (click here to see shocking photos of processed meat products, then preserved with a cancer-causing ingredient called sodium nitrite. As detailed in my book Grocery Warning, this ingredient causes brain tumors in children, not to mention leukemia, pancreatic cancer, colon cancer and other cancers. Hot dogs are far more dangerous to a child's health than lead paint in my opinion, and yet parents keep feeding them to their children!


4. Antibacterial soap How about a little nerve toxin in your soap? That's what's found in antibacterial soap. It's a toxic cocktail of chemicals designed to kill life. That's how it kills bacteria. The problem is that it also harms people -- especially infants and children who are trying to develop healthy nervous systems. Avoid all products claiming to be "antibacterial." You're better off using natural soap (like Dr. Bronner's soap, http://www.drbronner.com/ ) and letting your child's immune system fight off common bacteria. The world isn't sterile, after all. You can't turn your house into a germ-free bubble.



5. ADHD drugs Would you give your child street drugs like speed or meth? Probably not, but what if your doctor wrote you a prescription for speed and said your child needed it because he was ADHD? If you're like most parents, you'd fall in step and start giving your child speed. But wait, you say: ADHD drugs are not speed, are they? But of course they are. They belong to a class of drugs called amphetamines. They used to be illegally sold as speed. Now they're prescription drugs, and they're given to children in schools all across America (and elsewhere). Psychiatrists and drug companies are making a killing dosing up kids and infants on substances that used to be considered illegal street drugs (and that have no legitimate medical use whatsoever).


6. Sports drinks. For some reason, parents irrationally believe sports drinks are healthy because they contain the word "sports." Didn't they notice the neon green artificial coloring? Sports drinks are, in my opinion, a nutritional joke. Made from salt water, processed sweeteners and petrochemical coloring, many of their ingredients are actually harmful. Drinking water would be smarter, and feeding your child some healthy trace minerals would be even better. Low on potassium? Eat a banana.

7. Cough syrup and over-the-counter medicines. They contain multiple toxic substances such as chemical sweeteners, preservatives and additives. Cough syrup, in particular, has been scientifically proven to be absolutely worthless in preventing coughs. Many "children's" medicines are actually more toxic than their adult counterparts because they're sweetened up and cosmetically enhanced with artificial colors made from petrochemicals. Yet parents poison their children every day with over-the-counter medicine.


8. Sunscreen. The sunscreen industry is a huge scam. Most popular sunscreen products actually cause skin cancer due to the numerous toxic chemicals they contain (which are quickly absorbed into the skin where they cause DNA mutations that lead to cancer). Even worse, sunscreen blocks the UV radiation that allows the skin to manufacture all-important vitamin D -- the most powerful anti-cancer nutrient yet known to modern science. It prevents over a dozen different cancers, yet parents block it by slathering toxic sunscreen on their children, all while mistakenly believing they're "protecting their children from cancer!" What a scam.


9. Fluoride. Fluoride in the water. I've always found it amazing that city water officials were dumb enough to actually buy a toxic waste substance and arrange to have it dripped into the public water supply where it would be ingested by infants and children. The result? Mass fluorosis and toxicity to children everywhere. Didn't these people realize that fluoride only works topically? (That is, it only works if you rub it on your teeth, then spit it out, and even that only works if you're using natural fluoride, not the chemicals spit out as byproducts of the fertilizer industry, which is what city water departments are buying and dripping into the water supply.) Click here to see my CounterThink cartoon on this topic. Whoever heard of drinking a topical medication in the first place? It's like swallowing sunscreen to prevent sunburn. Even worse, putting this into the public water supply effectively mass medicates everyone with a bioactive chemical substance that no one has been given a prescription for. This is all done with no regard for the level of natural fluoride children might already be ingesting from other sources. The situation is so crazy that it's difficult to find a more insane example of medical tyranny than the mass fluoridation of public water supplies. The fact that doctors and dentists so vehemently support it demonstrates just how crazy they really are.


10. Processed milk. Children as young as 10 years old are now being diagnosed with heart disease and clogged arteries. Ever wonder how it happened? It's due in part, I believe, to all the processed milk children are swallowing these days. Not only is the milk contaminated with pus, blood and detectable levels of pesticides and other chemicals, it's also homogenized, meaning the fats are artificially modified in a way that makes them stay in suspension. This homogenization also makes milk fats dangerous to cardiovascular health. While I support the consumption of raw, unprocessed milk, I think that consuming processed, homogenized milk is dangerous to the health of infants, children and adults alike!


11. Fast food. Fast food is extremely unhealthy for children. Not only are the foods often fried, homogenized, hydrogenated and otherwise altered, they're also laced with chemical additives, taste enhancers, processed sugars, petrochemical food coloring and other unhealthy substances. Strangely, many parents actually reward their children for good behavior by buying them unhealthy fast food meals, thereby creating a psychological association between good feelings and junk food. (Fast food restaurants further exploit this psychological link by building playgrounds and running feel-good advertisements that emphasize friends and fun, then link those good vibes to their food products.)


12. Antidepressant drugs. Children as young as six months old are now being put on psychotropic drugs such as SSRIs (antidepressants). These drugs, we now know, cause suicidal thoughts and violent behavior, especially in young boys. They imbalance brain chemistry and even alter the body's metabolism of sugar, promoting diabetes and leading to rapid weight gain. These drugs are so dangerous that feeding them to children should be considered a crime. Every single school shooting involving a child in the United States in the last 15 years has been linked to antidepressant drug use. Need I say more?


13. Chemical laundry detergents Parents are shown fancy ads on television depicting how wonderful and clean their clothes will be if they wash them in brand-name laundry detergent. What they're not shown, however, is the toxicity of all the synthetic chemicals that go into most laundry detergent products. The fragrance chemicals alone are often carcinogenic, and they're just as bad for the environment as they are children's health. A new alternative has appeared, however: Soap berries! It's laundry soap that grows on trees. We offer it at http://www.betterlifegoods.com/

14. Flame retardant chemicals. Did you know that new mattresses for infants and children are often sprayed with extremely toxic flame retardant chemicals? These are easily absorbed through the skin of infants and children where they contribute to numerous neurological disorders and immune suppression. Many clothing products are also sprayed with flame retardants, as are some carpeting products. In the push to make everything fireproof, state regulators (who have mandated the flame retardant chemicals in states like California) have created a toxic environment for everyone. I suppose if you're a politician, it's always better for a million people to die of a mysterious disease that can't be linked to you than to have one baby burning up on the evening news with fingers of blame pointed directly at you.


15. Soda. Aside from directly promoting diabetes and obesity, sodas also contain high amounts of phosphoric acid, a substance that dissolves bones and causes a loss of bone mineral density. This causes massive tooth decay as well as a shrinking jaw bone and overall skeletal fragility. Diet sodas are even worse, since they contain chemical sweeteners linked to neurological disorders and learning disabilities.


16. Air fresheners. Air fresheners contain cancer-causing chemicals. Unleashing them in the house exposes children to these chemicals, promoting asthma and other respiratory problems. If you value the health of your children, avoid air freshener products and just use essential oils or citrus peels instead. (Peel an orange and hang the peel in your kitchen.)



17. Synthetic vitamins. Many children's vitamins are made with cheap, synthetic "vitamin" chemicals that actually harm people who take them. Plus, many are loaded up with artificial colors, sucrose and chemical sweeteners. Avoid cheap, store-bought children's vitamins or anything containing cyanocobalamin (a toxic form of vitamin B12). Quality children's vitamins are available through sources like Nordic Naturals (fish oils) and http://www.integratedhealth.com/ (also check http://www.wellnessresources.com/ for high-quality supplements).


18. Dryer sheets. Most popular dryer sheets and fabric softeners are made with toxic synthetic chemicals that are not safe to use on children's clothing. The fragrance chemicals alone are often highly carcinogenic, and the other chemicals contribute additional toxicity to the clothing. Children's clothes should never be washed or dried in chemicals. Only use natural detergents and fabric softeners, or avoid the fabric softeners altogether.


19. Bacon. Most bacon and sausage are processed meat products made with sodium nitrite (like the hot dogs, above) and contaminated with various chemicals lodged in the animal fats. Conventionally-raised beef, pork and chicken products are, in my opinion, extremely toxic to the human body and contribute to colon cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer and many other diseases and disorders. If you make meat for your children, shop for 100% organic, free-range, antibiotic-free meats that have no nitrites or nitrates.


20. Shampoo and bath products. Virtually all popular shampoo and bath products sold on the market contain cancer-causing chemicals. The ingredients read like a top-40 list of toxic chemicals. Virtually none of these chemicals have ever been tested or approved for use on humans (they are simply ignored because the FDA astonishingly believes the skin won't absorb chemicals). If you want healthy products, use the shampoo I recommend: Pure Essentials Fragrance-Free Shampoo from Earth Science (http://www.thenewes.com/)

click the image if it is too small to read..

Me: "Savannah, have you been eating the berries?"

Savannah: "Noooo. (smiling)"

Today's Pick: Mulberries

Our new yard is loaded with raspberry bushes, and mulberry trees. The kids and I picked mulberries for hours this morning. Ahhhh.. summer.

The kids and I are are planning a trip out west very, very soon. Anyone have any travel tips for loooooong (17 hour) car rides with 4 kids (ages 10, 8, 5, and 2)?

Fruitatarian:

a word my son Adrian(5)

uses to describe his younger sister.

He also refers to her a a yogur-tarian.

Happy 2nd Birthday Savannah!!

Homemade Granola
This recipe is very similar to the original recipe in the Ball Blue Book

4 c. uncooked regular or quick oats
1/2 c. wheat germ (or milled flax seed)
1 c. coconut
1 c. slivered almonds (or walnuts or pecans)
1 c. sunflower seeds
1/2 c. honey
1/2 c.brown sugar (or evap. cane juice crystals)
3/4 c. vegetable oil (or coconut oil)
1 c. raw pumpkin seed (optional)
1 t. vanilla
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t salt
1 c. raisins (optional)

I always double this recipe for my family of 6.

Combine dry ingredients, except raisins. In a saucepan combine oil, sugar, and honey. Cook over low heat for 3 minutes. Add wet mixture to dry mixture. Mix until well blended. Spread on a shallow baking sheet and bake at 300 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. (Mixture may also be dried in an electric dehydrator at 145 degrees F about 3 hours or until mixture is crunchy) Stir in raisins. Store in home canning jars or plastic food storage bags.
Makes GREAT cereal, yogurt topping, or a snack. Enjoy! :)

The Sin Of Tolerance

By: Gabriel Pearl, www.nogreaterjoy.org

Most moral boundaries are written in stone, clear to anyone who can and will see. We all know it’s wrong to smoke crack, watch MTV, or beat our wives.

But it is mostly the subtle mental corruption that mostly vexes our souls, sneaking into our minds at unguarded moments. We must constantly be on our guard with our shield of faith and the sword of truth. It’s scary. I watch my second child, born just three weeks ago, and already the gravity of life and the weight of eternity seems to be even more real than it already was.

Jocelyn, our first born, is now a little over two and a half, and Lori and I think she’s borderline genius. We’re probably the only ones who do, but she’s certainly learning quicker than we are. Everything sticks. Recently we got PBS, Public Broadcasting Service. It’s a relatively clean, commercial free, government station that comes in free over the air with a lot of nature shows and some great programs for kids, but I’ve noticed an underlying tone in some of the kids’ shows. It’s not always out front, but it’s always there. It’s like a strange worldwide conspiracy. It’s the religion of tolerance. It’s one of the things the Muslims hate so much about us. It started as a snowball, but has become an avalanche. It’s constantly smothering the flame of truth, to the point where we become a lukewarm television-preacher society, incapable of standing up in a crowd of people and declaring that there is only one God and one way to him.

I guess that is really what it boils down to. Their main agenda isn’t really freedom of choice or right to push their so-called gay lifestyle onto our children, but it is the slow, persistent neutering of the truth that almost makes it unrecognizable. Fellow Christians, the world would like nothing better than for us to feel guilty about boldly standing up and saying that God is the only God and that He hates sin and is not tolerant of it. We are strangers and pilgrims in this world, but clearly not of it, so let’s guard our minds from the world’s influence, especially the developing minds of our children.

We planted our vegetable garden this afternoon.

Tonight we roasted hotdogs,

and made Smores on our backyard campfire.

Perfect way to start the holiday weekend.

Navy Memories..
Proudly served 1992-1997

5 Things..

What I was doing 10 years ago:

I was living near Ft. Bragg North Carolina, while Jeremy was in the 82nd Airborne.

Five things on my To-Do list today:
1. Make dinner
2. Make egg salad for Jeremy's lunch tomorrow
3. Call Kelly about Vacation Bible School stuff..
4. Laundry
5. put away at least one box.. of "stuff" (grrrr.)

Five snacks I enjoy:
1. Chips and Salsa
2. Garlic Hummus and Tortilla Chips
3. Bananas
4. Apples
5. Does Coca-Cola count?

Five things I would do if I were a billionaire:
1. Give it to to those who need it most.
2. Pay off my debts, and the debts of those I love
3. Buy a tropical island to hide on, when I wasn't traveling.
4. Travel..travel..travel
5. Buy a really BIG....boat.

Five bad habits:
1. Prejudging people
2. Not listening
3. Talking too much
4. Giving unsolicited advice
5. Being impatient.

Five places I've lived:
1. Colorado
2. New Orleans, LA
3. North Carolina
4. Pensacola, FL
5. Memphis, TN

Five jobs I've had:
1. Cashier at a grocery store
2. Air Traffic Controller
3. U.S. Navy
4. Insurance Sales
5. Waitress

Now, I tag:
ANYONE who wants to play along.

"What we do in moderation, our children will do in excess.."

"Stuff"

Usually the more you have..the more you want. We live in such excess in the US that we take it for granted. If you have lived in the US all of your life, and never traveled overseas, you cannot comprehend the poverty that 80% of the world lives in. I cannot comprehend it. Did you know that half the world — nearly three billion people — live on less than two dollars a day. According to UNICEF, 26,500-30,000 children die each day due to poverty

Here in the US, if we don't have a huge house..we think are poor. If we don't have 2 cars..we think are poor. If we don't clothe our children in brand name clothes...we think are poor. That is just not reality. Reality is that if you have a roof over your head, and enough food to feed your kids, you are doing better than 80% of the world.

We live in a consumerism-obsessed culture. We see it on TV..we want it. The neighbor has it..we want it. A family member has it..we want it. Do you know that the whole purpose of marketing is to make you feel like your current state is not good enough. They want you to want "stuff". They put "want creators" on TV, on the Internet, junk mail, and on billboards. It's everywhere. And now that I am aware of it, it's kind of driving me crazy. :)

I really hate clutter, so I am taking drastic measures to get rid of "stuff"

* I donate LOTS of stuff to Goodwill. 2 truckloads during our recent move.

* I am teaching my children the difference between want and need. This is a lesson every time we enter a store.

* I buy USED whenever possible..Craigslist/Freecycle/Cheapcycle, garage sales, consignment/thrift stores, etc..

* I am teaching my children contentment.

* I am teaching my children to take care of what they have. To appreciate the things they are given. To appreciate what they have, and not worry so much about what they don't have.

I understand wanting to give your children nice things. I understand wanting your children to have more than you had..

But if I give my kids everything they want, the moment they want it, without having to work for it, or wait for it... I am not preparing them for reality. I would be raising spoiled brats, that appreciate nothing, and that will grow to expect that the world owes them a living.

My Testimony

I grew up Lutheran. We didn't go to church every Sunday, but often enough for me to have been familiar with most Bible stories. I knew about God, and that Jesus died on the cross.

When it comes to salvation, I literally can't remember one lesson, or sermon on the topic. I grew up believing that if you are good, you go to heaven, and if you are bad, hell. I simply thought if your "good" outweighed" your "bad", then you were in (heaven). Hell was not a word used in the Lutheran church. I honestly wasn't very concerned about it either way. Nobody ever talked about it, so I didn't give it much thought.

We moved to Indiana in 1999. We went to church with my husbands parent's on several occasions. I had never heard preaching like that. I was not familiar with the term "saved" . The preacher gave a sermon on salvation. He explained salvation so simply.. it confused me. Why didn't my childhood pastor ever tell us this? If you are going to go to church, and sing hymn's, and read from the Bible...shouldn't someone mention the most important part??

The preacher explained that:

You don't have to attend any certain church to get into heaven..
You don't have to attend church at all!
You don't have to do "good deeds/works" to get into heaven.
You don't have to be baptized to go to heaven.
You don't have to pay a priest penance to get your soul out of purgatory.

You don't have confess your sins to a priest to get into heaven.

Very simply..all you have to do is believe. Yep. That's it. Believe. Believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross, to pay for your sins (and the sins of the entire world). Believe that on the third day He rose again, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. Then accept Him as your personal Savior. That's it. It's between YOU (yes YOU) and God.

The Bible says: Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. But, like any gift, you have to RECEIVE IT!!!

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation... Romans 10:9,10,11

So..one Sunday morning when the preacher gave the invitation, I accepted Christ as my personal Savior. I didn't go up to the alter, nor do it publicly. I prayed silently right there in my pew for Jesus to come into my heart, and save my soul from Hell. I understood that it was between me and God. The preacher so kindly gave the invitation for anyone to go up to the alter to pray, or for us chickens.. we could just pray silently in our pew.

It was pride that kept me from going up there. It was pride that kept me from sharing my experience with others. I was hurt and disappointed that I had attended church for all those years, and not been told.

The Bible makes it very clear.

...that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Acts 2:21

...what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.. Acts 16:30,31

For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. 1Cor 1:18

Get right with God today. Tomorrow is not guaranteed.

Earthquakes, Beads Up The Nose, and Updates Galore..

I apologize for my absence. Much going on around here.. here is a summary:

* We had an earthquake this morning at 4:40am. Not a typical thing here in Northwest Indiana. It shook the house so badly I thought a train was passing by, only we don't live near any train tracks. Of course, the kids slept through it. It was a 5.6, and was centered in southern Illinois. Michelle..did you feel it where you live??

* Savannah has a strange fascination with stuffing small objects up her nose. It started with raisins and cereal.. Sunday she stuffed a small plastic pink bead (the size of a pea) up her nose, and I had to take her to the ER to have it removed. (Thank you St. Anthony's Hospital for your kind treatment!!!)

* We moved!! but not too far. I love our new house... slightly bigger, much newer, more yard (about 2 acres of grass now), and a ranch, no more climbing stairs. Pictures soon, I promise..

* Jeremy started seminary. It is a 3 year distance learning program.. He is unsure of exactly what he wants to do in the ministry, time will tell..

* Jeremy's mom had surgery last Friday to remove cancerous tumors from her kidneys. She is recovering well at home. Jeremy's dad, who also has cancer (multiple myeloma) is currently doing well..

* Midwifery. Hmmm. With preparing the new house, moving, and finishing up the kids home school.. I haven't been doing a whole lot. I'm not sure exactly what I'm going to do from here on.. I feel like because of attending births, and studying, I'm neglecting things here at home. I'm not being a good mom, not being a good wife, not being a good home school teacher, and not being a a good student midwife. It's hard to do it all.. I honestly feel like midwifery is a calling for me.. maybe just not now. The thought of enrolling in AAMI (Ancient Arts Midwifery Institute) is completely overwhelming. It is impossible to be a "keeper at home"... if you are never home..

Wordless Wednesday

Juice! Juice! Juice!

Want your kids to eat more fruit and vegetables? Why not juice? I don't mean the sugar filled, pasteurized, store bought stuff. I mean REAL LIVE JUICE!!!

Some facts about carrot juice:

* Carrot juice is THE richest source of Vitamin A, but also contains Vitamins B,C,D, E, G (I didn't know there was a G), and K.

* Carrot juice helps promote the appetite and is an aid to digestion

* One pint of carrot juice daily has more constructive body value than 25 pounds of calcium tablets.

* Carrot juice is a natural solvent for ulcerous and cancerous conditions

The best thing about carrot juice is IT TASTES GOOD!

We have been juicing for about 5 years. We have a mid-priced juicer, a Champion ($220), I find it easy to use, easy to clean, and economical. If you can afford the best money can buy, it would be the Norwalk Juicer. I also encourage you to research the benefits of blending, with a high quality, 3+peak horsepower blender. I would not recommend the Juiceman-type juicers... (you get what you pay for..)

My kids favorite juice is: carrot/apple or carrot/orange

My favorite juice is carrot/apple/celery

A great book on the benefits of juicing is: Fresh Vegetable and Fruit Juices, by N.W. Walker. Includes recipes and remedies for specific ailments (using juice therapy)

Oh! It best to drink fresh juice as soon as possible after juicing. The longer it sits in the refrigerator, the more nutrients are lost.

Happy Juicing!

I Love Seventh Generation Diapers

My plan was to cloth diaper. That didn't happen this time around. Then I found these. With just a little shopping around, I found these to be very economical, convienient, more environmentally friendly, and safer for my baby girl.

Did you know that there are toxic, cancer causing ingredients in name brand diapers? Do you know the effects of chlorine bleach (which is used to bleach name brand diapers so white) on your skin. Not to mention that your baby's body heats up that chemical..

Dioxin, which in various forms has been shown to cause cancer, birth defects, liver damage, and skin diseases, sterility, and genetic damage, is a by-product of the paper-bleaching process used in manufacturing disposable diapers, and trace quantities may exist in the diapers themselves. Dioxin is listed by the EPA as the most toxic of cancer related chemicals. Disposable diapers contain Tributyl-tin (TBT) - a toxic pollutant known to cause hormonal problems in humans and animals... No studies have been done on the long-term effects of these chemicals being in contact with a baby's reproductive organs 24 hours a day for upwards of two years. Studies have also been done to show that the chemical emissions from disposable diapers can cause respiratory problems in children.

I have found that I can buy a case (4packages) of Seventh Generation diapers at http://www.1800diapers.com/ for about $35.00 (that includes shipping) or Babies R Us now carries a nice selection of Seventh Generation products in their stores.

Personality Painting.

Click here to create your own painting.

Happy 5th Birthday Adrian!!!

My new home birth website is up..

www.blessedbeginningsbirthservices.com

This website is still under construction. I plan to add tons of information, resources and links in the very near future. Please visit often. :)

And her middle name was "trouble"

"Hmmm..what's this?"

A Whole Foods Diet

As much as I dislike "new years resolutions" I am determined now more than ever to depart from the Standard American Diet. I have some pretty serious goals for 2008 regarding health, and my family's diet. Here are some:

*I will not feed my family "fast food" (read: McDonald's) for convenience or "as a treat." I will instead plan ahead or seek out healthy alternatives.

*My goal is to feed my family 75% organic (everything..fresh and packaged) I even joined Timber Creek Farms Organics, fresh organic produce, meat and dairy..delivered to my door weekly.

*I will not buy white sugar, white flour, or white pasta again (instead buying raw sugar, whole grain flour, and whole grain pasta)

*I will use my juicer EVERYDAY, making fresh fruit and vegetable juices for my family.

*I will buy a grain mill, and grind whole grains into flour for bread and baking.

*I will make bread in the bread machine EVERYDAY, instead of buying the store bought kind (filled with high fructose corn syrup and chemicals)

*We will not drink soda pop.

*I will teach my children WHY we aren't eating the "other stuff". Who wants to be normal? The average American is obese (or over-weight), has cancer, diabetes, or heart disease. I do not want to be normal. The average American spends more time on the couch watching TV than exercising...I want better for MY children.

*I will let the children make decisions about what they eat, helping me in the kitchen to make breakfast smoothies, or healthy cookies, veggie pizza, etc..

Quick thought: If you put pancake syrup into your car's gas tank, instead of gas...how well would your car run, and for how long?

If you are putting sugary cereal, soda pop, candy, and fast food into your (or your kids) body..how well will you function, and for how long?

Banana Smoothie (my kids favorite recipe)

In a blender:

3 frozen ripe bananas

2T. raw honey

cover with Rice Dream Rice Milk.

Blend. Makes 4 kid size breakfast smoothies.

Other additions: You could add almond or peanut butter, protein powder, Superfood type green powder (I use Greens First), fresh or frozen fruit, yogurt, or kefir instead of rice milk, or Stevia as a calorie free sweetener.