Shameless plug

So this is my full on shameless plug.  But you have to know that:
1. I would NEVER EVER EVER recommend a product I thought was bad.
2. I would NEVER EVER EVER recommend something that was not going to be beneficial for those taking the offer.

So the deal is a few years ago we got new windows in our house. We had wood windows that leaked so bad that it was so cold in the house all winter even with the heater on. When we would have a fire in the fireplace it would actually cool off the house even more since air was then sucked in through all the gaps in the windows. I did go around and add all the window weatherproofing stuff and did all that I could. I re-caulked, I did EVERYTHING I could. I have even put bubble wrap on my windows!!! So we got an estimate for new windows. The sales guy came in and first off handed us a $100 walmart gift card BEFORE the sales pitch. After looking at the windows, and the price, we decided to get them. OH MY GOSH the difference was amazing!!!! So then we had to move for my husbands job. Back to crappy windows we went! A huge hail storm caused us to need to replace the front windows, and let me tell you, they are good, but they are not the same! So we ended up calling the same company again to do our back windows. They are being installed shortly.  I can't wait! No more cold air pouring through the windows!

So how does this benefit you? They have a referral program! For everyone that is referred by us they get $100 walmart gift card. You get that before the sales pitch. If you don't buy, you still keep the card! The benefit for us is we also get $100. So there is something in it for both of us. But seriously who doesn't want $100 to buy groceries, or birthday gifts. If you are not interested the sales pitch takes an hour. So that is $100 an hour pay. If you are interested it will take longer. So if you are interested please let me know and I will refer you. The company is in 18 states. NM, NE, KS, OK, TX, NE, LA, IA, IL, MO, AR, MS,TN, KY, AL,GA, SC, NC.  And you have to be a homeowner.  But that is the only requirement.

If you would like to take part in this offer please register HERE

Superwoman. Umm I think not!

I don't think people know what they are saying often when the begin to speak. I think the idea has formed in the head, but many do not take the time to formulate their sentences in their head enough to make sure they never put their foot in their mouth. I know a few who are very quiet, and you can see the gears turning before they speak. Often they are speaking about a point that was made a few points before. They have been contemplating the information spoken, planned out their statement and then speak. Then well there is me. I joke that I have no filter. You know that tiny thing that stops dumb stuff from going from your brain directly to your mouth. Yha I think mine was made out of cheap plastic and in China. It probably broke about as fast as those dollar store toys. So I do understand that people say things without thinking often however I have noticed a difference. There are those that say something dumb and get red and embarrassed, and there are those that just keep going and don't notice.

I get many many comments when I am out with my children. The most common one is  "Are they all yours?" Honestly I'm very surprised by this one. Each and every time I hear it I really want to say "No. I thought life was not challenging enough so each day I try to run my errands with as many stray children as I can find wandering around my neighborhood before I leave."

Another comment I get quite often is "My you have your hands full." Since moving to the south they now add on "Bless your heart." I am also confused by this one. For anyone that knows me when I am out and about my baby is usually in the ergo. My hands are free. My children practice the buddy system and all hold each others hands. When we shop my kids grab the items off the shelf most the time and put them in the cart. Often they are holding the coupons, the shopping list and sometimes even my purse. I really do have my hands free most the time. So why are they saying my hands are full?  I really don't get it.

Those comments just seem silly, and thoughtless to me. But there is one comment that I get quite often that hurts. It feels like a knife stabbing me. I want to cry each and every time I hear it. I want to cover my children's ears to protect them. My smile fades, my voice dulls, and my joy takes a hard hit. The comment "Oh I could never handle that many children. I can hardly handle my (fill in the blank #) children." I'm sure to those people it is a complement. But to me it is sheer pain.

Was I born different than these people? Did God make me to be supernatural that I'm able to handle 6 kids? Am I just a gluten for punishment? Can I really handle this better than they could?

Are we measured to each other? I just told a friend the other day "Wow. I'm glad I'm not judged against you. Otherwise I would be toast!" We are measured to God's standards not each other. God has a plan for each and every one of us. Right now His plan for me is to be a stay at home mom with 6 children. That is not God's plan for my husband. We each have our own jobs on this earth. Some are to be doctors, lawyers and such. (ok now I'm singing in my head.) Some are to be business people, stay at home moms, some just want to be cowboys. (now I need a new song!)  God has a plan for all of our lives. To look at someone else and judge who they are and put them in a box because of the path God has placed them on is just not fair.

I often get told by people of how hard things are for them to get things done, but then in the same breath tell me how it must be easier for me to do them. I hear from people of how hard homeschooling is and how challenging it is, then in the same breath be told that they are sure I don't have those problems too. I'm not sure where this idea comes from. Am I just so wonderful at everything that it all looks easy?  NOPE! I will be the first to tell you that I don't think I'm wonderful at anything. I see all the areas I fall short on. I see all the crafty people out there making things on pintrest. I see all the hand made cards, and the fresh baked bread, and honestly the wrapped birthday gifts. Yes I said it. My kids get birthday gifts in bags! No not always the pretty kind. We only have the pretty kind if someone gave us a pretty bag and it didn't get ruined from another gift. I will give my kids presents in paper bags, trash bags, and yes even walmart bags! 

It really does feel as if moms of many are often held to a higher standard. People are surprised when we are not on top of things. People are surprised when we procrastinate. People are surprised when we are overwhelmed. When at the grocery store I see the stares when my children touch something they were told not to. I get "the eye". You know the look of disgust I'm talking about.

But they are right. They can't handle 6 kids like I can. They can't homeschool like I can. They can't deal with the same things that I can. Only I can do that. If they were to walk a day in my shoes they would fall flat on their face. 

There is a song I love to sing in the house when I'm feeling a bit stressed and overwhelmed.
"Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin."

This is the only part of the song I sing. It is the only part I need to remember. It is by God's grace that I am able to get up in the morning. It is by God's grace that I am able to get through the day. See I'm a sinner just like the rest. I have yelled, thrown things, disobeyed, been angry, prideful, stolen, cheated, and many more. But God has given me grace for my shortcomings and forgiven me of my sin. I won't ever be perfect. I will always keep working on making myself better. But for now I am who I am and God meets me here.

When someone makes a comment that they can't do something that I am doing it hurts because God is taken out of the equation. They are saying that I am someone that is strong enough to do this all on my own. I know for a fact that when I try to do this on my own I fall flat on my face, and not only do I suffer for it, but my whole family does too! I have done things all on my own power. It is like swimming against the current in a swiftly moving river. Instead with the grace and mercy from God I am able to do all that He has asked of me.

As far as them not being able to handle 6 kids like me of course they can't when they have 2. But when or if they have #3 they will be able to handle it because God will gladly give out the grace that is needed for it. When #4, or 5 or 6 or even 15 come around God will once again dish out some grace. When a trial in life comes along. God is always there to walk you through it if you are willing to have the company. There is never a circumstance that God puts before you that He doesn't also give you the ability to handle. 

I am always so hurt and saddened to think that so many people walk around this world thinking they can't have the next child they desire because 2 children is hard, and they couldn't imagine having more. Grace is dished out when #3 comes along. (Trust me a LOT of grace comes with #3) Or people not homeschooling when they feel it is necessary, or something God has called them to do. Grace comes with each stroke of the pencil or crayon. It hurts to know that so many never fulfill what God has for them because they have not allowed God to give them the grace to handle it. I never want my children to become adults to not get to see all that God has in store for them. Some of my children have come to me with a promise, and I can not wait to see it! But if they listen to these strangers that we encounter how will they ever feel equipped? How will they feel like they can have all the children God puts on their heart? How can they move mountains if they only here how others don't feel like they can do it. I want my children to learn "With Christ all things are possible." I want them to have faith that moves mountains. I want them to not fear what the future holds, but embarrass the will of God even when it seems too big.

So next time when you see someone doing something you don't believe you can remind yourself that you are not in their shoes and God has just given them the grace to be where He has them right now. And if you want to say something to them, tell them how blessed they are. You never know how much it will mean to a mom to hear something sweet while out and about. But I can tell you that it will mean much much more than you will ever know!

Best day ever?

Yesterday Ben got his tooth pulled. We went in for cleanings and have known for a long time that an abscess was starting under his green tooth. He killed that tooth a few weeks before Bekah was born so we didn't know if it had been there since then, or if it was new. We decided to leave it and watch it. So we had been watching it for a year and a half. Then we went in an it had obviously gotten worse. So out the tooth goes. I explained what they were going to do to him and he was great. Just laid there had his tooth pulled, waited for the gas to wear off and out the door we went.

So as any mom would do I tried to make his day a bit easier for a bit. I let him have ice cream for lunch. It was 2 when we got out of the dentist office and they were all starving. Well what are we going to feed Ben? He needs something cold, nothing he has to chew (so that he doesn't bit his tongue or lip). I thought ice cream was a great idea!! Plus for those of you that have seen this boy you know how skinny he is so I do secretly try to plump him up a bit. (It doesn't work)

We went to chick-fil-a for dinner yes he got an ice cream after he finished his food. Then did some much needed shopping. At publix the bagger gave my kids balloons. After that was done we headed over to see Brian and Ella at BB gun practice. While driving to see what happens at practice Ben says "This was the best day ever!" in his most excited voice.

So I guess when you want to do something special for your kids you just need to pull a tooth and give them lots of ice cream and a balloon!

Can you hear that voice over the angry birds?

So I have had a "smart" phone for a long time now. What do I use it for??? I make phone calls and text. Yes I can do that with a regular phone but I wanted to have GPS (cause I get lost all the time!) Then I decided it would be nice to be able to receive my emails on my phone. Then I discovered games that I can play. Today I realized I could use the google RSS feeder on my phone to keep up with some blogs, and a radio program I like to listen to. The possibilities are endless. I found a way to text but instead of texting using my thumbs I speak into the phone and it puts it all down in a text for me. Kinda crazy!!! I can buy things on ebay with my phone, shop on amazon, order food, and even tell what star I am looking at just by pointing the camera at the sky.

So all of this got me thinking. How often do you see children with a phone some as young as 3 years old playing games, listening to music, and watching videos. What are we being conditioned to? Many many young adults now have no idea what it is like to sit and do nothing. I just read a post by someone who while waiting for jury duty was watching a movie on his phone. How many people in todays society can just sit and do nothing? Old men used to sit on porches and just watch the clouds roll by. In 50 years what are the old men going to be doing? Porch chairs and swings will no longer exist.

I am reminded of the bible verse "be still and know that I am God" Psalm 46:10a (I looked up the reference by talking into my phone and it gave me the location of the verse.) In order to hear God we must be still and quiet. I know for me God does not yell at me. It is a small quiet voice. If I am busy and forget to listen I do not hear it. Are we training our children to be still and quiet before the Lord? One of my children asked me the other day why I hear God and she doesn't. I had to explain to her that if she is always talking she can not hear what is being said. Same thing goes for the small quiet voice.

These "smart" phones have made life much easier and convenient. But they have their place. Maybe the battery life wouldn't be so short if we didn't use them for everything and depend on them every moment of our lives. We also need to remember to be still and quiet before the Lord, and to train our children to do the same.

Friendship

What is friendship? I have come to learn that many have different opinions on what friendship is. Webster's 1828 dictionary defines friendship as:

An attachment to a person, proceeding from intimate acquaintance, and a reciprocation of kind offices, or from a favorable opinion of the amiable and respectable qualities of his mind. Friendship differs from benevolence, which is good will to mankind in general, and from that love which springs from animal appetite. True friendship is a noble and virtuous attachment, springing from a pure source, a respect for worth or amiable qualities. False friendship may subsist between bad men, as between thieves and pirates. This is a temporary attachment springing from interest, and may change in a moment to enmity and rancor.

How many of us have friendships that are like the thieves and pirates? Are our friendships just there when it is convenient, comfortable, or of our benefit? In todays world we have social websites where we can connect with people from the past, present, and make future friends. How much of these sites are really looking for the spot to fill our gossip jars? Someone I know put her status message as "good morning stalkers" due to the feeling of being watched by so many however few talk, and engage as a true friend would. How often do we log on to these sites just to see what is going on with someone else? What are posting these status messages about?

Another aspect of a friendship is to be there for each other in a time of need. When a friend is going through a hard spot in life, whether it is something that you can relate to or not we should be there as a support, and if you don't know what to say to them you can always ask "What do I need to say? What can I do."

As christians we are to have fellowship with each other. We are to gather as like minded christians and encourage one another. When was the last time you went up to someone at church you didn't know and introduced yourself, and even went as far as to invite them over for lunch? Who knows what that person may be going through. Maybe inviting them over for lunch will make their year!

A friend is someone you know you can trust to be there for you when life gets hard. When you are struggling with your place in God's plan, your inner thoughts, your inner struggles. Someone that you know will grieve with you when you are grieving, and laugh with you when you laugh. Are you that type of friend to someone? Do you grieve when your friends grieve, do you laugh when your friends laugh, do you get on your knees and thank God for the people He has put in your life? Do you pray for these friends as if you were praying for yourself?

God has blessed all of us with friends in our lives. Friends are there to encourage, build up, love and watch out for one another. Again I ask are you that type of friend to someone?

Religion Vs. Relationship

Did you know the bible calls us to be modest? Not just in our clothing but in our conversations and behaviors also. Did you know that just because you wear long skirts, you are not more holy than the next person? (No I'm not saying long skirts are bad) Yes the God has rules for how we should act, speak, and dress however if you are doing everything to the T but missing the personal relationship then all of your efforts are in vain. Without praying, searching out who God is, searching the heart of Jesus and knowing more about Him you are not going to get anywhere fast. Jesus said in order to know the difference between a Christian and a fake you need to look at their fruit. Ok no we are not trees, you can not pick cherries off our fingers but the fruit of our lives. You can take that literally and say their children, or you can look at it and say their behaviors and attitudes. If you are living your life for Jesus there are things you will not be doing. One of them would be dressing like a hoochie mama. (I have no idea if I spelled that one right. It doesn't seem to be in my spell check. Ha ha) Another would be lying, or stealing.

Children as fruit: You can tell a lot about how people parent by watching their children for 5 min. One thing is small children have not learned to control their tongues so things just come out. Second I firmly believe that a child will only get away with what the parent allows. I'm not saying the child will only do things that they are allowed I am saying they will only "get away with what they are allowed". If you tell a child they can not have something and they right away end up in a melted pile of mush on the ground screaming and yelling it is obvious that the parent has allowed it. Of course when this happens in public the parent is embarrassed. But what if the parent at home does not allow that behavior. The first time that child displays that type of behavior if the parent deals with it swiftly and sternly there is a greater chance of it not happening in public. I have a very strict rule in my home. It is "if it is not cute when they are 15 then it is never cute". Things like playing with food, jumping on furniture or throwing a fit. You can not allow it then suddenly ohh you are 5 now you can't do that anymore. It is much wiser to just never allow bad behavior. Ok sorry tangent. Back to fruit. If you children are obedient, helpful, respectful, and caring your "fruit" is something that will show others where your heart is. If your "fruit" is destroying things, hurting others and being a pain all the time then it is showing how you parent and the fruit is just not there.

If you are reading your bible, searching for the true heart of God, all of the fruit comes. You don't have to do anything to impress others, or try to make them believe you are holy. When you die God is not going to ask your friends if you were holy or not. HE KNOWS!!! Someone I know became a Christian a few months ago. One of her prayers were "God I'm not going to change your going to have to change me." When she told me this I laughed so hard. That is what a Christian is, someone who changes from being a part of this world in to someone more like God. Since that prayer this person has changed soooo much!!! HUGE leaps and bounds. When you seek Him you become more like Him. You will start to dislike things of this world that previously didn't bother you. If God tells you to only wear long skirts fine but don't just do it because you think you are closer to God for it.

(Yes I'm picking on the long skirts however I mean no harm they are not bad they are just my example. I do wear long skirts most of the time. They are very comfortable, and many grow with the ever changing belly every year or so!!)

We have had some big things happen in the last month or so. A child we knew something was wrong with but couldn't figure out what because she was smart, and all the behaviors didn't seem to add up has been diagnosed autistic. We are waiting on a appointment with a specialist to hopefully learn what we can do to help her function better, and help her learn easier.

We switched every bedroom in our house around! My craft room is still feeling the pain from this venture. I have many things that still need a home but God will have to provide the time to do that later, right now does not seem to be the right time.

After 14 years I found family I had been looking for. We are pretty sure of what I thought. Now we are just waiting for the DNA test results. (Did you know you can buy DNA tests at Walgreens?) This in itself has been interesting. Introducing new family after 31 years is interesting. Don't bother asking me how I feel about it cause I honestly don't know. Right now I'm just rolling with it.

The baby is crawling, waving, saying ma ma and da da. Today she got herself "stuck" again. However for the first time she crawled backwards to get herself out. She also figured out how to crawl onto the bottom part of the end table. She loves to chase people around in her walker. I think her favorite part is running over our toes!!! I don't think anyone is ever ready for a crawling baby. Crawling will soon mean walking. She is already doing good at holding fingers and walking. Her first teeth seem to be getting close to emerging also. I can't believe how fast she is growing up.

Yesterday my girls woke up all itchy. There were lots of bumps all over their legs. Especially in the back of the knee. We watched the bumps all day and by bedtime there were twice as many. They have the chicken pox! I have no idea where they got it from. My boys seem fine. The baby doesn't have any spots, but has been fussy. I can't tell if it is teething, or she doesn't feel good. We will be having a pox party for any and all that would like to attend. The little boy came down the stairs asking the girls "Where is the chicken pox. Give me the chicken pox!"

Last night one of my girls woke up "starving" so she made herself some bread and peanut butter. I stayed up with her and I cut up some cantaloupe while I waited for her to be ready for bed again. Then she told me she wanted to do her spelling. It was 2 am!! I informed her it could wait till morning. But she had it in her head that she HAD to do her spelling. After trying to explain it to her I could see that it was more of an internal "I have to do my spelling now" than a I want. So she did her spelling. 20 min and about 50 yawns later we were off to bed again only for it to be time to nurse the baby. I'm beginning to believe that sleep is not actualy necessary for moms. We somehow seem to have a superhuman ability to stay awake long hours, and somehow function the rest of the day. I did have an idea today. If I just tape my eyes open my children will actually think that I am fully awake!

So that is just a small update on our crazy family. In the middle of lots of changes, stressful times, and just plain crazy we are enjoying each other as a family. Playing together doing chores together, and learning together. I think the together part is the most important part. I'm off to go make some food! Food is just as good as sleep right??? =)