My Important Stuff

There is a little shelf beside my bed that has my important stuff on it. My family recently moved to a new house so I have been thinking about what things are most important to me. A stuffed animal moose and a camping nightlight moose remind me of Alaska where I went on a mission trip that brought me closer to God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.

A little heart that reads, Always My Mother, Forever my FRIEND. My mom read different ones to my 5-year-old daughter at the store and picked this one out for me. It truly is my prayer that my kids will grow up and see me as someone who is their friend.

The footprint painting is a surprise find that was lost in our old house but my super awesome landlords/friends found and returned to me. On it are the footprints of our five oldest kids and it reminds me of my JOB and my kids. My mom job is the biggest, scariest, most awesome and most important job ever.

One book on my shelf is “14,000 things to be happy about.” It is just a quirky book that I bought a long long time ago that so me! Also on my shelf are the books, A Christian Mother Goose Rock-A-Bye Bible, Tuesdays with Morrie, and Many Ways to Say I Love You by Fred Rogers. My little prayer jounal with Bible verses, prayers, and quotes that I have been hiding in my heart is sitting on my Bible.

Another lost and found treasure is a plastic license plate that reads “Smile God Loves You!” My family got it for my grandparents who had displayed it in their kitchen years and years ago. I kept it after my Grandma went to the nursing home and now that both of them have gone to eternity in heaven it is a little thing that remind me of the BIG TRUTH that they helped me learn: God Loves Me and everyone else too!

I keep a little album of photos of my grandparents by my bed. The other day was 16 years since my Grandpa has been gone and though I miss my grandparents so much I celebrate that they are with Jesus! Photos are priceless memories!

My stuffed animal purple turtle that my husband let the kids pick out me because they know my favorite color and my favorite animal! James was pretty surprised to find it because they knew what they wanted to get me! a purple turtle! It reminds me that they do love me (even if it sometimes seems like they are just trying to make me crazy)! An Ewok from my sister who knows I love Star Wars. A Precious Moments white porcelain cross that was our wedding cake topper, and a plaque with part of the Footprints poem are on the bottom shelf. They are symbols of my two best friends my James, and my Jesus.

The shelf itself was made by my husband’s late great-grandfather. He loved his family and he loved to make useful things for his family.

It is hard work to unpack and organize after a move. It has made think about what is most important to me and why it is important!

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Tomato Soup

With 4 out of 8 kids recovering from a stomach bug I opted for a super simple dinner.  I suggested soup, and even one of the kids who hasn’t been sick wanted chicken noodle soup. I suggested sandwiches to a healthy kid and the kid was not impressed. All of the things he wanted required extra cooking and time. I went to the pantry and looked for other options and found one single serving microwavable tomato soup cans and offered that to the healthy kid. The tomato soup was approved. Sandwiches and soup were prepared and dinner was served. After the kids prayed, one of the sick kids said to me, “Thank you for making supper.”  The healthy kid flashed a big grin at me. It made me feel like the best mom ever just because the kid was so thankful for the tomato soup.

I am happy that I could make my kid happy by heating up some tomato soup. It seemed like a very small thing to me, but it was a big thing to the kid. You never know how the things you say or do no matter how big or small affect those around you!

I am happy to report that no one has been sick since early this morning and everyone seems to be feeling better! We are so thankful for the prayers of our friends and family!

Show Me Your Mess

Miss A, in regular 2-year-old fashion, has been a little mess maker today!

Earlier today she came up to me showing me that the palms of both her hands were covered in black.  At first I didn’t know what she had used to mark on her hands.  I was very relieved to discover that she had used a washable marker and it washed off without any issue.

After dinner she decided to unroll a whole bunch of toilet paper. I started to make her throw it away, but instead I sat and took the time to roll it back up. It was a lot more toilet paper than I thought it was!

I may not mark up my hands or unravel the toilet paper just for fun, but sometimes I  make a pretty fantastic mess of things. I am not always loving and caring. Plain and simple sometimes I just do the wrong thing. In the middle of my mess I can go to my God and show him my “messes,” and He forgives me and cleans me up . . . but I have to show him my mess first!

It’s a Good God Thing

When James and I were going to get married, I bought the first wedding dress that I tried on. I tried on another just to make sure that first dress was the dress for me!

When James and I needed to find a bigger house to live in we only had two little boys. God led us to the first and only house that we would look at and we’ve lived here for over 8 years.

When James and I felt led to find a different church to attend, God led us to the first and only church that we visited and we’ve gone there for over three years.

James and I need to move to a new house. Our landlords are selling the house because they need to move out-of-state to be closer to family. I did a lot of searching for houses and very few people even responded to my messages or phone calls.  Most rentals in our college town are August to August leases and we need to move by July 1. God led us to the perfect house for us and it was the first and only house that we looked at, from friends, in a neighborhood that we like where most of people on our block are related to our friends who are also our neighbors!

Our dryer recently died and that same day loaded all the kids up and went to pick out a new dryer. The first one we picked out had a door that could be reversed. That one was not in stock so we picked out a second dryer. When the guy helping us went back to look for the only one in stock he couldn’t find it, so we ended up picking a third one. Each dryer was more expensive than the first but we only were charged the price of the first dryer!

Remember how the first dryer’s door could be reversed?  I thought it was a real bummer when James realized that the door cannot be reversed on the dryer we got!  BUT . . . At the new house the dryer will be on the opposite side of the laundry room AND the dryer door will be on the right side! How about that for God being in the details.

God is in the big things and in the small things and in absolutely everything . . . keep looking up!

Looking Up

While walking through the woods I often pause to look up at how the sunlight streams through the leaves above. I can’t remember when I started doing this, but it’s a long-loved habit of mine. The TRUTH for life is this . . . If you stop to literally and figuratively “look up,” you will see that God’s light shines on everything.

I connected with another homeschooling mom who is from Indiana and has 10 children because she authors some homeschool books that I use with my kids. Amazingly, she makes enough money from her book sales that her husband is able to be home full-time and they do missionary work in the Ukraine. I secretly thought it would be wonderful if there was some way that my husband could be home full-time too, but I didn’t tell a soul about it. I thought it was impossible, but nothing is impossible for God!

My husband’s new job as a historian/archeologist allows him just that . . . He works from home! Not only that but he got a significant pay increase, he’s salary, and he has unlimited paid time off and vacation days. The other benefits he has are too many to list.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:21

God is so good and I cannot thank Him enough for how he has provided for me and for my family!

The Final Week before BB-8

Hooray! My due date is now only seven days away!

grand multiparity n. the condition of a woman who has had five or more previous pregnancies.  This means my pregnancy is considered high risk, but I really haven’t had many complications!

One fun fact are that babies of “moms of many” sometimes don’t get into birthing position until labor starts. The other day I had an ultrasound just to check to see if my little one is head down. She is head down but not dropping so all the contractions that I’ve been having aren’t productive in changing my cervix. Did I mention that I believe Braxton-Hicks contractions are evil?

Another not so fun thing is that I have lots of Braxton-Hicks contractions and they get worse with every baby. This week I had three days in a row of misery where I couldn’t get the contractions to stop. Thankfully I’ve been given a couple of days break from them, but I know very well that this is just the calm before the storm!

I’m trying for a VBAC delivery, because #7 was breech I had to have a surprise C-section, but chances are a VBAC will go off without a hitch!

We’re ready and waiting!!! My bag is packed. The car seat is ready and the tiny clothes are washed and put away.  Now if only we can find the “safe place” where I put the Pack ‘N Play bassinet!

Counting Down To BB-8

My 8th baby is due in about 25 days! I’m pretty confident that this little one will be like all of her other siblings and come pretty close to her due guess date because that is how they roll! Here’s an update on how I’m doing!

     My carpal tunnel and swelling this time are almost absent this time around. I had some carpal tunnel earlier but it’s gone now and I am so thankful!
Everything gives me heartburn and I mean everything . . . including water and not eating! It is completely ridiculous! I ran out of Tums the other day and I thought I was going to die from the fire in my esophagus.

I’ve had to completely change how I sleep! If I sleep lying down (even with a pillow between my knees) and then try to get up I feel like my pelvis is going to break in half. Thank you body by babies!  I sleep sitting up in bed with 2 pillows behind me, a pillow under my right hip, and a pillow under my belly.

The Braxton-Hicks or “practice contractions” have started up and they range from being mildly annoying to being just a little bit painful. I am pretty sure they have gotten worse every pregnancy, but yeah for pregnancy amnesia!

Taking seven kids out and about to run errands and getting in and out of a 12 passenger van is an adventure of its own even when I’m not “great with child,” but I can still do it!  I enlist my helpers to carry the littlest sister and help get her in and out of her car seat. My hubby has been great about doing the majority of the grocery shopping so I don’t have to.

My wardrobe is shrinking because my baby is still growing, but I know how this story goes . . . I’m going lose quite a bit of weight on baby day and then my wardrobe won’t be so bad!  Stretchy pants are my friend!

We are super excited to add BB-8 to our family!  Thanks for checking in on us and for your thoughts and prayers!