The Price is Right

Time, Time, where are you???

2011-11-29T15:24:00.001-05:00

I can't believe how fast time flies. Here's a synopsis of what's happened in the past TWO and a HALF months. I'm such a slacker....
We flew to Tampa to visit Nana and Papa the first of October. WORTH EVERY PENNY! Even though I was a basket case. I'm not too fond of flying to begin with, then there's getting everyone through security, and entertianing them on the flight. But the kids did fantastic. We visited Disney world. I think another year or two may prove to be a bit easier with the 3 kids. Strollers, food, first aid kit, change of clothes....you name it, we had it. And it was exhausting! I'm not a fan of crowds. But apparently, it wasn't crowded when we were there....could have fooled me :) It's almost too much to squeeze into one day. Kind of overwhelming even for adults. The girls loved the princesses. And Caleb loved the buzz lightyear ride. Space mountain wasn't working, swiss family robinson tree house was closed, and the pooh bear ride stopped in the middle of the ride and we had to be escorted and walk back to the entrance. Next year I hope it's all open. And they closed early for a halloween party, so we didn't see the parade.

Halloween was good. Faith was a barbie, selah a fairy and caleb bubbaphet (or however you spell it). We were going to go to a party at a church, but it got rained out. So we carved a pumpkin, and when the rain let up, we went around to a few houses. I also toasted pumpkin seeds for the first time. YUM.

A couple weekends ago, mom watched the kids for the weekend while Daniel and I went to Asheville. I think every 6 months I need to go there. It does me good. We have our yearly passes to biltmore. And what we love best is the hiking, and local restaurants. This trip proved to be something else though. My sweet mom made us take her car (if you know her, you know she goes above and beyond in the giving department. She got it honest, you should meet my granny :) We were so excited about hiking an almost 11 mile trail up mt. mitchell. We knew we had to start early. The point where we started was 45 minutes from the hotel. We're riding along the blueridge parkway and Bam! The road's closed. No detour signs, no nothing. And where we needed to be was only a few miles up that CLOSED road. Daniel put a detour in the GPS...and we started going up a mountain...with gravel roads...only to get to the top and..you guessed it....road closed. We could literally see the road we needed to be on past that closed road. Then we had to turn around on a narrow "road" on the side of a mountain. Fast forward a few hours.....and more gravel roads-----we get a flat tire. No cell phone service to call AAA. No houses. But by God I'm going to go up Mt. Mitchell! We stop by a Christmas tree farm. Thank God we did. He told us the 3rd alternate route we were on ended up on another closed road. After FOUR hours, we finally arrived at Mt Mitchell. Although we were too late to go on the original trail, so we opted for a 5 mile round trip trail. AWESOME, awesome, awesome. And VERY difficult. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but with the ice, and grabbing onto rocks to climb up, I gasping for air. There were signs posted about the bear activity this year. Initially I was scared to death. But with my husbands skills ;) I decided I wouldn't let fear keep me from what I wanted to do. It smelled glorious....like fresh clean air and christmas trees. I could move to Asheville. Or at least have a little cabin in the woods (I've already started looking....you know for when my ship comes in). The trip was just what I needed even though it was quite the adventure.

Thanksgiving was great. Except we were all getting over being sick. Caleb and I had stomach bugs, then nasty colds, Faith and Selah just had nasty colds. We had breakfast with santa earlier in the month. And Buddy the Elf on the Shelf is here for the first time. Granny got us a mailbox for the north pole. So caleb and faith have been mailing santa letters. He's been writing back. So they are elated.
School is good. Our co-op is done until January, but we're still doing reading, phonics and math daily with some classical conversations review. Caleb can read now, and I still can't believe it.
Whew, ok I must go decorate yet another tree!

Happenings

2011-09-17T15:12:00.000-04:00

Here are some things that have been happening around here...Caleb had his first game and scored a goal. They tied 2:2 with the other team. Faith started gymnastics, and as bad as I hate to admit it, it fits her perfectly. She's always had a little gymnast body. Selah is so stinkin cute. Maybe I think this because she's my last baby. But she is hilarious. She sits in the van and tells jokes that nobody listens to...then shouts out " I'm so funny!!!!" It never fails, I go in to check on the kids every night, and when I check on selah and pray for her, she just looks up smiling..every time. And I've never met a more affectionate child. All of our kids love to show affection. I hope they're always like that. Pretend play is huge in this house. The kids (when in a good mood), will disappear for hours upstairs playing church, school, swimming, soccer. Selah has been "natalie" lately. And I'm not allowed to carry her anymore because she is a "mommy". Today Faith and Selah had their microphones (well one was a maraca). They were fighting over who got to be Ms. Jess. They were pretending to sing on sunday morning at worship practice and kept yelling "check 1,2,3". Grandmom also got them cd players for their rooms for roomtime. They were trying to use their radios on their alarm clock, and let's just say some of the stations that could come through weren't so wholesome. I have a whole box of cd for kids and they get to choose one whenever they want. So you can imagine what it's like when caleb and faith are blasting their cd's. Caleb has a friend next door that comes over often. I don't know his family's religious stance, but I'm sure he went home singing the song caleb played over and over a few nights ago saying 'YOU must be born again". And who knew my kids would like art? If I give them markers, crayons and construction paper, I can get lots of free time. Every chance they get they want to make a card or a map of some sort. They did not get this artistic gene from myself. And puzzles, good gracious. They love them. Again, this came from Grandmom. I never liked puzzles. And baby dolls! Caleb brought me an arm full of babies. He had taken off the "girl clothes" and told me they were now his brothers. He put them all in a drawer in his room. It's amazing to watch them all with babies. So crazy. They support the babies neck, they sit them where the baby can see things going on. Caleb went dove hunting for the first time with Daniel on Labor Day. He sat there ALL day and didn't complain a bit. He fetched the doves and brought them back. He had a walkie talkie and when he got to one that was still flappin on the ground, he called out in his thing "Hey dad...I don't think you quite got this one".So here's the recap of the past few weeks. Honestly, time is moving at warp speed. I remember getting so bored when the kids were real little. I thought we'd never have a full schedule. Whew. I'm not sure what I'm going to do when we have 3 doing school, soccer, and gymnastics or music. My life is over until I'm 46 and have an empty nest. Dang, that's still young. Maybe my life will be just beginning :) Who am I kidding? I'll probably be crying in my coffee every morning when that happens...just wishing I could take care of somebody. But at least I won't have to spend a saturday in the freezing rain watching a soccer game....at least not until grandkids!!

Classical Conversations

2011-08-28T21:30:00.002-04:00

Friday was Caleb's first day of Classical Conversations. People seem to be a bit confused about the whole homeschooling thing we're doing. Basically, we pay to be in classical conversations. On Fridays, I go to class with Caleb. He has 5 other boys in class with him. His tutor goes over everything that I will go over with him the following week. Then I repeat the rest of the week what the tutor teaches him on Friday. This past week we learned 5 states/capitals, Learned about Columbus and the nina, pinta and santa maria,learned skip counting,studied 4 types of tissue, did a science project, an art project and learned what artists use to draw,learned some latin. Learned some grammar, and more stuff that I can't think of right now. I had a head ache the rest of the day. This lasts until 12:00 then we all have lunch together (there are a ton of classes going on at the same time, so at lunch we're all able to come together), then the kids play on the playground.When Caleb gets older, class will resume after lunch. But for now, it's lasts until 12pm.
We pay to have Faith and Selah in the nursery/preschool class right there down the hall. Next year, Faith will also start school. There are 3 cycles to classical conversations. Each year, they do a cycle. So by the time they're in middle school, they would have done each cycle at least twice (assuming they started in kindergarten).So we'll all be on the same cycle. But when I teach them math and reading (because it's not taught by the tutor), I'll have to break it down into grade levels. There are no tests. At the end of the year, there will be an evaluation to see how much they know that is done by someone who has the credentials to do so. But I don't have to register Caleb for school until he's 7. Then I will have to provide a name for our school. Which I think is going to be "The Price Academy. Where our children's education is priceless"...haaaa! I made that cheesey line up!
Daniel was able to attend class with us this time. He wanted to be able to be there on Caleb's first day. And I also think he wanted to see where all his money is going! ha!!! I keep reminding him that yes, it costs money, but for the year it pretty much adds up to be just a months tuition at a private school. I think he was impressed at what was taught. I know I was. Geez, I couldn't even remember a few of the capitals!
Caleb had a great time. Every week he'll stand in front of the class and bring something he wants to talk about to the class. I love the way they promote public speaking. Eventually when he's older it will be presentations, reports, etc. I was so proud of him. He listened, he obeyed. I was beaming. And when the tutor asked if anyone knew what state we lived in, Caleb shot up his hand and shouted out "CAROLINA CHAPEL!" I thought I was going to pass out laughing. There is no question he is the child of parents who are part of a church plant!

A Day at the Beach

2011-08-21T21:27:00.003-04:00

We seem to be last minute people for planning little trips. We hadn't been to the beach at all this summer. So we decided this past Saturday would likely be our only chance since soccer games start next Saturday. So on Thurs. we decided on Saturday we would go to the beach for just the day. We thought about staying Friday night, but the prices for hotels were crazy. And honestly, it's just easier to not have to pack overnight stuff....even if it does mean driving home feeling nasty.

So at 8:30am we were all packed....chairs, lunches, snacks, towels. And..nothing. My van was dead. Daniel jumped it and we stopped by autozone on the way out of town. It was the battery--which was replaced fairly quickly I must say. Daniel knew exactly where we were going. He decided on Ft. Fisher since he had read good reviews about their public restroom, parking, showers, etc. He knows I'm not too fond of sand. I need it off asap. The trip down wasn't too bad. Way too many pee breaks..but when you have 3 little bladders and a mommy bladder, that's just how it's going to be I guess. Selah shares my sand hatred. I've tried to be a care free beach babe. Really. I have. But I just don't like the feel of sand in my crack and the sticky air that turns my hair into a bee hive. I don't consider that relaxing. I'd rather be in a hamock in the crisp mountain air listening to a stream..or hiking. I try not to let it show. I don't want my kids to be influenced by my opinions. But Selah from the get go cried "hold me, hold me". After a while of sitting..and napping (she didn't really nap, but she said she'd rather nap than be in the sand and water), she played some in the sand. But she would not even get her feet wet. OH and did I mention there was a shark bite at that exact beach the day before? We were able to shower off outside after waiting in line. The water was freezing and with weirdos standing there watching you shower off looking at you like you're in that herbal essence commercial, was enough to do me in. I didn't even go in the bathroom to change mine or the girls clothes since it was so hot in there and the line was so long. So we changed in the van. And of course, someone pulls into the space beside us as I'm changing. Daniel starts pulling out of our space with me on the floor of the van trying to get dressed.

We ate some seafood for dinner and headed back. Selah had to poop....at a gas station. ughhhh! By this point, I was so ready to be back in Wake County. But we made it. It's so nice to be in this stage. No bottles, baby food, every one potty trained. ahhhh. Now Daniel talks about wanting a house at the beach. After all, his office is in Wilmington. I'm still hoping for a house in the mountains instead. Guess it doesn't hurt to dream.

Fieldtrip

2011-08-16T20:32:00.002-04:00

When I looked at the weather yesterday morning, I decided today was going to be the perfect zoo day. We went back in feb (daniel included). We ended up getting a year's pass since it was only $10 extra dollars or something crazy like that. So I decided what the heck..it's already paid for. Daniel couldn't break away from work, and a friend of mine already went last week. We were going to go with her, but it was short notice and hot that day. Many friends already started school, so this left me...and the kids..as in just me and the kids. We doubled up on our math and phonics yesterday and counted today as a fieldtrip. We pulled out of the driveway around 9:15 for our 1.5 hour drive with everything under the sun packed. I've almost got it down to a science. Lunches, snacks, pull ups, hand sanitizer, water,emergency kit with band aids, neosporin and tylenol, Changes of clothes for all the kids, a towel (not sure why I packed that..but you never know), sunscreen. All nice and neat in my bag. Yes all of this went inside the zoo. I decided to rent a double stroller from there. BEST $9 EVER!! Problem was, my big bag. But we improvised and by half way through, all 3 kids were in the stroller and my bag was on top of the canopy of the stroller. HILLBILLIES. We started in Africa, went to North America and then walked all the way back through the whole thing. A total of exactly 6 miles and 806 calories in a litle over 4 hours---I wore my gps watch with heart rate monitor. I'm a geek like that. We also saw the Dora/Diego 4d mini show complete with water shooting us in the face and a crazy moving chair..oh and the super cool glasses.
And no accidents from Selah! Do I dare say she's daytime potty trained??? That was so easy. When she decides she wants to do something, she'll do it. But not before then. Stubborn thing.
Caleb and Selah fell asleep on the way home..which never happens. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw Caleb asleep. All in all great day. Actually Perfect day. Thank you God for opportunites to spend time with my kids having fun and learning. My mom says my kids are the most cultured kids she knows. I'm not sure about that. The truth is their Mama is kind of like a firecracker...or maybe a bomb...that can't sit still, so the kids have no choice but to go along for the ride!

Summer Adventures

2011-08-11T21:38:00.003-04:00

We have been busy as bees this summer. The kids did 3 VBS's. Yes you read that correctly. They were phenomenal. We also purchased 5 camp days at the little gym, and we spread them out so they went once a week. Selah wasn't old enough to do any of this. But next year....:))))) I'll have time ALONE! Although it was nice to have one on one time with her. We had playdates at the pool, free movie days at the cultural arts center, festivals, etc. I've said it a zillion times, but I can't think of anywhere else I'd want to raise my kids. There is so much to do here, yet it doesn't feel like a huge city. Everytime I turn around there are festivals with free everything..food, bouncy houses, snow cones. I love this community. Good thing this is where we're helping plant a church :) It would bite if I hated it here! We were going to do a week of Y day camp, but the kids didn't seem enthused about it, and it's kind of pricey...especially if you have more than 1 kid. I've been busy on the zumba dance team at the Y and I thought about getting my group fitness certification. But I just don't see how I could squeeze that in right now. If the kids were going off the school, I'd totally be in.

Plans for the fall include a day at the Great wolfe lodge with some friends thanks to a crazy coupon ($5 a kid), a trip to the zoo at some point, the museum of life and science in durham, soccer, more monkey joes and bounce U, and maybe a trip to see Nana and Papa in Tampa. I will need drugs for this trip. I can't stand to ride that far alone even without kids. You add kids to it, and I'm done 15 minutes in. Not to mention the "are we there yet? How many more minutes? questions come up 12 times on the way to my moms..and she lives 45 minutes away. I'm praying to search craigslist and find airline tickets for $25/a piece! Yeah right. But that has it's own challenges too. Let's face it, when you have a 2 1/2, 4 and 5 year old, going anywhere overnight is mission impossible. Although it will be fun once we get there..until we have to drive back.
And Christmas will be here before we know it....and it starts all over again =)

9 months?!?

2011-08-11T21:15:00.004-04:00

Seriously, I haven't documented anything for the kids to read one day in 9 months???? How did this happen? Now I have to give a quick version. I hate sitting down doing this...honestly. I'm making myself so I'll they'll have something to remember their childhood by. Ok..this may take a few posts....

Christmas 10-best Christmas ever. It snowed the day after. Grandmom spoiled the kids completely rotten on Christmas eve and Santa arrived with a modest 3 gifts each. Kids were amazed and completely happy.

Jan--Selah turned 2. She was sick at her party at the house. But still really cute. Dora was the star. Nana made it from Florida.

Feb--found out we had to move quickly. Had not planed on it, but the house we leased was going into foreclosure. God provided a better house in a subdivion I wanted in the first place..for the exact same rent. AWESOME!

Daniel also went full time with harvester gear..after working that part time along with selling stone. BEST JOB EVER!!! He works from home. He travels, but not much. So he's here for bfast, lunch and dinner :) Initially that was hard to adjust to. I'm the type that needs space for my own little routines. So some days, he'll work from panera so I can meddle around the house and so I don't have to keep the kids quiet for him to talk on the phone. The kids and I are gone every morning to the Y until lunch. Then it's lunch and naptime for Selah. And school and room time for caleb and faith. So it works out pretty well for daniel to get some sort of quiet.

April-I turned 30. Daniel and I went to the Biltmore ALONE and had a grand time complete with hiking..alot. I love the mountains. Oh and Biltmore was nice too. Oh yeah, and I got a nose ring.

May-Caleb turned 5. He had his first "real" bday party at Bounce U complete with a slew of kids--24 I think.

July- Faith turned 4. She had a bday party at the house with her best friend, some neighbors, and of course Harrison and Jackson :)Went to fireworks on her bday. She thinks they're just for her.

August 9th-daniel and I celebrated 9 years of marriage. Mom kept the kids at her place and we went to dinner and a movie. We haven't been to a movie since we dated. Seriously.The next morning, we went out to breakfast. The last time we did that was so long ago, I don't even remember.

August 10th-Caleb started soccer-and daniel's the coach. This is too cute!

August 11th--first day of kindergarten. I do realize I'm homeschooling..but I still cry. We don't actually start our co-op with classical conversations until August 27th, but I went ahead and started the math, phonics,science and some of the stuff in classical. I also taught faith preschool at the same time..which was challenging. But I'm glad I just got it over with. It's always not as hard as you psych yourself up for it to be. Caleb is almost halfway through how to teach your child to read in 100 easy lessons. We started a few months back. And I can't believe how well he's doing. And it looks like I may have gotten the "too easy" cirriculum for math. I have a feeling we'll be through the book by Christmas. What can I say? He takes after his father. I still can't believe I'm actually doing this. We've planned on the whole homeschool thing since before the kids were born, and I've chickened out at least 95 times already-before I even started. I even thought of going back to work so we could put them in a great (and expensive!) private school, but it didn't make sense. And now I finally feel a peace about it. Talk to me next week to see if it's still there!

I'll have to fill in the "in betweens" another time. At least this is a start.

One More Thing

2010-12-22T16:08:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to add that we seriously have one of the most humble pastors on the planet. I hate kiss ups. And therefore, I do not give compliments unless absoloutely true. So if you or anyone know of anyone looking for a church home, send them to www.carolinachapel.com It's an authentic place with authentic people. Ok now back to your regularly scheduled program.

RADICAL

2010-12-22T14:59:00.003-05:00

I've just finished reading a book that a few of my friends suggested that I read. It came with a warning from them. The warning was: it will wreck you. Within the first 6 pages, I was all over the place. This is a must read on how to take back your faith from the American dream. The book is called Radical and it's by David Platt. It's one of the most on target books I've read since Crazy Love and Forgotten Love by Francis Chan. I've grown so tired of church as usual. Of the fakiness. Of Pastors saying "let's give it all for the glory of God" as they wear $150 jeans on stage. I'm not saying the jeans are sinful, but it's when they're paired with hypocrasy that it makes me want to hurl. It's so easy to get caught up in the stuff...after all, isn't that the American Dream? My house, my kids, my savings acct, my future, my vacation, my car, my clothes, my ipad, ipod, iphone, and my $120 highlights that I get every 6 weeks. (ok that's not I as in "Me" just for the record. I used boxed color:) Then we try to make ourselves feel better by substituting "our" for "I". Then it's all about just my little family right here. Meanwhile there are millions of people dying of preventable disease and starvation at the very moment that we're sitting in our million dollar church building in a tizzy because our fog machine isn't working and the video that is supposed to be played during the offering is on the fritz. And let's not forget about the watered down message because Jesus was all loving and soft spoken..so we don't want to offened anybody. Let's not give the holy spirit any room at all to convict. Sorry people, but Jesus was loving AND he told people if they wanted to follow him than they better get on it. Let someone else bury your father. And by the way, not "if" but "when" your persecuted. Jesus actually made it very easy to say "forget it. why would I want to follow you? Persecution, rewards in eternity? Forget it. That sounds like too much trouble." But they knew, like we do today as well, that it's worth every second to pick up our cross daily and follow Him. And if satan isn't after you, than you're not a threat. I've seen radical giving and a humble lifestyle lived out by my grandparents and my mom. From the time I was 5, I would see my Papa fold a $20 bill up tiny so it fit in the palm of his hand. He'd stick it there and when he shook hands with someone that he knew needed it, they had no choice other than to receive it. I saw this happend more times that I can count. I've seen my Granny get a compliment on her earrings, and take them off right then and there and give them away. They were not rich at all by the world's standards. But they knew that if they lived a modest lifestyle, put God first, and gave radically, that God would ALWAYS take care of them. My mom is the same way. She wouldn't want anyone to know this, but she had a car for sale (that was paid for). And God told her to give it to a ministry. And she did. That simple. One of the most giving people I know. They don't sink all their money into houses, and cars and stuff. They live in a way where when God says to give, they give. That simple. My prayer is that I follow in their footsteps. After all, We are commanded to take care of the poor. And I have to answer to God about where my money and time were spent.

Seasons

2010-11-02T15:00:00.002-04:00

I've always been partial to warm weather...especially since having kids. Just the idea of all the layers, the carseats, the fear of catching something at the church nursery..you get the point. But recently, I have started to appreciate the seasons. Each one is different. And I'm happy I get to experience them all. And now since my kids are getting older, I don't worry about germs as much, and they're easier to "transport". The whole season thing made me think of life seasons. I would say I'm shifting into a new one. I spent quite a while in the baby season. It didn't let up one bit. Most "normal" people wait 2-4 years between their kids. For the parents sake, that's the best plan. But we wanted our kids close...to be able to see them become close friends, to play sports together, to be in the same class sometimes, etc. In theory, it sounds pretty easy. But in reality....woooo! I get tired just typing about it. When Caleb was 13 months old, faith was born. Caleb was still a baby. He couldn't help me do ANYTHING! But 2 actually were pretty managable once I got into the groove. Then when Caleb was 2 yrs 9 months, Faith was 18 months, Selah was born. And a surprise. So this really threw me for a loop. There are only 2 of my hands and 2 parents. And everyone still in diapers. I didn't realize how crazy it was until I look back on it. It was seriously survivor mode. I didn't want to burden anyone to babysit...I mean geez how much would that cost?! Not to mention, there's no way I could impart my knowledge to someone else. And the kids couldn't talk to explain things.
But now..ahhhh...a new season has arrived. I feel kind of like a loner sometimes. I had my kids pretty young. I was done by the time I was 28. Most women haven't even started good by then. But I wanted to be a young mom, a young grandma and knock it out in one swoop. And be completely done by age 30. So I didn't have alot of friends with more than 1 kid. Things shift with every kid you have. Hard to explain..So it really was tough to find people who could relate. Now many of my friends are pregnant with their 2 and 3rd kids, and I feel a little ahead of the game. But I have friends with older kids that I connect with too. So I'm out of baby season. 2 kids are potty trained and we'll be working on selah too. I can't even tell you how much easier it is that caleb and faith can dress themselves and I don't have to change diapers. The kids happily go to their class at the Y--together :) And when I come back, their sitting together eating a snack like best friends. And we've even got a babysitter a few times. I smell freedom ;) So little by little, I see the new season approaching. Now we switch from working on their schedules, sleep patterns, and eating habits..to working on their hearts.

Priorities

2010-10-18T20:37:00.003-04:00

After a long, tiring Sunday, Daniel and I finally got the kids to bed. As we're sitting on the couch, with a house that looks like 3 kids live here, we discussed priorities. Sundays are my favorite day of the week...even though it's crazy. Daniel leaves to help set up church around 7:15-unless he's pulling the trailor. In that case, it's 6:45a.m. We're a mobile church right now. That means everything we use in the school for church fits in a trailor. All sound equipment, kids ministry stuff, mics, etc....right down to the cute little basket of soap and tampons that are put in the women's bathroom :) So Daniel leaves to set this stuff up. That leaves me to get myself dressed (with makeup:), the kids fed and dressed, and ready to be out the door by 8:30..no later than 8:40. I'm singing now, so I have to be there by 8:50-8:55. The kids sit and watch us practice until service starts at 10:00. When it's over, I get the kids, take them home, feed them lunch and then it's naps. Meanwhile, Daniel has to take apart everything they put up for the church, load it into the trailor, and if it's his turn, takes the trailor to a storage unit the church has. So he gets home around 12:45-1:15. Whew. By this point, I'm beat. And I didn't even do manual labor. But do you know how hard it is to get 3 kids ages almost 2,3, and 4 fed, dressed and out the door so early? Everything is planned..all outfits are laid out the night before. Then Sunday nights we sometimes have new member classes that we attend to meet all the new people. So all of this leads up to our conversation on the couch Sunday night. I looked around and dishes needed to be done, stuff was everywhere (usually we have kids clean before bed, but we just wanted them in the bed so bad, that we decided we'd take care of it). I began to tell Daniel my priorities. I used to be a neat freak cleaning the entire house on Fridays...everything. What a waste of time. Now my priorities have shifted since kids and it goes something like this: 1. Cooking. I'm a stickler for healthy, well balanced, home cooked meals for my children. And I do need my kitchen to be a clean workspace.
2. The Y. If I go for a few days without some form of physical activity, I am very mean. Seriously, it's like I need an hour of intense activity a day to let out all of my aggression and frustration. Not that I'm a complete witch..but it helps me sooo much to take that time for myself. It rejuvinates me, gives me more energy, and I sleep so much better at night. And I'm nicer:)
3. A clean house. This has fallen all the way to the bottom. And since I do all the cleaning and laundry (that's a whole nother story), I decided to strike. Daniel went to michigan a few weeks ago and left his laundry on the treadmill. I usually put his stuff up, but since I was striking, I left it on the bed. He moved it to the treadmill. And it sat there for a whole week. Daniel returned and it was still there. So he took this opportunity to inform me of this. I say he needs to help out with cleaning..blah blah blah. Then he says he would clean the shower, but he didn't want to hurt my feelings by making me think I wasn't doing a good job. What?! I then inform him of this strike that's been going on. I did clean the toilets b/c we had company and there was a ring! But our shower looks like crap. So now he knows why the bathroom looks the way it does, and I suppose I know why he doesn't ever clean?????

Life is all about priorities. God, spouse, then children. Serving and building God's house and family is what we want our kids to remember. It's what I remember. Every Sunday, Sunday night and Wed night we were in church. Now I know we need balance. God did create the family before he created the church. But we just think it's so important for our kids to see us as a family not just go to church, but to be the church. Our kids fingerprints will be on Carolina Chapel just like mine and Daniel's. Okay that's all for tonight. Daniel just finally got home from deer hunting at 9pm...and that's a whole nother post too...and another reason I need to go to the Y everyday!

Fruit! I see fruit!

2010-10-05T13:34:00.002-04:00

Today I picked the kids up from their classes at the Y. Caleb and Faith are in a class together. They're so cute. They are best buds. And Selah is in the class next door. There's a big glass wall between the 2 rooms, so they can all see each other. The teachers told me today that my kids were so well behaved and so sweet. And Caleb always looks after his sisters. This is what I've been working toward for 4 1/2 years. All the discipline, consistency, teaching has finally started to bear FRUIT!!! She might as well have handed me a check for $1,000. That's how big my heart smiled. I'd rather have that one compliment about my kids than money. And to the outside it may look easy. But let me tell you, it has taken a ton of work to keep these babies on the straight and narrow. And now I have 15 more years of it! But at least this gave me some encouragement to keep on. It's frustrating at times to see other parents give into their kids, let them do whatever they want, watch whatever they want on tv, eat whatever they want. It makes me feel like a drill sargeant. I get the "but I don't want to"..followed by the little fit they throw. But from day 1 Daniel and I have said that our job is to train these little people to love God, love people, and to be considerate citizens. I'm doing them a diservice if I act like they're the center of the ENTIRE world. One day someone who is way less nice than me will set them in their place if I don't do my job. So ok, I'll get off my soapbox..and back to reality. And by the way, yes my kids are way more well behaved in public than at home!:) If you only knew how many times I had to tell Caleb to not pull Faith's hair. And he just loves to hug. So he sneaks up on his sisters and squeezes the mess out of them for a hug. I'm trying to teach him to ask permission before he gives hugs since some people may not want one. So he asks, then hugs. He doesn't even wait for an answer. So today's a good day. Cheers!

Doll Alert

2010-09-28T15:14:00.003-04:00

It is so weird to see the differences in little boys vs. little girls. Caleb is loud and competitive and loud and did I mention loud? My girls are- for the most part, calm and can sit and play quietly unless they squeal when they argue over a doll. Which brings me to the point of this post....dolls are taking over my house! Faith is so obsessed that she carries her baby in a baby carrier (like a carseat thing). The baby must always have a paci, a blanket, and another blanket on top..and don't forget the bottle of milk. Please please for the love of pete..don't forget the bottle. She brings the baby to the table, feeds the baby, buckles the baby in a highchair. If we leave, here comes the baby. Although I make all of it stay in the car. So she "takes a nap" while we're not in the van. And the baby goes to bed with her. She loves her, feeds her, burps her, changes her diapers. Faith always knows where this baby is and if someone is messing with her. It's crazy. I was never into dolls, so I'm finding it so crazy how faith can know to be so nurturing and loving at only 3 years old. I know God wired us this way, but like I said...I did NOT nurture any babies when I was a kid. I think my thought process may have been..."what's the rush anyways? Why do I want to drag along a doll?" I did like stuffed animals though. So Selah is becoming a baby freak as well. I must admit it's so cute. Well it was the first week. Now it's like I have a 4th child when we're eating, sleeping or going anywhere. It's nice that this baby is always quiet. So I guess I'll deal. I'm just hoping Faith doesn't end up like Michelle Duggar. Not that she isn't sweet, but I'm not up for helping out with 19 of Faithie's kids!

It has FINALLY happened!

2010-09-18T13:42:00.002-04:00

I finally have more things to do than I have time in the day to do it! And to me, that's AWESOME! Because if you know me, then you know I hate to be bored!!!! And so far in this motherhood adventure, I have been bored multiple occassions. I know, some of you are reading this thinking..."what a moron. how can she be bored?" Well, I've devoted the first few years of the kids life to laying a foundation of being on a schedule. I wouldn't say I've been a slave to this schedule, but I'm pretty anal about keeping it. A sleepy, hungry kid is a time bomb waiting to explode. So I've been working around naps for over 4 years now..which means lots and lots of time at home. And by the way, the whole nap dropping thing was a stupid idea!!! It lasted 2 days. So everyone takes a nap at 1pm, and I do school when caleb and faith wake up-since they get up before selah. And this whole preschool thing is review so far. So it's not taking that much time to do. And all 3 kids are finally on the same schedule. Ahhhh. That makes me happy. So we are on the go! Alot! With the new church starting, now we are going to host a connect group, which is right up my alley. Except for the stressing out about keeping my house looking like a house and not a toys r us. I just finished chunking sippy cups! YES AND AMEN!!! I kept a couple for selah to use at home. And I bought everyone BPA free water bottles to use when we're out. My kids always have water. Always. And I was drowning in sippy cup hell...in the car, under the couch, in the den, dining room. You name it, there was a sippy cup. They only drink water, so as long as it wasn't in their rooms, I didn't care until now. I finally got overwhelmed. So now they have 1 waterbottle that they must keep up with...or they don't have water. And the Y is my saving grace. I've decided if I could have any job in the world, well almost the world, I'd like to be an instructor at the Y. I know..I have high aspirations. But seriously, how cool would it be to get paid to work out?! And do something you love! Teaching 3 classes a day, and getting paid..HOLLA!! I hear it's quite the hurdle to jump to get qualified. Like 200 hours or something. Maybe one day..

2010-09-13T13:53:00.003-04:00

Yesterday's first service was fantastic! I just stood there in a daze as people came in. We only had 6 parking spaces left when all was said and done. As I held the door for everyone to walk in, I had to fight back tears at the fact that God actually sent people to us! Most everyone said they had come because they got the flyer in the mail. On saturday, we passed out water with a small flyer attatched at the park during soccer games. We had 250 people total-170 of which were adults. We had a TON of kids! Kids check in got a little--or (alot) backed up since we had to register everyone. Next visit, it'll be faster since they'll already be in the computer. And now we get to do it all over again on next sunday!

We joined the YMCA,which is a huge blessing for me. Childcare is amazing there. And I can leave the kids there for up to 2 hrs a day while I workout there.The kids do crafts, have gym time, and snacks. I get to use Machines, free weights, an indoor track, and classes. I heart classes!! Too bad the pool closed yesterday until next summer. So our routine is the Y in the morning, lunch, then I had planned on dropping Caleb and Faith's naps so I could do school with them while selah was taking her nap. This would also give them an earlier bedtime which means more time for daniel and me. Today was our first day of preschool at home. Faith couldn't hang. She's in bed. But I did school with caleb and it was awesome. I went with the horizon cirriculum. And it tells me exactly what to do, he has a workbook, we have dvd's that teaches character building,and it's Bible based with memory verses. I think when Faith wakes up I'll have caleb tell her what he learned and she can do her crafts and stuff. That's the thing I'm digging about homeschooling. The flexibility! Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape :)
And it takes no time to do the lessons. Makes me realize how much time is wasted in traditional school. I'm feeling very blessed right now and savoring the moment.

Finally!!!

2010-09-10T14:04:00.003-04:00

Last weekend I did my 1st 1/2 marathon with the girls. And all I have to say is that is was one of the most exhilerating things I've ever done. The crowds, the excitment, the adreneline! There are people cheering nonstop for 13.1 miles. There are people taking pictures the whole time. I almost felt famous! And there were bands every few miles (every 2 miles I think). I must say that after mile 6, it's all kind of a blur. I remember my brain telling my body to go faster, but it just wasn't happening! I'm thinking of doing another one in Myrtle Beach in October. I'm addicted I think. But what am I even more exicted about?????

CAROLINA CHAPEL!!!!!!!!
The time has finally come! All of the praying, fasting, waiting has led up to this Sunday! My route when I run outside always goes by the school that we're using for church. I've stopped to pray on the bench by the front doors for months. And yes, there's been the begging "please God, please let somebody show up!! PLEASE!!" What I love about our pastor is that he knows that if we do what we can, with what we have, then God will make up the difference. We have an incredible team that God has put together. And I can't wait to see who he adds to our team in the future!

Our Little "Big" Miracle

2010-08-03T11:29:00.003-04:00

Two weeks ago Daniel and I went to Jax, Fl to clean up a property. Our tenant was 2 months behind on rent. She was "supposed" to be sending us a check. But then we find out via a TEXT that she is declaring bankruptcy and moved out 2 weeks prior to this conversation(if you can even call it that. It was lots of texts). This isn't the first time this has happened to us. People are just common (in the words of my papa). And there really is nothing you can do. Sure we could sue..but with what...and for what? You get my point. The funny thing is I felt this strange peace about it all. I almost found it amusing. I guess in dealing with rentals for 5 years, it's about time. So before we left Raleigh, Daniel posted the ad on craigslist...like we always do. And I prayed specifically that someone would call about it, see it while we were down there, and sign a lease. This was a huge request. But God knew I needed to see him move. And he did. We cleaned Friday night, all day saturday. And nothing. No emails, no calls. Then Saturday night at dinner a lady called. She met us at the condo after church on Sunday. Looked, signed a lease, and wrote a check for the deposit. It was the clearest answer to prayer I think I've ever seen. And to me it was a miracle. So let's just say that now I pray more specifically =)

Dreams

2010-07-21T14:15:00.004-04:00

Everyone's napping, and I should be doing my 4 1/2 miles right now on the treadmill, but I'm not. I've been meaning to write this entry for months now, but haven't. I have lots of dreams. Not like aspirations....like real dreams. Always have. But 5 months I had a couple that shook me. First of all, let me preface this by saying I heard Christine Caine 2 years ago talk about human trafficking. It bothered me, but like most folks, I slipped back into my everyday routine and what I heard took a backseat. Fast forward 1 1/2 years to March. I dreamed I was in a foreign country with other women. We all had our babies in our arms. It was desert like. And I felt this intense fear. I knew what was happening. I looked up and saw a man headed toward all of us. I immediately put my head down thinking that if I didn't make eye contact, he'd leave me alone. And he did. He picked someone else. As he walked away, he stopped and looked back and pointed at me. Not only at me, but my baby as well. He was a pimp. He wanted both of us. And no one was stopping him. I thought for sure these other women would at least speak up for my baby! But they didn't. And I woke up. Before I even opened my eyes, I was awake and the slogan A21, A21, A21 was bliking in my brain. Crazy since it had been so long since I'd given it any thought.

The next dream was around a month later. I dreamed that Faith was missing. I was going nuts. Yelling, screaming at the top of my lungs for someone to help me find her. And nobody was even phased. I was completely ignored. I'm not sure if God spoke to me in the dream, or when I woke up. It might as well have been audible, b/c it rings in my ears. He said "When Faith was lost, no one would help you look for her. That's how I feel. All of these people are lost and I need You to help find them for me. I love them like you love Faith." My response was "But God, I'm helping plant this church, I mean what else do you want me to do?" He didn't say anything else. But I knew there was more.

A few weeks later I went to the women's conference in Jacksonville (Shine 2010). It was in May. And Christine Caine was there talking about human trafficking/sex slavery. It hit me like a train. The 2 dreams put together and my burden for these girls. It was overwhelming. I felt like there was really nothing I could do. Sure I could give money every month. But I want to do more. I want to raise awareness. And if truth be told, I would like to go to Greece to minister to the girls that are rescued. That's so far fetched in my mind. I always said I would never be a missionary. I would give money, prayer for them. And that would be enough. It's not an easy topic to discuss. Girls forced to service up to 60 men a day, newborns sold into pedophile rings. These girls tricked into it all b/c they think they're being offered a job at a hair salon in another country...to support their family b/c the povery is so bad in their communist country. And when they arrive and hand over their passports and all their ID's to someone who they trust to help them, they find out the truth. And they're told if they try to escape, their whole family will be killed. Not to mention the cops are in collaboration with the pimps. Since then, Jentezen Franklin has joined with Christine Caine to get the word out. Funny how I was burdened for this all and then found out a few weeks ago that he's supporting A21 as well. It stands for Abolishing Slavery in the 21st century. There's not many pastors I respect like I do pastor Franklin. His walk with God is to be admired and I'm so thankful he's supporting Chistine's ministry. Check out www.theA21campaign.org

Yes! I'm still alive

2010-07-08T14:47:00.003-04:00

We finally got internet at the house. So now I don't have to strain my eyes and get a headache looking at my iphone. And now I can actually type on a keyboard to update my blog. Hmm. what's new with us? We're truly learning the walk by faith thing since there's no guarantees.Daniel was let go of his job in May b/c his previous company came at him to sue for violating a noncompete agreement. Funny..they practically made him quit after putting him on commission only and giving him no travel expenses. It's kind of difficult to sell stuff in nc, sc, va,and ga from home.And then they come at him with attorney letters saying he violated the noncompete. But we feel a tremendous sense of peace and God-like always- is providing. I think back to say...5 years ago...and this kind of situation would have totally wiped me out. But now I just roll with the punches. That's not to say everyday is easy. Because here lately the kids have really driven me bonkers. But I know I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing. And I know God honors that. Getting my feminist mind and my desire to be a Proverbs 31 woman,working together and getting along is quite the chore. I'm learning about balance. And I'm also learning to have fun. I have accepted the fact that I never will be Michelle Duggar. And on the other end of the spectrum...I'll never be Sharon Osborne. So I'm (actually we--daniel and I) have sat down and talked about our parenting style from a biblical perspective without being legalistic. We only get one chance at this parenting thing--and we have to make it count. Lord knows I don't want to be blamed 20 years down the road in a therapists office! And the overall goal is to raise healthy, happy children who serve God. And have parents who are still married at the end of it all...haaa! This marriage thing was so easy in the beginning compared to after you have kids. Noticed I said kidS. The more you have, the harder you have to work on your marriage. At least that's the case for us. Everybody needs something all the time. But we've made it a point to show them that we come first, they come second. Lots of trial and error. But I feel like we're making progress. And I've decided no matter what the cost, date night is nonnegotiable. Ok--enough of my babbling. My shoulder muscles aren't' used to this typing thing anymore..I'm sore!

Festivals

2010-05-01T21:11:00.003-04:00

I know I've mentioned this via twitter and fb before, but I LOVE living here. I have the biggest super walmart this side of the Mississippi across the street (for real), the bomb harris teeter too, along with lots of other stores..oh and chick fil a :) I can be anywhere else in 10 minutes...cary, the mall, trader joes, super target, kohls and the list goes on and on and on. There is a brand new library and cultural arts center in my neighborhood...as in I could walk there! They have a cafe, puppet show, story times. And I know I am way out of the loop...but they have self check out now at the library! And you can just drop your books off anytime..drive through! And they send you emails to remind you they're due! Yes this makes me excited!And yes, it's been since 3rd grade that I've been to the library until recently. And I've discovered this awesome park a mile from my house, with a track, a lake, playgrounds, baseball fields, soccer fields, etc. There's always a ton of people there and tonight was no exception. I got there around 7:30pm for a run and there was a band playing for Relay for Life.

So back to the festivals. I HEART them. We've been to 3 in the past 2 months. Actually one last saturday and one today. And the one today had the Embers! I love love love beach music...mainly the embers and chairman of the board. I do not know how to shag yet, but will know by June 27th b/c that's when they're coming to North Hills. It's on a Thursday night and the crowd is young and of course there's alcohol so everyone's having a grand time. Unlike today. How can you sit and not clap, or stand up and sing. That's ok..I did. I took it to the street with caleb and faith. I'm thinking there may have been some yankees in the mix. They just don't know how to appreciate Carolina Girls. We also got to see the Apex gymnastic group perform. We were late and we had to take the elevator...which led us to backstage kind of..which lead us to standing at the side of the front of the stage. Awesome! Faith lit up like a Christmas tree. She did not take her eyes off the gymnasts. I think I know what activity she'll be doing :) May have to leave the dancing to Selah...She hears a beat and she's cuttin a rug. And Caleb will be signed up for upward soccer this fall..and probably faithie too. Hopefully they can be on the same team since they're so close in age. Caleb is a natural at soccer. I know every mom says that, but you know me. I'm honest. If it's not good, I'd say so. That's all for now....Now go find a festival near you!

Seriously??

2010-04-21T21:37:00.007-04:00

Today I decided to run lots of errands..so that means of course, the kids went to. I needed to go to Kohls(b/c of course I had my coupons and needed running gear), dicks sporting goods (to pick up daniel some sort of mosquito repellent for turkey hunting), target (groceries-I usually do walmart, but target was right there with all these stores), and chick fil a somewhere in the mix to feed the kids..b/c they go crazy when their blood sugar plummets. So obviously it would rain on a day like today.

So where do I begin...let's see..maybe with kohls. Had to try on clothes..sent caleb and faith to the next dressing room while selah and I tried stuff on. Not too bad. I think I only heard my name 20 times while I was in there. Oh then faith had to pee..then caleb. This is a huge ordeal with my germaphobia and wheeling selah in and out in her stroller. Then it rains on our way out. Dicks went okay..until we were walking out. Caleb had on his crocs with socks and managed to jump straight into a puddle. Then faith thought it was hilarious..so she purposely did the same. Our next stop was chick fil a--so they could play on the indoor playground. I preceded to tell them that it wasn't going to happen since they did this. But then I found some dirty socks of faith's to put on caleb. And faith's socks weren't too wet since she had on good shoes. Lucky for Caleb they weren't pink. So we're off to eat. Now the fun begins. Selah's teething and has quite the attitude that we're working on..so she decides to sling her arm right as I'm giving her some prunes..baby prunes...like smooshed. They went everywhere. Then Caleb says very loudly "I gotta go poop"..so off we go--all of us. I accidentally threw away the lid to Faith's milk. And she ends up spilling it in the bathroom. Now to go play. 10 minutes goes by...now faith says "I gotta go poop"..so off we go. She's as light as a feather. So while she's on the toilet it mysteriously starts flushing--4 times! By this time, I'm laughing so hard that I'm literally crying at this point. Seriously..what else can I do? And mind you..My kids can poop. I'm talking the whole shabang..letter S, and everything. We call faith's poops water moccasins. So as were walking back to the play area I hear (as well as everyone around us) "My hiney hurts..I need hiney cream" On the way to the car, my keys drop into a mud puddle. Then target..it's almost nap time. Selah is completely melting down. Caleb and Faith are fighting about who gets what side of the cart to hang on and I don't know where anything is here...b/c I always go to walmart. Then check out time. The man behind me says "you've got your hands full"..Ya think? I pull a wad of coupons out of my pocket, selah's wailing at this point and faith is trying to shoplift a toy cell phone they have by the register.

And don't forget I still have to buckle/unbuckle all three kids. Well I take that back. Caleb can unbuckle. So to get in and out this many times in the rain has taken its toll on my by now. Oh well. I'm keeping the end in mind. I only have 18 years with them at home...maybe. And only a few more before they won't want me all in their business and playing with them. When they get out of this dependent stage, I'll miss it and annoy them for grandkids. One day they won't need me to tuck them in and sing them a song. I'll be the one who knows nothing. One day I won't have kids to cook for, my house will be spotless and I'll be longing for the sound of squealing, little arms hugging my legs while I cook, and some little people needing me all the time. I do love them..even on days like today.

New Endevours

2010-04-20T08:37:00.002-04:00

I realize I'm way slack on postings these days. I blame it on having one laptop--which is daniel's for work. So when he's gone...it's gone--during the day and usually 1-2 nights per week. He has a wireless card for work, so that's what we use for internet service. So technically I have a laptop, which has 1 foot in the grave, but I wouldn't get serivce on it, so whatever. As long as I have my iphone, which has full internet service, I'm good. Although typing a post on that thing would end up horrendously!!

Anyhooo, I'm really trying hard to look for outlets these days. Raising 3 kids all day and night has required that I find some kind of hobby to divert my mind. The problem? I don't have any. Sure, I workout some via dvd b/c I can't leave the house! But really I don't have any hobbies. I went to work when I was 14, so I never had any time to develop any hobbies. Big Mistake. "Sew" now, I have one...actually two. For my birthday, I bought a sewing machine. I've made a few pillows, and a dress for faith which turned into an art smock of somesort..it didn't go so well. It's like a new language. I have no crafty bone in my body prior to this experience...other than painting walls. I have a great new friend named Jessica who has a business making way cute stuff. It's called the chubby dove. Check her out at www.thechubbydove.blogspot.com She's been my inspiration, although most days I feel like I've failed miserably! Haa!

So the next thing I'm working on is my first 1/2 marathon in September. 13.1 miles. Have I mentioned I'm not really a "runner"? I mean unless I'm being chased. A couple of my friends did it last year and I couldn't train with them b/c I'd just had selah. So this year, I will do it...at least that's the plan. There's a great park a mile from the house with a track that's mostly flat. So I pop in my ipod and I'm off. Great stress reliever. Although my butt seems to be getting bigger..which is not cool! This baby doesn't need more back! I either run first thing in the morning b/f kids get up and daniel leaves for work around the neighborhood, or when he gets home from work I go to the park.

Daniel's staying busy with work and then remodeling jobs on the evenings and weekends. It's difficult with him being gone so much and it's difficult sometimes to keep a great attitude about it...especially when a certain 1,2 and 3 year old are driving you INSANE! But I'm grateful for jobs, and that I don't have to work. That's always been the one objective--me being home with the kids. It's not always sunshine and daisies over here, but for the most part, it's great. That's about all that's been going down over here. Other than the church. We moved into our new facility and it's so weird to be a part of a launch team...especially when I said I'd never help start a church after seeing my parents do it when I was a kid. Funny how things turn out.

I'm Baaaaaaack!!

2010-03-28T21:35:00.002-04:00

Whew! I'm BACK! Finally! It's been a whirlwind around here. The answer to prayer #2 is that Daniel has a new job! Pretty much doing what he was before. We're all moved into our house. We took over a lease from some friends. It was all God's timing...he's so awesome. Anyhoo, we're helping to launch a church called carolina chapel here in holly springs. For more info check out www.carolinachapel.com. We've been a part of the launch team for about 5 months now, and we are moving into our semi permananet location april 11th...my birthday :) and it's only 3 miles from the house. We had no idea this is where the church would end up when we moved here. But we knew this was where God was calling us. We are super excited. The pastor is the step brother of our previous pastor in jax, fl. It's so cool to see how God has worked everything out..in his timing. I have a tendency to get ahead of God. And now I finally see what he's had up his sleeve for a while now. I knew he was up to something, but I didn't know it was this great. On another note, I'm watching 2012 with daniel while I'm typing...can we say weird?? Yawn..I'm ready for bed!

Answer to Prayer #1

2010-02-04T13:05:00.002-05:00

Our house is SOLD! Yee haw! God didn't even wait until after the fast to do this one! It was in the middle of the fast. We got exactly what we needed to get for it! How awesome is that? We close February 26th..if not before. It's amazing to look back and see that you actually did hear God correctly...but you must wait on his timing. I think that's the hardest part. We've prayed and fasted like crazy, anointed the rug at the front door, and still the past 9 months I've felt at times that my prayers were hitting the ceiling and falling back to the floor. But the timing is absoloutely perfect. We're moving to Holly Springs and more info about what house, and why the timing is so perfect will be coming in the next post. Answer to Prayer #2 will also be coming later in the blog!

I can see the light!

2010-01-18T12:25:00.002-05:00

Here's an update on kid stats! We've been extremely busy lately to say the least. I noticed a few weeks ago that holy cow! Selah is going to be 1 on Jan. 31st. I also noticed that I had slacked. She wasn't drinking well from a cup, and playpen/roomtime had been lost in the shuffle. Everytime I'd get a call that the house was going to be shown, I'd have to take the playpen down. So it stayed down for days at the time. And it was in the keeping room right in the middle of all the action. So whenever I'd drag it back out again she'd freak. I moved it to her room where she could enjoy being alone. She may just be my most stubborn child yet. 3 weeks ago I laid down the law and started specific playpen times twice a day. She wailed! I mean you would have thought I killed her dog or something. This went on for 2 weeks. Twice a day. For about 20 minutes each time. But I wasn't going to give up. So finally she is used to it now. I prayed alot! And wore earplugs.

I got serious about the cup issue and it took 2 weeks of working with her at every meal, and now we've been bottle free for 4 days. It was my goal with all kids that the bottle hit the road by their 12 month check up. Whew! I cut it close!

And now I think we've finally dropped Selah's morning nap which is like a huge deal for me! Now everyone goes to bed after lunch and during the morning we can actually go places. I wanted Selah to have the same advantage as Caleb and Faith when it came to sleeping. So we always worked around her naps. And as a result, she is a babywise baby just like the other two. This has been difficult for me because it requires being home alot initially. But it is so worth it. The foundation that they have now not only for good sleep habits, but knowing that this house is God centered instead of kid centered, makes my heart happy.

Caleb is such a little gentleman. Ever since he was a little baby, I've sang the hymn I go to the Garden to him. Now everynight I still have to sing it. He's so responsible for his age and he totally has my heart. He's so considerate and sesitive.

Faith is a pistol. She's finally forming sentences. Which has taken lots of prayer. Especially on my mom and granny's part. I know that because of their nonstop interceding that she is talking. And without therapy might I add. She's so beautiful and those eyes melt me everytime I look at her. She really is a babydoll!

And Selah...I couldn't imagine life without her. It would be so boring around here. Way too easy! She's laid back, yet fiesty at the same time. And she loves to give kisses. She also has a special love for her daddy. She goes crazy when she sees him walk through the door. Now all we have to do is chunk the paci. I tried before, then she got sick, and now I have to figure out when it hits the road. OH well....there's always something~!

Pat Robertson's Comments

2010-01-14T15:52:00.002-05:00

Wow. So I just finally found exactly what Pat Robertson said

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrzFG0KSXm0&feature=player_embedded#

You can copy and paste the link above to watch if you'd like. Here's my 2 cents: God is loving. And God says in his word that vengence is his. But do I think he caused the earthquake? No way! Do I think that because over half the population practices voo doo (per fox news), and the fact that they may have made a pact with the devil years ago make them come out from under the protection of God? Yes. So I'm not taking up for Pat Roberson. But I am saying that perhaps this may have been what he meant. Only God knows his heart. That's my 2 cents.

Reality Check and a heavy heart

2010-01-13T10:26:00.002-05:00

I am a thinker. I think way too much. I think of the situation from every point of view..arguing everyone's side until I get mentally exhausted. With that said, I can't seem to stop thinking about the earthquake that rocked Haiti. My heart is heavy. I feel so unworthy to have the life I have. These poor people live in complete shacks as it is, and now it's all gone...along with countless people. I can't even begin to imagine what that must feel like. I'm sitting here worried about if my 11 month old will be weaned off the bottle in 3 weeks, and those people are homeless, alone and distrought. It's a reality check...a perspective change. We all can get consumed with our own little bubble. How we don't have as much as our friends do, or we have a few wrinkles. Give me a break. I would be lying if I didn't say that sometimes I question God. Why? Why am I so blessed and these people live in filth and now this happens? Is it because I live in a country that was once founded on God, or is it because I come from generation upon generation upon generation on both sides.. of Christians. Is it because 7 generations ago, my grandmother prayed for me to be blessed, highly favored and protected? Yes bad things happen to good people, but is there something that comes into play that moves the hand of God.

I've made a list of 21 things I'm fasting for and some of those things are for my marriage, my children's future spouse's marriage (I want my kids to go into a marriage where their partner has also seen a biblical marriage lived out). I'm also fasting for the salvation and filling of the spirit of my children, their spouses, and future generations. Someone down the line did this for me...it's the least I can do for the future generations.

Meanwhile, I'll keep praying for haiti. And praying that we as a nation would stop being so self absorbed. So sad that we are more affected by American Idol than this earthquake.

21 days

2009-12-31T01:37:00.000-05:00

As many friends and family know, Daniel and I have participated in a 21 day fast with our previous churches for 4 years now. It is a first fruits fast at the beginning of the year. I love doing a corporate fast b/c you always know someone to call and pray with, eat veggies with :) and you know you're not alone. There is power in numbers and to know that thousands upon thousands of people are partnering together is just awesome. Fasting combined with prayer, and giving is a three fold cord that is not easily broken. Jentezen Franklin has many books on fasting that are great. I could go on and on about fasting, but I don't have time. I just know that fasting brings a closeness with God that is indescribable. We begin January 10th and end the 31st. And we're hoping to end it in Gainesville, Ga at Free Chapel with some friends from NC who want to travel with us!

Daniel Fast Recipes and Ideas

2009-12-30T15:05:00.001-05:00

Here are some Daniel fast friendly recipes that some of you requested. Let me know if you have any questions!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/farro-vegetarian-jambalaya-recipe/index.html

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/french-onion-soup-recipe/index.html

Cheesecake Factory Bruschetta
1-1/2 cups chopped roma tomatoes
2 TBSP. diced red onion
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 TBSP. chopped fresh basil
2 TBSP. olive oil
1/2 tsp. red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp. salt
dash black pepper
toasted Ezekiel bread
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
2-3 sprigs italian parsley (I don't do this)

In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, onion, garlic, and basil. Add 1/2 TBSP. of oil, vinegar, salt and pepper and mix well. Cover bowl and refrigerate for at least an hour (longer is better to me).
Put on top of toasted ezekiel bread.

Taco Soup
1 onion
1 green pepper
1 can chili beans
1 can black beans
1 evelope taco seasoning
2 cans whole kernal corn
1 can cream corn
24 oz salsa
1 can rotelle
Brown chopped onion and pepper. Drain beans and corn. Add altogether and put in crockpot 4-6 hrs. or stovetop 1 hr.

Red Beans and Rice
1 lb dried red beans
1 onion chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic chopped
1 TBSP celery salt
On med high burner, heat olive oil. Brown onion, pepper and garlic. Add beans (WHICH HAVE BEEN SOAKED OVERNIGHT IN WATER COVERED..THEN DRAINED).
Add 5 cups of water, bring to boil
Add celery salt
Reduce heat to med -low and simmer for 1 hour.
Then mash 1/2 of brans and continue to cook for 30 more minutes
Serve with a scoop of whole grain organic brown rice.

Stuffed Fasting Peppers
cook some brown rice. Then mix with:
rotelle
blackbeans
refried beans
salsa
cilantro
taco seasoning.
Cut open a few green peppers, take out center, then stuff. Bake in oven for however long you want. Depends on how crunchy of a pepper you like

Other Staples:
Ezekiel bread (found in frozen section of grocery stores, unless you go to trader joes, then it's on the shelf. I toast this and put almond butter and honey on it. I also toast and tear into pieces and put into my french onion soup.
Honey. I prefer creamed honey..I get it from trader joes as well.
Almond butter..trader joes, or whole foods where you can make it and it's really fresh. Or some grocery stores have it. Cheapest at trader joe's.
nuts. raw nuts.
humus--dip raw veggies in.
guacamole
salads with oil and vinegar dressing
VEGETARIAN LETTUCE WRAPS FROM PF CHANGS! AWESOME!!
Zuchini, squash and onions mixed together (sauteed)
potatoes with salsa on them with cilantro
baked apples. slice apple, top with cinnamon and bake on cookie sheet..then put honey on it :)
oatmeal with a spoonful of almond butter, honey and blueberries...very filling!
hashbrowns: shred some potatoes, onion, and peppers and sauteed in olive oil.

Update

2009-12-02T13:59:00.002-05:00

We had our 3rd..yes you read that right...3rd offer on our house. And it was a bust. Sorry people, but we're not going to lower our price by 20K especially when we're the lowest price in the neighborhood. And I'm not going to give you everything but my last name either. Needless to say, it has been frustrating. We've prayed, fasted together and done everything we know to do. So this is God's time to shine. Strangely I feel a peace about it all. God has always provided, so why would this be any different? God's word works. His promises are true and he will do what he says he will do. We've always been firm believers in tithing and never have questioned or thought about not doing it. And now is no different. Except that now we get to put God to the test. Afterall, that's what he says to do:

"Bring your full tithe to the Temple treasury so there will be ample provisions in my Temple. Test me in this and see if I don't open up heaven itself to you and pour out blessings beyond your wildest dreams." Malachi 3:10

We've never had the opportunity to put God to the test, until now. We've always had our backup plans. God is really stretching us and that's what happens when you want to grow. We know that because we help build God's house, he will help build ours. Hopefully I will be able to post good news before too long.

And if anyone reading this knows someone who needs a condo in Jacksonville, Fl, let me know. We need a tenant!

One For The Books..

2009-11-17T13:17:00.012-05:00

Daniel has been working like crazy lately. Last week he was gone Sun night and Mon night. Then home for tues and wed. Then left first thing thurs morning for a work golf tournament. He finally got home Sunday night. He decided not to set his alarm clock for Monday morning..which I thought was a little odd. We slept til 8ish and while feeding everyone breakfast, he decides "let's go to the zoo!" Asheboro is 1.5 hours away, and you know I have to have everything planned out. This was so sudden! But since Daniel had been gone so long and since he won some money in the golf tournament, and since it was going to be 75 degrees that day...why not. We made lunches, showered and were at the zoo by 11:30. We called our realtor and told her not to drop the price yesterday like we had planned and to wait and do it today. (The house was a wreck and when we drop the price and create a new listing, we always have traffic.) There was hardly anyone there and it was perfect. The most enjoyable, memorable family experience to date. The girls were in the double stroller. And I didn't have another stroller b/c my umbrella stroller was left in my mom's car. So Caleb walked and rode daniel's shoulders...faith rode the stroller and daniel's shoulders too. We walked from 11:30-4:00. The best workout I've had all year! And I know what you're thinking *gasp..did she really let the kids miss their nap?* Yes I did..the first time ever. And they don't sleep in the car, so we're talking zero sleep. Selah too. She slept the last 20 minutes at the zoo and that's it...ALL DAY! They did phenomenal..so we pressed our luck and decided to stop by On the Border on the way home. I could not have been more pleased. Seriously, they were wonderful..no meltdowns whatsoever! So this will go down in the books for best day ever..so far! Finally I feel like my plan to have kids so close together is paying off. Selah is finally getting old enough where we can do things together with alot being predictable. And without packing the kitchen sink with us! Two years from now will be awesome..I'm hoping! Heck, we may even get season passes to the zoo :)

Old Faithful

2009-11-03T13:18:00.002-05:00

So today I pulled out a pair of jeans that my mom bought for me back in 2000 I think. I remember it clearly...she took Jonathan (my brother) and I to Greensboro to emerald point water park. And it rained..so we went shopping. I got these jeans at Express. Funny how you remember weird stuff like that. Okay..so I'm probably the only one who remembers crazy details. Anyway I love these jeans. Granted, they don't fit quite the way they used to..not to mention they're a little highter waisted than my current jeans, but I love them. As long as I have a shirt to cover the waist, they still look up to date! I began to think about what these jeans and I have been through. I remember back in 2003 when Daniel and I moved into the house we built in Wake Forest, my Papa and I planted all the landscaping...and I wore these jeans. I think we planted 20 trees that day along with some other stuff around the house. I got them so dirty that I knew they were ruined. But spray n wash can do wonders. Then I remember wearing them as I was holding my step dad's hand as he passed away into eternity. The first time I ever witnessed someone go from this life to the next. It was to date the most spirtual moment I have ever encountered. I felt the actual presence of God come into their den that day. The holy ghost was so real in that moment, that words cannot describe it.

So these jeans are my old faithfuls. I wore them today to take selah to her 9 month appt. I paired them up with some heels and their like a new pair of jeans!
I began thinking about the correlation between these jeans and God. God, like these jeans, is a part of our defining moments in life. It's up to us if we want to wear them, just like it's up to us if we want to wear not only the label of being a Christian, but to actually walk the walk in these jeans. Now obviously I can't wear these jeans everyday, but I can choose to walk in the spirit daily. Not once in a while, or whenever it's convenient, or whenever it's the "cool" thing to do. Walking in the spirit takes discipline...just like it's gonna take me to stay in these jeans. Which by the way, are not my skinny jeans. Those are yet to be touched :) And discipline is hard..but it's all about keeping the end in mind..which will be another post!

ps- selah is 19.5 lbs (50%)
29 inches (80%) and doing great!

This and That

2009-10-17T21:16:00.002-04:00

Major Milestones for the record (so I can look back and read this later)...Faith is almost potty trained. She's done great this weekend! M&M's are the ticket! She's babbling like crazy, saying new words daily, and has become quite affectionate. In this house, all my kids will probably have physical touch as their #1 love language, simply because I can't keep from hugging and kissing them..ALL the time! They fight over who gets to be held first...to the point of tears. I took Selah's paci away today..we'll see how tonight goes..."think long term...think long term"..okay..I'm motivated now.

I read 2 new books in a week, which is pretty good for me. I just couldn't put them down. Crazy Love by Francis Chan..and Forgotten God. Both these books are so awesome. I will forever be a better person just from reading them.. they are thought provoking and eye opening. Forgotten God touches on issues that have been burning within me for almost a year now. It's so good to see in print what I've been feeling. Makes me feel less crazy :)

Guess I should go now...selah's not taking this whole "no paci" thing very well..figures this is her bedtime for the night.

Piano Lessons!

2009-09-29T09:43:00.002-04:00

Hey everyone! Please check out www.leinostudios.com My friends Jordan and Patience have started a business of piano lessons and Jordan also does graphic design. He's pretty much all the graphics for C3 church and it's amazing. So if you need a website done, t-shirts designed, invitations, etc contact Jordan! He's also been the worship leader and it never ceases to amaze me how he can do it all..piano, guitar, drums..all without any sheets of music! I don't think I've ever seen him with any paper in front of him..come to think of it! And I can't leave out Patience..she should start teaching singing lessons :) Her voice is that of an angel and she has the most unique way of bringing you into God's presence. You don't run across worship leaders like her every day!

Exciting News!

2009-09-25T10:39:00.002-04:00

Okay--not really that exciting to anyone but me. But I still thought I'd share. I miss alot about where we've lived before. And in Jacksonville I miss Holly :0), Celebration Church, Kerri's bible studies on Thursday mornings..(even though I only got to go a handful of times), indoor rock climbing at the Y (even though I only went once..but I've always wanted to go back!)..and finally...TIJUANA FLATS!Oh yeah, and the beach, and our house and yard..ok back to tijuana flats.. I've been waiting (not so patiently) for them to open one up here. It's a mexican joint that we literally used to go to every sunday after church! And while in FL I was preggo with caleb and craved mexican..and so of course he loves it. The best thing on the menu...chocolate chip chimichangas! Daniel has managed to successfully make these at home, but even he says they're not quite as good as the restaurants. And if you've never been and you go...you'll probably be let down. And if you already have one in your town, then you probably don't appreciate it. I have lots of fond memories tied to it besides food..maybe that's why I love it so much :)
Funny confession: as I'm writing this and salivating about food, biggest loser is on in the background..oh well!

What's up

2009-09-21T13:31:00.003-04:00

I went to my first MOPS meeting today. Finally..you'd think I would have gone before now, but it just always got pushed aside. The good thing is that it's at our church so the kids just think it's another sunday and they're very familiar with everything. In other news, the offer did not work out. I could say more, but to avoid getting red in the face I won't.
I had a xango meeting Friday night. That went well. I can not believe how awesome this product is. I started using it a year and a half ago (all of us) and it got rid of faith's eczema. Hadn't seen it since until I ran out of juice recently, and got off schedule and she did without it for 2 weeks. Her eczema returned for the first time in a year and a half! So we're back on it, and I'm using the all natural non toxic skin care called glimpse on her and after 5 days..gone. Amazing! They just came out with mineral makeup so I can't wait to try that. And if any of my readers go to C3, I will have a booth at chick nite on oct 11th. I don't get excited about much. It takes a lot to get me to cheer. For those who don't know me well..I'll go ahead and fill you in..I'm by nature a pessimist and I hated cheerleaders growing up. UGGG..so nerve wreckin! No offense to any cheerers out there :) So for me to rave about a product is huge.
Daniel is building his first pergola for the southern ideal home show this coming weekend. He hopes to sell it and get orders for more. He's never built one before. But he's a genius so you know he'll get it done. I'll try to post pics of the completed project!
I'm so happy connect groups are back for the fall! Thursday mornings Martha has one at the church with childcare! Come on somebody-that's a big deal! Childcare :) Then our couples one is Thursday nights. I hate being bored. The more I have going on the better!
Guess I should go start on the 20 loads of laundry I have to do..so daniel can have some clothes to take to charlotte tomorrow!

Long Time-- No Blog

2009-09-14T13:00:00.002-04:00

Well I'm back. After an eventful 2 weeks I am back. Daniel came home a couple weeks ago from a business trip with a sore thoat and cold...and of course, before it manifested itself he had slobbered and kissed all the kids..So one by one, they all got it. Faith first..along with teething. Then Selah..then Caleb. So I didn't sleep through the night for 2 weeks. UGGHH! Selah's fever was almost 103 at one point. Good thing she's the third. It was 11 at night. I gave her a bath, sent daniel for some meds and really wasn't all that worried..weird. We had an offer on our house..but it was contingent...and their house wasn't really priced to sell. And yesterday we had another offer. We have since countered and so we'll see what happens. Trying to keep this house clean is enough to drive anyone to take a long walk off a short bridge. Hopefully I'll have some more news later. But for now that's the update. I must go put all three of my youngins down for naps..YIPEE!!

Shut Up!!

2009-08-25T15:21:00.002-04:00

So as I was posting my last entry, I got an email of the from Free Chapel for the Forward 10 Conference? How weird is that??! Anyway, hopefully I can get it up here..

www.forwardconference.com

I'm thinking it the video will be on that website. Didn't want to give a link to my email :)

Joy comes in the Morning

2009-08-25T15:17:00.000-04:00

...well actually it came this afternoon. Because this morning faith woke me up screaming at 6:45--she's teething..2year molars are the absoloute worse. You newbie parents out there that thought those little incisors were bad...you better watch out! And Selah's teething too, so it's good times around here.
Anyway, I finally medicated everyone except caleb..who surprisingly was awesome about going down for a nap..and now it's been quiet for a few hours. Every month I get a cd from Jentezen Franklin so I decided to put it into the computer. Sweet! This month it's a dvd from the Forward Conference that was held in July. Every year Free Chapel puts together a youth conference that fills the Gwinnett arena. This year they had Jentezen, David Crowder, Fee, Judah Smith, Louie Giglio, Reggie Dabbs and Ricardo Sanchez. I got a report last month about the stats on it, but I can't find it. If I'm not mistaking the arena can hold 13,000. I know there was over 10,000students there. And I'm thinking around 3,000 salvations. Again, I could be wrong..but the point is..it is off the hook!!! I have wanted to go since 2006 when we moved there..but haven't made it so far. But that's gonna change. I can hang with the young people :) If I don't ever move back to Atlanta, my goal is to get the students where ever I am fired up and go take them myself. Check out the promo video for 09 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aufrXh-5Q2E. Hopefully that will go through..

Okay back to my story..the dvd was "the cure for the at ease disease". It was incredible. Not to mention Jentezen played the piano and the sax. He is da bomb! And the line up for forward 10 is...Israel Houghton, Judah Smith, Ricardo, Jentezen and Steven Furtick from Elevation Church (Holla for NC!!) So if anyone out there in blogville is interested in going next year..let me know :0)

Caleb just woke up and I noticed I forgot to put a pull up on him. I was so ready to get them all in bed, that I let him sleep in his underwear. Good thing he didn't have an accident!

One of Those Days...

2009-08-24T18:34:00.002-04:00

Today has been one of those days...scratch that the whole month has been one of those months where I'm wondering if I'll ever make it to the end of this whole "child raising" thing. My kids are driving me nuts. And I feel like nobody understands..including daniel. How could he possibly? He's never even taken all 3 anywhere alone before. Try having all 3 all the time..not even knowing if and when you're ever going to get a break or leave the house. And there is no way anyone with 1 child will understand. It's the fighting, tatling, whining. One starts and then the other starts just to compete. AHHH! The real kicker is daniel's traveling. I mean making it to 5pm is one thing...going to 8:30 night after night alone is another. I have moments when I think..dang it..I should just chance it and throw them in daycare and go back to work. Wouldn't it be nice to have my old paycheck..let me think..heck yea! No doubt! But then I think #1-I don't want anyone else raising my child if I can help it and #2- I'd still have this mess of a house, cooking, and everything else waiting for me when I would get home. It's not like it disappears..unless I hire a maid and a chef. And while dental hygienists make good money, that would not be in the budget...not even close!

I know I'm blessed to stay home..and we've sacrificed enormously to do so...but the grass is always greener..especially when you've changed more crap diapers today than you can keep track of...not to mention my 2 year old clogs the toilet..just about every time. I mean she weighs like 21 lbs..how is that possible?

Selah must be teething. Oh and she rolls onto her stomach while she's sleeping and won't roll back over and freaks out everytime she wakes up. I know she can roll onto her back..but why she doesn't do it in her crib is beyond me.

Currently caleb and faith are chasing each other around the kitchen table..eventually one will fall on the hardwoods and hurt something. Selah is screaming in her pack n play for some reason. And Daniel is in Savannah for the 2nd night in a row. He had to leave at 3pm on a Sunday. So of course I feel like it's already tuesday night. Now I know why parents get off easy and let kids do whatever, whenever they want. It's too freakin hard trying to keep them ALL in line. But dag on it, I will not stop. They will eat what I cook--no other options, they will obey, I will follow through with spankings, and I'm not going to be put off by wondering if they're going to grow up to like me or not.

Okay I feel better now. Good thing I don't drink or I'd be an alcoholic.

test picture from twitter

2009-08-20T22:07:00.003-04:00

Random..

2009-08-18T21:30:00.002-04:00

Random thoughts of the day...
1.where the heck has summer gone? I LOVE warm weather and long days. I just blinked and now it's over?! What?!! We haven't even gone to the beach this year. I hate cold weather.

2. My kids are so different. Seriously different.
Caleb--gotta tell him when to stop eating. Really...if I didn't he'd be a sumo wrestler
Faith--she'll only eat when she's hungry. And she'll stop when she's full. Wish I was like that
Caleb--very cautious
Faith--not a care in the world. The kid would do anything you'd let her
Caleb--very talkative
Faith--you guessed it..the poor girl can't get a word in b/c of Caleb
Caleb--complete homebody. Had rather stay home with me and do nothing than to go out with Daniel
Faith--she's on the first train out of this joint at any given time
Caleb--needs LOTS of sleep
Faith--not as much as Caleb

My prediction is that Caleb will be a preacher. This kid can make a sentence last for 5 minutes. His favorite word now is "because" since it links every sentence together...forever and ever!
Faith will probably be a gymnast. She tumbles and jumps and climbs like nothing I've ever seen before. She's so tiny. I was thinking maybe dancer a while back, but she is a klutz. The poor girl got her lack of grace from me I think.

3. I desperately want to take some classes....fitness classes. Spinning, pilates, even dancing..I'll leave the dancing at that..and let you guess what kind. But of course Johnston County has probably never even heard of some of these things. UGG! I'm missing living in the city more and more..

4. House update...had a showing today, one last friday. No offers yet. Which is ok for now..considering we're praying about where we should go. Although I am through with this whole getting a house ready to show thing. My goodness it's crazy! Today I got an hour and 15 minute notice. The house was a disaster...nuff said.

That's all of my randomness for now!

My unscientific experiment

2009-08-13T13:32:00.002-04:00

I heard that it's 70% diet and 30% exercise. So I decided to do my own experiment. Because here's the deal...if I exercise, I eat more. So I'm like..well I'll save time and money on food if I just don't exercise. This was my excuse anyway to do a month long experiment of no physical activity without any guilt. I don't think I've done this since I was pregnant with faith maybe. I don't remember working out alot while preggo with her. But since then, I've been pretty regular about working out. Try to do it every other day, but usually get in at least 3 days a week. I just finished my 4 weeks of complete laziness. I watched what I ate..didn't really diet, but thought about most things before I ate them (or didn't eat them). And here is the result...I feel like crap! I haven't gained weight or lost. But I feel like a flabby somebody. Yuck..I can tell my arms wave more, my stomach isn't as defined (not that it was initially, but I can tell it's squishier..if that's a word). And I haven't been so tired since Selah was born. But I must say it felt good to not worry about fitting exercise into my schedule and not feeling guilty about going to bed knowing I didn't do squat that day. So what have I learned from this? To set realistic goals. Workout every other day and never workout on Sunday...after all it is the sabbath!

Annoyed

2009-08-08T11:30:00.002-04:00

I've been in a funk lately. I'm just thinking of how stupid people can be. For instance..Obama. This cash for clunkers crap is really getting me hot. They're using our tax money to enable other people to get into debt. Does anyone else see how incredibly stupid this is? Then to make matters worse, they suppposedly smash the clunker since it's bad on gas and bad for the environment? Do you know how many people could use a car..period?! So people get their $8,000 tax credit, or money or whatever it is for their "piece of trash" so they can go get their hiney in debt even more at their local new car dealership. How the heck is this helping the economy? Debt is what got us in this mess in the first place!!! And they blew through the 1billion dollars in the first week of this new idea. So guess what? We're giving more money to keep it going! How brillliantly horrendous!

Then don't even get me started on the health insurance. This man is a lunatic. In all seriuosness, if this thing passes and I could get my immediate family to join in, I would move. As in out of the country. I'm scared of what this nation is about to endure. I'm thinking Australia would be awesome.

It's just been one of those weeks. Of course a week like this would follow an awesome week. That's just how satan works. I won't bore you with all the events of this week..I'll just let you know that it wasn't the greatest. Anyhoo..better go do the dishes and laundry that NEVER quits!

busy week

2009-08-03T08:03:00.003-04:00

Last week was full of stuff...for lack of a better word. Monday is always our day of rest. Then Tues was a playdate at the mall..chick fil a and running around in the fountain included. Then that night my dad and Mema came over to see us since daniel was out of town. I took Faith to the doc for her 2 year check up Wed and wasn't expecting to end up at Lab Corp getting her blood drawn. Not an easy thing to do on a 2 year old. But I turned jack's big music show on my phone and she watched and ate her first lollipop. She did okay--thank God they got the vein on the fist try. I won't even go into the details of how crazy and unprofessional this particular lab corp was. You wouldn't believe me even if I told you. Faith is 22 lbs..in the 50% for height and 5% for weight. So they were testing for absorption issues..like celiac disease. And I was told to fatten her up. I feel her the same things as Caleb and Caleb is right in the 30% for weight..certainly not tiny. So I did the obvious...took her for her first happy meal. She was starving by this point and ate it all except for 3 bites of cheeseburger. Although she didn't like the juice box. I've started back putting milk in her oatmeal instead of water and sneaking almond butter in there too. I'm also looking for whey protein with out creatine..guess I'll have to go to earthfare for that.
When found out we were approved for new insurance--which has been 6 months in the making, lots of appeals, and me getting tested again for my protein S deficiency--which is now gone! Go God!
Faith also managed to run right into the wall before church Saturday night....just as I was getting everyone ready to go. Daniel had already left..so you can imagine how we almost didn't get there. But then I realized our doctor/friend may be there. And I was correct! He took a look and said she was fine..although she looks horrendous..and I was going to get her 2 year pics done this week. He also told me Faith's blood work came back normal, so she's just a little person. Whew!
Now if we could just get a tenant for our condo in Florida....there's always something!

Somebody oughta testify!

2009-07-27T15:33:00.005-04:00

When I was a kid, my dad pastored a little country church and some sundays someone would shout out a praise report...then another...then another. Before you knew it, the whole service was just a bunch of testimonies....didn't even have time for the sermon (I secretely think my dad probably liked that, b/c then he could save his sermon for the next week ;) So I was thinking this morning that sometimes you just need to testify..sometimes you just need to stir your spirit so your ears can hear all that the Lord has done for you...and for others...after all..faith comes by hearing, right? I just began to think of every way God has blessed me, then I decided that if he never did another thing...well that would be ok. Because he's done so much thus far that it wouldn't even matter. I thought about my husband who God strategically placed in my life (no coicidence--just divine appt). I thought about my kids..how I had 2 miscarriages..thinking I may never have any kids...and also thinking I would probably never have any girls..now look--I have an amazing little boy and 2 girls. I thought about the person I used to be and how if it weren't for God's grace I'd still be that person. All I can do is shake my head, give out a shout..and hear that Hammond b3 in my mind! (My mom played the organ at the church when my dad was a pastor, so you know how we roll :) Just watch a little Jakes and you'll get the drift (told you I think I'm part black).
But really, I used to look at people who would jump around in church, raise their hands, be completely broken at the altar and think.."what in the world..crazy". But here's the thing..I didn't know what they had been through, I didn't know how God had brought them through, I didn't know the spiritual warfare that was going on behind closed doors in their prayer closet. Now I know. Now I know what it's like to pray, to press through, to experience the awesome grace of God..over and over and over again. There is nothing like it. And when you've experienced it, you can't contain your praise. When you're having church every day in your quite time and then enter into a corporate place of worship with your brothers and sisters in Christ, there's no holding back a little jig. I am now offically a Jesus Freak. And I've tried alot of things...and nothing else will ever compare.
*p.s-after my whole praise a thon this morning, God answered another prayer in a big way later this afternoon...My friend Krystal says "God doesn't have favorites, but he does have intimates"

Things Nobody warned me about motherhood

2009-07-18T15:45:00.002-04:00

1. postpartum hairloss. Imagine my surprise when this first happened. Chunks fell out in the shower. It doesn't happen to everyone, but it happenend to me..every time with every child. And it lasts for a month or two.

2. How easy 1 kid is. But didn't realize this when I had just 1 kid. Now if it's just me and Selah, I can get everything done...clean, laundry, exercise,dinner. I think if you train a child from the get go how to not rely on you as their only entertainment, it reaps a harvest of rewards!

3. With each child, it takes longer to lose the baby weight. With Caleb it just came right off..a little effort on my part, but not much. With Faith, it took longer, and I worked my badonkie donk off! Selah's 5 months and I can't lose the last 5-7 lbs to save my life. I think my body wants to make sure I'm done being pregnant. NEWSFLASH: I AM!

4. You will go for days sometimes without a shower. I swore this would NEVER happen to me. And it didn't really until baby #3.

5. During the weaning process, you may be a......I'll let you fill that blank in for yourself. A raging hormonal ball of emotions....aka: CRAZY! Again..may not happen to everyone, but I honestly thought the world was coming to an end.

6. You will bring sexy back...nuff said.

7. You will think about cutting your hair. Again..swore I wouldn't do it..have you seen my hair lately?

8. There will be times when you do not like your own child. You love them, but some days you just don't like em.

9. Just b/c you have a baby doesn't mean you like to work with kids. I thought this just came naturally. You have a baby, you work in kids ministry, and you love any and all children. Sorry..I tried kids ministry for about a week--even got the t-shirt---literally. I don't like everyone else's kids. Just being honest. And diapers? I can only change my own kids..I know I'm awful. But I think I may be better at working with students..we'll see. I hope so anyways, then where are they gonna put me at church? With the senior citizens???

10. How hard it is to get motivated some days. I'm a pretty motivated person and some days I don't feel like doing squat. Dishes, shower, cook..or workout. Can I please get a personal trainer?
On a side note, I remember friend a long time ago, putting a picture of a pig on her refrigerator so she wouldn't eat junk. Can't remember if it worked.

11.You will need time out with friends to recharge your battery. This is non negotiable. And..it's without kids!! Same applies to time with your hubby.

12. And finally...how much you love each child individually. Actually I was told this, but failed to believe it when I had just one. But it's true..there are no favorites. Each one is a masterpiece just as special as the other.

Got the Itch

2009-07-13T12:04:00.002-04:00

To travel that is....It's amazing how much I've changed. I used to not want to travel one iota. Decided I'd rather have a spacious house-pour all our money into an "investment". But now I'm starting to think I'd rather invest in experiences. Don't get me wrong, I'm still a firm believer in obeying the word and planning ahead for my children so they'll be taken care of when I'm gone. But there's just something in me that wants to see the world. It may be b/c I'm cooped up all day taking care of 3 kids :) I've been thinking about it for some time though. What really pushed me over the edge is the Hillsong Conference in Sydney, Australia this past week. What I would have given to go to that! Maybe a kidney? Sounds like a pretty good trade. Just to be able to soak in the word that was there had to have been priceless. Both my former pastors--Jentezen Franklin and Stovall Weems spoke..as well as TD Jakes (mmm...seriously I think I may be part black on many levels..I'm not kidding!), then there was Christine Caine too! I grew up thinking traveling was for other people. Let's just say my family is content to just stay put and never go outside of NC. Not that there's anything wrong with that, Mom ;) So one day I will go to the Hillsong Conference. Daniel and I have already decided...one day. We'd also like to take the kids on a missions trip when they're older. Trying to come up with a way to make it a write off if it's homeschool realted? Yeah..I know, that will never hapen. Then last night we talked about taking a long weekend get away to California. There's something about the west coast that fascinates me. I've always wanted to go. Not only to L.A. but San Diego...and now Irvine..where Pastor Franklin has a new campus (free chapel OC)..Just to see how the culture and landscape is different, yet we're all in the same country...incredible! Not to mention a friend of mine from cali says that Free Chapel OC is on fire--growing like crazy! I'm afraid if I went, I may never want to come back...especially since there's like 0 humidity!
Okay--back to reality now. Guess that's why old people buy RV's..that's when they're finally able to do it I guess. That and sleep!

Red white and blue..and it's not about july 4th

2009-07-03T12:10:00.002-04:00

I've got 2 sick youngins on my hands, the pediatrician is closed for the 4th and daniel is in florida cleaning up one of our condos b/c our tenant of 4 years has moved out. Not sure who has it worse..him or me..I'm tempted to say him b/c from all reports it is filthy. Seriously, what's wrong with people? Just because you don't own it, doesn't mean you don't clean! Don't get me on this soapbox b/c I will write for days. What has happenened to the past 2 generations...we need to teach our children about respect for everything..yours or not..and this includeds God's house too..I've seen too many kids acting like God's house is just another gym..anyhoo..

I've never dealt with a stomach virus with the kids before...never even had them throw up before..other than caleb's possible egg reaction..so this is quite messy. There are blankets scattered around all carpeted surfaces. Faith decided she wanted to spend the night with mom last night...good thing. It all started this morning...dr rob said its a viral bug going around..he's just seen it the past couple days...and doesn't know how long it lasts. Faith and faith have both acted strange this week...guess now I know why. Glad the ped is a friend...and I have access to his wife's phone number..ha ha!

So I guess maybe you can guess what's red white and blue...hint...I made caleb bluberry muffins this am---and they didn't stay down!

The Tablecloth

2009-07-01T21:00:00.000-04:00

Here's a story I came across on facebook..

Beautiful story.... makes you understand that things happen for a reason.

The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned to their first ministry, to reopen a church in suburban Brooklyn , arrived in early October excited about their opportunities When they saw their church, it was very run down and needed much work. They set a goal to have everything done in time to have their first service on Christmas Eve. They worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls, painting, etc, and on December 18 were ahead of schedule and just about finished. On December 19 a terrible tempest - a driving rainstorm hit the area and lasted for two days. On the 21st, the pastor went over to the church. His heart sank when he saw that the roof had leaked, causing a large area of plaster about 20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall of the sanctuary just behind the pulpit, beginning about head high. The pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor, and not knowing what else to do but postpone the Christmas Eve service, headed home. On the way he noticed that a local business was having a flea market type sale for charity so he stopped in. One of the items was a beautiful, handmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth with exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross embroidered right in the center. It was just the right size to cover up the hole in the front wall. He bought it and headed back to the church. By this time it had started to snow. An older woman running from the opposite direction was trying to catch the bus.. She missed it. The pastor invited her to wait in the warm church for the next bus 4520minutes later. She sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor while he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put up the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor could hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem area. Then he noticed the woman walking down the center aisle. Her face was like a sheet.. "Pastor," she asked, "where did you get that tablecloth?" The pastor explained. The woman asked him to check the lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG were crocheted into it there. They were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had made this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria.The woman could hardly believe it as the pastor told how he had just got ten the Tablecloth. The woman explained that before the war she and her husband were well -to-do people in Austria. When the Nazis came, she was forced to leave. Her husband was going to follow her the next week. He was captured, sent to prison and never saw her husband or her home again. The pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth; but she made the pastor keep it for the church.The pastor insisted on driving her home, that was the least he could do.. She lived on the other side of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn for the day for a housecleaning job.What a wonderful service they had on Christmas Eve. The church was almost full. The music and the spirit were great. At the end of the service, the pastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door and many said that they would return. One older man, whom the pastor recognized from the neighborhood continued to sit in one of the pews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he wasn't leaving. The man asked him where he got the tablecloth on the front wall because it was identical to one that his wife had made years ago when they lived in Austria before the war and how could there be two tablecloths so much alike. He told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he forced his wife to flee for her safety and he was supposed to follow her, but he was arrested and put in a prison... He never saw his wife or his home again all the 35 years in between. The pastor asked him if he would allow him to take him for a little ride. They drove to Staten Island and to the same house where the pastor had taken the woman three days earlier. He helped the man climb the three flights of stairs to the woman's apartment, knocked onthe door and he saw the greatest Christmas reunion he could ever imagine.

True Story - submitted by Pastor Rob Reid. Who says God does not work in mysterious ways.. I asked the Lord to bless you as I prayed for you today, to guide you and protect you as you go along your way. His love is always with you, His promises are true, and when we give Him all our cares you know He will see us through. So when the road you're traveling on seems difficult at best.. Just remember I'm here praying and God will do the rest. Pass this on to those you want God to bless and don't forget to send it back to the one who asked God to bless you first.

My New Baby

2009-06-15T16:11:00.002-04:00

As some of you know, I finally got an iphone! Yipee! There aren't many things that I want badly, I'm typically pretty easy to please...doesn't take a whole lot to make me happy....not a shopper..blah blah blah. But man did I ever want this phone! I got close to getting one a few weeks ago, then last week they came down from $199 to $99. I turned off my vonage (our house phone) to use that money towards the data plan on the phone..so my payment each month is pretty much the same. This little gadget is the whole enchilada! Got a lime green case and I am complete now :) That's why I call it my 4th child. We went out to dinner last night and when we got in the car daniel asked me if I left my phone inside. I replied "does a mother forget her child?" The only downside so far is the touch screen for typing. My fingers are pretty small and I keep hitting the wrong letters. I don't know what grown men do to keep that from happening!

So the other kids...they're great. I've loosened up a bit lately, and they've been staying up a little late since it's so light outside. Last night I think it was 10 before we got back from my mom's house. what?! Can you believe I kept them up so late? Please....hold your applause. I took the kids to wendy's the other night while daniel was gone. We got in the car to leave home and caleb said "hey faith, we're going to wendy's house!" Obviously I had never taken them before. We got in the restaurant and caleb is pointing to every girl saying "is that wendy?" He's so funny. They did good and ate their chicken sandwiches and I got a wrap...we all ate for $3.44! I brought their milk in their sippy cups. After a few errands, we ran by coldstone and got a kids scoop for $.99. They weren't too impressed with the icecream..weird.

Selah has survived her first cold. It was bad...started in her sinuses and worked its way to her chest. Poor thing..but she's a trooper..didn't get fussy really. I was up with her alot at night for a week. She'd get to coughing and I'd have to hold her up for a while. Thank goodness that week's over. I forgot how crabby I am with no sleep.

Guess that's about it for now..must go wake the oldest two from their nap. It's almost 5pm...guess they are trying to catch up on sleep from a busy weekend!

Dear Obama

2009-06-12T16:55:00.002-04:00

Mr. Obama:
I have had it with you and your administration, sir. Your conduct on your recent trip overseas has convinced me that you are not an adequate representative of the United States of America collectively or of me personally.

You are so obsessed with appeasing the Europeans and the Muslim world that you have abdicated the responsibilities of the President of the United States of America . You are responsible to the citizens of the United States.... You are not responsible to the people of any other country on Earth.

I personally resent that you go around the world apologizing for the United States telling Europeans that we are arrogant and do not care about their status in the world. Sir, what do you think the First World War and the Second World War were all about if not the consideration of the people ofEurope ? What do you think the Marshall Plan was all about? Do you not understand or know the history of the 20th century? Where do you get off telling a Muslim country that the United States doesnot consider itself a Christian country? Have you not read the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution of the United States? This country was founded on Judeo-Christian ethics and the principles governing this country come directly from this heritage.

Your bowing to the king of Saudi Arabia is an affront to all Americans. Our President does not bow down to anyone, let alone the king of Saudi Arabia. You didn't show Great Britain , our best and one of our oldest allies, the respect they deserve yet you bow down to the king of Saudi Arabia.

You can't find the time to visit the graves of our greatest generation because you don't want to offend the Germans, but make time to visit a mosque in Turkey .... You offended our dead and every veteran when you give the Germans more respect than the people who saved the German people fromthemselves. I am convinced that you and the members of your administration have the historical and intellectual depth of a mud puddle and should be ashamed of yourselves, all of you.

You are so self-righteously offended by the big bankers and the American automobile manufacturers, yet do nothing about the real thieves in this situation, Mr. Dodd, Mr. Frank, Franklin Raines, Jamie Gorelic, the Fannie Mae bonuses, and the Freddie Mac bonuses. What do you intend to do aboutthem? Anything? I seriously doubt it.

What about the U.S. House members passing out $9.1 million in bonuses to their staff members - on top of the $2.5 million in automatic pay raises that lawmakers gave themselves? I understand the average House aide got a 17% bonus. I took a 5% cut in my pay to save jobs with my employer. Youhaven't said anything about that. Who authorized that? I surely didn't!

Executives at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will be receiving $210 million in bonuses over an eighteen-month period, that's $45 million more than the AIG bonuses. In fact, Fannie and Freddie executives have already been awarded $51 million - not a bad take. Who authorized that and why haven't youexpressed your outrage at this group who are largely responsible for the economic mess we have right now.

I resent that you take me and my fellow citizens as brain-dead and not caring about what you do. We are watching what you are doing and we are getting increasingly fed up with all of you.

I also want you to know that I personally find just about everything you do and say to be offensive to every one of my sensibilities. I promise you that I will work tirelessly to see that you do not get a chance to spend two terms destroying my beautiful country.

Sincerely,
Every real American

I did not write this, but could not have written it better myself!

Our diggs, pad, house whatever you want to call it

2009-05-30T21:19:00.001-04:00

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-search/27529/price-283000-285000?sby=2

The Explanation

2009-05-23T20:36:00.002-04:00

Daniel and I really haven't got a clue as to what we're doing...there's your explanation. My mom recently told me I was never diagnosed as a child, but...well you can draw your own conclusion...I can't hardly sit still through a movie, I hate board games...get the picture. I'm not confessing I'm ADD, but there are a few symptoms. Anyway so you know when I get an idea you better watch out (I got this from my Papa Rackley--stubborn and running 90mph). We've been praying about what to do...and man I wish God spoke out loud. The past year has been defining for us financially speaking.We did a connect group study by Craig Groeschel (he's pastor of lifechurch.tv out of Oklahoma) a little over a year ago. It completely revolutionalized the way we handle our money. Him, along with Dave Ramsey, have become like family :) Especially when you listen to Dave daily. It was never until I heard Craig though that I finally got it. Sure I knew never to have credit card debt, pay off your cars...but then he said pay off your house. What?! I have never even considered this..after all it is a tax write off, right? Well when Dave breaks it down, the tax write off doesn't amount to a hill of beans after all is said and done. The Bible says he borrower is slave to the lender. I've heard the verse all my life but it wasn't until a year ago that it clicked. Our goal was made then to pay off our house in 15 years..by the time Caleb goes to college...after all we've got 3 kids to put through school. And I want to do that for them so one day they can do it for their kids. Then life got in the way. Daniel was out of work for almost 4 months, and now with the economy the way it is, it's not the best time to be in building material sales. But thank God he's got a job. But while our income has changed, our goal has not. We both feel my place is home with the kids, and we're still on the 15 year plan. So that means it's time for the d word.....downsizing. We just want to make sure that we're going to stay in the area..that's the big concern. I would hate to sell our current house and then have to turn around and sell another house..especially when we got an incredible price on this house. Our realtor can't list our house until Thursday, so I decided to put our flyers and place it on craiglist until then. It would be great to save on realtor fees! So if it sell, it sells. If it doesn't, then there's a reason...and we'll keep trusting God. We do have an area picked out to move, but it would require building...not to hyped up about that. There is also another area with some specs built, but more than we want to spend. So if we sale, maybe we can go in with a ridiculous offer...stranger things have happened I guess.
ps--Jenn, the pics were taken last December when my mom had caleb and faith. I had to clean the house for a Bible study, so I took pictures b/c I knew it wouldn't look that clean for a long time :) Of course I could lie and say I took them just this morning---but that would have been impossible to do!

I'll explain later!

2009-05-23T14:37:00.000-04:00

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/reo/1185405802.html.

Miracle Blanket

2009-05-13T10:06:00.003-04:00

So close friends/family know I am a miracle blanket addict. It started when caleb was a few weeks old. First, I swore I'd never swaddle--I mean it did look a little restrictive. Then after nights of horror, I started to swaddle (thanks to holly insisting I do it :) I tried the receiving blanket, I tried the kiddopotamous with the velcro..all of which failed miserably after the first few attempts. Then searching the internet (after all that is like my favorite thing to do)..I came across the miracle blanket. It's only available online, and after reading numerous reviews from so many celebrities, hospitals, and parents, I decided to give it a shot. The first night I used it on caleb, it's like the clouds parted and heaven smiled down on me! It was and still is my saving grace! And I swaddled caleb and faith for between 4-5 months. They were sleeping through the night (8 hour stretches) by 9 and 11 weeks. When faith and selah were born, the miracle blanket was the first thing I packed in my hospital bag. It goes to church with selah. We attend sat. night service so that can sometimes be selah's fussy time. They've learned how to use it and when I picked her up last sat night they said "we've got to get these things for the nursery...I swaddled her just like you showed me and she immediately stopped crying and went right to sleep!"

Selah has been sleeping 11-12 hour stretches the past 2 weeks, so I decided to wean her of her swaddle, not to mention she is getting big. Yesterday was the first day she napped completely without it. She did okay. Then last night I put her to bed at 8:30, and at 4am she woke up. I wasn't about to feed her..after all she's proven she can sleep through the night and she definitely is gaining weight (probably my biggest baby yet!) So I went in offered the paci, let her cry a while, and then I gave in and swaddled her. Complete silence after that. I had to wake her up at 8:15 this morning. So I think I may continue to swaddle at night for a while :) The picture above was taken this morning when I went in to wake her up.

Busy, Busy

2009-05-12T15:40:00.010-04:00

This past weekend was busy--and great. I decided that if I was going to thoroughly clean my house for caleb's b-day party saturday, that we needed to have another get together Friday night too at our crib. So Friday night we had 19 people here (including us) for a wing night...we ate through 94 wings!My sweet husband cooked them up and our house was full of friends, laughter and kids! 2 babies, 4 toddlers, a 5 year old, an 8 year old, and an 11 year old. Looking back I think I may have been a little nuts planning this thing on thursday night. But hey, some things I do are last minute. Sawyer (the 8 year old) decided to take some m&m's outside and share with the little kids. I had no idea until Faith comes inside saying "m&m, m&m". When daniel put her to bed he asked her if she had a good time..and all she could say was "m&m m&m". Oh well. Then Saturday afternoon we had Caleb's 3rd b-day party..comlete with a dinosaur cake I made him. He got lots of cool gifts--he didn't want to open them all, so I had to help. Then everyone went from our house to C3 Church for Selah's baby dedication. It went off without a hitch and we heard an awesome message from Martha Fry on parenting. She made me look like I was not crazy when she totally gave a plug to babywise and she didn't have her kids sleeping in her room either. See I'm not the only one..my kids may have lasted 3 nights in our room after they came home from the hospital. I mean how do you think we ended up with 3 kids in 2 1/2 years? She put it nicely..the Bible says the marriage bed can not be defiled---that means no one other than your spouse..and NO kids! Babywise is not just about teaching your baby to sleep through the night. It's teaching them to not be self centered..but to be God-centered. She also said she didn't rearrange her house when they were toddlers...bam...I did the same thing. I felt pretty good after that sermon...although I do have a habit of couting to 3. And she gave me a great idea. For every number you have to count to, that's how many spankings they'll get. GENIOUS! I was just happy to know I wasn't the only one out there who is strict babywise (besides holly and jen :) Now I've got to do lots of reading to prepare for the tween years...ughhh! I better start studying now! Before I know it, it will be Faith's 2nd birthday..maybe I should look into combining their parties..hmmm.

This is MY blog....

2009-05-07T08:49:00.002-04:00

and since this is my blog, I feel free to write about whatever I want. With that said, I need to vent just a little..or maybe a whole lot. Let me preface this by saying I've discovered that in the past I have been a little..well..john the baptist like at some points. When I strongly beleive in something..watch out b/c I will do my best to push it down your throat. I've learned in the past 4 years (from my time at life giving churches outside of NC and at C3 in NC), that we are going to attract no one if we are mean. Who wants to serve a God that a crazy person serves? Even if we have the best intentions, I believe we have to love FIRST. Okay now on to my point. I have tried to like Obama. Really I have. I think it's great that we have the first black president (even though I wouldn't consider him 100% african american). I even think some of his ideas are good..okay just a few. I've prayed for him. Heck for a brief period (I mean really brief) I actually thought...."what a dignified man. I think I like him"...but now one thing after another and I'm ticked. Things like raising taxes, blah blah blah I can live with...after all God is my provider. But when the leader of this country refuses to step up and observe the National Day of Prayer....now I am fired up and if I may use such a word...pissed! I realize Bush created this..and did it for the past 8 years. But if Obama is who he claims to be, a Christian, then why would it be such a big deal? This country was founded on freedom....FREEDOM IN CHRIST..might I add. Not freedom to do as you please..religous freedom..the freedom to serve God without punishment. I beleive in free speech..ya da ya da ya da.....but I'm really afraid for the welfare of this country. People came running to God after 911.."Oh help us! Save us from the terrorists!"....yet they won't pray to God on one particular day...a day when we can all unite and stop future evils from coming our way. He says he prays in private..okay that tells me he has no...well you can fill in the blank. I'm wondering who exactly he prays to..considering his muslim heritage.

Yes!

2009-04-29T15:27:00.002-04:00

That is YES I did get to go to one night of the conference! Praise God for family close by. Mom and Granny came and watched the kiddos and I got to see Ed Young,Jr. I saw him before in Atlanta, and he did not disappoint. Great message on betrayal..you can catch it on God TV and maybe Daystar..not too sure about Daystar. I also got to catch up with Jason, a friend from Celebration in Jax, and Kerri Weems. It's awesome to see the body of Christ come together for the real cause--winning souls. This is how it should be--no matter your background or denomination..it's all about believing the infallible word of God and getting people to heaven AND making them disciples..as Jentezen says "Salvation is free, but discipleship will cost you everything". I found that in some old sermon notes I took about 3 years ago. That will preach if you ask me. I also watched some online, so I kind of feel like I was at least partially aware of what was going on. Awesome, awesome communicators..Matt Fry, Dino Rizzo,Stovall Weems, Greg Surratt and many more (those just happen to be my fav--but shh don't tell anyone).

Trying to Enjoy the Season

2009-04-27T07:52:00.003-04:00

So the ARC conference is being held at our church for the next couple days. It's all day/all night. Stovall from our church in jax will be here, ed young jr. will be here, and I'm sure pastor matt has an awesome sermon prepared for tonight. Here's the thing...I can't go....no childcare. I understand that since it's technically not a C3 event, there's no childcare. It's just kind of a bummer since I was really looking forward to going. It's bad enough I can't be there during the day (I was asked to host a pastor's wife during the conference but had to decline b/c of selah--they actually said that they'd take care of the kids the entire time, but I think all of my babies are too young to spend 2 days away from me during a crazy time..especially selah...you know how I am about her schedule). Anyway I'm trying to enjoy this time of being homebound..since I know that one day my kids will be grown and gone (hopefully not too far), and I'll be able to volunteer until my hearts content. But it still doesn't take away from the fact that in this moment in time, I wish I were part of the worship, the conversations, the meeting of new people..etc. Instead I am here changing diapers, making meals, ya da ya da ya da. I know this is a ministry and all but I'm human and miss hanging out with people who can actually say thank you (although caleb is really good about it) and to get in the word with. I get kind of jealous I guess you could say that daniel gets to go pick up stovall and kerri along with our friend jason from the airport and take care of them for the conference. Okay I'm done complaining now...I have to go wake selah up to start the day. Toodles. ps--I know I can watch it online..but it is not the same..especially when my kids won't hush long enough for me to hear :)

Fun Times...

2009-04-25T08:15:00.002-04:00

I decided to let daniel color my hair...here is the note from facebook about the price is right salon..for those who are not facebookers..

Okay so daniel successfully pulled the hair through the cap, although after I washed and dried it, I noticed he didn't get fully to the roots. While I was in the shower, daniel through all the hair stuff away and took out the trash. So yes, I dug though the trashcan in the garage to salvage my precious hair dye. We then had the bright idea to foil some pieces....this help a little. Then this morning, I woke up and foiled a few more myself. Yes I used a chemical concoction that had been sitting for almost 7 hours. So now it looks decent. I mean it's not green or gray, so I consider it a success. There are a blend of colors, but I'm told that is the style...a little blonde, a little brown, and a few reddish streaks. I'm thinking I may just try it again in a few months--and just foil the roots or pull it through the cap and just do the roots. Daniel is the jack of all trades. Seriously he can fix anything, build anything, give excellent advice on interior design (what patterns/colors go together,paint,etc), and now he can add beautician to his credentials! I truly married up!!!!! So for $14 dollars and some change I am now a blonde....not bad if you ask me. Dave Ramsey would be proud!

I actually found the same dye later at target for 10 bucks (the kind I used I got from cvs for $13 and some change). You can't beat that. 10 dollars for highlights, then 15 for a cut..awesome. I love saving money!!

Daniel's taking caleb to the agri supply store this morning then to the strawberry festival. He says he can't wait to go to the strawberry cupcake store!

Selah's doing great..I love this time...mainly b/c she's pretty predictable. We're on a 4 hour feeding schedule. She's sleeping through the night. What a difference a little (or a lot) of sleep makes for me. She did have a reaction to the rotovirus vaccine--and of course it was one that I contemplated not getting...I'm not too fond of so many vaccines at one time...yes I may be a little bit of a tree hugger...but hey I like trees. Anyway she got a really bad upset stomach. I had to take her back to the dr later that day and he said her stomach was roaring. Great..he also said of "course it would happen to you..of all people." And I replied "I'm the queen of the small percentage...every time" By the next day she was better though..although I may not get the next dose at the next visit.

I started P90x this week..I've done 3 sessions..and it is kicking my hiney! And the scale proves it! It finally budged this morning. Thank you Jesus! Although I absoloutely hate doing it..at least an hour each time and I'm drenched in sweat...ughh. Not exactly what I want to be doing during the kids naptime. But hey no pain..no gain. right?

Oh one more thing..I organized my coupons. My friend amie gave me a great idea. Get a 3 ring binder, and buy some baseball sleeves. The coupons are organized and you can see them and flip through them. Genius! Why didn't I ever think of that? Now my kitchen drawer is a lot less crowded!

Randomness..

2009-04-19T11:35:00.000-04:00

So I'm sitting here eating some kashi cereal. As I'm giving faith some bites, I realize that I've never let the kids eat a bowl of cereal--you know with milk. I always give them dry cereal for snacks, but for breakfast they always get kashi oatmeal (keeps the bowels in check). So I began to think of the things I haven't done with my kids...and wondering if I need to loosen up a bit. Here are some examples of things my kids have never done
-eat at McDonalds
-eat a lollipop
-drink juice or any other liquid besides milk and water
-slept in bed with me
-finger painted (ooh--gives me a panic attack just thinking about it!)
-spent the night with anyone other than grandparents (and that just happened for the first time this year)
-gotten a bath everyday (seriously everyday? Ridiculous)
-chew gum or hard candy
-skip a nap (I'm trying really hard to think of a time--but I can't. That's how important I think sleep is)
-stay up past 9:00 (ok there have been a few occasions, but I can count them on one hand)
-wake up b/f 7:15 (most everyday wake up time is 8:00--and if they ever woke up before 7:15--they stayed in bed until I got them out at 7:30 or 8:00)
-stayed with a babysitter (that I paid). Only family has really watched them.
-very few days I can remember them not getting some type of veggie.
-let caleb get out of bed in the morning before I come get him

Okay I'm sure there's more, but I can't think of any--if I remember more, I'll add it later. So I'm asking myself "am I a mean mom?" But then I think my kids are no less happy than any other kids..and I'm trying to do what's in the best interest of my child. On the other hand, when I look at this list I think I'm a totally boring parent who is way too structured and apparently her kids are totally missing out. Hmmm...there's always something for a mama to worry about! I'll try to loosen up a little..but no promises!

ENJOY YOUR KIDS

2009-04-09T10:13:00.001-04:00

Here's a devotional I came across today from Jentezen Franklin--a great one for all my fellow mamas out there! :)

God all-powerful was my closest friend,and all my children were near by.Job 29:4-5

In her book, Forever Erma, Erma Bombeck writes, "When my children were young I made them pick up their rooms, make their own snacks, and put the laundry in the utility room. Now when they come home I put all the rules aside. I'm like a concierge looking for a big tip. I follow them around asking, "Are you hungry? Can I get you something? Do you have any laundry? Do you need some money?"I eat when they want to eat, cook their favorite foods just before they tell me they're going out with their friends, then watch helplessly as they eat their way through a pound of baked ham at 3:00 in the afternoon.On their visit my life changes. I have no care. My washer is set on extra large load and has 2 socks and a t-shirt in it. The phone rings constantly and it's never for me. At the end of their visit we set aside a day, pack a lunch and head to the airport. It isn't until I return home that I sense how orderly my life has become. I enjoy the quiet. The TV tuner is rescued from the clothes happer and returned to its proper place on the coffee table. The empty milk and juice cartons are removed from the refrigerator, the wet towels are put in the washer, the bathroom is returned to health standards. It is my world again---so why am I crying?

Pictures

2009-04-07T09:53:00.000-04:00

Kid Stuff

2009-04-03T08:38:00.001-04:00

So where to begin? The kids are totally cracking me up these days. For one, Faith has become quite the streaker. Three times now she has been stripped down completely when I got her up from her nap---diaper and all. Fortunately, there was only pee all over the place.
Caleb has the memory of an elephant. When I told him the bug man was coming next week he says "And I have to stand way back when he sprays and can't touch anything"..how does he remember that? It's been 4 months since the bug man was here!
So Caleb has to go potty the other night and apparently he thought he had an accident, and he said "My pants are raining!" Hilarious!!
I took them to the mall to see the Easter bunny. They loved it. When we got home I explained to Caleb that Easter is about Jesus. I told him that he died for our sins and went on to tell him what a sin was. I told him that a sin is when he's mean to faith or selah or doesn't listen to mommy and daddy....and this makes Jesus very sad. Earlier we had also talked about the Easter bunny coming on Mommy's birthday since it is the day before Easter. I thought the conversation was over, but caleb came into the kitchen later and said "The Easter Bunny and Jesus are coming to see me on Mommy's birthday and I'm going to tell Jesus I'm sorry. Then they're gonna leave me lots of eggs and then we can watch just 1 litle einstein" (that's his favorite show).
Ha!

We take this moment to interupt your regularly scheduled programming..

2009-03-17T15:54:00.000-04:00

.....CORRECTION FROM LAST POST........SELAH WAS 6LB. 11OZ, NOT 6LB. 13 OZ......

NOW BACK TO YOUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED PROGRAMMING

I can't believe I couldn't rememeber that....well actually I can believe it

Oh Happy Day

2009-03-14T18:36:00.000-04:00

...yeah right. Well at least not for daniel. Since only a handful of people who are close to us actually read this blog, I'll share that daniel had the snippity snip on Friday. The Price family is now complete..the factory is shut down..going out of business sale is over...get my drift? Okay so I have played nurse all weekend while the kids have been at nana's and then at grandmom's==well except for selah. Kind of sad, but relieved that it is over!
On another note, my cousin Jennifer had her baby boy, Rivers,today who weighed in at 6lbs 13 oz, 20 inches long...the exact weight and length of selah,awwww :)
-Other not so interesting things...I made alice springs chicken from outback tonight for dinner...can I just say I was doubting my skills since this is a new recipe for me, but it was off the chain..(for my more mature readers, that means GOOD). Will definitely be cooking that again.
-Oh yeah, selah slept through the night thursday--8 hours baby! But she did have a screaming match for about 3 hours before hand--think her stomach hurt--so I think she was just knocked out. Sadly though last night she did wake up for a feeding. I'll give her a few more weeks before actually sleeping through the night. Caleb was 9 weeks and Faith was 11 weeks.
-Selah went to the dr monday--she is 6 weeks old and 8 lbs 10 oz and 21 inches long...and she smiled at me tonight...she's such a sweet baby..now I know why the baby of the family will always be the baby!

Falling off the Wagon..

2009-03-06T15:45:00.000-05:00

So it's been a while since I've blogged, but not much has changed. Faith has caught ANOTHER cold and has fluid in her left ear. If you've ever had to be around a sick toddler, you feel my pain..oh yeah, and she's normally pretty whinny anyway,so it's a double whammy. We're on day 2 of antibiotics, and I'm praying for a turn around soon--or else my sanity may hit the road. I've never been so thankful for warm temps and the time change as I am this year. Being inside 24/7 with sick kids is like putting someone in solitary confinement...there's a reason why it's such a big punishment! I've left home once this week since Saturday..and that was to go to my mom's tuesday evening while daniel was in sc. The warmer weather will definitely make it easier to get out. And hopefully everyone will clear up so they can be around other kids....I just hope other moms keep their kids home until they fully recover too (but don't get me started on that).
I'm also getting back into a routine--well I'm trying. I'm talking about my own personal routine. It's slow getting started, but I'm trying to put forth the effort. I used to have my personal time in the morning....coffee, devotion, pilates, shower...all before caleb and faith woke up. Note--this was every other day at best--don't think I did this religiously! So I started working out again this week--I refuse to do everyday while breastfeeding (I think it's a good excuse)...not to mention I'm not drinking caffeine. And I'm trying to eat more healthy--again...I was good at this but have fallen off the wagon the past 9 months. Ten more pounds to go until I can fit into my clothes. Currently I have 1 pair of jeans that fit comfortably...and I refuse to go buy more. So there you have it..our exciting life..oh did I mention it's 3:55pm and I'm still in my pj's? Don't worry--I did have a shower this morning!

Good Times

2009-02-21T20:53:00.000-05:00

I'm sitting here on the couch after a great Saturday. It's almost 9:00pm...the kids are in bed and Daniel is on his "P90X" kick upstairs--sounding like he's going to come crashing through the ceiling at any given moment. If you don't know what it is, do some channel surfing and I guarantee you'll find an infomercial on it. I had my monthly Bible study this morning with my amazing friends...I am so blessed by them and their wisdom. Then tonight we went to church. Selah was great--I pulled out the sling for the first time in a long time. Caleb seems to finally be growing up a little and maturing and Faith is teething..but is still sweet. It's nice to have a good day--so I thought I'd blog a little--short and sweet--I know weird for me! But I must go--sounds like Selah may be needing her last feeding of the evening--well until around 2am that is!

When it rains...

2009-02-13T21:35:00.000-05:00

Well you know the rest of the phrase. So this week has been completely crazy. Daniel had to go out of town for the first time since selah was born on wednesday . So my mom came and got caleb and faith for the day. So wed morning I felt a little more tired than usual so I took a morning nap, got dressed, looked in the mirror and thought..."I look like crap!" No amount of make up could cover my paleness. This should have been my first clue. But the only thing on my mind was going to target. So selah and I had an outing to target..of course she loved it..who doesn't love target? But then around 3:30 I began to feel like I had been run over by a train..and I was freezing...and it was a beautiful 70 degrees outside. I made hot tea...still cold. Our connect group brought us dinner ALL week (they are awesome)..so my friend brought me dinner...I ate it thinking it would warm me up..but no. Then I put on 3 layers of clothes, sat in the recliner with a blanket, and put a heater on my lap. By this point I'm thinking...I'm doomed...I knew I should have gotten that stupid flu shot..the first year in like 5 years I haven't gotten it..great. So my mom brought the kids home and spent the night with me since my temperature was 102.8. The next morning I took faith with me to the doctor since she has been battling some type of crud since I came home from the hospital. This was a big step for me. I haven't been to the dr for a sick visit in 14 years. I did not have strep (thank you Jesus), but Faith has a double ear infection. What?! She had no drainage, I pulled at her ears to see if they hurt last week..I've never had a kid with an ear infection! Thank God I took her in..I tend to have the "let's let nature take it's course..it will be fine with a lot of rest" kind of attitude, but after 2 weeks of it I said "bring on the amoxicillin!" So she seems to be doing better. My throat still hurts, but at least I don't feel like a wet noodle. Then last night our friends brought us a wonderful dinner that had egg noodles in it..and I didn't even think twice about the word "egg"...we've wondered if caleb has an allergy to eggs..he's vomitted 3 times before when we gave him custard, and then one time was actual scrambled eggs. So he at the egg noodles like he does everything else and then leaves to go spend the night with Nana...on the way there he throws up--all over Nana's car. Daniel just gets home from DC and has to go drive 45 minutes to go pick caleb up and bring him home...looks like he still doesn't like eggs!
This morning I woke up and thought had a urinary tract infection. Never had one before, so I wanted to make sure one way or another before the weekend. So I was back at my ob's office--thank goodness it was negative. So the temp must be from the cold virus after all...now if I can find time to sleep maybe I'll get better!

10 days old

2009-02-10T20:53:00.000-05:00

I took selah to the dr today and she is up to 6lbs. 12.5 oz...and I believe it. I prayed she would be a good eater--and she is just that. I also prayed for a good sleeper and...so far it seems like she is. Although we had a rough start, everyday I try to find improvement. It's amazing how much easier it is with your 3rd. child. The first one, I was a nervous wreck...forget maternal instinct..I had none...zero! Thank goodness for babywise that helped me out. Then with the 2nd, you hope that any success you had with the first was not due to good luck, but good planning. And you just hope you can do it again..and it will work. By the 3rd, I've realized that experience makes a world of difference. I've learned to savor every smell of a newborn baby, hold her longer, and just enjoy her. Although I'm still a little OCD, I've learned to relax because I know how fast they grow up, how pretty soon she won't be waking me up in the middle of the night needing me, and knowing that she is my last...well is bitter sweet. I'm ready for the new chapter of a completed family...being able to take all 3 kids out in a year from now without bottles and stuff...ready for the 3 of them to become lifelong friends...ready to explore homeschooling and being able to have them so close together in age that we can take fieldtrips and vacations that they'll remember forever. But I'm sad that this stage of my life has flown by. I don't like to drag things out--obviously :) I love the fact that they're so close together, but the down side is...I blink and it's all over. But I remind myself there's a lot more living to do--for all 5 of us. And although we didn't have selah all "planned out"...from the moment she was put into my arms, I fell in love with her..just like I did with caleb and faith. I guess I can say now that I love surprises.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SELAH MAE

2009-01-31T08:42:00.000-05:00

So I'm here in the hospital. Selah made her debut this morning at 5:46 a.m. Needless to say we're tired--no sleep last night. We'll put pics up soon. We arrived here at 12:30am after consistent contractions began at 7:15 pm (after eating mexican:) I also had a few wings for lunch---so not sure what put me over the edge! I was 4 cm when I arrived.I had not been feeling well since Thursday morning--I've had a feeling all along that Selah would be early, but yet everything would be ok--turns out I was right. I was also able go get an epidural--since I had skipped my evening shot--18 hours without my heparin and after some blood drawing, I finally got the epidural--the best invention I've ever had!! Poor Daniel was making fun of a friend of ours for passing out at the birth of their 2nd child..turns out an hour after our nurse said she'd never had anyone pass out---out goes Daniel. He didn't actually hit the floor until I had selah in my arms..but he said he blacked out first and doesn't remember seeing her being born :( After some reinforcement and some shaking by a few nurses, he finally woke up. Guess he won't be making fun of anyone else anytime soon!
I found out this morning that my sweet friends in my bible study group were planning on throwing me a surprise baby shower this morning. They are so sweet--and totally surprised me when I called to tell them the news a few minutes ago. Well I better go now--hopefully a shower and some sleep are in my future..oh and caleb and faith will be here soon..this should be interesting!

Monday's the Day

2009-01-30T17:57:00.000-05:00

Looks like Monday I'll be induced. They're supposed to call around 6am to let me know if they have a bed available. I've been having some contractions and stuff and fortunately daniel is on his way home--he'll be here in about 15 minutes from the mountians...WHEW! The house is finally clean (well daniel still has some stuff I'd like to see done that I can't do...but that will probably always be the scenerio). I do have a walmart run to make..always a chore especially on the weekends. Speaking of weekend, daniel is armor bearing for pastor matt this weekend and we're going to 4 services..yikes..he has to be at church at 3pm tomorrow through probably 8-8:30 tomorrow night...and then from 8:15 until around 1-1:30 Sunday. Let's just say he'll be having his phone on..or he better be :)
Tomorrow is my monthly COW Meeting (company of women)..11 of us girls who have some form of business (like mine is xango). I love these girls and always look forward to the last saturday morning of the month. I'm so blessed to have the friendships that I do.
Well looks like the next time I post I'll be a mama to 3! Holy Cow!

The Best Weekend In a Long Time

2009-01-26T20:49:00.000-05:00

So this past weekend was pretty much the best one I've had..since..well..I can't remember a more relaxing weekend in a long time. Saturday morning was a kingdom builder's gathering a church with Christine Caine from Hillsong Church in Sydney, Australia. It was off the chain! And it's always a plus when there's childcare provided and when the kids love going. My awesome mom came and got the kids Saturday afternoon to stay the night at her house. Daniel and I then went to PF Changs for dinner--they have the BEST vegetarian lettuce wraps! Nothing is better when you're daniel fasting!! This was our last dinner before the baby--and we knew it would be a long time before we'd have another one..not to mention we also made it our valentine's day dinner since we'll likely be unable to go out. We walked around the mall, talked without interuption, and came home about 1o:00--don't remember the last time we were out so late.

Then Sunday morning Daniel and I were able to take our time getting ready for church, and we were both able to serve together. We've never been able to do this. We usually alternate weekends because of the kids. One of us is there at 8:30 and the other rounds up the kids and is there by 9:00 to check them in. Christine Caine was speaking again..which was of course..awesome. Then we were able to hang around between services, catch up with some friends, without having to rush around getting kids and hearing about how hungry they are. We had a relaxing Sunday afternoon, and then I was off to chick night at church with once again...Christine Caine. I got there an hour and a half early and there was already a line. 2,000 women in one place...one word...CRAZY! But oh how worth it!! Meanwhile Daniel went and got the kids from my mom's and put them to bed. So I pretty much didn't see them for 48 hours. Sure I missed them, but I savored every single minute of being able to do what I wanted--when I wanted to do it.

I am grateful beyond words for my family's help. I never realized how much I would need them. So pretty much I'm never moving away. I think I may go insane if I didn't have someone to give me a little break once in a while!

2009-01-24T14:45:00.000-05:00

THE HOUSE

SNOW ANGEL

CUTIE

2 (ALMOST 3 KIDS)

Another Week Bites the Dust

2009-01-22T22:45:00.000-05:00

So this has been quite the week. The kids had their pics made monday night. We woke up to snow tuesday morning..and it snowed all day until around 4:00pm. Daniel didn't get home from florida until right as it was stopping. My mom was freaking out the whole time worried that I'd go into labor with no one here--and snowed in. She even brought me bags of groceries monday night and helped me with the kids while their pictures were being made...and took us on a few carousel rides in the mall too. She is quite possibly the best mom on the planet :) Caleb had a blast in the snow...and faith is so dainty she didn't like getting her feet in it..yet she wanted to stay out so badly. I knocked out an eye dr's appt today and went to the OB doc. Next wed. I go back and they'll call the hospital and set up an induction time for the next week....can't believe it's getting so close. I've organized closets, had daniel put up gates at the top of the stairs, and drug out all the old bottles and stuff and washed and cleaned them all. All I have to do now is clean the house and we should be ready. I've pretty much been in full blown nesting mode for a week now...but it's taking me so long with these two kids!! Much easier the first and second go 'round!
The kids have done great with room time this week. We've structured our day a little better and it has made a ton of difference.
Now for an eventful weekend..Christine Caine from Hillsong Church in Sydney, Australia is coming to C3 this weekend..and it's going to be AWESOME!! Sunday night is Chick night so it's just us girls....hooray :) Hope I don't go into labor soon..because I can't miss this.

Rough Week

2009-01-16T09:57:00.000-05:00

So this week has been pretty bad from a parenting standpoint. I feel like all I've done is been a referee between caleb and faith. I've read that 2 1/2 is a pretty bad age. It made me feel better when I read it in the dr's office yesterday. The kids are fine individually--heck it's a breeze just having one. But put them together, and you have to watch every move. Every pull of the hair, every toy stealing incident. Why didn't I think about this before? It was so easy when faith was not mobile and just stayed where I put her. Why didn't I appreciate the complete easiness of a newborn/infant? Oh well. Then there's the potty training stuff. Caleb has learned to pee standing up, which proves to be rather messy..although I think we've figured out a technique.

But the hurdle for today is I've reimplemented "room time". It used to be playpen time, then once they got older, I started room time with caleb, and then got lazy with faith. So here we are, about to bring home another baby, and I can't have one second without having to watch the two of them. So I prayed and it came to me...duh...I'm a "babywise" junkie. That's where playpen time and room time came from. So we're going back to the basics. The rooms are safe, the gates are up..and the tears are flowing as we speak (from faith). She did good the first few minutes, but now all hell is breaking loose. But I have to keep in mind..I'm the parent. Come hell or high water..they will do what I say! :) Because I'm stubborn like that.

Praise Report

2009-01-07T14:33:00.000-05:00

I was trying to take a nap, but I'm so fired up I don't think I've slept more than 4 hours the past 24 hours. Last night Daniel and I stayed awake until 12AM watching Praise the Lord on TBN. It was so awesome to see Jentezen interviewing Stovall Weems. Stovall was our pastor in Florida and Jentezen was our pastor in Atlanta. We're all partnering together for the annual 21 day fast--C3 included. You can check it out at www.awake21.org. There are currently 206 churches participating. I look back and can't believe that of all the churches we could have gone to, God put us at Celebration in Jax, and then at Free Chapel in Atlanta, and now here at C3...and now we're all connected...so needless to say I didn't sleep a wink last night. The whole program was great...Reinhard Bonnke (he came to atlanta a few times so we've seen him before--powerful stuff--as of 2000, there have been 53 million conversion cards filled out at his crusades--you should have seen the SEAS of people..mainly in Africa), then there was Perry Stone (of course he's like family to Free Chapel. His knowledge of Israel is astounding..not to mention he's good a good ole Church of God boy...talk about getting fired up!) Then there was Ricardo Sanchez--our worship leader from ATL. Last but not least, Stovall wrapped up the program. It was his first time on TBN, and he did great. I knew when we left Florida something big was about to happen there at Celebration. We left right after the annual fast, and it got to where we couldn't find a parking space. I remember the Wed night that he asked who wanted to be baptized in the holy spirit..it was that night that I knew God was about to pour himself out on that place...and man has he. That was just 3 years ago..when they had 2--going on 3 campuses. Now they're up to 8 different venues..check it out www.celebration.org.

So now we're planted at C3 and I've got that feeling again...something's up..and as we seek God through prayer and fasting starting Sunday at Sundown, we are aligning ourselves up with heaven...and expecting great things. Mine will be modified of course. I'm kind of bummed about it, since last year was an awesome experience (finally a 21 day fast without being pregnant last year...there's always next year :) But the daniel fast to a pregnant woman is a sacrifice...at least to this pregnant woman. I'll be cutting out white stuff, coffee (the hugest thing ever!!--even though I drink 1/2 caf) all liquids except water (still deciding on juice)..but no soda (nothing like a coke on crushed ice:) No deserts, chocolate etc. Still modifying it though..I know I'll still eat meat (not fried) and dairy. I'm trying to prepare myself spiritually though--everytime I fast, the first 3 days are pretty rocky mentally/spiritually. The devil has lots of tricks up his sleeve--and he knows when to pull them out!

Oh so the praise report--We have insurance!! Effective tomorrow...and we never had to do COBRA..although we did pay out of pocket for my meds, I'm hoping they'll at least be tax deductible. Our new insurance wasn't supposed to start until the 15th, and our option for COBRA expires the 8th. So we would have been a week without coverage..kinda risky considering I'm 4 weeks from D-Day and it's my 3rd child--and you know how I like to do things quick--including having babies. Let's just say I think my Mom is the most relieved. Daniel's boss added us a week early to the insurance...God is always on time..even if we are sweating bullets when he shows up!

Christmas Fun

2009-01-06T16:24:00.000-05:00

Caleb blowing out candles for Jesus on his birthday cake Christmas Eve.

Faith lovin on Santa

2000 what?!? 2009

2009-01-02T15:51:00.000-05:00

As Daniel and I were reflecting on the past years, we realized that since 2004, not one year has gone by where we haven't had any issues--personal, financial, health, etc. But I was happy to catch myself remembering-for the most part--the good of these years. It reminded me that very, very rarely are things going to go like you want them to...if we wait to praise the Lord when only good things happen, we'll be waiting until we die and go to heaven.
Here's a synopsis:

2004--My stepdad Bill was diagnosed with lung cancer and passed away. My first close encouter with death and letting go...not easy when you're holding his hand as he passes into eternity.

2005--We made our first big move to Florida--after finally selling our house in Wake Forest in May--after 8 months on the market..and traveling back and forth on weekends since I was still working in Raleigh and Daniel in Jax.
--2 miscarriages, switching dr's and multiple tests to figure out the problem

2006--Moved to Atlanta, had to find new dr.
Caleb was born :)
My Papa passed away from prostate cancer in Sept.

2007--Moved to Raleigh (against my will may I add--I loved atlanta at the time)
We were back and forth--raleigh to atlanta and even stayed with my mom a few months
in NC.
Faith was born :)
Our house in Atlanta finally sold after 8 LONG months
We FINALLY found a good church in the area after visiting about 7 churches--hooray
for C3!
Daniel has never hated a job more and probably will never hate a job as much as the one he had during this period. Yet he rarely if ever complained.

2008--Moved to Garner to be closer to church-against our realtors advice....she thought we should have moved to holly springs for resale..turns out it worked out great. We're 20 minutes from my mom and couldn't be happier with our neighbors (yeah--amie and rod ;)

Found out in May we were pregnant--this time not our plan!

August--Daniel lost his job while I'm pregnant and on very expensive meds, yet here we are in 2009 now--We survived almost 4 months, God provided, and we are fine. Daniel has a new job and insurance is on the way!

2009--lots in store. I'm sure it won't all be beds of roses. But I know that God will take care of us as we do our part to serve him. So now we're gearing up for our annual fast starting Jan 11th. We excited that this year our church here is doing it too...along with our former churches in Atlanta (Free Chapel) and Florida (Celebration). Isn't it funny how God puts you in certain places for certain seasons and how they all connect for a certain purpose. I don't know how long this season will last, but I've learned to enjoy them all and be ready for the next season (even if you don't get much notice!) Remember the 3 fold cord is not easily broken--giving,praying and fasting. I love getting the new year off on the right foot by firstfruits offering and fasting...because you never know what the rest of the year will bring!

I Can't Believe it's Christmas!!

2008-12-24T13:46:00.000-05:00

Holy cow--where has the time gone? I can't believe it's Christmas Eve. I'm sitting here at my mom's blogging while she's cooking (she said she didn't need help) and the kids are napping. I can't help but think about how blessed we are. It's wonderful to not be looking on the internet for jobs for Daniel 24/7 like I was for almost 4 months. You'd think with all the jobs out there that it would be easy to get one! Daniel is enjoying his new gig. We both like that when he's in town, his schedule is flexible and not 8-5--or in his case it seemed to always be 6:30-6:30.

Caleb is potty training. I just kind of let him decide when he wanted to start, and he actually caught me off guard on Monday. I knew we would be hanging around the house all day, so on went the big boy underwear. We'd tried this before, and I ended up changing about 4 pairs of underwear and pants in a span of about 1 1/2 hours. He pees ALOT! So I tried again Monday, not thinking much of it, and he started out with a few accidents, but then that night I realized we hadn't used a diaper all day--except a pullup for naptime. Then yesterday he did great--even at Nana's and even kept his pullup dry during naptime which was 3 1/2 hours. Today's been good--although the "poop thing" isn't quite down yet--so we had a minor incident here at mom's this morning.

I went to the dr yesterday and had to have an ultrasound done. I was measuring 31 weeks instead of 33 weeks before the sonogram, so my dr was a little concerned. It turns out I measured small at the last visit, and that dr didn't tell me. The ultrasound was fine. Selah's in the 43% and looks great. She has a ton of hair. My sonographer couldn't believe how much she had--guess she'll be coming home in a bow. My dr doesn't know why I'm measuring small, and she told me not to worry. I'm really not--considering Faith was 6 1/2 lbs when she was born, and she remains tiny..and since this another girl, it makes sense. It truly is a girl btw--I had her double check before I ditch all my boy stuff :o) Hooray--our family is almost COMPLETE!!

Merry Christmas!
ps-obviously I didn't send out Christmas cards--but you probably don't expect one since I've never done it before! So Consider this your card--one you can read all year long!

I Made It Back Home!

2008-12-22T15:51:00.000-05:00

So I went to Boone and the kids couldn't have done any better. On Friday, Caleb had to be woken up after an almost 4 nap for dinner. On Saturday, Faith had to be woken up at 10:00am and then again at 5:15 pm so daniel could get her ready for church. And on Sunday they both slept until almost 9:00am. So how did Daniel get it so easy is what I want to know. I'm wondering if their XANGO was spiked :) No upset tummies or crankiness at all.

The weekend started out hairy....I locked myself out of the house after I took the kids to Daniel's parents on Friday morning. Thank goodness Daniel was working in Wake Forest and came to rescue me right before we needed to leave to make it to Boone on time for the rehearsal dinner. The wedding was beautiful...and the mountains are lovely. I could really get into living there--wearing lots of cool boots and outdoor stuff..never dressing up...it's the coldness that I'm not made for.

So now we're gearing up for Christmas. Not much to do since Santa only brings 3 gifts per child at our house (it was good for baby Jesus, so it's good for my kids). We're focusing more on Jesus's birthday--and so all Caleb talks about is "CAKE"!! I've attempted to organinze toys to make room for a few new ones. And I'm exhausted from the trip--I roomed with mom and Granny--and Granny is a night owl...I didn't get to bed before 12:30 either night. And since Mom is an early worm, I was awake by 7:00am. Needless to say, the pilates that was supposed to be done during naptime today, was replaced with a 2hour nap..and I could have slept longer--but of course I had to pee!!

What a Week

2008-12-18T20:49:00.000-05:00

Well we seem to have been hit by the evil sickness that's going around. Caleb started it--a week ago he developed diarrhea. It's been kind of off and on with him--although he did have a temperature on Tuesday. I caught it last Saturday and it only lasted until Monday. And now Faith has it as of today. The problem? I'm supposed to leave for Boone tomorrow to be in my cousin's wedding. We had already planned for Daniel to stay home with the kids since it is 3 1/2 hours away and it's in the mountains and we knew it would be a zillion times easier without them..plus I could just ride up there with my mom and share a room. But now the question looms--do I stay or do I go. I'm supposed to leave tomorrow before lunch, so I better hurry and decide. I'm playing it by ear tonight. It's not that I don't trust Daniel...I do. But it's hard enough to leave them for the weekend..and now knowing they don't feel good....I can just see Faith's pitiful little face and hear her non stop whining (whining is pretty typical with her anyway--especially if she doesn't feel good). Decisions, decisions...

ps--the new addition's name will be Selah Mae Price (pronounced Say-la, not see-la...although that's the correct way) We chose it because over the past 4 months, we've spent a lot of time in Psalms. It's definition is somewhat not understood entirely, although most say it is a time to reflect..to think about what God has done...a time to praise and lift your hands...I guess you could say it simply means "praise". Mae is my great grandmothers middle name, as well as daniel's mom's middle name. So there you go. I've never met a Selah, but I guess I will in about 6 1/2 weeks!

PRAISE GOD

2008-12-12T09:22:00.000-05:00

God provided Daniel with a job this week...actually he had two job offers, which was great. The one that worked best is with a company out of Jacksonville, FL. They're expanding to NC and SC, so Daniel will be their man. It's a little scary thinking that he's starting from scratch..uncharted territory. But I think it's also good--no cleaning up someone else's mess, or trying to make up for the last sales guy's mistakes. He'll be selling concrete pavers, retaining walls..you know stuff I know nothing about. They're working on adding us to their insurance..hopefully they'll be able to do it before 90 days--especially since I haven't sent in my money to COBRA. Although he'll be traveling a bit, at least he can work from home when he's around. We've had it both ways before--going into the office everyday, and then working from home and gone a few nights a week. We both think we prefer the working from home. At least now he's not going with all the traffic to Raleigh. He's making less than before, but when you've been without a job for 1/4 of the year (man that sounds horrible), then you learn to trust God like never before. There is great opportunity here....and another chance to have God prove his faithfulness. And we've learned that even if this job doesn't work out, it will lead to something else God has in store that is better. There's no doubt about it...God is always on time....which is rarely on our timetable. And one way or the other he will make you trust him completely...where you've exhausted all your resources, when you think you're 3 days from nowhere (you have to hear Jentezen's message for that), and when you can't seem to hear his voice..no matter how hard you try (like Jenetzen's silent wednesday message :) After all the fasting, praying,and giving when you didn't know how it would ever come back, God has proven himself again in a way that I would never trade for anything.

8 More Weeks

2008-12-07T20:19:00.000-05:00

That's right people--only 8 more weeks until this baby is here. I am done being pregnant..still getting nauseous at night about once or twice a week..and I am ready to have my body back for good! I'll post belly shots later--because right now I'm too tired :) We had a good weekend. Daniel returned Friday night just in time for the Rackley Christmas in Clinton. Saturday night Daniel and I went to a Christmas party in Wilson, and today was church, followed by a trip to Meadow lights tonight. The babies are feeling good--and are as always--so cute....they're irresistable as long as they feel good! Daniel and I are close to a name..stay tuned hopefully we'll nail one down in the next few days. Daniel also has a couple of interviews this week--so we're praying just like we have been for the past 3 1/2 months..God is faithful and we have so much to be thankful for. Caleb is no longer scared at night...I told him a few weeks ago that Jesus lives in his heart, so he's not scared..because Jesus is always with him. Now as he climbs into bed he says "Jesus in my heart..I'm not scared...right Mommy?" Oh so cute! How thankful I am that I can pour into these kids every single day and be home with them. God is Good.

It's Been a Good Day

2008-12-03T14:23:00.000-05:00

So today has been good..so far ;) I actually got myself out of bed this morning at 6:15, headed straight to the coffee pot of course, did pilates (which has gone down to a once or twice a week event--I'm not sure why I even bother anymore), and was able to get dressed before the kids woke up. Here lately since they've been sick, sometimes they've been getting up before the usual 8:00. But today hopefully was back to normal. We left at 9:00 to go to Fayetteville to see my Mema. She took us to Chuck E. Cheese for lunch--which as you can see above--the kids loved. And if they nap good (fingers crossed since they got put down later than usual), we'll be off to church tonight for First Wednesday....which is going to be AWESOME!! Because of course, it always is. And I think the kids are pretty clear for the nursery! Daniel has been gone since yesterday morning, so I'm trying to stay busy. Last night we headed to Dunn to go to Jernigan's open house (to see Christmas lights), and were able to go by mom's and granny's. Not sure what's on tap for tomorrow, but hopefully I'll figure something out. Daniel will be gone until late Friday night..and tonight he's in Atlanta so he gets to go to our old church and hear Jentezen....I miss those Wednesday night services...if you think the one's on tv from Sundays are good, you ain't seen nothing until you go to the Wed services--people who really want to hear from God go on Wednesdays :o) And Daniel will probably eat dinner there too at the church's restaurant..I'm really trying not to get jealous here! I guess I'll go try to rest some before the babies wake up (although I've been an insomniac for 2 weeks now..I'll try anyways).

What is going on??

2008-12-01T14:39:00.000-05:00

So I'm really trying to make this blog not be a complaint journal...but..you knew there was a but! The past 24 hours has been crazy. For starters, Caleb has learned the words "I'm scared"..pronounced "I'm scerd". So when he goes to bed here lately he cries and I hear him say he's scared..blah,blah,blah. He's been sick so I'm trying to cut some slack. He does this for 2 hours last night! Finally when I get in bed to go to sleep, 10 minutes goes by and I'm up puking my guts out while Daniel is sucking up everything we own it seems like with his snoring...TOTALLY OBLIVIOUS! Once I get back in bed, Faith decides she wants to join the party..so I get up thinking..great she's getting sick now. She felt warm, gave her some tylenol, put her back down and she cries again...weird! Long story short, she didn't go back to sleep until after 2AM..and during this time I was feeling the new baby feel like she was going to kick a hole right through my stomach...and there was braxton hicks contractions. Faith did have a 4 hour nap that day..and apparently she wanted to play at midnight..and you know I wasn't about to go for that. Then this morning I totally forgot about the pest control man coming at 8:30..good thing he called 10 minutes before he got here!! Now as I type, I'm wondering if Caleb has finally gone to sleep for his nap....he's been in his room 2 1/2 hours...started out saying he's scared, then talking to everything in the room, and then he snuck off the bed and played some..and then got in trouble and hopefully is on his way to sleep....we'll see. Meanwhile I'm wondering if I'm ever going to get any sleep again...at this rate I'm thinking probably not.

Pictures of Caleb and Faith

2008-11-30T22:28:00.000-05:00

Here goes...

2008-11-30T13:52:00.000-05:00

So..where to begin. I finally started a blog because I spend so much time on everyone else's that I figured why not? As other bloggers have stated..don't expect anything consistent, life changing, or exciting for that matter. My life is relatively normal I suppose..if you consider changing diaper after diaper, picking up toys over and over again..and cooking what seems like non stop normal..then I'm normal. This is the life I've always wanted and prayed for..but like anything else, you have your good days and bad days....here lately bad days have topped the good. I honestly do not like this time of year. I don't like the cold weather, I don't like people bringing their sick kids to the nursery at church and then getting my kids sick, and although the holidays are nice for a while, I long for warm weather...where I don't have to layer my kids like abominable snowmen to leave the house, where I don't have to worry if the dryer ate their socks...again, where I don't feel confined to the house when they get a cold...which is where we are now...2nd round of colds in less than 2 months. I stayed home with the kids today from church which may be why I sound a little annoyed--plus it's raining outside. But there is light at the end for today. I'm going to Cindy's birthday party where both of us preggos are going to chow down on wings.....