another week goes by...

this past week was much better than the last...here's my not me monday!

i did not spent all week on modified bedrest to keep my blood pressure steady...wouldn't need to, after all, i'm totally healthy!

i did not thoroughly enjoy not cooking all week since Mr. Mom was still home...that would be wrong after all. i also did not make two different calls to Canada to get bp help from a dear friend...why call Canada right? i did not send Mr. Mom back to work today more than two hours away...why on earth would i do that? i did not tell mr. mom that i'd call if i couldn't handle it...and i did not assume i could handle it. after all, blood pressure is important, and one should be pampered and spoiled. :)

fun stuff...

resting on a Sunday...

Not really by choice. but sitting here, resting b/c of blood pressure, reminds me of so much...i'm sitting here listening to last weeks sermon by our pastor...later this week i'll listen to todays sermon...i love that the sermons are online now!

anyway...back to resting. this pregnancy seems to have flown by until now...and was relatively easy as well. now my bp is a bit elevated...nothing to worry about, just needing to care for myself more. those of you that are moms know how hard that can be! so i sit here, listening to a wonderful sermon about revival, and thinking about my situation. going long in pregnancy is a cross to bear, let no one tell you different. having prodromal labor, for weeks without end, also a cross to bear...both of which God has given me to bear. it's frustrating, and hard to live with or deal with. while talking with my husband about how i was feeling the other night, i likened my situation to the apostle Paul. in 2 corinthians 12:7-9 the scripture says:

⁷And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

⁸For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.

⁹And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

why is this so hard to remember? why is it so hard for me sit back and know that God is in total control, and that in my weakness HE is strong? Has there ever been a more true statement? "My grace is sufficient for thee". There are so many troubles in this world. my friend with cancer, my friend with a sick baby, my friend dealing with the loss of her husband....so many troubles...but HIS grace is sufficient. Perhaps i should choose to see it a different way...as i struggle, in my human desires and misunderstandings, God has chosen me to walk this path that HE may be glorified...

when i think on it like that...all of a sudden it seems easier to deal with, easier to walk through. i CAN do this...all because I have THE God walking with me, preparing the way, going on before me, knowing how this will all turn out. Seems like no reason to worry then...and no reason to fret.

in the coming days, may God remind me that HE is glorified through my weakness...and thru those weaknesses am i made strong!

how, and where, we do school

there has been a lot of discussion lately on where to "do school" in a homeschool setting. for me, i find that every year it changes, depending on the circumstances in our lives at that particular time. this year, we'll have a new baby any day now, so i needed to be able to see everyone in one room...and work with each child. so here are some pics to show you how we do school...this year anyway.


for some reason i don't have a pic of the three year old at her table...but each girl has her own table to work at, and they are each sitting somewhere in the living room, where i can keep my eye on them...


each girl has her own backpack, which cm happily models for you. :) they keep their own pencil boxes, their workbooks,and notebooks/binders in their backpacks...as well as markers and a coloring book for when we are out and they need something to do. lol.



each girl that doesn't do SOS has a computer program as part of her school work as well. that is the only part not in the living room, as the childrens computer is in the dining room. however, with how i've arranged the furniture, i can see them from the love seat, and that allows me to keep track. :)


this is the "school cabinet". it houses my dry erase markers, stickers, and extra workbooks, as well as colors and colored pencils, and coloring books for when school is done. it also has a box of scissors and glue and things of that nature.


when the little girls are done with their work, they have a little box of toys that they play with...we rotate the toys about once a week so they don't get bored. ;) when AR is done with her work, she and the little girls go to their room to play while AJ finishes her work.

this covers how we do things...i think. but i'd love to hear what you think...and how you do school!

a long week and dads home!

So over the past week dad has NOT been playing mr. mom, there by giving mom a chance to relax. Mr. Mom did NOT forget to wash laundry per the schedule that is printed, so of course i did NOT have to walk around with little on one day last week. Mr. Mom did NOT forget to take out something to thaw for dinner 4 out of six days that he was in charge either. It was NOT a long week...not at all!

The children did NOT learn to play the new princess video game that mr. mom bought them...and did NOT drive me crazy with that princess music! the cat did NOT pee in cm's bed last night, there by creating chaos this morning, no, couldn't be...the cat is a frazzlin angel!

long week!

my life in a princess nutshell....

so yesterday the girls played dress up...and i got great pictures to share! :D




fun right? haha!

meetings and babies...

and no, the baby isn't here yet! lol. however, a friend that tends to go long like i do just had her baby yesterday...can you say "JEALOUS?" he's cute as can be though...and i'm thrilled for her. really i am!

the children started school yesterday...makes for a long day! we have a new curriculum for aj, and as such, she's decided it's just too hard...until she got to science...then it was "hey mom, did you know there are hairs in your nostrils?" I'm all...."uh, yeah?" she's all "and that you breathe in air with your lungs?" i'm all "uh...yeah". so then she's all "i like science mom". lovely. she couldn't love language arts? now i've got to dive back in to science after all this time....and i'm still just THRILLED that she likes anything! lol.

first day of school pics! woot woot!

oh...and this same dear child who just turned 9 woke me yesterday morning at 330 to inform me that she'd lost another tooth. nice right?


so that's the week so far....sounds like so much fun eh? but hey...it's my life and i LOVE it!

a day at the pond....

today we went to hang out at "ms katies" house...she's got a pond in her yard and the girls swam...sorta. so the rest of the post will be pics!

my life...and the duggars number 19!

today i saw where michelle duggar announced that baby number 19 is on the way...which, despite what some say, i find very exciting! the duggars amaze me honestly...such organization. wow...

which brings me to my post for today...as you may or may not know, i'm currently awaiting our fifth living baby whom should arrive soon. i get asked on a regular basis if this is the last baby or if we're gonna "keep on tryin for that boy". i also get this one as a regular question "what are ya, trying to be like that duggar family or somethin?"

now, regardless of the fact that i find these sort of intrusions on my private time with my hubby a bit rude....i truly don't normally mind sharing. however, i'd like to point out a few things...first, God has given the Duggars a huge gift...and responsibility. whether you believe the hype that the world is overpopulated or now, there is no debating the responsibility that comes with having children. they've made it work in a way that is nearly unheard of in this day and age....without debt!

second, i'd like to point out something that most people don't stop to think about...children are given one or two at a time normally. you see, God didn't give me five children at once...i grew into five children. so while it might be true that you couldn't handle five...neither could i when i had one or two. but as God increases our family size, He also increases our ability to deal with what HE brings our way...including job loss, or big jobs far away, or another little baby blessing.

third, i'd like to say that while i appreciate the thought that i must be supermom or some sort of crazy-patient saint, i am not. the truth is that i occasionally lose it...and my children and hubby sometimes make me a little crazy. another truth...my house isn't always spotless, and if i were you, i wouldn't think of eating off of anything but a plate! i'm not supermom, and we're not a perfect family...in fact, we need help occasionally....and despite the fact that it may seem as though i've "got it all together", i break down and cry b/c of my lack of "all together" about once a week..or more!

lastly, i'd like to point out that not everyone was meant to have a large family. but i believe, and have for sometime, that God is the one that can give me what i need....how many children i need, what home we need, and the money we need to raise the family He has given us. so please, when you see me walking thru the grocery store with five very small children, just smile. the comments people make aren't original...and yes i have probably heard them all. my hands are full...i'm tired....i'm brave, or crazy. i know what people think...but here's what i say...My hands might be full..but my heart is full too, and that makes it ALL worth it!