This Season of Life

Change

2012-02-02T09:41:00.002-05:00

I've moved! and changed our name. Here is the new blog address.

www.justusjacksons.blogspot.com

No promises as to how much blogging time I'll have. But I'll give it another shot! :)

What We are Studying

2011-08-11T14:45:00.002-04:00

If I have time later, I might go into a little more detail about how I came to my decision about curriculum, but for now I'll give a little explanation as to what we are using this year. We decided to go with Heart of Dakota Publishing this year. You can read more about them on their website, but I'll share a few of the high points for us. First of all, it is a Christ-centered curriculum, which I love. They don't actually write their own material, but instead select high quality books and streamline and schedule lesson plans for those books. The books they selected are many that we are already using or have considered using, and in some areas, they leave the option open for you to make your own choices.

Heart of Dakota carries levels for each age group, and while for this program it isn't ideal to combine different ages, for our family it works! I have the girls combined into a level called Beyond Little Hearts for His Glory. This level covers Language Arts, Math, History, Science, Bible, Geography, Poetry, Art and Reading. For Kaylie, we are just using the teacher's guide as written. For Abby, I have her doing math, grammar, spelling and reading on a 3rd grade level as well as some additional independent work.

One of the best things about this program for me is how streamlined it is. For instance, part of your language lesson might be incorporated into your history lesson one day...killing two birds with one stone. The lessons are short, doable, including hands on activities using things you'd find around the house. It takes minimal planning from me. It is very thorough and fun at the same time! Best of all, the Bible is an integral part of the whole thing!

In a later post, I'll give more details on specific books we are using and some of the projects we are working on. But until then I wanted to give a huge plug for this curriculum. We are finishing up the second full week of lessons and so far, so good!

School is in Session!

2011-07-28T10:12:00.003-04:00

Well, the past few months since I was last blogging regularly have passed in a blur for me. For various reasons, life got really intense for us! But right now it has been super hot outside, and we have tended to stay put in the air conditioning. I decided that now would be a great time to get started in school! That way, we could take a big break when the weather got nicer and we felt like spending more time outside! So even though we finished our last school year in June, we started back on Monday of this week!

For awhile, I think this will morph into a homeschooling blog because it helps me to organize my thoughts about what all we are implementing and keep track of what all we are accomplishing.

There have been many changes to the Jackson Academy this year, but the first one I'll mention is our new curriculum!

It will take a longer post to explain the reasons why we have switched, so I will save that for another time. But we are really excited about it! For now, let me just say our first week is going well! a few bugs to work out, but that's normal around here! I'll be back later to continue sharing about our new year!

2011-07-15T07:38:00.001-04:00

The reason I haven't been able to blog as much lately...............

I figure that's a pretty good reason. Hope to be back soon.

Easter

2011-04-30T15:21:00.005-04:00

Well.....

2011-04-29T20:08:00.002-04:00

I didn't mean to be gone so long. I can't explain why exactly....I just didn't blog for awhile. Despite my natural wellness post, we got pretty sick starting in February, and it took us quite awhile to bounce back. After that, I just got out of the habit.

Anyway, hopefully I will get back into the habit again. We've had birthdays, homeschooling changes, crazy Josh and Annabeth happenings, Easter.....all sorts of stuff. So I'll try to get caught up little by little on all the riveting details of our life....ha! But no promises! Life gets away from me often these days!

It goes without saying that we are praying for our community right now after all of the devastation of the past few days and the long road ahead to recover.

Big Hit Recipe: Crock-pot Ziti

2011-01-22T13:40:00.006-05:00

A "big hit" recipe at our house has 3 things going for it:

1. It's yummy

2. It's healthy

3. It's easy!

"Baked Ziti" in the crock-pot is one of those recipes at our house. Now to be honest, Jeff and I are the biggest fans. Josh is a close second, and the girls are coming around. But seriously, it's one of the best things I've ever eaten.

First, you need a crock-pot. LOVE my crock-pot...well, crock-pots...I have two!

Then the following ingredients:

Uncooked, whole wheat ziti pasta (or similar pasta)

Jar of spaghetti sauce

Cottage cheese

Mozarella cheese

I didn't include amounts because that depends on how saucy or cheesy you like your pasta dishes to be. All you do is layer the ingredients from the bottom up in the following order:

1/4 of the sauce

Single layer of pasta

cottage cheese

mozarella cheese

Then repeat the layers and end with one more layer of pasta topped with sauce and mozarella. You can decide if you want to add ground beef to the sauce, which we have done in the past. And if you mix the layers up a little according to your preference, I don't think it will make much difference.

Then, turn the crock-pot on low and cook for 3 1/2 to 4 hours. You really can't go wrong!

We're having it again tonight after having it a few days ago! I like mine sprinkled generously with parmesan cheese.

So there you go....one of our family's Big Hit Recipes.

A Couple of Days Late

2011-01-12T14:54:00.003-05:00

Our "snow storm" caught us off guard, but we are truly enjoying it! Still continuing my list of gratitude.

34. another big snow...rare around here

35. snow ice cream

36. a big hill for sledding

37. being stuck at home with all 6 of us here

38. a husband who makes pumpkin pies spontaneously

39. the sight of Josh walking around in nothing but a diaper and Pooh Bear slippers

40. fresh starts

41. a jar of sharpened pencils

42. creativity of little girls

43. baby girl giggles

44. new, used books

Consider the Lilies

2011-01-12T13:47:00.002-05:00

Still chewing on this thought:

"Because life is not a thing to be wrestled with, subdued and conquered; life’s a beauty to be considered. God didn’t say control the landscape, but to consider long the lilies."

....and the rest of Ann's post.

Beat Colds and Flu Naturally

2011-01-09T13:33:00.003-05:00

Cold and flu season is here! I love this article from Dr. Mercola--one of my favorite sources for natural health.

By Dr. Mercola

Each year Americans catch more than one billion colds, making the cold virus the most common infectious disease in the United States.

It accounts for more school absences and missed work than any other illness, and it's the number one reason people visit their physicians -- even though most physicians have little to offer in the form of treatment.

It's a widespread misconception that colds are caused by bacteria. Colds are actually triggered by a virus, which means if your physician prescribes you an antibiotic, it will be absolutely useless.

More on this shortly, but before I delve into simple prevention and treatment strategies it's important you know how colds are contracted in the first place.

How Do You Catch a Cold?
The most common way cold viruses are spread is not from being around coughing or sneezing, or walking barefoot in the rain, but rather from hand-to-hand contact. For instance, someone with a cold blows their nose then shakes your hand or touches surfaces that you also touch.

Cold viruses can live on pens, computer keyboards, coffee mugs and other objects for hours, so it's easy to come into contact with such viruses during daily life.

However, the key to remember is that just being exposed to a cold virus does not have to mean that you'll catch a cold. If your immune system is operating at its peak, it should actually be quite easy for you to fend off the virus without ever getting sick.

If your immune system is impaired, on the other hand, it's akin to having an open-door policy for viruses; they'll easily take hold in your body. So the simple and short answer is, you catch a cold due to impairment in your immune system. There are many ways this can result, but the more common contributing factors are:

1.Eating too much sugar and too many grains
2.Not getting enough rest
3.Using insufficient strategies to address emotional stressors in your life
4.Vitamin D deficiency, as discussed below
5.Any combination of the above
Vitamin D Deficiency: Another Reason You May "Catch" a Cold
It's estimated that the average U.S. adult typically has two to four colds each year, while children may have up to 12! One reason for the widespread prevalence may be that vitamin D deficiency is incredibly common in the United States, especially during the winter months when cold (and flu) viruses are at their peak.

Research has confirmed that "catching" colds and flu may actually be a symptom of an underlying vitamin D deficiency. Less than optimal vitamin D levels will significantly impair your immune response and make you far more susceptible to contracting colds, influenza, and other respiratory infections.

In the largest and most nationally representative study of its kind to date, involving about 19,000 Americans, people with the lowest vitamin D levels reported having significantly more recent colds or cases of the flu -- and the risk was even greater for those with chronic respiratory disorders like asthma.

At least five additional studies also show an inverse association between lower respiratory tract infections and vitamin D levels, and you can read about them in detail here. But the research is very clear, the higher your vitamin D level, the lower your risk of contracting colds, flu, and other respiratory tract infections.

It's not surprising, then, that the average American gets so many colds each year, as current guidelines for optimal intake and normal vitamin D levels are far too low -- and since most people do not get adequate sun exposure on a daily basis (which is what produces vitamin D in your skin) many are deficient. I strongly believe you could avoid colds and influenza entirely by maintaining your vitamin D level in the optimal range.

How Long Do Colds Last … and How Can You Make Your Cold Go Away Faster?
Most uncomplicated colds last between eight and nine days, but about 25 percent last two weeks, and 5-10 percent last three weeks. Even the most stubborn colds will typically resolve in a few weeks' time; this is actually one of the ways you can distinguish a cold from allergies.

A cold will last, at most, a few weeks, but allergy symptoms can last all season.

How quickly you bounce back is typically defined by you and your collective lifestyle habits -- and this does not mean popping over-the-counter cough and cold remedies or fever reducers. In fact, as long as your temperature remains below 102 degrees Fahrenheit (38.9 degrees Celsius) there is no need to lower it.

Cold viruses do not reproduce at higher body temperatures, so a slight fever should help you get rid of the virus quicker and help you to feel better much sooner.

You should avoid taking over-the-counter pain-relief medications as well, as a study showed that people who take aspirin and Tylenol (acetaminophen) suppress their body's ability to produce antibodies to destroy the cold virus. Aspirin has even been linked to lung complications including pulmonary edema, an abnormal build up of fluid in your lungs, when taken in excess.

You should only use these medications when absolutely necessary, such as if you have a temperature greater than 105 degrees F (40.5 degrees C), severe muscle aches or weakness.

Hydrogen Peroxide: A Simple Trick to Beat a Cold
I don't advise over-the-counter medications, but one simple treatment you can try that is surprisingly effective against upper respiratory infections is hydrogen peroxide.

Many patients at my Natural Health Center have had remarkable results in curing colds and flu within 12 to 14 hours when administering a few drops of 3 percent hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) into each ear. You will hear some bubbling, which is completely normal, and possibly feel a slight stinging sensation.

Wait until the bubbling and stinging subside (usually 5 to 10 minutes), then drain onto a tissue and repeat with the other ear. A bottle of hydrogen peroxide in 3 percent solution is available at any drug store for a couple of dollars or less. It is simply amazing how many people respond to this simple, inexpensive treatment.

So What Else Can You do to Recover From a Cold, Quicker … and Prevent One in the First Place?
As I said above, the number one way to conquer a cold (or flu) is vitamin D. Vitamin D is an amazingly effective antimicrobial agent, producing 200 to 300 different antimicrobial peptides in your body that kill bacteria, viruses and fungi. So optimizing your levels will not only help send a cold virus packing … it will help ward off cold viruses in the first place.

The best source for vitamin D is direct sun exposure. But for many of us, this just isn't practical during the winter. The next best option to sunlight is the use of a safe indoor tanning device. If neither natural nor artificial sunlight is an option, then using oral vitamin D3 supplements is your best bet.

Based on the latest research, many experts now agree you need about 35 IU's of vitamin D per pound of body weight. This recommendation also includes children, the elderly and pregnant women.

However, keep in mind that vitamin D requirements are highly individual, as your vitamin D status is dependent on numerous factors, such as the color of your skin, your location, and how much sunshine you're exposed to on a regular basis. So, although these recommendations may put you closer to the ballpark of what most people likely need, it is simply impossible to make a blanket recommendation that will cover everyone's needs.

The only way to determine your optimal dose is to get your blood tested. Ideally, you'll want to maintain a vitamin D level of 50-65 ng/ml year-round.

For an in-depth explanation of everything you need to know before you get tested, please read my latest updates in Test Values and Treatment for Vitamin D Deficiency.

Dietary Strategies to Kick a Cold
If you feel yourself coming down with a cold or flu, this is NOT the time to be eating ANY sugar, artificial sweeteners or processed foods. Sugar is particularly damaging to your immune system -- which needs to be ramped up, not suppressed, in order to combat an emerging infection.

So if you are fighting a cold, you'll want to avoid all sugar like the plague, and this includes sugar in the form of fruit juice and even grains (which break down as sugar in your body).

Ideally, you must address nutrition, sleep, exercise and stress issues the moment you first feel yourself getting a bug. This is when immune-enhancing strategies will be most effective.

So when you're coming down with a cold, it's time to address ALL of the contributing factors immediately, which includes tweaking your diet in favor of foods that will strengthen your immune response. Good choices include:

•Raw, grass-fed organic milk, and/or high-quality whey protein
•Fermented foods such as raw kefir, kimchee, miso, pickles, sauerkraut, etc, which are rich in probiotics, or good bacteria. Scientific research shows that 80 percent of your immune system resides inside your digestive tract, so eating probiotic-rich foods, or taking a high-quality probiotic, will help support your immune system health.
•Raw, organic eggs from free-ranging, preferably local, chickens
•Grass-fed beef
•Coconuts and coconut oil
•Animal-based omega-3 fats, such as krill oil
•Locally grown fruits and vegetables, appropriate for your nutritional type
•Mushrooms, especially Reishi, Shiitake, and Maitake, which contain beta glucans (which have immune-enhancing properties)
•Garlic, a potent antimicrobial that kills bacteria, viruses and fungi. Ideally this should be in fresh form, eaten raw and crushed with a spoon just before eating.
•Herbs and spices with high ORAC scores: Turmeric, oregano, cinnamon, cloves (for more on ORAC, visit www.oracvalues.com)
•Make sure you are drinking plenty of fresh, pure water. Water is essential for the optimal function of every system in your body and will help with nose stuffiness and loosening secretions. You should drink enough water so that your urine is a light, pale yellow.
And what about the old wives' tale of chicken soup for your cold?

Chicken soup can help reduce your symptoms. Chicken contains a natural amino acid called cysteine, which can thin the mucus in your lungs and make it less sticky so you can expel it more easily.

Processed, canned soups won't work as well as the homemade version, however.

For best results, make up a fresh batch yourself (or ask a friend or family member to do so) and make the soup hot and spicy with plenty of pepper. The spices will trigger a sudden release of watery fluids in your mouth, throat, and lungs, which will help thin down the respiratory mucus so it's easier to cough up and expel.

Three Cold-Busting Lifestyle Strategies
Vitamin D, check! Hydrogen peroxide, check! Healthy diet, check! We've covered several of the primary "weapons" you should have in your cold-fighting arsenal, but there are others, too.

1.High-Quality Sleep, and Plenty of It

Pay attention to how you are sleeping. If you aren't getting enough sleep, or enough restorative sleep, you'll be at increased risk for a hostile viral takeover. Your immune system is also the most effective when you're not sleep-deprived, so the more rested you are the quicker you'll recover. You can find 33 secrets for a good night's sleep here.

2.Regular Exercise

Regular exercise is a crucial strategy for increasing your resistance to illness. There is evidence that regular, moderate exercise can reduce your risk for respiratory illness by boosting your immune system. In fact, one study found that people who exercised regularly (five or more days a week) cut their risk of having a cold by close to 50 percent. And, in the event they did catch a cold, their symptoms were much less severe than among those who did not exercise.

Exercise likely cuts your risk of colds so significantly because it triggers a rise in immune system cells that can attack any potential invaders. Each time you exercise you can benefit from this boost to your immune system.

Ideally, establish a regular fitness program, such as Peak Fitness, now, to help you ward off colds and other illness.

However, if you're already feeling sick don't overdo it. Over-exercising can actually place more stress on your body, which can suppress your immune system -- and you don't want that either. You might just go for a walk if you are coming down with a cold, or simply tone down your regular workout.

Any rise in body temperature will be an unwelcome climate for a viral invader, though, so some exercise is likely to be beneficial.

3.Address Your Emotional Stress

Emotional stressors can also predispose you to an infection while making cold symptoms worse. Finding ways to manage daily stress as well as your reactions to circumstances beyond your control will contribute to a strong and resilient immune system.

My favorite tool for this is the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), a system that helps balance your body's subtle energies and repair emotional "short-circuits." EFT may even help you overcome cold symptoms.

Supplements That Send Pathogens Packin'
Supplements can be beneficial for colds, but they should be used only as an adjunct to the lifestyle measures already discussed.

Some of the more helpful options for cold (and flu) -- above and beyond vitamin D -- are:

•Vitamin C: A very potent antioxidant; use a natural form such as acerola, which contains associated micronutrients. You can take several grams every hour till you are better unless you start developing loose stools
•Oregano Oil: The higher the carvacrol concentration, the more effective it is. Carvacrol is the most active antimicrobial agent in oregano oil.
•Propolis: A bee resin and one of the most broad-spectrum antimicrobial compounds in the world; propolis is also the richest source of caffeic acid and apigenin, two very important compounds that aid in immune response and even fight cancer.
•A tea made from a combination of elderflower, yarrow, boneset, linden, peppermint and ginger; drink it hot and often for combating a cold or flu. It causes you to sweat, which is helpful for eradicating a virus from your system.
•Olive leaf extract: Ancient Egyptians and Mediterranean cultures used it for a variety of health-promoting uses and it is widely known as a natural, non-toxic immune system builder.
Remember This Tip: Wash Your Hands Sensibly
Washing your hands frequently is one of the easiest ways to wipe out germs and viruses and reduce your chances of becoming sickened by them. Thorough hand-washing truly is an important step, as you are at far greater risk of passing on an infection by shaking someone's hand than even by sharing a kiss.

One report even found that regular hand washing may be more effective than drugs in preventing the spread of respiratory viruses such as influenza.

When you wash up, plain soap and water will do. Do not make the mistake of using antibacterial cleansers, as their widespread use is leading to strains of resistant bacteria, or "superbugs," which cause the ingredients to lose effectiveness for the times when they really are needed, such as for surgeons prior to surgery.

Further, the active ingredient in most antibacterial products is triclosan, an antibacterial agent that kills bacteria and inhibits bacterial growth. But not only does triclosan kill bacteria, it also has been shown to kill human cells.

Antibacterial soaps are also no more effective than regular soaps. One study found people who used antibacterial soaps and cleansers developed a cough, runny nose, sore throat, fever, vomiting, diarrhea and other symptoms just as often as people who used products that did not contain antibacterial ingredients. So please avoid making the mistake of using antibacterial liquids and soaps.

Too Much Hand-Washing Can Backfire …
There is another important caveat to remember, and that is your skin is actually your primary defense against bacteria -- not the soap.

So resist the urge to become obsessive about washing your hands. If you wash them too frequently you can actually extract many of the protective oils in your skin, which can cause your skin to crack and bleed.

It is rare for a germ on your skin to cause a problem -- it is typically only an issue when you transfer that to your nose, mouth or an open wound like cracked skin. So obsessive-compulsive washing can actually increase your risk of getting sick by providing an entryway for potentially dangerous pathogens.

So mild to moderate washing is wise, but excessive washing, especially with harsh soaps, will actually be highly counterproductive.

Avoid the Antibiotics!
More than 300 different viruses can cause colds, so each time you have a cold it is caused by a distinct virus (i.e. adenovirus, rhinovirus, parainfluenza virus, coronavirus). A virus is much smaller than a bacteria; it is a tiny cluster of genetic material surrounded by a protein wrapper.

There are currently NO drugs available that can kill these viruses. Antibiotics, including penicillin, do not have any effect on viruses, but unfortunately have been vastly over-prescribed for this very (useless) purpose. That, coupled with the excessive use of antibiotics in agriculture, has contributed to a steep rise in antibiotic-resistant diseases.

Antibiotic-resistant infections now claim more lives each year than the "modern plague" of AIDS, and cost the American health care system some $20 billion a year!

Further, according to one meta-analysis, the health risk from over-use of antibiotics is also a very personal one, as opposed to simply raising the occurrence of antibiotic resistance in the general population over time.

Whenever you use an antibiotic, you're increasing your susceptibility to developing infections with resistance to that antibiotic -- and you can become the carrier of this resistant bug, and spread it to others.

So please, if you have a simple cold remember that an antibiotic will do far more harm than good.

When Should You Call Your Physician?
Sinus, ear and lung infections (bronchitis and pneumonia) are examples of bacterial infections that do respond to antibiotics. If you develop any of the following symptoms, these are signs you may be suffering from a bacterial infection rather than a cold virus, and you should call your physician's office:

•Fever over 102 degrees Fahrenheit (38.9 degrees Celsius)
•Ear pain
•Pain around your eyes, especially with a green nasal discharge
•Shortness of breath or a persistent uncontrollable cough
•Persistently coughing up green and yellow sputum
Generally speaking, however, if you have a cold medical care is not necessary. Rest and attention to the lifestyle factors noted above will help you to recover quickly and, if you stick to them, will significantly reduce your chances of catching another one anytime soon.

Back in the saddle again.....

2011-01-03T13:47:00.003-05:00

Trying to get back in the swing of things again. But we are sure attempting to live differently in 2011. I'm sure I'll share more later. We're slowly digging our way out of Christmas decorations, Christmas presents and general mess. No rush though...we live here, it's not a magazine photo shoot. (that's what I keep telling myself)

Just enjoying the start of a new year so far!

Grateful for today.....

2010-12-20T13:40:00.004-05:00

photo © 2009 Nina Matthews more info (via: Wylio)

Continuing my list......

18. a little girl curled up with a chapter book.

19. God's protection of my baby girl last week.

20. an amazing husband who helps me continually.

21. organizing our furniture yet again, but this time really liking it.

22. church members with big hearts.

23. precious children singing "Happy Birthday Jesus" by an outside fireplace.

24. homemade birthday cards.

25. 4 children snuggled in for a nap at the same time.

26. tomato soup and grilled cheese.

27. hand-me-down sweaters.

28. early morning pj runs to Chik-fil-a.

29. tight, neck squeezes from Josh.

30. long-winded stories from a 5 year old.

31. baby babble.

32. cowlicks

33. washing machines and dryers.

Behind on Birthdays, Part 2.

2010-12-17T09:24:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday to Grandpa....6 days late! We love you!! (Sorry, I couldn't resist using this picture!)

Behind on Birthdays, Part 1

2010-12-17T09:15:00.003-05:00

Christmas has thrown us for a loop this year. So I'm a little behind on posting about birthdays. On December 8, my sweet little Annabeth turned 1!! I can't even believe it's been a whole year. I don't know what we would do without her. She is such a sweet, funny, little girl. We love her to pieces!!!

Indifference

2010-12-07T08:41:00.002-05:00

This video puts into words what has been heavy on our hearts lately. Our problems really are very small here in suburbia USA! If there were one post I would urge people to read and to take the time to watch the video, this would be it! A quote from Ann Voskamp has been ringing in my mind all month, "....to believe that the ripple that can change the world begins with a stone dropped here." Praying for God to do something amazing through our family.

One Thousand Gifts

2010-11-22T13:47:00.002-05:00

I am convinced that gratitude is something most of us are lacking. I know that I am. Ann Voskamp....one of my most influential mentors (and she doesn't even know it)....gave the challenge to begin counting all the gifts God has placed in your life--from the obvious to the small. Working your way to 1000....and of course, continuing on after.

So I thought I'd begin my list. Really this is for me and God, and I'm not sure I even want to post this publicly. But since many of my thoughts are here in this little blog, I thought I'd leave them here for me to be able to come back and refer to them. Besides, if I write it on paper, it's sure to be lost around here!

So I begin with my random list of things that I am thanking God for......

1. Round 3 of our fall colors...just when I thought they were done.

2. chortles. I love that word and how they sound.

3. A husband who does the dishes faithfully.

4. coconut oil, wheat berries, farm fresh milk and other wholesome foods we've been blessed with lately.

5. afternoon sunshine in my kitchen.

6. chubby, baby thighs.

7. little girl giggles.

8. husky little boy voice.

9. homeschool at the kitchen bar under the window.

10.used book stores.

11. an abundance of blankets.

12. a freezer full of beef coming to us later this month.

13. fall scented candles

14. the gift of music.

15. adoption.

16. God's peace at unexpected times.

17. naps.

Well, it's hard to stop! But I hope to continue this habit and post each Monday. And I'm so thankful for Ann and her encouragement.

A Few Things...

2010-11-20T13:41:00.005-05:00

I don't want to admit I have idols. But I have come to realize that I am not immune from idolatry. Mine aren't statues or anything like that. Mine are more subtle, but are idols just the same. Here is my biggest one: the idol of getting things done! Sounds wholesome and worthwhile, doesn't it? But I have come to realize that I have become almost obsessed with the idea of getting things done.....to the point that I neglect things that are more important. More importantly, that I neglect loving God with all my heart. Takes me back to the Mary and Martha story again....."only one thing is needful!" Anyway, this quote below really spoke to me:

"But the biggest mistake I made is the one that most of us make while doing this. I did not live in the moment enough.

This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs. There is one picture of the three of them sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day, ages 6, 4 and 1. And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night.

I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner, bath, book, bed.

I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less.”
~Anna Quindlen

On that note...this is a picture of what I found near this computer this morning that keeps things in perspective, and I don't want to take it for granted......

......or Kaylie getting the cap of the marker mixed up with the tip of the marker as she scratched her face.......

.....or this silly face.......

.....or this one.

Love these little people. I am vowing "to treasure the doing more than the getting it done."

Happy Birthday Grandma!!!

2010-11-19T10:11:00.003-05:00

We love you!!!!

Pondering....

2010-11-18T15:44:00.000-05:00

....this.

Homeschool Update

2010-11-17T15:02:00.004-05:00

photo © 2009 David Nicholas | more info (via: Wylio)

I haven't posted as much about homeschooling lately for 2 reasons:

1. Because things have gotten crazy, busy around here lately!
2. Because my style has changed a little.

For instance, I'm still trying to find my groove as a homeschool mom of 4. What worked with 2 children, doesn't necessarily work with 3 or 4 children. A well-planned schedule that was do-able before has become a little more challenging now. But we are figuring it all out. I've learned a lot about pride and trying to do things in my own abilities this year. God is teaching me to find the balance between chaos and perfectionism. Of course, the perfectionist in me wants to find the perfect balance, but it could go on forever.....

All that to say, I have a plan, I have a schedule and though it doesn't always/usually happen like I want it to, I am amazed at how far we have come already this year.

We're still fairly structured about getting our math, phonics, grammar, spelling and handwriting done each morning. These subjects have numbered, daily lessons that we just work our way through each day.

Kaylie has come along really well in kindergarten. She is zipping through math, and is counting by 1's and 10's to 100, doing simple addition problems, learning to write her numbers, tell time and numerous other skills. She is reading short sentences with 3 letter words really well! Handwriting is a little bit of a challenge for her, but I see quite a bit of improvement already!

Abby is learning about building good sentences, and is becoming quite the little writer for her age. She continues to excel in math and reading. In fact, I'm having a hard time keeping enough chapter books around for her to read. She's also doing a new spelling book that she really likes. We took a break from cursive last year, but are ready to dust that off again soon.

Science has been our focus this semester as we have worked our way through our new science book. We have been studying birds, and it has really been fun! We've made bird feeders, collected feathers and learned all the different types of feathers, practiced "flying" with umbrellas, closely observed the habits of the hummingbirds in our yard, mapped the parts of a bird, identified birds we've seen, fed the ducks at the pond.....the list goes on. We're taking a little break from our bird study so that we can learn about nesting in the spring. Now we've started a short study about bats and will move into flying dinosaurs.

My plan is to take a break from science for the winter and focus on history during that time. Still working on those plans though.

We continue to read, read, read! We love it and much to our surprise, many of our books went right along with our bird study.

We've also really enjoyed our new Bible book. As I've said before, I'm a huge fan of doing Bible, science and history in a narrative style, as opposed to textbook style. This book has fit that bill wonderfully. We read a chapter each night and the girls love it. I love that the author points all of the Old Testament stories towards the plan of salvation and shows how the whole Bible ties together. I'm so thankful to have found this wonderful book!

All in all, what I cannot emphasize enough is to make learning a part of life! If I tried to schedule all of our school time, we would have a hard time with baby schedules and toddler interruptions. But I'm fine with the fact that we spread it all out throughout the day. The kids don't even realize it's school. It's just a fun part of life to them. And when it's all said and done, they've learned far more than I ever imagined!

Mom is Great....

2010-11-04T21:03:00.003-04:00

photo © 2009 Heidi | more info(via: Wylio)

Remember that Bill Cosby routine? The one where he fed his kids chocolate cake for breakfast and they sang to him, "Dad is great! He gives us the chocolate cake!"

Well, that's me! I was tired. We didn't have enough of any one kind of cereal, so we had chocolate cake for breakfast! But wait! It's not just any chocolate cake! It's made with whole wheat, olive oil and sucanat. (more about sucanat later) It is definitely healthier than any donut, pastry etc. and healthier than most cereals out there. (even the "healthy" cereals can have a scary ingredient list if you look closely....full of sugar and high fructose corn syrup!!!)

I forgot to mention: it is absolutely yummy! Jeff considers himself a chocolate cake expert and he loves it! If nothing else, I was the hero for the morning!

Reality Check

2010-10-22T22:35:00.003-04:00

Just in case it sounds like we are sitting around sipping our farm fresh milk and organizing our family closet, I just wanted to mention that at the moment (and a lot of other moments) our house is in a state of chaos that resembles the Hoarders show I've seen on tv.....and we're not even hoarding. (I promise!)

I was planning on posting pictures, but I'm just too tired to find the camera in the middle of the mess. Just wanted to clarify and make sure I wasn't giving off the wrong impression. :)

Hoping to slowly dig ourselves back out to some semblance of order....or at least make a path through Joshua's room. :)

One More Link

2010-10-19T15:39:00.002-04:00

This link is on the other page I mentioned in my last post, but it is one worth going directly to as well.

No, We Haven't Joined a Cult....or Our Real Food Journey, Part 4.

2010-10-19T15:04:00.008-04:00

photo © 2009 Susy Morris | more info(via: Wylio)

So, we're off to the farm tonight! "Why?", you ask. Well, to get our milk of course. I know that this is one area of our eating journey that will cause most of the raised eyebrows. But please know that we haven't become anti-establishment, or flower children, nor are we blindly following the "crunchy" crowd. This is something I have been researching for quite a few years now and feel we are making this decision with our eyes open.

I am no expert, so once again, I am going to direct you elsewhere for the details. But we now drink raw milk, straight from the cow. Before you panic about us contracting some horrible disease due to lack of pasteurization, or that we'll have a heart attack from all the cream, please take the time to read the links I'm including.

I firmly believe that God created food for us to eat, and that somewhere along the way, we started putting our trust in science to know better what was good for us. God created milk with so much nutritional value that is totally destroyed by the pasteurization process. Before you say that pasteurization was developed for our safety, make sure you read the history of why it was actually developed, and what happens to the milk after the process. (let alone how lazy the commercial dairies have become about hygiene knowing the milk will be pasteurized....it's pretty gross!)

This is one of those areas where you will have to do your own research and come to your own conclusions, but I hope you will do so with an open mind. In the meantime, we are loving our new milk! It is truly yummy and makes for many great recipes! I even made our own butter last week.....so easy and tastes great! I am confident that this is another way for me to truly feed my family healthy food that will give them life-long benefits.

This blog has a great page about all the benefits of raw milk, and gives you a list of further reading if you want to further research this topic.

as a side note to any of our house guests: we'll check with you first before giving you our farm milk if you'd rather have the milk from the store. :)

Happy Birthday Joshy boy!

2010-10-18T09:33:00.003-04:00

I can't believe you are 3 years old today! We love you so much! Our lives wouldn't be the same without you! Can't wait to see what God has planned for your life. You certainly bring joy (and a lot of intensity) to ours!

Real Food Journey, Part 3

2010-09-27T11:38:00.001-04:00

Laura from Heavenly Homemakers has become one of my favorite resources for healthy eating, because as another homeschooling mom of 4, she understands my need to keep it simple! So rather than type out my own thoughts on our first step in healthier eating: whole grains, I'm just going to direct you to her post and say, "Ditto, ditto and more ditto!"

I know, I'm lazy that way. But cut me some slack, will ya....I'm typing this one-handed while feeding a baby :) I'll also come back later to put in a plug for my awesome grain mill!

Pictures, Finally!

2010-09-23T11:11:00.000-04:00

Here are the pictures of our family closet. It's kind of hard to get the complete idea. But it's working out pretty well so far!!

Great Spot

2010-09-23T11:06:00.000-04:00

This is neat little spot I enjoy on the web: Raising Homemakers
I joined their link-up for today.

Well, Scratch That!

2010-09-06T14:16:00.000-04:00

The last post, that is. It's completely irrelevant now. After 4 days of lugging massive pieces of furniture, stacks of clothes and many other stacks of odds and ends up and down the stairs, we have created a family closet! It's something I have always considered doing, but didn't know if we could pull it off. Now that we have 4 children, laundry seems to have taken over our lives! Our laundry room is downstairs, so to accomplish our two-load minimum each day we have to:

Put dirty clothes into the hamper
Get the dirty clothes downstairs to the laundry room
Run the washing machine
Run the dryer
Take clean clothes upstairs
Fold laundry
Distribute to 6 different dressers or 4 different closets

At the same time, we have to store clothes that Kaylie has grown out of that will be passed to Annabeth. Clothes that Abby has grown out of that will be passed to Kaylie. Off-season clothes for each member of the family. Clothes that have been given to Joshua for when he is older. blah, blah, blah....the list goes on. It has become somewhat of a thorn in my side, and we have a really hard time getting caught up. Plus, I always feel like there are clothes in every little corner of the house!

So, thanks to the Duggars and numerous other families who have tried this, we now have a family clothing room! Across from our laundry room is a small office with a walk-in closet. Up until now, we have used that office for our computer and to store school supplies. The closet held Christmas decorations, off-season clothes, and tons of miscellaneous items.

So we took all of the dressers and clothes down there, and brought the desks and all the storage items upstairs. Jeff put an extra clothing bar in the walk-in closet, and it now holds all of our hanging clothes. Off-season clothes, and outgrown clothes are in bins in there as well. In the former office, each family member has his own dresser for folded clothes. There is more to it, but I won't bore you with all the details.

But I am so excited about this! It has already made a HUGE difference! It is so convenient to take the clothes out of the dryer, quickly fold them and distribute them to the correct place since it is all in one spot!!! I know I should have pictures up with this post, but I was too excited to get that done yet! Plus, we just finished today! Needless to say, we are exhausted! I didn't realize I was capable of carrying huge dressers down the stairs, but somehow we pulled it off. We're considering starting a moving company now....NO!!! But Jeff has been a total trooper about it all! I'm so thankful he was on board!

So all of the pictures in the last post are completely outdated now! I'll get new ones up soon!

Where We Homeschool

2010-08-27T14:21:00.001-04:00

Just wanted to share some pictures of some of our homeschool spots. In reality, however, we move around to random places. Some days we have school on the back porch on the picnic table. Some days we have it in the bedroom using lap desks. Some days we're in the living room on the couch. But we are very blessed to have a full, finished basement that we have transformed into a playroom/school area, and that is the area that we use most often. Here are a few of the places you might find us:

This is our main homeschooling area. Love our little garage sale table and chairs! Don't look too closely though since it's covered with crayon and pencil marks!

Here is Kaylie's little area. Someone gave her the little pink desk, and she likes having her own little spot.

The white dresser is another garage sale find....many coats of paint later. It now holds all of our craft supplies as well as piano books in the center cabinet.

Piano practice and music listening happen in this area.

Here is my makeshift bulletin board....which is really just a border tacked onto the wall. We use it to hang charts we're learning, as well as pages the kids want to display.

And this a corner of the little office that is also in the basement. The shelves hold extra curriculum not currently being used as well as some of my supplies and books. Abby uses the desk whenever she needs some peace and quiet in order to concentrate. Our computer is also in here.

So if you were to drop by on a school morning, most likely this is what you'd see.....well, except for the fact that we cleaned it all up for pictures! ;)

Song Link

2010-08-25T13:55:00.000-04:00

Here is the link to that song I mentioned in the last post. Beware, it can stick in your head. I wish you could hear Joshua's version of it! Quite funny!

What it Really Looks Like

2010-08-25T13:40:00.000-04:00

Part two of our homeschooling updates. (As a disclaimer, these posts are primarily for me to be able to record what we are doing for future reference, as well as keeping the grandparents posted. I realize it could be a little boring for others....maybe even boring for the grandparents! Ha!)

If you had been listening in on our school time yesterday or today, this is what you would have heard: "Ok Abby, A complete sentence.....Joshua stop that please.....A complete sentence begins with....Joshua get down, you're going to fall. Why aren't you still coloring your picture? A complete sentence begins with a capital letter....Joshua!" To be totally transparent with you, while homeschooling is one of the most fulfilling things I've ever done, right now it is the main cause of high blood pressure in my life. I have read and read and gathered and gathered ideas for how to keep your preschooler or toddler occupied during school time and how to make it all work together, but as I said yesterday: "Joshua ain't lazy, no sirree!!" To be fair, he is a tad better at doing something for more than 30 seconds. Now he's up to about 4 minutes at an activity, but his little mouth never stops: "Mommy, look at this. Mommy, play with me. Mommy help!" At one point this week, I found myself finishing Abby's grammar lesson with Joshua hanging off of my neck while pinching my nose. But somehow, we're getting it all done. My goal, however, is to get it done without me sweating, losing my temper or trying to slow my heart rate as we pack it up for the day.

So with that as a background, here is what a basic school day is like at our house:

Joshua wakes us up much earlier than we had planned to get up. But at some point, we get diapers changed, bottles made and all head out to the kitchen for breakfast. When the girls get up, they have a small list of chores they must complete before heading out to the breakfast table. (I can't wait to share about our new chore system later. It has been a life saver for us!)

I won't go into the details, but the breakfast hour, clean up and getting ready for the day are still a little chaotic at this point since it involves toddlers and babies. But when our getting-ready-for-the-day routine is complete, I usually put Annabeth down for a nap, and we head downstairs to start school.

The ideal plan is for Abby to start her independent seatwork while I play with Kaylie and Josh in order to fill his little emotional tank for the morning. Then he sits at the table with Kaylie and colors or works on a little activity while I start her kindergarten lessons.

From there, we try to alternate the girls playing with Joshua while I work with the other until we get our morning subjects finished up. Each morning we try to at least complete math, handwriting and language arts.

Then we take a break while I do a little catch-up on my chores, and the kids have a snack while listening to their States and Capitals songs. After that, we usually play outside, watch a short tv show, do a craft or run a quick errand until lunch.

After lunch I get the two youngest down for a nap, and the girls and I have science time and reading time. Then I have them both take a nap/or read and rest for at least an hour. That is my time to rest, read my Bible and take a little breath before they're all up and going again!

Things are pretty random until dinner at this point. But each night at the dinner table, we work on our current scripture passage that we are memorizing as a family. (Psalm 1 right now) We also choose a new hymn to learn each week, and sing that when we are done eating. It's so fun to hear each of them wandering around the house humming Like a River Glorious or Come Thou Fount at different times during the day.

Evenings are different every night right now, but when bedtime comes around, we get everyone ready and Jeff has Bible time. Then Joshua gets story time in his room with one of us, and the girls and I read our way through our current chapter book.

Throughout the day, Abby also has independent studying and piano practice that she accomplishes, as well as required reading. As I mentioned before, history is on hold right now since we did a lot of that during the summer. We'll get that scheduled back in soon though.

So things are still a little chaotic, and the perfectionist in me would like to get our system down to a science, but I'm always amazed at how much we actually accomplish each week. I'm learning to go with the flow more and be flexible. I'm also really learning that no matter how great our schedule may be, it's really up to God how our day goes. I can either fight against that, or submissively accept it. When I choose the latter, things go much more smoothly!

Homeschooling so far

2010-08-24T14:21:00.000-04:00

We have begun our new homeschool year! Not without its challenges, but when is that not the case?? This year, more than ever, my heart is overflowing with thankfulness for the privilege to homeschool our children. I am more certain than ever that this is God's best plan for our family at this time. But as Nathan Clark George (and Joshua) would sing: "The devil ain't lazy...no sirree! He works 24 hours a day!" (favorite tune at our house, I'll have to find a link for it somewhere!) and we're trying to keep that in mind. I'll tell you what, Joshua ain't lazy either....speaking of challenges...but that's another story.

So, if I can condense my words....ha!....here's a quick update. We made some curriculum changes. This summer I read my way through The Well Trained Mind--a wonderful book about classical education at home-- and feel like I finally filled in some of the gaps in our homeschool philosophy. I could wax eloquent about the benefits of classical education and Charlotte Mason education, but I'll save that for another time. To sum it up: Our homeschool involves lots of time for children to be children....exploring, using imaginative play, having enough down-time, lots of reading..... We use a lot of whole, living books for history, science and literature. We like real life learning, learning through ordinary household activities, hands on learning. But we focus on a fairly rigid, thorough foundation in phonics, math, grammar, writing and spelling. And I'll say it again: read, read, read! and asking and answering lots of questions. We try to incorporate learning into all of life, while also having structured times for disciplined study.

So all that to say, here is what curriculum we are using this year.

Abby, in second grade is using:
Rod and Staff for grammar and spelling
Abeka for phonics review and reading exercises
Abeka for math
A Reason for Handwriting. (reviewing print for now, switching to cursive in the spring)

Kaylie, in kindergarten is using:
Abeka for phonics, math and handwriting

They are doing science and history together and we are using Apologia Science and Story of the World for history along with notebooking (which I will also explain later). I can't say enough about these books! We love them! Both are written in narrative form rather than typical textbook style. So they read like one big story with plenty of activities to reinforce what we've learned. The Story of the World is history in chronological form in 4 volumes. We're in volume one, but have taken a little break while we dig into science for awhile.

Apologia Science is a creation based science curriculum. It is also an immersion science curriculum, which means you study one main topic for the whole year...which has it's own benefits as well! (I'm sold on the idea, by the way) So for this year, we are studying the Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day. What that means is that we are learning about birds, flying insects, flying dinosaurs, bats etc. So far, we are loving our bird study and can't wait to share more about it later.

Jeff is handling Bible class this year and is doing great with the girls! We continue to work our way through various chapter books, and I'll post an update to our list soon. We've also added quite a bit of memory work this year based on the fact that children at this age are little sponges, able to easily memorize more information than we give them credit for. Don't worry, we make it fun! Right now we are learning a song about the 50 states and their capitals. They've learned quite a bit already just from dancing around to the song!

Both girls will attend the music and p.e. classes that Abby has attended the past two years. It's Kaylie's first time for both and she's really excited!

So that was just supposed to be a quick update, but as you can tell, I get very excited talking about it. I'll try to give more detail about what our day looks like at another time.

Jackson Acres Academy is in full swing! (ok, it's just a goofy name we're trying out at the moment....I'm sure it will change a few times this year) Oh, and Abby/Abbie whoever she is, has decided to spell her name with a "y" again. So "Abby" it is for now.

Back Online

2010-08-19T19:08:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to let all 3 of my faithful readers (hee hee) know that I am now back online after our computer was down for a few weeks! I'll be back soon to give a little update on our new school year!

Little Singer

2010-08-03T20:52:00.000-04:00

Josh singing today: "Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Oooohhhh man."

Another Kaylie-ism

2010-07-29T20:31:00.000-04:00

Me: Kaylie, let me look at your tonsills.

Kaylie: Are there two?

Me: Yes, of course there are two.

Kaylie: Oh good. I screamed so hard once this week that I thought for sure one fell out.

Happy Birthday Nana!

2010-07-28T13:58:00.000-04:00

I feel like I JUST typed this post last week.....but it must have been last year!!! Time is flying! (sorry to remind you of that Nana) But happy birthday!! We love you!!!!

Why We Homeschool

2010-07-20T06:05:00.000-04:00

If I had the gift of writing as Ann does, this post is what I would write to explain why we homeschool. She says it so much better than I could, but her words express what is on our hearts as well.

Prioritizing.....

2010-07-10T14:12:00.000-04:00

streamlining, focusing, putting on blinders, eliminating, concentrating......

I have no words for this

2010-06-29T17:27:00.000-04:00

Homeschooling for this year

2010-06-26T14:30:00.000-04:00

I'm getting excited about this homeschool year coming up! I don't feel like a pro by any means, but I feel that I am slowly finding my niche. I am a reader, so it stands to reason that I enjoy reading thoroughly about the topic of homeschooling. If you are not familiar with homeschooling, you might not realize that there are many brands of homeschools out there: textbook focused, classical, Charlotte Mason, unschooling, eclectic......the list goes on. No two homeschool families are alike....I guess we are like snowflakes. (I feel a science lesson coming on)

Anyway, when I first started reading about homeschooling, I got overwhelmed with all of the different methods. Each author was very convincing as to why their way was best and the other ways didn't work. Then you would read an author from "the other way", and he was just as convincing. It's easy to get very confused. But slowly, slowly, as I read my way through numerous homeschool books, I began to develop my own philosophy of homeschooling. Interestingly enough, it's a combination of various methods....which I guess makes me technically eclectic. So, if you really want to know: at this point I am kind of a mix between Charlotte Mason and Classical. (I can explain more about what that actually means later)

All that to say, that when I first started homeschooling Abby (or, Abbie, as she has decided to try spelling her name), I ordered a packaged curriculum that had it all laid out for me. The curriculum I ordered was one I had been raised on and therefore was very familiar with. It worked well, but I knew there were so many other wonderful curriculums out there. I never dreamed I would have the confidence to piece together my own. This year, however, I have been researching my little heart out and am really starting to narrow down our plan for this year. It's so much fun, because there is some really great stuff out there!! The problem for me is not stressing about all the great stuff we couldn't possibly have time to use. It's hard to pass up much of it!

As I get it all narrowed down, I'll post about what exactly we plan to use this year. If you can't tell, it's a topic I'm really excited about! Most importantly, learning is really fun at our house these days....that's all I'm trying to accomplish at this point anyway!

Little Face

2010-06-25T13:48:00.000-04:00

How could you possibly resist this little face?? (not mine, Annabeth's!) I'm so in love with that little girl!!

My Little Kaylan

2010-06-25T13:28:00.000-04:00

OK, if you know her, you know her as "Kaylie". But Kaylan is actually her real name. I love that name, but she prefers "Kaylie" at this point. and that's fine, because I can use all of my variations: "Kaylie-poo", "Kaylie-kays", "Kay-poos"....you get the idea. Whatever her name, she turned 5 this month! I remember looking at her as a newborn and couldn't picture what she would look like as a little girl. Now, here she is....all grown up, and she is such a cutie-patootie!

How do I even begin to describe her at 5? First: talkative. And I don't just mean chatter....that girl has some deep thoughts. We're always amazed at some of the spiritual insights she comes out with. Then there are the off-the-wall comments that come out of nowhere and keep us cracking up! She got the "honesty" award in Cubbies this year, but I secretly think the teacher meant it as the "speak your mind" award. (still working with her about tact since she told the little girl at church her dress wasn't modest because it was showing too much skin)

She has such a cute giggle, singing voice and smile with those adorable dimples! She's very much into mothering any little child or baby that crosses her path. She's so sweet and gentle about it. But she can be extremely feisty when she wants to also. She's a passionate little girl, which we hope to channel to be used in a positive way someday.

She will be starting kindergarten this fall and already knows so much! I'm excited to see where she will go this year! I could go on and on about my little Kaylie, but at least wanted to say I love you my little Kay-poos!! I am so thankful for you!!

Curious George

2010-06-01T14:15:00.000-04:00

If you've ever seen the PBS show, you'll have met Joshua. That's exactly who he is: Curious George....not a bad little guy, just extremely active and extremely curious! We love him! We're exhausted by him.....but we love him!

On our Hearts

2010-06-01T14:04:00.000-04:00

We're working on "being" more than "doing"......and all that that means. Reading another great book called, We Are Driven, The Compulsive Behaviors America Applauds. So good! I'm so often "doing" for my family, that I miss out on the chance to just "be" with them. I'm so often "doing" for God, when I just need to "be still........" I need to be the change that I want to see in my kids. (how silly to hear myself snap at them to talk more sweetly to each other)

Still learning....and hope that I continue to learn and grow. I wouldn't want to stay the same.

Radical

2010-05-18T15:20:00.000-04:00

This video is powerful. It and the book are kind of turning things upside down for us spiritually. Scary and exciting to see what God might do in our lives through this! It's a must-read for every Christian! Once again, God is answering my prayer that I would know Him more this year!

One More Resource

2010-05-15T15:03:00.000-04:00

I neglected to include this resource in my last post. Wonderful information here. I love her philosophy as well. She sums it up better than I could.

Real Food Journey, part 2

2010-05-15T14:07:00.001-04:00

I thought I'd list a few resources to further explain our eating choices. There are so many people that say it better than I do. But first a few disclaimers:
1. Our changes are in progress. We are working towards the "Real Food" lifestyle. We aren't there yet.

2. Even when we "get there", I doubt it is something we will follow 100% of the time. It's not realistic. We are working on not being perfectionists in life, and will just do the best we can.

3. We don't look down on others who eat differently than we do, and we certainly don't expect friends and family to worry about what to feed us if we visit! (see #2)

Here are some of my favorite resources for learning more about this subject:

For extensive information, the Weston Price Foundation is a good place, but I wouldn't necessarily start there since you could easily be overwhelmed with the amount of information.

Nina Planck's book: Real Food, What to Eat and Why is a great book, full of good information.

Michael Pollan is one of the leading authors in this movement and has a number of great books on this topic. I plan to read his newest: Food Rules.

Food Inc. is an eye-opening documentary about where our food comes from. I highly recommend everyone watch it at some point!

If you want a more concise description and a good place to find additional resources, Lindsay at Passionate Homemaking has this great page.

There are a million bloggers out there who blog about this, but I've narrowed it down to my four favorites. (All 4 of them happen to be Christians as well)

Laura at Heavenly Homemakers is my favorite for making it pratical for family life.

Again, Lindsay at Passionate Homemaking is one of my favorites.

Jo-Lynne at Musings of a Housewife has great information, and the rest of her blog is fun too.

I also like Katie at Kitchen Stewardship, but sometimes get overwhelmed with the extent of the information on there. She has a great series called Real Food Faceoff that introduces many worthy blogs, some of which I really like as well.

This should provide you with enough reading to at least get you thinking. I have had to limit my time on these blogs since this has become such a new passion of mine that I can easily get carried away. I hope you enjoy looking through them, and get a better understanding of where we are coming from. It's been fun! Next time I'll write more about what steps we have taken so far.

My Job is NOT my House.

2010-05-12T09:35:00.000-04:00

My job is my family, not my house! I tend to get it backwards most of the time. Maybe some people can do it all....homeschool, clean house, take care of babies, cook meals from scratch....etc. I cannot. And I'm ok with that. I think.

Truthfully, I really struggle when the house is a mess. I feel like I need order to function. But I have to look at my priorities. My children need to be loved, trained, nurtured and taught. I need to feed my family nutritious meals. I need to provide them with clean clothes and a clean place to sleep and eat. Honestly, the rest is negotiable. Dusting is not a necessity. If there is time to clean after my priorities are met, great. Otherwise, I'm going to have to give up my idea of the perfect, magazine-picture (or fellow blogger pictures) house, and live with it.

Just preachin' to the choir. (in other words....me)

Our Real Food Journey

2010-04-28T13:51:00.000-04:00

Over the past year or so, I discovered the world of Real Food bloggers. And I am definitely not one of them. There are so many outstanding Real Food blogs out there that I wouldn't even want to attempt to re-invent the wheel. (let alone the fact that I'm just a family blogger as opposed to a professional one.) But over the past year or so, we have made so many drastic changes to our way of eating that I thought I'd take the time to document some of our journey....for my own benefit, and for some of our family skeptics. :)

First, in case you haven't heard of the "Real Food" movement, click here for an excellent explanation.

After doing hours and hours of research on this topic, it just plain old make sense to me. I'm all for technology and development, but I truly believe that God is a much better creator of food than science is. I believe that many people (my dad being one of them) have lost their lives due to such "creations" as hydrogenated oil, white flour, white sugar, high fructose corn syrup and others...all in the name of creating a better product. I believe we need to fix ourselves and our gluttony rather than "fixing" the food to make us able to eat more and more of it. For example, our bodies were made to process whole milk (preferrably raw), real butter and natural sweeteners far more effectively than they can process skim milk, vegetable spread or white sugar. Drinking a gallon of whole milk a day might be a problem, but not the milk itself.

So for our family, Real Food means eating food as close as possible to it's original state. We don't buy into vegetarian, low-fat or low-calorie diets. And we strive to keep everything in balance by eating a variety of natural, wholesome foods. In further posts, I'll explain some of the steps we have taken and are still taking in order to get there.

For the first time in my life, eating has become enjoyable again. I feel better than I have in a long time, I have lost weight and I feel confident that I am nourishing my family in the best way possible at this point in my life. Stay tuned for more of our eating journey!

Baby Girl

2010-04-15T10:17:00.000-04:00

Little Annabeth is 4 months now! I'll post more later, but thought I should at least share a few pictures.

My Little Girl is 7!

2010-04-13T15:18:00.000-04:00

Abby-doodle-bugs turned 7 last week! It's so amazing to me. Looking at little Annabeth makes me remember when Abby was that size, and I can't believe that seven years have passed already. She's had a big year! Since I've been out of the loop with pregnancy and postpartum stuff, I haven't blogged about it much. But here's a little update on her 1st grade year.

I decided to stick with the basics for homeschooling this year and really work on building a solid foundation in reading. She has amazed me! We stayed with ABeka for our phonics/language arts. We took a big break around Christmas and have taken it slow since then. But this year, Abby became a reader....almost overnight too. Fast forward to this weekend: I picked up a Betsy book (by Carolyn Haywood) at the library, and Abby started reading through it on her own. In just 3 days, she is now on Chapter 5. She keeps me posted on what is happening in the story, so I know she is actually comprehending it all as she narrates the story back to me in great detail. I'm so proud of her! Because of our big break, we will finish up our lessons sometime in June hopefully.

We've really enjoyed music class this year. She has learned to read music by playing the recorder in Miss Jackie's class. On Tuesday, they have their big end-of-the year program, and Abby's class is doing the play, Tom Kitten. Abby is Moppet in the play and has quite a few lines.....so cute!!

She has also really enjoyed her P.E. class. Each week they work on a specific skill such as jump rope skills, or soccer skills, etc. They also do basic calisthenics as well as some jogging each week. We really enjoy the teacher and hope to continue the class next year.

She's still doing great in Sparks at AWANA....memorizing her little head off. She loves writing little stories, making little books for Joshua, drawing, organizing things (typical first born), playing Little House on the Prairie, swinging for hours, helping with Joshua and Annabeth......she is truly precious, and I'm so thankful for her! Is she not adorable with her missing teeth?!

I love you Abby Doodles! I'm so proud of you!

Still Here

2010-04-02T08:32:00.000-04:00

I'm not gone, just working on that major overhaul I mentioned earlier. :) Also, a little overloaded on life right now trying to balance baby, toddler, homeschool, housework, church activities, etc. So I've tried to limit my computer time in order to get on top of other things right now. Hopefully I'll fit it in again soon.

Much better!

2010-03-02T08:50:00.000-05:00

Doing much better today. Annabeth does have an ear infection, but has started meds. and slept well last night. Joshua's fever seems to be gone this morning. I am over the mastitis for the most part. We all just have a lot of stuffy sinus issues now, but that is a HUGE improvement! Thank you Lord!

more....

2010-03-01T09:28:00.000-05:00

Woke up yesterday with a pretty severe case of mastitis again. Joshua woke up from his nap with a fever of 102. Annabeth started screaming and twisting around, clawing her head yesterday afternoon lasting until bedtime. Joshua still has his fever this morning. Debating another trip to the doctor.

Major Overhaul

2010-02-27T14:23:00.001-05:00

That is how I would describe what is happening in my life right now. You know, it's funny how God answers prayers. My prayer for this year was to know God more, but I had no idea how He would answer that.

First, here's what has happened around here in the past few months. Since my last post, I came down with mastitis and was knocked low for a few days and put on antibiotics. Shortly after that we all came down with sore throats and colds. Since then, we have cycled through colds, a nasty stomach bug, more colds and fevers, ear infections, and tonsillitis. As of today, the kids and I are still pretty sick.

If I thought we were in survival mode before, right now we are in the survival mode of survival mode. The only things I am accomplishing right now is keeping everyone fed, everyone's bottoms clean, clean clothes and clean dishes. And I don't always get far on those last two.

The thing is......I'm thankful. Believe it or not. Now, I couldn't say that a week ago. Then I was begging God to get us through this so we could get back to normal. But now, I am starting to realize that God wants me to find a new normal. I had too many issues before, and if I'm serious about changing, then I need to start from scratch. So many times I would hear myself say, "That's just how I am" about something. I realized that just because I am naturally a certain way, doesn't mean I have to stay that way.

I was trusting in too many things: my own abilities, my own wisdom, my own routines, Christian authors...etc. God is showing me that I need to trust in Him first and foremost for the strength and wisdom to do my job. I need to give up my own expectations and let Him direct me in the way that He sees fit if I really want an abundant life. I need to find my identity in Him...not in my clean, organized house (which is non-existent at this point), not in Christian authors, not in my abilities or anything else.

I have a long way to go before I really learn what all this means. All of the distractions in my life have been stripped down to nothing so that I have no excuse for not hearing God's voice as long as I don't start filling my life up with too many "good" things right away. Change can be scary and painful though. But I'm willing to learn whatever it is I'm supposed to learn.

In the meantime, I wouldn't mind if there was a little less bodily fluid going on in our house, but I know we'll get there eventually.

One Month Today!

2010-01-08T13:24:00.000-05:00

Sweet little Annabeth is 1 month old today! I can hardly believe it. Not that we have her figured out yet, by any means! But we adore her. She's gotten pretty "colicky" these past few weeks....we're still trying to get that under control. But she's growing well, eating well and is very healthy so far. We are truly thankful!

Slowly coming back.

2009-12-20T11:22:00.001-05:00

So I took a month off of blogging. I am just not myself at the end of pregnancy. I become overwhelmed and can't focus on anything else but getting the baby out!

Now that the baby is actually here, I don't know that I'll get much time to blog for awhile, but at least I am slowly starting to get a glimpse of my old self again.

But forget all that....Anna Elizabeth Jackson, "Annabeth" was born on December 8, 2009 at 7:15 p.m. She was 7 lbs. 10 oz. and 19 3/4 inches long! For whatever reason, I didn't recognize labor this time, so by the time we got to the hospital, I was already 8 centimeters dialated and it went pretty fast after that! She's truly adorable! We have quite a bit of adjusting to do--especially me in the feeding department. But overall, things are going really well! If we can ever get the camera battery and the mommy charged at the same time, we'll get some better pictures on here! But here she is her first day of life.

In the meantime, we are getting ready for Christmas. Keeping it simple this year for obvious reasons. If I don't get on here again before then, Merry Christmas!!!

Happy Birthday Grandma!!

2009-11-19T10:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday to my wonderful mother-in-law! We love you!!! Hope you are having a wonderful day!!

Ponderosa Sunday

2009-11-07T08:45:00.000-05:00

It was so much fun! Jeff came up with the title. He wanted us to have an old-fashioned, cowboy type Sunday at church. It turned out great. We met outside that night by the fireplace in our picnic pavillion and had a chili cook-off afterwards. We had a blast picking out our outfits. Who knows....it might become our new look!

Happy Birthday Joshua!

2009-11-04T14:43:00.000-05:00

My baby boy turned 2 a couple of weeks ago. I can hardly believe that two years have passed already. We are so thankful for little Josh. He is the silliest, smiliest, sweetest, craziest, most energetic, demanding, intense little guy I've ever seen! We love him to pieces!!!

So Behind!

2009-11-04T08:27:00.001-05:00

I am very behind on my posting. I have tons of pictures ready to go, but it seems like no time to do them. 3rd trimester fogginess is abounding, and the fall has gotten really busy! Soon I'll get on here and post pictures from Ponderosa Sunday, Career Night, Fall Festival....etc. etc. But at this point, I usually drop off to sleep somewhere the minute the kids are down for naps or bedtime. Hope to be back soon!

New Favorite Spot

2009-10-16T19:45:00.000-04:00

I am constantly amazed at my husband and his abilities! We had a wasted space in our kitchen, and he transformed it into what has become one of my favorite spots in the house. Here is what it looked like before.

The picnic table was nice for the kids for awhile, but the new spot works for the whole family. In case you can't see it very well, he built a bar under the kitchen window, tiled and painted it.

I absolutely love it! We eat there, use the computer there, do homeschool there......it just makes me happy! I'm so proud of Jeff!

Recipe Update

2009-10-13T14:31:00.000-04:00

Here's the green smoothie recipe that has stuck for us:

1 banana (in chunks)
about 1/2 cup of apple juice
as much raw spinach as you can fit into the blender.

Blend until smooth.

Add about 1 cup of strawberry yogurt (preferrably organic)
and about 5 ice cubes.

Blend until smooth.

This one is really good! We also plan to add a little coconut oil due to its anti-viral, anti-fungal etc. value. And this one has a much prettier color! It reminds me of the Shamrock shakes McDonalds comes out with on St. Patricks Day....very pretty green. Kaylie even knows there is spinach in it and loves it! I have to make a bigger batch because everyone keeps drinking it up before I get mine poured! :) Joshua cries when his is gone. Abby's not a huge fan, but overall I'd say it's been a successful experiment. We hope to keep it going!

Green Smoothies

2009-10-07T18:52:00.000-04:00

We are really making some progress on our journey to natural, whole food eating. I'm so excited about it, and Jeff has caught the bug with me! I plan to post more about it soon.

I've read a lot lately, and I must admit, with skepticism, about green smoothies. There are a ton of recipes out there, but I was having a hard time finding one I thought my family would like. Until tonight. Abby is really sick....I'm thinking it's the swine flu since one of her friends had it, but that's another story. But I decided to try out a green smoothie recipe with my own twist! It was so good!!! and she drank it right up! Please don't ever tell her what's in it. Here's my little concoction:

1 apple, peeled, cored and chopped
1/2 cup of grape juice
about 1/2 cup of organic smooth strawberry yogurt
a handful of raw baby spinach
a splash of honey
a few ice cubes

Blend until smooth and a horrible color. ha! It really did have a horrible color, but I put it in a cup that she couldn't see through! Now I just have to try it out with the rest of the family, and then see how brave I can get with my ingredients as time goes by. Fun times! Should I mention the fudge brownies we ate last week with spinach and blueberries hidden inside....or the kefir that we were drinking that I plan to make from scratch soon.......I'm loving my new "hobby"!

Mornings!

2009-09-22T08:31:00.000-04:00

I didn't used to be a morning person, but then I married Jeff who was. I adapted and started to love early mornings. Then came kids. Mornings got a little harder since we were often up in the night. But things evened out again eventually.

Lately, however, we are having issues again. All three kids are waking up very early each day, and somehow mornings have turned into our most emotional time of the day. I've tried getting up before they do in order to get a head start, but they always beat me since they seem to get up earlier and earlier each day. Then everyone starts fussing, whining and bickering all the way to breakfast and all the way through breakfast and chore time. All I know is that we need to find a better system soon, because whatever we're doing now is not working! Hopefully it's another one of those phases that will pass soon, because I miss our cozy little morning/breakfast time!

Third Trimester!

2009-09-16T08:28:00.000-04:00

I've made it this far! Yay! I worried about this pregnancy dragging. And while it has somewhat, I'm thrilled to be able to say that I'm in my last trimester! I love having babies, and I love the fact that God allows us to be a part of creating a new little life, but I really don't enjoy the physical condition of being pregnant. (thank you Eve) I have real digestive issues the entire pregnancy. So, I'm excited to be in the home stretch now! Of course, I realize that the final weeks drag the most, but thankfully this is a busy fall for us, so maybe that will help!

Thank you Lord for getting me through it this far!

Overheard

2009-09-07T14:05:00.001-04:00

Kaylie: "If girls are the females, I guess boys are the emails."

Early Education

2009-09-04T21:26:00.000-04:00

The kids were watching a show on the dvr this morning. When it was done, it cut off and we all left the room. I forgot to turn the tv off, and the last channel we had watched before the kids' show was on the Discovery Health Channel. I didn't think much of it until I realized I hadn't heard from Kaylie in awhile. She came into my room a few minutes later and said nervously, "I just watched a lady push a baby out of her tummy.......she was so gross!"

Oops. I guess that mystery is now solved for her. Next we'll have to clear up her belief that if you want to have a baby, all you have to do is tinkle on a stick. (her version of the pregnancy test I briefly explained once) If you don't want a baby, don't tinkle on the stick.

We have so much to learn.

More homeschool fun this year!

2009-08-26T13:01:00.000-04:00

Yesterday Abby started a homeschool P.E. class. It was such a great experience. The teacher teaches middle school P.E. in the school system. He was so great with the kids, and Abby really liked him. She was a little nervous going in, but as soon as class started, she had a blast. I was so proud of her! It meets once a week, and they work on a new skill every two weeks. Yesterday was tennis. Abby was quite cute trying to figure it all out! The class only lasts for the fall semester, but we are really looking forward to the rest of it!

Her music class starts again next week. She'll be working on the precorder this year. In addition, we started piano lessons in the afternoons. We're taking it slow for now, but so far so good. Sparks and Cubbies kick off tonight, so things have really picked up around here!

I'll leave with a few pictures of our homeschool morning. Kaylie and Joshua actually set themselves up that way, and stayed busy for a little while at least.

Back in the Saddle!

2009-08-17T10:43:00.000-04:00

We started a new year of homeschooling! I've been nervous because last year Joshua took morning naps (making it much easier), and this year he is with us all morning. We started slowly last week and are picking it up a little this week. The first day was pretty rough with Joshua, but it has been gradually getting a little better.

Abby is doing 1st grade this year. It's quite a bit more time-consuming than kindergarten (as it should be), so that is an adjustment for us. She is studying phonics, reading, spelling, poetry, handwriting and math each day. On scheduled days we also cover history and science.

Kaylie is doing some informal K4. I plan to do my own version of a "Letter of the Week" type curriculum. She also listens in on Abby's history and science. We all do a Bible lesson together each morning, and read aloud from a chapter book in the afternoon. Then crafts, projects and field trips are scheduled at various times. We're still working on finalizing our schedule as we see what works and what doesn't at this point. Of course, everything will change once the baby arrives, but that's life.

I'm pretty excited about it! We're learning some fun stuff! as long as Joshua cooperates.......busy little guy that he is. :)

Our latest read-alouds

2009-08-15T14:08:00.001-04:00

My mom raised me to love reading, and spent many hours reading out loud to us when we were growing up. As a result, one of the things I have truly enjoyed about being a mommy is reading to the kids every day. All 3 of them love it! We read a lot of picture books at this stage, but this past year we started reading through some favorite chapter books. When I sat down and made a list the other day, I was amazed at how many we finished this year. Here are the books that we read together over the past year:

Little House in the Big Woods
Little House on the Prairie
On the Banks of Plum Creek
By the Shores of Silver Lake
The Long Winter
Farmer Boy
Little Town on the Prairie
These Happy Golden Years
Charlotte's Web
Betsy and Tacy
Alice in Wonderland
Through the Looking Glass
and we are currently reading The House on Pooh Corner

Kaylie still prefers the picture books, which is fine at her age, but she also loves snuggling up to hear a chapter out of the other books as well. I'm amazed at how much she retains and repeats back to Jeff later. Joshua is still pretty attached to his board book about trucks! But he can sit forever and read with me, as long as it is one of his books!

I'm so thankful for this tradition and can't wait to continue it in front of the fireplace this winter!

This Summer

2009-08-11T13:19:00.000-04:00

Last summer the girls were attacked by yellow jackets towards the beginning of the summer and developed a phobia of playing outside for the rest of the summer. I was really sad because I felt like we had missed out on all the summer fun.

This year I kept my expectations low, but ended up pleasantly surprised at all the ways we were able to celebrate summer. Sadly, I didn't do very well at getting pictures of all of it. I blame Joshua. Ha! Seriously though, since we spend most of our time chasing him out of trouble when we're outside, we are rarely able to shoot a camera at the same time.

So here's what we have done to celebrate summer this year:

Played in the sprinkler, slip-n-slide and wading pool in our yard
Made snow cones and freezer pops
Lots of lemonade, watermelon and corn on the cob
Visited a U-Pick blueberry farm
Visited a petting zoo
Went to the city zoo
Played in the fountains at Coolidge Park
Lots of time on playgrounds and visiting new parks
Went to the beach
We were able to swim in a hotel pool for a few days
Went to a farm where we milked a cow (well Jeff did) and held numerous animals
Spent hot afternoons reading our way through many chapter books
Many meals on our deck
Went to see fireworks on the 4th of July

And I'm sure there's more that I have forgotten. But I'm pretty pleased they have been able to experience all that, especially due to the fact that I'm pretty slow, waddly, nauseous and hot while I'm pregnant in the summer! I'm just thankful. But now I'm sick of the heat and the bugs and ready for fall!

Happy Birthday Nana!

2009-07-28T14:13:00.000-04:00

Or Mom, as I call her. It's funny though how you end up calling your parents by their grandparent name once you have kids....so we call her Nana most often! :) Regardless, Happy Birthday! I hope you have had a wonderful day!!! I love you!

Josh is outnumbered now!

2009-07-21T12:57:00.001-04:00

Because, it's a girl! We are excited. I'm sure we would have said we were excited if it had been a boy too, but you always seem to think that you are more excited about what it actually is once you find out. (I'm not sure that sentence made any sense, but I know what I meant in my head.)

Of course, now we have to figure out where everyone is going to sleep since we only have a 3 bedroom house. But we have plenty of time to work on it. In the meantime, we are thankful for a healthy little girl who is kicking away these days! Thank you Lord.

Kaylie's song

2009-07-03T12:09:00.001-04:00

Here is part of what Kaylie was singing this morning: "Lord, we praise you. Sometimes we don't praise you. Sometimes we don't obey. Sometimes we do things wrong and our mom and dad get mad. But we praise you with all our stuff, soul and mind."

Summer Fun!

2009-06-29T13:10:00.001-04:00

We bought a slip-n-slide for the kids this year. They've had a blast so far. Joshua is the official hose holder.....a job that he loves and the girls dread since they end up soaked without their permission! They found that they slide much better if Daddy grabs their leg and flings them down the slide....hence the pictures of them falling off the end! :) It is already pretty torn up, but it was five dollars well spent!

Summer haircuts and two peas in a pod.

2009-06-23T14:15:00.000-04:00

I've been dying for the girls to get their hair cut, but they kept insisting that they wanted it long enough for pony tails and braids. Then one morning Abby said, "I want my hair cut short." Of course Kaylie said, "Me too!" So I loaded up the car before they could change their minds and off we went. It ended up not being as short as we planned, but I didn't want them to be too shocked. I love it though! I looks so much better and is so much easier to take care of this summer. In fact, I think we're due for a trim already.

Then I just had to add this picture of my John Deere boys. Are they cute or what?!

Catching Up, #3

2009-06-23T14:05:00.000-04:00

There's a place about an hour away from us called the Cookie Jar Cafe that we love to visit a few times each year. Not only is it a great restaurant, but they have a petting zoo and playground out back. It's in a gorgeous setting, and we are always so glad that we went. The kids love it too and always have a blast there.

Catching Up, #2

2009-06-23T14:01:00.000-04:00

Abby's homeschool music class had an end of the year program in April. We absolutely loved this class this year and look forward to doing it again next year. Here she is with the 2 other girls in her class right before the program.

Catching Up, post #1

2009-06-23T13:48:00.000-04:00

Just thought I'd do a little catch-up on some pictures since I'm just now getting myself caught up on loading them onto the computer. Here are the kids at Easter this year. The girls weren't at their most photogenic moment, but Josh is always ready to pose!

Kindergarten Graduate!

2009-06-13T15:24:00.000-04:00

I have been singing "Pomp and Circumstance" to Abby these past few days, because.....SHE FINISHED KINDERGARTEN! It's so amazing to me. I never, ever thought I would homeschool, and now we have just completed an entire year. I am amazed at how much she learned this year. We still need to work on some reading and writing a little this summer, as well as some math drills. But she finished her workbooks and has a very good handle on "everything your child needs to know by the end of kindergarten." I'm just so proud of her and shocked that we pulled it off!

I hope to be posting on here again regularly now that the first trimester fogginess is subsiding a little. (thankfully) I have to fight the perfectionist urge in me that wants to fill in all the details from the break I took. Instead, I'll just pick up from where we are now, and hopefully get a few pictures loaded again.

In the meantime, Congratulations Abby!!

Survival mode.

2009-05-18T11:13:00.001-04:00

Since morning sickness has kicked in....or maybe I should call it all day sickness.....I am having a hard time putting sentences together. Mostly I am just trying to make it through the days and keep the family relatively happy. It's not too bad, but I just don't feel much like myself right now. I hope it will ease up soon since I would love to get back to posting updates again on a more regular basis.

But overall, we are doing well. Abby and I are trying to finish up her kindergarten work for the year. We took such a long break around Christmas time, that we will be going through June. She is doing great....reading well, writing well and is quite good at math too! Now that Joshua is done taking morning naps, we're just sticking with the basics and trying to regroup.

Kaylie is always making us laugh and has grown and learned a lot this year! She has loved Cubbies and is getting ready for her first program on Wednesday night! (Abby will be in the Sparks portion of the program as well) She has a really sweet little connection with Joshua right now since he's finally able to actually play with her.

Josh is as crazy as ever. He's gotten cuter and cuter though. He's so expressive and copies everything the girls do. And...I hesitate to say it out loud....he's sleeping really well! hallelujah!

I'm 10 weeks along and ready to move onto my next trimester to see if I feel better! This having babies in your late 30's isn't for the faint hearted! :)

Never say "never"!

2009-04-20T14:32:00.000-04:00

I guess we should stop using the phrase "the Jackson Five", because in December, Lord-willing, we won't be just 5 anymore! We are so excited, and overwhelmed, nervous, wondering what we were thinking, you name it! But truly, we feel very blessed and thankful right now! If anything, we have learned to never say "never"!

Conversation this morning

2009-04-16T14:41:00.000-04:00

Me: "Abby please don't stare at Mommy while she's trying to change clothes." (for the record, I was being discreet)

Abby: "I'm little. My eyes go everywhere. I can't help it."

Overheard

2009-04-15T14:58:00.001-04:00

Kaylie while playing UNO: "Is it my turn to fushle the cards? When will it be my turn to fushle? I don't really know how to fushle."

Improvement

2009-04-08T15:21:00.000-04:00

We took Kaylie and Joshua to the doctor yesterday. They tested them for strep, but it came back negative, so they decided that it really was herpangina. Joshua, however, still had his ear infection, so he is back on meds again! They both seem to be feeling better though, so we are very thankful! I may even get to go to church tonight which would be great! I've missed so much the past month, you'd never know I was the pastor's wife. :)

More sickness!

2009-04-05T19:20:00.000-04:00

Poor Josh. He seems to catch everything that comes his way. Before our trip, he had an ear infection and a sinus infection. After the antibiotics, he was sleeping great and acting happy. Then he came down with a fever this weekend. He has been horribly cranky with no appetite and up all night! Today I caught a glimpse of some blisters in his mouth and remembered that when Abby was his age, she had herpangina. It's a virus that comes with a fever and painful mouth sores...no treatment. So it's been a fun few days! Not to mention the huge sty I have that caused the left side of my face to swell up!

I had meant to post about Abby's birthday party, but we're a little preoccupied at the moment. I'll get caught up soon!

Quick Monday morning update: I ended up sleeping with Joshua last night since otherwise, I would have had to run across the hall 15 times. I use the term "sleeping" loosely, because there wasn't much sleeping. (thank you Lord for coffee!) I found out this morning that Kaylie ended up sleeping with Jeff because she was up numerous times in the night as well. When I checked on her this morning, she had a fever. I'm pretty sure I saw a blister in the back of her throat as well. Happy Monday to us! :)

We found it!

2009-04-05T19:18:00.000-04:00

Whew! We found the lemon! We were even out of town for a week, so I was really worried that we would come home to a cloud of fruit flies. But a few days after we got home, Joshua rolled a ball under our entertainment center (where I had already looked, by the way). As I was poking around trying to get to the ball, out rolled the lemon! It was pretty gross by then. But at least we found it. The mystery is solved!

The Black Hole

2009-03-16T08:38:00.001-04:00

Somewhere in our house is a Black Hole. We think we know who manages it. (think short, blond boy) Small things keep disappearing, never to be found again. Not even after hours of searching, crawling around under beds, digging under couch cushions, moving furniture...... you name it. For awhile, we thought we knew the location since we started finding remote controls and toys mysteriously stuffed into Jeff's shoes in the bottom of his closet. But evidently the items have been moved to a new, more secure location.

Which brings us to yesterday. Sometimes, when I am trying to get everyone ready for church, I allow activities that I normally wouldn't allow. So the girls asked if they could play with the 3 lemons that were sitting on the counter. With a few stipulations about not bouncing them around the house, I agreed. When they were finished they brought 2 lemons back and said, "We can't find Joshua's lemon." We spent most of yesterday and this morning searching for that lemon with no luck! I mean, we have looked absolutely everywhere we can think of!

So, somewhere in my house is a lost lemon. I'm guessing we'll find it when it starts to smell, or when we notice an infestation of bugs somewhere. Maybe then we'll find all the other little things that have gone missing in the past few weeks. Until then, we're guarding our stuff a little more diligently.

Overheard

2009-03-04T09:37:00.001-05:00

Kaylie: "My email doesn't come in until Fridurday."

Perspective

2009-03-04T09:17:00.001-05:00

This morning I prayed for some perspective. Then I read this. I guess my prayer was answered. :)

Clutter or not?

2009-03-02T15:34:00.000-05:00

The other day, I noticed that the girls had left some toys and dishes on the counter. I was getting ready to clean them up when I realized that they had been left there on purpose. Look closely.

I often find little displays like this around the house. Warms my heart.

Visit from the Tooth Fairy.

2009-03-02T15:23:00.000-05:00

Abby lost her first tooth! I feel like a real mom now. (just kidding, I felt like a real mom the first time I was vomited on, or maybe the first time Kaylie handed me a booger from her nose.....who knows, the list goes on) Back to the tooth. It had been very wiggly for awhile. On Saturday, Abby pulled it out herself! I tried to pretend like the Tooth Fairy was real, but in the morning she asked to see her tooth. I could only keep up the facade for so long as she insisted that I had it somewhere. Oh well. It was still fun. Isn't she cute?!

Even Kaylie was excited. She kept saying, "I can't wait to go to bed tonight to see what Abby will get from the Tooth Fairy!" What a sweet sister! She's pretty cute herself in her new red shoes that she plans to wear every day, with or without socks, whether or not they match the outfit, that I have to convince her to take off for naps. :) Love those girls!

Just like his dad.

2009-03-02T15:13:00.000-05:00

If you've ever seen Jeff first thing in the morning, you would remember it. In general, he is known for having perfect hair in public, unless he is wearing a hat. However, when he wakes up, it is the exact opposite. (I'm not brave enough to post pictures yet)

Joshua seems to be taking after his Daddy. Here is what the girls and I saw the other day when Joshua woke up from his nap.

Is that a sight for sore eyes or what!

Backwards Night

2009-03-02T15:10:00.000-05:00

Recently it was "Backwards Night" at AWANA. The girls really got into it this year. hee hee.

Inspiration for Moms

2009-02-24T06:48:00.000-05:00

Love, love, love this lady! I could never have said it better myself.

Healthier Choices.

2009-02-18T15:01:00.000-05:00

We are working on making healthier choices around here. We're doing it in baby steps though so that we don't get overwhelmed. I thought it would help me to make a list so that I could keep track of the changes we've made so far. In this past year we have added:

Homemade granola sweetened only with honey.

Homemade instant oatmeal.

Homemade hot cocoa.

Whole wheat pancakes with pure maple syrup.

Organic, low-sugar yogurt.

Whole wheat breaded, baked chicken fingers.

Butter rather than margarine.

Olive and coconut oil only.

Whole wheat pasta and bread.

Homemade pizza with whole wheat crust.

Natural peanut butter.

Brown rice instead of white.

Homemade laundry soap.

Cleaning primarily with vinegar, baking soda and borax.

Wheat germ and flax seed added to many recipes.

We have an even longer list of things we plan to add this year. Thankfully Jeff is on board with most of it! I'll keep you posted as we go.

Shew!

2009-02-14T13:40:00.001-05:00

Back to report that everything seems to be fine for now. Jeff is coming down with a cold, and I evidently was having a reaction to eating too many homemade cinnamon rolls. (In my defense, it was my first time to make them, and they just turned out so good!)

Sigh of relief!

Thank you Cameron!

2009-02-13T20:05:00.000-05:00

Wednesday night is AWANA night at our church. When I went to pick up Kaylie from Cubbies, her teacher felt led to let me know that at some point Cameron, a little boy in the class, burst out, "I need to puke!" and evidently, he did....in the trash can, thankfully. He followed it up by saying, "I've been doing this all day!"

Right after dinner tonight, Jeff and I started to feel weird. Hmmmm. Not to mention some odd symptoms the girls have been having today. I just hope that I'm back on here tomorrow to report a non-eventful night!