mnhmslmom.com

2011-10-27T17:35:00.000-05:00

Safe Families....What is it?

2011-10-08T00:18:00.000-05:00

I was directed to this website tonight by our director. The author is going through a series of interviews and informative articles on Safe Families for Children. Please check her out!!! She's explaining the ministry much better than I can!:)

World Next Door: Safe Families

Safe Families....Our First Placement

2011-10-07T20:54:00.000-05:00

Sunday morning Jason woke up and said there was an email from Maridel, director of Safe-Familes Twin Cities. Three children ages 1, 2, and 3 needing placement for a little over a month with weekend breaks. He asked me what I thought. I began to pray.....seek my heart....look at my calendar.....but then... I had to not think of how BUSY I was because I'm always going to be busy. I thought "If this were my daughter calling, what would I do?" I would drop everything and take care of the kids. After consulting with our kids, we decided to take the 2 & 3 year old.

Happy One Year Baby Carson!!

Sunday evening we were excited and nervous all at the same time. Here we were about to pick up two more children! We couldn't help but think of the timing of it all. This exact Sunday one year prior we left our home...during Amazing Race...to go to the hospital to meet our surprise blessing!!! We were now going....during Amazing Race... to meet TWO surprise blessings!!

We arrived home late, but had a time of introductions and snacks before bedtime.

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday are a blurr to me. I do know they were the most difficult yet strangely life altering 4 days of my life. The kids are coming from a loving, caring mom who wants to do the right thing for them, so they resisted our care of them.....to put it mildly. The days were long, the nights longer for my teenage girls...who dealt with the night mares. I knew the first day or two would be bad....but by Thursday Baby C was picking up on some of their "habits"...and I became fearful.

This morning I was ready to throw in the towel completely. I was concerned for my kids. Jason and I prayed this morning.....me through sobbing tears....I asked God for a glimmer....just a small little ray.... of hope. Hope.....that it would get better.... that we would at least have ONE semi-good day.

I'm here to tell you God is faithful!! He gave us an awesome day!! Not without it's trials, but there was more joy and laughter and compliance today than the past 4 days combined!! The 2 yo girl loves to help in the kitchen, so we baked a pie together!! She loved it! And the 3 yo boy seemed to want to please today....more than ever. We went on a nature walk in the afternoon where the girl loved finding new leaves, and acorns, and dried corn!! Thank you Jesus! Forgive us for our frailties!! Thank-you for that ray of hope....and showing us that what we do in YOU is not in vain!!

All week I've been thinking of the saying "Filled, to be poured out again...." It's in the banner of a blog from a woman in our church that is raising 11 children....or is it 12?.....anyway.....many of them have fetal alcohol syndrome. I kept thinking of her all week, and her saying on her blog. I didn't quite "get it" when I first went to her blog....but now I get it....or at least starting to......I'm sure she'd laugh if she knew I was only caring for two....without FASD. I can't imagine how often she is poured out daily....hourly....minutely...:)...only to be filled!!!(and the funny thing is all week I thought it was "Poured out, to be filled again...".... until just now when I went to her blog to get the URL for the link!! OH WOW!!)

But the beauty in all of this....this "life altering" work we are doing. It's not just that we are changing these kids.....although I hope they remember our love and care for them.....it's that these kids are changing us!! I am so full of heart transforming work it aches. I'm not sure I can even begin to tell you all we've learned about God, about ourselves, about the world, about women/kids in crisis, about leaning on Jesus every minute every hour....about remembering His promises and claiming them for ME personally....about crying out to God....about asking others to cry out to God for us. WOW!! I really wouldn't change all this....I wouldn't....and I'm ashamed to say I was wanting to give up....because I'M STUBBORN and I HATE TO QUIT......but I'm more ashamed that I didn't wait for God.....but He knew I needed to be humbled.....to get off my high horse thinking I have all the answers. God is soooo good that way.

ENOUGH....I am so tired this makes no sense. I have the mind to do ABSOLUTELY no editing.....just raw writing.....so I will......

POST PUBLISHED!!!(O.k....I edited a little!!)

Still On-Call!!

2011-09-29T22:30:00.000-05:00

I think that's what you'd call us. A (safe) family "on call".

Shortly after I wrote the last Safe Families update the Minneapolis area Safe Families went through a bit of restructuring. So....knowing that it would take a bit for all that to be settled, we put Safe Families in the back of our minds....and moved on with our normal hectic but very fulfilling lives.

The past few days, however, there has been a flurry of phone calls our way. Three actually. The first one was for two toddlers. That decision is mostly on the mom and where she would like her kids to be placed. She has time. The other one was for three older children....and it could be long term. Jason and I prayed and knowing the full situation decided it wouldn't be the best for us to take them.

Today, we received another call. This time from a mom sent unexpectedly to the hospital and needing care for her two sons. This mom wasn't familiar with Safe Families and how it worked and was really scared to allow her kids to come to our home. She feared her kids would be taken by the state and not knowing who we were she had many reservations. I was asked to call her and talk to her.

This was my first Safe Families interaction, so I was a bit nervous. I prayed before I made the phone call, and left it up to the Lord. I was able to reassure her about our family and our home, and that we are here to care for her children and give them back, not to keep them. After hearing about our home she was then scared (I believe jokingly) that they wouldn't want to come home. I reassured her that they would definitely want to be home with their mom. I told her that the kids would be occupied enough to not be worried about her. They would have a little mini vacation while she was able to heal. She said she believed she would say "yes." But we haven't heard back.....so.....

Again...another "leaving in the Lord's hands" scenario......He knows what this mom needs and what the children need. I've been praying for her all evening. How scary...to be in the hospital and no one to care for your children.

I suppose I'm writing tonight to get the word out on Safe Families. This mom had never heard of the program. She thought we would take her kids away. But that is not the intent at all. In fact it's the opposite. We want to help her so she doesn't get to a place in her life where her children would need to be placed with the state. We want to help her and her children.

It may take awhile for the word to get out in our area, but I hope it does. I hope more families come forward to help. Is there room in your home? In your heart? Maybe you aren't in our area. Safe Families has offices across the US....check out their website to see if they are near you!! God Bless!!

Shameless plug...

2011-09-20T23:17:00.000-05:00

I know I don't have many followers, but maybe somebody will stumble upon this and vote before September 30, 2011. My daughter is in a photography contest....like her photo here!! Thanks so much if you voted for her!! Hugs to you all!:)

TODAY.....This was my life......

2011-09-20T23:05:00.000-05:00

Hoping and praying tomorrow will be happier....for you my little man and your tired Mama. Sleep like an angel Sweetie....:) Mama's excited you are walking now!! Love you bunches!!

Munsinger Gardens Photo Shoot

2011-09-10T19:53:00.000-05:00

I'm finally getting around to posting the kids pictures from Tuesday. Here are the pictures they each picked out as their best shot. I'll let you pick out which one belongs to who. A hint....one them is on my daughter's blog.

Baby Signs????

2011-09-07T10:03:00.048-05:00

While I was at the library yesterday I began looking for American Sign Language books/videos. Mainly for my sophomore who needs a language requirement, but doesn't really like "languages" per se. BUT....I also thought if she began learning sign language we could use it with Baby C. We've used it with the past 2-3 children and love it. Wished I'd done it with my second. Anywhooo....

I was reading the book Sign With Your Baby: How to Communicate With Infants Before They Can Speak last night and I read that when you nurse you should show the sign for "milk". Since I didn't nurse J.J. I hadn't thought to use it for nursing. I was telling Jason this when Baby C was getting really sleepy and Jason was bringing him to me to put to bed.

But you know what Baby C did???? He picks up my Kindle on the bed and hands it to me!!! That was his signal that he was ready for bed. We have this routine where I find my kindle, and nursing pillow, and turn on his sleep machine and close his shade and, and......you get the picture. I do the same routine every time I want to put him down for a nap or to bed. My kindle has a lighted cover so it works perfect at night for nursing. He watches me turn it on and open it up then he leans in to nurse.

So much for BABY SIGNS!!!! I wonder if they should add "hand mom her kindle" to their signs book!??!:) Also....as I was editing this post....I realize that signing "milk" for nursing is really unnecessary. Baby C make's it pretty clear he wants to nurse.;) I do see it being helpful in other areas though....he really likes to scream to get my attention. I can at least try to teach him a better way to communicate with me!:)

Day One SUCCESS!!! SCORE ONE FOR MOM!!

2011-09-06T23:10:00.000-05:00

When Baby C woke me up at 4 am I didn't think my plan was gonna happen!! Really didn't!! When he does this I'm usually wiped out the next day. But all the more reason NOT to sit inside with "SCHOOL". It was a good day for a field trip.

I began the day by gathering them and reading the Bible. Then asked for prayer requests (many had to do with SCHOOL...said in a long drawn out negative sort of way)....we prayed, then I began to write the agenda on the white board. I began with "have a good attitude". Then I wrote "library cards". That was enough for them to get excited. By the time I finished my list a few had already scattered. I did get the "Can I take a shower?" question, but no real dissenters. When I asked if it was o.k. we were going somewhere one of them responded "Who wouldn't want a field trip on their first day of school?" Like DUH, Mom!!!

The library didn't disappoint. I love how the entire first floor is the kids section. Baby C could crawl, climb, scream and it didn't seem too obnoxious....mainly because there were other kids screaming too.

The Munsinger Gardens were also really nice. The kids made a choice between bringing their sketchbooks or their cameras. They decided on cameras...J.J. borrowing one from his sister. I overheard him say "This is funner than I thought it would be.":) We all got some great shots. Their assignment tomorrow is to pick their best one and edit it, so I will hopefully post some tomorrow or the next day!

NOW.....

WHAT AM I GOING TO DO TOMORROW??????? ( JUST kidding......)

First Day of School

2011-09-05T23:53:00.001-05:00

Oh the excitement of school starting up again. I loved going back to school when I was a kid. The new books, new clothes, new shoes, new school supplies....all of it!! Well, I didn't like thinking about the nervousness of having a new teacher and not knowing people, but loved the rest.

My husband on the other hand absolutely hated going back to school. Would rather cut off his fingers and toes than go back. I suppose that's a typical ADD boy response. To him school was a prison.

Well, I get the privilege of introducing a first day of school to my kids every year. (Whatever "first day of school" means in a homeschool???) I suppose for us, we try to get more disciplined with our time, and try to move forward with whatever we are working on. Maybe start new math books, maybe not.

When the kids were little I'd always start out the "first day" by making a batch of cookies. It was fun. I talked about all the ingredients that go into learning....that the ingredients need time to "bake" to become a full fledged "cookie"....and so on. They liked the end result!!

One year it was in the 90's on the "first day". So we headed to the beach!! It was great!!! All the public school kids were back in school so we had the whole beach to ourselves. I brought a book to read-a-loud while they ate lunch and they had all day "physical education".

My plan for Labor Day weekend was to get my "schedule" nailed down for the kids. Thursday I realized I was way to behind to get any sort of schedule up and running by Tuesday. On Friday I read the first line of the curriculum I had purchased this summer. It told me to read The Three R's by Ruth Beechick. So I did. And I am extremely thankful I did. She gently reminded me of my teaching style....natural and relaxed.

So....what are we doing for the first day of school?????

FIELD TRIP!!!!

We are going to the BIG library!!! The first time we went I overheard one of my children say, "Wow!!! This is better than an amusement park." Anyway.....the BIG library and Munsinger Gardens. I figure in one fun day we'll cover Language Arts, Fine Arts, Science, Math(they'll work on that in the car!) and History in the evening when their Dad reads to them! Plus whatever fun and interesting subjects they find at the library.

My kids don't know it though....they think they're starting the DREADED "school schedule"!!! I sure hope my plan doesn't backfire. I think I might have some dissenters.....who think they are overloaded this year and can't get it all done. Or others who will scream "But I didn't get a shower in....I can't go without a shower."(ummm....child....you take three a day...you'll be fine!) So who knows......we may end up here....staring at a blank schedule!!

Either way.....thanks to Ruth and my relaxed, natural approach we'll have a good day. But I sure hope they let me go to the BIG library!:)

Carson 11 Months

2011-09-03T15:07:00.000-05:00

I couldn't resist putting up pictures of Carson today as I think about him being 11 months old!! I know some people would call him our "oops baby"....but I like to call him "Our Surprise Blessing". God knew I had more to learn, so He gave us Carson. I am so thankful God brought him to us. Happy 11 months Carson Sweetie!!

Safe Families: First Call & Star Trib Article

2011-08-29T21:14:00.001-05:00

We got our first Safe Families call today. Maridel, our local director, gave us the scenario and wondered if it would work out for us. I called Jason who happened to be almost home. We prayed and decided we could do it. It was a short stay situation, which we are somewhat hoping for in the beginning to get our feet wet! While talking to Maridel she alerted us to an article in the Star Tribune about Safe Families. It's exciting to see Safe Families get some press!! Read the article....good stuff!!

Anyway......our family was excited and anxiously awaiting a call with more details about pick-up times etc. We were bummed, however, when Maridel called to say the mom had made other arrangements. Oh well!! We know that's just how it works sometimes! We have to be flexible. Apparently God has another child/children in mind. That's just fine with us. But we'll pray for this family and mom.(As a side note: We are obligated to privacy in regards to the moms, kids, etc. So most of the details I give will be vague, generalized.....and obviously no pictures....unless my resident photographer does a great job of editing!:)

Safe Families for Children Training for Minneapolis Area Sept 17th!!

2011-08-26T13:25:00.001-05:00

EDIT: Obviously most of this information is out of date...being it's almost OCT.....and Bethany went through website restructuring...so none of those links work...but I'm leaving this post up because I think the prayer requests are still needed. Thanks!!
I got an e-mail yesterday from our local Safe Families for Children director stating that they will host a training day on September 17th in Eden Prairie. This will satisfy the requirement needed to become a Safe Family. If you are interested and want to know more leave a comment and I'll get back to you....or contact the number on the website.

Other needs that were stated in the e-mail are:

1. Drivers: Could you volunteer to drive a child to his Safe Family host?
2. Notary: Would you be willing to meet us when papers need to be signed when a child goes into care?
3. Fund Development Committee: Our program is only available through the generous gifts of our donors.
4. Marketing: Social networking, advertising - we could use your help to get the word out to family and friends.
5. Event planning: Do you like planning/coordinating events? we could really use your help.
6. Can you host a child OR provide respite to a host family? We need 100 more families to volunteer.
7. Administrative/organizational skills with data base background.
8. Pray for all the families in crisis who call for help. We are only able to serve 1/5 of the calls due to our limited capacity.

Please join us in praying for these needs!!!:)

Our Story.....so far!!

UPDATE ON OUR STATUS: They forgot to have us sign some paperwork when they were here last Friday, but we were able to get that completed this week. We have been presented with a few cases that are coming up in the next couple of months. Pray for our discernment as we strive to serve the Lord in His strength, yet knowing our feeble human strength can only take us so far.....it is a battle we face daily as we honor Him!

Blogger Stats...

2011-08-25T23:50:00.000-05:00

I was trying to get a blog out about how I survived my Facebook Fast....but I am too crazy busy tired. If that makes any sense.   But I have enough working brain cells to write about my blog stats....which I find intriguing. I know I haven't blogged in quite a LONG time, so to pick it up again and hope to get traffic to my new stuff is not going to happen spontaneously.

o.k....so why am I writing??? Don't really know.....other than to say that my blogger stats show that my most viewed post is.....drum roll please.....CHICKEN BUTCHERING!!!   Often people are searching for "mean rooster".   It's crazy how much traffic I get to this one post!!! And the pictures are not appealing. But I suppose it's a tutorial type of post.

I'm thinking I may need to write another mean rooster post soon!! We now have three roosters on the property.   ONE is extremely HUGE and MEAN!!! Two of them are from a new batch that was hatched in April. One of those is extremely aggressive already. So we know one to three of them have to go!!! I absolutely love the BEAUTY of our roosters......they are gorgeous.....but can't stand how mean they are!! I know they are doing what God designed them to do.....but man....to attack the hand that feeds ya!! NOT GOOD!!

So now you know why I shouldn't blog late at night....when we are crazy busy....and I'm tired......

Ramble City!!!

Carson's Breastfeeding Story: Part 1...Setting the Stage

2011-08-24T15:35:00.001-05:00

I've been meaning to share our breastfeeding adventure with Carson but haven't found the time.....not like I have time now....but seeing that it's National Breastfeeding Month...I thought I'd at least start the story!! Today I'll share my past experiences with breastfeeding because I think they "set the stage" to where I was mentally when Carson was born.

Carson being child #6 means I've had some experience with breastfeeding. Eighteen years to be exact!!! Each of my children had their set of problems and trials. That is the first misconception any prospective parent needs to debunk.....breastfeeding does not come easy or naturally. I get all wound up when I read articles that state how easy it is!! It isn't for a LOT of mommies and babies. BUT..... is it worth all the trials.....YOU BET!!!

So....to SET THE STAGE....

Child #1.....This lovely girl came out NOT nursing. She refused my breasts for the first 10 days of her life. This was a huge blow to a brand new mommy wanting to breastfeed so badly! I worked with a nurse from the hospital and began pumping. I continued to try to get her to latch on and finger fed her until one magical day....I'll NEVER forget where I was and the excitement I felt......she latched on. We had a beautiful breastfeeding relationship from that day forward.

Child #2.....This girl came out with a strong desire to suck and me having the experience from the first we started off pretty good.   However, at about 4 months into it the pain started. I would nurse at night and 20-30 minutes after the session I was in EXTREME pain....deep within my breasts. It didn't seem to hurt as much during the day.   I saw my doctor for it, but she wouldn't treat me for anything because she said she didn't know what it was. I was in agony for 2 months before it went away. Her bedtimes would get later and later, but my husband would plead with me to put her to bed at a reasonable time. I just hated the pain. Still not so sure what was going on with her.

Child #3.....My little peanut. She was born with the cord wrapped around her neck twice and her body once. This didn't pose a problem until about 3 weeks later when she began to vomit all her meals. NOT SPIT UP!!! I had so much pandering from my doctor..."Well, you know spit up looks like a lot, but it's actually about a tablespoon." WHAT.EV.ER!!! This child vomited for the first 2 years of her life. We didn't nurse well because I felt like I was always nursing, then vomiting, then nursing. It was really hard to figure out. She wasn't gaining weight...DUH...so doctor wanted me to put her on formula. UMMMM.....Let's work on the VOMITING before we try to put weight on her!!!

Child #4....This girl came out sucking her thumb....I'm not kidding!!! She was a great nurser from the beginning, but we must not have had a good latch or something. I ended up with mastitis often in the beginning.    I was in bed quite a bit getting over fevers and the pain.

Child #5....The "one I didn't nurse"! There was something about him. I started out instantly with extremely cracked nipples. He would "chew bite" suck. It was soooo painful. Plus the mastitis. I was in a daze for the first two weeks. I had the other four children to care for. I saw my doctor and 2 lactation consultants. They were saying my nipples weren't recognizable and I needed to stop for a time to heal. Me being as exhausted as I was and constantly getting high fevers, I succumbed quickly to buying formula and feeding him a bottle. But I did begin to pump. I tried latching him on a few times after the first couple of weeks, but his "suck" was so painful. I instantly bled. I did not nurse this little guy, but was able to pump for about 5 months before it got too overwhelming.

I think the fact that I didn't nurse baby #5 (which also happens to be my "diabetes boy"....apparently not a correlation, but this mom has a hard time not feeling mom guilt over it)....had a huge influence on what we eventually ended up doing with Carson.

So there you have my past experiences.   They all "set the stage" for BABY #6!!!

*****Disclaimer: I am not a doctor/nurse/lactation consultant....you name it. I'm a mom!! Plain 'ol MOM!! So don't take what I write as medical advice....although it could be used to bombard your own doctor with questions!!

*****ANOTHER Disclaimer: I share my breastfeeding story to encourage moms along their journey's. I'm not here to DEBATE or be an ACTIVIST for or against breastfeeding. I did what I did given the circumstances I was in and what I believed was best for our family. You will do the same for your baby/family I'm sure!!:) So don't be discouraged if you didn't breastfeed or tried and couldn't (see baby #5...been there, done that!).

We're Approved!!! So why am I so nervous??

2011-08-19T17:17:00.001-05:00

The final step in our approval process was this afternoon. The director and her intern just drove away. Seems like we "passed".

"When can you take kids? I almost brought two with me today." M.queried jokingly, yet seriously.

The need is so great, and we desire to help, and we know the Lord is with us, and is leading us.....yet....now I'm nervous. Before it was all about filling out paperwork. Going through training. Passing the home assessment. Each step along the way I asked God to stop the process if it was not what HE wanted for our family. So now we are approved, and in waiting mode.

It all started with the first week at Camp Good News. This particular week they had almost all homeless kids. Two of the volunteer workers were not "regulars" and as I sat and talked with them I was informed of the inner city crisis in a new way. A tornado had swept through North MPLS in May. Some of the landlords decided to abandon the houses instead of fixing them. Many families became homeless or continued to live in the condemned homes. They didn't have anywhere to go.

The conversation with these ladies and the difficulties they were facing, seemed so foreign to me. We have a support system of family and friends that would be here in a heartbeat to help us in our time of need. Many people don't have that luxury.

Jump ahead a few weeks later. I stumbled upon a need on our church community website. It described an organization designed to help people in crisis with their kids. I hopped over to the website and watched the videos. I called Jason and described the program as I saw it online. He didn't hesitate and called the number I gave him.

At first M. said "NO." We are too far away. How would they get the kids to us? Jason told her that wouldn't be a problem because he's all over the map....his office is in the cities, he's always on the go....to him the cities are not that far. When she heard that, she was more on board with us. We were signed up online for the training.

I took forever to do the training. Mainly I wanted to NOT do it, but knew I had to. It's so hard to get stuff like that done. BUT...I'm thankful I did. I learned sooo much!!!

We then went to see the founder, Dave Anderson, speak the following week. So much of what he talked about had me nodding my head in agreement. Safe Families is a ministry of hospitality. A word lost in our culture to the Martha Stewart's and Better Homes and Gardens of this country. I've always known that hospitality as it's used in the Bible actually means "love of strangers". I never understood how that definition jived with what we Christians like to call "hospitality". (Oh...I have so much to SPEW FORTH about this....but I will hold off and maybe write separate blogposts!!!)

So....anyway....here we are today. It's no longer a what if? It's no longer...Are we going to pass? We are now a SAFE FAMILY!!! We are hoping to be a home where we can minister to parents in crisis....who need someone to help with their children, but have nowhere to turn. Please pray with us and for us!! We know the road will be difficult but we also know that we are called to serve.....God is with us! Amen!!

I will now write down my fears and put them in my Faith box!! God is FAITHful!! He is always with us, and we don't have to fear....O.K....I will...but I'll give it to God...AGAIN!!:)

Signs of a LARG(ER) Family......

2011-08-17T14:45:00.001-05:00

I make signs hoping they will help to alleviate confusion....to bring order....because living in a larg(er) family means that every person has his or her own idea of where things should go, when things should happen, etc, etc. So here are some of my signs....lets see if they've helped any:

Last year I had one huge tub to collect all these. Not fun to separate later....so this year...SEPARATION and SIGNS!! My hope was that they would actually read and follow them. I must say they aren't doing too bad. But already you can see the screen(for caterpillars no less!!) in the glass basket! I've also discovered the broom, dustpan, and vacuum in the baskets.

AHHH.....our weekly dinner menu!!! I put this up in hopes that it would alleviate the barrage of questions I get asked about our weekly schedule. It has helped some. When they were little I would pull my hair out with them asking the same question 5 times!! Alas, it's not foolproof. No sooner had I put this up my first question from an inquisitive 10 year old. "Are we having Tator Tots or Chips with our Hamburgers?" And from our 8 yr old "So, can we have pop for dinner?"

I had this sign made to let people know that we are changing the rules around a bit. I used to have one person doing the kitchen area, but now I'm having them each bus their own dishes!! Did it work.....NOT REALLY!!! Old habits are hard to break. They blame it on the baby sleeping....but I told them if he was sleeping they still needed to RINSE their dishes and get them ready for the dishwasher. We are still in training!!(P.S....it took me a day to realize the misspelling...oh well...he's a hard worker!!)

AHHH....the story behind this one....we were away for a few days at camp when I came home to discover I had left out a bad plum. Plus I think there were some bananas out (they always breed fruit flies!!) Anyway....I got on the internet to figure out how to kill the annoying things, and made up a trap that involves apple cider vinegar!! It was working like a charm until someone came along and dumped my trap!!! I was bummed....o.k...actually a little frustrated. So I made another trap and added this "sign". It hasn't been thrown out yet.....but the culprit hasn't been home since I made another one!;)

These signs are to show the kids how this cupboard is arranged so they don't just throw stuff in there and hope it all fits. It's so annoying to try to find things in such disorganization. I figured if I put up the signs they would have absolutely NO EXCUSE!!! Did it work??? You be the judge!!

Is this like the photos???

I put my most successful sign up last!!! It works every time I remember to put it up!!!:)

Well.....What do you think.....signs good? Not worth the paper their printed on?? How do you organize a larg(er) family?

Perfect Perceptions.....

2011-08-17T12:12:00.000-05:00

A few days ago Jess happened upon this necklace over in ETSY. I thought the phrase was fitting for the trials that have been sovereignly placed in our lives. These trials have to do with perceptions of our family. Perfect perceptions.....we put off an air of perfection....we try to be perfect....."acting" perfect. UGH!!

So what have I learned from these perceptions of us......

We need to work on pride. Perfection=Pride. Plain and simple.
People's perceptions are a result of their own lives....where they've been, where they are now, their outlook on the future.....not necessarily based on reality.
I am not responsible for other people's perceptions....they may be accurate or false...I need to seek the Lord to sift through my heart....and be humble, willing to learn and change if needed.
GOD will one day bring me to perfection....AMEN!! (Phil 1:6)

I am saddened, yet thankful that this was brought to our attention. I've walked the path of role-playing in the churches we've attended. I've seen that destruction and resolved NEVER to walk that path again. I am a person that wants REAL. Always have been....I can't stand FAKE(see last post!). For the past 4-5 years I've tried really, really hard to make sure people know we aren't perfect. I am who I am....take me or leave me. Seems that many will leave....I can't control that.

The perfect perception is hard one to combat. I don't know how many times I've had someone say to us:

"I thought you believed such n such". Homeschooling for example. Because we have followed the Lord's call to homeschool people assume we believe that everyone should follow this path. We've had people "argue" their public school stance, and are surprised when we wholeheartedly agree with their choice. Homeschooling isn't biblical anymore than washing your sink with Comet verses Soft Soap. It's a preference....a choice....a decision everyone makes for themselves.

So I completely understand that sometimes our choices make other people uncomfortable with us. That I can't change. But I do ask that they don't assume they know what we believe. They might be really surprised at the responses we give.

I know within our family we've tried to model forgiveness. We show our "true colors" daily to our children. We've had to ask them many times to forgive us....that we were wrong. Something I didn't hear much growing up. I appreciate this article..."Living by Conviction without being a Hypocrite" over at THATMOM.com....which ends with:

"Our children and anyone else we minister to do not expect us to be perfect. In fact, if we pretend that we have it all together, they will know we are lying! But they do rightly expect to see progress, which means living lives of integrity that start with admitting when we fail and then doing something about it."

A great friend to our family gave me this plaque the first year I met her. I absolutely love it!!! I look at it all the time and nod my head in agreement to it. Especially "We do LOUD really well"....but also we do "REAL"....we do MISTAKES....we do HUGS.....wait...as I read it again....I am agreeing with it all. That's what I think our family is!! This is what I hope it to be. Actually my hearts desire is to have our family be a fragrant aroma of Jesus!!!

And this is the funny thing about perceptions. On the heels of the perfection perceptions I get a phone call yesterday and out of the blue this person started praising our family. How she'd wish we lived closer so her kids could play with ours. It seemed like she went on forever. I was in tears, however. I shared with her the perfect perceptions and that we aren't perfect. She knows that, but she said (and this is what really got me crying)....."You guys are living for Christ. That's bound to convict some people. It may depend on where they are at with their walk with the Lord. You should never have to apologize for that." We talked a little about pride and perfection. So I'm thankful for that phone call....all 12 minutes of it!! Thankful for the situation that precipitated it....(even though it was another trial....see... our family isn't perfect!)

So....I want to wrap this post up by saying bold and loudly.....

OUR FAMILY ISN'T PERFECT....NOR ARE WE TRYING TO BE....WE ARE EXCRUCIATINGLY AWARE OF OUR FAILINGS....

I also want to say.....although we know we aren't perfect and really aren't trying to act perfect.....we won't air ALL our dirty laundry.....NOBODY does!!! See my post about FB!!! No one is going to share the deep secrets of their family, children, wives, husbands, themselves.....unless God calls them to minister to others in that area.

Finally I'll end by asking for grace as we work on our pride and arrogance. Please forgive us! We really aren't trying to be or act perfect. We try to walk with the Lord...obeying Him....but we are sinners.

O.K.....NOW....I'll REALLY end with....... how I began....

Any good you do see in us is because of JESUS!!!

(NOW...hop on over to the ETSY shop and get your necklace...it's for a good cause....they are trying to earn money to adopt!!)

Facebook Fast

2011-08-06T13:55:00.001-05:00

It's official...I'm not on Facebook anymore (for now!!). I've wanted to wean from the addictedness that is called Facebook for quite some time. I'm not sure what even draws me there in the first place...but isn't that how it is with addictions(idols)? We are hooked and we don't even know how we got there.

I remember that fateful day sitting at our dining room table while my father-in-love showed me this cool site they were on. I'm always the cynic....skeptical one. I even said...."Looks like a waste of time to me. Who has time for this stuff?".... Much to the chagrin of my FIL I'm sure!!

Yet here I am a few years later weaning myself from it. This is my second attempt in the past year. The first attempt was thrust upon me like a baby with a dirty diaper.

I was trying to show how one of my darling children was addicted to that other addiction we women tend to crave.....CHOCOLATE. I challenged her to give it up for awhile, to which she charged back....

"If YOU give up Facebook!"

OUCH!! WOW!! Snarky teenager!!

"Fine!! Challenge on!! Let's see who gives in first."

I'm the ultimate competitor.....I'm gonna WIN!!!

So I set out.....NO FACEBOOK here I come!! I made a list of all the activities I could do instead of waste my time on FB....(you know really.....I wasn't on ALL THAT much....you know how kids exaggerate!?!) The list was long....really long. I even put it up on my bedroom wall...right by the light switch so I would see it every morning as I got ready for my day.

I would show you the list....but it's gone...not even on my computer!! That about sums up how well that worked!

But seriously....I don't know exactly what drew me back. Maybe Extreme Couponing?? Sooo many companies were offering great deals for "liking" them on FB!! I couldn't miss out on that! Or was it that most of my "friends" contact me through FB? I don't know.....

I do know I got back on. I don't know who won the bet!

So jump to last week. Another challenge to a teen....another counter challenge to me. Actually this one was different. I offered my fast. I desired it. Facebook is really not good for me.....not good for my health!!

HEALTH??? HUH???

Yes, my health!! Because my brain was beginning to think in STATUS UPDATES. Short 180 character updates. I would go through my day not thinking in long, drawn out, fully descriptive paragraphs....like I used to. My journal was non-existant. And even now as I've started to write again....I can only write in "bullet points".....not paragraphs.

The other problem is that Facebook is fake. Who is going to post that they threatened death upon their kids? Kicked out their husbands? Have anorexia? Are a closet smoker/alcoholic/lesbian/pornography viewer/(put your own vise in here)? Who puts on there that they are in a deep severe depression? That their kids are felons? Their teen daughters pregnant? I don't know....I could make the list a mile long!

When I first heard that psychologists are now diagnosing teenage Facebook depression, I kinda scoffed. But now I don't. It makes perfect sense. When we log on to facebook we see such "perfect" lives. We only see the good, fun parties everyone(but you) is attending! But of course we see these things.....who wants to throw out their dirty laundry to a bunch of "friends"??

So I'm off. Really off!! (O.K....I only "deactivated" it....the next leap will be "delete"....but I'm not there yet.) It's only been a week and I have high hopes this time. I am hoping to regain the way I used to relate to people....personal notes, a quick "hey, howya doin'?" phone call, an invite for dinner, swinging by to say "hi"......and even blogging!!!

So here is a salute to the DARK AGES......before FB....quill pen here I come!!!

I needed this quote today....

2011-08-03T11:39:00.000-05:00

"To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable."
— C.S. Lewis (The Four Loves)

2011-07-10T21:17:00.000-05:00

I'll do anything for a giveaway......

2009-09-24T22:40:00.002-05:00

So....yep.....here is a link to a giveaway......try it.....you might win!! Oooo....is the suspense killing ya.......you know you want to click on the link....just click...seriously it's not some whacked site that's going to hack into your computer.....it's legit.....so......try it......

Mystery Giveaway Link

See it wasn't that bad! Now spread the news....and you might win too!:-)

The OP Challenge.....

2009-02-21T22:53:00.005-06:00

I shouldn't read blogs....really I shouldn't. But I do have my favorite's.....and it seems like these ladies were joining in a virtual quilt retreat/challenge for this weekend. Pat Sloan was hosting.

So the challenge is to dig out the orange you have and use it to make something, anything. She gave out instructions for a block to use in the challenge. I watched the progress on Facebook and Pat's site. I went to bed last night creating in my head.....envisioning the orange I have in my stash. Then this morning as more blocks were revealed I couldn't stop my brain. I HAD to join in.

This afternoon I dug out all my orange, sat down on Jess's EQ6 and came up with......

I believe the fabrics are a combination of two Sandy Gervais lines....yes, I was bummed I didn't win Carrie's giveaway!! I love Sandy fabric! Anyway.....I happened to make this fully from scraps I had. Thus the color placement is based on the scraps. I knew I only had enough for three blocks so I decided on a table runner.

Phew....with that out of my system I can get back to pinning!!

Pinning Progress & Clip Crazy

2009-02-13T16:03:00.006-06:00

You can only guess what I've been doing this week. Yes I've been pinning. Well, first I had to iron....which ended up being quite the chore. The instructions don't give instructions for ironing one of the seams in each row....so if you iron one way, you end up messing up the next row, which in turn messes with the next....and so on. Can you say... "a little stressful." I finally gave up and decided some of my seams won't "lock" like they could or should, but it will save me a ton of time and sanity.

I was able to find enough pins in the house to pin HALF of the quilt.....o.k...let me think about that....actually enough to pin 20 rows.....then I need to sew all those rows and pin again...then sew....then pin....then sew. And on it will go. Whew.....

CLIP CRAZY
This is for Carrie over at LaVieEnRosie. A couple of weeks ago she blogged about how she binds her quilts by putting binding clips all the way around the quilt before she starts stitching. Go ahead and check out the blog here. Well, I told her she was insane!! Seriously....if you see how many clips she uses you'd say the same. She does explain herself here.

Wellllll......last night my wrist was really hurting, but I wanted to bind a table topper I had finished. So I wondered if Carrie's method would help out my aching wrist. Normally I only use a few clips at a time and hop around the quilt, but if her method keeps me from gripping too tight, then I'll try it. So here is my mini version of clip crazy.......

I'm still trying to figure out if it helped or not. Not sure either way is better or faster....or? Maybe it's just a preference thing. Although I will say my hurting wrist was my right...it rarely does a lot of "gripping" anyway....more of a motion thing going on. So maybe when my left wrist is in pain I'll try this method again and see if it helps!!:-)

EDIT:ARGH!!! SOMETHING WACKY IS HAPPENING IN BLOGGER!! THE PINNING PICTURE IS IN THE WRONG PLACE AND I CAN'T EDIT OR TYPE UNLESS I'M IN HTML MODE...SO I'M DONE WITH THIS POST....IT'S NOT HOW IT SHOULD BE BUT OH WELL...YA'LL GET THE GIST!!:-)

Quilt Retreat.....

2009-02-09T11:03:00.003-06:00

Strip piecing.....oh the many strips I did piece!!!

Last weekend hubby sent me on a quilt retreat. I do mean that literally. He came home one day from work and told me I had to do what he said, and I couldn't argue. I was like, "WHATEVER DUDE!! You can't tell me what to do!!" He then goes on to tell me he signed me up for a quilt retreat and I was going to go and enjoy myself. Oh....well, then....I'll go if Jess can come with me. And she did....

It's always good for this Mom to get out of the numbers world for a bit. At a quilt retreat there are no other obligations other than quilting, chatting, and nibbling....and spending time with my daughter!!:)

The weekend wasn't without it's trials! Jessica's machine freaked out on her. I spent most of Saturday morning messing with her machine. I finally came to the conclusion that it's beyond help....it needs the repair guy! Thankfully I brought the trusty Featherweight.....but I was threading it wrong for the first hour or two and I couldn't get the tension adjusted. So my patience was tried.

Because the projects Jess brought with her needed the Pfaff she ended up making the extra projects I had brought since it was just piecing. She was whipping out project after project while I was putzing on my BIG project.

Look at all these!! Three baby quilts, two table runners and her block of the month. I actually thought I would get to work on these...well, not her block of the month....but the rest!!

I decided to work on the quilt kit Jess got me for my birthday. It looks like a simple enough quilt. It is simple as far as techniques go.....but I underestimated how long it would take. The ladies on Friday night told me there was no way I would get it done...and in my head I thought they were probably right....but for sure I could get the center pieced. WRONG!!! OH MY!! I only got so far as making and cutting out the tubes.

Sunday when I got back from the retreat my husband was in bed with the worst migraine he has ever had. So I gathered the kids in the basement to watch a little TV to keep the house quiet. While watching I decided to begin unstitching my "tubes". It took me until midnight to get the rows laid out and labeled. So here is my quilt retreat progress so far.....

I almost ran out of room laying it out my floor!!

See the little labels? That's to help me when I begin pinning and sewing!

Hubby was feeling better around 10 pm and came down to see how I was doing. I told hubby I would have to pin at least 41 times 15 times 2. He said to me....."Why do you have to pin?" HA!!! Oh......the naivety!! Well, you see all these seams won't magically come together....pinning is the only way to ensure it will line up accurately. If anyone has done the math yet.....that's at least 1230 pins!! Of course I will have to pin in sections, but still...that's a lot of pinning! After hubby gets the idea that it NEEDS to be pinned he says, "Yep, put it in the UFO pile". NO!! Don't say that....I want to finish this one!!

I will end with a few "show and tells" from the retreat.

This was our lovely quilt neighbor, Deborah....she sat just behind us. It was her first retreat. We ended up nicknaming her the Batik Lady....she only likes Batik fabrics!! Aren't they just beautiful!!??

This bear panel was in a shop in McGregor, MN....a lot of the ladies took a break on Saturday to head to this shop. Anyway....aren't the bears just adorable??? It came in a panel and this person ended up putting sashing between the pictures to create a quick lap quilt.

I absolutely love this quilt. I've eyed the pattern and fabrics for a long time.....too long....I'm sure it's not available anymore.....but I do like it. I kept thinking I was going to buy it in bits and pieces and make little wall hangings...but never happened. Oh well....

This is Nancy....she made the above quilt....and on her shoulder is Woody....her sewing bear. He sits on her machine while she quilts. He was "kidnapped" often during the weekend. At one point the kidnapper set him on my sewing machine. I kind of got used to him sitting there....in fact at one point I was talking to him!!!! So I think I should get myself a "woody"....what do you think? I'll have to keep my eye out for the perfect sewing companion!

I took a few more pictures of quilts I absolutely LOVE.....but the lady is a designer and in the process of publishing the patterns and I would hate to mess that up somehow......you know internet design thieves.....I know sad, but it does happen. So....as soon as she has them published I'll be sure to post.

I'm a winner!!.......

2008-11-05T11:26:00.004-06:00

The other night while I was dealing with J.J.'s high numbers I get an e-mail saying I'm a winner. What a bright spot to a bad night!

What had happened was my absolute favorite quilt designer, Carrie Nelson over at Miss Rosie's Quilt Company started up a blog. She had a "giveaway". She was going to giveaway a quilt kit to a person who commented on her blog. Well, I happened to read the blog about 8 hours after the deadline. So I didn't comment. When she announced the winner, it ended up she gave away 15 kits....everyone who commented. Even those that commented late. MAN was I bummed. So I made a comment. And you know what happened next. She e-mailed telling me I was a winner too!! She is soooo sweet, and very generous!!

This is what I won!

Can you believe it?

The only problem....when I picked out this pattern (she gave us 4 to choose from)....I didn't realize it was extremely similar to a project I just put together and bought!!!

Look at that! I must have a one track mind!!!

So now I'm somewhat wishing I had picked another kit, but also wondering if I should just make both of them since they are a little different, or return the packs of fabric to Jess's quilt shop, and start over.....hmmmmm...what to do?

Are you going to blog about that?...

2008-09-03T00:37:00.002-05:00

Having been a blogger for less than a year, my family has come to realize that they may be the target of a blog post. Sometimes after an incident I hear, "You're not going to blog about that, are you?" OR " I can see a blog post about this."

One such incident occurred on Labor Day. Now mind you, I would not share this, but the person involved keeps asking me if I have blogged about it, which makes me wonder....."Does this person really want me to share with the world what they did?" I tend to think this person does. So here is the rest of the story....

On Labor Day we went on a nice family bike ride. As we were riding along the topic with J.J. was all about wheelies. He tries to do them all the time. So someone in our group says...."I can do one.....watch."

So we all watch this person do a wheelie and hear J.J. saying over and over:

"Wow, how do you do that ______? That is soooooo cool, _______? I really want to do that. Wow!!!"

But in a matter of seconds my heart stops..... it is quite apparent that this person cannot LAND the wheelie gracefully......and ends up landing on the concrete.... shoulder and face first.

This person gets up quickly saying "I'm fine, guys, I'm fine. See, I'm fine."

But then sees blood drop from his/her forehead and quickly drops to the ground and says "I'm going to pass out." This person is extremely squeamish when it comes to blood.

The interesting part about this is that it happened about 100 yards from a group of "walkers". They didn't see the crash, but saw that we were all huddled around someone on the ground, and began walking toward us.

It was at this point the person sits up and again says, "I'm fine."

And in reality the person will be fine. Merely a few flesh wounds.....one small cut to the eye, an abrasion on the shoulder, possible broken thumb(said person refuses to get it checked out, says it will heal.), and a nasty cut on a finger.

After returning home, we decide to head to McDonald's for ice cream cones. It is on the way that we all ask this person to:

NEVER DO A WHEELIE AGAIN!!!

In my mind I replay the image of a son cheering on a father saying: " Wow!! That is so cool!!"

Then as the father crashes the son says : "NOT COOL!!"

So there you have the latest....."Oh, I can see you blogging about this........." episode.

Happy Happy Birthday Hubby!!!

2008-08-22T22:25:00.002-05:00

WE LOVE YOU!!

Summer Recap......

2008-08-19T21:11:00.003-05:00

Summer seems to be winding down with everyone talking about school starting up. I so had intentions to keep up with blogging....but with our internet on the fritz it made it hard. So here is a quick recap of what's been happening around here.....

FAIR.....

Jess was the only one to put anything in the fair this year. She decided to put items in two different fairs. She won a trip to state but decided to decline it this year. She received 3 grand champions as well as a few reserves in the county fairs. WAY TO GO JESS!!!

Gardening.....

The garden did really well this summer. I didn't have to water once!! We've had just enough rain to keep it going. We had many pests, though....a couple of pesky gophers and a few moles, plus various insects. Overall it's doing quite well....we hope to pick corn by the end of this week. Right now there's lots of canning and preserving going on.

Camping.....

We spent a couple weekends in August camping at state parks in Minnesota. Thankfully we avoided any major rain and had a great time.

Finger Lickin' Good....Chicken Butchering....

2008-07-20T17:53:00.002-05:00

WARNING......GRAPHIC PHOTOS!!!!

Yesterday was THE day!! It was time to get rid of these meat chickens. Once they start attacking me.....that's it.....ON THE GRILL THEY GO!!!!

I came home from a trip and went to feed the chickens. Not a big deal until I was walking out of the pen and heard HIM.....the rooster was running after me and got my heal. I was freaked out!! So that's that....I don't need to deal with mean roosters.

We have helped butcher chickens before, and watched a friend of ours do it. We've done it both ways.....where the chicken is put in a pot of boiling water then plucked and where the chicken is just skinned. We decided to just skin these chickens.....so much easier and we tend to take off the skins anyway.

We checked on the internet and found a few sites that helped us determine where to cut, etc. This is the main one we used http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/grim79.html.
This site had great info!! So here we have set up our butchering station!! LAPTOP and all!!:-)

THEN.....OFF WITH THE HEADS!!

Having a degree in animal science I've witnessed a lot, but I've never personally witnessed the butchering of one OUR animals. So this was a first for me. After the first one was over with.....which was the MEAN ROOSTER......I was fine with the rest.

We ended up with 15 lbs of meat out of 5 Cornish Cross chickens----3 pullets, 2 cockerels. The males ended up giving me a ton more meat....so next time I'm buying all roos!! They are worth the few cents extra!

P.S......I have one more picture....but it's one my wonderful hubby took of the guts....or entrails for those out there that are trying to increase their vocabulary. If you're crazy....check it out here.

Quilt Surgery.....

2008-07-11T00:57:00.004-05:00

Somehow.....someway......this grease spot magically appeared on the corner of the quilt I'm working on!!:-( Mr. NOT ME did it.....I'm sure your house has one too!!)

Thankfully I found a scrap that would work to replace the damaged piece. So.....

"Seam ripper" ....check!

"Thread".....check!!

"Needle"......check!!

"Ma'am.....the surgery was a success....thankfully the piece that needed to be replaced was in the corner....not the center....so.....you will have this quilt for many more years to come!!":-)

My Coloring Purse......

2008-07-05T10:03:00.004-05:00

I was able to finish this little coloring purse in a little over a day!!! The pattern came together easy enough, but I did make a couple mistakes.....like putting the loop on the wrong side, and cutting on the bias (per the instructions) but should've cut with the grain to get the striping effect. Oh well, lesson learned. I did shorten the strap because my daughter wanted it shorter....but it can go at least 12 inches longer!!

One thing I would have changed on this pattern is the corners.....I think I'll round them next time instead of cutting off the corners.

Pattern: My Coloring Purse by Clothesline Quilts
Fabric: Fresh Squeezed by Sandy Gervais for Moda

Thangles revisited.....

2008-07-05T09:19:00.003-05:00

O.K....this is what I've learned about using Thangles.

First, is that chain linking Thangles is very easy and should be done. I knew this already, but just thought I'd state it again!!

This is a NEW discovery.......don't sew exactly on the dotted line!! You want to sew a hairs length into the seem allowance so that once you've ironed them out they will be the size you want or slightly bigger so they can be squared up. I found it was hard to do this, however, so what I ended up doing was using my quarter inch foot. I used the SOLID LINE as my guide. By keeping the edge of my 1/4" foot on the solid line I was achieving the effect I needed. So if you find your Thangles not coming out quite as you'd like....this may be the trick you need!!!

You can see the scant 1/4 inch seam in this picture!!

Shop Hoppin' to the Border.......

2008-06-23T23:23:00.008-05:00

WARNING: With my older girls gone I'm feeling quite chatty....so watch out.....long post....

Ever since I realized I forgot a fabric for my Lucille quilt, I've been chompin' on the bit to get to some quilt shops.

Yesterday I drove an extra 25 miles north of where I needed to drop off my 3 oldest girls to camp, just to see if a shop had it. (well, not just to do that.....I had to drop off my oldest who is a counselor 3 hours before I could drop off my other two, who are campers!!) So anyway...I check the website for this shop and it says open Sundays 'til 5 p.m. I get there at 3:20...SHOP CLOSED!!!! There was a piece of paper covering the 5 p.m. with a 3 written on it!!:-( I was so incredibly bummed.

So today we head north again.....but this time much farther north. The first stop was in St. Cloud, MN. I stopped by the sewing center there to see if they had a 1/4" foot for my Featherweight. Hubby had stopped by a store in the Cities to ask about a quilting foot, but they gave him one with a guide on it....personally I hate those....I was looking for one without a guide. The sewing center in St. Cloud knew exactly what I was saying and handed me a foot that was $7 cheaper than the other one hubby had found......I like a good deal. They were also super friendly in the store. I think I'll have to go back.

I checked Gruber's for my missing fabric.....NO LUCK!! And Gruber's is one... if not THE.... largest quilt store in MN.

Then on to two more shops in small towns in MN that I won't mention the names. I was not impressed at all. The selections in these stores were rather slim. Not much to mention about these stores. In fact I was beginning to get a little disheartened. After yesterday's experience and then walking into Gruber's.....who has a large selection, then these two small shops with no selection....bummed I was.....but we continued on......

On to Fergus Falls, MN. This is where I hit the jackpot!! Quilter's Cottage HAD MY FABRIC!!! At first I didn't see it because there was just so much good stuff to see in this shop. The fabric line was right near the cash register.....which is normally the last place I look. (Don't you find yourself doing that?.....going away from the cutting tables and/or cash register when you first walk in a shop? Well, I do...) ..so anyway.....hubby is calling me to tell me he is done with his appointment when I rounded this corner and I let out a squeal...."THEY HAVE IT!!" He takes that as a "She's not done yet!"

I not only found my fabric I got a pattern and fabric for these cute little crayon/marker purses by Clothsline Quilts. My 7 year old loves taking markers, paper, and coloring pages with her to church, but she has a hard time keeping track of her markers......and they make a lot of noise. When I saw this sample I knew it was what she needed. I showed the sample to her, but she had a really hard time understanding that she didn't have to choose those fabrics. She kept saying she didn't like it, but what she didn't like was the fabric, she liked the purse. These are the fabrics she chose......aren't they just yummy!!?!!!

Oh, I wanted to walk out with so much more and spend more time. But I only have so much money, and with the family waiting only so much time. I did end up writing down many notes for future reference!!

We went to one more "dud" shop, but after that I was spent. No more shops!! Maybe on the way back we'll try one or two that I missed.

I really, really wanted to bring my Featherweight and sew, but I had to be realistic, who am I fooling? I would probably bring the machine along and never have time to get it out of the case to sew!! So instead I brought my knitting. I finished two washclothes along the way. Not bad considering my wrist has been bothering me.

I'll end with a crazy family photo....well, part of my family.....it's been incredibly weird having just a 7 year old and 5 year old. So this is what it's like with just two kids this age? I never had this.....by the time my two oldest were this age I had two more. So this is fun.....yet my heart is aching for my others. I wonder what they are doing, if they are sleeping o.k.....and then tonight we watch the news from back home to find out they'll be getting severe thunderstorms at their camp.:-( So yes, my heart is aching and longing to chat with my older girls, but for now I'll take the memories we're creating with my youngin's!!:-) So......on to the crazy family photo......

Singer Featherweight 221.....

2008-06-19T20:39:00.004-05:00

Finally, after two years I pulled out my Singer Featherweight sewing machine. I've been dreaming of this day since I first received the machine.

I didn't want to start using it until I knew it was oiled and lubricated. Since the machine was well cared for and didn't need any major repair work, I was able to use the book, Featherweight 221: The Perfect Portable by Nancy Johnson-Srebo, to help me figure out how to get it in tip top shape. Now it just purrrrrs!!!

Of course it took me all afternoon....and part of this evening.....but I knew it would....and that's why I am sooooo relieved to get it done. I want to be able to take it with me when we travel. I have a paper-piecing project I started two years ago and can't wait to finish. Now that this baby is up and running I'm sure to get it done......hey, stop laughing.....I will!!

As you can see it came in the sturdy case. I know, I know.......I can just hear the Featherweight enthusiasts snicker at the fact that it's not "original". Well actually it is in a way. If you can see in the picture the black box is encased with the wood, plus the clasps and handle appear to be original.....but not absolutely sure about that. It does have the "musty" smell as is characteristic of these machines.....or their cases!!:-)

This particular machine is dated to be manufactured between 1935 and 1938. But according to the book the type of scrollwork on the faceplate means the machine was made before mid-1937 when they changed the plate. It's kind of cool knowing the machine is 80 years old and works like a gem.

Now I can take projects with me when I travel and I won't have to worry about damaging my machine....this thing is built to last!!

Thangles....

2008-06-18T15:27:00.003-05:00

I was able to cut out most of my Lucille quilt last night and start sewing. There are a lot of half-square triangles in the quilt so I decided to use Thangles. They are supposed to save me time, fabric and be quite accurate. Triangles in the quilting world can sometimes cause problems.....so I'm hoping they deliver as promised.

It can be quite a mess!!

Whatcha do is cut your strip 1/2 inch larger than the finished size......so no more weird measurements using 7/8ths. Then put two strips right sides together with the lighter color on top. Then pin on the Thangles paper. Sew on the dotted lines....you can strip piece. Cut on the solid lines. Iron.... keeping the paper in place......it keeps the fabric from pulling out of shape. Then tear off the paper!! Pretty slick!!!

Only one little dog-ear to cut off!!:-)

For full info on Thangles.....check out their website.......then buy them at your local quilt shop!!:-)

Shield of Faith....

2008-06-18T15:03:00.004-05:00

The kids have been learning about the armor of God in VBS this year. Yesterday they made a "shield of faith."(Eph. 6:16) Today I got out of the shower to this on the living room floor....

Hmm....."No, swords yet!! We'll have to use fly swatters!!!!"

I don't even want to know what was going on while I was in the shower!!:-)

Lucille.....

2008-06-17T23:52:00.007-05:00

......note to self....do not hit enter before writing a blog post!!!:-)

Man O' Man....was I excited for tonight. I knew I'd sit down to watch KG and his team finish off the Lakers while starting on a quilt I'd been dieing to start for weeks. The good news.....the Celtics smashed the Lakers......the bad news.....I forgot to buy one of the fabrics for my project!!:-(

A month ago my grandmother in Nebraska fell and broke her neck. I spent many hours with family at the hospital waiting......and waiting.....and wondering.....and waiting. A couple of times I was able to steal away for a little breather....and where did I go? The nearest quilt shop. Quilting is a stress reliever for me so going to the quilt shop just seemed like the natural thing to do.

While I was there my eye caught a quilt pattern by one of my favorite designers.....Carrie Nelson from Miss Rosie's Quilt Co.!! I said in my head the typical quilt fanatic phrase.... "Oh, that's a cute pattern." But then I caught sight of the name of the pattern.........

LUCILLE!!

Lucille is the name of my grandmother. (Or do I say it WAS her name.....she passed away that week.) I knew I wanted to make that pattern.....as kind of a memory quilt. The problem was the sample was made from pinks..........my grandma hated pink!!! And the suggested fabrics were florally....again....not so much my grandma. I decided to take my quilting whiz daughter with me back to the shop when she arrived for the funeral. I knew she could help me find something.

(As a funny side note.......I am on the floor of the shop with fabrics all around me and my daughter is across the aisle from me. So I call out to her....."HEY CHICK, come help me figure out these fabrics since you're so good with colors!!!" The moment I said that one of the employees walks right in my line of sight with my daughter. She stops and gives me this look and I burst out laughing trying to explain my "rude" behavior.)

So anyway.....this is the fabric we found. It's Hemming House by Brannock and Patek for Moda. It kind of looks florally but it's not so much!! I decided to not make a queen size, but a wall hanging....so I've adjusted the pattern slightly.

The problem is I forgot to get the inner border fabric!!! I kept telling my daughter I had forgotten something. I was a mile away and said "We forgot a fabric." We looked and didn't think we had. Then I get home and look through the fabrics, and tell her again...."This doesn't seem right." It wasn't until tonight when I was making the final cutting instructions that I realized I was missing the inner boarder!!! UGH!!! This quilt shop isn't just around the corner!!! I can't just run in tomorrow and get what I need!!!! UGH!!!

Hopefully I'll be able to find this line in a quilt shop next week when I head to Canada with hubby. He's agreed to let me do some shop-hopping along the way!! He even printed out a list of shops along the route we are taking!! What a guy!!! But seriously.....how bumming is that....I could have this finished by the weekend!! What?? I must be joking!! Of course I can't finish it by this weekend.....but maybe pieced!! Now I'll have to hope and pray I find the missing fabric......

I'll keep you posted.....in the meantime if you're a quilter (or a cat lover, or a purse lover) check out this site...she's having a contest and the winner gets a quilt... machine quilted for free!!:-) I'm going there to make my guess now!!

Ta-ta for now!!

Lucille,

2008-06-17T23:52:00.001-05:00

Home is for free expression.........

2008-06-05T23:54:00.002-05:00

......NOT GOOD IMPRESSION!!!

I just love that quote from the movie "Your's Mine and Ours".(the newer one!!) Although I'm not totally like the main Mom character in the movie, I am very much like her when it comes to creating things.

In the movie she designs purses and her "studio" is......a mess!!! But she loves it that way. Even though it is a mess she can find what she needs and creates much better in that atmosphere.
That is sooooo me!!! When it comes to my creative endeavors I absolutely thrive in the mess.

It seems my kids are picking up the habit. A few days ago they decided they wanted to use the sewing machines. I allowed them to get out boxes of scrap fabric and create!! Both Allison and J.J. were learning how to use the sewing machine for the first time!! Jess was off at work, but the rest of the children created all afternoon. Allison designed clothes for her doll, J.J. made "pockets" and pillows, Sarah and Hannah worked on pillows and quilting 9 patches.

It was a total disaster in the basement. BUT I LOVED IT!!! FREE EXPRESSION!!!!

Chickies are here......

2008-05-22T12:00:00.005-05:00

Our chickies arrived this week!!

I've already forgotten what kind these are!! We ordered 10 different varieties!!!

Here they are in their shipping box.....

Here they are in their brooder. This will suffice for a few days. We ordered 5 meat birds this time. I mainly order layers, but wanted to try a few for meat. The meat birds will stay in the smaller brooder for a while, while the rest are put in the larger one.

Here is the full set up. Once I move the chicks to the pack-n-play, I'll take off the top brooder and add a lamp for the second brooder. I have a battery powered digital thermometer that gives me an idea of the temp. in the brooder. Chickies like it warm...95 degrees the first week!!

The first few days I clean the coop 2 times a day. The kids take the opportunity to hold the chickies!!:-)

In My Home......

2008-05-05T14:47:00.002-05:00

Spring may actually be here!! Oh, I do hope so.....it's been a long dreary winter!!

GARDEN NEWS
Hoping for a few good days to get planting. Hubby has worked tirelessly to get manure spread on the garden, and it all tilled in so I can plant my tators, onions, and peas.

Today I cut up the Yukon Golds!! I wish I had looked ahead at the forecast....I so want to plan these today, but I forgot to cut them ahead of time. It's a good idea to cut the tators, then let them get a "skin" on the cut part. Supposedly it helps eliminate the seed rotting in the moist Spring weather.

HORSES & CHICKENS
Although we've had horses for about 4 years now, I am not too fond of riding the beasts!! They scare me, and they know it. I do love watching them in the field, though. And seeing my girls ride...what a thrill!! Last week, however, I think we broke new ground. I decided to get on Jet, our gentle trail horse. I gained some confidence in the round pen, then took a ride with Jason. I actually galloped!!! I think I had such a better time because I was using my 10 yr. old's saddle. It's a little smaller, so the stirrups allow me to stand up which makes me feel like I have more control. I hope to ride again, since it's something my husband really enjoys doing.

Yesterday the girls went on a horseback ride with friends and neighbors. I went on a bike ride, and when I came over a hill I noticed a posse a quarter mile ahead. The scene reminded me of an old Western. I wished I had my camera...what a sight....all 6 girls lined across the road!!

We ordered another batch of chicks, due to arrive May 20th!!! We (read I) are sooooo excited. It's been 4 years since I've ordered chickies!! Our hens are getting pretty old, so it seemed like a good time to get a few fresh layers. We added 5 meat birds to the order, so we'll see how that goes. We've never raised any for meat. I'll post pic's when they arrive.....I'll be a proud Mama again!!:-)

Speaking of proud Mama.....I'll add this little bit of "seriousness" to the middle of my post, so ya'll don't focus on it!!:-) Last week hubby and I watched a movie together that ended with the lead character giving birth. It hit me hard. With J.J.'s diagnosis coming on the heels of the miscarriage I had all but forgotten about it......not entirely, but seeing that scene and knowing my due date was to be in a couple of weeks, it hit hard. I had a good cry about it, and was a little bummed the next day, but I suppose I needed the good cry......for the miscarriage anyway!!

WILDLIFE
On the way back from my bike ride yesterday I noticed a humongous turtle in a field and pointed it out to the girls who were a quarter mile back. I kept riding, but when the girls got back my oldest had stopped to pick up the turtle. It was huge!!! We took it with us to Bible study, and when we got there one of the men said it might be a blanding's turtle. We had no idea what that was, but he was saying it's endangered, and we probably did something illegal. YIKES!!! So when we got home we checked the DNR website and sure enough we were supposed to leave it alone. I had Jess release it near the pond, so hopefully it will continue on with it's journey, and still lay eggs!!

YUMMY EATIN'
I had to get my wheat order ready today.....the price of wheat nowadays just about made me choke!!! But I still love having the fresh baked smell in the house, and having a piece of hot bread just out of the oven!! YUM!!!!

WHAT's UP AHEAD
May is shaping to be a very busy month around here. May is always busy with the plantin' and preparin', and repairin', but on top of it hubby will be gone quite a bit!!:-( Always a bummer, but we survive. Gma and Gpa are coming up for a visit....hoping to get a new swing set built. Plus we have multiple doctor's appts. Seems like every day on the calendar has something on it. I suppose that's good, keeps us always on our toes. It's definitely pushing diabetes into the background....oh, it's still there, but I have so much to do with other things, no time to really stop and think about it.....well, that's not all true....I think about it a lot, but not as much as I did before...make sense? No? Didn't think so...doesn't make much sense to me!!

Hope Spring has Sprung in your neck of the woods!! Ya you betcha!!!

I Can't Believe.....

2008-04-26T11:55:00.004-05:00

I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S SNOWING!!!!!

What crazy weather..... a few days ago it was beautiful, sunny, 70 something.....now it's blizzard-like again!! What shall we do!?? Here are pictures from where I'm sitting...at our area library!! IT'S APRIL 26th!!!

I CAN'T BELIEVE I HAVE A DAUGHTER OLD ENOUGH TO GET A JOB!!!!

This week Jessica started her new job!!! Yeah!! We are so excited for her. The previous week she started making samples for the quilt shop from home. She gets to keep the samples she makes. The first sample was this apron....

NOW TAKING ORDERS....Patterns or Kits!!!

This past week she had her first day of working all day at the shop. She worked hard!! Her feet were sore from standing......not used to that. She had fun working and can't wait to go back.....in fact she's there now.....her second day on the job!!:-) This has been her dream job (and mine too!!) for many years. You can read her take on the day here!!

Name Change...again....

2008-04-18T14:00:00.002-05:00

I have changed the name to this blog three times now!! I think I like this one.

I was reviewing my stat counter for my other blog, and noticed someone had found that blog by searching "one mom five kids". I really like the sound of it. Catchy!! So here is the official introduction to:

ONE MOM.....FIVE KIDS!!!

Chicken Killer.....

2008-04-17T00:33:00.002-05:00

I know the title is blog bait....I just have a little venting to do.

My neighbor just came to the door and told me that their dog is killing our chickens!!:-( She thought the dog killed just one.... but she knows that once they start they don't stop. I thanked her for the warning, and decided to take an inventory once dusk hit since I knew they would all be in the coop then.

I thought to myself...."Which chickens would I just hate to see killed?" There were just three....the two we've named and the rooster. I figured the rooster would be fine as he'd fight back. I was sooooo hoping the two we have come to have a fondness for were still alive. BUT......one is gone!!:-( She was last year's show chicken...very pretty.....had the feathers down the legs. The kids also figured another one is gone....so that is a total of THREE chickens!! THREE in the past day!!

What I don't get is that we didn't know about it. You would think we would hear the carnage!!! Needless to say I have them locked up. I hate to do it, but we will be gone tomorrow afternoon.

My heart is just sick about it. I want my girls to free-range in peace.

O.K....done with the vent......just bummed!!

Growin' Grassheads!!!

2008-03-16T16:09:00.003-05:00

Here are a couple of pictures of the GRASSHEADS!!! It took just under a week to see "hair"!!! We took it upon ourselves to mist the heads to keep them moist!!! J.J.'s somehow lost it's mouth in the process......:-(!! He has the most hair so far. The girls have already started to cut the hair. So far it's the only green grass we've seen in months!! Quite refreshing!!!

GRASSHEADS AT 7 DAYS!!

GRASSHEADS AT 9 DAYS!!!

Grass Head Family

2008-03-07T12:47:00.005-06:00

Today we did another craft from the concoction people. This one we saw in the Feb. 2008 Issue of Family Fun magazine.

This time of year in Minnesota makes us long for warm days, green grass, colorful flowers----everything Spring. So I thought the Grass Head Guys (you can see a finished grass head if you follow that link) would be a fun project to help us gear-up for Spring!!

We followed the directions for the most part, but we found that one cup of soil was not nearly enough because our yogurt containers are wider at the top than the bottom. So we ended up with 3 cups of soil per grass head. Also, it's very difficult to get paper to wrap around the container. So we only decorated the front side.

Overall the kids had a fun time. It was slow at first because of the paper issue, but as we went along they really enjoyed decorating their grass head. Hopefully the Grass Head Family will grow a fine head of hair...er....grass!!

****March 8th EDIT*****
Last night Hannah, my twelve year old, walked up to the window and said "Hey, how's it growin' up there?" I just thought that was funny!!!

My Oldest Turns 15 Today...

2008-03-02T15:48:00.002-06:00

I know I've spent a lot of time writing about my youngest over on The Diabetes Diary, but I had to write about my oldest today. She turned 15 at 1:42 p.m. CST.....it's a family joke....I tell the kids they aren't a year older until their birth minute!!:-)

Right now she is on her way to share her birthday with her family in Nebraska. She was the first grandchild born on my husband's side of the family. Since my hubby is one of three boys, this entrance into the world was quite a celebration. She also managed to come into the world on my mother-in-law's birthday. This made headlines.....not really....but it should have!!

Jessica is my right hand "woman". She has always been my helper, and in so many ways runs a household better than I do. I'd like to say she had a GREAT trainer, but she is really self-motivated and has that typical first-born over-achiever mentality. Sometimes we do have to pull her back and gently remind her that she's NOT the Mom.....I have to do that with all the girls at times.....must be a girl (woman) trait!!

She loves to quilt. If she could live at our local quilt shop, she would. Seems like when we are there she's helping the ladies in one way or another. She has taken a quilt to our state 4-H competition the past two years. We love going on our annual shop hop for my birthday....she's a great quilting companion. She also loves to knit, and has helped her sisters learn the craft. She absolutely loves horses. Her summers are spent outside either training, cleaning, or riding.

It's hard for me to believe she's a young lady, not the little girl anymore. Time does fly so fast. I'm just so thankful for Jessica and her friendship. She's a constant encouragement to me. I can't wait to watch her future unfold!!!

Happy Birthday Sweetie!!!

Gooey Gunk

2008-02-15T15:47:00.003-06:00

With our internet on the fritz we've been very creative. This week we watched a DVD from the concoctions people ......it had some pretty fun stuff in there. Hannah decided to make Gooey Gunk!! She mixed up a solution of glue and water, then dumped it into a solution of Borax and water. The experiment was pretty cool!! The kids have been playing with their Gooey Gunk all week!! We'll definitely do that again....it's amazing stuff...and it doesn't stick to the carpet or anything.

Here Hannah is blowing up her Gooey Gunk!!

This is what Gooey Gunk looks like after it sits for a while!!!

**St. Paul in Winter

2008-01-26T14:28:00.000-06:00

We headed to St. Paul for another round of diabetes education for J.J. yesterday. We went early to see some of the St. Paul Winter Carnival. The sculptors were still working on their ice carvings. It was pretty cool...I mean cold....BRRR!! The 2008 U.S. National Figure Skating Championships are this weekend down there as well. We didn't see anyone famous though....awe shucks!! While we were at the training the kids played at the science museum. They didn't want to take pictures, so no pic's there!!

Girls were happy to pose for me in front of this sculpture....J.J., however, didn't want to!!

Here he is trying to avoid the camera!!