On being a mom of many....

Ok, so I'll be honest, I don't often think of my 7 kids as a lot. Yes there are moments. Like when I'm counting them at the end of bible study to make sure I have everyone. (Hate the feeling that I'm missing someone even though I know I have counted right.)

As a mom of many I often get the same type of responses. The comment I hear the most is, "You have your hands full." I'm never really sure how to respond. After the fact I'll think oh I should have said this or that.

As I was thinking about this blog I saw the commercial where the dad is holding the new baby and says something like "...it's not just about me anymore, I'm there." Yep that is motherhood (really parenthood) in a nut shell.

Being a mom isn't about what I want it is about putting the needs (and wants) of someone else before me. I see this in the am when all I want is to sleep, but I can't sleep cause I have a 2 year old crawling all over me. Than it doesn't get better when I drag myself out of bed and can't even drink my coffee while it is still hot.

Yes, there are days when it is trying and hard to get all that needs to be done done. I'm so thankful for God's grace and mercy. I'm thankful that I have a husband who fully supports me and loves me and our children. He knows there are times I just need to cry or get away. Sometimes I just need a hot cup of coffee. :)

Do I have my hands full? Sure. There is very little time when all is just quiet and I'm not needed to do something or listen to someone. I couldn't imagine living without all the noise and activity. I love it.

Little Blessings

Ok, so my mind is churning. I have several blogs floating in there. I have one that I'm sure will ruffle some feathers, but I'll leave that one for another day. Today I'm feeling thankful for so many little blessings that I think I shall share that.

As I sit and type there are several things going on around me that I'm thankful for.

I'll start with my computer. Hasn't God given men a great mind that someone thought this up, and built it. Than went on to keep changing it to the point that people can have them in their homes and they can all be connected. It has even gotten to the point that one can connect to the internet from a phone. I'm glad that I don't have a phone like that LOL. That would be dangerous for me.

Next, as I type my arms are full. I have a sleeping 2 1/2 month old baby girl in my arms. There are so many things I could type about her that I'm thankful for.

There are also 6 other kids that I could blog about. In fact I was just doing that. I've decided that I will take another day and blog about each one of them separate.

Sitting near me on my computer desk (that I'm also thankful for- as my hubby got it at a garage sale for just $20) is my cup of coffee. In my coffee is another of my thankful for things- chocolate. Not all that long ago I realized with these 2 simple things how much God loves us in the little things. Coffee and chocolate are not items that are needed in my life. They don't add to my faith, they don't add to my godliness, yet God has given them to me for my simple little pleasure.

In bed is my sleeping hubby. Again I'm sure I could go on and on about all the things I am thankful for about him, but the first thing that comes to my mind is that despite all my rough edges, despite the fact that I can't keep a house clean, despite the fact that I'm not model thin- he loves me. He enjoys being at home with me and the kids.

I guess while all those things are great, there is one thing I truly couldn't live without- God. The fact that He chose to send His son to die for our sins in of it's self is awesome.

As I'm thinking of that fact alone I'm reminded of a saying from a godly women I miss dearly. I heard her often say "The garden didn't take God by surprise. Jesus' death was not plan B."


His mercy, grace, forgiveness, strength have gotten me through times in my life that I couldn't go on.

Well I could go on, but I think I'll make another pot of coffee and read a book.

promoting another blog

First, I want to say I'm so thankful that God has allowed me to live in this time of the internet. It is so wonderful to be able to get information and hear from people that one wouldn't be able to normally hear from.

I married my wonderful husband Dan over 16 years ago. After we got married we attended the church we got married in. Several years after we got married the pastor that I had grown to enjoy moved on to another church. I always liked that the sermons were not milk, but meat. Yet the gospel was always there too.

That leads me to my promoting of another blog. I was very thankful to find out that there was a blog written by this pastor.

He as blogged about true miracles and being prepared. You can read it at... maxgrace.

hello

first- i have been tagged. so i will do that first. 

1) Choose the 4th picture folder on my computer
2) Choose the 4th picture
3) Explain the picture
4) Tag 4 other people

so this is a picture of the bookcases/ toy cases in our living room. we live in a very small apt, and have very little storage. i have been blessed to have a friend who is a woderful organizer and she has helped me. this was her idea.

today i was listening to one of my favorite songs- ok it is my current favorite song. it is called "today is the day" and it is by lincoln brewster. it starts off "i'm casting my cares aside, i'm leaving my past behind, i'm setting my heart and mind on you Jesus."

i have to say the words- i'm leaving my past behind hit me differently. i often think of that having something to do with our pasts, our regrets, the things that happened yday to weigh us down. but it hit me- my doubts that i had just this morning or even 5 minutes ago, or 5 seconds ago are also my past that i need to leave behind as i set my heart and mind on Jesus.

i've struggled so much again in trusting God.  i keep seeing the little things getting answered, but the big things- rent money, are still not being answered, that i can see. so i keep on trusting and keep on believing and well that is all i can do. 

only God....

ok, so i admit i'm stressed out by a lot of things. 2 things are stressing me out more than others- lois' weight gain and money.
well this am dan got a call from a man at church who own's a remax office. anyway he has some bags of papers that need to be shredded and could dan come (for pay) and do it. that is only God!!!!

i've been stressed out that lois is nursing like crazy, well i weighed her tonight and she's gained 6 oz since monday!

Birth Story....

I awoke around 4:15 am on Oct 18. I was having a few contractions, not too bad. By 4:30 in my heart I just knew that I was going to have the baby.

I tried to lay down while the contractions were still far apart (about 10 minutes), but I just couldn't.

I decided to get up and clean the apt a little. I got most of the dishes done, with the contractions being about 10 minutes apart. I did a little more cleaning than decided to take a bath.

I woke Dan up around 5:30 to let him know that I was in labor. Having had several bouts of false labor, he wasn't so sure. I did tell him that when Anakin woke up he would have to get up as I wouldn't be able to handle both the contractions and the toddler.

I was finally able to rest around 7 am, but by 7:30 I was wanting to be moving again. I decided to call my friend and let her know I was in labor. I knew she would be getting ready for work, and I knew she wanted to know.

I couldn't find the phone, so I paged it from the base. That's when I remembered it was in the bedroom where husband and toddler were sleeping. Yep woke them both up. Shortly after they woke up, so did the rest of the family.

During this time I was managing the contractions pretty well by walking around. Unlike the last couple labors I wanted nothing to do with laying down.

My friend (Kathy) who I had called earlier decided to go into work a little late and stay with us.

By 9 am the contractions were 2-3 minutes apart. I was having a harder and harder time dealing with them. I was getting scared of having to go several more hours like that. I did start saying I wanted to go to the hospital. In my heart I knew that it would be pointless for what I wanted. If I made it to the hospital I knew I was past the point of getting something for the pain.

By 9:30 I felt like the contractions were on top of each other although I know there was time between them.

The water bag broke at 9:37, and I knew it wasn't going to be much longer. I however was very ready to have it all over with.

I was at this point laying on my left side facing the back of our couch. It is the same way I have laid for the last 3 births. I'm not sure why I like it, but I do.

This point the contractions where on top of each other. Part of me wanted to push and part of me kept wanting just to let my body do the work. So during the worst of the contraction is when I ended up pushing.

Once I knew the head was starting to crown, I really started pushing. During my last 3 births I had rememberd to not push too hard to allow the head to come out so as not to tear. This time Dan and Kathy had to remind me to slow down. I did start slowing down. Once I felt the head coming out I yelled to my 2 older daughters since I knew they wanted to see it.

Once the head was out I had a little break. I wanted to force my body to push out the shoulders, but I couldn't. I saw my husband down with his hands on the baby wanting to help get the shoulders out. The next contraction came and I was able to get the shoulders out, along with the rest of her.

She was born at 9:56 am.

Her name is Lois Kerrie after 2 women that have a special place in Dan's and my life. Both of the women are now gone.

Lois was a very godly women. I had gleaned so much about motherhood, being a wife and about God from her. She past away about 2 years ago. I know if she was here she'd yell at me for naming my daughter Lois. Lois was about God and not about herself.

Kerrie was a dear friend of Dan's. She was killed by a drunk driver 13 years ago. They had been friends a very long time.

Politics....

I admit I'm not normally one to follow politics. I pick my candidates based on a few important to me topics. Those topics tend to leave the democrats from getting my vote.

This year however I have followed a little more. I actually *gasp* watched some of Sarah Palin's acceptance speech for VP nomination. I will also admit that I am very torn over the nomination. I strongly believe that women are called to be workers at home. However we live in a fallen world with their own ideas of what makes a women "important."

I do like that she is pro-life. I think the fact that her daughter is continuing with her pregnancy does show that. I know that even with the best, most involved parents kids tend to do things that parents don't agree with.

I don't like that because of the jobs that she has had she has spent way too much time away from her family.