Refocusing

Here is a little that I have been thinking and praying on:

I have been suffering from an imbalance of my time, my efforts, and my goals. So I made a list of my priorities and here they are:

1. God: Devotions/Scripture reading, prayer/meditation on the Scriptures, quiet/focus & listening to God
2. Husband: His needs, his laundry, areas to clean for him: bedroom, office, upstairs bathroom, food/weekly menu
3. Family: their needs, their laundry, keeping all rooms clean for their safety, devotions: Scripture memory, sewing girl's clothes
4. School: reading, writing, math, science/history, the arts (music/art), P.E./Health
5. Cleaning: for husband, for family, for me
6. Me: time w/God, serve husband/family, conduct school lessons, spend time cleaning, exercise
   

Each one of these areas is important and I am aiming to spend equal amounts of time on each every day, Lord willing.

I have a garden this year, raised beds... so no tilling, no weeding, just keeping the cats out of the garden and the dogs. Trying to grow tomatoes from seeds again, and realized if they don't get enough light they grow really tall & and become weak. If my seedlings in the house don't make it, I am going to plant April 1 outside underneath plastic milk jugs with the lids off right straight into my raised beds.

So here I go to plan my work and work my plan!

Blessings!
Heather

A Little Motivational Exercise...

So, there is much to be done and I am really feeling overwhelmed. So I am going to post a list, then go tackle that list...

Probably updating this post...

Here goes:

1. Clear tables
2. Wash pans from weekend (we are so busy getting ready for church on the weekends that I never get everything done, so I will wash things that can't go in the dishwasher. My second oldest son already loaded and ran the dishwasher once...)
3. Lunch at one table, finish portfolios at the other.
4. Nap time for 2 & 4-year-old, crochet time for me.
5. Get dinner going.

Starting now.

Updated:
Tables cleared by my daughter.
Pans washed, dishwasher reloaded.
Of course, lunch over and done with.
Naps done, and crocheted a bit more.
Dinner cooked, delicious & done (baby back ribs, mac & cheese, green beans)
Portfolios, started... not completed yet, but maybe tonight still?

Homeschooling, Busyness & Weight Loss

Wow, times are SO busy. This week we have to turn in our portfolios for homeschooling, then help our (new) church move to the new building (we changed churches due to our location)... of course before that Wednesday night prayer meeting...

Life is happening at an alarming rate of speed.

My second oldest son turned 11 last month, and my next birthday happens in March. My second oldest daughter turns 8.

And then there is the weight loss dilemma, yes, there is still weight to lose from my last dear daughter. She is officially 7 months and our double joy! Afterall, her name does mean joy, joy!

I have lost about 15 pounds of my weight, only 15 + 5 more to go. If I lose the 15, then my next goal is that last 5... we'll see. I'm not obsessing about it.

And after speaking with a friend (a skinny friend) about weight loss, I have learned that not ALL skinny people eat what they want. Her advise was to eat well, whole grains, low/no sugars, low fat meats... no problem there as we have a freezer FULL of venison, and I grind my grains oftentimes. I have been mixing my flours so that I use a baking mix which is 1/3 freshly milled oat flour and 2/3 freshly milled soft wheat pastry flour... I usually make my muffins/cakes/cookies with 1/2 the baking mix and 1/2 white (bad for you) flour. That is the only way I can get them to turn out right. Although I did make a whole grain chocolate crazy cake that turned our delicious. I used my soft wheat pastry flour in it, and it was good. But my daughter who is 2-years-old doesn't do well on the whole grains, too hard on her system, so mixing is my best option if I am planning on feeding it to the whole family.

The picture above was taken in October. It was the last warm day in October, in the 80s that day, I believe. We had some high winds earlier that week and someone's sailboat washed up on the beach! So we hiked down there to see it... It was a fun day! The children played in the water, and enjoyed the last warm day.

Anyway... with homeschooling and everything that I NEED to do around here, I must be off and I will post whenever I can.

Blessings!
Heather

When Life Happens.... blogging doesn't

Ever wondered what happens to those who blog a lot, then drop off the face of the earth for several months? They get busy with life just like me.

My daughter, now almost 7 months old, is thriving! Fat, happy and working on her 3rd chin! Nursing wonderfully and healthy. I can't complain about life, except that it is WAY to busy for me.

Here is a pic:
I have also taken up crocheting during nap time for my BUSY 2-year-old daughter and when I am getting her to sleep at night. Here are a couple of pics of the things I did for Christmas presents:






I have also made booties, a few hats for myself, a hat for my daughter that is WAY too big, and a few other things. I have found that I like having my hands busy, so the more crocheting, the merrier!

Anyway, life's beckoning once again!

Blessings!

6 days late, but God's perfect timing...

Drum roll, please!

Announcing...


JoyHannah Jubilee....

Born: June 29th, 2009 at 11:55 p.m.

Weighing in at 8 lbs. 0 oz.
Length: 21 1/4 inches




As you all may know, I was quite anxious for the birth of our 8th baby. I had experienced complications with a trip to the ER at 14 weeks and another trip at 33 weeks & 5 days with premature labor.

Well, my goal dates came and went. Then my due date came and went. I tried everything to go into labor as my emotions and my physical well being was not the best. I expected an early baby, but that was not God's plan.

So finally, Monday evening, June 29 just after finishing supper I felt my first contraction (probably around 8 or 8:30 p.m.)....a good, STRONG contraction. With that first contraction I felt the baby descend into my pelvis about 1 inch. I alerted my husband, and then with contractions about 10-15 minutes apart, helped my daughter clean up dinner dishes (I did pause with each contraction). My husband wanted to work in the shop until about 10 p.m., but I wasn't so sure about his "plan"...

I could tell that the contractions were getting stronger and stronger, so I told my son that he needed to tell his dad that we needed to get ready and GO, NOW!!! to my midwife's home (where I was planning to deliver). NOTE: My midwife lives 1 1/2 hours away, so it was essential that we worked quickly to get things packed in the van, including the children.

We got things together and were ready to leave at 10 p.m. I called my mom, who had been calling me everyday asking the same question, to let her know that contractions had begun and we were headed out. Then once we hit the road, I called my dear friend, and we talked nearly the entire trip.

You see, her plan was to "distract" me so I didn't notice how strong the contractions were or how well they were working... although, I must say, those contractions were working VERY WELL!!! And I kept telling her, that yes, they hurt and yes, they were working! So, during our conversation we laughed, and enjoyed our time on the phone...

On the home stretch to the midwife's house, I ended the call with my friend and called my midwife to let her know that we would be arriving soon.

At 11:30 p.m., we pulled in and parked our van at my midwife's home, then my water broke... (of course, in the seat of the van!) Thankfully, clear water...

I made it upstairs to the bedroom where I was going to deliver, used the bathroom, was checked by my midwife to find out that I was dilated to 8 c.m. I had planned on using the birthing stool for this delivery, but just after my midwife checked me, I had another contraction, one that dilated me to 10 c.m. and gave me to urge to push (as I could feel the baby's head coming down!).

My husband had stepped out of the room for just a minute to check on the children and was urgently called back up so that he could see the delivery of his 8th child. Once he came back in the room, she was crowning... and with the next few pushes (less than 5 minutes) she was out!
Perfectly formed, breathing and looking around, but not crying.

Our 6th daughter... WOW! Six girls!!! One more daughter to sew for, one more daughter that will get her hair fixed by mom, one more daughter to marry off... WOW!!!

The afterbirth pains were AWFUL!!! My contractions felt better than the afterbirth pains. I went from "superwoman" as my friend was calling me to "SUPER WIMP!!!" I even had to be helped to the bathroom! But thankfully, with the rest of the night ahead of me to sleep, and with the nourishment I received, I began to feel better and better. And today, I feel great... my only problem now is my blood pressure.

I am currently dealing with postpartum high blood pressure. It is not edema, and doesn't seem to get better with low carbs or low sodium... My mother had this same thing after she had me and eventually her's went away. I am hoping that this is all hormonal and will go away soon, too!

Right now, my blood pressure has leveled out to be around the same numbers all the time. It is not super high, but I will continue to monitor it. If it does not resume back to normal soon, it will mean a trip to the doctor's office.

My prayers are that it will get better with moderate exercise and a healthy diet. But, since high blood pressure runs in my family, I may end up needing medication... and hopefully my experience with medication will be better than my mom's as she has struggled with finding the right combination of meds to control her blood pressure.

Thank you again for your prayers! And when things settle down here, I may start posting again... but times are busy!

Blessings!
Heather

P.S.: C, (you know who you are, but I will only use your first initial)... I sent you and email a few days back! Hope to talk soon!

Thank YOU!!!!

Thank you for your prayers and support through this time of bed rest. I am officially off bed rest and am able to return to my normal duties.

We are still waiting for our wiggly little one to enter this world. I am grateful for the extra time that I have been granted (by my LORD and Saviour), and continue to be thankful that I am still waiting.WOW! Bed rest really changes the heart of the impatient pregnant woman! Of course, I know what it is like to have a baby early and once you experience that, you find that you are more patient to wait for the due date!

I have much to accomplish in the next few weeks and I also feel as I have accomplished much in my time of bed rest...

I was able to complete my nursing nightgown (although I would like to make a few changes yet) and I also made each one of my daughters a new dress.... all of this done in 2 days!!! I will post pictures when time allows, but for now I must get busy so that I can fold all of the laundry and wash up the dishes so that I am ready for this new little baby that may enter this world at any time!

Blessings!
Heather

Bedrest....

Well, so much for posting my monthly menu plan. I do have mine in tact, but I will probably not be posting the rest of it... at least not for this month.

Last Sunday (a week & 2 days ago) I showed signs of going into labor early. So after checking with my midwife and a trip to the hospital, I have been on bedrest since.

If you remember correctly, my last baby came just a few days after hitting the 36 week point.

It seems to have all started with a hectic week and 3 stings from a hornet or something while directing my boys in the garden on Saturday. They tilled my garden then planted my tomatoes & peppers.

So here I am today, trying to make it until 36 weeks so I can have my midwife deliver me...

Just 1 more week to go, and then I will resume light housework & cooking, but gardening will have to be for my boys as I still have beans to plant & a few other things. Thankfully my husband is putting in raised beds for my beans in my "secret garden"... I am also thrilled that I have volunteer pumpkins already growing in my main garden, but I need to have canteloupe, watermelon, cucumbers and a few other things planted yet...

So, prayers are greatly appreciated as I wait and stay planted on my behind.

However, I have taken delight in crocheting and some sewing that I haven't been able to do until now. My newest project is a nursing nightgown for myself as I have already crocheted baby booties, an infant hat, and 3 pot holder hot pads...

Blessings friends!
Heather