I received two awards today

Ok here we go. I am new at this. But here are my awards from Pregnant with Cancer.

I would like to give these awards to

Jodi

I am sorry I am new to blogging and don't know a lot of bloggers...

So here is what you do:

1. Slap this baby up on your blog. Don’t be shy.

2. Link to the giver.

3. Nominate up to seven other fab blogs.

4. Post links to those super fly blogs you're nominating.

5. Leave messages for your recipients on their blogs…so they can feel as special as you.

We are on the journey together

My husband came home a few days ago to tell me he had been convicted about his actions as a husband. We have been listening to preaching on family and marriage our MP3 players. It has really brought some issues to the front for us to work on together or as individuals.

I had a thought as I was sleeping that I had left some clothes in the dryer. It didn't really register as I was sleeping. Bill came in our room this morning and told me that he needed my help. His work shirts were in the dryer and were horribly wrinkled. This is very odd as they usually come out not needing to be ironed, even if they have been there a while. Then to make things worse it wasn't ironing well. They are supposed to be washed in delicate cycle and dried on low. My husband had even tried putting it back into the dryer for a few minutes which usually works, or at least makes things better. They had been washed and dried properly, yet, for some unknown reason they were a wrinkled mess.

Well I ironed his shirt as he explained he had a big meeting today. He is in a new department where big meetings are in person. His prior department they did their meetings on the phone as everyone lived somewhere else...

I felt very bad that he didn't have a clean ironed shirt ready to go and happy that he had just came into the room and calmly asked me to help him instead of coming in mad and ranting... It made things go a lot smoother. It helped also that I was up to get the boys up and running for school.

We had a discussion about the fact we were not acting on the fact we believed we would be moving. We were praying for God to open the door, but, not doing any pre-move things. We have fixed a few minor household things, but, there is a lot of going through and sorting that needs to be done.

This morning was a step in the right direction for us both. I didn't think twice about getting up to help, or get mad. I tend to get mad that I missing those two or three extra minutes of sleep. I am supposed to be getting up as he is leaving anyway. It is all in my attitude toward my husband. I am not showing him love nor am I honoring God when I act that way...

Wonderful Wednesday

I have been so busy. Every time I try to set down and post, something comes up.

I had fallen way behind in laundry. I am good about getting it through the washer and dryer. I have the kids put their clothes away, or help put them away. This still leaves ironing, putting my hubby's and my clothes away, and hanging up our clothes and the girls' clothes. I could have the boy help in hanging up the girls' clothes, but I have a very specific way to hang them up so I can find what I am looking for. There are three girls worth of clothes in their closet.

I had set a goal to make sure my husband's clothes were clean, folded, ironed, and put away properly before I went to bed. I want to show my love to him. I want him to be able to find his clothes in the morning. He likes to have the house to himself in the morning. He gets up and does his thing while we all are sleeping. He prefers I stay in bed, so he has the house all to himself. So I need to make sure my help comes the night before.

I also started to work hard to not let unfolded clothes lie around in baskets. We had a bad flea outbreak. Our cats love to lie in baskets of clean clothes. This just caused us to have to rewash clothes to get the fleas under control.

I have always dreaded ironing. I had no place to iron where I could leave the ironing board out or easy to access. I have to fold and iron clothes in my living room. So if it sets around waiting on me it makes it hard to find a place to sit.

Today is Wednesday. I need to have all the clothes clean, ironed, and put away so we are ready to get ready for church. I try to make sure we are completely caught up on Wednesday afternoons and Saturday nights. This makes getting ready for church soooooo much easier.

My son asked his dad to buy him a new Bible with a case so he could carry his pen with him and mark the verse the pastor preaches out of... Of course, then Philip wanted one tooo. He came home with two very nice Bibles and two cases. The same type of case in different colors. They carried them around all night. We will be able to hand the nice smaller Bibles with the snap closures to Cecilia and Ruth. We have misplaced, again, one of the New Testaments that Cecilia and Ruth had. So the one we have now will go to Elsie. I caught sight of the receipt from the Bible store. I was about to say something about the amount, then caught myself. I had said we could buy them for Christmas. My husband said he would do it so they could have them for church tonight. I cannot complain about the money spent on Bibles. It wasn't a useless toy or video game. It was a tool for my children to use to draw themselves closer to God.

I am working on my eating. I read somewhere that you should focus on you health and not your weight. I think I need to think about feeling better and getting more done. Being able to get down and play with my kids.... No more excuses.

Almost Done

I am about one hour away from the end of our fast. It seems almost unreal. I was humbled by support from the church we are looking to move to. I even didn't turn on music when I went to get groceries today. It gave me about 30 minutes each way to pray and meditate on God and his blessings.

I finally finished my lace cards for the girls. I wrote the girls' names on the front and the color of their yarn on the back. A little planning ahead to fend off fights.

I need to get back to making sure all of my hubby's clothes are clean, ironed, and put away. It makes Sunday mornings easier if I know that we all have clean clothes before I go to bed.

I am so unworthy..

I feel so inadequate and unworthy some days. I thank God for these days as I believe that I see His greatness all the better.

I was reminded how much of a blessing it was to have my husband's parents going to church with us. They get to spend that much more time with our kids. I see them growing in God and setting an example not only to my children, but, to the rest of our church. I also have an extra set of arms to pass a fussy baby to.

I try hard to not get up for every little squeak. I don't want my child thinking that fussing will get him/her taken out of a service to be walked around or even worse taken to play in the nursery. That is only rewarding them for their bad behavior.

We are at a time with Elsie that she not only knows she has a voice, but, wants to show it off and be the center of attention. She wants mommy to get up and walk around with her, play with her. I am struggling with a happy median. I have found with multiple children those small snacks to appease the baby soon bring in the scavengers.... And, of course, last night we had no sippy cup, no treats of any kind, and no toys.

I did have my hankie. I know that I have had this hankie for years and washed it quite a few times. But, I guess I really missed my grandma. It seemed to smell like she had just handed it to me.

My honey brought me home a Raspberry Mocha Brownie from the "coffee" place, a few days ago. It was such a surprise and sooooooo good.

School is going much better. As the rough patches get few and far between I can see them a little better and try to head them off before they get toooo bad. Some days I look up and have time to spare. Really no extra time, but I do get a little more done in other areas. I seem to do real well in one area and then others get bad.

A Fast

My husband and I had discussed fasting and praying toward our move. We truly feel that God would have us move, and are trying to patiently wait for Him to open the doors. He told the pastor of the church we are looking to move to and he invited people to join us in our fast. It makes me feel so unworthy to think someone would fast and pray for me.

OH how I have failed my "friends" in not praying for them and my family. I so calmly say, "I will pray for you." Then do I? It I was honest to I would say..... no....... I am working on that also. Prayer is so important, so "easy", can be done at anytime, YET how often I just don't.

We should have to wear "I have prayed for ____ minutes today." Well let's be honest it would be minutes. Then coming down from our button would be the list of people we prayed for that day.

An Unnoticed Blessing

Have you ever looked up to realize you had been blessed by God and didn't realize it? I looked up yesterday to see it was raining. I was about to think "still raining" when I realized that when I had taken the cat, all the kids, and myself to the vet that it had stopped. This wasn't a sprinkle it was a good rain. God paused the rain so I could take everybody out. Our sitter was sick so we ALL went. My children behaved rather well. I am amazed some days on how well they do behave in a cramped vet room.

The vet has always asked about our homeschooling.

I need to become more aware at how blessed I am.... God helps me all the day....

I felt guilty hadn't called to get the address I was supposed to for my hubby. As I was telling myself to call hubby and tell him I had got it the phone rings. Yep, it was my honey calling to try to figure out which address he found online was right. Isn't that neat.

I also felt guilty that I hadn't found my hankie. Well I was only able to find one. I am sure I had more. Will pray I find them....

Can you see the Hankie Flying

I told my hubby that I was going to find me a big white hankie to put into my Bible. This is to be used like those bid foam fingers at sporting events. I want to cheer for my GOD!!
Why are you cheering you may ask. Let me tell you:

A miracle has happened the last few weeks of school at our house. We have been making breakthrough after breakthrough and things are beginning to harmonious. Today before lunch at 12:05 my boys had all but one subject for Philip and one and a half for Silas. This is a miracle you say... WEll a few weeks ago we were doing school all day long with only breaks for meals and then doing "homework" all weekend to boot.
Did you lessen the load? NO
Did you start getting up earlier? NO
Did you put each child back a grade? NO

What did you do then??
We started to not let things slide. No putting off until tomorrow work assigned for today.
I started to set right next to Silas when we did subjects that we were struggling with...
We asked advice of all our homeschool friends. Then the final glorious step.
We instituted the Bible principle that John Smith used to help the pilgrims.
"You don't work....You don't eat!" 2 Thes. 3:10

OK now take a deep breath and don't look at me as I am starving my children. WE are on day two of this new rule. Yesterday all my children(minus the sleeping infant) were at the table eating lunch at 12:00 with only three things left to do of school after lunch. Today they were at the table at 12:05(took me a few extra minutes to finish up lunch). And to complete the miracle we were done with school both the boys and the girls(they do afternoon Pre-school a few days a week) by 2:00 P.M. And to set the mind whirling we have been taking a 15 minute break in the morning and added more work as we prepare for Novel Writing Month

So just envision my pretty white hankie I got from my Grandma Green flying through the air as I take a victory lap and PRAIZE GOD!!

I should have never stood on the scale!

I am not a scale person. I limit myself to no more than once a week if I am trying to lose weight. I don't want to become addicted to the scale. I was down to 33 pound to lose to be back to my pre-kids wieght. According to the BMI thing at my doctors it would still put me at borderline overweight. I have put back on 12 pounds. But I have so much more energy when I am lighter. My clothes fit better.

You may say, "And what does this have to do with being a Good Wife and Mother?"

I am healthier and happier when I am not packing 45 extra pounds. I am toteing aroung the weight of my youngest two children all day long. So I have made this post to put the world on notice. I am going to stop eating just to eat.... I am going to eat those things that will help me be the woman God wants me to be.

No crash diets or the such. But I have snacking/grazing issues that need fixed. I do not Honor God when I eat this way.

I have to start somewhere

Well I had felt led to do this since July of 2007. I was at All board Baptist Campmeeting in Ohio. I was big and pregnant and feeling like being a mommy was a perfect excuse as to why I was not doing what I knew God wanted me to do.

My husband just called to tell me that the check we sent to a couple in that church was an answer to prayers. I was so excited. It was such a blessing to us. I wll say that I had never had my hubby say to just send the money without a reason no matter how small. He said he couldn't get it out of his head that we needed to do it.... See how wonderful God is!!! And we were able to be a part of it...

More to come.... Check back often.....