Last Month's Fun

This past month has been full of fun and exciting times for our family. Especially this past week. We had the joy of 50 - 60 degree weather for most of this past week, so we took our dog for a couple of walks and the kids had the opportunity to go to the park 4 times in one week. We really had a great time together as a family.

Here is Andy in the Choo Choo Train

Lydia had a blast driving the tractor.
Climbing the monkey bars for the first time -- Can you find her eyes?
Kara loves to climb
Down the slide
Andy wasn't too thrilled with any of the playground equipment,
but he enjoyed running all over the place.
Kara was pushing herself and Lydia on the merry go round
While the kids played JA had Shalom running around the park.
Mommy Help me, I'm in jail.

Last month my parents invited us to join them overnight at a hotel with a water park. So for a wonderful Valentine's gift to ourselves, we spent Feb 15-16 at the water park. We had a wonderful time -- especially the kids. Kara wasn't willing to go down the slide, but Lydia loved it.
Andy was grumpy at the kiddie pool, so instead of taking him to his room to nap, JA spent about 2-3 hours on the Lazy River with Andy sleeping on him.
Lydia loved the water and seemed to have no fear. (unless we let go of her in the big pool)
Andy and Oma having a blast in the kiddie pool
In the big pool with Opa and Uncle Timmy
I finally convinced mom to go down the water slide with me, and we tipped.

Home Schoolers Alert

For those of you who home school your children, or are planning to home school your children, please listen to this broadcast from Focus on the Family.

California's Threat to Homeschooling Families

Friday, March 07, 2008

A recent California ruling declared that parents have no constitutional rights to home school their children. What does that mean to you!? Join Dr. James Dobson and learn how these dangerous court decisions cut straight to the heart and soul of the American family.

Here is another website explaining the decision in California. I would write more about this right now, but my time is limited and I wanted to help you be aware of this.

Pregnancy Update #1

Baby #4 is well on its way. This week I entered my 13 week of pregnancy. Monday afternoon I had a doctor's appointment and the opportunity to hear Baby Hall's heartbeat for the 1st time. Baby's heart beat was 150. So far everything in the pregnancy is going well. I've gain only two pounds so far (I'm hoping to keep my weight gain below 15 pounds for this pregnancy).

My doctor did order an ultrasound this week, so Kara and I went to the hospital on Wednesday to go see the baby. Kara was quite bored with the experience, but she is really excited about the baby and was glad to see it. The heart beat on Wednesday was 160. Baby looks great -- it has two arms, two legs, a torso and a head :) This ultrasound was done mostly to verify baby's due date which is currently set for August 25. The ultrasound would push it back to August 30, but all of my ultrasounds moved the due dates back a week and each kid was born 10 days before the original due date. So I doubt my due date will change.

Not much else is happening with the pregnancy -- I believe I may have felt the baby move a couple of times (although my doctor highly doubts it). Morning Sickness is still raising it's ugly head (especially when around bad smells, so we are burning lots of candles until we can open windows and air out the house).

That's about all I have for an update now. I can feel my skirts beginning to get tight around my waist, so I think another week or two I'll be pulling out the maternity clothes.

Question for You? How far along were you before you had to start wearing the maternity clothes?

Photos For Tata

Tata,
I got your e-mail today. I'm sorry mommy has not put up new pictures of us recently. She hasn't been taking pictures of us. But don't worry, she took a bunch of pictures tonight so she had some to put on the blog for your friends. I met your friends right after I was born and mommy and daddy took a weekend vacation to MN. Shalom is a good puppy although I don't play with her very much yet. It is very cold outside, and mommy doesn't let her in the house. When I do go outside and play with her, she scares me. Shalom likes to jump up on me, and then she grabs at my pants with my teeth; so mommy or daddy has to be outside with me when I go to play with her. Hopefully she will calm down and we can play more. I do like taking her out for walks although mommy and daddy won't let me hold the leash.

I miss you very much, and I can't wait to see you next year when you come visit. Here are the pictures for you; I even played my violin scales for you so you can hear me play the violin. I love you Tata! Hopefully I can call you soon and talk to you.

Love,
Kara

We have a New Family Member

Since before JA and I got married, I knew we would one day get a dog. I also knew we would not be getting a small dog. So, I've always been adamant that the dog would always stay outside. I have also been very sure we would never get a Blue Heeler or a Blue Heeler mix (I was severely bitten by one when I was 9).

Well, Monday night we went and picked up the kids last Christmas Present -- A 6 week old puppy. We named her Shalom for two reasons. First of all because I like the name, and second

of all because we want her to be a peaceful dog. You see, Shalom is a mix. Her mother was a Chocolate Lab/Yellow Lab mix. But her father was a Blue Heeler. I'm still shocked that I consented to get a blue heeler mix, but she is a very sweet dog and we will be watching carefully to make sure she doesn't show any signs of aggression.Andy had been hitting her, and when he fell down Shalom went over and started licking his face.

Our adorable new puppy

Lydia also enjoys Shalom

Shalom's new home -- OUTSIDE!

Mommy, Help me I'm tired of being licked (after he finished trying to rake her)

Christmas Eve Service

I know i have been really bad about blogging. In fact, the only reason I'm blogging now is because someone else wants these pictures -- Sorry :(

I have been trying to spend as little time on the computer as I can lately so that I can spend more time with my family. Which translates to I check my e-mail everyday, but other than that I have been staying away.

We had a special Christmas Eve service at church this year. It was a tremendous blessing to help JA organize it. The service focused on the events leading up to the Messiah's birth that pointed to the Messiah. So we started in Genesis, Went to Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Isaiah, and finally to the Christmas Story. It was certainly not your typical Christmas service, but it was a blessing to see how all of these events worked together to bring the Messiah into our lives. Here are the pictures.

Violin Recital and Stage Fright

Tuesday began quite differently then most days at our house. JA woke up early to go out hunting, and all three kids slept in till 9:00. So, I enjoyed relaxing in bed until I heard the typical refrain of "good moning" from Lydia. We ate breakfast, did some laundry, and then I sat down with Kara to begin practicing her violin. She was very excited about her recital that evening, and she did very well playing her violin.
By the time lunch was over, I knew we were in trouble. Kara had a violin lesson scheduled for 4:00. By two o'clock she was tripping over things and wailing over the littlest things -- my little girl was TIRED!!! At three o'clock I called and canceled her violin lesson -- it was obvious that without a nap she would have a terrible lesson and an even worse recital. I laid her down in Andy's crib because I didn't want Lydia to wake her up.

Two hours later I finally let her get up -- a nap was never taken. I was praying that the two hour rest time may have helped to re-energize her. We ate supper, and began getting ready for the recital. She was very excited about it, but I couldn't help be worried that she would get up there and refuse to perform (even though she had a practice performance at church on Sunday and she did well then).

At 6:20 we headed out to the recital. Kara was very excited when we got there and she ran right up to Miss Abigayle to give her a present (which I had intended to wait on, but you can't hardly stop a three year old who was already at the front of the church before I even stepped in the doors).
Well, Kara was the first one to play since she was the youngest and least experienced, and she was the only violin student (the rest were piano students). She performed exactly how I thought she would -- She stood up on the platform, violin in hand and smiled, and smiled, and smiled, and swayed, and refused to sing her Rest Position song. She was so unsure of herself she couldn't even get her violin into rest position or playing position correctly (two things she has been able to do very well for about two months). She finally focused on what she was to be doing and did her finger position on the E string, and I think she was a bit disappointed when Miss Abigayle stopped her from playing her finger positions on the other strings.

Below are the videos of the recital. After the recital JA and I gave her a present -- A kitty cat ornament with a bell on it's collar--engraved to remind her of her first recital. I'm already starting to pray that she will be more cooperative and less distracted at her spring recital.

What's For Dinner?

Alicia tagged me about a month ago to post my favorite dinner recipes. Here are my favorites which I can usually do with something that I have around the house.

One-Pan Taco Beef and Noodle Skillet

1 lb ground meat.

1 pkg taco seasoning

2 cups water

1 pkg mac n cheese

1/3 cup sour cream

1 large tomato chopped

1 cup shredded lettuce

1 cup (or more) broken tortilla chips.

Brown meat in a large skillet and drain. Add seasoning mix, water and macaroni. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; cover. Simmer until liquid is almost completely absorbed. stir in sour cream and cheese sauce mix until well blended and top with tomatoes, lettuce, and tortilla chips.

* To save money, I use ground turkey in this recipe.

BBQ Hamburger Sandwiches

1 lb lean ground meat

1 green pepper and onion finely chopped

1/2 cup barbecue sauce

1/2 cup water

1/4 pound cheese

4 hamburger buns

Brown the meat in a large skillet and drain. Add peppers and onions and cook for five minutes. Stir in barbecue sauce, water, and cheese. Cook until cheese is blended. Top hamburger buns and throw in some side dishes.

* To save money and eat healthier, I use ground turkey and whole wheat hamburger buns.

Mom's Coffee Cake
I love breakfast for dinner, and my mom's coffee cake is my all time favorite.
3 cups flour
5 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 1/2 c sugar
2/3 c melted butter
2 c milk
1 tsp vanilla

Streusel Top
1 c brown sugar
4 tbsp butter softened
4 tbsp flour
2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 and grease 9 x13 pan. Mix butter, egg, sugar, milk and vanilla. Then add dried ingredients. Combine ingredients for streusel top in a separate bowl.

Pour half of the batter into the pan. Layer half of the streusel mixture over the batter, top with remaining batter followed by remaining streusel mix. Bake 25-30 minutes

*For a healthier meal I use 1 1/2 cups of wheat flour, 1 1/4 cups white flour, and 1/4 c milled flax seed. It tastes the same and the kids don't notice the flax seed (which adds some great fiber).

I like to cook some eggs for dinner with this coffee cake so that we are all satisfied (and I can have leftovers for breakfast).

Strawberry Salad
Dressing
1 c oil
1/2 c red wine vinegar
1 garlic clove
pepper to taste
*shake all together in a jar or container

For the salad use
Lettuce (your preference although I like mixing the red leaf and romaine)
sliced strawberries
mozzerella cheese
crushed walnuts or sliced almonds (your preference or whatever is on hand)

*This is a yummy salad that everyone seems to like.

I won't tag anyone since I took so long to respond and this is a busy month, but I would love to see your family-friendly and easy recipes.

Couple's Retreat

A month ago JA and I had the privilege of attending the couples retreat at Amazing Grace Baptist Camp. Pastor Matt and Donna Williams were the speakers for the retreat. It was a blessing for us to be able to get away for a night just the two of us, and enjoy the atmosphere of the retreat. A total of eight couples were at the retreat, and we had a great time of fellowship, games (human fooseball :) ), and spiritual nourishment. Not to mention the opportunity to visit with our friends Aaron and Sarah Burton, Dan and Jen Baker, Keith Bartram, Mom and Dad, and Bart and Ashton Tillotson.

Mom and Dad playing the Newlyweds game.

Dad rebounding for our game of Horse

The most wonderful Husband in the world!

Mom and the dog which liked to follow her.

JA playing Horse

Mom going in for the shot :)

Dad and Mom

The most wonderful couple!

Bart and Ashton in the newlyweds game

Andy's 1st Birthday

Wow, has it really been a month since Andy turned one? I am now officially a delinquent blogger. Okay, if you can remember back to October -- you know that month where the leaves were still somewhat on the trees and the thought of snow was still a looooong way off (I know I am exaggerating a little). Any ways, we had the blessing of being able to celebrate Andy's first birthday will our friends from church. Here are the pictures of his party. I apologize that they aren't in order.











** Alicia, I haven't forgotten about the tag -- I'll be posting it soon.

I know this is long, but please read.

Two weeks ago I went to bed with a little pain in my stomach. By midnight I thought I was experiencing the worst heart burn ever. Two hours later I was in the bathroom relieving myself of everything I had eaten the day before. By 7:00 in the morning I was on my way to becoming severely dehydrated with a pain in my chest that seemed to pierce right through me. I probably should have gone into the emergency room. However, as stubborn as I am I choose to wait until the doctor could fit me in at 11:00. Crazy seeing as how I couldn't even keep water down.

The doctor sent me to the hospital for lab work and a sonogram. The verdict -- gallstones. The remedy -- surgery (ugh!!). Then sent back to the hospital to be prepared for surgery and rehydrate.

At the hospital it took four nurses and eight needles before they were finally able to get an IV in. At 2:30 the surgeon came into the room to meet me discovered that I was feeling fine without even a hint of pain and decided we could postpone the surgery until the following week when it fit both of our schedules much better.

So I waited in the hospital expecting to be released around supper. Finally at 8:00 the nurses came in with some food saying something to me about keeping me overnight to observe me and make sure I was hydrated. By this time I wasn't very happy (I had expected to go home around 4 or 5) and to discover that they weren't going to let me go home -- ugh!

Finally one of the nurses told me I could sign a release form and go home against hospital recommendations. So, promising to drink lots of fluids and to return if I felt dehydrated or had another attack, I signed myself out and went home to my own bed.

Six days later I returned to the hospital to face the knife. Believe me, those six days were not easy for me. I never had another gallbladder attack -- I stayed away from all the fatty foods that might bring one on. But, I did a lot of research and decided I really didn't want to have surgery. Looking on-line I discovered a couple of options, but after talking with JA's Aunt Gayle (a nurse), and two other doctors not from this area I discovered that the best option for the type of gallstones that I most likely had would be surgery.

I was amazed at how calm I felt going into the hospital about the surgery, joking around with the nurses; and I was ready to get this entire ordeal over with.

Walking into the surgery room and looking around, all I could think about was how cold and scary it must have been for Andy to be taken away from me and wheeled into surgery. Again, it was as scary for me because I could understand, but to even be able to get a glimpse of what my children must have felt was a comfort to me.

Waking up in the recovery room and discovering that my stomach hurt every time I twisted was not my idea of a pleasurable time. However, throughout the day I met some wonderful nurses. I am so thankful that the Lord has given us doctor's and modern medicine. To be able to walk in and out of the hospital the same day as a major surgery is incredible. While a few years ago I probably would have had to be in the hospital for a week in recovery.

Don't get me wrong, I didn't leave the hospital without any pain. The pain I felt in the recovery room was worse then any of my contractions during labor (and those were hyped up with pitosin). I'm still experiencing some pain a week after the surgery and can't lift anything over 20 pounds (hm mm, guess I can't change any dirty diapers). But I praise God that He is Jehovah Rophe. The God who heals. I am so thankful that God not only heals our physical infirmities according to His will, but He reaches out and heals our spiritual infirmities.

Last Wednesday before I left the hospital I found out that my gallbladder held nine stones. It also showed plenty of signs that it had been bothering me for quite some time. However, until I had the attack the previous week and went to the doctor I didn't know I was sick. I actually thought of myself as being really healthy for someone who is overweight. You know, the same is often true of my spiritual condition. When I fail to spend time in God's Word and I fail to spend time praying, I don't realize how sick my spiritual life is. But, when I take the time to read God's precious Word and Pray, I see myself in the mirror of God's Word and then can Jehovah Rophe reach out and heal me -- only when I recognize my sickness. You know, like those "sure remedies" I discovered on the internet, Satan will often try to distract us from getting the sin cut our of our life. He tries to trick us into tolerating the sin, but by tolerating the sin instead of having the Master Surgeon cut it out, will only cause the sin to fester and infect other parts of the body.

I know this post was long, but I want to challenge you to spend time in God's Word today and pray. Ask God to reveal the sickness of your own soul today. We are all struggling with sickness. Whether it is a persistent sin problem that won't go away like the problem with my gallbladder, or just the "occasional" sin similar to that annoying cold. Please, don't let Satan fool you into tolerating the infection or even make you think it's only a small scratch or cut. That only gives the sin a chance to further infect your body. The sickness must be treated and can only be healed by the power of the Master Physician.

I'm hosting an on-line Party

I'm hosting an on-line Pampered Chef Party and You are invited. If you would like to purchase any products for yourself or for someone on your Christmas list, please check out my party for some fabulous gift ideas. Simply click here and you will be directed to the website to place your order.