'Tis the season for fighting illnesses!

We were battling Strep here... well, the kids are passed the contagious stage, since we've had had antibiotics going since Wednesday night. So, now we can step outside... yeah! I am ready to get our of hibernation. We have a busy weekend scheduled, so I am glad the contagious part is over, and the younger girls are very busy being busy.
Now, I would ask for y'all's prayer for Faith. She also has a UTI that needs to be re-evaluated this week. I think she seems to be improving. Amoxicillin, pushing the fluids, and cranberry juice seems to be helping. Please, pray it clears up before she goes back to the doctor! Thanks!

25 days... 25 thanks !

FOR THE 25 DAYS IN DECEMBER LEADING UP TO THE BIG DAY!
GOD HAS GIVEN US SO MUCH!
1. Cute little, hyperactive girls.
2. My wonderful, handsome man.
3. Our warm, snug mobile home.
4. A Christ-centered home.
5. For the talents making themselves quite evident in my children. Hard part is that I am not talented in some of the things they are, and it poses a challenge to help develop those gifts.
6. For my husband's state of remission.
7. For the health of all of us.
8. For a nice church family.
9. For my parents, siblings, in-laws, and extended family.
10. For clothes, shoes, food, and that all our needs are supplied.
11. For the exciting Christmas presents that I know Grandparents have purchased for our children.
12. For my children's laughter.
13. That I have the freedom to home school with my own style... so fun listening to Faith read so well.
14. For books and website resources that help teach me how to be a better mama and wife.
15. For nice neighbors.
16. That we are involved with ministries... not that we are full-time, but being able to do anything for the Lord is a privilege.
17. For my husband's job.
18. For Christmas music.
19. For medicine.
20. For a telephone and Internet, so I can talk to loved ones who are far away.
21. For warm blankets.
22. For the big things!!! God's Word, salvation, peace, and the riches of God's grace.
23. For my sewing machine.
24. For hot, homemade, rich, delicious hot chocolate.
25. That we have survived this world so far.

A Merry Christmas Season to You!

Okay, I think I went overboard with this, but it was fun!!!

Charity's smile was majorly exaggerated here... she is too funny!

Faith was being so funny!

Look at those eyes!

Isn't she a doll?!

Yay, a family picture!!!A "before" pic... what it looked like before I fixed it up with Picnik.com.

A Wonderful Thanksgiving

This has been a fantastic Thanksgiving time. I cannot say just how thankful I feel right now. I feel like crying for joy. Ron has even said how he thinks this was our best Thanksgiving. Sure, there were huge losses this past year in our family, but God has been really good to us. I feel like something beautiful in starting to happen in our home... a healing of our hearts. How wonderful that Ron did not have to wear a mask to Thanksgiving dinner this year and that he has a full head of hair. It is the first Thanksgiving in several years that we hadn't just gone through a crisis in our home. Yes, I am thankful for God's goodness, for my husband, for my children, our church, Ron's job, our home, our family members, etc. We are so blessed! As I look back through the past three Christmases, well, things looked tough, but God was sooo good to us! Between our church, Wesleyan Evangelistic, and Franklin BMC, Kenwood, Grace United Methodist, Apex, and many, many more, our Christmases were enormous!!! The children needed nothing, we had food to eat, we had enough toys to supply an orphanage, beautiful clothes for our children, and so much more! That first scary year, Grace United Methodist gave us soooo many gift, I don't think I will ever forget it! We had sooo many diapers and other things, I even got to share with others and were blessed through our abundance. I remember the money given by Franklin one time for a vacation, and we didn't end up having a typical vacation, but invested in some things that we could use to have little "vacations" as a family. I remember all that food they gave us, too! Whew! How could I forget? I remember that there were so many individuals and churches who supported us, that we were taken well care of. Most people who gave, I am not sure if they even knew us, or perhaps just barely, but they gave. Our church was unbelievable in their love for us. I feel I owe something to all you people, but I am not sure what I can do... I am still overwhelmed by it all! Maybe I always will be... for in the shadows of those dark days in our lives I know you were used by God to leave fingerprints. Those fingerprints would prove to me later that God never abandoned us. He wasn't neglecting us. He isn't cruel. His love is real, and His fingerprints prove that to me. Thank you dear friends and loved ones for all you have done.
This year is kind of exciting. You see, Ron is working!!! His can actually buy something for the children... we can buy food... we can pay bills... we can kiss without worrying that I might give him a germ that could set him way back... I don't have to touch him in the night to see if he is still breathing... there is no mediport or central cath to flush... and, I think I haven't heard my kids playing "cancer" for a while. I am so thankful. Now, before you get me wrong, Ron still has appointments (a bone density test in Dec) and still has pains, and I still listen in at night sometimes just to check here that beautiful deep sleeping breathing (or, occasionally, snoring). And, we are like you guys, often living from pay-check to pay-check, paying our bills, and trying to live debt-free. But, we have everything we need, and we have each other! What more could I ask for?
How happy I am! Thanksgiving was so special and I am looking forward to Christmas.
Don't tell the girls, but Ron bought a Patch the Pirate album for them... they LOVE Patch! They are going to want to listen to it right away, I pretty sure! I also found a child's Singer sewing machine at a thrift store in it's box!!! Oh, I know they are going to like it!!! I got a fantastic deal on it. I think I might sew some pretties for them for Christmas, too. I am soooo excited!
Giving to others who need to see a fingerprint from God is being considered right now, too.
It's a wonderful time of the year... full of tender memories.

The blog makeover is in progress!

Alrighty, there is a bit of a makeover going on here. Above you will find tabs covering a variety of subjects in my life. If you are interested in being updated in a particular subject, just click on one of those tabs to see if I have updated. If you wish to leave a comment about any of those pages, just hop back to this home page and leave a comment here.
Now, the "page" are supposed to be considered "static", so they we appear a bit different than this home page. Hope you enjoy, and that it encourages you along the way.

It's a "Praise God!" kind of morning

I am overwhelmed with gladness and thanksgiving this morning! God has heard and answered my prayer! Okay, you are probably wondering what kind of prayer I was praying this time. Well, I actually requested prayer for myself last night as I have been stuck in a terrible dark cloud somehow and felt trapped. It is almost like Someone flipped the light switch on last night, and wa-la... the cloud is gone!!! I emotionally can see again! I think I have an idea what happened, too. I had gotten into a "Woe is me" cloud, and had gotten stuck. The longer I stayed there, the deeper I got... poor me this, poor me that... nobody cares... blah! I actually got sucked into that cloud, can you believe? It got to be a very dark time. Death, disease, resentment, unforgiveness, and hurt clouded my vision, and I couldn't see past it. Then, the light switch flipped on last night, and I am like... "Uh, I fell for that again?!?!" You see, I have gotten in these type of clouds before, and you would think I would have some sort of awareness of them, but they are very deadly clouds and they have a way of tripping up clear thinking. Praise God I can see again! It feels so good! I have much to do to get caught up on my journey now that I feel a bit behind after the dark cloud ordeal.
Are you feeling "stuck"? Well, my suggestion would be to actually ask some God-fearing and believing Christians to pray for you. It could be that you are stuck in a "me" cloud. I got side-tracked from caring about others, cause of that "me" cloud. It is really important to get out of that "me" cloud, so don't get comfortable in it... you weren't made to live in a "me" cloud, you were meant for something so much more! And, there is also the "what if" cloud that has a way of settling right on top of that "me" cloud and causing great problems with being discontent and not thinking of "whatsoever things are true." That "what if" cloud is bad trouble. So glad to be able to see it lifting!
It is a good day! Got lots to do today... but, it is a good day!

Thanks!

I really do enjoy writing on my blog, and I do hop around alot of other blogs without saying anything, too. Thanks for the comments!
Well, I got lots done since the last time I posted, including painting! My hubby is making a hutch for Mister Prince, so he can go back to living outside. I am so excited about how some frest paint is making my home look so much cleaner! When you have toddlers, they have this thing with messing up walls. It is lookin' better. My house is also a laundry factory these days, too. It is kinda exciting to see how much is getting done. I will have to post pics sometime!
Thanks again for letting me know you are droppin' by!

Is blogging totally out of style?

Does anyone read blogs? If ya have dropped over here, say Hi, alrighty?

Got some house projects I would like to get tackled.

Hoping to get motivated here soon.

Second post in one day! A taste of our place.

Yay for broken cameras! You get the point, I think. This is Faith doing Reader Rabbit Second Grade Level... okay, it is a bit hard for her, but it was at the thrift store, and it gives her an extra challenge and introduces some new concepts to her. It changed things up a bit for her this week for school to do some computer games, too.

It was a nice day outside yesterday, so we went out to play. Then, we went out... We had a good meal at Bob Evans and went to Wal-Mart. Ron sold our 1979 RV yesterday... we had it only a short time, and it was sad to say Good-Bye to the old thing, but that's life... you don't keep what you can't afford. It would be a gas hog.

Teeter-tottering! Yes, our park has teeter-totters still, and my kids love them!

So happy it was nice enough to go out!

Me, warming the park bench.

Making up games is so fun! It seems the older I get, the more I like Fall. The smell of the leaves, the colors, and the weather... sometimes you get the chill and sometimes the warmth... nice blend, and it makes me in the mood to snuggle, drink hot chocolate or hot tea, and I would love to go to a bonfire and eat make smores. Hay rides are fantastic. We went to a farm again on Saturday and it was so much fun... going to farms in the Fall just seems like the right thing to do.

Anyway, doesn't Hope's laugh or excitement just make you laugh?!

Oh, there is just so much for which to be thankful!

Here's three reasons right here!

I will try to share more as Thanksgiving approaches!

Okay, that's better.

Well, thanks to some encouraging words and hearing others having a difficult time with their children's schools, I think I am realizing that the grass over here really is the best. There were several things that when I had children that I had my heart set on. One was nursing them and thankfully I was able to do that for at least 13 months each. Another was homeschooling them. I was passionate about it. I started inquiring about curriculum when they were still in diapers, so that I would have a good idea about which was best for them. I come from a public school background, and it was new to me to do this homeschooling business. Of course, beyond those two goals for my children, was that they are raised in a holiness atmosphere, learn Scriptures, be respectful and obedient, learn music, and be happy, productive, healthy, and beautiful. More or less... be perfect. Ha! Somehow the last few years have worn my emotions out, and I have become a bit self-centered. Now, if someone will just slap me on the head and scream, "Enough already... every day doesn't need to have you planning life if... IF the worst was to happen. Cheer up, Lady! Where is that laugh you used to have? Look around you, you have a task at hand, you need to snap out of your grief mode, and do something." Smack! Oh, thank you!
Oh, for those of you in the Dayton area, we are having Revival at our church with Mark Cravens. It started yesterday, and I am already really enjoying it and it is speaking to me. Come join us!
Also, if you didn't get to hear Focus on the Family today... it is a good one. The second half is tomorrow. Check it out!
Okay, enough talk. I have a school, home, and day-care to run here :-) Have a good one!

Keepin' up and makin' adjustments

For all you homeschooling mamas out there...
do you ever have those moments you wonder if it is worth it?
do ya ever wonder if you are making a difference?
dost thou feel feel tired?
I Do.
Sometimes I have those moments of "Well, I am not making money, and I don't feel like I am changing the world." Does that sound familiar? How do I get that voice of discouragement out of my mind? "You're not a great teacher. Your kids would be better off in a regular school, and you in the workforce." I know, it sounds pathetic.
Faith's education is going well. She loves to read, and she is actually about two weeks ahead in most of her subjects. Her passion for books is growing, which is funny, cause she's always loved books. How much more fun now that she can read them! Scary thing is that she reads signs and things that aren't really what I am ready for her to read. The other day, we were in Wal-Mart and she spotted a sign for Beer and Wine... that made an interesting conversation while I was shopping. It is rather exciting to me to know that I taught her how to read, write, count, add, subtract, about health, science, social studies, art, and many other things important for little six year olds to learn... of course, I used other supplimentary teaching tools to help, and she has a piano teacher. Yet, sometimes my mind wonders off to other worlds, as if the grass is greener in the secular world. I just sometimes feel so unimportant. Just a mom... as if that is not important. But, that is what the world and culture can cause you to think. I guess I am in need of a "you can do it" boost of encouragement. Is there an organization designated to encouraging home-school mamas? Cause I would sure like to know about it?

When God spares a life...

THERE ARE RULES WHILE PLAYING... AND, SEVERAL RULES WERE BROKEN... WHICH IS WHY SOME OF THESE INCIDENTS HAPPENED!

Excuse the messy bed, but this is the RAILING I am referring to. You might see some drawings on the bed and wall... this was my two year old's doings. Well, except the obvious decor I did myself.

This is the dresser I am referring to. Those scarecrows DO NOT belong in Faith's bedroom. Hmmm, someone has taken some of my living room decor. That is a flannel board behind the dresser, in case you are wondering. My kids like flannelgraph.

We've had some close calls these days.

Faith nearly was hit by a car while we were riding bikes the other day.

Charity was sitting on the railing of the top bunk another day, flipped off, and I believe she landed on her head.

Hope decided to climb up Faith's set of dresser drawers to get something on top, and the huge dresser fell right on top of the little gal and pinned her underneath. She's bound to be bruised up this morning from that (it happened yesterday).

I had a close call a few weeks ago while trying to follow Ron in separate vans... he heard the near crash (never a pretty sound to hear screaching of tires along with honking, knowing your whole family was in the van about to be hit). We didn't get hit, but I was very upset. It was just way too close.

I guess I just need to say "Thank You" to Jesus for protecting us so many times from injury or worse. How my children have escaped serious injuries from their recent incidents is amazing!

So, when God spares a life, YOU SAY THANK YOU!!! OVER AND OVER!

Okay this next pic has nothing to do with the post. But, I want you to notice a few things. Do you see the stripes on my paint? That is what happens if you pour bleach into a cabinet and it runs down burgandy paint. :-( Something that definitely needs fixed!

Next, notice the mouth wash and electronic thermometer... they don't belong in the kitchen. That's life here.

Lastly, notice the candle. Got it yesterday from Secret Sister. I was longing for a new candle, as my some of my others were basically used up. This is a very nice candle from Wal-Mart. It has three different scents. I came home from church last night and lit it. Got up this morning and lit it again. I am in love. I also got a cute Fall welcome decoration.

Sorry about the quality of these photos. I still am using a broken camera, and can't tell what they look like until I put my disk in the computer. Here you will see kinda what material Faith chose for her curtains. Excuse the mess. She said that the material reminded her of Joseph and his coat of many colors. I must agree. They are simple curtains, put up with large shoe laces. Our walls are soft and rods tend to tare off the walls. Little children don't always do well with that.

My prayer for the day

"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."
Philippians 4:8

Life might not be what I have dreamed it ought to have been... but, it is time to open my hand and say, "Lord, my dreams are yours now. Wash away the pain of disappointment, bitterness, rejection, and shattered dreams. Help me be a missionary whereever you plant me. If I never get to do the things I longed to do, I will still serve You. You are good. The one thing I cannot live without is knowing You... Just help me to know You and live in You. And, may my family know you, too. Help to have a thankful heart. Help me walk in the light. Make me a sweet wife, mommy, and friend. In Jesus Name, Amen."

Oh, WOW!

Rachel, we so need to print this pic on a mug or something!

Okay, Charity's smile looks painful, but look at Hope's pop-out blue eyes!

Look, I think me has found another new hobby. This was fun to do! I found out about this website Picnik off of another blog. Love it! What do you think?

Big weekend photos! Warning, some are a little embarrassing!

We had a BIG weekend this past week. Ron's birthday, the Conklin family reunion (my mom's parents... they are long deceased, but this represents their children and families), and Ron preached at a church in West Portsmouth again. By Sunday, the children were fit to be tied... let's just say I am really embarrassed by how they acted... but, we press on. I wonder why when it is a day when Ron is supposed to preach, that the kids get some crazy behavior. Sigh. I do train these children, by the way :) I wanted to cry. The other days, they did quite well, minus Faith's on-going stomach problem.

My poor family, I gave them no warning. I hope they don't shoot me for this! Above is my Aunt Janice. Below I totally caught Aunt Patty off guard as her thumb was in her mouth... it was sooo funny, we joked about it after I snapped the picture!

It was BEAUTIFUL weather!!!

These poor people, I just went around shooting random pictures before most of them even knew what happened.

Rachel, what were you thinking about? Brett, maybe?

I couldn't believe how much older my cousins' children were! They don't stay little for long.

There was a whole lot of food goin' on. There are some really great cooks in this family!

Dad even made it out to the family reunion.

My sister and me... okay, I just realized we both dressed in orange... must be the fall mood. You wouldn't believe the people who say we look alike... hmmm, what do you think?

Mom and me!

I think Wes' family was the only one not represented.

We popped in on Ron's Grandma with no warning!

I think this picture is cool for some reason.

Getting a decent picture with three wiggly children can be tough!

Ron with his Grandma. Ron had married his Grandpa and Mary. His Grandpa passed away a couple of years ago. We haven't visited his Grandma Mary in a loooong time. It was good to see her for a few minutes this weekend.


Okay, so I did tell you a while back that I was making table covers with burlap, so you will see some of that on here. I think it really bring out the autumn mood.

Decorating the top of my piano is fun. I used to like decorating the top of my fireplace at our other home, but my piano will do here.

I made this wreath last year. A year of storage did a bit of damage, but it is still usable.

My Mom gave me these little Indians. Cute. There are three of them, and this weekend just makes me think how those little guy remind my of my three little ones.

Cheap decor!

Outside our door.

I have been making rice sacks for us. The girls' were made out of these cute tights that were outgrown. The cuteness lives on as a comfort item. Just pop them in the microwave for a minute or so, and they feel so good to those sore spots, and also relaxing. It creates a wet heat, and I LOVE them!!!

Dad with the children. The leg that has no child on it is the one that has the issue. These are difficult days for him, but he is getting around a little with a cane. I enhanced the photo, so everyone doesn't look so pale.

So, there are more pictures of these autumn days to share, but I must stop for now. It was nice reuniting with some "down-home" family, friends, and church folk! Love to all!