3 months ago...

From this 3 months ago...

Just as sweet as ever and the easiest baby                                                   To this now!
I have EVER had!  God knew what I needed I guess! :)


Wonder what God has in store for her life!  So fun to watch them grow!

What a revival does!

This past week we have been attending an old fashioned camp-meeting revival!  We have had real encounters with the Holy Spirit and are soooooo thankful for the timing!  The late nights have been a stretch for us but it is ALL worth it!

Our family has been under attack lately.  It started out very subtly!  Talking back, then lying and on to stealing from siblings and then flat out rebellion.  God began to speak to me in my heart after WEEKS of enduring, that we were under attack.  The Word says, "we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against powers and principalities of the darkness of the air..."  Our children's hearts have been attacked and the enemy had blinded us as parents thinking it's just life, it is just a stage we are going thorugh, it will be okay!  You see I have learned that the enemy IS the author of lies HOWEVER he will also deceive us into believing something that MAY be true!  It was true, it has been rough the past few months with no job, unreliable schedules, little income, etc!  BUT that is no excuse for us to give up and accept chaos and bad behavior as the norm!   Our children (and us!) are up against sooooo very much in this world!   Media, peers, and the reality of this sin-filled world are only a few things that our children face!  If not careful, they and we can become numb to the world's ways and suffer greatly from it in all area's of their/our lives!   I told my oldest kids the other day, that I used to say "mommy" prayers but now God is calling me to say "MOTHER" prayers on their behalf!  If the enemy can get to our kids, then He can shake the whole family and destroy everything that God has built up! 

Last night my husband went to the alter and lifted up our family.  I stood behind him and we rebuked the enemy from our family and vowed to fight fervently for our children's hearts!  The enemy can attack hard but does not stand a chance when we are walking in the spirit and have God as our commander!  Many things happened last night and I can't wait to see what He has for us tonight.  God has a plan for all of us and we are important to His kingdom!  Begin to ask God what your family needs.  He hears you and knows them better than you!  We have been changed and it is SO evident in our home today!  We cannot wait to see what He has for us in the future!  We need, as parents, to fight for our children's souls.  It has eternal value!  Don't let the enemy tell you any different! 

Turn those essential, wonderful, precious "mommy" prayers, into life changing, powerful, fighting enemy "MOTHER" prayers!  Your family is depending on it! 

Oh Father, the enemy has a target and it is our children hearts!  I am crying out to you to show me the ways that my children struggle that I can go to battle for them and TEACH them to wear your armor and eventually be able to fight themselves!  Our family is yours and we live for you!  We know that if You are for us, than nobody can be against us!  We have power in your name to speak and you hear us!  Help me to cultivate a heart of worship to You so my children will also walk in your spirit.  Thank you for helping me on this journey of motherhood and helping me realize that you have given me the tools to fight for my family!  Revive what the enemy has tried to steal from us!  Amen!

And that is what a revival can do! :)

This is love!

This is pretty much what is going on in our house when the baby is awake!

The newness of her little life has NOT yet worn off after 3 months!

Her brothers are in awe of her "adorableness!"

She gets love-cheek pinches...(Sometimes too many!)

She has brought out an inner soft-side from within that her many brothers and those around her are enjoying!

And LOTS of love-cheek kisses are the proof of it!

Never to many of those!

(well, maybe when somebody is covered with food all over thier lips!)

Baby things I can't live without!

*My little one LOVES to be swaddled but in this warm weather, it is hard to keep my baby from getting to hot.  I found these and wish I would have had them with my other babies!  Great all year round and the perfect size for growing babies and newborns!!  The can be used as a blanket also!  They are made out of muslin and the more you wash them, the softer they get!  VERY durable! 

I got mine at Target but you can find them Here at this websight also!!

*My daughter babysits and discovered these ADORABLE and handy Soothie pacifiers!  My babies always love these paci's anyway but these cute things are attached to a variety of cute little creatures!  I got my sweet little angel a princess one of course!  They are called Wubbanubs.  Babies hug the character and it helps keeps the paci in their mouths!  Great for car seats and cuddling!  (The blanket she is laying on is the one mentioned above!)
You can find them Here or I got mine off of e-bay!

*I had my first experience of a TERRIBLE nurser with my 12th baby!  Which in return, I had a low milk supply.  I heard about the herb Fenugreek and these WONDERFUL vitamins have it in them!  They have done the job and I have no problem with my milk supply now even though pumping is about the only way I can continue to give her ONLY my breastmilk! She is getting better! (The pump I use is later in the post!)  I continue to use them because of all the natural ingredients!  Extra vitamin D which breast milks lacks and I feel great and have a very calm baby which I am attributing to this GREAT product!

Order them from Here!

*Because of my litte one's inablility to nurse well, we had a hard time getting her to gain weight the first few weeks so we bought a scale.  We saw this one and loved that we could use it for our toddlers also!  It is VERY accurate and simple to use.

Find it Here!

*The BEST all around carrier that I cannot do without!  The Ergo carrier is comfortable for mom and babe and great for newborns up to toddlers! 

Go Here to find out more and get yours!

*A blog friend of mine sent this sling to me as a baby gift and since my babe LOVES to be held and cuddled, this has made it so easy to do!  It fits right inside my diaper bag and the fabrics are soft, breathable, and attractive to the eye!  Thanks Shelly! :)

Order one Here!

*Who does not love Tupperware?  Their kids line is so GREAT!  These are so versatile and I have used Tupperware even BEFORE I became a mom!  I love the small containers to freeze baby food or tote around snacks in my diaper bag!  These are so cute, durable, and fun to use!  (I do sell Tupperware so please feel free to contact me on my comment page if you would like to order some!  :)

You may look at their great products Here!

*Did you know there is an ingredient in many baby soaps that CAN affect your baby's nervous system! (Go Here to read more!)  But these products are ALL natural and smell great!  I brought the baby wash with me to the hospital and the nurse used it for the first bath!  It smells great and is good for their skin.  Gentle enough, that I use it daily for my little one's nightly bedtime bath!  Some retail stores carry this line also!
But Here is the websight

*This has been my babies life saver!  I have fed her the past 11 weeks with no formula because of this product!  No pain and FAST!  Well worth the money even if you only need it occasionally!  

I got mine off of e-bay but you can also go Here!

*These are the ONLY bottles I use and have used them for YEARS!  They are now BPA free and have made transitioning from breast to bottle very easy!  My little one nursers LOTS better now and I never had a problem with her latching on and I very much believe it is because of the nipple shape of these bottles! 

I got mine at Target and Here is that websight!

I make NO money off of this blog post! (unless you want to buy Tupperware from me!  :)  It is just some things I have found along the way.  Some things I have used with many and some I have just discovered!  But all useful just the same!

Please let me know of some idea's for me that I might like by adding them to my comment page! 

Happy baby enjoying! 

PS  These are GREAT gift idea's also!

"I be twoooo!"

FULL OF:

 cuteness
boyish charm
kisses
love

YOU:

Fill the house with giggles

love to climb on and in EVERYTHING

have a crib tent because of it

don't like to talk much yet

but always get your point across

love blueberries

give kisses to your baby sister ALL the time

are terrrified of our peanut butter jar

would be outside ALLLLL day if you could

are not scared of anybody

still take 2 naps a day

have a blue bunny you sleep with

love to take baths

love to play ball

follow whatever your many brothers do

get into trouble because of it

have us wrapped around your little finger

WE:

are so blessed to have you in our family!

thank God for you!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY OUR SWEET BOY!

 

Birthday's

There is NO way around it!  We celebrate lots of birthday's during a year! 

I have lots of people ask how we afford it. 

 The parties, gifts, cakes, and more importantly how do we keep their day special! 

With 4 birthday's alone this month, I thought it would be good to share some idea's we do to keep birthday celebrations to a minimal cost but still keep our sweet blessings from God, feeling special!

********************************

•  We don't have parties with their friends, just family members
•  We have a special plate that ONLY the birthday child gets to use on their birthday
•   I make cupcakes or a cake for them from scratch with them choosing which flavor they want
•   I take them out for lunch ON thier special day to a fast food restaurant of their choosing and their buddy gets to come along
•   They get one gift from us or $20 that they can go shopping with (They don't get much during the year from us except at garage sales or Christmas so $20 is a BIG deal!)
•   They get to choose a meal of their choice for dinner with all the fixings and of course get to use their special plate
•   Dad prays a blessing over them before their birthday meal  (They LOVE this time!)
•   To start the day off in a great way!  My parents (their grandparents)  ALWAYS calls them first thing in the morning and sing Happy Birthday to them!  (You could use somebody else in your family or do it yourself using somebody elses phone)
•  I don't always do this, but I have gotten balloons to set in their room when they wake up in the morning!  (I have to many young children at this time and balloons scare me because of choking on them!)
•   I always write a love letter to them each year and save them in an envelope to give to them when they have their own baby! I always include the things they have done that year and the things that I love in them as I watch them grow.  ( I have not been able to give these to them yet but someday when I become a grandma!  :) 

I would LOVE to hear of some things you do to make your child's day EXTRA special!

scattered thoughts...

==I LOVE rainy days! 

==It is pouring right now with rolls of thunder in the back-ground

==Boys are busy VERY early in the morning

==Boys are busy EVERY moment of the day!

==But it is so fun having them around!

==The early morning paper route we are doing is getting OLD for my hubby!

==The older kids help, but go back to bed

==Not my hubby!  He is TIRED very early in the evening

==I gave up TV

==I now enjoy listening to sermons from Jack Hayford and R.C. Sproul after the kids go to bed

==Any suggestions for some other good preachers?

==Pandora is one of my favorite new finds on the internet

==I have a weakness for doughnuts

==My husband brought some home this morning after the paper route
==I want to eat WAY more than I should

==I only ate one

==...so far! :)

==Have to wash diapers this morning

==Should of done that yesterday when the sun was out

==Going to our state homeschooling conference this weekend with my husband

==I strongly urge you to go to one if you homeschool

==It is so hard to get everything in order to leave

==But always worth it

==Wondering why I am sitting on my computer when my head is spinning with everything I need to do

==The baby went 10 hours last night!

==Out of 12 babies, she is the most content and easiest I have ever had

==After pumping for 10 weeks, she is finally nursing from me!

==Of course AFTER I bought a new double breast pump

==I hate the heat and we have had record breaking temps this week

==Today, I LOVE the cool air coming in my screen door

==I found a wooden doll house someone was getting rid of, for FREE

==I can't wait to finish it... someday

==It is probably worth about $150 before I decorate it

==I just remembered, I took it out of the van and now it is getting rained on!

==AAAAAAUUUUUUGGGGGGG!==

Okay,

Now, I must get going and on with my day!

Enjoy your weekend!

 

In need...

I have been, for a very long time, in need of a refreshing rain of peace from my Heavenly Father!

It's been rather dry in my soul...

Not wanting it that way, it just has been...

Life gets hard sometimes and things just get in the way!  

The path I am on right now, gets me weary at times...

Lots of waiting, wondering, guessing, and not able to plan!  (That is hard for me!)

But...

God sees all! 

He knows what I need!

I just have to give it to Him and not keep it to figure out on my own!

And at just the right time...

A refreshing rainstorm flooded my soul and cleansed my heart!

Nothing that I can really explain...

Just a reminder that He IS there and He DOES care and He has NOT forgotten me!

A reminder that...

Birds neither sow nor reap, and He cares for me MORE than He does those beautiful flying creatures!

How profound and yet so simple!

Yep, I am in need!

 And He found a way to provide a peace to let me know if He is for me, who can be against me!

He is also on your side! 

Ask for the rain! 

The kind you don't want an umbrella for!

Thank you for the rain, God! 

You have once again, been ever so faithful!

Help me to stay under your precious water of cleansing so that I will continue to see You, not my circumstances!

Just some pics

Not much time to blog lately but always time to share some pictures!

Lots of baby lovin' going on!

Using our armor to fight off the wicked one!

Holdin' baby bunnies too!

Just can't resist putting more pics of this little one in! 

( She IS as yummy as she looks!)

GOTTA LOVE dresses and bows!