Foto Friday

Okay, it is not Friday yet, but I will not beable to post tomorrow so I'm planning ahead! Have a great weekend!

I think our baby has had enough already!;)

 

Where does time go? Today our newest edition is 1 month old! I cannot remember life without him and yet he is so new to our family! He has made our hearts grow even bigger with love which seemed one month ago to be impossible we would have room for more! We run to him when he cries, cuddle him and stare at his sweet little face, fingers and toes. The smell of his little head is intoxicating and I hold him knowing that this is for just a minute moment in time and soon he will be to busy to be held the way we can hold him now. All too soon, I will no longer have those middle of the night feedings where it is just God, him and I alone together. The times I used to dread with my other children have a different perspective after the wisdom of having 10 other children has finally begun to set in. Knowing the days of toothless grins will not last long enough. The times when mommy is the center of his universe and my scent alone ends all his tears, are to be cherished because that too will change way to fast! I love this little one that God has placed in our life and filled our hearts with more love. Once again, the joy of loving another gift from God has entered our home! What sweet, sweet moments that only God can give!

 

You may not know...

15 things you may not know about me:

1. If my floors are clean, then I feel good. If they are dirty, I feel anxious and grumpy.

2. I started using a curling iron when I was 9 and to this day, I still use one! (My mom is a beautician so I blame her for that! :) )

3. I would love to have a brand spanking new car, but have never had a car newer than the early '90's.

4. I said I would NEVER let my kids own video games, and now we have a WII. (Still wish we did not have one at times!)

5. I am very impatient. (Not a good quality with 11 children!)

6. I fear the stomach flu more than any other illness. (Especially when you have 11 children for it to pass through, no pun intended! :)

7. I don't like any jewelry unless it is real gold or diamonds which will tell you I don't wear jewelry much! :)

8. I am terrified of bridges and live in a town there the only way to get
from one side of town to the other is by one of three bridges AND I was on the bridge in Minnesota that fell apart last year, 48 hours earlier! Up until that date, I had no legitimate reason to be scared of bridges!

9. I could eat out for every meal. Not because I am lazy, because I love to go out to eat.

10. I would love to go to New York someday just to visit.

11. I have never been to one of my High School reunions and don't really care! :)

12. I am in the process of writing a book for mom's.

13. I wish I were more like my mom who has the ability to not worry or fret and is always so giving.

14. I am still good friends with a girl I met when I was 2 years old.

15. My husband and I never went on a honeymoon or been on a vacation together.


I always think it is fun to find out things about others. Hope you enjoyed finding out things about me! Leave some things for me to get to know you better!

Not Me Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.
This takes much creativity to post a Not Me Monday, but this week, I had some moments that I thought would make a good edition for this weeks laughs.

It was not me that sat along the side of the road in a mini van that had to have reached over one hundred degrees with the humidity and the temperature combined with my 14 year old, 5 and 7 year old, and 3 week old. I do not do heat!

It was not possible that I called my husband to come get us and 15 minutes later after he started out I called him back to tell him to turn around because I got the car started and we were on or way home once again. Surely I would not have made a spur of the moment decision like that!

I would not have ended up along side of the highway AGAIN after my car had died again in the unbearable heat.

I would have never decided to just sit for a few minutes to see if I could get it to start instead of calling my husband to turn around to come get us.

It would not be possible that for the next 45 minutes I would go 10 miles while my car died and restarted. I would have not been that stubborn to try to make it home when I had over 50 miles to go so we did not have to pay to get it towed!!

The last decision I finally made to call my husband back to come and get us WAS NOT made when the car was TOTALLY dead.

He would not have taken 1 hour and 30 minutes to come get us while we were not starring at an exit sign 3 yards away from us to the next town but still to far to walk to with all the kids and no stroller.

We were not starring at a Comfort Suites Hotel Sign, Wal-mart sign and a gas station while we sat in our toaster on wheels fanning ourselves with children's board books to keep the swarming bugs away and to attempt to cool off.

It was not me who stuck my head out the window like a dog every time a subtle breeze blew by!

Surely the cars that flew by in their air-conditioned, bug free cars would have stopped to see if we needed help or at the very least called a state trooper to come check on us!

It is not this country I live in that not ONE person stopped to try and help us in over an hour and a half!! A State Trooper DID NOT drive by and do nothing!

My husband did not come with ALL my other children AFTER he stopped to get gas, drop one of our kids friends off at their house while I was sitting in a toaster on wheels with bugs swarming everywhere and the ability to open only 2 windows because I was worried about flying debris from traffic flying by.

It was not my husband that got our car started and got home with me following him and never had it die ONCE! He WOULD not have called me on his cell phone jokingly asking me why I was driving so slow!

If all this happened to me, I would never go on the high-way again with that stupid car! (I did not just say stupid because that word is not allowed in our home) Then I would be a hypocrite!

Adjusting to the "new normal"

Life with a newborn is always an adjustment. One of the hardest things and yet one of the most pleasurable things I ever do! I have done it 11 times now so you think I would know what I am doing, right?! Well, although I know what to expect, it is always like I am doing it for the first time. I had the blessing of my husband having 7 work days off, so I had him home for 11 days while I recovered from my intense and scary labor and delivery. (I will post about that soon!) I did feel physically ready to tackle everything during the day alone by the time he went back to work a week ago. Now life is settling in with our beautiful little one BUT the adjustments begin. Like when I get ready to do something such as make dinner or make my bed after washing my sheets, folding laundry, or just about anything I need to accomplish (like typing a post on my blog :) ) Ayson can be out cold in that newborn coma sleep, and the second I begin doing something, a cry is heard. So I scramble to finish what I am doing or ask for one of my girls to pick up the baby, or let the initiation begin to being number 11 by letting him cry for a couple minutes until I can get there to help him. I am also amazed how much I forget how feedings can affect everyone's schedules. He is on a 7, 10, 1, 4, 7 feeding schedule so I know when he eats everyday and at what time, but sometimes, I really have to plan accordingly for appointments or errands. And it always takes me a half hour longer to get out of the house than it used too. This new normal is great! But it is an adjustment! So far night-times are going great. He has his last feeding at 10 pm and wakes up on the dot at 4 am to eat again then back to sleep until 7am. For that I am truly grateful! If I can get my sleep, that is huge! The family is enthralled with him and cannot give enough kisses and "petting" his head as my 5 year old calls it. I finally told him he is a human not one of our many animals we have brought through our doors. We LOVE humans, not pet them. Our new normal is a process and not perfected yet. My temper and irritability's running on the impatient level at times, but with many prayers throughout the day, usually while I am in the bathroom, since that is USUALLY the only time I get a moment to myself. I will once again adjust to this new little life into our lives and in the process, I will continue to rejoice for our quiver getting fuller and I will never get weary of holding a little miracle in my arms and the intoxicating smell of his sweet little head under my chin! Oh, how I love the gift my creator has given me, being a mommy!
 
 
 

Foto Friday

 

 

 

 

Works For Me Wednesday

This is my favorite pasta salad! Don't let the ketchup scare you! It will surprise you how wonderful it tastes with veggies and the sugar added! I am not a ketchup fan and I love the taste!

Easy Sweet and Spicy Pasta Salad

2 green peppers chopped
1-2 cucumbers diced
1 diced tomato
1-2 diced green onion

8 oz cooked pasta of choice

1 Cup of Ketchup
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil (I like olive oil)

Mix together and put in refrigerator overnight. Enjoy!

Resting in Him

Resting in Jesus!

 

Pass It On

I thought this was great for us as mothers trying to raise our children for God. Sometimes it is hard but don't give up! It is for eternity!

Pass It On
You are a chosen generation, . . . that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

1 Peter 2:9, NKJV

"By faith Abel offered a better sacrifice than Cain did. . . . And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead" (Heb. 11:4, NIV). Abel's life, although brief, was not wasted because of his faith in God, expressed through his witness.

Have you ever wondered what people will think of you when you're gone? What will your grandchildren know about you? Wouldn't it be wonderful, if, like Abel, you are remembered throughout all the generations to follow as one who lived by faith in God?

Abel passed the baton of truth that leads to faith to the next generation, which was represented by his little brother, Seth. If you are single or childless, you are not exempt from the privilege as well as the responsibility of relaying the baton. While unable to relay it to your own children, you can relay it to someone else's. The possibilities are limitless. So . . . pass it on!

Blessings,



Anne Graham Lotz

AnGeL Ministries Website