Foto Friday~ Here she is!

I can't figure out how to scan these pics much better so I thought this is better then nothing!
 Had to show off our sweet little GIRL!
Don't you just love the chubby cheeks!
The first picture you can see her leg sticking straight up with her foot by her forehead.
It will be so fun to see how close these look to her first real baby picture in about 6 weeks!!

Have a GREAT weekend!

Thankful for Food Thursday

I always make a special breakfast on Saturday mornings.  This is great for company or just for those special mornings when you are not in a hurry!  Don't let all the directions scare you.  It is very simple!  If I can do it, anyone can! :)

Danish Pastry

Ingredients:

2 cups unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons salt
4 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
8 cups all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1 teaspoon almond extract

Directions:
1.In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and 2/3 cup of flour. Divide into 2 equal parts, and roll each half between 2 pieces of waxed paper into a 6 x12 inch sheet. Refrigerate.

2.In a large bowl, mix together the dry yeast and 3 cups of the remaining flour. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the milk, sugar and salt. Heat to 115 degrees F (43 degrees C), or just warm, but not hot to the touch. Mix the warm milk mixture into the flour and yeast along with the eggs, and lemon and almond extracts. Stir for 3 minutes. Knead in the remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time until the dough is firm and pliable. Set aside to rest until double in size.

3.Cut the dough in half, and roll each half out to a 14 inch square. Place one sheet of the cold butter onto each piece of dough, and fold the dough over it like the cover of a book. Seal edges by pressing with fingers. Roll each piece out to a 20x 12 inch rectangle, then fold into thirds by folding the long sides in over the center. Repeat rolling into a large rectangle, and folding into thirds. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

4.Remove from the refrigerator one at a time, and roll and fold each piece two more times. Return to the refrigerator to chill again before shaping. If the butter gets too warm, the dough will become difficult to manage.

5.To make danishes, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. The dough can be cut into squares, with a filling placed in the center. Fold 2 of the corners over the center to form a filled diamond shape. Or, fold the piece in half, cut into 1 inch strips, stretch, twist and roll into a spiral. Place a dollop of preserves or other filling in the center. Place danishes on an ungreased baking sheet, and let rise until doubled. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (220 degrees C). Danishes can be brushed with egg white for a shiny finish.

6.Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the bottoms are golden brown.

Enjoy!

Book ends

For just a few more weeks,
these are my "book ends".
There is quite a bond between the oldest and the youngest!
SO fun to watch!

(Yes, I do actually put clothes on the youngest, but sometimes it just takes a bit longer to get from only a diaper to fully clothed when you are number 11!)

I am so convicted!

INFERIOR MISGIVINGS ABOUT JESUS
 

This was my daily devotion from Oswald Chambers over the weekend and it just really convicted me.  Thought I would share:

"Sir, Thou hast nothing to draw with." John 4:11


"I am impressed with the wonder of what God says, but He cannot expect me really to live it out in the details of my life!" When it comes to facing Jesus Christ on His own merits, our attitude is one of pious superiority - Your ideals are high and they impress us, but in touch with actual things, it cannot be done. Each of us thinks about Jesus in this way in some particular. These misgivings about Jesus start from the amused questions put to us when we talk of our transactions with God - Where are you going to get your money from? How are you going to be looked after? Or they start from ourselves when we tell Jesus that our case is a bit too hard for Him. It is all very well to say "Trust in the Lord," but a man must live, and Jesus has nothing to draw with - nothing whereby to give us these things. Beware of the pious fraud in you which says - I have no misgivings about Jesus, only about myself. None of us ever had misgivings about ourselves; we know exactly what we cannot do, but we do have misgivings about Jesus. We are rather hurt at the idea that He can do what we cannot.


My misgivings arise from the fact that I ransack my own person to find out how He will be able to do it. My questions spring from the depths of my own inferiority. If I detect these misgivings in myself, let me bring them to the light and confess them - "Lord, I have had misgivings about Thee, I have not believed in Thy wits apart from my own; I have not believed in Thine almighty power apart from my finite understanding of it." 

WOW!!

Foto Friday on Monday

Just not time last week to get to Foto-Friday,
 ...and this is why!
The quick explanation is I have boys!
AND
BOYS WILL BE BOYS!
Now, for a little more detail

This boy, decided a tumble down a sledding hill WITHOUT a sled would be fun...

And this little boy, gave us a WHOLE new meaning to the song/book, 'No More Monkeys Jumping On the Bed', when him and his brother decided to do just that!

JUMP ON THE BED!

Fun, unless you get pushed off and your head collides with the corner of a dresser on your way off of the bed!

Mom was not home for this one!  

15 year old was babysitting and I am SO proud of how she handled everything!

Blood EVERYWHERE and she kept it all together and we made it to the ER just fine.

Well, okay DAD made it to the ER with him just fine!

Ironically, I was taking my NON-stress test at the hospital.

Needless to say, the test showed the baby AND mom were pretty much stressed after the phone call we received stating there was blood every where and his skull could be seen!

She was NOT exaggerating!  All layers were cut through and his skull WAS showing!

As the years go by and I become more of a  'seasoned' mother, I am beginning to realize that eventually not much is going to shock me as the years continue!

Life with boys!  I really do love it!

An update~

Our lives in the past 4 months has changed dramatically.  Some things I have shared and others I have not.  I can tell you that I have a peace and really no anxiety about anything!  Which, if you know me or have read my blog for very long, you know how miraculous that is!  God has taught me to live one day at a time and even one MOMENT at a time!  So with that being said, I thought I would give you a little update on what is and has been happening in our life.

Last October, when my husband came home to tell me he had lost his job, I felt like a Mack truck had hit me!  We had been through it before but it is still a shock!  I think I cried off and on for days.  My hubby, for the most part was fine with the exception of feeling like a failure and that he had let us down.  So most of my crying was behind closed doors so I did not bring him down.  He worked very hard at finding another job.  Went to people he knew and called around asking if anyone could use him.  We finally came to the point where we realized it was in God's hands, not ours!  Not to say we laid down and quit, just had to use a different approach.  At the beginning of December, he even found a job, we thought.  After a short time, he realized it was not something he would do for a long period of time and the pay could not sustain our large and growing family!  He went to the person who hired him and was very honest with him and told him that if he thought it a waste of his time to train my husband for only a short period of time only to find another job and move on, he would understand but would continue to work there as long as he needed him.  They decided mutually it was best for both parties to move on.  So, we are sitting here towards the end of February with still not job.  He has had two interviews with one company and we are supposed to hear from them later this week.  That job would mean a move is in our near future!  SCARY for all of us!  The last time we moved, my children were all so young and really their lives did not change much.  This would be a TOTALLY different story!  My oldest has jobs, my other children have lots of involvement with music around our area and friends would be sooooo missed!  But God will direct our path!  He will share with us in His timing, His desire.  Our ears, spirits and hearts are open to listen!  We have realized as time goes on, the trials we go through are only meant to make us stronger!  The time we have had together has been an adjustment!  There is NOBODY on this earth I would rather be with than my husband but finding a way to adapt to our new normal has been interesting at times!  We are waiting together and love having time to share our children in work and in play!  I had felt guilty for a time, that I was enjoying our time together!  I have since learned that I should appreciate this time and enjoy it!  It is only for a season and I need to savor it.  

On to my pregnancy.  I have always had textbook case pregnancy's.  No problems, complications or anything unexpected.  Well, not this time!  Everything was smooth sailing until I hit 29 weeks.  I found out last Friday, I have Gestational Diabetes.  I know it is not uncommon, but for me it is and it has thrown me for a loop!  We have read everything you can possible read on it and the main concern is a big baby.  Which I have anyway!  So, in order to keep my blood sugar levels down, I will be on insulin injections, non-stress tests weekly, doctor appointments weekly, and ultrasounds every other week.  Understand, I am one who thinks to much medical intervention is not good so my mind cannot quite wrap itself around this whole concept.  WAY to much medical intervention in my opinion.  However, I do know God gave us doctors to help us and it is not always a bad things to follow their advice.  Just as I said yesterday on my blog, I need God to be so close to me, that I will know what His plan is.  I will take one day at a time and do what He tells me to do. 

We have had a winter full minor illnesses.  It has been a REALLY long winter.  We have taken lots of Vitamin D and drinking orange juice to try to keep ahead of things but when you have 13 people living and breathing each other in close quarters, illnesses are bound to happen.  I am just thankful for strong immune systems!  We did have a bout of beautiful unseasonably warm weather last week and that was wonderful!  It got us out and running free for a few days!  Maybe we got it all out of our systems before baby!  That would be nice!

Summary:

• No job as of yet, but we are waiting on God for His timing

• Possibly a move is on our horizon

• baby is growing and moving great but causing quite a stir before she comes, lots of decisions to be made!

• We are so thankful for God's provision and continue to allow Him to be our daily source for all of your needs

Thank you for your prayers and please continue!  They are working!


More updates coming as they occur!

Your resource or SOURCE

I grew up with scripture.

Singing songs with scripture, memorizing scripture and watched my parents use scripture as

their basis for living.

I have been convicted recently on how I use the Word of God in my life.  Do I use it as my SOURCE for everything or is it just a resource I use when I feel like I need it?  Something I turn to when I feel I need something.  I am sad to admit, that WAY to many times, I use God and His Word as a RESOURCE as you would a dictionary or an encyclopedia.  This is not the plan God has for us! 

If you take a plant out of it's soil and would set it on the concrete or your carpet, what would happen to the plant?  What if you would just sprinkle some soil and water on it every once in a while?  Would the outcome be different because you added a little bit of what it needed on the top?  No, it's roots need to be saturated in it's source of life for it to grow and be sustained. 

Now, what happens when we don't saturate our "roots" in our source of life, Jesus.  What if we just sprinkle a touch of His Word in our lives here and there out of desperation instead of "planting" our very being in the rich soil of His Word and life constantly?  A sprinkle here and there will not sustain us.  Eventually the world will suck us dry and we will walk around with despair or at the very least, just plain emptiness.  How sold out should we be? The answer is TOTALLY surrendered in all that we say and do!  We should radiate His love without even saying a word just because we are planted so deep in His Word.  All that we say, do and the decisions we make should always be filtered through Him and His Word.

I have a LONG way to go in this area!  I think and notice just how much I have let the idea's of this world attack me and sometimes how little I look to my Source!  Before I know it, I am swept away feeling confused and full of fear!  I desire so much for Him to be my "soil" and my life sustainer.  As He takes me through this journey that started with conviction from the life of a plant, I hope to grow closer and closer to Him so that there is no separation between my thoughts and His thoughts.  I pray my roots are so planted in Him that I will know Him so well, my answers will come because I know His voice so well! 

My dear, sweet, Heavenly Father, I thank you so much that I have you as my Source of life!  Help me to not just take advantage of your love and your Word by using them as a "resource" in my life.  May I be deeply planted in wisdom and understanding that only you can give!  Keep me hidden in you and set me apart from the things of this world until I know nothing else but your voice and your ways!  May my children see that example in me and continue to serve you as their source of life as they grow.  Amen!

Foto Friday~ that reminds me...

With an unseasonably warm day yesterday,
our entire household got the itch to be outside and reminds of this...

...walking in the warm air

...the sunshine on our faces

...and just enjoying the thrill of being outside in the great outdoors!

I do LOVE winter, but this year, it has even worn me out!

I don't mind that we have some cold days left and more than likely more snow!

I love sitting and listening to the crackling of a warm, cozy fire in my living room.

But,

I am ready for no more coats and the ability to go anywhere on a whim.

Spring will be here soon and we know that, but boy it can seem like forever when you get a teaser day in the middle of February!

Have a great weekend and remember...

Spring is just around the corner!