Good heavens it's been too long. It's funny, I stay so connected to people on FB that I don't do this much, but I often feel the desire to write more than FB allows, or that I think most of the people on there would want to hear.

Fun to look back and read old posts:)

A lot has happened. Currently we are waiting to finalize a new house:) It is everything I ever wanted and more. We are moving my mom into it. At first we will both be paying half, then in the next few years we will take over more of the payment. It's a great place. The owners have a large family and needed a bigger space. I'm so happy for them, they got a place with lot's of bathrooms and acreage.

The house has 4 bedrooms. In the next year we will make it into 5. There is a full, partially finished basement. The boys will go into the large bedroom down there for now. It's a huge space, about the size of our current living room. Also has 2 closets. Then there is a finished 2cd living room down there. It has a door that opens to steps leading up to the out side. We will take that out, make it an egress window, which is required in a basement bedroom here, and make it into the 2cd bedroom. The living room down there is HUGE. It won't be a big deal to cut some of it out.

the basement has the laundry room, and then a huge open area. We may do school down there. Idk, I have to talk myself into that.

Upstairs there are 3 more bedrooms and 1.5 baths. The master bath has 2 sinks, and a jacuzzi tub:D We will give my mom the master bedroom for now. That way she will have enough space to have a bedroom and a sitting area and she can have some privacy.  In a couple of years we plan to make the 2 car attached garage into an apt for her.

It also has a separate dinning room, which I have never had in a house. AND, she built these benches around 2 walls of the dinning room that open up into storage. That was a gift to me from God. I saw something similar done years ago and wanted it. When I walked in and saw them I just stood there w/ my mouth open. I couldn't believe it.

Another favorite thing, a huge mud room with more built in shelves, cubby holes and hooks for coats. It has a nice kitchen, she said people complained it was too small. If only should could see the size of my kitchen now. I have exactly 3 feet of counter space, that's it.

The whole thing is God's doing. We needed a bigger space, they needed someone to take over their house. I don't even know what it was that made me ask her about it. We weren't in the market to buy at this point. We are all entirely grateful.

PIX OF NEW HOUSE

4 and 0 isn't bad baby!!

Well, other than that, my daughter is broke out right now, I don't know what it's from. 

And this Friday is our 16th anniversary. My 9 yo told me I was old, I told her she was a baby;)

We are planning on staying in town, we had talked about going up to the cottage, but decided to just farm the kids out and hang out here. Dinner, a movie and the Apple Fest:) I can't wait!

I've been reminded recently of just how good I have it. I have a wonderful husband who takes care of us. A nice house, altho some people would look at my house and not say that. I am extremely thankful for it. I have more than one friend who are an inch away from being homeless, other friends who have no vehicle,  are drowning in medical debt, and have no money to pay for the medicine they need. Therefore, they just keep getting sicker, and sicker and racking up more debt. I wish I could do more to help. 

This afternoon, someone showed up on my doorstep, someone I used to know, ran into them in a parking lot a couple of weeks ago, we chatted for a few. And handed me a card. When she left, I opened it, there was $100 inside. I barely know this woman anymore. I seriously see her like once a year. She said they felt it was the Lords will. Scott was asked to preach at church last week, and they took up an offering for us. I just feel so grateful. And humbled.

Well, well fall is upon us. If you had asked me 2 weeks ago how I felt about it you may have heard me weeping ;) But now the 3rd week of school is here and..... I'm actually enjoying it. After MUCH prayer and a change in attitude on my part, and many changes in the way I manage it, we are doing quite well. Pics to follow:)

As anyone who knows me knows that my favorite part of fall is.... COLLEGE FOOTBALL!! Go Irish!! And 3 weeks into football season and we're are 3 and 0!! Oh coach Kelly how I love thee... Probably what I would call the funnest game is this Saturday night. Our Infamous rivalry with the U of M. We have a get together with some friends that I think we've done for a few years in a row now. I'm looking forward to it, even tho I may be the only Domer there. I can handle it, we ND fans have tough skin:) 

I'd say my biggest struggle this entire year is the discovery of my daughters milk allergy. It's consuming. Just when I think I get a handle on things she is broke out again, or someone (my mother!) is tempting her with things like the evils of nutella (let me just say the only thing "healthy" about nutella is the wheat bread you put it on. Sis is getting to the point where she won't even try things b/c she is scared it has milk in it. Even things like a cup cake. And then here I am last night making a meal that we all like and that is good even with out the cheese when it hit's me, the seasoning for the tacos has milk in it. ugh. It's things like that that really get to me and make me feel like I've failed. I try SO hard, but it sneaks in. Like, I spent 4 hours getting groceries the other night reading what I thought was EVERY label, but I didn't think about the taco seasoning, or the fish sticks. (the fish sticks that she loves and cried about of course) *sigh* So, I didn't even tell her about the taco seasoning. But with in a few days, she will have a rash somewhere in her body and I will play innocent b/c I can't handle the guilt. This will be me, "hm, wonder what you ate sis..." 

I did find this that I'm going to make from now on tho..
http://www.5dollardinners.com/homemade-taco-seasoning
AFTER I read the backs of all of those spices to make sure there isn't anything sneaking into them...

Great article HERE about vaginal exams in late pregnancy. Worth a read if you're expecting or in the birthy world:)

How was your Mothers Day? Mine wasn't bad, nothing to complain about. After reading that article about the actresses and models encouraging mothers to run away from their families I purposely did things FOR my family ON Mothers Day to spite their wretched spirit :0)


Thought I'd post this link to a new Birth Community I found on FB. It's real woman, that look like me:) And most of the women I know. Actually, the average woman in the US too. It's Plus Size Birth. 

Today we got the results from Zacs EEG. It came back abnormal. If I understand their language, it meant that he has the potential to have more seizures and there was activity in his frontal lobe. Our next step is to see a neurologist. I have still not done any research on this. I'd really like to sit down and have a good cry. My middle child is still traumatized and almost every night is fearful that his older brother will have a seizure during his sleep. This is scary. I told Zac, but I have not told Zai or Sis. I don't need any more fear in the house.


On another note, Scott and I are going away for the night. We're going to this:
 http://convention.homeschoolmichigan.org/


I'm excited and happy that Scott is going with me. I went with a group of women last year, and had a blast. But really wanted Scott to come this year. He looked and it was all about a day off of work too:)

If you know me at all, you know that I am pro-life. You'll have to put up with the fact that I have decided to start posting some articles on here and a few less on FB. I don't buy into "don't force your views on me" argument, b/c abortion obviously forces something on another whole person by aborting it. 


I find this article particularly interesting. I haven't looked into China, but I wonder if the same will be true with them soon.
The Asian Tiger-Japan-is in danger of extinction

And btw, there's always the argument, if you don't like what I'm posting, don't read it:)