Guppies...

Thank you Adalia, over at Baker's Dozen

Thanks for the guppies..remember?


I know you only gave us like three minute fish, but they were babies. Who woulda thunk?

Our guppies died last year unexpectedly when a then two year old *fed* the fish a large dose of fish food. They were all belly up by the time we came to the rescue.

I cleaned the tank and put it away just in time for Adalai to call with a lovely offer of more guppies(we love guppies!) So she gave us three itsy bitsy fish that were no bigger than the eye of a needle put them in the tank and sprinkled food every so often and hoped they were alive, we rarely saw them because of their size.

Well after they were all big enough to see with the naked eye, they had ALREADY had babies!!! They are STILL small and there are 9 fish living in the bowl...at times there have been 12-15, but the mommy ate them. She was probably hungry with her next pregnancy. Anyone know where you can get a fish spayed? In the meantime, free guppies!

O.k. already...

LOL, wow, did I hit a nerve with some readers! I laugh because I have never had so many calls on a blog post before to inform me how misinformed I am. Thank you for all your help, especially Ruth, who called and gave me great info that I was hoping to find, but never did. I have a lot more reading to do, but I need to sift through the sources where 99% of these homeopathic info sites connect homeopathic medicine and new age mysticism. That is NOT in it's roots. The pendulum, chi, cosmic force stuff all came later, they say. So, I am not disbunking it all, I just looOOoooove being skeptical. How can you learn for yourself if you never question anything you are told? Thanks Ruth and all you other *callers* today, lol, who, even though you had your hackles up, were very sweet, kind and helpful. ;)

Family Healthcare - where do you go?

Why is it so hard to see clearly the facts of a science? Our family has gone from 100% conventional medicine to being skeptics. There is a time and place, for sure, for conventional medical and it is reliable. Like my sons broken arm, or stitches, or sudden medical emergencies. As far as all the vaccinations, antibiotics and common treatments...you just can't believe everything those billion dollar drug companies are pumping into us.

I took over caring for my families health care a few years ago. No more expensive well-child exams on a *well-child* and our doctor even agreed quietly it is nothing more than doctors to set themselves up financially. This doctor stated they do not practice this on their own children. Wow. That speaks mountains.

I have been swimming through info since on how to care for the little problems that arise in daily life. For example, last year Jacob was bit by the Ugly Bug, after three days his foot was still swelling and it was time for the doctor. We went in, he looked at it, totally uninterested in WHAT bit him, though I told him anyway. As I expected, he handed me a prescription for antibiotics and told me to soak his foot in as hot of water as he could stand three times a day for 15 minutes. O.k., THAT made sense. I picked up the antibiotics, jic, and went home. We soaked his foot as prescribed and put the antibiotics in the back of the cupboard on 24 hr stand-by, guess what happened? Soaking his foot did the trick. In 18 hours the swelling stopped and went away rapidly. Anyone want a free bottle of medicine? This was proof enough for me. I have been praying that the Lord would show me how to care for my children through homeopathy, herbalism or whatever He gave us to use to heal.

Last night I went to a 2 hr workshop on Homeopathy at the Food Coop in Bham. It was taught by *the*(as she stated) leading homeopath in Whatcom County. First off, I am disappointed how mystic these people were. We walk in the room and there is a salt lamp on the floor in the middle of the circle of chairs. Hmmm..she explained something about an energy and calming effects a salt lamp gives. O.k., whatever. To make a long story short, all I got out of the evening was it really works...really. Buy the kit here on the table. But she has no idea how, cant explain it but it works with our Vital Force, it really does work. The use of Pendulums(verbally asking a crystal pendulum for answers!). All these make me more a skeptic. I want proof. Hard evidence. Where did my LORD give this to us to provide this as a means of healing in the Bible? Where is it mentioned? We are talking homeopathy, not herbal here....big difference, I've learned. I can not find ANY solid biblical apologetics for homeopathy. Surprisingly, quite the opposite.

I am leaning toward herbalism now, after that workshop. But the problem is even herbalists are referred to as shamans online with new age mingled in, so the info I gathered is skewed. ARG! I do not know what an herbal doctor is called. A naturopath is fully trained in modern medicine and prescribes homeopathy, herbal, acupuncture(another subject I am studying and weirding out over) and many other questionable medicines. What is an herbal doctor called in the Yellow Pages?...that is my big question. My midwife is a homeopath, but works a lot with herbs, so I like this as I can ask for herbs only. Maybe I will talk to her about it next week?

I am still studying and will forever,..probably. I know homeopathic medicine can/does work, and the others I mentioned..but my problem is does it glorify God. Is He pleased and will He bless the health care I use on my family if it is rooted in mysticism/energy forces? The answer is obvious. I don't have all the answers, but I know I want to err on the side of grace and please my Lord and receive His blessing. Any good books on Herbal use, a good herbal doctor...something herbal...anything herbal...would be appreciated. Anyone?

Bathtime

So..right near the end of our pancake, egg and bacon supper, Gracie rubs both hands in the bottom of her bowl with left over syrup and then slicks her hair back. Nice.
Off to the tub we go. Can't help but blog.

And we like baths.

Because afterwards we get to wear our hippo and monkey towels that G-ma bought us!!

And we looOOoove to pose for the camera.

This is for you, Mom. I told you her hair is much longer than it appears!!

But it does THIS when it dries. If it wasn't for the blinding white blond hair, I'd think she had African in her. Tight ringlets. We have had a couple kids with curls, but not this bad, and I say bad because it mats if I do not run a comb through it a couple times each day. That is high maintenance for me! Too cute.

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I am watching my weight with this pregnancy, as we all do. These have been the weights of my babies...

Jessica - 8 lbs 12 oz

Jacob - 8 lbs 7 oz

Daniel - 8 lbs 12 oz

Emma - 8 lbs 12 oz (yes, three 8.12's, pretty consistant, eh?)

Micah - 9 lbs 8 oz

Grace - 8 lbs 5 oz

After having Micah(>9) I really watch what I eat as subsequent babies *can* get bigger. I did very well with Gracie and her weight showed it but man, I have never been pregnant through the holidays like this pregnancy!! It's not fair! I am doing *o.k.* but it is more than my pregnancy with Grace. Today I went in for a check-up and Winni, my midwife, measured me...she looked at the tape...then measured me again and said "Wow, he had a bit of a growth spurt there".

I was just measured two weeks ago and he has already had a "growth spurt"? So, is that supposed to ease those nightmares I have been having about giving birth again?

I think not.

Hmmm....um....back to cottage cheese and eggs.

Life, Whirling Life...

This is a picture of me(the frog) and life(the bat). Ever feel like this?

I living outside my comfy comfort zone.

I try to live a simple life keeping things for us slow paced and easy to handle. BUT this last month, and the coming month are making my head spin.

Blogging is the first to go for now. I have taxes hanging over my head, which I did wrong last year so I reeeeally need to dive in and figure out all this gobbledee-gook IRS talk.

I am helping to *teach* my first Keepers of the Faith meeting at church and struggling.

Then there is the homeschooling, our guest(which is really too accommodating for us) and two Valentine *gigs* for the children in February at Everson and Ferndale Senior Centers. We have never done a Valentines Day program so there are new songs to be learned by them AND me and let me tell you, after not playing my guitar in months,

my finger tips are rebelliously slow & screaming at me!

On the good news front, my husband is into this whole concept of utilizing our property to it's highest potential. He has been talking to some very intelligent guys at church and reading blogs. He bought a plow last night off CL in Canada and he and my father picked it up. He says it is a big score, all I see is a rusty broken hunk-o-metal..but I am sure in a couple months I will be singing it's praises. Our rabbits are pregnant, our dogs are coming in heat with puppies on the way and the chickens are producing eggs...Spring in coming!!!

So there, I am making excuses to be a lite blogger for a short period of time. The Spring will be a wild exciting one to blog about with the new babe and we decided to butcher about 40-60 meat chickens again this year. My husband also, more than likely? may? buy me my milking goat!!

Oh happy day!

School needs to be started...

The Great Backyard Bird Count

Want something exciting, useful AND educational to do with the children? O.k...WE think this will be a whole lot of fun, but then again I am the one whose heart skips a beat when I see a mushroom and whose children pick her mushrooms for a *floral* arrangement rather than flowers...so you be the judge.

"It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3!"
Plan to count birds for at least 15 minutes on one or more days of the count, February 13–16, 2009. You can count for longer than that if you wish! Count birds in as many places and on as many days as you like—one day, two days, or all four days. Submit a separate checklist for each new day. You can also submit more than one checklist per day if you count in other locations on that day.

You can even cheat and use feeders to attract birds! We are looking forward to it! Click on the picture above to bring you to the website. So grab your Audubon book and go find those birds!

Christian Heritage Homeschool Conference

It's coming! The Christian Heritage Home-School Conference. This is the highlight of our year and can not wait to go. As I mentioned before, my biggest goal(o.k., a tad corny,) is to shake Voddie Baucham's hand. I don't idolize the man, he's is just a regular human guy, no more special in the Lord's eyes, yes, I know. :) But boy, has this man taught our family a lot and last year everyone got to shake Doug Philips hand and it made aaaaall those videos and audios with him teaching that much more personal for the children. We are SO excited as we came home last year so inspired and refreshed with vision and a new appreciation for the blessings(our children) God has entrusted to us for these few short years. It wasn't one of those short lived inspirings, it stayed all year.

The cost of attending is not low, and we found it tough to save enough to go last year because of hotel costs, food and tickets. But the cost can not be compared to what we found. We highly encourage any Christian homeschooling family to attend, whether not begun or almost done, for fellowship and strong biblical teaching. The curriculum shopping is awesome!

It's too quiet. I do not have to draw straws for the computer. There is no glass of ice water sitting in front of me, faithfully brought by our 6 yr old daughter for her daddy every night. I was looking forward to sleeping in my now seemingly big bed aaaaall by myself and pushing the dog on *his* side as not to contend with her sleeping on my legs. But alas, I miss him. He is having a well deserved time of refreshment at Cedar Springs with other men from our church. But I miss him. {insert lovesick sigh}

My wonderful friend Debbie came over with her two beautiful daughters(she is a retreat widow too, tonight) a big pot of soup and salad, I made rolls and dessert and we had a wonderful dinner together. Afterwards we made geoboards and the girls learned that you can make really neat marble mazes with them using rubber bands so the geoboards were actually used for something they were never intended to be used for, but I am sure somewhere in there is educational advancement. Somewhere? It sure looked like fun.

My bed is calling...

By the skin of their beaks...

The chickens gain a reprieve from the butcher block. I am no novice chicken farmer, but these guys have stumped me from Sept. They were spring chickens and supposed to start laying in the fall. Emma waited and waited, feeding them tons of overpriced chicken feed and diligently changing their waterers. Through all the snow and drifts Daddy would march to the coop, break the ice, give them warm water and food. All for nothing, those selfish chickens!

I started thinking since we are going to butcher this year I might as well throw these guys in with the butcher chickens and buy a new batch for Ems, but alas, I must have spoken too loud. They hens heard and thus produced. Emma found 6 lovely eggs and two more right away this morning! We will continue to whisper sweet death threats in their little chicken ears and hope they keep producing to redeem themselves.

Pass the Pigs, we LOVE this game because Micah can play! That is MY roll on the table btw, though I lost most every game I played.

This was SO cute. Micah asked Gracie to dance and they danced and danced in their jammies. Gracie must watch her older sisters because she even throws her head back and lifts her leg up high, in this picture is pointing her little toes and even dipped herself!(which Micah was NOT ready for and she fell on her head) It was just aDORable!

Still here...

Maybe I will get a post in tonight? We have been quite busy wiping up after the flu, which thankfully only hit two children and made me nauseous for two days, but I think this may be a side effect to cleaning all the yucky stuff up, lol! Blahck.

We have a house guest as well all this week and we are enjoying that. We never get house guests! Hmmm...I wonder why. Uncle Al, our Alaskan hermit uncle we like to affectionately call him. He lives in Cordova in a hand-built home on blocks and is a boat motor mechanic. He has lots of exciting stories the children like to squeeze out of him about fishing, bears and snow and ice. He is a jem. He loves to just sit in the rocking chair and quietly observe our days. Watching over homeshool and daily life...It must be quite entertaining for him!

My bubbling-over energy thermometer plunged to zip over the last week. I can't seem to get in bed early enough and get out on time. Hence, lack of posting lately. I am now on those every two week appointments with the midwife! Yay! Paul even let me rent a heated laboring tub(portable hottub) to help with pain, talk a 'bout spoiled! It just can't come quick enough!

Dealing with the flu...

Flu season is here. At least at our house. Wanna share tips? I know most of you have little ones, too. I finally have my own system that works great for us, but we can always use to improve. If you have a tip, leave it as a comment.

Gracie was throwing up every 45-60min the other night, all night..and after a 24 hr break, she just started up again last night with Micah crawling in bed with me this morning only to have him throw up! After the start two nights ago, I packed my "flu basket". A laundry basket stocked with 3 of each -crib sheets, pillow cases, pj's, towels, blankets, a tippy cup of apple juice & baby wipes. Gracie missed her pillow the first time around so I was able to get it stuffed and tied in a tight fitting garbage bag, then pinned the pillow case on so she wouldn't accidentally get to the plastic bag inside. This way, there is no washing of the pillows. The kit is right there and in 5min the babe is resting clean and sound again...and so am I.

Blankies. My children are all highly addicted to blankies. The catch? A sick child HAS to have their blanky, yet they ALWAYS hit it first! I try to find look-a-likes(feel-a-likes in the dark) at the second hand stores, cut them in quarters and have them on hand for times like these.

From three yrs on, my well-trained sickies almost always make it to the toilet, but when the flu strikes three or more at the same time(with 1 toilet), we kick into Crisis Mode. Last year? I had 5 children with a terrible stomach flu and fevers ALL AT ONCE for two nights. Everyone needed love and attention at once. Crisis Mode involved laying any type of water-proof material down(shower curtains, crib pads, plastic table clothes) to cover the living room carpet. Then everyone is given a comfy bed on the floor with a personal bucket and me in the middle with my flu basket filled with clean towels, warm wet washclothes & 1 cup of water. When everyone has the flu, who cares about germs, right? I pull out the dry erase board and log all Tylenol dosages, if the fevers are high. This works slick.

In the beginning I used to encourage the children to stay back from the sick child, as that is what the *books* say & I definitely didn't want more sick children! But I had a change of heart in this area. I overlooked one thing, we glorify Christ when we serve others.

Mark 10:45 "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

Matt 25:36 "I was sick, and you visited Me"

We should never teach our children to avoid caring for sick ones because we are concerned for our own well-being. Wanna story? True story...There once was a terrible plague that hit a neighboring tribe of indians. Not nice indians either, ones that has caused much grief to the Pilgrims and neighboring colonies. These poor people were so sick, they would crawl on their hands and knees to a stream to get water and many died one the way...crawling. Every one of them were sick and no one could care for them. Even though they were enemies, the Pilgrims, when they heard, sent some of their people with supplies and went to care for them for many weeks. No one quite knows what the plague was, but they do know it started in a tribe of 1000 strong indians and left only 50 alive after a few short months. Not one Pilgrim came down with the disease, the Lord spared them and blessed their servanthood. I love telling this story to my children!!

If we have one or two sickies we set them up downstairs and everyone is encouraged to tend to them. I looove seeing the compassion and servanthood that is brought out out of the children, even the littlest ones, for each other in the sweetest ways. The notes, making meals, pictures colored, holding their hand or reading them a story. It is the sweetest thing.

The Call to Dunkirk - YouTube video

Here is a video circulating the Internet that I have run into several times over now. I didn't feel comfortable posting the link, but now I think what can it hurt? Nothing. I, for one, am so incredibly thankful for tools, like these, the Lord has used in my life to make me think, whether I agreed or not, it was worth struggling and thinking over. This is one of those tools.

....besides, it has one of my FAVorite teachers in it Voddie Baucham(bg!) of whose hand I hope to shake in 4 months and counting...(i know. i know, that is just not right)

Lot's of pic's, not much to say...

The snow is still here, can you believe we haven't gotten a pineapple express yet?

Usually here in the NW, we get snow, just start to whip out the sleds and a dog gone Pineapple Express(sudden warm winds from around Hawaii) come and wooshes it all to flooding in hours. Not this time, yay!

It snowed all day here again, never got above freezing.

Here are some snow pic's I took after Christmas and around New Years.

Branches bowing very low...we almost lost our big white van in all this. It camo'ed quite well!

My husband showing Jacob how a real man hits a snow drift and has to spend 2 minutes working his bike out.

Jake the dog(as we call him to discern between Jake-the-kid) very upset that I would have the audacity to walk off the yard without him.

So pretty...says I.

I didn't have to shovel it.

Then a day or two of thaw and the driveway was mud, but that didn't stop the sledders! Just be thankful YOU are not their mother who had to WASH all the soaked muddy frightful snowsuits.

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Ahhhh...another homeschool moment. If you are from, or affiliated with, the Dept of Wildlife please find another blog to read at this time. So anyways...Paul goes to work and finds this poor barn owl crawled near the entrance to Andgar to find shelter and then died over the freezing cold night. We are thinking he was quite old and near the end anyhow. So he did what any good HS father would do, threw him in the back of his truck. I will spare you the details, but lets say we had fun looking at him up close and personal, part of him will always be with us....oops, did I just say that?

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On to our neighbors New Years party. They rented a school not far from our homes this year as there was a gob of children in their home last year. So we had space with tables of food, games, crafts and more food. Here are the masters pumping out large quantities of oliebollen. They had quite the system in place.

Of the many games, the pinata was a hit(ha ha). Micah is all boy. He beat the tar out of the poor thing. Mr. VB could hardly pull it up fast enough.

There was plenty for the kids to do... Gracie was second up and doing everything she could to climb up Jessie to get away from the UFO.

Emma got a little too *into* it and wound up with her scarf wrapped around her head, lol!

In the end there was candy everywhere!

Micah loved the felt coloring, singing away as he colored.

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So I FINALLY have a dog in heat and brought it over for breeding today. The job was done, I came home to mark the due date and guess what? Her due date is my due date. March 7. Pretty depressing when the dog will go through her entire pregnancy in the 9 short weeks I have left! Oh well, dogs are always on time, I am not. I will have something to look forward to on my due date other than *just another day*.

Oliebollen here we come...

Tonight is our annual trip to our neighbors Oliebollen, I mean New Years, celebration. An Oliebol is pure delight. You must be of Dutch decent to truly enjoy them, o.k., no you don't. They are heaven. Oliebol is literally translated lard balls or oil cakes, not the most appetizing name for a food, but you know anything fried should be good. They are fried cake-like balls with apple and raisins. They are glazed, plain, rolled in sugar(ewe) or sprinkled with powdered sugar(yum).

All over Lynden at the bakeries and most cafes you can pick up Oliebollen 2 for $1 in December. It is a traditional Dutch food that is mostly eaten at New Years. Perfectly simple to make, even the itty bitty ones can get in on the fun. Here is only one recipe if you'd like to try them, we prefer to make them with raisins then slightly overcook them so the raisins get crispy, them pick them out first for a chewy candy-like treat! Oh the bliss.

AllRecipes.com

Today we have had a *first*. We had a couple inches of snow fall overnight, woohoo!, and the children are out sledding behind the bikes...This is the great part and the *first*...Daddy nor I are not riding them! We are warm in the house! Yippeee! I did not have to get all bundled up to go out for endless rounds around the field pulling everyone. Yes, we know about ATV accidents. Yes, they are supervised. Yes, there is a speed limit. What a perfect way to spend New Years...all the kids OUTSIDE!

Our oldest son Jacob 10, is need of physical exertion we have noticed. He got up this morning got dressed went out and rode his bike haaaard in the snow! He rode and rode and I am sure it was hard work! He came in with red cheeks and happy as a clam huff'in and puff'in.

New Year

O Lord,

Length of days does not profit me

except the days are passed in thy presence,

in thy service, to thy glory.

Give me a grace that precedes, follows, guides, sustains, sanctifies, aids every hour,

that I may not be one moment apart from thee,

but may rely on they Spirit

to supply every thought,

speak in every word,

direct every step,

prosper every work,

build up every mote of faith,

and give me a desire

to show forth they praise;

testify thy love,

advance thy kingdom.

I launch my bark on the unknown waters of this year,

with thee, O Father, as my harbour,

thee, O Son, at my helm,

thee, O Holy Spirit, filling my sails.

Guide me to heaven with my loins girt,

my lamp burning,

my ear open to thy calls,

my heart full of love,

my soul free.

Give me thy grace to sanctify me,

thy comforts to cheer,

thy wisdom to teach,

thy right hand to guide,

thy counsel to instruct,

thy law to judge,

thy presence to stabilize.

May thy fear be my awe,

thy triumphs my joy.

Taken from The Valley Of Vision

Happy new year!!

I can't believe I just stayed up until midnight. I haven't done that in years!

We ended up renting Prince Caspian and I got so caught up in that movie I never fell asleep. Jessica, Jacob and Daniel were the brave ones tonight who stayed up with Daddy and I. We had a very special night with all the special little touches that make New Years memorable and tomorrow is Oliebollen with our friends...we reeeeally look forward to that! No shotguns this year, we didn't want the little ones waking so we did fireworks. I'm tired. Goodnight.