Happy Birthday Jessica!!

I am the mother of a teenager!!!!!

My first baby was born 13 years ago yesterday??!! How did that happen??!! I mean, you hear all the time that “it all goes by so quickly” and you hold on to every moment you can, but it STILL goes by quickly.

Jess was born 3 days after her due date(ah, if only they all could have continued this!) As we walked into the hospital it was a cold crisp sunny day. By the time we walked out, 9 days later, Whatcom County was in the middle of one of the worst blizzards(‘96) I can remember.

On Nov 15, at 11:59pm she arrived after a safe labor and delivery. Our little Dutch/Polish “can only be blond and fair skinned”, Jess came out with dark skin, dark hair and NOT looking like your typical Dutch/Polish cross. After one look at her feet and toes, it confirmed, yup, they were her Daddy dearest's. At 8lbs 12oz, 22” , she was a nice healthy size. A pound of that must have been her feet. ;)

We spent very little time together before Jess started crying. Screaming really. I could do nothing to comfort her and talked to a nurse who smiled a tired smile and said under her breath something about why did get all the *emotional new moms* in one day. Seriously. “She’ll stop” she said.

She didn’t. Long story short, it hit them there was something wrong. Jessica had a good fever soon after birth. I did deliver after testing positive for GBS, but rarely does this cause problems and I was fed antibiotics while laboring anyhow.

Everything is a blur, the doctors took over and I sat in a puddle of tears in the camping room for 9 days while she was kept in an isolette the nursery with monitors and I.V.s entering everywhere, from three spots on her now shaved head to her feet. Two spinal taps. In the end she was fine. Still not sure what happened as they said the tests would not give clear results because of the antibiotics I received while laboring. Something was said about meningitis, so that may be why they were so aggressive.

9 days later, we slipped and slid all the way home on the ice roads.

Jessica has always been a very obedient child despite her over bearing first time parents(again, why couldn’t they all have continued this?!). She has been so forgiving to her Daddy and me as we learn to parent.

I am so thankful for the close relationship the Lord has given to me and Jess. She is not just *one of the children* anymore, she comes along side and offers great ideas and seizes opportunities to serve in the home. She is a real blessing to this mother! She loves the Lord and is daily dedicating her life to serving Him.

Jess and I had a big date on Friday afternoon. We hit Otion, Food Coop, Woods on Boulevard(the BEST), lunch, JoAnns, Piper Music..some places we have always wanted to go together alone. We watched from sunny Boulevard Park the “big storm” Friday moving across the county. Sitting in the sun on the boardwalk over the ocean, we watched the lightening and dark center move slowly inland. It was scary! It had brought rain, hail, sleet and inches of snow…all in one afternoon. What a treat to watch. BTW, I left my camera at home. Hence, no pictures.

Happy birthday Jess! May the Lord give us many more years together growing in His grace. May the Lord continue to give you wisdom, understanding in the coming years and a heart of love and joy in serving Him.

Forgiveness and Rebuke

At our church’s Keepers At Home meeting this last week we had a handout on Forgiveness and Receiving Rebuke. Little did I know they would become two great tools  to add to our fridge. I taped them up and put a sheet of contact paper over it to keep it from being torn and make it easy to wipe off. They are using it(!) and, as a mother who has an awful lot to learn in the area of parenting, it helped me teach my children true biblical steps, as well as use them in my relationship with my husband. After looking into the subject of rebuke, I admit I do not receive rebuke rightly. Thought I’d share the two, you can copy, paste,  edit and print if they look interesting.

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How to Ask Forgiveness

1. Admit that you have sinned “I was wrong, “ or “God has convinced me I was wrong…”

2. Call your sin by its biblical name: “What I did was selfish,” or “What I did was rebellious.”

3. Identify, biblically, what you should have done or what you will do next time: “I should have listened and obeyed the first time you asked,” or “The next time I will tell the truth no matter how afraid I might be of the consequences.”

4. Ask for forgiveness; “Will you forgive me?”

****************************************************************************************************************************************How to Receive Rebuke
Making Brothers and Sisters Best Friends - Mally Family

1. Listen to the whole rebuke without arguing back.
Jas 1:19

2. Thank them.

3. If it’s clear that they are right, acknowledge this on the spot. If you think they are wrong, tell them that you will think about it, and that it is important to you to be like Christ, and do the right thing.

4. Carefully think it though, pray about it, and determine what God wants you to learn though the situation.

5. If possible, go back to them and explain how their rebuke helped you.

Fantastic Fleecies

We went into JoAnn Fabrics last week(50% off fleece!) to have each child pick out fabric for a blanket. Just one yard cuts of one patterned & one solid peices. After much thought and deliberating, they each chose what was special to them. Jessica – horses, Jacob – camo, Daniel – deer hunting, Emma - ladybugs & bumblebees, Micah - “dangerous sharks”.

I had no idea everyone would love doing this as much as they did, nor did I know each one would stick to the task of tying each dog gone tie. Hundreds of double knots. We dreamt double knots!

That same evening all five blankets were completed. That was so fun and easy!

www.instructables.com/id/no-sew-fleece-blanket/

Oh Happy Day

We are thrilled to announce our goat, Junie, is due to have twins(we assume) on April 9, 2010. (O.k. I know, get a life Jenn) Junie and Mr. Buck(?) met after their parents arranged their marriage over the phone. We are looking forward to the arrival of their kids in April and hope they tast..I mean…arrive safely and produce wonderful flave...er...markings.

We are so excited to have yet another *goaty experience* under our sleeve. We thought our goat was big, this guy was huge. He seemed very gentle with his owner, but to me, he was a little intimidating.

Home again, home again, jiggity jig.

What a good goatamus.

Monday

Overdue pictures.  Thank YOU Kristi for the FYI on Windows Live Write, much easier!

Are these not the most adorable pups? This litter is one of my most beautiful! 

 

Here is Micah giving his sister Gracie a little brotherly support while debuting together singing Jesus Loves Me.

 

Shaking hands and getting cheeks pinched. ;)

 

We found a brand new 1 gallon ice cream maker at Second  Chance for $3.49!! Our goat milk ice cream needs a little work imo. Everyone loves it, but to me it was like frozen ice chips…I like creamier ice cream(sugar maybe?).  Either way, they think it  is quite a treat so it works.

 

Here are Emma’s carrots I promised to blog about weeks ago.  We found some interesting shapes while harvesting our carrots, but none so odd as these two!

Nothing much

Now that we are settling into the school year, we are bringing a little more activity into life. Our children used to sing regularly for the senior centers, rest homes and adults homes, but that came to a halt. I'd play piano while the children sang, then it became too hard to manage toddlers so I took up the guitar and accompanied them that way. Well, this year I threw in the towel and they went a cappella! I just can not play an instrument, direct children, hold a baby and control a toddler and guess what? It is working out very well. It is encouraging the children to learn harmony because 5 children singing a cappella is really only nice for the first two songs. ;)

The elderly at rest homes rarely see children and they eat them up. Everyone comes home with pinched cheeks and elevated egos. Many of the people came from big families and they love to reminisce about their brothers, sisters and home life. It brings joy to them. Jess and Jacob may play a piano recital song. We sing hymns, oldies and recite Psalms. There are always people trying their best to sing along in their frail voices. Most of the people there say they never hear hymns anymore and they treasure hearing them sung. It is just wonderful all the way around for both them and us! We've learned who has the best cookies or chocolate milk. The children have learned to feel comfortable being around and conversing with people of all colors, shapes and sizes, speech impediments and disabilities. That is worth gold!!

The rest homes and adult homes are lacking entertainment for the folks who live there. I encourage anyone to go. Anything you can fill 20 minutes with...give it a try. Have a show and tell, sing, recite, show off a project, play an instrument. Most of all, do it in the name of Christ.


Pictures coming when Blogger cooperates.

My Elsie Dinsmore...

Our family was invited out tonight with some families. The older girls love to dress up in their beautiful dresses, but these are not your typical dresses they are the old fashioned fancy, gorgeous, "I've always wanted to wear a dress like that!" dresses. We don't have one. We don't have the funds to buy one nor the skill to make one. Until I talked to a friend that gave me the courage to attempt making an easy skirt with that....that...sewing machine over there. Yes, I'd have to physically touch and work the sewing machine. Without a pattern. Hmmm...


My mother just happened to have a twin sheet she found at a garage sale this summer and has been saving it for such a time as this. I dug out my hoop skirt? from under my wedding dress in the closet, fluffed it up and rough tailored it to fit Jess. One whooooole twin sheet later(every square inch) and we had us a turn of the century skirt. Add a white blouse, a cream crocheted shawl, some pearls and a period hair style(pony tail, tuck-through then braid three braids and wrapped up and tucked) and you have one 12 yr old girl who does not stop smiling.

I have to admit it was terribly fun and terribly easy. Out the door she just went happy as a lark and my goodness she looked beautiful and grown! She called herself Elsie Dinsmore from her favorite book series. Paul and I have head colds so we had to miss the fun dog gone it, but it was wonderful seeing her off.

How nice is that?

A friend of mine caught the fact I loooove mushrooms, those poor little underdogs. She has a beautiful new camera I am trying not to covet and look what she did!...what a sweetie. ;)

Visit her blog here

BTW, if you ever go to Bellis Fair Mall on the north side, look closely in the parking lot gardens, these beauties(fly agaric) grow in record numbers. Did you know a mushroom is a flower? Under the ground there is a large mass of fungus and every year, or twice a year, the mass flowers, or sends up mushrooms.

...Had nature any outcast face,

Could she a son comdenm,

Had nature an Iscariot,

That mushroom---it is him.

-Emily Dickenson