It's been better.

Good gracious, I spoke too soon last week when I said that we ended with only one child throwing up. It has been a week of weeks I tell ya. Last Monday was Em, then Els and Lij on Thursday, then a little boy I watch part-time on Friday. Oh how I was glad for the week to end. The twins don't ususally get this kind of a bug. Living your first three years in Liberia tends to give you an iron stomach where some things are concerned.

Towards the end of the week Steve reinjured his shoulder and has been in the most pain I have ever seen him in. Trips to urgent care as well as to the doctor and nothing has helped. He has been in a sling since Thursday night and so when I was hit with digestive pain Saturday morning like no other it was an intersting experience around here.

We have great kids and they kicked into gear. The older ones helped the younger ones get breakfast, get ready for the day and they entertained each other. By late afternoon Steve was feeling some better so he decided what I and the rest of the family needed for dinner was homemade chicken and rice soup with rolls. So wearing his sling it is literal when I say that "single-handedly" he got a healthy, awesome tasting dinner pulled together. Ba.dump.bump.

I did give him ingredients and measurements from the living room for the bread and the twins cut up veggies for the soup but the man amazes me. He believes that a man should provide for his family. He could have driven to a fast food place and bought dinner, which we had done for lunch in all honesty, but to him providing means more than only bringing home a paycheck. Sometimes it also means that when your wife is laid up, even though in pain himself, that he gets up and makes a healthy dinner for his family. And did it taste good. It was exactly what I needed. Good bone broth to soothe my insides. I love that man.

We are slowly on the mend. Steve heads to the chiropractor today while we will school and continue to get stronger. Last night I felt good enough that I was able to spend a few hours with some homeschooling moms from church. What a fantastic time that was. I learned a few things from some seasoned moms and had a lot of laughs. What a great way to start the week.

It's garden time!

Can you see it? Right there in the middle. That gorgeous little bright green, luscious piece of spring. It's my first onion poking through. I planted my first batch in a large black tub. I can bring it in if it gets too cold and on the sunny days it does great because it warms up much faster.

Potatoes go in next. I am working on a potato tower method where I can yield up to 60 pounds of potatoes in a 3X3X3 area. I will document it when we get it set up.

My front flower beds are also showing signs of coming to life again. It makes me smile.

We are determined to grow more of our own food again this year for our health and to be more frugal. How about you? Growing any veggies this year?

Right now you can get $20 worth of plants at Springhill Nursery and only pay for the shipping. This morning I ordered my strawberries and a Hollyhock totalling $19.95 but only paid the additional $7.95 shipping. We better get cracking on those strawberry beds.

Owlhaven Giveaway

One of my favorite blogs that I check regularly is Owlhaven. Mary is mother to ten children. Two are adopted from Korea and four from Ethiopia as well as four biological children. She has great tips for raising a large family as well as many pieces of wisdom to share where parenting is concerned. I love reading about their huge garden and all of the canning she does. She kept me motivated to finish my canning when I was running out of steam. Most of all she is real and I love reading what has to write.

Well guess what?!

Mary wrote a book called A Sane Woman's Guide to Raising a Large Family. She is giving away one copy per week for the next four weeks. You can head over to this post to see what's it's all about and enter the giveaway. I can't wait to get my hands on this book.

The sick couch.

My kids all know that if you are sick, really sick, not just sniffles sick, you get a sick couch made for you. It's one thing in our house that makes being sick worth it.

Blankets are laid down first, then your favorite pillows are brought. A blanket is laid on the floor and the all important bucket arrives. There are cups of chicken broth and gingerale and blankets to cover you up. Em had the worst kind of sick. 103 degree temperature and throwing up. She felt terrible.

But there is nothing like that sick couch with everyone doting on you and reading to you to make things somewhat tolerable. It was short lived and she was the only one who got sick. Can I hear a Hallelujah and Amen? Thank you.

Quiet time.

We just started having each of the kids have a quiet time before the Lord every morning. They can read the Bible, sing songs, pray or do all three.

Good habits are easier to form when you are young and I know for me making time consistently each day doesn't always happen. If I make it part of their routine in the morning I am more likely to get the time in myself. The girls had recently received Promise Calendars from their aunt with a verse in it to read for each day. They have loved doing that and both Steve and I wanted them to go deeper. We want them to have their own relationship with the Creator and not one that is based soley on mom's and dad's experiences.

So each morning I set the time for 15-20 minutes. The only rules about the time are that they are spending time with God and that if they would like to sing they find a spot away from everyone else so as not to be a distraction. Even our four year old did great. I had to re-direct him a couple of times but he did very well. It's a very serene and relaxing time.

Just another manic Monday...

and I really wish it were Sunday. But photos like these will bring me through.

Today could be a little on the busy side. We have school to do, more black plastic to lay in the garden, a guest room to organize, a closet to clean out and my family needs to eat. All in a days work. I am grateful however to have the blessing of being home with my kids. Especially in these times I do not take it for granted.

We received a letter from the government showing social security amounts if something were to happen in our family. It showed my husband's salary for each of the last ten years. It was amazing for us to see God's provision. I used to work outside the home but within a few months of adopting our twins and having a one year old we both felt it was more important for me to be home with them. Financially we had no idea how we were going to make it. We had just purchased our first home and money would be very tight with only one of us working.

I was pregnant again and we felt very strongly that the Lord was leading me home so we took a step of faith. In that little letter we received last week it was fascinating to see that within two years Steve was bringing home almost as much as both of us combined had been making before I came home. Don't get me wrong, that first nine months were incredibly hard financially. We were so grateful for our garden that year and I think we were the healthiest we had ever been during that time. We ate so much fresh produce and homemade items. I learned how to garden, can and how to make things stretch. I began boiling off chickens to make my own broth for soup. Though that time was a difficult time in our marriage and on our pocket books it has proved to be an invaluable time in our lives. The lessons I learned on keeping a home and providing for my family emotionally and physically gave me a purpose I had not felt before. I had always wanted to be a mother. From as early on as I can remember I envied Mary in the bible and how she became a mother so young. It has always been at the core of my being.

No matter how manic my Mondays feel, how messy the house gets or how insane I feel at times that feeling is nothing compared to how I would feel saying goodbye to my children everyday and missing out on so much of the blessing I have been given. I know that in many families both parents work and this is not a condemnation on any of them. I am just so grateful that I get to do what I do and that I have a husband who understands the call on my life and encourages and walks with me in it. That letter last week was tangible evidence of God's faithful provision for our family. Thank you Lord.

Struggling with worry?

Octamom had a great post this morning about worry.