Is anybody out there?

I am sure by now anyone who ever read this blog is long gone! I am up late this evening and I thought I would up date my life on the WWW....

My husband HD is losing his job at the end of January, we will be moving to a bordering state. We are just so sad about the move! We have not told our children yet and don't plan to tell them until after Christmas.

We have put all baby dreams on hold after a failed attempt at artificial insemination this past October, it was a really hard decision to do the IUI and after it failed I just think we need to take a step back. God has made it clear I am no where near ready to think about adoption and with HD not having a job God is in control.

We are busy busy with life and at times I do miss this blog, I sometimes think of things I would love to say.....

Well, there is more than one way....

I last blogged about how my wonderful church family surrounded HD and I with love and prayers, helping us to step into the forgiveness God had given us from our past mistakes.  

Over the last two blogless months, we have traveled and spent time with family and friends.  First the kids and I went and visited Dana and the babies up in DC we went for a week, we swam and had a great time.  During our visit we met a family at the pool who our kids played with.  It was so much fun.

We came home just in time to have our annual 4th of July party, we had my brother and sister in law, and their children, Dana and Joe and Babies, and our Soldier girl Regan, as well as our family and friends from here, for a big party.  It was so much fun!  Except for the part where my niece "C" choked really choked on a War head candy, I had to do the Heimlich maneuver on her, word of advice this candy is so sour that at 6 it locked her jaw and she almost choked to death, very scary!  Thank you Mr. Heimlich for your maneuver.

Let me back track I get away with myself, I have so little time to blog these days I want to type as fast as I can before a child needs me....

Over the last few months, after we asked our group for prayer, yet again our hearts are changing, funny how when you give God control he takes it!  See my wonderful husband came to me a few weeks after we had the Wed. night prayer and asked me if I ever thought the reason we weren't pregnant yet was because God really wanted us to adopt?  I said " Well I hadn't really thought about it, I kind of feel like that's the last resort."  At this point he says I think maybe it's supposed to be the first resort...  WHAT?  HD goes on to explain that he is feeling God leading us to adopt, we know we really want a little girl we want Daisy to have a sister so much, and we feel like we should already have a child, I often feel like a 2 year old girl is missing?  So maybe just maybe God wants us to adopt our child and then and only then will he continue with his plans for us, to either get pregnant or not...  HD admitted to me he has always felt like we should adopt and if I was to get pregnant right now he would never seek out to adopt a 5th child ( he would like us to be able to eat) but if we adopt and then go on to have 5 or more children he would be fine with that!  WOW!  I have to say yet again, my husband is wonderful, a man who is totally happy with 3 kids, has a vasectomy reversal because he loves his wife so much, and now God has went on to show him that not only is he willing to have one more but all that God has for us is just what we both want.

 I have to tell you that it has been a whirl wind, we have looked into the Foster program in our state, with children who's parents, parental rights have been terminated and are for adoption, we are going to get the process started on that end.  We also found out that HD's company will give us 10,ooo$ toward the adoption of any child, infant or older.  We know that we want a girl, we also know she needs to be younger than Daisy.  To tell you the truth, I really have started to feel like my daughter is already born, and an urgency to go get her has formed in my heart.  

After our 4th of July party HD had to go out of town for 2 weeks and when he got this job and stopped traveling we made a commitment to always be together, so when Daddy goes we go!  So off we went back to DC. so I had 2 more weeks of fun swimming and playing and visiting Dana.  I spoke earlier of some people we met at the pool well, one day she mentioned her child's birth mother and my heart skipped a beat, I said "did you say birth mother" You know how when anything big is going on in you life you like to find people who have already walked this road and pick their brain, God placed this woman in my path and she was more than willing to fill me in on the whole process.  She told me of an agency in our State Capital who deals with foster adoption, infant adoption and placement.  I just know God put us together.  

I am making a phone call this morning to this agency and I am praying that his will be done.  I am now ready to start this process and I am ready for what God has for us.  I am sure this will be a long road, but no longer than the waiting I have already be doing.  So for those few who still read this from time to time pray for us, pray we can help a little girl have a better life, pray for our children who ask God daily to give this family more children,  pray for me that I can remain calm and steadfast in this time.  Thank you.

Wednesday night

Last Saturday my sweet friend "K" came over to help me paint our kitchen (the kitchen is being remodeled and it in total disaster mode) I think in the 3 years that "K" and I have been best friends we have only ever been alone (with out 5-6 kids running around) one time.  Saturday we had it all planned out my mom watched my 3 and her mother in law watched her older children.  

Let me go back a bit further, when HD had his vasectomy reversal  the day we to fly out to TX "K" called me at the airport and she told me she was pregnant.  WOW I really at that moment thought of all the things we could do pregnant together, I would be a liar if I said that over the 9 months she was pregnant and I was still not that jealously crept in from time to time.

Now that little "H" is here he is such a joy!  In the last few months I however have felt so much pain by not being pregnant  that I have almost tried to distance myself from this little baby who if we wouldn't have been willing to share our story of pain and struggle after realizing that we had made a horrible mistake would not be here today, see "K" and her husband "Z" we going to have a vasectomy when we met them and our story touched their heart and now we have baby "H".  

Last Saturday as we sipped coffee and talked I held baby "H" and I told my sweet friend that I was so sorry because I have tried not to hold this little blessing because of the deep pain I feel in my heart....  She said she knew why I didn't hold him so much.  I was surprised because I thought I had done a good job of not talking about wanting a baby, I really don't want to be "That woman the woman who wants a baby bla bla bla"  I held baby "H" and just sobbed my sweet friend sobbed with me.  My heart was broken my heart is broken.  I told her how I try not to talk about it, that so many well meaning Christian friend have so many options about my fertility that its hard to talk about in small group or Sunday school.  I am tired of being told maybe you need to adopt or maybe God doesn't want you to have more children.  "K" encouraged me to talk to our small group to be real with them.  I felt healing start as I loved on this little baby, that day I decided I was not going to miss out on "H" being a baby because each time I have to hand him back I want to die inside, no I was going to love on this baby, I was going to let go and let God use me as part of his life.

Wednesday night on our way to church I asked HD to ask everyone to pray for us, I didn't want to do it I didn't want to cry I didn't want any opinions (although I myself always have one, hmmm that's not really fair is it).  When it was my turn to give prayer requests I asked for everyone to help us get our kitchen done and various things that were of no real importance to me and at the very last I asked for prayer for HD and I to have a baby, I did say that this was really hard for us and that I was struggling as soon as I started to get choked up I stopped talking.  At that point a very Godly man who is also a Prosecuting Attorney asked me a question I was afraid might be asked he asked me very kindly how do you know God wants you to have more children,  this story I had never shared with our group, I have a hard time talking about it its painful, I like to be the happy one in the room not the grieving one not the one ready to cry the moment the mention of a baby comes up, I want to be the life of the party....

So with apprehension I started to talk.  I told our group how with our first child we found out I had an infertility disease and might never have children but after 2 years of pain and fertility drugs we were blessed with our son Luke.  I told how when we were visiting Chicago we went to a prayer meeting and out of the blue a pastor came to me and asked if he could pray for me that pastor changed our life that day, he told us "God is going to heal your womb"  and I told our group that at that very moment I saw a silhouette of 4 children, I told our group how I was healed and had our next 2 children with no problem.  At this point I was really struggling to talk I felt not only a knot in my throat but a knot in my heart.  I told our group how when our baby girl was only 6 months old I was at Sams club and with a 4 year old who started throwing up a 2 year old who fell out of the cart and an infant who just had a blowout in her diaper, I made a call to the doctor and scheduled HD's vasectomy from the parking lot, I shared how we didn't ask God we did it, I pushed HD to do it.  I shared with this group how I carry the guilt of killing our 4th child, the guilt of ending the lives of the children God wanted for us.

I went on and shared how very quickly after his vasectomy I knew how wrong I had been not only for wanting HD to have a vasectomy but for pushing him to do it, not letting HD lead our family.  I told how I then asked and begged for over 6 months for HD to have a reversal, and how one day late summer he pulled the car over after one of my tearful begging sessions and HD told me never to ask him again he was so over it, he had a very painful surgery because I wanted him to, he has given in and done alot of things I have wanted him to but not this time. He was happy with the 3 children we had he wanted me to focus on them and never to ask him again as long as we lived!  I didn't ever ask again, I prayed, I prayed that God would change MY heart and take away the desire to have more children or change HD's heart.  Six months later HD came to me and told me God has changed my heart and I want to have children with you, we were wrong, he explained that he was happy with our 3 children but he knew that I would always miss the child God showed us on that day may years before, he explained how he would be happy with our family if it was 3 kids or 4 kids or more, he felt blessed....  so as you know we had the reversal and after 15 months we are still not pregnant.  

As I told our story every face in the room changed, I do not know what the opinions of this group were before I told this story but I do know after I was done they too knew that God's plan was for us to have more children.  I am very thankful for this Godly man who asked some questions, that he really wanted to understand why I was asking for prayer why I felt so sure, it's easy to have surface prayers and not really share when you have shame and quilt, its hard to open up and admit that some days you don't want to get out of bed, its hard to admit that you only act like the life of the party, you are really hurting inside.  At that point something very amazing happened the whole reason for this post.

Our leader stood up and asked HD and I to come to the middle of the room and let everyone place hands on us and pray.  I can not tell you how humbled I felt, we came to the middle of this group and with open hearts they took turns praying for us, praying for God to wipe away the lies Satan has put in my head about not being a good enough mother, the lies that we won't have children again, the lies that I am not good enough lies I didn't really realize I had been believing.  They prayed and plead with the Lord on our behalf, I felt like with each tear that fell, the pain eased, I felt with each tear that fell I gave God control.

I realized that over the last 15 months I have always tried to be in control, I have wanted to have a child like right now because our kids are getting older and I have always had a plan I have spent very little time really wanted Gods time.  I really today feel free, I feel like I am so blessed with the 3 children I have and I really want Gods time, it is perfect.  I feel lighter, I know there will be days I will feel guilty but I will remember I am not I am forgiven.

We are so blessed with our church family, we are blessed with a church who believes in the power of prayer we are blessed with Godly men who will ask questions to make sure your heart is in the right place, we have a teaching and preaching staff who teach biblical principals.  HD and I left our group knowing God is going to continue to bless this family.  We are a blessed family.

I do not know when God will give us the desire of our hearts I don't even know how, but I do know we are open, if its our own child or an adopted child, we are open, we are not in control Thank God....

Vacation part 2

So our cruise was amazing!  I loved every minute on the ship, I had really been worried about motion sickness but I never felt even the slightest bit ill the whole time.  Now let me tell you something you might not know about cruising, the staff of the ship act like you are someone famous!  Really you are treated like Royalty for a whole week.  Every time we left our cabin our stateroom attendant Michael would come in and straiten up, like 5 times a day.

We left the ship early on Saturday morning and off we hurried to the shuttle bus and back to the airport to catch our flight to the Bahamas.  Our plane was not much bigger than a tin can, it even had propellers on the sides, I like big planes this was very far from big.  So we all crammed in to the "little plane" and we were off!

We landed in the Bahamas with in 45 minutes.  As we entered customs things get interesting the man helping us with our bags being that we are such a big group, 2 wheel chairs, 2 strollers, 3 small kids with over loaded back packs and 4 other adults all pulling carry on luggage he took us to a special window were an over sized woman sat filing her nails.  As we approached she made a funny face at me and then went on to say "I can not believe you have brought these people to my line you have ruined my whole day"  at this point I look around because I know  she is not talking to me like that, HD kind of got a chuckle out of that....  Now let me say she was not saying this jokingly she was saying this with the chicken head bob'n back and forth she was mad we had interrupted her nail filing session, I could not believe it!  Could not!  I still can't.  We finished our documents while she huffed and puffed at us and then we ran off to collect our bags.

We had prepaid for transportation from the airport to the resort Atlantis.  We got on our bus, all eleven of us and 2 other couples.  Again I am shocked the woman driving the bus starts telling us about the local fair and she starts using crude humor, we did not laugh, my 3 kids are on this bus and she is talking about sex and saying things that are totally inappropriate, now I am huffing and puffing and sighing loudly but she just talked louder.  Did you know they drive on the wrong side of the road in the Bahamas?  They do.  As we pulled up to the resort she says check under your seat and make sure you have your purses and wallets because big mama does not return things left on her bus I will be having a party tonight....  Then get this she wanted a tip she hoovered around like she would get a tip for driving us now mind you we paid over 100$ for our 15 minuted drive.  I looked at her and told her strait up the only tip you are gonna get is "not to tell jokes about stealing from me if I leave something on your bus!" I then walked away!  

The resort was huge and it was beautiful!  We hurried inside to check in, that went smoothly.  I will tell you more about Atlantis and the people of the island in a few days.... 

Our vacation part 1

Hi do you remember me, Happy Mommy the sometimes funny, sometimes sad, sometimes overwhelmed woman who used to write here?   It's me and yes we are alive!  I know its been forever and I have been thinking alot about just shutting this whole thing down, but then that means I can't come back, and what if I want to write something.  So I figure if I write every now and then and not just for the comments which you all know I love but I write because I want to this might just be fun again.  I will not shut the site down I am going to keep writing but as I said before, when I can.   I am happy to say HD still has a job and we do not have to move.  God has stepped in again and made a way for us to remain right where we are and I am so grateful and thankful!

Now on with part one of our family vacation~

We left our house on March 27 for our two week vacation, we drove to DC which is about a four hour drive.  We left that evening after HD got off work so we were getting a late start.  I had the car packed, I don't know how I did it I really don't we had 5 large suitcases, 3 back packs, 2 carry on suitcases and my purse.  By the time we arrived at Dana and Joe's house it was after 9 pm and HD immediately started helping Joe pack his minivan too.  Did I mention we had 11 people going on this two week vacation?  ELEVEN!  That's 5 small children 2 of them are not potty trained, two couples and my mom who is handicapped and can't walk long distances and my grandma who is 78 and also can't walk long distances....

Very shortly after we got to Dana's and I mean very shortly only about 15 minutes my mom called me down stairs and said something was wrong with my son Bo.  I started to come down the stairs as he was coming up to show me.  He held out his had and it was evidently broken!  I took him by the shoulders and told him to sit down right where he was I told him he had broken his hand and that it was going to be ok, we were just going to go to the hospital and he would be just fine, all the while he was white as a ghost and was starting to shake.

I told HD to get directions from Joe and off we went.  I could totally tell this hand was broken at the bone where the pinky finger attaches to the hand, fingers are not supposed to stick out sideways like that!!!  On the drive over to the hospital HD said yeah it's broken, when he showed it to me I kissed it and said it's ok buddy,  At this point I am not sure my ears are working correctly, I ask him did Bo come to you BEFORE he came to me?  HD answers yes, I know it looked funny but we are going on a Cruise in less than 12 hours so I didn't want it to be broken.  Again I say WHAT!  He said I sent him to you, I needed a minute to think about what I just saw and I know fingers are not supposed to do that.

After a very short time at the hospital, and a few Xrays later yes he has a broken bone, the one between his pinky finger and his hand, they made a removable cast and we would be able to splint it while we were in the pools and on the beaches during our Cruise and then while we were at Atlantis as well.

We got home at around mid night and he was still doing really well for breaking his hand.  He never cried, he is really a trooper!  We hurried off to bed, we had to get up at 4am to be at the airport at 5.

The airport with that many people is crazy.  We had a child with a broken arm who now was not feeling so well.  We had two babies who where crying because well its 5 am, and two women in wheelchairs, if we wanted to draw attention to ourselves we accomplished it that's for sure.

The flight to FL was short only about 2 hours, the kids all did really well, until we landed and Reese was very sick!  She started throwing up.  By 2 we were finally on the ship.  We went on Royal Caribbeans Liberty of the Sea.  It was amazing.  I really had no idea of how big these ships are it really is like a city on the water!  

  

It' been a long two weeks!

We have had so much going on the last few weeks.  We are still very uncertain about HD's job, the good news is with so many people loosing their jobs, we might have to move but he will have his job.  I don't really like the choices they are giving us but we will see.  This Thursday the official offer will be given and we have a week to respond.  We will take the offer and we plan to move.  I really hate this for our kids we have such a great church family and they love it here.

I have been praying nonstop about what God wants us to do and I feel like no matter where we live he will use us and we will be blessed!  He tells us in his word Go and spread the Gospel, so we will go and He will guide us.

We had 14 inches of snow which totally wiped our community out of power, we were with out power and with a well that also means with out running water for 2 days some people were with out power for over a week.  We ate hot dogs in our fireplace for 2 days, oh and sweet  potatoes roasted in the fire.  On the up side we had a great time playing in the snow and eating snow cream.

I will post some snow pictures later today.  I am off to teach some math!  Happy Tuesday!

Employment woes

Back in late October we had a scare with my husbands company you can read about it here, basically they told us we had to move, then a few weeks later they told us we didn't have to move.  For the last month or so every time we get together with Bible Study groups or Church friends, HD is always praying for our economy.  He is a really good citizen but there is much more to it!  With the economy in such trouble that places HD's job in jeopardy.

Yesterday the company HD works for filed an article 35 which means they are offering 70 people an early retirement buyout.  And if they do not receive the amount of buyout notices they want they are making a forced adjustment which is a nice way to say alot of people are about to lose their jobs.

I will be the first one to tell you that God gave HD this job in the first place, and that I believe he can protect it!  I also will tell you that being a Christian does not always mean you are comfortable, and we have always had a very comfortable income.  I am praying that we can stay right where we are!  I am praying that they drop the whole article 35 I am praying we don't suffer lose of money.

HD is worried which worries me!  He never worries, never!  We spent a good part of the evening last night searching jobs all over the country and we will move as long as we can be together.  HD traveled for 11 years, that is not an option for our family to be without him, I love our church, our friends or community but being away from each other is not going to happen!

Pray for  us we want clarity and certainty in this time of such confusion.  Pray for Gods will and for confidence.  Thank you!

We are leaving this evening to go and visit Twice Blessed Mommy it is the twins birthday!  Two years!  I will post some pictures later.

Fro Me to You~ Family Picture

I am posting what looks like a nice family photo, see looks are deceiving!  See our camera ran out of batteries and my kids we cracked up on candy canes and coffee punch.  Dinner was 3 hours late, and we still had a 3 hour drive ahead of us.  I had PMS and was so over it, this was the best of the 10 pictures Twice blessed Daddy took.  Some of them had gritted teeth.  Nothing says Merry Christmas like screaming at your kids to sit down and take the Christmas picture so we can remember how happy we were!!!!!   So here is our Family picture, I can laugh today.

Check out We Are THAT Family for some laughs.

I will not complain I will not complain I will not complain

Hello there Blog world it's me HAPPY Mommy, remember me the Happy one....  Oh, you forgot who I was, sorry that's because I was very miserable for about a week now.  

The big fat shot in my hind end really helped, the doctor gave me a shot of steroids to help my spastic lungs, doesn't that sound nice.  I am not complaining, no not at all, I slept last night.

Yesterday was a horrible day, the kids we awful and I was in a very bad mood!  I am feeling much better now, thanks to a very good friend (THANK YOU "S") my friend "S" reminded me last night that my kids are young....  Profound isn't it.  Young.  To be honest, I was unprepared for a Dr. visit I brought no books no toys, no coloring books or drawing paper, and I truly expected my three young kids to sit and not move because I felt like crap.

Well that plan fell apart fast.   I left that appointment feeling like a bad mom, which I am not, my kids are sick, I am sick and we had a bad day.  Life goes on, chin up!

My friend "S" reminded me to set some rules that really matter, don't bust down on everything make somethings rules to live by.  Like if it is my major issue, teach them, like I get the maddest when I am ready to leave and I ask the kids to get there coats and shoes, oh 12 times.  Funny this is also "S's" major thing too.  So I have decided from now on to go to my kids and tell them in their face get your shoes and coat, if the tv is on I will turn it off, I will no longer allow myself to get upset before we head out for the day!

I also hate when the kids act up in public, who doesn't right!  I have had a lot of success in the past with packing a bag for the car with books and scissors and paper, for some reason I got away from that and so I packed a car bag this morning, I realize I can't expect a 7, 5 and 3 year old to sit quietly with nothing to do.

I am thankful for friends who have kids a few years older they have had these days too!  I am thankful for my kids who just this morning told me I was the best mommy in the world...

I am thankful we get to go to bed and  start over each day!  I am Thankful God Loves me even when I act ugly!

See no complaining today!  Happy Thursday!

I am going where...

UPDATE:

I went to the doctor who must me paid by musinex because she said try musinex at least 14 times in the 10 minutes we were with her.  I have a virus, Luke has a virus which means that I wasted 30$ because they do nothing for a virus.  Oh and my children acted like wild animals at the doctor,  Daisy actually ran out of the room while the doctor was listening to my chest.  I had to stop and think are these my children?  We had a kicking incident at the pharmacy.  The Pharmacist wanted to visit, he came out and asked the kids their names and I was so ready to leave, what really gets me is why in the world would he want us there one minute longer than we had to be, because right about then, Daisy laid out in the floor and had a fit over a pack of gum, oh and as we were about to leave the question of the day where do you go to school, I had to tell the man that I spend all day with these lovely children and I must be out of my mind because I want more!  And if things couldn't get worse which they always Always can, the car door slammed shut on my hand, I now have hotdogs for fingers.  And let me just say if the car door shuts on your right hand it is very difficult to open with your left. So I am now going to go take a nap....

We are planing  to go out of town for the twins second Birthday this weekend.  I am still coughing up my left lung, and Luke is just as sick.  Thankfully Daisy and Bo are much better and making messes as we speak.  I am not only planing  to go, I am the one making the cake...  

I need your prayers because the only way we are driving 3 hours from home 2 days from now is a Divine intervention!  

I still need to pick up an extra gift for them and I am scheduled to teach astronomy to some of our home school group on Friday.  Wow, I am overwhelmed just writing it.

Please pray for the sick family!

I flu the coop!

I have to confess this was the worst Valentines Day in the history of all the Valentines Days in my married life!  Or better yet in my whole life!  

I had all my favorite people with me Twice Blessed Mommy and her babies, HD's sister Regan, and of course HD.  Regan drove down from here station in KY she took a 9 hour drive to spend the long weekend with us, Friday was a wonderful day with our homeschool group I did however find out that Luke gets stage fright and the poor boy almost fainted while giving his report on Beowulf, the kids had a Valentines party and besides stage fright all was well.  We finished up packing my grandma's house at which time I started having some trouble breathing, now I totally attributed this to old paper and unwrapping dishes.

By Saturday morning I was sick, all out sick.  But I can't be held back we went out to dinner and to the movies all the while I sneezed and coughed and while at CVS buying NyQuil to insure that I would be able to sleep the worst thing ever happened, I thought I had to pass gas, I will leave it at that, because it was horrible and I am still trying to recover from the incident!  

I woke up sometime in the night with a fever and was shaking horrible, I stayed in bed until today, I had the flu and Sunday all three of our children came down with it too.  First Bo said he had a headache and he started crying a few minutes later he was throwing up, Daisy was behind him only by a few hours.  Luke has been coughing so hard he is throwing up too.  

So as I said originally this was the worst Valentines Day of my life!  Regan went back to Base yesterday and the poor girl is sick as a dog!  

The only good part of the whole thing is HD bought me the most beautiful Milk glass candy dish.  I had mentioned that I love milk glass and he went to my favorite antique store and bought me a piece, I love thoughtful gifts that don't die!

Happy Birthday HD

Today is my sweet, handsome, loving and wonderful husbands birthday.  Today HD is 34!  This is the 14th birthday I have spent with my husband.  I remember each and everyone too.  I have been with HD since I was 16 years old.  He has been my very best friend from the beginning, and for that I am grateful!  Today I want to tell you 34 things I love about my husband.

1. You are a hard worker

2. You can fix anything

3. You never yell

4. You forgive me when I yell

5. I can tell you anything 

6. You love me no matter what

7. You are a wonderful Daddy

8. You love the Lord with all your heart

9. After 14 years you still grab my butt every time you walk by...

10. You didn't complain when I was really over weight

11. You had a vasectomy for me

12. You had it reversed for me

13. You are willing to adopt for our family to grow

14. Your smile lights the room

15. you diet when I diet

16. you call me to say you love me for no reason

17. You hold my hand all the time

18. You open doors for me

19. you look me in the eyes when we talk

20. You teach our boys how to be men

21. You pray for other people more than yourself

22. You will pray for me anytime anywhere

23. You say I am the best cook

24. You hug me and our children no less than 5 times a day

25. You are generous with your time and money

26. You are a very good friend

27. You are honest

28. You encourage me daily

29. I love that you remember things you read

30. I love that you help me fold laundry and you don't complain

31. I love that you are so good looking

32. You snuggle me all night

33. I love that you help our kids with sports

34. I love that you tell our daughter she is the prettiest girl in the world

This is only 34 of the things that I love about you, I could go on all day!  I love you with all my heart and am so Thankful God blessed me with you.  I look forward to the next 34 years...

Happy Birthday HD!

Another Pie Post

Tonight I am having a get together.  HD will be 34 on Tuesday, yikes my man is getting closer to 40!  I am making baked chicken, fresh green beans, a sweet potato and apple casserole and a pie, a Turtle cheese  cake actually, is cheese cake, cake or pie you cut it like pie not cake, I think it's in the pie catagory and since I already gave this post the title of Another Pie Post, I am calling cheese cake pie, ok on with it already!

I decided that if I am going to eat this very fattening cheese cake you all should too, so please get to the store and make this with me, your friends will be thrilled your husband will be so happy (until swim suit season) and you will love it!

Turtle Cheesecake

1 3/4 cups chocolate gram crackers crumbs

1/3 cups butter melted

3 8oz cream cheese softened

1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cups sugar

3 large eggs

3 tablespoons lime juice

1 tablespoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

2 tablespoons chocolate syrup

2 tablespoons caramel ice cream topping

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Grease 9 inch springform pan.

Crust:  Combine crumbs and butter, press onto bottom and 1 inch up side of pan.

Filling: beat cream cheese and milk until smooth, add sugar, eggs, lime juice and vanilla continue to beat.  Now microwave the 1 1/2 cups of chocolate chips for 1 minute stir and microwave in 20 second intervals until the morsels are melted.  Take 2 cups of the batter and mix it with the chocolate.  Alternately spoon the batters into crust, beginning and ending with yellow batter. Bake 70 -75 minutes or until edge is set and center moves slightly.  Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes, then run knife around edge and let cool completely.  Drizzle syrups on top, sprinkle with nuts and morsels and refrigerate for at least 3 hours remove side of pan before serving.  

Eat and enjoy!  I am off to fold laundry, clean toilets and pick up toys!

Happy Saturday! 

Fro Me to You~ Christmas 2008

I have been so busy lately that I just down loaded our Christmas pictures yesterday.  I haven't even looked at them once until then.  Here are a few of our Christmas pictures....

HD and I right before breakfast

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Daisy and her Bitty Baby Twins, she has named them Jackson and Grace.

Look at my happy front toothless boy!

Bo is smiling so hard his little eyes are shut!

This is the best smelling perfume in the world!  Viva La Juicy!

HD on Christmas Day, boy my man is handsome!

This was taken on Christmas Eve.

This was taken on Christmas morning.

Go to We Are That Family for more Fro Me To You.

Pie

I did not win the pie contest on Saturday nor did HD win the chili cook off.  The woman who won the first place in the pie contest also won 2nd place in the chili cook off and you want to know the worst part, she was pretty.  Now I don't think I would have minded half as much if she would have been slightly over weight with a mustache...

But noooooo she was tall and thin and blond and pretty with a cute outfit to boot!

I wanted to share my pie recipes with you, because I love you and they are really good.  Did I mention there were 41 pies entered into the contest?  So its not like I lost really bad.

Pecan Cream Cheese

1 refrigerated pie crust

1 8 oz package of cream cheese

1 egg

1 tea vanilla

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 tea salt

3 eggs

1/4 cup sugar 

1 cup light corn syrup

1 tea vanilla

1 1/4 cup chopped pecans

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Now with an electric mixer mix the first 5 ingredients until smooth.  Set it aside.  Now mix the next 4 ingredients well.  Spread the cream cheese mixture into the bottom of the uncooked pie shell and sprinkle the pecans on top of it.  Gently pour the corn syrup mixture onto of the pecans.  Bake for 35 to 45 minutes.  ( you may have to cover the crust with foil about half way through keep checking)

A Prayer Answered

As a parent my greatest concern is that my children will come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior and ask Him into their hearts.  For some time now Luke has told HD and I that he is a Christian, and until yesterday I have felt like he might not really get it.  Every time we have tried to sit down with him and read what God's word says about salvation he gets a little confused and I have felt like it was not really time yet.

Sunday at church 3 kids went up and asked Jesus into their hearts.  After church he asked why is it they got to have everyone shake their hands?  HD and I explained that they were Christians now and our church family wanted to congratulate them and welcome them into the kingdom of God.  He said no one has shaken my hand yet, I'm a Christian.  I prayed and prayed yesterday for God to guide me in how to know for sure and how to lead our son.  When HD came home from work we went into our room with Luke and read him a few verses from the bible and he completely got it, he had great questions and ultimately he then prayed with us and he excepted Jesus as his Savior.  After we had prayed together I asked Luke how do you feel and he started to cry, he said I feel so full inside.  Of course I was crying too!  I explained that the Holy Spirit has come to live in your heart.  I know for sure that my son has eternal salvation and our prayers have been answered, each and everyday of each one of our children's lives we have prayed that they would come to know Christ and an early age and yesterday our oldest did just that.

We will speak to our pastor this week and he will be baptized soon.  I am just so grateful that as parents HD and I could walk with our son on this journey.

I'm alive!

Blog friends I really do miss you all, are you all there anymore or have you left my lack of blogging all together?  I have found times in the last year where I never had trouble blogging I had endless ideas and other times where you all were my dearest friends.  I have to tell you that lately I can't come up with one thing to write about.  Not at all because I'm not busy but because I am so busy.  More than anything I am so fulfilled in our new church, I knew back in November that something was missing a void of sorts.  Now I realize I was very lonely, I longed for more friendships with women in our church and this blog filled that void, but lets face it most of you don't even know my real name.  I was so lonely.

This last 2 months have been the best months I have had in years.  My children are making friends and can't wait until we go to church and my husband is making friendships and going to men's bible study and he is also so happy.

I do feel bad for the lack of blogging because you all have encouraged me in bad times and laughed with me during happy times, you all have been a source of comfort when I didn't even know why I was so sad.  Thank you.  Although I can't promise to blog daily I am sure I don't want this part of my life to end.  I have found in the last year that I love writing, I love reading your blogs.

So let me tell you some exciting things going on in our life.  We are having a Chili cook off and pie bake off contest this Saturday at our church, we are also having a snow day, our church has rented a snow making machine and we are going to have a snow day.  I am entering 2 pies into the contest, I will post the recipe this week and HD is making his famous Texas chili.  My mom is going to enter a white chicken chili also.

We are still not pregnant and sadly it has been a year since HD had a vasectomy reversal, I will say I am becoming less hopeful as time passes.  I also find that I have more peace as time passes also, see I know God wants me to be a mother again and I feel like God is leading my heart into different directions, I keep feeling like maybe we are to adopt maybe a 2 year old girl.  I can't believe I am sharing this with you all but I really need your prayers for so long I have wanted to be pregnant and to nurse a baby and hold my own child but when it all comes down to it, none of that really matters I feel like if I can't have one maybe someone already has, and God wants us to open our hearts and home to a child that really needs us.  Please pray for HD and I as we pray about this journey and ask God to lead us completely into his will for  our family.

I hope you all have a great Tuesday!   We are having freezing rain today so hopefully we don't lose our power!

Sincerely Fro Me To You ~ Family hunting trip

Back in December we all went squirrel hunting as a family.  We got our squirrel dog for our children Christmas 2 years ago.  He is a very sweet doggie, even though he got in a fight with a skunk!  On this Saturday morning we got out in the woods at 7am, we got 5 squirrels.  Yes I do cook them and yes they kind of taste like chicken...  They are good fried with gravy, but what isn't good fried with gravy?

Here we all are posing 

This is Luke with his doggie

Go to We Are THAT Family for more Sincerely Fro Me To You.

confessions of a disorganized housewife....

I still have my Christmas decorations up!  Ok now that, that's out in the open I feel much better!  I really want to get everything packed away but I haven't had a minute yet, except for maybe last Sunday but ya'll I needed a nap...

I am going to have HD get the boxed down from the attic tomorrow evening so that we can start on the job.  HD works this coming Saturday so I can get everything done and have him put the boxes away.  We are going to a Sunday School class get together on Saturday night we are to bring soup.  I am making clam chowder, and some fresh bread.  I love the New England creamy kind not the brown Manhattan kind.

We are enjoying our new church so much!  I realized a few weeks ago that I really wanted to go to church, I actually couldn't wait to go.  I have been going to church for many years but for the last few years I have not really felt like a vital part of a church family and even though we have wonderful friends something was missing.  I have found it, it was a whole family of Christians.  We have a small couples group we go to on Wednesday nights, I am really looking forward to meeting tonight.   In two weeks our church is having a sledding snow boarding, chili and pie cook off  festival of sorts.  We have rented a snow machine and will be having a great time.  HD, being a Texan and all has decide that he needs to win the first prize for the chili contest.  I on the other hand want to have the best pie.  But what pie, the rules do not say we can't make more than one pie so I think I will make 3 so I have a better chance to win, and you can never have to much food at a Baptist function, we like to eat.  I am thinking I need a peanut butter pie and maybe a cream pie, I am unsure of the kind of fruit pie to make so if you have any ideas let me know...

So I am going to go vacuum around the Christmas tree's again and hopefully for the last time this year.  As soon as we get the decorations put up we are starting on redoing the kitchen flooring and painting so that we can get this house on the market, maybe that's why we have been procrastinating so much we just have so much to do.

I have  been getting up early every day to do the Wii Fit I have lost 4 pounds since I weighed in on Monday with a group of woman, we are calling our little group Weigh and Pray and we are following WW while weighing in on Monday mornings and praying for each other.  I really want to lose 16  more pounds.

Have a great  and Happy Wednesday!

Small things can mean so much

Last night HD went to Walmart with me....  Let me tell you it really meant the world to me!  I love grocery shopping, I really do.  Nothing brings much more satisfaction than to fill our cabinets and fridge with healthy food and make nutritious meals for our family.  The problem, shopping for two weeks at a time with 3 small children it toe.

So, last night HD went to the store with us, he got a cart for Daisy to ride in the front and Bo to sit on the coats in the back.  He took the kids and would go fetch an item or two meet back up with me and I would send him on the next hunt.  He really enjoyed the time with the kids and I was able to get our shopping done in less than 2 hours, and we made it to Sams Club too.

This is such a wonderfully kind thing because HD does not like shopping, he actually hates shopping unless it's at a sporting goods store.  

On Wednesday HD took a vacation day to stay home and spend the day with us.  I decided he should see what our school day looks like, he really doesn't get a chance to watch the kids do school so he really has no idea what a whole homeschooling day looks like.  He was surprised, I guess he thought it went faster or maybe that it was  easier...  I guess he was unaware of how many times a day the kids interrupt me or that they have so many different needs or how different each one of their schooling is, from second grade to Kindergarten and even pre K with Daisy.  He was full of compliments at the end of our day, from "it is really a hard  job, you do" to "boy our kids are smart"!  It was really good for him and in turn he realized my days are hard and last night he made my job as a ~stay home wife, mother, home school teacher, nurse, cook, and  maid  much easier!

Tonight we are going on a much needed date!  My mom is  keeping the kids over night she is even coming to pick them up to give me more time to get ready.  We are going to Panara Bread for dinner.  I have never been there before so I look forward to trying something new.  We are also going to go to a movie, and maybe even to Starbucks for coffee.  We have no curfew, no kids, I am really excited!  I even scheduled a couples massage for us in the morning before we have to go pick up the kids.  As much as I am in love with my husband and as attracted to him as I am and always have been, his sweet gesture last night has made me even more excited to be alone with him, and spend time with just us!  

I hope your Friday night is great I know mine will be!

Money Well Spent

I can't even begin to tell you how many times I have stressed and worried about what is the best gift to give.  Hundreds of times probably!  With Luke our oldest I wanted him to have everything and I over spent most every holiday.  I never bought with in the age range which always turned out to be a huge mistake!  With Bo I bought him expensive toys to make up for the fact that he had so many hand me downs.  One Christmas, it was his first Christmas I think I spent $80 on a stuffed Octopus with bells and mirrors that was supposed to be very intellectually stimulating all because we had everything else.  No matter how I spun that stupid thing he never would look at crawl to or play with it!

Now with Daisy being the only girl I wanted her to have barbies and babies and a toy kitchen and dress up clothes you know girly stuff.  All way to early though, she was just starting to speak in sentences when we bought her the kitchen and she didn't even know what to do with it.

So with all that in mind I really did some research this year.  I wanted to buy the kids age appropriate gifts that they would enjoy, learn from and remember.  I love that the boys are interested in action figures, we invested in more Playmobil this year we got them a Cowboy and Indian set, they have played with it every single day, and a Forestry set because with HD being a hunter the boys love playing with this set as well.  They were given the Tag reader, and it is worth every penny!  Even Daisy loves it, she is picking up some of the words by using it over and over.

Daisy got Bitty Baby Twins this year and she has proven to be a wonderful little mommy, it will be no time at all until she is ready for her American Girl.

Luke was given a Ball of Whacks, this is a great gift idea for any boy who likes to take apart and put together.  We got 2 really amazing board games one is an old classic called Shut The Box it is a math game and if you have kids who like to play games this is a great one it is fun and teaches math all at the same time.  We also got Blokus and even I am hooked, we have played almost everyday, its a little to advanced for Daisy at 3, but with supervision she has played with the pieces sorting and stacking them on the board making her own game.  The other game we got this Christmas is Cosmic Catch, I think this is my favorite game the kids got, all 5 of us can play together and it is not a long game.

Oh and we got the Wii Fit.  I found it on Amazon.com for over the retail value but really it has been worth the extra money I paid!  I have lost 2 pounds already.  I have been getting up at 5:30 and exercising before I make breakfast and I feel good.  

As far as I am concerned the money we spent this year was all on great toys and games.  I wish I could say that about every year!

Happy New Year 2009!

I really can't believe a whole year has past so quickly!  I find that these days I am so busy I don't even find time to blog or read blogs.  That's because we got so many fun games for Christmas we have been playing non stop for two weeks now.  So I won't apologize for my blog absence because I have really been having a great time with my kids!

We have been doing the new Wii fit, playing shut the box and blokus, domino's, uno and many many other games all the while dressing and undressing Daisy's bitty baby twins.

Are you enjoying the kids during their school breaks?  I wish it could last even longer but Monday morning I will be doing school again.

Do you have any New Years Resolutions?

Last year I had so many, this year seems so different, I had no idea last year we were going to have a vasectomy reversal and remain baby less, I really believed I would have four children by now....  I had no idea that I would lose my Grandpa with lung and liver cancer.  Life just seems shorter to me I guess.

I do want to remain positive this year!  I want to remain hopeful and thankful this year.

Happy New Years, I hope you day has been wonderful!