Pregnancy Update

There is new pregancy news. I had my first offical appointment (besides the nurses assessment) with the Dr. She went over weight gain, checked the babies heart rate, and i got my blood work done, just the standard stuff, no genetic testing,etc. Everything went well. My blood pressure was 122/82 which is just a little higher than were I started with Noah, not much. My weight gain should be about 20 lbs with this one. I gained 28 lbs with Noah, but I was a few lbs lighter to start with, haha. I have only gained 3lbs so far. The baby's HR was 140 (i think), the doctor said that is a good HR. She also confirmed that there was only ONE baby in there, phew! I am officially out of the first trimester! Thank goodness, I was so sick and tierd of being sick and tierd (although I was not really sick, just felt yuck in the mornings and evenings).

So here goes the second trimester! I already feel better and have more energy, but my pants are getting tight. So I went out and bought 3 Bella Bands! I got a major deal, the store I bought them from was going out of business so everything was 50% off! I was originally only going to get one to see if I liked them, but hey with prices like that i decided to go with three colors, black, brown and white. That should get me through!
One a side note I love the Bella Bands, I can now where all my pants just un buttoned:) They look good too. I will post a pic later.

Pneumonia? Maybe Not...

Here is the update on Noah. Last Friday I finally got him into the Dr's. at 3:45pm. I told them that he was having trouble breathing and that he needed to see someone today. The receptionist told me that I could always take him to the ER. I ask her if she thought it was Er worthy, she told me it was up to me. So, I told her that I would monitor him and if they couldn't get me in today by closing then I would take him to the ER. SO when we finally got in, she said she hear some fluid in his lungs (the weird rattling sound) and was going to treat him for pneumonia. So we stopped at the Pharmacy to pick up his two anti-biotic, one steroid, and breathing treatments, along with his aerosol machine! I ask the Pharmacist if he needed all of this( I wanted a second opinion) She said that it is rare for two anti-biotic to be scribed, but it isn't like it never happens. But if I wanted i could hold off one anti-biotic I could. So that is what I did. We were then sent to the hospital for a chest x-ray that would be sent to the Dr. So all memorial day weekend we were staying home and giving Noah his treatments (and trying to get him to eat).

Finally on Tuesday we hear back from the Dr. The chest x-ray was negative. Kurt ask if we should still give him all his medication, they said yes. So We are continuing for another 5 days at least on anti-biotic and breathing treatments (the steroid was only for 5 days).

But it is just frustrating. First of all because my mom instincts told me that it is waaaay to much medication. Second it wasn't even pneumonia! It did however, give me a small glimpse in to the life of moms who have children who have long term health problems. I can see why they are always stressed out. Constantly having to depend on what Dr.s say and fitting into their schedule. Our whole health care system has advanced technologically, but has back pedalled when it comes to customer care. When ever I have to deal with Dr.s or hospitals I feel like a cog that comes through the manufacturing line, only to be spit out when its over. But it's like you have to get your child treatment. I dont know how many times I wish I had training in health care or something so that I could take care of my family. If I had time & money to study something like that I would.

Sick Mister Noah

Well so much for taking away the pacifier. It will need to be put on hold for now. Noah had a fever of 102.5 last night and woke up with this weird rasp when he breaths in. And he was very clingy and lethargic last night as well, so I let him have his pacifier. He slept better(I think he is run down from lack to sleep!) last night with it, but like I said woke up a sore throat. So we will see how he is today. Kurt said his fever has gone down. Poor little guy. I hate it when he is sick. My brother came over to play with him last night, and he just didn't want to play at all.

The weather has been so nice lately it has me thinking about bike rides! I have a bike, Kurt does not, and we don't have anything for Noah. I wonder if they still make those seats that you can attach. He would probably need a helmet too! But I know we can't afford one of those little pull behind things. Anyone know of ideas to include kids on bike rides?

I was also searching for some good prenatal products. I found this website that sounds like it has awesome feedback from moms. EarthMamaAngelBaby. It is organic, herbal teas, and body care products. I am going to try a few. I will let you know how it goes.

The Pacifier

For the last three night's Noah has gone to sleep without his pacifier. Which is a good thing....but it has come with some not so fun side effects. He now wakes up earlier. Tuesday...7:30 am, Wednesday... 7:00 am, Today...6:30! And he went to bed later than normal last night, 8:30 when he is usually down by 8pm.

I am starting to wonder if I should let him have it for awhile longer if it means two more hours of sleep. He usually only uses it while he sleeps. He doesn't seem like he misses it, but he wakes up and doesn't go back to sleep?? I don't want to get to the point where he is so attached to it.

The get up time wouldn't be a big deal but Kurt works second right now and he has to get up with him after I leave for work. This means 6, maybe 7 hours of sleep. So I feel bad for him. Any ideas?

I did have a piece of good news to share. I found out yesterday that Victoria Secret. com now carries Nursing Bras! It is about time! It is hard to find quality nursing bras. In fact all of mine from Noah are worn out! So I am going to order a few and see if they are well made and easy to use!

It is still setting in that I will be doing all this baby stuff all over!

Frustrations

Noah is going through this phase...well maybe not a phase, but I hope it is. He wants to do everything himself. Like feed himself, and put his clothes on and get his own milk, and...wich some of the time isnt a problem. There are alot of finger foods that he can eat on his own. But if I give him something that needs a fork or spoon he doesnt eat much of it. Most of it ends up all over the place. When I try to help him he fusses and has a mini trantrum.

I understand why he is frustrated, he wants to do alot of things that he just doesnt have the skill for yet. Oh and adding to it he is testing us...when we say "No" or tell him to put something "down" (both of which he understands). He smiles and runs the other way. Grrr! So I am trying to ignore the trantrums or leave the room so that he doesnt get attention out of it. But with the testing, i have had to put him in his crib, with no toys or blankets, several times this past weekend. He really doesnt like it when i do that. I have heard one minute/age, so he gets one minute and 1/2, haha. Then when i get him out i say he needs to listen to, whatever that situation was.

It is so funny that there is so many ways to dicipline, but i think that you just need to know your child, spanking did not work, or does not work for Noah right now...and I really dont know how much force to use, also i noticed that when i spanked him, he wanted to hit me back...almost like a game,so the crib is working just fine right now. Maybe in the future...a naughty chair like nanny 911 haha.

Second Baby on the way!

This is the announcement. Kurt and I are expecting again! The funny part is that we were one month early..we were going to try in may, so that we would have a different month for birthdays, but God had other plans! haha. So I am due (again) in December, on the 26th. Noah will have to share his birthday month with the new baby & Christmas! I am exited for Noah to have a sibling to play with.

I have already started a list of things to do differently this time around. Not that we made mistakes with Noah, but you improve your game plan each time. I do plan to wear this next baby more often. Not only because my hands will be full with two, but also because I wish I would have worn Noah more. Second, I think I will breastfeed longer with the second, mainly because the transition from breast milk to regular milk takes a while. It does not happen over night, like I thought. Also baby wearing will help with breastfeeding. I also have told Kurt that I would like to stay home after the second one comes. It is just hard financially to do sometimes. There are a few other things that are one my list too. I just cant think of them right now....preggo brain is already starting. There is so much to think of with a new baby on the way. I have not been sick...just suuuuuper tired! I cant get enough sleep. This is why I haven't blogged in soo long. I am 8 weeks along...so this is what a ba-bay looks like at this time.

Spring Cleaning

For those of you that are wondering about using "Green" products to clean your house, I do have a few suggestions. Simple Green is a product that I have been using for about two years now. I first saw it at our local fair grounds as a display booth. They were giving out samples and information. The two things about Simple Green that caught my attention was that it was non-toxic & biodegradable.




Non-toxic is important because often times cleaners use toxic chemicals (sometimes naturally occurring ones, remember mercury is naturally occurring and it is deadly). It is biodegradable, meaning that it does not harm the environment because it can be broken down by naturally occurring bacteria & microorganisms.

I use the all purpose cleaner and it works really well on a lot of things in the house. I use it pretty much where ever I would have used bleach before, floors, walls, sinks, etc. (It does not have bleach in it). You can even use it as detergent! They also have other products that are specific to different types of surfaces, like granite or marble.

As far as heavy duty stuff, My dad is a farmer and has to deal with grease and other hard to remove dirt and he loves the degreaser that they have. They even have a solution for power washers for equipment.

Now the other product that I really like is Method. I like their hand wash, surface cleaner, tub and tile cleaner, stainless steal wipes, and the wood polish. These are also non-toxic/biodegradable cleaners.

Keep in mind though that they are still cleaners, so you still need to be careful as far as breathing it in or getting it close to your eyes, etc. Hope this helps!

Flip-Flop Ready Feet!

It is that time of year again when you can finally break out the flip-flops & other summer shoes! But like many busy Mom's I really don't have time to take care of my feet! So I have been in a search for some good products for feet.



So I decided to try Burt's Bees Coconut Foot Creme It is fabulous! It smells just like the beach, and really softened up my feet, which had calluses from being on them all the time.

I have always been a fan or their lip balm. I was a lifeguard for many years and I got by on the lip balm that is specially formulated for lifeguards. It seems that all of their products are great!

I am also going to try their sunscreen. I want to protect Noah from the sun, but I really don't want to put a lot of chemicals on his skin! The skin is just like an organ and it absorbs things that are put onto it.


So if you are in search of some natural products that do a wonderful job check it out at www.burtsbees.com

August Rush

I usually don't recommend movies, but this one is family friendly!
The title is "August Rush". It is about a boy who is an orphan. He has a unique ability to hear music in everything, the wind, the birds, street sounds, etc. The way that they put music together with the story line is great. He is on a search for his parents (who are also very musical) and on his way he becomes a musical protegy. The music is what brings them back togther. It was a very good movie.

Yard Clean Up

We desperatly needed to spend some time with our yard this weekend. So we worked outside for the better part of Saturday. Picking up sticks and raking leaves away from the flower beds. Noah loves to be outside, so he helped pick up sticks and put them in the wagon, haha. He had a fun time riding on the lawn mower with dad..even if it was only going about 1.5 mph, lol.

The flowers are coming up around our house. We just moved in last July so I had not idea that the previous owners had planted so many spring flowers! But is has been a nice surprise! Noah also helped load up wood to finish out the year.

Noah loves spring!

We had a good weekend. We spent time at home and cleaned house, etc. Noah has been wanting to go outside all the time. He will go to the door and put his boots on! So we have been going out to check on the plants and play with Nala (our little dog).

Also, we live next to and elementary school that has a great playground, so we have been going down there. Noah loves the slide and the swings.


I also put our summer sheets (non flannel) on the bed. Noah wants to be on the bed all the time right now. We have been playing hide and seek under the blankets, so I think he thinks that anytime he is on the bed it is fun! I bet you didnt know toes lint could be this captivating!


He has also been such a copy cat. We have an exercise ball that we use. Now Noah is sitting on his ball and bouncing! It is so funny that he has made that connection.

Noah is a good child, but we are starting to deal with some little fits. Not to bad, just when he doesnt want to do something or he wants something he cant have.

But I am also happy to report that he has grown an inch and 1/2 since his one year mark! When you see them everyday you dont realize how fast they grow! He is also 24lbs now.

Trip to Easton

So here is the update on our Anniversary outing. Since it was a surprise to me too!

We started with shopping at Easton. Kurt said that we were shopping for an Easter outfit for me. I love getting dressed for Easter! SO we looked around and found a really cute boat neck top. To match we found a white skirt at Gap. Kurt actually helped pick out stuff(he usually is NOT interested in clothes shopping). I love the way that the stores are setup so you are walking outside between stores. IT was a beautiful day!

The other stuff in the picture is the other parts of the outing. Before he would tell me what we were doing for dinner, we made one more stop. The Swarovski store. His mom collects the crystal animals, so I thought we were checking it out for that. I didn't really know that they made jewelry. Well I saw a necklace that I really liked. And Kurt was like is that the one you want. I didn't even know I was getting something! It is so pretty, it is supposed to catch the colors of what ever you wear. So in the picture it is not really blue, it is clear and the background is blue. I really like how the rugged string goes with the delicate crystal they are opposites kind of.


So we aren't done. We then go to dinner at the fanciest restaurant(Smith & Wollensky- a steakhouse) I have ever been to. It was expensive though. I was concerned about how we were paying for this, Kurt said that he had been saving a little bit each month. So that let me relax and enjoy. It was so fun, we had such a good time. NOW i see why they say that a married couple needs date time, you kind of reconnect and remember why you choose that person. Also it was the first time in a long time that we took time to treat ourselves.

Dinner was so nice and unique. We probably will not go back anytime soon because of the price, but it was really enjoyable.

4th Anniversary

Yesterday was Kurt and I 4th year anniversary! So today we are taking Noah to Kurt Mom's house. He will spend the night with them. This will be the first time he will be away from us for the whole night. I hope he does ok. He has gotten so used to his crib that he falls asleep almost as soon as he is layed down at night. He is a good night sleeper, he usally sleeps for 11-12 hours.
Kurt and I will be going to Columbus for the night. We are going to do some Easter shopping and going out to dinner. Kurt actually has this big plan that I do not know about. For example I know that we are eating somewhere I just dont know where. I married a romantic at heart, lol. He also brought me fruit yesterday at work because that is the traditional gift of four years :) I cant wait. Maybe I will have time to blog about the night later and fill you in on where we went!

All-American National Wrestler

My brother is an all American wrestler! That was his goal this year was to get in the top 8 for the nation in Div II college wrestling. Well he actually placed 5th in the nation. I am so proud of him. He set his goal and stuck to it. He has improved so much in the last few months, and just keeps pushing himself to improve. First of all, it is hard to compete at the collegiate level, but to also excel at a sport (which is like a full time job) and college at the same time and be able to succeed at both is an accomplishment. I think sometimes, since he is the baby, he compares himself to us older kids, but he has defiantly accomplished some things none of us have. All of that time wrestling when he was a kid and in practise has paid off.

He is also a great uncle to Noah:)

Stuck inside..trying to suffer well;-)

So we spent the day today inside the cabin (aka cabin fever!). The Northern part of Ohio was hit with a very persistent snow, it just kept snowing and snowing....in fact I think it is still snowing. I spent the day picking up around the house and spending time with Kurt and Noah. Noah is just amazing how much he learns in one day. He was in the bath tub tonight and he has been doing back floats with me and blowing bubbles, but tonight I was trying to get him to kick while on his back and he was doing it! lol! It is so cute. Also with his language development, he is saying "A-ppoe" for Apple and "Nanaa" for Nala (our dog). I guess I am just surprise how far they come in one year. It is neat to think about but it is also a scary thought because everyone tells you that you blink and they are grown. It get me thinking about long-term parenting.

The best piece of advise that I have ever gotten was "begin with the end in mind". Basically what do I want the to be doing down the road and start down that path toward that goal.
We are learning about parenting in one of my biblestudy groups and the last lesson was on three things that all children need to learn.
1) Teach them to suffer well.
2) Teach them to work "unto the Lord"
3) Teach them to manage their lives wisely.

The first one has been a particular intrest to me latley. The reason is because I dont think that I suffer well in some aspects myself. In the culture that we live in is a quick fix, comfort, "even if you dont have the money buy it anyway", kind of culture. And so I think that most people dont know how to cope when something isnt controllable. But the point is that life is hard and can be very unjust. If your children are not prepared for lifes curveballs they will have more of a struggle than the child who knows how to depend on God and that suffering is normal. I have recently picked up a copy of "Jesus Freaks: Martyrs, Stories of those who stood for Jesus". It is a collection of stories from around the world about Christian who were willing to die simply because they would not deny their faith. It is truly compelling. The stories stand out to me because if forces you to ask yourself if I was faced with the question to deny Christ or die, what would you do? Which also brings up the question is their anything in your life that you would die for?

Second point is about how, whatever work we do we need to do it as if we were working for God...because we are. Your work can be a form of praise. Paradiam shift I know, haha. Many of us feel that work is just the daily grind. I have often thought this! But It needs to be veiwed as fulfilling our purpose and calling. This is why each one of us is different and unqiue so that we can contribute something of value.

Third point is a hard one. It is hard because it is hard to manage life, even for adults! This point is taling about being good stewards with out time, money, talents,etc. The things that God had blessed us with we need to manage and choose how to use them wisley.

I really enojy being a parent, but it is also hard work. I want to be responsible with the blessing of children. And, I love to pass on anything that would help another parent. This ended up being a really looong post.
Off to bed because I am losing an hour tonight!

I am raising a little daredevil!

Noah is hilarious when it comes to fear. He doesnt have any! He wants to climb everything, go up and down stairs, etc. Noone has taught him this stuff. If thier was ever a case for case for boys and girls are fundamentally born with different mind sets he is a shoe in! He wants tractors and hats and wheels. He animals too, but not the birds and rabbits, nooooo he likes the Bear...Grrr, and the Lion... Rooar! He has picked up signing like a champ. He knows many of the signs for the animals. I guess we gave him a proper name, lol. Here is my montage of what he has been up to lately. Enjoy.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

My Valentine

Since its Valentine’s Day tomorrow it is time to brag about my hubby. (This is probably the best present I could give him). Since Kurt and I have been married (coming up on four years) he has really been a life companion for me. We are opposite personalities and that makes for some interesting days when we, misunderstand each other, but it also keeps both of us balanced.

He always puts Noah and I before himself. On days like Valentine ’s Day he always “out gives” me (even though I have tried to “outdo” him, haha). He gave me a coat this year. I had looked at this coat around Christmas time, but we had set a budget for gifts and we didn’t have room for the coat(it was expensive in my opinion). To me that is sweeter than flowers or jewelry. He picks up on the little things that I say and is always in tune with what I am doing or thinking.
We often have the same ideas, for example on Sundays one of us gets up and makes breakfast, last Sunday I made French toast, and he got up and came to breakfast surprised to see that I had made exactly what he was thinking he wanted! This happens in many different ways. He is serious about his walk with God, and leading the family spiritually. I try to show him the respect he is due. Kurt is very loving and attentive to my needs and Noah’s of course.

Kurt is also an awesome Dad. He is not afraid to change diapers, fold clothes, or anyother baby related task. He was even my birth partner! He gives Noah his full attentions when he is with him. Noah loves to play with “Da”. Here is a clip of them playing together. Kurt has a gift for finding the most simple ways to entertain Noah! Here He is using a candy wrapper and blowing up into the air! Lol!

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

This past year has been a tough one for our family. Kurt was laid off for awhile; I then needed to go full time even though I wanted to be home with Noah. He has been persistent in looking for something that matches his skills and abilities, all while working a job that isn’t his dream job. Kurt has a lot going for him and he is a good employee and I am confident in his future success. We have needed to revaluate our spiritual lives, our marriage and our future because of this. It has been for the better though. We have grown closer though this. We both depend on God more and have a better relationship with Him. I personally have had to learn to give my burdens up to God and not carry them around (it was really taking its toll). We have had to remind ourselves of God’s promises, “We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose”-Romans 8:28. Sometimes I wonder how marriages last without God being the center of them! God has truly blessed me with such a wonderful valentine!

Great Moms

How many great moms are out there? I have met many great moms through my blog. Many who share my convictions on nutrition and holistic approches. However, there are many people out there who do not share these same veiws. In fact I deal with them daily. Now breastfeeding moms have gotten a bad rap it seems for pushing their veiws on others (breastfeeding is not the only issue here), but I have experienceed the exact oposite. The breastfeeding moms (myself included) just want to feel that they are supported and encouraged just as much as any mom. I have faced a lot of opposition to the way that I feed my child. Some from those that formula feed, some from public workers, and some from my family. This has puzzled and hurt me. I DO NOT push my views on others and tell them that formula feeding or giving their kids this or that is bad and wrong.To each his own, if it works for you GREAT!If something else works for me GREAT! I just feel that there is alot of backlash comming at me for the way that I have choosen to feed my baby. (I am venting here if you didnt notice). I have followed ALL the reccommendations, breastmilk until they are 6 months old, some solids 7-9 months, most solids by 9-12 months. My child is healthy, by healthy I mean that he is within the normal weight range, he is not showing any signs of nurtitional deficiency, which are:
Hair: brittle, dry, wirelike
Skin: wrinkled & losse, eaily buised, pale
Eyes: dull lusterless, bloodshot
Lips:Fissures at corners, heal poorly

There are several reasons why I am posting about this topic, one is because I have heard of this happening to others, two because it has personally happend to me, and three because it is easy to give into cultural pressures. We are an overwieght nation. I encourage moms to rethink the way that we have been doing things nutritionally because something isnt working right when we have diabetes, heart conditions, and a generation that will NOT out live their parents. Somethings got to give. So if their are moms who want to try something different than what has been the norm, like feeding are children strickly vegatables, meats, fruits and whole grains, and not junk food or sweets, we may be in for a health revolution. I guess society can thank us great moms later.
Here is a clip of my healthy child. Enjoy.

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Baby wearing

I love to wear my baby! When I was pregnant I had a friend who breastfed and wore her little girl. She seemed so content that I started to research different slings, etc. My first sling is one that I found though ebay. But Noah is starting to out grow his sling! So I would like to go with a mei tai type of sling while he is older but still wearable! Sleepywrap has a giveaway for a sling here. And here is their website:) Go check it out.





On a side note. Noah and I had some good times last night! Isn't funny how you can be having a bad day and feeling a little ugh, and one little smile from your child can make your whole day worth it!? We were rocking before bed time and (he gets reallllly slap happy when we is sleepy) he would be laying down with his eyes closed then pop up and have the biggest grin, and then we would just laugh and laugh about it!

Spending Time With Noah

This has been a extra day weekend. Meaning I get one day off because of the national holiday. So I get to spend more time with Noah. We have had fun this whole weekend, this is usually why I don't blog on weekends, because I'm busy having fun with my family. However since Noah is napping right now and I am caught up on laundry, housework ,etc. I will take some time to blog. I was looking through some past pics that I have taken of Noah and I decided that I was going to learn how to make a montage! So here is may first attempt. Noah has been walking for about 2 months now, but he still does some funny stuff! Check it out!

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Low Iron and Lead Poisioning

We had a consultation with the WIC nurse yesterday. It is a nutritional program for kids and I found out two things that were of interest. First of all she said that the children who are testing positive for high lead is really high right now because of toys coming in from China and other countries who have not ban lead paint. Lead paints are cheap, and they produce vivid colors (just what kids love). She said she could give me a list of toys but that it changes so much that her list is already outdated! So I found a list of popular toys that have been recalled for lead. The list goes on forever it seems! What I noticed was that many of the things listed the "cheap toys" like toys that only cost a dollar, or are dispensed in one of those toy machines. She said that you can test some things at home with a "Lead pen". Also don't let them chew on toys, and wash their hands to get the lead off of them for when they do put their hands in their mouth. You can buy special wipes for this, but soap and water work as well.

If you don't know about lead poisoning it can cause kidney and brain damage. Here is a great article on what parents should know.

On to the second thing that she told me. She said that Noah was a little low in iron, and that it is common for kids his age group because they are no longer getting iron from breast milk or formula. So we need to increase his diet of iron rich foods. And if you serve them along with a vitamin C food it has better absorption.
Iron rich foods/Vitamin C:
Beef / Orange juice
Chicken / Tomatoes
Turkey / Grapefruit
Broccoli (has both)
Eggs (has both)
So we are going to try and bring up his iron! Even though she said it was so close to the line that it could be brought up with one meal, I want it to stay up:)

Also, I had posted earlier that the Dr. was concerned about Noah's weight. He is now 22lbs. So she said that he is on the low end but still healthy and she was not concerned at all and that he has some genetic factor to that. I was impressed that she even took Kurt and I's BMI. Which were both healthy. I felt like I defiantly got a more in depth opinion from her than the Dr. but I guess I am getting used to that!

The Swift

I just got this CD, and I would highly recommend it. I love listening to Christian music, I always have, but it seems like with little ears around you need to watch what you listen to more than ever! It is praise and worship, but also a little more contemporary. Here is their MySpace where you can hear some of their songs.

OSU & New Family

We went over to by older brothers house last night to celebrate his birthday/watch the OSU game/say goodbye to Lanay (his new fiance, but more on that later). It was so warm in his house because not only was it 60 degrees outside, but also because he still had a fire going in his woodburner! So little Noah was wearing only his jersey! So even though OSU lost (much to my husbands dismay) Noah was still a cute fan!

We had a lot of fun. Noah and Hiram built a Log Cabin and then destroyed it. We relaxed, and ate some snacks, and played games.

Now onto Adam and his new fiance Lanay. Lanay is from Nebraska and they met through a mutual friend. They are getting married next year. She has visited here twice now, and she was leaving early this morning. It has been awesome to get to know her and I feel that her and Adam are a great match. I am very happy to see Adam so happy. Since we were young we have been praying for God fearing spouses for all of us siblings, and now we are all (but Hiram, and he is still pretty young for marriage) married to Christians. God is great. I can't wait until the wedding:) I am glad to have her as a new sister (to be).

The Son is Shining

So much has happened in the last few days and I have not posted so I will try to fill everyone in. First off myhusband Kurt has been layed off since June. This has been very difficult for us financially as will as emotionally and mentally. This time has taught us a lot. We have tried our best to have faith that God had a plan for Kurt and he was going to use him for his glory. It was like a rollercoaster ride. We would come across a job and have hopes only to have not get the job or he would get ideas for one direction, but they would not come to fruation. We have finally found what he is going to do and we both feel that the Holy Spirit has given us confermation that this is what he is to do. He is going to go back to school for his teaching degree! I feel that a huge weight has been lifted.
Our sermon this past sunday opened with the song about how God gives and Takes away. "You give and take away, You give and take away, my heart will choose to say, Lord blessed be your name. While we were singing, I just felt like "Yes, Lord you have given us all that we have, or dont have and we should bless your name either way". Even though we have had a break through with what God's will is for Kurt, it will be a hard road from here until he graduates. Then the next song was, "I'll never know how much it cost, to see my sin upon that cross". This go me thinking, God made the ultimate sarcrifce for us so that we can have eternal life, isnt my family worth me making sacrifices, like working full time? Eventually I want to be a part-time or even stay home mom, but right now that is not an option until Kurt is done with school. So I am willing to work for this to happen. Of course he is going to need to work part-time somewhere to make ends meet, but I just feel a peace about the whole thing, that has not happend for many many months.
The sermon went on and we watched two videos, one was about AIDS in Africa, and the next was about the child prostitution trade. Both play off of eachother. I want to get involved and I will be praying for guidance as to how to help, but I just made me see that we think we have trouble here in our small little bubble. I am not saying that not having enough money isnt a big problem, just that these children had worse problems. So here are some things that you can do: Go to the organization Remember Nhu Website and Coffee and Conversations Website and become aware of the problem. There is also a song you can download that will send procedes to the right places.
Truly I feel that we will be used for God's glory through Kurts talents and through these websites. Not only is the sun shining outside but the Son is shining in our lives.

Abstinence- why I do what I do

My job at the health department is to go into the schools in Huron County and speak about abstinence. For those of you that may not be familiar with what abstinence is, it is the factually based stance that -"You choose not to have sexual intercourse until marriage". The reason that I say that it is factually based is because we have study after study that shows that abstinence works for lowering pregnancy rates, STD rates, and depression levels in teens and young adults.

In the classroom the students teach me as much as I teach them. I teach them how to make better decision based on looking at the consequences. I teach them about what the consequences are and how they can determine their future. I teach them that they have control and ownership over their bodies. I teach them how to resist peer pressure and how to keep out of bad situations. I teach them that healthy relationships fill your emotional tank and bad ones drain it, etc.,etc.,etc.

The students teach me more. They teach me that they are not learning this at home. They teach me that they are getting more of their views of sex and what a relationship is from celebrities and movies than from their parents. They teach me that they crave for someone to tell them that they don't have to have sex because they can and will anyways. They teach me that they are smart and they can (after the class) see that having sex outside of marriage only hurts them and in no way helps their future. They teach me that parents and other adults in their lives need to step up and help them learn how to guard their hearts from those things that would harm them or give them wrong views of sex, since the media and other sources of "entertainment" are only going to continue to damage our kids more and more.

It makes me so upset when I hear our politicians and activists speak up against things such as global warming and the environment, the economy and budgets, immigration and other policies, but no one is speaking up for the moral standards of our nation! I think these things I mentioned above are important, I am just as much a cloth diapering, trash-pick -up, energy saving person as the next, but when it comes to the purity of my family and my kids, this takes priority!

My theory as to why adults are not stepping up to protect our children against sexual impurity (and it is showing with the number of molestation & rape victims increasing) is this. We as adults are NOT living pure lives, and we feel that "well if I like the R-rated movies, and I am living with my partner outside of marriage" then I cannot be the one to be a moral compass for my child. Yes, I know that no one is perfect. I now that I am not perfect, but I do know that will not stop me from protecting Noah and giving him knowledge on how to remain sexually pure. This is ultimately not my decision, but his. However, while he is still a child I will prepare him and give him the tools to make an informed decision. AND I will try to remain a good role model for him.

I am a huge defender of the family unit and this is why I do what I do.