The OLD, OLD Daddy Rabbit

Happy Birthday to The Ole Daddy Rabbit. Yes, 42 years ago today was the big event that ushered TODR into the world. We are having Grandma's Special Chicken today with mashed potatoes, corn and salad. Every birthday celebrant in our house gets to pick their special dinner.

May God bless you this day and the upcoming year Mr. Heath.

Lots of love from your family!

Character Development

One really nice thing about homeschooling is the opportunity for us to instill character development into our children. Another beautiful thing is when the older ones begin teaching the younger ones. I looked out of our front door to this illustration of the older ones teaching the younger ones trust.

Yeah, it is teaching mommy to trust as well. It is a good opportunity to practice that relaxation breathing. Yes, all the kiddos were out there except the baby (she was sleeping).

Mindsweep moments that changed my life.

I have for the most part decided not to write about controversial issues or ones that might hurt or offend family reading our blog. I think in view of the greatly heralded Republican pick for vice-president it is time for me to craft a post on a deeply personal subject. I have close friends and family that might get upset when I hit the sacred cow of working mothers. I am not trying to heap guilt on the mothers that must work. They carry enough hardship. My own mother had to work while I was in Jr. High and Highschool. If she didn't we would not have eaten. I know that, but there are still times when I wish my mom had been there. I do have a big problem with moms that choose to work while popping out a couple of kids and leaving them to be raised by strangers.

There is a computer game that we like to play called Minesweep. For those unfamiliar with the game the player is presented with a screen that he or she has to logically flag the hidden bombs while uncovering the safe squares. If you successfully guess all squares you win the game. If you inadvertantly click a bomb, everything blows up. There are also times in the game when you flag a square and it opens up a big patch of safe area. Sometimes in life we are doing something little and God allows a big patch of truth to open up to us. Some folk refer to this as an "Ah-hah!" moment or an epiphany. I call it a mindsweep moment. There are several that changed my life and how I live today. In order to have others understand my position I need to share some more personal details of my life.

I have always been "good with children." I was one of those responsible, highly in demand babysitters from the age of 11 or so. By the time I graduated high school I had coached Jr. High volleyball, taught preschool, taught in VBS, and babysat quite a bit. Everyone always said how I was so good with children. So, of course, what should I do? Become a teacher! That is what you do when you are good with children, right? Not become a stay-at-home mom. That is not seen as a viable option for a brilliant young woman with childcare skills.

I bought into the lie hook, line and sinker that if I wanted to make a difference I should touch children for Jesus in daycare. Now I have worked other jobs not just childcare, but those jobs are not significant ones to this story.

I was a nanny to a wonderful family. It really was a very fulfilling job for me. I never turned on the TV, we went for walks almost everyday, read books and ate wholesome meals. I learned an awful lot about ordering a home while having that job. I also went to college and took lots of Child Development classes. I was more and more convinced that the way to touch the next generation was to be a Christian Childcare provider.

I got a job working for a for profit daycare after I had been married for not quite a year. Here it was that I was going to get started using all my education and gifts! At first I really enjoyed it. I was hired as an "infant teacher." That meant that I was one of two teachers with up to eight babies under one year old to care for in one small classroom. I also moved around to different classrooms as a subsitute teacher. I worked in every classroom from infants to the older after-school programers. I also advanced to handling medication as well as running the front desk. I was good, very good.

Now remember this was a for profit daycare center. It was also located not too far from the city court house. We had a few children in the center that the moms were single moms and doing everything they could to keep their children fed and clothed. I felt for those moms. The rest, however, were children that had parents that chose to work. We even had one boy in the preschool classroom that had a mom that didn't work. She openly stated that her husband could support her and she didn't need to work, but her son bored her. She figured he would be better off at the center playing with his peers than with her because she wanted to do her grown-up things. He was a nuisance.

Not all of the parents were that blatant about it. Most I would say were as duped as I was. Most parents felt somehow that they really HAD to have two incomes. None really saw that their children needed them rather than the 3500 sq. ft. house that they never really lived in. Or the second BMW, or the namebrand shoes, or the list could go on and on indefinately. The children really needed mom and dad.

One of my mindsweep moments came on the day after Thanksgiving. The center I worked in was closed 6 legal holidays a year. That meant we were closed Thanksgiving day, but open for business the day after. I worked that day. Now it wasn't a regular day as most parents had that day off. We did have about 35 kids show up. I held some sweet little ones as they cried while mom and dad left them at the center. I don't recall a single parent that left a child there that day that was going to work. There might have been a few, but I only remember that most, if not all, were going shopping. Those parents were going shopping, fighting the crowds and buying their children incredible Christmas presents. I am sure most of them spent far more on gifts than I made that month.

Now does anyone remember what they got for Christmas each year as a child? We all remember a few special Christmases that we finally got that long awaited bike or doll. For the most part we don't. We do remember those times of being with mom or dad when they chose to take us for a walk or get us an ice cream. I knew that day at the center that those children would have traded all their presents for their parents to have spent some time with them. If their parents had instead gotten an ice cream cone from McDonald's (this was before their pro-gay agenda:) and walked with them on the beach they would probably have remembered that day forever. Wow! Our children really do want us. We would see if we gave them the choice.

The other mindsweep moment was much more intense. We had two little girls at our center. Even now thinking of them makes my heart constrict. Their parents both held high-powered important jobs. Those two girls, aged 1 and 3 when they started, were the first ones at 6:00a.m. to be dropped off. They were also the ones usually left after 6:00p.m. when the center closed. Often times the "back-up" babysitter was the one that showed up to pick them up. When these little girls had chicken pox the babysitter kept them at her house because they were not allowed at our center until their pox had cleared. The younger girl had gotten pink-eye. She was back at our center after the required 24 hour antibiotics had been administered. I was on meds. that day so I got to give her the drops. Here I was holding this precious little girl with the puffy eyes trying to get her to let me drop the antibiotic into her eyes. It dawned on me that while this was my job, "THIS WASN'T MY JOB." Her mother should have been the one holding her and comforting her. Her mom should be there when she was sick. It dawned on me that this was not right. It also dawned on me that I was not honestly making a difference.

I ended up leaving the center after my first son was born. It took me a bit longer to figure out that a mom isn't replaceable and that God gave me my own children to make an eternal impact on. God didn't give me other folks' children to raise, but mine. I look back and see those two instances that set my feet on a different path. I also read those heart-warming stories of teachers that make a huge difference in one child's life and sigh. Yes, those teachers after years of sacrifice help a handful of children that might not have been helped otherwise. The fact is that I make an eternal, irreplaceable difference in seven children's lives. I do make a difference when I take care of my God-given responsibilities and then maybe give hope to others that might see the path I have taken and have the courage to take that same path.

The way I see my calling clearly now makes it impossible for me to uphold Sarah Palin as a great VP choice. She might be politically savvy, she might champion causes that I stand behind, she might honestly make a great vice-president. Unfortunately, she has five children that need her desperately. There are other people that could do a good job as governor or as vice-president. No one can fill a mom's shoes when it comes to her own children. Trust me I have tried. I was very good. I was not good enough because I wasn't the mom.

I have witnessed the hurt desperation in innumerable children. I cannot stand by and silently condone this travesty. May God open mothers' eyes to the privilege our children really are. Now not only am I good at what I do, I hold a position no one else in the world can hold. That is power. It is power that I can only wield on my knees and from my heart. How I mother my own children is what I will stand accountable for one day.

My favorite story

Acts 9: 36-43 contains my favorite Bible story of all time. It is about a disciple named Tabitha. The thing that has always grabbed me about this story is the character of Tabitha. It isn't that Peter raises her from the dead. The thing about her that touches me is that the widows and orphans are beside themselves when she dies. They show Peter the garments she has made them, displaying the tender care she had for them. She was not even known to Peter. She was kind of a nobody quietly serving the Lord by taking care of widows and orphans. She was not, however, a nobody to the Lord. He saw fit to even put her story into the Bible for all time. It reminds me that we may not have the recognition from man (in fact the Bible tells us not to look for that), but God sees.

So seven years ago when our first daughter was born we named her after that wonderful woman. We were expecting another nine pounder (our second son was pretty big). After a really horrible, tiring labor and delivery out pops (quite literally, our midwife almost dropped her) a beautiful little peanut. She was born just after ten at night and was the smallest baby I have born. Of course, one look at her and she was worth every stitch of agony.

Today that little peanut is such an incredible little girl. She loves pink and Barbie princessy things. Yet she is a trooper and able to keep up with the boys. She surprised me with being packed and ready to go ahead of schedule for her camping trip this week. She is learning to read and use the computer. She amazes me every day with how capable she is. She can cook Ramen noodles and eggs. She can make sandwiches. She draws and colors very well. She is beautiful, but not vain. I never thought I would enjoy being a mom to girls. I am so privileged to be blessed with such wonderful girls.

Happy Birthday to my Tabitha girl, you are a real princess.

Where we live

Some of our favorite people in the whole wide world are hosting their annual haycrew campout. Since TODR has to work this week the bigger kids are camping while we are going up some evenings this week. That and I am not camping overnight with so many non-potty-trained kiddos. TODR will be camping out this weekend when he is done with work.

We were headed home last night. We came around a corner and this is what we saw:

Birthday Beauty

Five years ago today we were blessed with our second daughter. She was our first child to be born in the morning. She looked like a china doll. She has grown quite a bit since then. She is still very petite. We tell her she may be small, but she is mighty. She loves her dollies. She also loves her sisters. She likes purple and pink. She has gotten big enough to do a good job brushing her teeth and making her own bed. She has started doing some chores in the morning like putting dirty clothes in the laundry and wiping down the table after meals. She has green eyes and straight brown hair like her mama. She has a tender heart and a great smile. I love to see her running across the yard towards me with her big smile all over her face. She is great at playing imaginitive games by herself. She is also good for a cuddle most times. Happy Birthday to one of our biggest blessings.

Serenity

Serenity: Noun form of the adjective serene. Serene (suh-reen) adjective Calm and peaceful, as in a serene setting.

We providentially met a little girl named Serenity this Monday. It was a great meeting at the park. I was blessed.

I tend to stress out about so much. Folk tend to ask how I do it all. The answer is that I haven't been. I haven't been letting the Lord carry it either. I took a stress test. It said that I had severe demands on my body, but my support was good. That means I could do more in limiting my stress as well as improve the support I give myself.

I have wanted to lose weight. I have been eating right and exercising and nothing. I was getting stressed at what else I need to be doing in order to lose weight. I was so gratified to find out that I actually needed to rest more and eat regularly. So I have been seeking serenity (not new agey, but the Lord's way). TODR has been letting me walk everyday (I can go by myself or I only take one child). I have been taking time to do my devotions and do calming things. I have also started taking some Flaxseed Oil, Ginseng as well as my Vitamins and Spirulina.

You know what? I feel good. TODR looked at me yesterday and said he thought I was losing weight. I have yet to verify that on a scale, but I am feeling peaceful and hopeful (not about the weight just in general).

Well, I need to get going on routine and tend to my children that are definately not serene right now:)

Stress Reliever

There are lots of things out there to relieve stress. The best is learning to trust God. I get lost into getting things done on my own an awful lot. With our family budget getting into place again I find myself back in the position to pray for my needs to be met. It is always so wonderful to feel so loved when the Sovereign Lord of the Universe obviously cares for me.

He provided a nice couch when I needed one (for $15.00 and it is really nice). Now the bigger kids are going to go camping next week. They had some clothing needs. I had a small amount of cash. I also had some $ on account at the children's consignment store. So I scored! For the grand total of $8.00 cash we got: Three pairs of jeans for my oldest daughter she also got a zip-up camo. sweatshirt, a couple pairs of new jeans for C.J., a pair of really nice almost new camo. pants for our oldest boy, belts for the four oldest kiddos, warm tights and shoes for some smaller girls and three tea lights for birthday decorations. Oh! and a couple of hats for dress up.

Naturally I don't like to be dependent, but when I go to the Lord I am always so blessed. You would think I would learn. I am definately a work in progress. I want to be content to dwell in the Lord's presence whether I am in need or in plenty.

Truth is stranger than fiction!

HowManyOfMe.com

There are 12 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

On that note I should relate a strange incident that happened almost 2 years ago now.

We live in a small town in an area called the Big Bottom Valley. Didn't know if you had guessed that or not:) The Big Bottom Valley is not heavily populated. Two years ago this Oct./Nov. we had some unseasonal and very bad flooding in our area. There was a news program on it showing one young woman getting evacuated from her home. I had friends that saw the news clip and were horrified when they heard my name mentioned. Then they looked and saw it was not me. I had several people tell me about it. I didn't think much about it until that Christmas.

I got a Christmas card in the mail that seemed weird. I didn't recognize the return address, but it had my name on it. I opened it expecting to be able to figure out what odd relation sent me a card. When I opened it a check fell out. The card was signed from Grandma. I was horrified when it sunk in that it really was not my Christmas card. When I couldn't get ahold of the real recipient I packaged opened envelope, card and check into a bigger envelope. I enclosed a note explaining what had happened and posted it back to the return address. I felt like a criminal. I was taught to NEVER, NEVER open someone else's mail!

Then later that year I started getting strange things in the mail. The address was for around the corner, but it had MY NAME on it. The other disconcerting thing was I was not getting some things I should. Finally, a young woman showed up at our house with my son's CDs we had been expecting for an overly long time. She was the girl with my name from the flood and she had temporarily moved down the street with relatives. She had put in a change of address form at the post office. Our poor mail lady had been very confused.

The mail lady knows everyone on her route so she had thought the mail was misaddressed. She then tried to kindly correct the mistake. I finally went in and righted the wrong in the post office. They were so embarrased. At least the other person with my name has a different middle name. Still what are the odds to live down the street from someone with the same name? Especially when they are no relation to you whatsoever! It isn't like my name is John Smith!

What happened to that man I married?

I was cutting TODR's hair last night. I looked at the floor. There deposited in big fluffs was huge amounts of brown hair, dark brown hair at that!

When we got married 13 years ago we lived in Southern California. We surfed and went to the beach often. I mean really often. Okay, we lived on the beach. (Spiderweb side note: I miss the beach an awful lot, storm-tossed, raging wave times the most) Anyway... The long and the short of it is that I married a very blond man. Over the years away from the beach (I am sure age is apart of it too) it has become this dark brown color. I think it is funny.

He wouldn't want me to mention the weight he has put on either. Or the fact that for reasons not understandable to him that I find him more attractive with a heavier build not less. So I won't mention that. He still has the most incredible blue eyes. Some of our children have inherited those eyes. Our baby has those eyes. Whenever some one remarks on the beauty of her eyes I respond with, "That is why I married her daddy."

Of course, eye color is an incredibly shallow reason to be interested in some one let alone marry them. It isn't just that his eyes are a great shade of blue, it is the passion that is visible in them. I will never forget the first time I met him at his ocean baptism. He came out of the ocean and all you could see were those passionate, sparkin' blue orbs.

He may have had some dramatic changes on the outside, but "in essentials I find him very much the same." (Anyone want to venture a guess on the quote? If you know me at all you know it is Austen or Shakespeare)

Yes, Mr. Heath the best thing in my life is the Lord, but you are my biggest blessing!

JUDGEMENT/JUDGMENT

I do learn something new everyday. I think I do anyway...

I was listening to my husband quote Romans last night and I thought I had found a typo in his Bible! It was judgment. No E inbetween G and M. Hmmmm.....I found it a second time. I thought whoa, whoa, whoa. How could this be? The answer is that judgement as well as judgment are acceptable spellings. I looked it up in the dictionary. I wonder why I never caught this before?

Did anyone else know this?

13 LONG years.

Yesterday TODR gave me a card with a similar cat picture on it. The caption, however, was different. It said, "If you want rainbows, you've got to put up with the rain."
Why did he give me such a card? Well, one reason is that he has a good sense of humor. The other is that it was our anniversary yesterday. Thirteen years ago we made a huge commitment to each other. It hasn't been happily ever after, but that is an unreal fairie tale expectation anyhow. We have seen rain and shine in our marriage. I think the real secret is to watch for the rainbows. I too often only see the rain and not the beautiful plants growing and flourishing with the rain and sun. God be praised that I honestly believe that he is growing beautiful things in and through our marriage. He even throws in some gorgeous rainbows.

Asundry Photos

Yes, I am better now

Nothing catastrophic or really out of the ordinary happened. Just a whole lot of life converged and I was so overwhelmed.

I am better now. I worked some stuff out of my system. I ALSO GOT MY CAMERA TO WORK. Yes I did! Even with all the unhelpful suggestions from tech. support. I truly am glad that I know some really neat computer geek folk. If I didn't and I only dealt with folk on tech. support I might conclude that computer geeks have no sense of humor. Or reality... Or something...

I can now get my pictures to load from my awesome camera to the computer. Now I can even post them. I have my suspicions on what caused the problem. He shall remain nameless, but if he EVER messes with my picture settings again there will be dire consequences involving tortures of inquistional porportions!

It does make me feel some better that I have conquered this nagging problem.

I also feel better being released from some of my self-imposed requirements in life.

I will post some of my dazzling pictures.

Blogging Break

Life doesn't always turn out like you plan. Actually, I think very rarely, if ever life turns out like you plan.

I have too much of that in my life right now. I feel like I have many hopes dashed to the ground. I have a great deal that I need to be before God's throne hoping that He will answer me as a dear child. I hate trying to be happy when I am not. Since my blog is one that I try not to get too personal with I am taking a break. I need my Abba Father to mend my heart with joy in Him.

So on that happy note, I hit the snooze button...

Another Simple Post

FOR TODAY July 30, 2008...
Outside My Window...is overcast and cool. Same as last week. We had some really nice sunny weather in between though. This summer reminds me of when we came up for our honeymoon thirteen years ago.
I am thinking...that I really need to be grateful for what I have. I tend to think more on the what I should be doing or have instead of what God has blessed me with. I think it is probably something most of us can identify with and wish we couldn't.
I am thankful for...being able to stay home with my children. That I have the time and opportunity to read to them. They are very creative and do quite a bit outside. I am trying hard to have movies be a treat. They enjoy being outdoors and with each other (for the most part anyway).
From the kitchen...is absolute quiet. The dishes have been done. There is bread in the bread box. The box was a thoughtful gift from my sil. The bread I made yesterday. There are blueberries in the fridge that I need to put in bags and freeze. Also the left overs from my experimental Jambalaya soup that turned out pretty well last night are in the fridge. I have cooked ground beef in there as well. Now I have to decide if I am going to reserve the soup tonight with salad or if I am going to freeze it and use the beef in something.
I am wearing...a navy blue sweat shirt, wild-floral jammy pants that TODR says resemble curtain material, funny (but warm) socks and hair down long. I sometimes wear my exercise clothes (like in this instance) until after I ride my exercise bike. Then I wash and change into more presentable stuff. I always wear certain jewelry items.
I am creating...clean laundry, a mental note of what to serve for lunch and deciding on dinner.
I am going...ride my exercise bike, make lunch, fold laundry and decide on dinner eventually.
I am reading...I finished Making Children Mind Without Losing Yours by Kevin Leman yesterday, Phillipians, Pearls of Great Price by Joni Eareckson Tada, Making Brothers and Sisters Best Friends by the Mali Siblings (with my children), Proverbs (with my children) and Romans (with my husband because he is working on memorizing it-he is up to Chapter 4 vs. 2 today).
I am hoping...to lose weight. I haven't had much success even though I have been working on it.
I am hearing...Train Conductor Dave being a goober.
Around the house...my washer is working (for which I am incredibly grateful), my children are watching an educational (and short) video, my phone ringing with a lame recording being on the other side not anyone exciting like I had hoped (TODR hasn't called yet today:( and a fort that the children created outside around our apple trees.
One of my favorite things...is my foot massager. I am thinking on getting more info. on feet stuff. I am also thinking about purchasing some herbal foot bath from this site and then maybe I could make my own.
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...going to visit a friend on Thurs. that I haven't seen for a long time and our kids can play while we catch up, Fri. I will probably catch up on everything I should have done Thurs., Sat. we are planning on the blueberry festival.
Here is picture thought I am sharing...
I am remembering to post THE LINK too.

She tagged me!

My friend, Bucca, tagged me. I am supposed to share six random things about myself and then tag six people to do the same.

1. On cold winter nights my husband has me crawl into bed. He then uses the hairdryer to warm up the whole bed. It is such a lovely feeling. We usually left the hairdryer next to our bed. I have often wondered what our babysitters, Kacey and Barbara, used to think.

2. I really like artichokes, GOOD CHOCOLATE, and popcorn. I really dislike plain milk, Miracle Whip and dirty toilet seats (especially ones that are left up).

3. My favorite clothing item in sixth grade was a neon pink shirt that I had gotten for Christmas. I even had earrings that matched. They were long with a different colored neon bead on the end of three little "stems" on each earring. I felt so cool when I wore them. Now it is my husband that wears neon (orange) all the time. I don't think it is so cool anymore. I still think HE is cool though.

4. Before I had children I really, really thought I would enjoy pregnancy and breastfeeding more than I have. I love my children and wouldn't trade anything in the world for them. I get so sick when I am pregnant that it is hard for me to have a good attitude let alone fulfill my obligations. I don't mind breastfeeding my babies. I believe it is the healthiest option for everyone involved. I have had to give it up a couple of times and it made me sad. It just isn't that incredibly bonding experience that it seems to be for some others. Every time I have seen my precious little one on ultrasound it makes all the pregnancy nausea/vomitting worth it, but not any easier. It always makes me lean on the Lord. I have so much compassion on those dealing with chronic issues. I am sick for months, but at the end I get an incredible pay off. Folks dealing with chronic illness see no end in sight.

5. I battle with myself often. I really, really want to be ultra organized. I mean really organized! Like I would like all my books alphabetized, everything in containers with labels and all clothes folded in their drawers. I wish all my furniture matched and I had a "country living" home. On the other hand I desperately want my children to have happy memories of childhood. I want them to remember that mom let them play with bubbles in the sink, that they could make a mess (as long as they cleaned it up afterwards) and people felt welcome in our home. I had a friend once with a perfectionist mother. She had plastic all over her matching furniture and rugs. Her house was perfect. She always seemed unhappy. I truly don't want to live in a bubble. If you saw my house, you would know that the latter IS winning.

6. I am tired of the comment that I look good for HAVING HAD SEVEN KIDS. I just want to look great. I am sure it is pride. My husband and children ALWAYS tell me how beautiful I am. I know my husband wouldn't want me to be too skinny. I really would love to fit into my wedding gown (not that I even still own it). I have had many well-intentioned folk give me tips. I seriously don't have time to sit around and eat. I feel like I did when I was pregnant the first time. Everyone had advice. My grandmother even went so far as to say that I was sick because I didn't think positively enough. Maybe I am just not in the positive zone right now.

Okay, I am tagging...

Rebecca at the Washington Walkers. You didn't call "no tag-backs," but I am. Ha-ha!

Michele at Frugal Granola.

Jeanette at US CHAMBERLAINS.

TODR at This is The Day.

Sharon at In My Father's Garden.

Valerie at Bound by Grace.

I am hoping the last two will be encouraged to post again:)

Okey, Dokey...ARTE Y PICO

Up until recently we had a WONDERFUL FAMILY that lived across the street from us. We knew when the landlords put a for sale sign in front of our neighbor's house that our time with them that close was limited. We didn't get together as much as either of us would have liked, but we did share some good times. Sharon made some exquisite cakes for our daughters' birthday party one year. She and her Mister came over for fireworks one Fourth of July. Things like that. I know that it was a good move for them to be closer to the Mister's job AND they own their own home for the first time in their wedded life. I still miss their quiet presence across the street. I miss Sharon's face at church much of the time. I am thankful for the internet so we can still be involved with each others' lives. Sharon awarded our blog the ARTE Y PICO AWARD. In honor of her I am taking the time to pass on this lovely award.

Here are the awards. I have many blogs that I get an incredible amount of encouragement and insight from. I cannot list them all so here are the requisite five.

I must give the first award to my first blog friend ever: Valerie at Bound by Grace. We connected on a weblog a couple of children ago. She was brave enough to send me her e-mail. She then got a blog. I had never seen one by an average person only those gnarly ones that people pay money for others to design for them. If it hadn't been for this wonderful lady on the other side of the country I would probably still not be part of the blogasphere.

Number 2 needs to go to Carmon Friedrich. My friend, Valerie (mentioned above), recommended this lovely lady's blog. She is the woman that enables me to not delve into controversial subjects too much. She is so very intelligent. She seems to always be very mindful of the Biblical reasons for the way she lives her life. She graciously disagrees with her opponents. I can only remember one time, out of all the years I have read her blog, that she let her ascerbic wit get "a bit out of hand." She then apologized to the one on the receiving end. As an aside, I thought she showed great restraint even in that situation. I thought the woman deserved it, honestly. She probably could have used the dictionary Carmon offered her as well:) So if you want a look into a wonderful mom's life (one that has even more children than I do as well as more brains) check out her site.

Even though she is on a blog break I still have to honor the Engstrom Mama. I met her online through Carmon's blog a few years ago. Then I checked out her blog. THEN I recognized her youngest girl (so far) at a Desiring God conference almost two years ago. We met face to face. It was so fun. That summer her family took a chance and hosted our family for the Love and Respect conference their church did. Unfortunately, PapaPyro was detained on business so we didn't get to see him that trip. We did get to stay with some other wonderful people. We have since then gotten to visit them a few times. They are neat people with a down-home hospitality that says CHRISTIAN. MamaK inspires me quite a bit.

Okay, number four...I will have to do the next logical blog...
Looking Through the Lens. This young lady is a beautiful person inside and out. If you look at her pictures on her blog you can catch her artistic eye. She has some photos (okay, some of them are of MY kids) that made me cry from sheer beauty. Check it out, I think you will be impressed too.

Last, but definately not least...
I am going to award Frugal Granola. I have been acquianted this lovely lady for a while. It has been through the blog world that I have gotten to actually know her. She is very transparent and inspiring with her posts. Her love for the Lord, her family and simple living is beautifully displayed on her blog. Everything on it is tranquil from her music to the lovely layout. Take time out to add her blog to a ritual in your life, you won't regret it.

Rules:
1) You have to pick 5 blogs that you consider deserving of this award, be it through creativity, design, or interesting material, and that also contributes to the blogger community, no matter the language.
2) Each award has to have the name of the author and also a link to his or her blog to be visited by everyone.
3) Each award winner has to show the award and put the name and link to the blog that has given her or him the award.
4) Award winners and the one who has given the award have to show the link of "Arte y pico" blog, so everyone will know the origin of this award.
5) Show these rules.

One down.................

I have much to do....

I have quite a bit to catch up on. I am not very quick when it comes to the computer techy stuff. It takes me a bit to post something with links and the like in it. I have been awarded a few different things that I am going to attempt to get on my blog today. If you haven't noticed I have also been trying to do the Simple Woman's Daybook every Wed.

I have still to e-mail a beautiful, young lady to see if I could use one of her copyrighted pictures on my blog. It is such an incredible picture and since I know the models it is even more so to me.

I think I fixed the mess up on my camera-computer link, but I have no batteries for my camera. It is one of those items that when someone says they are going to town and if I need anything, my mind blanks. I then remember after everyone is in bed for the evening. Oh well. The pictures are on the camera and my children will not grow up thinking their mom didn't care (well, at least about getting them captured on film:).

Onward....

The Pig Story

Thirteen years ago today I was planning my wedding which was still three weeks away. I was giddy and excited. THE ONLY THING I COULD THINK OR TALK ABOUT WAS THE WEDDING. I admit that I probably was a very boring conversationalist at the time. We were on a fixed budget that we were trying to stay within. We were blessed with so much help and lovely things (like all the flowers were donated by one of my mom's student's family).

I learned a great many things during this time. I hope that I learned my lessons well considering I HAVE FIVE DAUGHTERS to eventually marry off. One thing I learned was that often busy-body, no scratch that, well-intentioned friends and relatives have ideas about your wedding. Every body seems to have an idea of what they think your wedding needs to entail and they are personally affronted when you don't incorporate said idea/s. They also want you to pay for said idea/s. When you get his and hers friends and family it can get crazy exponentially very quickly.

Now enters the pig...

My mom was a teacher at a christian school so she had lots of contacts and resources. She also was trying to lighten the mood, bless her socks off! One night, as I was feeling overwhelmed by all the hoopla, my mom opened up the prom decorating catalog she had stolen, er, um, borrowed from school. We all proceeded to pour over the pages and laugh at all our ideas. You could have any theme you wanted! There was the Hawaiian one, the Country one...we some how got stuck on the huge paper mache' volcano. Then the full-size pig cut-outs and hay stacks for the barn theme. It was funny. My mom made an imitation invitation for our wedding (much harder in those pre-computer days). It has something to do with the full-moon we would be sacrificing a couple of pigs to the volcano...
It was so funny and broke up all the gloom of overblown expectations. We would joke about the pig or volcano kind of thing often when things got too serious.

I mean really...A marriage is serious. We make vows before God and man. On the other hand it is a party and we should have fun, right? It probably is a good idea to have all the pressure beforehand so maybe the bride and groom will know if they can make it through such family heated things. How do so many couples make it through this pressure then divorce later over trivial things? I don't know-rabbit trail...

Back to the story...

My mom then bought a pig. No, not a live one. One of those old-fashioned, toy kind that took batteries and would move and oink. She decorated it with green ribbon. Then when Mr. and Mrs. Brian Heath were announced at the reception there that thing was oinking all over the dance floor. Those in the know thought it was hysterical. We laughed.

A while later when we were announcing the expectant arrival of our first child to my mom...
I dressed the pig up like a baby and gave it to her. Thus beginning a thirteen year tradition of pass the pig. It has been passed between my mom and I for Christmases or announcements. You never knew when the pig would show up. The pig disappeared for a number of years only to resurface last year. My sister had it. She unearthed it and sent it up here to announce her move to the area from CA. The pig is now in my mom's possession. Who knows when and how it will pop up...

Every once and a while my mom and I come across some cute pig things. We try not to overdo it because, as with anything, pigs can become too much. People find out you "collect" something and then you wind up with all kinds of yard sale material (or another town's thrift store dependent on the giver of said item). Unless, of course, you collect money... Maybe I will try that tack some time.

There you have it. The legendary pig story.