Orange Julius Recipe

I love Orange Julius's! They are so yummy! Very bad for you I'm sure, but still tastes so good! They're also very hard to come by if you never go to the mall, which I don't :D So after much checking around, and trial and error I've found the perfect recipe!

1 C OJ (I think Tropicana works best)
1/3 C heavy cream
1/3 C whole milk
2 rounded TBSP powdered sugar
1-2 ice cubes
1/8 tsp vanilla

Blend til ice chunks are gone and enjoy! YUMMY!!!

Hormonal Issues

Hormonal issues...We all have them to varying degrees...Thanks to Eve ;D lol

I have been having issues again so I thought I'd address them in case anyone else might be helped by it :)

For whatever reason my problems get better and worse after each baby. I've had times where I've been severely depressed after 2 babies and others where things were better than great after others. Then there are the other more "normal" times where I "just" have monthly PMS (or should I say PMDD) None of it's good for me or for my family.

For thoughts and attitudes...the biggest help is the Word of God and seeking Him. It helps to have someone to talk to. A friend, a family member, a pastors wife, etc. I, in no way, am saying get counselling! I think there is a place for godly counsel, but do not think that counselors are all that good. (if you feel otherwise that's fine :) Make sure to get at least 15-20 minutes of sunshine everyday. Sound silly, but is actually very helpful! Try to exercise for at least 20 minutes a day (if you can't do it all at once, then break it up through out the day). Exercise helps your body create the "happy" hormones :D

Hormonal helps...Make sure to eat healthy foods, making sure to get an adequate amount of protein every day. Try to stay away from sugar, too many carbs, and caffeine. Take a good multi-vitamin, try to find one that actually breaks down in your system. Grocery store vitamins don't cut it :) Now the other things that I like to use that really work well...Femaprin by Nature's Way (follow directions on bottle), Calms Forte by Hyland's (follow directions on bottle), Calcium at night (make sure it has magnesium to help your body absorb it), B complex, B1 (thiamin) taken separately, Progesterone Cream (2 weeks on, 2 weeks off if you have a 28 day cycle, otherwise take 14 days from ovulation and stop once you start :), Damiana, and lots of water.

I have used this with great success for years. There are also many other herbs and homeopathics that help with calming and such...My homeopathic constitutional is Sepia and Staphysagria in addition there are several homeopathics to help with calming, Bach's Rescue Remedy is one. Also you can find lots of things for calming among herbs...Lemon Balm, kava kava, passion flower, valerian, etc... (google it :D)

I hope someone finds this helpful :D

Sickness

Well, my poor little guy is sick again. Strep with lots of blisters in his throat and an ear infection. :( Now we're just praying it doesn't spread through the whole family!

What we are doing for the sicknesses... We are taking lots of vitamin D3, vitamin C, garlic and oregano oil. We had just recently finished a cleanse and will probably start one again soon. The one we use is from Isagenix. I use different doses for each of my kids. Right now though I'm worming them. I mixed bottles of black walnut, clove and wormwood tinctures and am giving them 3-5 drops a day and 10 for Hubby. Plus we use colloidal silver and grapefruit seed extract. I am going to sanitize the house tomorrow. It's so not fun when little ones are sick!

Encouragement

"I'm in the depths of despair!" Well, that's how I feel at least :) I know I'm depressed. I know it's hormonal. I know things aren't as bad as they seem. But I still feel lousy. I do not want to be like this. I know others feel like this at times so I wanted to write something encouraging!

A friend and I have both been working on similar goals. We both are having our ups and downs. I truly believe that it's nothing more than satanic attack. Making choices for our, and our families lives that is moving us towards the Lord has opened us up for resistance from the adversary. Well, I for one am not going to let him have the victory in my life! While I may mess up, I will not let my LIFE be a failure! So I am going to put some verses that have been helping me through this time!

1 Chronicles 16:11 Seek the LORD and His strength, seek His face continually.

2 Corinthians 12:9 And He said unto me "My grace is sufficient for thee: For my strength is made perfect in weakness." Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ will rest upon me.

Matthew 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly of heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

Phillipians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 4:8-9 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.

Phillipians 4:13 I can do ALL things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

2 Thessalonians 3:13 But ye brethren, be not weary in well doing.

Galatians 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing, for in due season we will reap if we faint not.


Isaiah 40:11 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd; He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.

Isaiah 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Isn't it good to know that the Lord will never leave us? That no matter what we're going through, He is there to help us? I can definitely see/feel a difference though, when I'm seeking Him and when I'm just trying to survive on my own. We really can't do much on our own. We are setting ourselves up for failure when we try. If we seek Him, we will find Him. If we find Him, we will have the peace that passeth all understanding! And it's the peace that passeth all understanding because no one can understand why we're so at peace when our world seems to be crashing down on our heads.

And now, I'll leave you with a song :D

The joy of the Lord is my strength,
The joy of the Lord is my strength,
The joy of the Lord is my strength,
The joy of the Lord is my strength!

He gives me living waters and I thirst no more,
He gives me living waters and I thirst no more,
He gives me living waters and I thirst no more,
The joy of the Lord is my strength!

He fills my heart with laughter HA-HA-HA-HA-HA,
He fills my heart with laughter HA-HA-HA-HA-HA,
He fills my heart with laughter HA-HA-HA-HA-HA,
The joy of the Lord is my strength!

Simple, yet effective :) LOL

Working on...

Well, hello there! It feels like it's been forever! We've been snow bound for the last 2 weeks. Not too enjoyable. It's supposed to clear up this weekend and get really warm though so that will be nice!

My nephew is in need of prayer again. A double ear infection, RSV and sounds like pneumonia. :( They think he has asthma. Pray for him and his mommy!

An update on our grain soaking. Kathleen is apparently allergic to oats. It doesn't matter if they're soaked or not. She did seem ok the first day, but the second time I was giving her benadryl (which I don't like doing) because she was really reacting. I am starting to think she's allergic to strawberries too, along with a myriad of other things! The kids all like the oats this way though. And it makes it super easy in the morning! Just add a little water, bring to boil and Voilà you're done! We've been experimenting with toppings too. But anyways...I have noticed that the oats do not bother me like they normally do, when they're soaked. So that's a good thing.

We finished our cleanse and are now doing a de-worming. Our family hasn't been sick since the flu we had in Dec. We went to a KOF meeting and a person there had brought her kids with strep, bronchitis, and ear infections. Lovely huh?! We only had a few kiddos start feeling yucky and upped the Vit C. Thankfully, no one got really sick and we're all fine now. Unfortunately it has made it to where we have decided to not go to church for a while. (We had also found out that another person in the church had kids with bronchitis, and pneumonia) We have decided that we are going to be keeping the kids out of some of the kids programs. (or should I say all?!) When we go back that is! We have found that they aren't learning enough to make it "worth" their being there. The influences are the same influences we are keeping them out of public school and the world for, so why do we feel it's ok in SS or kids church? My kids are too young, immature, and impressionable to be the "salt & light" to the kids in there. My personal opinion is, it's not their place anyways, it's the teachers. So, sadly, we may be looking for a more "family friendly" church. I don't know what the future holds, but I do know who holds the future! :)

We're not doing much around here that's "exciting". Just keeping up with school and housework. Never ending jobs, ya know?! I have been reading some more good books and been really convicted about my words and actions. The kids are such mirrors. Everything I do is coming right back at me through them. We are initiating some changes and there's always tumult with change. We're in the midst of figuring it all out so it'll be a while before things settle into "normal". But at least we're headed in the right direction.

Proverbs 29:17 Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul.

This is what I need. I spend too much time frustrated with my kids. All for lack of consistency. So this is what we'll be working on this week. I'm going to get my chart out and have the kids help me come up with appropriate consequences, and then we're going to really work on sticking to them! We're also working on doing our chores/routines right, the first time! I'm potty training Kathleen. I am going to reinstate "blanket time" and really work on it for the little ones. (my older ones like blanket time :) And I'm going to start "church training". I have quite a few preaching videos, and I'm going to have the kids watch them. We are going to pretend we're at church during them. I think we'll set up chairs to be pews and really work on them sitting still and being quiet, while paying attention. Plus I can pause it and not miss it myself, while taking care of any naughtiness that comes up.

Birth Story!

Today was the birthday of my Madison. Her 9th! Since she was my first home-birth, I thought I'd share the story of her birth. I'll write the others later :)

I had had 2 births in the hospital, with my boys as the only "good" outcome :)  Neither were totally horrendous, but definitely less than desirable. So I was really happy when we moved and found that there was a midwife in the area. I had found out I was pregnant in May, and my due date was Dec. 26th. After we moved I had my ultra sound. I found out that my dates were TOTALLY off. I was actually due Jan. 31st. Talk about disappointing! Who would be happy to add a whole month to their pregnancy?! But I was very happy to find out we were having a girl after 2 boys! (I was beginning to despair and think I would never have any girls! LOL...)

When I was 8 months along, my sister came out to stay with us for Christmas. I took her out to see our property (which at the time was around 730+ acres) on our four wheelers. During our ride she had raced ahead of me, not knowing that the road was very rutted and next to a ditch. Needless to say that was one of the worst experiences of my life. Watching my little sister bouncing out of control on the four wheeler, screaming for me to help her and being completely helpless to. All I could do was pray, over and over, "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus" No other words, but none are necessary. All that is necessary is to call on the Name of Jesus, and that's what I did. The four wheeler flipped and she landed on the other side of the ditch and the four wheeler landed on top of her. I got to her as quickly as I could and parked, and jumped across the ditch to her. The four wheeler was on her leg so I lifted it off her and told her to move out of the way of it. (It was obviously the Lord's strength that lifted it as those things weigh ALOT, I tried pushing it the next day and couldn't even budge it) She did and then I told her I needed to go for help. She was a little (OK, A LOT) out of it from the concussion she received in the fall. She didn't want me to leave. I prayed with her and then I turned to go to my four wheeler only to see it rolling down the hill and curve itself into the end of the ravine. I tried to get it out, but couldn't so I had to run for help. Now mine you I was 8 MONTHS PREGNANT! Help was about a mile and a half away and there was a big ravine between me and them. So I ran. Running and being largely pregnant isn't easy. Plus it was Dec. and cold so it hurt to breathe. But I ran! I prayed the whole way and was really having a hard time climbing up the other side of the ravine. I was crying and then I got stuck on some thorny vines. Literally got stuck. At that point the 23rd Psalms came to my mind. We had been reading it every day for the last 2 weeks or so during our devotions. "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for THOU art with me!" That was all the encouragement I needed. I got up, got out of the thorns and got through the fields to where my husband and the workers were. They were leaving (to feed the cows) and didn't see me coming but thankfully the one worker was in the back of the truck and finally heard me screaming. The end of the story is that my sister had a concussion, lots of bruises and a broken ankle! Nothing serious Thank The LORD! I had started contracting and was monitored at the hospital, but didn't dilate at all so I was sent home to rest and after a day or so the contractions stopped.

OK, I realize that wasn't exactly part of the "birth" story, but it's important to my pregnancy and birth story!

Anyways, So, my mom came out to help and I started having contractions on Friday night. I waited 'til Sat. evening to call the midwife. She came and stayed the night 'til 5 am. My contractions kept stopping every time I would do something to be comfortable. ie...sitting on the birth ball, taking a bath, etc...  and I wasn't dilating. So the midwife left at 5 and told me to call if they picked back up. Around 8 or 9 am they picked back up and when she came back I was dilated past a 4! YAY!

Now I must back up at this point and say that I had tested positive for group B strep with my first son and then was told that once you had it you would always have it and have to have antibiotics during labor. I now know this isn't true, I have tested negative in subsequent pregnancies. Besides which there are things to do to keep it at bay for your labor and delivery. If you'd like to know what you can ask, and I'll let you know! :)

So because of the group B strep thing I had agreed to have an antibiotic shot. Once you have the shot you HAVE to have your baby in 24 hrs or you have to have another. The shots were $80 a shot. So, when she had come the night before she had given me my shot around 10pm. Well, my labor kept stalling. (I now know that this is "normal" for me. My labors start and stop for days) I stalled for a few hours dilated to a 6. The midwife gave me some homeopathics to help me along. They didn't work. She gave me some herbs to help me along. They helped a little. I used the breast pump. That HURT! It's almost as bad as pitocin! Made the contractions very hard and painful, but it did the job and I got to a 7 finally. So she broke my water. Yep, that made it even more intense! Still Not as bad as pitocin. Finally around 9 pm I was at a 9 with a lip. She told me that with the next contraction she was going to see if she could push it back. With the next contraction she did and my baby was on her way out. My midwife was awesome helping me to breathe. She had me do the "pretend you're gently blowing out birthday candles" breathing for the head to crown and I only had a little skid mark, no tears! Then while she was coming out the midwife was praying for her. Out loud! James helped deliver her. The first baby he helped with :) She was so slippery he almost dropped her. (She wouldn't have fallen but a few inches as I was on my mattress, but still...) She was then passed to me. After a 48 hr labor I had the most beautiful baby girl in the world! Her cord stopped pulsing before it got cut. Daddy cut it. Her brothers came to admire her. James Michael loved her. Jason screamed, was scared to death of her, and wouldn't touch her. LOL, this went on for a few days! It's kinda funny, but I have no clue why he reacted that way. He's over it now :D She was 7lbs 8oz, 20.5 inches long, with brown hair and dark eyes. I was hoping they'd turn brown, but they're blue! She nursed awesome and was such a precious baby.

She was a finicky eater. She would nurse for 5 mins and then stop and 20 mins later want to eat again. She puked like crazy every time she ate. She did grown though! She was very small (all of my girls were) and only weighed 12 lbs when she was 12 mos old! She is still a finicky eater. She would eat like a bird all day long, instead of eating meals if I'd let her :) She is growing into a beautiful young woman. Scary. She is my actress, my drama queen! She is my joy, she is my MES! I love her to pieces!

I love when they...

I love when they...

~Smile at me for the first time!

~Laugh hysterically!

~Reach their little arms up to be held!

~Hug your neck with arms that barely reach around it!

~Say "MMM MMM MMM!" when they give you that wonderful hug!

~Come sit in my lap just to cuddle!

~Tell me "You're the best mommy I've ever had!"!!!

~Play and be silly TOGETHER!

~Are helping each other!

~When they read to each other!

~Learn something new and are so excited about it!

~Say something mixed up!

~Clean without being asked!

~Sing their made up songs!

~Give my sweet or sloppy baby, kisses!

I love when they're my sweet blessings! I LOVE MY CHILDREN!!!

One of "Those" Kinds of Families!

Yes, we are a Christian, Conservative, Homeschooling, Large Family, driving a 12 passenger van, my girls wear Jumpers (Gasp, horror! Although mostly jean skirts and some culottes!), and my boys LOVE to wear Camo! Yes, we are that kind of a family! The ones who get all the "comments"! Annoying ones like "Are they all yours?!!" (cause you know we're crazy and enjoy grocery shopping with 8 kids tagging along :) And good ones like "Your kids are so well behaved, normally people come in here with 1 or 2 kids and they're horrid!" I personally, love being one of those kinds of family though! I get to enjoy 8 beautiful blessings who make my life worthwhile. Who make me smile with all their adorableness! Who I am doing my best to raise to be sweet servants of the Lord, who will be an awesome addition to society, "in spite of" being one of "those" kinds of families! :D We are one of "those" kinds of families and are proud of it! LOL! 

That was a comment I put on a FB post. I just couldn't help myself! I had to share :)