Sickness

Lots and lots of sickness. We have been fighting different things since around Thanksgiving. Because of how many people there are here it takes a while to go through everyone. Every time we "get over it" and are healthy, we've picked up something else :( Just a few we've had.. RSV/PinkEye, Flu, Strep, ear infections, stomach viruses, upper respiratory viruses, colds, allergies, etc... Lots and lots of sickness!

These are just a few things that have helped us through all this...

RSV/Pinkeye ~ Bee Propolis, Vitamin C, garlic, colloidal silver (eye drops) and breastmilk (eye drops). Pinkeye is caused by the same virus as RSV. Research it :)

The Flu ~ Homemade chicken soup, garlic, Vitamin C, Elderberry, Mentholatum, Oscillococcinum

Strep ~ Apple Cider Vinegar!!! Seriously a life saver for us! We tend to get it so frequently. (we're thinking we have a silent carrier?) We can't keep taking antibiotics for everything and it's kinda ridiculous to be on them for strep and within a month have strep again. So when that happened (we all were on antibiotics, all 11 of us! And 2 weeks after we got done my oldest girl got strep and antibiotics again) I did some research for remedies because nothing else I had tried worked. I know a lot of people swear by colloidal silver, but for us it's like drinking water. Nothing works. I found a few places recommending ACV and since we had it I gave it a try. Word of Warning... It BURNS!!! If you have strep it's like burning coals going down your throat. At first I just gave it to the kids straight. They cried :( So then I gave it to them in grape juice and while some don't like it, some actually do like it. But regardless of whether they like it or not, it WORKS! My daughter was the only one who had to be on antibiotics. Others were starting to get it but within just a couple days they were all back to normal. So from now on anytime anyone starts with symptoms they get ACV juice and Voila' they're over it super quick. I've gotten to use it several times and same thing every time. Yay for ACV!

Stomach Viruses ~ Charcoal, Slippery Elm, Grapefruit Seed Extract, Peppermint

Ear Infection ~ Warm coconut oil in the ear, juice fresh garlic with other fruits and drink lots

Upper Respiratory, Colds ~ Lots of Vitamin C, garlic, Bee Propolis

I am in no way a "Doctor" or expert, these are just things I've done and had success with. Hope someone else might find them helpful :D

Blessings, ♥T

Deodorant Recipe

My recipe for deodorant.... 

I tried a few different recipes and this is the one that worked the best. And had little to no irritation like the others. 

6-8 TBS coconut oil. 

1/4 c baking soda 

1/4 c arrow root powder 

1/4 c shea butter

mix the powders, then add in the coconut oil and then the shea butter. I generally store in a small tupperware bowl with lid and just apply with my fingers.

I am generally "lazy" and just get out my KitchenAid with the whisk attachment. But when that wasn't available I used a bowl and fork and it was still super easy to make. 

Thanks to changing hormones with all these babies I have had some major issues with sweating profusely and smell, even with store bought deodorant. I actually was buying the strongest stuff out there and it still wasn't working. After using it just once I was able to notice a major difference. No smell and much less sweat. Plus even when I did sweat it didn't get that weird smell. :) Pleasant I know, lol...

 I try to use the best products available, but have just used what's available at times. It does make a difference, IMO. I've tried the LouAnna and Spectrum brand coconut oil, but didn't feel like it gave the same results. My preferred brand that I can find is Nutriva. They sell Nutriva coconut oil at Costco now. For the shea butter I get raw ivory shea butter. I've tried the golden shea butter, but didn't like the smell, consistency or the way it worked. I get mine on amazon and usually just get 1 lb at a time. 1lb lasts forever! This Site has some good info, that is pretty helpful, on shea butter.

Besides the fact that it works, which I think is extremely important, it also is much healthier for you. Store bought deodorants are full of unhealthy chemicals that are very damaging to your body. Also, while it may seem like the cost up front is a little pricey (if you get the best product available) it actually makes quite a bit and you only have to use a little bit a time so it lasts forever. 

Let me know if you give it a try and how it works for you :)

Blessings, ♥T

Out here...

Well, out here in our world things have been pretty interesting. About a week ago Jason burned his arm pretty bad. 2nd degree burn. It was very painful. I put aloe very gel on it as soon as it happened and then followed with colloidal silver gel til it scabbed and then he's been putting lanolin on it to help it finish healing up. It looks much better now!

The weekend of Easter Kathleen and Zachary had croup, which then turned into bronchitis for Kathleen and an upper respiratory infection for Zachary. :(  They finally got over that and now we're dealing with a stomach bug! :P I have 2 kiddos left to get it. Hopefully they'll get it and get over it quick. It seems to be a quick thing. PTL!

So sweet even when he's sick!

We are working on getting our place cleaned up and getting rid of stuff. Have someone coming out this week to look at our place. We're really hoping it will sell. All of our family lives far away (in the same state) and we'd really like to be closer to them. Guess we'll see what the Lord has in store for us though :D

One of our chickens has been hatching her eggs. 8 so far, but more are trying to break through! So fun for the kids! They think it's so cool! Two of our goats appear to be in labor, but no babies yet. The signs are hard to read since we have no idea when they were bred. (sometime before we got them) And some of the signs can be days or hours before impending birth. So it's kinda all guess work till the baby comes :D Birth is such an awesome thing. We tremendously enjoy babies around here :D

Blessings, ♥T

Always Tired...

That describes me to a "T"! I am ALWAYS tired. It doesn't seem to make a difference what I do. There are times when it's worse...ie once a month and during the first and third trimesters of pregnancy. This is the story of how I became tired all the time. (I will be commenting on foods that I know are extremely bad for you. At the time I didn't know that, and seeing as it was 15 yrs ago I don't think they were as bad for you as they are now)

Around the time I was 14 I started to gain weight. By the time I was 16 I was around 190-200lbs. Not good. Towards the beginning of '96 I was doing ballet. We had practice 4 times a week. I was teaching ballet, and I started doing Escrima with my dad and brother. (escrima is sword and dagger fighting, using wooden sticks to train) I started losing some weight. By the time I graduated in May, I had lost around 20-25lbs.

I had my graduation ceremony on a Friday night. Afterwards I felt sorta sick, but mainly just a sore throat. Over the next 3 days I was VERY SICK! I spent it all sleeping and in that 3 day span I lost over 20lbs and continued losing weight over the next few months...'til I was down to 135lbs. During the beginning I had a sore throat and got a terrible cough. The cough hurt my chest SO bad, it was awful. I was so weak that I spent most of my time in bed. I would get up to use the bathroom and be falling asleep while in there, only to get back in bed and go right back to sleep. I couldn't eat hardly anything. I went from being able to eat a double cheeseburger, large fries and large drink and still be hungry to I couldn't eat more than 3 chicken nuggets. I developed an intolerance to dark colored sodas, but clear one's were fine.

During this time I also went from being able to tan and being quite dark to being white as a ghost and getting second/third degree burns from the sun.

A couple weeks later I got an UTI. I was put on antibiotics for that and towards the end of that developed an allergic reaction to it. I also noticed at some point that there was a large mass in my left side, right under my rib cage. I could push it back, but it would just come forward again.

I went to the Dr's several times. Had innumerable tests done. The Dr was actually so worried about me (we had a wonderful Dr at the time) she actually called my mom to see how I was doing. The tests showed absolutely NOTHING! The Dr was very concerned about the mass in my side as well, so I had to do more tests for that. They discovered that my kidney is turned and tilted forwards. What I can feel under my rib cage is the top of my kidney.

Over the course of the next year I slowly recovered. At least to the point where I was semi normal. I still was much weaker than I should have been. I started having awful kidney pains. The worse when I would eat too much sugary foods or sodas and not get enough regular food. I still could barely eat. Since that time I have MORE than recovered my appetite. I still have occasional problems with my kidneys, esp if I take Vit C or drink citrus juice. To this day I still am tired most of the time. My Dr now says it's just cause I have so many kids. (Because you know everyone with more than the average 1.8 children just must be exhausted!) She tried to put me on BP meds saying I have high BP (which does run in my family) only at my next visit the nurse told me what my readings were and they were no where NEAR high. So I remain in the dark to this day. I am trying some supplements and am hoping they will work for me. We are doing our best to switch over to whole, natural, organic foods. It's very hard though when you're exhausted to cook from scratch. I realize it would help, but sometimes I'm just too tired to care.

Why am I tell you this? I don't know exactly, but I hate for people to think I'm just a complaining, whiny baby. When I say I'm tired, I really mean it! Thanks for letting me "vent" :D

Blessings, ♥T

Vaccines

I do NOT vaccinate. After plenty of research, we have decided that it's not safe or beneficial for our children. We have several reasons for not vaccinating. The fact that they use aborted fetuses to grow the vaccine, the plethora of dangerous chemicals used in the vaccines, and the fact that most all the disease are treatable and not life threatening. With the exception of tetanus, which you can read about HERE just scroll down to "Some Horse Sense About Tetanus". There is a ton of other good info on there about vaccinations as well.

I realize that YEARS ago a lot of the diseases were severe or life threatening. Today that is not the case. I do not feel it is safe to risk all the possible side effects and complications from the vaccines to HOPEFULLY "protect" them from a disease that, while it may not be fun, isn't going to kill them. Think back 15-20 years ago, everyone I knew had chicken pox or were naturally immune to them. Never heard of one person dying from it. And yet with all the vaccines they're using that scare tactic. "If they get said disease they'll die or have serious complications from it"...I think there are more possible complications, side effects and danger of death FROM the vaccines.

Here are some more good sites for info...

HERE

HERE

HERE

I'm not saying you have to agree with me. This is just my opinion and the reasons for why I do things the way I do. If you feel that vaccinations are necessary to protect your children, that's your decision. But do your research. And I would highly suggest you do them on a very delayed and spread out schedule. I personally do not think it's just the ingredients of the vaccines causing things like autism as much as it's the massive amounts of disease bombarding the nervous system. The body can't handle it and starts shutting things down causing autism and other such things.

Blessings, ♥T

Birth CONTROL part 3 the History

:D This will be the last birth control post, but I thought this history was interesting...

The birth control movement began during the women's rights movement in the United States during the 1910s. Leaders of the movement advocated women's rights to control reproduction and lobbied for public education and distribution of contraception, despite stringent anti-obscenity laws. It took more than 50 years until women could obtain contraception legally.

Post-Suffrage Movement

1. After the suffrage movement resulted in women gaining the right to vote in 1920, the women's rights movement began focusing on obtaining additional equal rights for women. According to the National Women's History Project, the birth control movement began as a way for women to gain freedom over their bodies, sexuality and lifestyle choices. The movement not only focused on public education about birth control methods, it also intended to prove that modern women could choose to live fulfilled lives without becoming mothers.

Comstock Law

2. According to the National Women's History Museum, the birth control movement was held up by an anti-obscenity law, the Comstock Law. Drafted by politician Anthony Comstock in 1873 as a way to curtail premarital sex and lewdness, the law legally banned contraception and deemed informational pamphlets on birth control as the distribution of obscene materials. During the 1910s, advocates of the birth control movement wrote articles and gave out information on contraception and were continually tried and convicted under the Comstock Law.

Founder

3. According to the National Women's History Museum, New York nurse Margaret Sanger is considered the leader of the birth control movement. Sanger published articles and pamphlets on birth control in the 1910s and opened a birth control clinic in 1916. It was open only nine days before Sanger was jailed for 30 days for distributing contraception. She founded the American Birth Control League in 1922, and the organization opened the first legal birth control clinic in 1923. It was allowed to distribute condoms and diaphragms only to married couples.

Eugenics

4. According to PBS's series "The American Experience," the birth control movement joined with the eugenics movement in the 1920s and 30s to gain support for the cause. The eugenics movement in America focused on selective breeding to maintain a perfect society and wanted to limit "unfit" classes, such as minorities and the handicapped, from procreating. Margaret Sanger publicly endorsed the use of birth control for eugenics, though she may have done so only to gain public acceptance of the birth control movement.

Supreme Court

5. Though the birth control movement began in the 1910s, the Supreme Court didn't make the distribution of contraception information legal until 1936, reports the National Women's History Project. In the United States v. One Package to the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, doctors were given the right to inform patients about contraception. Although the first birth control pill was developed in 1960, it wasn't until the 1965 case, Griswold v. Connecticut, that the Supreme Court ruled that the right to use contraception was a constitutional freedom.

Read more: History of the Birth Control Movement | eHow.comhttp://www.ehow.com/about_5052080_history-birth-control-movement.html#ixzz1C1ZybqE5

Here is the history of the birth control pill:  The birth control pill was developed and tested in the 1950s by a team of U.S.-based scientists, whose work was funded by the women's rights advocate Katharine Dexter McCormick (1875-1967). The first human trials were conducted in 1956 in Puerto Rico, and resulted in approval of the pill by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1960. The freedom the pill provided to women by allowing them to control when and how often they became pregnant greatly influenced the women's rights movement of the 1960s. By the beginning of the 21st century, dozens of varieties of the birth control pill were on the market, and were used not only for contraception but also to regulate the menstrual cycle and to control acne.

Blessings, ♥T

Birth CONTROL part 2

"The only way it could be stated with certainty that contraceptive drugs are not abortifacient is if they completely abolish ovulation in every woman during every cycle. This is clearly not the case."

So yes, most contraceptives cause abortions. That includes (but is not limited to) the pills, IUD, the ring, depo shots, and patches.

" the RISK of death for cervical cancer was increased by as much as 200%, for cerebrovascular disease (stroke) an increase of 170% and circulatory diseases 120%. the greatly increased breast cancer risk (200-480%),  the risk of blood clots is 600-900% higher than non users of the pill across all age groups.

With the incidence of breast cancer, cervical cancer, blood clots, infertility and stroke with the use of the pill, the bald reality is that we are dealing with drug induced vandalism of the female physiology. The spin put on the results of this study by family planning advocates who encourage pill use whilst soothingly minimizing the dangers is a profound injustice to women."

Is the "RISK" really worth it? I personally don't see how. Besides the fact that you're controlling your family size, and possibly causing abortions, you're physically harming your body and putting it in great danger!

The other forms of control that physically alter your body are very dangerous as well...vasectomy and
tubal ligation

    Unfortunately the health ramifications of “messing with the plumbing” will last. Many studies have come out linking vasectomies and tubal ligations with a host of long-term health problems. A prominent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (Giovannucci et al, 1993, “A Retrospective Cohort Study of Vasectomy and Prostate Cancer in U.S. Men”) demonstrated a 56% overall increase in risk of prostate cancer among men who had undergone a vasectomy and an 89% increase of risk among men whose procedures were 22 years old or longer. 

    Some of the other problems mentioned for vasectomy are: Arthritis, multiple sclerosis, migraines, allergies, impaired sexual function, kidney stones, angina pectoris and myocardial infraction, abscess of the liver and abscesses of the skin, recurrent sinusitis and recurrent virus infections, auto-immune diseases, hypoglycemia, and diabetes. 

    For tubals the list includes: severe cramps, heavier periods that are shorter or longer and irregular, dysfunctional uterine bleeding that can last for years, infections, abnormal hormone production and imbalances, painful intercourse, pelvic pain, ovarian cysts, endometriosis, hysterectomy, emotional imbalances, and auto-immune diseases such as lupus and fibromyalgia.

    Those who have experienced health problems usually attest to the fact that their doctor did not forewarn them that there was a possibility of physical complications associated with the procedure. Some were even reassured that no problems had ever been reported! 

I would encourage you to pray, search out what the scripture says about children, and do your research before using contraceptives or doing anything permanent.

Blessings, ♥T

Birth CONTROL!

Yes, Birth CONTROL, not talking about the pill or some form of contraceptive. I believe that all forms of contraception, (besides barrier, tubals or vasectomies) are abortifacient. Read the literature. (pamphlets from the pills, rings, IUD's, and shots, or the PDR, online etc) But that's not exactly what I'm wanting to talk about. I'm talking about the "control" issue. It's so sad that people regard children as a burden or a curse, when God says they're the exact opposite.

"Psalm 127:3 Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward." Read that? The fruit of the womb is HIS REWARD! I don't know about you, but I want the Lord to reward me! People talk about the Lord blessing them in so many ways...financially, physically, materially, etc...But somehow when it comes to Him blessing them with children, it's no longer a blessing. They will say "I am trusting the Lord in this area..." (ie Letting Him control that area), but not, it seems, in the area of children. Why?

Why is it so easy to trust the Lord for finances, or healing, or health, or possesions, but not for children? I don't think I've ever heard any "excuse" for not having children that isn't a lack of trust or a selfishness issue. "We can't afford anymore",  "I don't like pregnancy because...", "I want to go to school, have a career, etc, first", "I don't want to give up...", "I'm too tired with the ones I have", and on and on it goes.

I think Matt 6:25-32 says pretty clearly that your needs will be provided for.

"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 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."

I think that should about cover tiredness or physical ailments, and there are PLENTY of other scriptures that show that the Lord will help you through ANYTHING. Including childbearing and raising children! Besides which, in the same scripture where He says children are a reward, He talks about sleep. Kind of ironic don't you think?! I personally take it as a promise from the Lord!

"Psalms 127:2-5 It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep. Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate."


"In the scriptures, the concern of godly women was not discrimination in vocation but rather, the barrenness of the womb. Women were not pining away, pleading the Almighty to be priests or phrophets. They were praying for the blessing of bearing children." ~ Dorothy Patterson

How true! "1 Timothy 2:15 Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety." I will be SAVED in childbearing, NOT cursed!

"Genesis 24:60 And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, Thou art our sister, be thou the mother of thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them."

"Deuteronomy 7:9,13 Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations; 13 And he will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee: he will also bless the fruit of thy womb, and the fruit of thy land, thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep, in the land which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee."

"Psalms 128:3 Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table."

It was a blessing to be the mother of many! What a blessing to receive on your wedding day! "I hope you have many children!"

The word Fruitful is used in reference to children 20+ times!

"Don't you see that children are God's best gift?
the fruit of the womb his generous legacy?
Like a warrior's fistful of arrows
are the children of a vigorous youth.
Oh, how blessed are you parents,
with your quivers full of children!
Your enemies don't stand a chance against you;
you'll sweep them right off your doorstep."

For sure, God meant children to be a blessing! Somehow we've strayed from that.

How can we as christians, say NO, to God when He tries to bless us? Would you say no if that blessing/reward were money? If the Lord offered you a million dollars would you refuse it? And yet what is money? It will be consumed. It does not last. I'm all for soulwinning, but how is it that soulwinning is more important or better than, bearing children? Every soul that you bring into this world for Christ will live on in eternity. Whether by birth or by soulwinning! We are in a spiritual warfare. We NEED more soldiers! Our numbers are dwindling because of our lack of faith and trust in the Lord controlling our family size. The Lord opens and shuts the womb. Allowing Him to control your family size doesn't mean you will have a child a year. I know many people who have never done a thing to control their family size and ended up with 1 or 2 kids, some even none!

Then there is the timing issue. "I'm not ready yet", "this or that needs to happen first". Don't you think you can trust God to know when the timing is right?

Basically what it boils down to is...If you have faith and trust the Lord, you need to trust Him in EVERY area of your life! If you use any form of birth CONTROL you are not trusting Him, you are trusting yourself, hence the word CONTROL!


Blessings, ♥T

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!

Ramblings

I haven't been on here much lately. We only have a laptop and my hubby has been taking it to work with him. It's good in a way, I am not tempted to be online all day. But it's hard to not be able to look things up when I think about it too!

We have been pretty busy here. Cleaning and organizing still. Doing school. Living life.

I am back to cloth diapers full time, except for night. I'm scared to leave them all night and deal with ammonia burns again. I have some sherpa that I'm going to use to make some diapers so hopefully that will work for overnight. I have been doing good at hanging them out to dry too. :)

I have successfully been making kefir for my hubby. I have yet to try the stuff as it smells funny and I didn't like the taste I did get of it. I'll try it sometime when I get brave enough! My second yogurt attempt was a flop. I'm pretty sure it was the temperature, so the next one I'll be more careful about watching it and getting it right! I am going to soak some oats tonight for oatmeal. I am finding lots of info regarding soaking grains and think it may really help with some of Kathleen's food allergies and with some others stomach issues upon eating certain grains. I have yet to make bread, which was my goal this week, but I have been making biscuits from scratch! We all love them, but I'm going to have to double the recipe as it just isn't enough! I don't know for sure what's going on with my kids but they're all "starving" all the time now! The amounts of food I used to make is not enough now. I know my boys are getting bigger so that's part of it, but even the girls are always hungry. I think Emily is going to have a growth spurt because she is literally hungry ALL day long. But they are all asking for more after every meal! We are all still healthy (PTL!!!) and we're all still doing the cleanse and taking our daily vitamins. So maybe that's it?

I have finally started doing 2 of the studies I wanted to do. Proverbs 31 study and Created to be His Help Meet study. They are both very convicting and together are VERY convicting. I'm really trying and don't want to get frustrated and quit or fail, but I'm really feeling the stress from it! Please pray for me. I know it won't be easy and the adversary will do everything in his power to try to keep me from succeeding but I really want to have victory in these and several other areas!

Well, it's late and I'm needing some sleep...

Pantries!

That's what I've been doing this week. Organizing pantries! With a family this size, we have quite a lot of food and with trying to stock up, we really have a lot of food! We (my hubby and I) have really been feeling a need to stock up lately. To become self sustaining. To be prepared. In case of anything really...depression, natural disaster, war, EMP...Not that we're hoping anything happens but we believe we should be prepared. And since so many Christians we know have been feeling that prompting too, it kinda makes it seem like it's probably a really good thing to do. My hubby has been reading several blogs on how to prepare, and so have I. One good article was What to do in case of an EMP? While I'm sure a lot of people will think "oh they're just weird" or "they're just doomsday sayers" or "that could never happen here" or "nothing bad will happen". I don't think we should let that stop us from being prepared, and if nothing happens, well that's a blessing and we'll have plenty of food and supplies, but if something were to happen? We wouldn't be sitting around panicking and wondering what we're going to do. We'll just go on living!


When questioned by a friend and hinted at by a loved one, it got me thinking. So I asked my hubby what he thought...The question/hint...God is in control and we don't have to worry. We shouldn't stress about it. "Matthew 6:25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?" And if you read the rest of the passage it talks about it more. But I think there's a difference in worrying about what tomorrow holds and preparing for things. We can prepare and not be worried or consumed! We are supposed to be good stewards with what we have, so I don't think you should do anything beyond your means. You shouldn't go into debt to "prepare". Also, I think we can all learn a lesson from Joseph! He became a leader second only to the Pharaoh because he PREPARED! The Lord used him to stockpile and save His people from starvation. I think if we look at it like that it becomes the right perspective. No we shouldn't worry or stress, but we should be ready. If nothing happens, nothing happens, but if something does (And I honestly think it will, and since so many Christians are feeling prompted in the same way...) we'll be prepared. We can take care of our family, and we can help out the ones who didn't prepare. Maybe even lead them to the Lord. So I think you should do whatever you can, within your means to prepare for however long you can, and then leave the rest in God's hands. I don't think we should become consumed with it, but we should be ready for anything! Sitting here with the prompting from the Lord and doing nothing makes us foolish if something big does happen. I don't think He would give so many people the prompting to get self-sustaining and stockpiled, for no reason. And he wouldn't do it to make us look foolish either. I know some people think we're weird for it, but what will they think when something happens? What will they do? They'll turn to us, because we're ready! 


So, saying all that here's a few pics of my pantries and storage room...

Our Everyday Pantry 

Our Storage Pantry

Our Medicine and Food

More Storage Room for Food

Our Books and Movies that I need to Purge :)

Yes, Zachary takes his Naps in the Storage Room!

Our Unfinished Storage room

Stuff

I think we have too much stuff! I really try to not be a pack rat, but I don't think I'm really succeeding :)  We have decided that we need to prepare for...whatever...by stocking food and supplies. So we are moving rooms around so that we'll have a food storage pantry and a supply storage room. In moving everything I'm trying to go through and get rid of. I must say that I hate packing, but I always love unpacking after we move because it allows me to go through and get rid of things that have "accumulated" over time. While we're not actually moving, I'm looking at it in the same light. Going through and getting rid of! It's always such a nice feeling to have it done. To have a clean, organized home. To know that there's not a bunch of stuff shoved in cabinets or closets. To know where everything is! We have already accomplished quite a bit. Not as much as I'd like, but since we're still having sickness issues, I'm giving myself a break! :D

Yes, we're still sick. We still have a few with a cough, ear infections, headaches, etc... I'm not sure what to do about it all. We've been sick so much over the last year and a half. I have been reading through some books James picked up and am hoping the suggestions will help. (ie...taking more Vitamins A, B, C, D, & E, and minerals and herbs, plus healthy eating)

On a happy note, Emily turned 4 on Christmas day. She really was so excited to turn 4! She loved her gifts and is such a happy 4 year old now! :)  Today was Zachary's 1st birthday! I can't believe how fast the  years gone. He's such a little stinker, but such a snuggler too! He started walking last week! The kids are so excited about it! Also today, Michelle lost her first tooth! She has been so anxious for it to come out. It's been loose for a few days now. Tonight it was loose enough. I tied the string on it and as I was tightening it, it popped out! I was so glad, because honestly, I HATE pulling teeth. I'm not normally a sissy when it comes to blood or anything, but something about pulling teeth makes me sick to my stomach! Anyhow, the first thing she said was "I didn't even cry!" LOL...Everyone else has seemed to throw fits and act like they'e dying (esp Makenzie!) so it was a big deal to her that she didn't cry! She said it several times actually! :)

Well, we are going to finish up the cleaning this weekend and then hopefully start up our schedule on Monday. Doing school, piano, and such.  I've decided that I'm just gonna have to make myself give them lessons. I think that I'm probably not the best teacher in the world, but they need it and I can do it so... :P   I'm looking forward to it though. I don't like having a rigid time schedule, but I do like routine and I think kids thrive on it, so it will be nice. Hope you all have a blessed day!

The Flu!

Bleh! The Flu! Personally I believer they are purposely engineering these illnesses for the public, but...We have it! Emily is so bad she's been on the couch for 2 days now. Her eyes are completely bloodshot! She looks terrible!!! I now have 2 more (the 2 littlest) coming down with fevers. Unfortunately I don't know if it's the flu for them or not. Not only is the flu going around, so is strep and croup and some stomach bug. So the doctor prescribed Tamiflu. I'm not too sure about using it. I just don't feel good about it. Following is a list of what I'm doing. Any other thoughts or suggestions?

Colloidal Silver 3x a day

Vitamin C 1500ml+ a day

Vitamin D 4000IU a day

A liquid multivitamin

I have GSE, but haven't been using it, I will use some tomorrow

Garlic (internally and in the ears)

Peroxide in the ears (Did you know that the flu is transmitted through the ear canal?)

I think I'm gonna have them gargle with salt water too

Lots of warm water, bubbly hand washing and hand sanitizer

I hate using it, but for the high fevers (when they've had it for a while and are completely lethargic, shaky and totally miserable!) I give Tylenol or Ibuprofen. But I usually always give less that what's recommended.

I so wish we could not be sick! It's not just my family, the whole church seems to be coming down with stuff. It just is so difficult for us to get over it, with so many people in the house.

We did have a rather funny time at the doctors though...Jason went to lean against the wall, but somehow he missed the wall and his feet slipped straight out, so he was laying on the ground! We all laughed so hard. I was crying I was laughing so hard! I was really hoping they didn't hear me and think something was wrong. Especially since I was being a "nice" mom and calling him a dork! LOL Makenzie did something too that was really funny, but alas, we have all forgotten what it was! (I took Jason, Makenzie, Emily and Zachary)