Whimsie Dots

It Is Never Boring...

2012-01-09T14:58:00.000-08:00

Today I had to have labs drawn and my PICC line sight care done. When my nurse was here, I mentioned to her that I was feeling and hearing the flushing of my line, in my neck. She immediately did a check on my line and there was no blood return meaning the line had migrated outside the vein. With a quick call to my Dr, we were to have it immediately pulled. Fortunately my nurse was able to do it here at home. So after making Matt leave the room so he would not pass out, she removed the stitches and pulled the line. Fortunately there was no resistance, which would have meant another hospital visit. My Dr wants me to see how I feel tomorrow before having another PICC put in. If I am able to maintain fluid, food and my potassium level, I may actually be free of this so much earlier than expected!! But I have had PICC lines pulled too early and I tend to relapse pretty quickly. We are praying for continued healing as I am now cold turkey on fluids and meds. Early pregnancy for us is never boring, but I am so looking forward to boring!! Thank you to all of you who are praying so faithfully!!

A Long Month...

2012-01-08T10:38:00.000-08:00

It has been so long since I have shared an update on my pregnancy. It has been an incredibly difficult month and I have been unable to manage even sitting up to type. But I am finally beginning to see the healing of the Lord in my body. And felt I should take a bit of energy to share.

In my last post, I mentioned eating a meal and keeping it down, that meal was the last until just a few days ago. I very quickly spiraled into a very difficult stage of the hyperemesis. Each time I attempted a small amount of food, it came right back up. I was vomiting up to 10 times a day even without food. After about a week and a half of small attempts at food, I gave up from the pain and intense nausea. I went into a 10 day period of absolutely no food or liquid. I was completely dependant on the PICC line to keep me hydrated. But I dropped weight very rapidly. I was weighing in once a week at the Drs office and was being watched closely. Eventually I began to miss my weigh in because I was way too sick to even get dressed and sit in the car.

Christmas Eve Matt had to take me to the ER due to what appeared to be an infection starting in my PICC line. Lots of tests and discussion about admission to the hospital, but after a round of IV antibiotics, my initial tests came back neg for infection, and we made it home in the middle of the night on Christmas. My folks had just spent the afternoon with us to celebrate Christmas, and as soon as they returned home, they turned back around to come and stay with the kids while we were in the hospital.

Christmas was hard, I was completely unable to participate with the kids and Matt. I took alot of tears to let go of that. Matt did a fabulous job at making it special for the kids-what an amazing gift he is. But I am so looking forward to next year!!

Matt went back to work after the New Year and I struggled with my inability to take care of the kids. My parents thankfully come out one day a week and help with everything. We have our church family providing meals daily and dear friends taking care of our groceries. The kids have been struggling but are doing their best to work together to pitch in around the house.

On Tuesday this past week when my folks were out, I was able to muster enough strength to get to my weigh in with Matt's help. The weigh in became proof of how bad things had gotten. I had dropped 22 lbs in a matter of 5 weeks. The nurse was concerned with how badly I was doing and called the Dr who ordered lab work. We went home and I began to keep down a bit of crackers and sprite, which was huge. Wednesday afternoon we got an unexpected emergency call from my Dr saying I needed to be admitted to the hospital immediately. My labs had shown a dangerously low level in my potassium. We later learned after getting settled in at the hospital that this was risky for my heart. Potassium is also a tricky thing to bring back up and has to be closely monitored because too much too fast could stop my heart. When My Dr came in she gave us to honest scoop, the severity of my hyperemisis is rarely seen and not many Drs have dealt with it. She was working hard to round up a team of Drs that could work together to try and get it under control. It appeared I was going to need TPN(an IV form of nutrition) but even the GI Dr at the hospital did not want to touch my case. We learned quickly how difficult TPN is to regulate in a pregnant women. So, they brought in the High Risk OB Dr to work with us, the hospital specialist, and my awesome Dr of course. So we took it a step at a time. I had my first round of potassium replacement overnight. In the morning labs showed I was still way too low-which meant a longer stay. But I was still vomit free and the Dr gave me the go ahead to try some food. I ordered a meal and did not eat much, but I kept it down!! So, at dinner time, I ordered another meal, again, didn't eat a whole lot, but! I kept it down!! The second round of potassium was infused that night and we were so hopeful I could go home, but labs the next day were still really low. But, by this point, my Drs were beginning to have the same hope as we did, that we would be able to bypass the TPN and that despite the struggle with my potassium, I was starting to turn the corner. By the time it was all said and done, I ended up being in the hospital for almost 4 full days. My potassium is at a safe level now, and as long as I do not start vomiting, I can be at home and have potassium supplements through my PICC line to maintain it. I ended up eating 7 meals in the hospital and held them all down. The difference in my stamina is incredible. When I came home yesterday, I was able to actually hug my kiddos for real and take a shower by myself. The adjustment is still difficult, I cannot do much at all and my nausea is still a struggle. The pressure of holding my food down was a bit overwhelming last night-I hate the idea of landing in the hospital again-but I did manage to get to sleep with a full belly.

My hospital stay was a combination of all kinds of emotions. My folks came right back out to stay with the kids for the week so Matt could split his time between work and hospital. He could have stayed the nights with me, but I told him to go home. My nights were pretty restless and I had nurses coming in at all hours of the night, so he would have not gotten any sleep. Two of the days, the kids came for short visits. The first visit, Noah was pretty funny. He crawled in bed with me and said "so where is the baby?" I was staying in the maternity wing of the hospital, so there were endless new little ones around. The second time they came, Noah crawled in bed right away, under the covers and kicked off his shoes. He was content to just cuddle up with me. I ate it up. Our family of 7 fills that little hospital room up pretty full. I think when the baby is born, we will have to take shifts for visits, otherwise it gets a bit busy. It was good to see the kids here and there, gave me something to look forward too during those long, lonely days. Our Pastor came to visit the night I was admitted, and it was so good to know we had a family of God praying for healing! It was pretty neat to see Him work through all of the details, I had plenty of time to talk with the Lord while I was there. I am only eleven weeks right now, but they were able to find the babies heartbeat with a normal heart monitor-that was wonderful to hear. Mom and Dad came to visit one of the days as well, which the company was much appreciated. Since I was there 4 days, I met a good amount of their nursing staff in the maternity wing, which will be nice when we come back to have the baby. It was a bit difficult hearing all of the babies come in and out, knowing I still had such a long road ahead, but it also gave me something to look forward to.

Friday night, my OB Dr peeked in to see how I was. I think her first response jokingly was, "I hear you pulled a whopper thing again" See, she has been my OB for the past 10 years, and in my pregnancy with Bell, I of course was super sick and had a PICC line that time as well. One of my visits, when she asked how I was feeling, I announced "I ATE A WHOPPER!!!" which signified I had taken a big turn in direction and it has been a running joke ever since. So, the fact that I had come in basically in the fetal position on Wednesday and was sitting up in bed eating a hamburger on Friday night, the joke was completely appropriate. And I could have burst into tears with how grateful I was for her at that moment!

I have a long way to go still, any activity tends to overwhelm me physically, so I am trying to take it slow. My mind is starting to recover from being in a very dark place for this past month. I still have overwhelming aversions to food, smells, even conversations about food. I am not able to process yet "what do you want to eat?" Attempting to think about food to eat, makes me very nauseated. But looking at a menu seems to help-I can quickly weed through and allow my body to direct what will sit with me. I will most likely eat the same few things for quite awhile, but know from experience, that will gradually fade. I will have the PICC line for quite some time still. I would not be able to stay hydrated enough without it. It also helps deliver meds that are necessary right now since taking anything orally is such a risk for relapse.

The Lord has provided patience and grace for those who cannot understand this. It is just too rare even for most Drs to have a good grasp on. I have to smile and chuckle when a Dr or nurse hands me an information packet on "morning sickness" I wish that is all it was!! As much as I hate going through this, I am grateful for the time in history I live in. Women died from this all throughout history and I can only imagine what a painful death it was-starvation and dehydration has very painful side effects. There is no cure or even comfort through much of it, but there is treatment to keep my body from starvation and dehydration. The Lord also designed such a magnificent protection for the baby. One thing that is true, is that, the fact that I am so sick, means the baby is developing amazingly, getting all it needs. I may be suffering, but baby is not without! Obviously, left untreated, if my body began to shut down, the baby could not survive either,but that is not the case here.

I am trying to be patient now, for complete healing. Looking forward to those first kicks, which is only weeks away since I typically feel that around 14 weeks. I am overwhelmed by the way the Lord has sustained my family with the help form others and family. Looking forward to returning the favor some day!! Attempting to give my anxiety and discomfort over to the Lord.

Thank you for your continued prayers!!

A Few Days Behind Us....

2011-12-12T08:44:00.000-08:00

"He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak" Isaiah 40:29

Each day that passes feels like such an accomplishment right now. Life has been very stripped down for us. A little sad at Christmas time, but we keep remembering it is just for a season. We have seen the Lord's blessings begin to rain down which makes us feel like we can make it. Our wonderful church family has covered us with meals in the evenings. For Matt, that is huge! He loves to cook, but when he is working, being Mr Mom, and seeing to all the medical daily care for me, time for cooking seems to elude him-imagine that:)

Saturday was a good day for me, at least until the evening. I was able to go 48 hours with no vomiting, so Sat afternoon, I was actually able to eat a meal-oh wow, does food taste good when there is a lack of nausea. Matt grabbed me a sandwich from Panera-when I have the ability to eat, there is usually a very strong craving that goes along with it. But by the evening, those 48 hours of freedom was over. I had a very rough night and Sunday was horrible. It was another day of tears and unrelenting vomiting. I had been so hoping to be up and around when the kids got home from my parents. It was so good to see them and have them home again.

But today seems to be another mild day. I am far from 100%, but I am more than happy to be at 80%. Sat at the breakfast table with the family, took a shower(heaven), and have held down one of Matt's wonderful pancakes. Monday mornings are our big family breakfasts, since Matt is off. The kids are enjoying the day and happy to be home. Matt was able to go visit one of our kids from church who is having some pretty serious surgery this morning. And my nurse has already been here to redress my PICC line sight. The redressing is both painful and soothing all in one. Unfortunately the cleaning tends to burn, but it also soothes the skin irritation as well. We will hopefully only need one nurse visit a week now. Matt is able to handle all of the care except the redressing. I work with a pharmacy who delivers all of the meds and supplies. Noah was quite sure that when all the boxes arrived the first time, that there were puppies in them(wouldn't that be nice!) Not exactly the presents you expect under the tree;).

On Friday I was blessed to have two letters arrive snail mail style. They arrived just before I had to go into the hospital to see if the baby was still alive. Talk about God's timing!! Letters of such encouragement and hope, so thankyou my sweet friends for being sensitive to the Holy Spirit-they were a "God Thing"!!

Lora, my sweet friend from Eager Hands made the most beautiful necklace of Hope for me. The two leaves represent healing (Rev 22:2) as well as being a symbol of baby and me.The emerald represents healing and new life. She believes the pearl represents how the Lord sees me and the purity of my heart that He now sees in me. She hammered the pendant to represent 2 Cor 4:8-9 "We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but do not despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed." I was so blessed to wear this as I sat and waited at the hospital to see if our little babe was still with us. Thank you Lora, for a tangible and beautiful reminder of how precious it is to trust in the Lord during these trials! The Lord has given you such an amazing gift!!

My sweet sister Nicole, who lives too far away(Seattle) has blessed me with an early Christmas gift. She ordered the entire series of Dr Quinn, Medicine women on DVD. The minutes and hours can pass ever so slowly on my really hard days, and the TV can be a blessing and distraction, but I need to be so very careful of my choices of what to watch. For a spirit that is already discouraged, watching despair, violence, etc is not a good medicine! So these shows will offer hope. Nik has also taken on the job of buying Matt's stocking stuffers for me. I just need to get a list to her. She had helped me with this in my pregnancy with Noah as well. Such a huge gift since I cannot go out shopping. Thank you sis!! You are a lifesaver!!

My prayer today is that we can take the kiddos for a drive tonight to look at Christmas lights. A tradition I hope not to have to skip this year!! Praying that I will have strength for it. We have simple goals these days!

A Little Update...

2011-12-10T07:22:00.000-08:00

Let's see, I believe I left off on Monday of this past week. As many of you know, I am expecting my 6th wee one. I am one of the 2% of women who struggle with hyperemesis or HG during pregnancy. I wanted to share this journey with others since we have experienced it multiple times and help to bring a little understanding to it.

So, Monday, I had the PICC line placed to allow for 24 hour IV infusion along with meds. When Tuesday rolled around, I met one of my nurses and she walked us through a refresher on the infusion pump, all the meds, etc. But I had been having such pain in my chest that was finally determined to be coming from all the acid I had been vomiting. So as soon as my nurse had me hooked up, Matt and I headed to the cancer care clinic in town for some new meds. The cancer clinic is one of the rare group of DRs and nurses that work with these pumps, nausea, etc. I have been there in other pregnancies as well. My doctor wanted to try something new, they were adding Pepcid to my infusion. It is supposed to help with reducing the production of acid and help to digest food quickly. I was also receiving a pain shot since I could not hold down anything for pain orally. The nurse there was so sweet and helpful. I have been since then, adding the Pepcid everyday to the IV solution and this is the first time I have actually seen a real difference. I have gone 36 hours without vomiting-a true miracle. The zofran I have always taken for nausea never seemed to help a whole lot. And Reglan, another anti nausea med, I have a bed reaction to. But right now, I have 3 IV doses of zofran and 2 doses of Pepcid. I am also receiving vitamins through the IV solution-this is a first for me on that as well. All of them working together, seem to be helping. I have eaten some very small meals and held it down. Huge victory.

On Wednesday, when my nurse came, she noticed that there was some swelling in my right calf, and upon looking more closely, she thought it may be a blood clot, so we were out the door again to the hospital. Thankfully my team of nurses and DRs were able to have me seen as an outpatient instead of having to wait hours in the ER. I had a dopler test done on my leg and it showed no blood clot, Praise the Lord!! But by this time, with all of the chaos, my mom was on her way to stay with the kids and help me. Wednesday nights are pretty full evening for us, so this came as an upset that left us scrambling a bit to figure out how to make everything work. Some friends from church graciously took over Matt's responsibilities in youth group, another couple of friends came to pick up our older kids for church, and another friend was going to take our little ones for the night if need be. The hospital had us in and out though in time for Matt to get to youth group and mom arrived 20 minutes after he left for church to help me with the little ones.

Thursday, was the first day I was home all day. Mom got all of the kids except Cole packed up and was taking them home with her. Giving them a break from the chaos, giving me a chance to rest, and giving Cole a bit of a break as well from managing things around here when Matt was at work. I was really sick on Thursday though. And before Matt left for youth group that night, I just wept while we sat at the edge of our bed. I felt like I could not do it any longer. I had no relief the idea of months more of this was more than I could handle at that moment. So, as I wept, Matt prayed for relief, for healing, and for comfort. I had such pain from not eating that I couldn't take it anymore and had some mashed potatoes made. I slowly ate them while I was in bed and then fell asleep. I woke hours later feeling a bit better, and as time went on, I was surprised to see that my meal was staying with me. That night, I slept really good, and woke up feeling much much better. A step in a good direction.

So Friday, I managed to hold down some more potatoes and did not have any vomiting. We had to cal my nurse though because my PICC line was leaking. She came over and was able to get it working right again. There are so many little things that can go wrong with the PICC. My arm gets achy from it and itches horribly from the dressing. I have the dressing changed once a week and I remember how good it felt to have the old dressing pulled. It makes life a bit more difficult, hard to take showers because it cannot get wet. So preparing for a shower is a lot of work. It makes sleeping a bit difficult too. Last night, somehow I would my line around my neck while sleeping. Many nights we are awoken to the pump alarm going off because somehow I have kinked the line. I have a little pack that I carry around the IV solution in, which is much more convenient than having a big ol' IV pole to trip over. The kids are good about being careful not to tug on the line. It is almost discreet enough to go out in public with and not draw too much attention, which I am thankful for, although I do not have much energy to go out anymore.

By yesterday afternoon, I had started to bleed. It was crushing to have to call Matt at work to tell him. Because I had been feeling better and then this, I was sure that I had lost the baby. My team of Drs and nurses sure jumped to get me in and find out what was going on. My exam showed positive results but we still needed to have an ultrasound to make sure. The hospital was so busy, so the Dr seeing me, took Matt and I up to another dept that was closed for the weekend and did my ultrasound there. Sure enough, there was that tiny little heart just beating as strong as it could-amazing!! She let us just watch the baby for awhile. What relief!! Matt and I had braced for the worst. And my biggest fear was that I was afraid I could not try again after how hard this pregnancy had already been. It is one thing to be surprised and know you need to see something through because the Lord has handed you this amazing gift. But it is another to willingly walk into it knowing, fresh in your mind, the hardships that await you! Thank you Jesus for choosing what we did not have the strength to!! We are so excited!!

Some wonderful friends had dropped dinner off for Matt and Cole-what a blessing!! And I was so excited to see a big pan of assorted homemade Christmas cookies!!! I have been so bummed that I could not bake this Christmas for the kids. This is the first of Christmas goodies around here! It was so good to see Matt finally sit down and eat when we got home from the hospital. Cole helped out by signing for my medical supply delivery while we were gone. He let our friends in too.

So it is Saturday morning, I am doing alright, Matt is working on all the shipping for my shop and then we will try to get a handle on the house. I am hoping he and Cole can get out and do something together later too. Cole and Matt need a break big time. The rest of the kiddos will be coming home tomorrow. We miss them.We will work for one more week on school and then break until after the New Year.

To My Sweet Little One...

2011-12-10T06:53:00.000-08:00

My Strong Little One Growing Safe Inside Me,

This has been a very long and difficult week. I have been seen either by the Doctor or the hospital at least once each day. Yesterday was the hardest day of them all. I thought I had lost you. I had been feeling much better for almost a day and then I started to bleed. I thought for sure with those two things, that you were gone. The hardest part was to tell your Daddy, he was crushed, he has been so excited about you, and doesn't mind a bit taking care of me until you arrive. Mama has such a wonderful team of doctors that worked quickly to see what was going on. One of the Doctors even brought us in to a part of the hospital that was closed for the weekend in order to find out if you were still growing safely. Jesus has just prepared everything we have needed before we even need it. The Dr made sure to let us know quickly how you were, and to our amazement, there was your tiny heart just beating away. She let us just watch you for awhile. What a miracle you are! What fun it will be to bring you to meet all of the doctors and nurses that have rallied around Dad and I during this time and have shown such compassion. We are blessed.

Your Grandma Lois rushed out Wednesday evening to help me and your brothers and sisters. She took all of them home with her for awhile except for Your oldest brother Cole, who wanted to stay and help me here. I am so thankful for her and all the help. Couldn't make it through without her. I miss them all though, but know they are doing well without having to worry through all of these adjustments being made here at home.

I can't wait until next Christmas, when you are here with us. What a celebration that will be!! With all my love sweet little one, Mama

A little Update...

2011-12-06T07:42:00.000-08:00

It has been a very rough week. I went from being an active mama and wife to being completely unable to care for myself in a matter of a week. My hyperemesis has hit with a vengeance. I spent Sunday night in the ER being rehydrated after days of unrelenting vomiting and an inability to hold anything down. After making it home after 1 am, we were back at the doctor at 9am to begin the process of home health care. I had to have an emergency ultrasound to make sure the baby was safe. We were blessed to hear that strong little heartbeat and I was overwhelmed by that sound. Next was the surgery to place my PICC line. We finally arrived back home for good after 5. It was amazing how the Lord granted strength to get through such a long day, but I had a great deal of pain throughout the evening from the surgery with no ability to manage pain since nothing stays down. So there were some pretty dark hours I felt like giving up in. The vomiting does not cease in the nighttime hours, so I struggle to get any sleep. But morning has come and with it, a small amount of relief, a little less pain and a few hours void of the constant wretching. Matt is home today to meet my new nurse and learn how to care for the PICC line and infusion I will be getting round the clock. It helps a great deal to have him hear. The kids of course have pitched in a great deal, but are struggling for sure. They struggle in different ways especially depending on their ages. This is the part I hate the most. Sometimes I wish I could hide all of it from them. I know it scares them, I see it, and even though they have been through it before, it is still hard. Life just gets a major upset. It was hard to even figure out when to get groceries in the middle of all of it. So 10pm last night, Matt finally got out for some. Madi has taken on a partnership with Matt in making the list as well as seeing to all of the laundry and much of the care of the little ones. They are a good team. Cole is my comic and tries to make me laugh, which I hate to admit, but it doesn't come easy. And he is also the one that holds down the fort every time Matt and I need to be gone. Joslyn is the easy going,"it's going to be ok" one, but also super sensitive to always making sure to come and give me a kiss,rub my back and just make sure I am not alone. Bell is in a unique age, able to not understand completely and be able to play with Noah like nothing has changed, but does have those moments when it hits pretty hard and she just really needs to crawl in bed with me and cuddle. She fell asleep in my arms last night after a good amount of tears. And Noah, he is just curious about it all and not too fazed by it. He is another good cuddler which I am grateful for. And Matt, well, he is just amazing. The amount he takes on is overwhelming but he does it with such grace and care.

There you have it, a little view into the life of an HG pregnancy. It may be a little too real and raw, so I apologize. The weeks ahead seem so very long, but I know there is an end with a super sweet blessing;) May the Lord bless all of you this Christmas season and be your strength for the difficult passages you may be going through!

To My Sweet Little One...

2011-12-03T14:17:00.000-08:00

Sweet Little One growing inside me, I have dreamed of you forever but never knew I would have the chance to meet you someday. You are the seventh child I always wanted. You have 2 charming brothers and 3 beautiful sisters, and one sibling in the arms of Jesus we look forward to meeting some day together, all of us. There is so much I want to tell you and your brothers and sisters. See, I get really sick in order to bring you into this world. I have always dreamed of waiting for my babes with energy and health, but Jesus just made me different, and I trust Him for this even when it makes me really sad. Today has been a hard day, and I know that it is not going to change for quite awhile. I was feeling really scared about the days ahead, I was not wanting your brothers and sisters to struggle and feel alone because I am sick, and Jesus whispered an idea in my heart. You are so small right now, I cannot feel you kicking yet, the 34 weeks until you get here seem so far away, and sometimes it is hard to remember what the suffering is for, so I thought that if I write you and let you know how much you are loved, then maybe that hope will continue to help these days pass.

I heard your heartbeat yesterday for the first time, I was overwhelmed at the sound. No matter how many times I have had a child growing in me, it never becomes ordinary or common, it is truly amazing, and there is an instant and unexplainable love that comes from hearing your tiny little heart beating. God is forming you and knows all of your days already and He is protecting you from the storm waging outside my womb. I know He has a plan for you and I am the tool to bring you life, so I have no question of the worth in the pain. I do wish for deliverance from it often and do get discouraged and even wonder why the suffering is necessary, but I know He is in control and with me through it.

We are anxious to meet you, the days will not go fast enough. We are so grateful to the Lord for the gift of your life. Love Your Mama

Ain't This Just Grand...

2011-12-02T12:03:00.000-08:00

So, humor is a gift, and it is one we put to great use around here starting about now in my pregnancy. I am attempting to accept, with grace, that this time is not going to be the exception we were hoping for. We make small adjustments, with laughter, to the fact that I am now, once again, the queen of puke(sorry if that offends you!) around here. The moments of humor are the moments that help us through the tears though-because make no mistake, this ain't grand at all;). I am beginning down the not being able to hold anything down, as a matter of fact it took me 4 tries this morning to keep just a few crackers down. Finally by noon, I could get out of bed today. And this is my wonderful menu plan now.

The altoids are not for nutrition;) they are to help my sinuses, because as you can imagine they take a good beating from losing all of my meals. The peppermint helps just a tad with nausea, but since I cannot keep any pain relievers down for head aches, this has to do.

We made a quick trip to the doctor this afternoon to have some things checked out and sure enough I have lost weight and my lab work is showing that I am already dehydrated. We will be picking up some meds for nausea and be back on Monday to see how I am doing. I cooked up a batch of beans today-plain old beans-and am trying to eat them-thanks to a friend, I read an article by a nutritionist, that claims beans will work against the nausea unlike the silly claims that B6, saltines, or anything else will somehow work miracles for women like me. We have tried it all, but we'll give this a shot too.

So, here we go, another trip down the hyperemesis train, I know it's not very glamorous, but it's real. And yes, it is worth it even when I have to say it in the middle of a puddle of my own tears!

Doing Some More Research...

2011-12-01T07:49:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I got hit with nausea and it took me out for the count. I spent most of the remainder of the day on the couch. I was still able to eat some dinner, but it took everything in me to manage to keep it down. Being at this point already frightens me, it most likely means I am heading in the direction I was hoping not to. My daily chores and activities are becoming very difficult, very quickly. So, I got up this morning and did some research again to see if I could find anything new on HG. While I did discover an organization called HER that I may contact considering this will be my 6th experience going through this, I came across a blog post of a woman who has experienced HG through her pregnancies as well and has shared her experience. It was an encouragement to me just to know of others who have gone through it. I am thankful that my Dr is one of the Doctors who understand this condition enough to have me treated for it, I feel deeply for women who do not have a strong support system to get through this. I am praying today that the Lord will help me to let go of plans I had in these next couple of months, and give me a peace about it. I am still able to keep up with orders coming in from the shop, but I have not been able to spend much effort on restocking, so I am trying to trust Him for that right now. My energy is on schooling with the kiddos from here on out, and my guess is that that will be about all I can muster. I am going to try to keep in touch here on the blog and will look forward to the days ahead when I am back on my feet, full of inspiration and energy and a new little one in my arms. We are still praying for healing but are also trusting His plan for the days ahead, knowing He will see to all of our needs, and knowing He is refining us even through difficulty.

Mighty to Save....

2011-11-30T07:05:00.000-08:00

The day ended well yesterday after a rough start. Matt and I even got out after dinner to do a little hunting for Christmas. I am in bed early and missing my late night energy, but none the less thankful for the energy to get through the day! So many of you have been on your knees for me, knowing well, how difficult my pregnancies are, and that has blessed us so deeply!! We appreciate each of you more than we could express!

1 Thes 5:16-18

Rejoice always;

pray without ceasing;

in everything give thanks;for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

A friend of mine sent an email yesterday to show me a beautiful design graphic she had created for her desk with our picture on it as a reminder to pray for us. The Lord truly blessed us with the gift of prayer, didn't He? He made Himself available to hear all of our requests for our loved ones, ourselves, strangers to us, our children, our parents, and it all matters deeply to Him! What better way to express our love for one another, than to bring them to the foot of Jesus!?

This morning when I woke, I was able to eat some breakfast and dash out for walk( love that the kiddos are so willing to get the little ones breakfast so I can do this), time to bring the day before the Lord, to thank Him, and to ask for his strength for the tasks ahead. "He is mighty to save" was one of the songs I was blessed with, and it fit so perfectly into what friends and family are praying for right now in our lives-For Mountains to Move! Nicole, you will especially appreciate this and I thought it so appropriate to share.

Our good friends, Jay and Nicole, hiked the Appalachian Trail this past year and blessed us with an almost daily account of how the Lord "Moved Mountains" for them and provided all that they needed, be it food, lodging, a friend, a doctor, safe passage through bad weather, new gear, or encouragement from home. So it is still very fresh on their hearts and minds as to how the Lord can do mighty things impossible to us!! I am grateful to have prayer warriors such as this traveling right alongside us on this journey.

Yesterday I distinctly felt like the cowardly lion form the Wizard of Oz-especially in the scene when they are about to meet the Wizard-the tunnel looked sooo long and sooo dark, soo unknown-and he gets quite scared and begins to turn around in an attempt to run away, deciding he really doesn't need courage all that bad, but his friends grab ahold of him and hold him up, and walk with him, being his courage and strength for that long walk down a dark tunnel. Thank you for being my friends, for being my courage and my strength and for bringing my family to the feet of Jesus.

MIGHTY TO SAVE

Everyone needs compassion,
Love that's never failing;
Let mercy fall on me.

Everyone needs forgiveness,
The kindness of a Saviour;
The Hope of nations.

Saviour, He can move the mountains,
My God is Mighty to save,
He is Mighty to save.

Forever, Author of salvation,
He rose and conquered the grave,
Jesus conquered the grave.

So take me as You find me,
All my fears and failures,
Fill my life again.

I give my life to follow
Everything I believe in,
Now I surrender.

My Saviour, He can move the mountains,
My God is Mighty to save,
He is Mighty to save.
Forever, Author of salvation,
He rose and conquered the grave,
Jesus conquered the grave.

Shine your light and let the whole world see,
We're singing for the glory of the risen King...Jesus (x2)

My Saviour, He can move the mountains,
My God is Mighty to save,
He is Mighty to save.
Forever, Author of salvation,
He rose and conquered the grave,
Jesus conquered the grave.

My Saviour, you can move the mountains,
You are mighty to save,
You are mighty to save.
Forever, Author of Salvation,
You rose and conquered the grave,
Yes you conquered the grave

Christian lyrics - MIGHTY TO SAVE LYRICS - HILLSONG AUSTRALIA

May the Lord bless your day!!!

Preparing for the Season

2011-11-29T08:14:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a special day for our family, it was our day to put up the tree. Now, in thirty five years, I cannot remember a single Christmas that we did not cut down our tree from a tree farm. But the past few years Matt and I have been beginning to ponder the idea of going to an artificial tree because of the growing cost to have a live tree. This year we had both come to the same conclusion and were finally at peace with letting go of tradition. When we approached the subject with the kids, there were mixed reactions. It was split, but the tears that came from the ones who couldn't bare the idea of not hunting down our tree echoed the wrestling Matt and I had gone through in our own hearts. Matt and I huddled up again to try and figure out how to approach this change. We decided to take a drive and talk it out, we also headed to 2 different places to just see if there were real trees for an affordable price. We thought maybe compromise on all of our parts may be the best solution, so we checked our local Menards to see what their precut trees were like. To our pleasant surprise, they were extremely affordable, less than half the cost of a tree farm. So we headed home to scoop up the kiddos. No one seemed to even mind the compromise of them being precut. And the funnier thing was that we could even afford my favorite kind of pine tree-a frasier fur which we have never had before.

We went out to lunch together, which is a real treat for all of us to sit down in a restaurant. We had a good time laughing together, and were treated with free peppermint milkshakes by the manager there which was just such an extra special gift from the Lord.

After lunch we returned home to prepare our snack food for the evening of decorating. This year I was amazed at how much we have grown, almost all of the kiddos made food, making it go so quickly and so smoothly, allowing Matt and I to spend time participating with the kids instead of being buried in the kitchen. We watched our favorite movie-White Christmas-and I could sing and the girls danced while putting ornaments on the tree. It was a magical night which ended with Noah's favorite part-setting up the train under the tree. We have made the old train chug through another year to everyone's delight.

After everyone had gone off to bed, Matt and I were going to watch a show together, but I ended up sick half way through it. My appetite has begun to fade the last few days and I of course was sensing a change due to this. I went straight to bed discouraged, fearing the morning. I had a restless night and woke this morning feeling it. But I got up, did my best to pull it together, Matt set half a bagel aside for me knowing that if I went too long without eating, it would cause more trouble, but as I started a load of laundry, the dog got to it first. By then I was really not feeling like eating anything anyways, but just as Matt was walking out the door, I had to make a dash to the bathroom. The tears just flooded my face as the morning sickness has started. Everyone just kind of stopped and quietly waited for me to come out knowing exactly what was going on. I laid down on the couch to try and gain some composure, Cole very sweetly brought me another bagel for me to attempt. I grabbed my phone to put some worship music on and brought this grief welling in me to the Lord. After resting a bit, and finally eating that bagel, I got up and slowly started back to my morning routine working hard to keep my mind on the Lord instead of allowing my mind to drift into frustration and fear. He is my strength and will be even when I may not be able to rise in the morning to the tasks of the day. Being in this journey again brings refining to my stubborn heart, and a brokenness from not being capable of doing it all myself.

I am up and about now, a bit slower than normal, but very thankful for the ability to rebound from this mornings rough patch.

CYBER MONDAY SALE...

2011-11-28T08:37:00.000-08:00

OH YES....THERE IS A CYBER MONDAY SALE IN THE SHOP;) FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE FABULOUS ABOUT GETTING YOUR CHRISTMAS SHOPPING DONE EARLIER THAN MYSELF THERE IS A SALE TODAY IN THE SHOP. TO RECEIVE 30% OFF, USE THIS COUPON CODE WHILE CHECKING OUT. "CYBERMONDAY30" HAVE A LOVELY DAY!!

How About a Quick Catch Up...

2011-11-28T06:04:00.000-08:00

I hope all of your Thanksgivings' were blessed! And that you are facing the Christmas season with hope and anticipation. Lots to share around here and each day, at the end of the day, I think, I should write my blog readers, but I AM SO TIRED!!! So, instead, I shall awake early and send a little note of hello! Almost all of my house is snoozing still. Just the little man is up with me-absorbed in playdooh that his big sis made for him yesterday.

So let's back up a bit. Last Wednesday was my first official Dr appointment for this new babe. But that doesn't mean I am 12 weeks along like most women are on their first visit, I am just 4 weeks-my babe is only the size of a poppy seed;). There are 2 reasons they are seeing me early, one my age( I am now considered OLD for carrying a child-35-really!!) and also my history with the illness I have during pregnancy always means setting a plan in motion early for treatment when it arrives. My Dr is in a new building-quite nice I may say, and things are done a bit different-much better I must admit!! My nurse was a sweetie and was fantastic with getting me up to date with all of the new pregnancy do's and don'ts. Then I had my blood work done to check on the progress and everything looks awesome! Yeah! I got the phone call Friday evening from the nurse to say all is well. That phone call was the final "you can be excited-this is really real."

Wednesday night I got pretty sick from a reaction to the flu shot, but after a good nights sleep, I was back to myself-whew! I never get flu shots, but after actually having the flu type A last Christmas, I gave in to the nurse. I am hoping I made the right choice.

Matt and I enjoyed cooking all day on Thursday and our family arrived around 4 just as the last of the dishes were placed on the table. I remembered to snap a picture before the meal but completely forgot to take one during dinner.

Our time with family was awesome. We played games, talked, prayed, did a little thrift shopping(the whole crew of us descending on these shops was probably quite a sight), and went on a great walk. My mother and father in law took the time to pray over me, they have been one of my most faithful prayer warriors and when they seek the Lord, mountains always seem to move. Their excitement was a true gift to us and gives strength for whatever may lay ahead.

How am I feeling is the question from most friends? Well, I am still getting up, still keeping meals down, and still keeping up the important things. I am sooo tired though, I think I crawl into bed at least 3 times during the day to recharge, and as much as it frustrates me, I have no choice. I am experiencing a queasy stomach and aversions, which leave me a bit discouraged about the road ahead. But each time my mind starts despairing about those things, I attempt to give it all back to the Lord. I am realizing, when I look at the whole pregnancy, it seems tireless and hard, but if I look at the next hour ahead, it seems manageable with the Lord's strength. So, hour by hour we shall go with lots of sleep;).

And on the most exciting news this past week. Madison, the oldest of our daughters was baptized yesterday. It was a precious experience for she and Matt. One of the most blessed perks of Matt being a pastor is that he can baptize our children when they are ready to make that step of faith. We were thankful that my folks could make it out to see her in this important time of her life. After going through some tough things this year, she has a true desire to draw near to the Lord and the plans He has for her. There is nothing more important to Matt and I than to see our children grow in their relationship with Jesus.

BLACK FRIDAY SALE IN SHOP...

2011-11-25T06:17:00.000-08:00

THERE IS A BLACK FRIDAY SALE TODAY IN THE SHOP. ALL PURCHASES ARE 35% OFF WITH USE OF THIS COUPON CODE. TYPE IN "BLACKFRIDAY35" AT CHECKOUT TO RECEIVE THE DISCOUNT. HAVE A FUN DAY!!

Quick and Easy Holiday Cloth Napkins...

2011-11-23T16:03:00.000-08:00

I am blessed to be having Thanksgiving at our home this year with matt's family. Today I took a bit of time to put some special cloth napkins together for the table settings. I thought it would be fun to share the quick and easy how-to.

I used...

1 recycled cream bed sheet

a large foam stamp

green craft paint

paint brush

1 wooden stamp

black ink pad

sewing machine

iron

First step is to cut 2-12 inch squares for each napkin.

Next get your paint ready to stamp, I paint the stamp by hand. I chose to stamp the napkins before sewing 2 pieces together to make sure the paint did not bleed through to the second layer.

Let you stamp dry for awhile.

Add the second layer of wording once paint is dry.

Let dry again...

Take napkins to sewing machine and sew right sides together-then turn right side out.

Take napkins to iron and press flat. I use a scrap piece of fabric over the stamp to heat set it and make sure none gets on the iron.

Take back to machine and run a top stitch along the edges for a finished look.

Have fun with this-the possibilities are endless!!!

A Long But Good Day...

2011-11-22T20:48:00.000-08:00

Ending another day well. It was a busy day, lots of in and out and I am really ready for my pillows! The funeral Matt and I went to today was for a special man in our church. I did not personally know him, Matt works with his brother and we desired to be there to grieve with friends and church family. But I was extremely moved by the telling of his life and the glory he brought to the Lord!

Did you ever have a friend show their love and excitement so gently and quietly but it spoke volumes!? Before the funeral began, one of the sweet women from church who is recently widowed, walked behind where I was sitting in the funeral, she quiet stopped right behind me, leaned down and kissed my forehead-it was with excitement for this new baby. She did not have to say a word to me, the smile said it all. How amazing is the family of God!! Deb and her husband Mike, before he went to be with the Lord after a very long battle with illness, had spent time helping me during my pregnancy with Bell when I was really sick. Mike sat at the edge of my bed and talked PICC lines, and meds with me,and listened to my thoughts, Deb helped with administering my meds via IV as she was Mike's primary caregiver in illness and had great experience in these things. They fed my family, did my laundry and loved on our little ones. Even though Mike was ill, and life was difficult for them, they still served others. I treasured the time they spent at our home, and Deb has continued to be a blessed example of service in my life, so that sweet little kiss just overjoyed my soul, she was rejoicing with us for this new baby.

On a less important note, we finished the new TV table last night. Here is a finished peek. I am happiest to have the shelf for the kiddos' creative tools. They have been on the tables up here meaning we still have to move them each time we eat. This way they are still out but accessible.

Bell and I had a good time in school this morning.

I was able to get a pair of mittens done for a friend today. Fun to drop that off as a surprise when she gets home.

Tomorrow is my first official Dr Appointment-Fun! Bright and early and then time to get ready for family and Thanksgiving.

My Creed For This Journey...

2011-11-22T06:44:00.000-08:00

This

This morning I was awoken by a throbbing headache that made me arise with fear in my heart that already we were going to be starting the trial period of this pregnancy. I was overwhelmed by it. The day has a full schedule. Matt and I have a funeral this morning, and we are going as a family to help a friend to rake up her yard this afternoon. In all of that, I have orders to finish and send out, and school with the kiddos, so I was feeling the impossibility of the day. No one was up yet, except my husband, so I got myself dressed, grabbed my phone, the dog, and bundled up a bit to head out for a long walk. It was a chilly rainy morning but I knew that if I was going to get through it, I needed to spend some time in worship and prayer away for all of the things needing my attention. I set my pandora radio to the Selah station and was blessed with this song "Jesus, Draw Me Ever Nearer." The words to this hymn could not have been more pertinent to what I am preparing for. I just wept as I prayed this song to the Lord. But was so filled with His hope. Ellie just walked along peacefully next to me not even fazed by my overflow of emotion. Even she is a gift from the Lord during this time. It was one of those times with the Lord that lingers and that song will become my creed for this pregnancy. I wanted to share it with you to encourage you as I was.

I returned ready for the day and all that it holds. Noah asked me, Is your headache fixed?(he had awoken just as I walked out the door wondering where I was going and I told him I had a headache I needed to get rid of). And I was able to respond with a joyful yes! I just needed Jesus! I know the Lord is walking it with me, I know He concerns Himself with even the smallest of details in my life(wether it is helping me get through a headache or taking it away), and I know He is my biggest cheerleader(something that I have not always grasped). But the awesome thing is, I do not have to earn it and I do not have to do it alone-all my impossibilities are possible with Him.

So here is my creed!!

JESUS DRAW ME EVER NEARER

Jesus, draw me ever nearer

As I labor through the storm;

You have called me to this passage,

And I'll follow, though I'm worn.

May this journey bring a blessing.

May I rise on wings of faith;

And at the end of my heart's testing,

With Your likeness let me wake.

Jesus guide me through the tempest

Keep my spirit staid and sure;

When the midnight meets the morning,

Let me love You even more.

May this journey bring a blessing.

May I rise on wings of faith;

And at the end of my heart's testing,

With Your likeness let me wake.

Let the treasures of the trial

Form within me as I go -

And at the end of this long passage

Let me leave them at Your throne.

By Keith and Kristyn Getty~ Ireland.

Day 3- I Must Count My Blessings....

2011-11-21T18:26:00.000-08:00

Mondays are always one of my favorite days. It is Matt's day off and I love having him milling around the house all day. It gives us a chance to run errands to together as well. It is just more fun having a friend with you when you are doing the boring stuff. Today we had the day off of school to work together on some projects needing attention a little sooner because of the news we received last week. We did a bit of what feels like spring cleaning, but it was needed not just for the baby on the way, but more for Thanksgiving company. Either way it sure feels nice!! Madison wanted the job of laundry, and she pretty much ran the machine all day! It takes a lot of the day just to get all of our rag rugs around here done. I have decided to pack some of them away until either later in the pregnancy or after the baby comes. It is one less thing to have to keep up for us. The are always one of Ellie's favorite things to lay on, so washing them is all too regular.

So, here were my realizations today;) We are really starting all over again around here with the baby. Our youngest is 4 1/2, and we thought he was the "baby" and decided with the growing family and lessening space, to give up most of the baby essentials-like swing, stroller, car seat, glider(which is actually a planter in my yard now!) etc. It feels weird to be at a place where we have to baby shop again. Noah and Bell were only a bit over 2 yrs apart, so we did not even really baby shop for him.

But here is a "kind of" first though that is fabulous!! I have no children in diapers during this pregnancy-I haven't experienced that since I was expecting my first 14 years ago!! Wahoo-talk about a bonus on the morning sickness front;)

Something that will have to work itself out and I am praying for the Lord's timing on this one! Just found out yesterday that my brother in law is getting married two weeks after the baby is due-Matt is the best man. HUM?? What if baby is late? And even if baby is on time, how do we travel out of state with a wee one so tiny? I may be a mom of five, but I haven't done that one yet;) The wedding is something I would be crushed to miss-he's my brother! But I know the Lord will work it out-funny timing Lord:)

But, onto the blessings...

Blessing One-I have had a good day physically- no lurking signs of queasiness- and let's face it, each day without that is fabulous!!

Blessing 2-Matt and I went hunting today for about an hour. We needed a safer TV stand in our living room. That was in the plans even before baby. Our TV has been temporarily sitting on an old little coffee table and the DVD player on the floor(not a very good way to ensure it lasting:). I wasn't in a big rush until last week, but knowing we would need to team up to rework whatever we found, I knew it needed to be done soon. Thankfully, we found one. I wanted a dresser that we could take the drawers out of and build in shelves. There were not alot of choices today, but there was the perfect fit.We are in the process of priming and painting it. Matt has already built in the shelves. Cole helped him this afternoon to dismantle it. They are quite the pair!

I will share pics of the "after" tomorrow.

Blessing 3-The kiddos were able to ride bikes and play outside today. The weather is crisp but not too cold to enjoy being outside. I even sat out front for a bit after dinner deeply appreciating the cool air! The house just feel too warm for me right now.

Blessing 4-The girls cleaned out the van while playing outside-oh was it overdue-how does that mess happen!! I think I am going to have to do a "security check" before allowing anyone in the vehicle with contraband toys, food, clothes, etc!!

Blessings 5- Another great dinner around the table. And with a new recipe! It was a winner-most of the family loved it(and with 7 tastes-"most" is highly successful! Matt will not mind making it! I enjoyed making it myself. It is a recipe I found on Pinterest(oh how I have fallen for that wonderful piece of heaven online).The recipe comes from blog chef.net. It is chicken stuffed with chives and cream cheese and then rolled with bacon-so not healthy-but so tasty every once in awhile!!

Blessings 6-Did finish up on some made to order -orders. Happy to have them accomplished and in the mail! But not much sewing besides that.

Blessing 7-All of the kiddos cleaned out closets and drawers today. Out with the things that don't fit. It will help me in the next few weeks to deal with any needs so Matt does not have to.

Blessing 8-Matt and I found a fantastical (yes, one of my favorite movies is Ramona and Beezus)winter coat for Cole today. It is in perfect condition and quite new. It was only $8.50. Even better-Cole likes it!! That was a huge load off of my mind and now everyone has their winter coats for this year. Thank you Jesus!!

Blessing 9-Matt actually found my old maternity clothes up in the attic- amazing. I didn't keep very many, but the few I did will be extremely helpful in stretching the wardrobe. I also found a pair of brand new maternity jeans at the thrift tore today for $4-yippee-they do not fit yet(that is a blessing in itself):). But I know they will sooner than I want.

It was another blessed day!!

SHOP SALE TODAY

2011-11-21T07:57:00.000-08:00

THE SALE IN THE SHOP TODAY IS ON ALL PURCHASES. EVERYTHING IS 30% OFF WITH USE OF COUPON CODE WHILE CHECKING OUT. TYPE IN "MONDAY30" DURING CHECKOUT TO RECEIVE DISCOUNT. HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY!!

Day Two-I Must Count My Blessings...

2011-11-20T18:21:00.000-08:00

The news is still fresh on our hearts and minds, sharing the news of a new little one being knit together by the Lord's hands, is underway. Today was a fun day at church! To share with our church family was special and knowing that we will be bathed in prayer is amazing. We know that they will share in the overwhelming joy of this new little one with us too. The kiddos(especially the girls) loved the excitement and congrats they were given today by teachers and friends, and I smile as I recall all of their stories of how friends thought it was so "cool" as they huddled around gabbing about "boy or girl?" and "how many kids will your mom have now?" It was a day to soak in goodness and the love our Lord shows us through our church family.

Our Sundays after church this season have been low key and restful. We took some time off from the kids being involved in the night activities at church this fall due to my need to adjust to the heart condition I was put on medicine for and for the fact that so many nights were already set aside for ministry each week and we felt we needed to just spend some time as a family that was not structured. And I am so thankful we have done that-not that we would want this time to last forever-we look forward to evenings at church again-but it has helped and in many ways to prepare us without us knowing, for this new adventure we are facing.

Blessing 1-We were able to take a good long walk together with lots of laughter and cool crisp air.

Blessing 2- Matt finished installing the light in our kitchen(with joy in his heart this time-long story). It works fabulous and now I can see when I cook-certainly worth the wait!!

Blessing 3- I was able to finish a few pairs of mittens while the girls worked on their own crafts next to me.

Blessing 4- I was able to make dinner and freeze a meal for when I am unable to cook in these next few months. The crisis cookbook is coming along as well. That feels like a great accomplishment!!

Blessing 5- Madi helped me by cleaning out and organizing some of the kitchen cabinets which will help all of them out if I cannot be out of bed to help.

Blessing 6-A meal with all of us around the dinner table and good conversations. There really is something magical about time around the table. And I really hope that through this pregnancy I can continue to be present at meals just for that part alone.

Blessing 7-the best of them all! Madi came and told Matt and I she wanted to be baptized this next Sunday, she asked Matt if he could baptize her-so we are thrilled. She has struggled through some tough things this past year and has grown closer to the Lord through it. So we are rejoicing for her step out in faith.

We are doing well at soaking in the moments while preparing for the road ahead.

I Must Count My Blessings....

2011-11-19T18:03:00.000-08:00

As you may have read in one of my latest posts, we just found out this week that we are expecting our 6th child! A pure joy surprise!! As most of you may not know since I did not start blogging until after our 5th was born, is that my pregnancies are very difficult. I have Hyperemesis Gravidarum. There is still little known about this condition, but health care professions are starting to understand it better and at least begin to help treat it, unfortunately not cure it;(. In the simplest of terms, it is a never ceasing, very overwhelming version of morning sickness. That in itself is quite icky, but as you can imagine, after facing that for weeks to months without being able to hold down any food, the lack of nutrition and fluids become the real issue and can cause, if not treated, other complications.

I have had it with each pregnancy, and with each pregnancy, it gets worse. My pregnancy with Noah, the "morning sickness" lasted until 6 months. I had a surgery to place a PICC line to deliver 24 hour fluids and medication. Fortunately I was able to, with the medication, eat just enough to not need IV nutrition thankfully! I had a home nurse that checked in with me as often as needed to deal with the bandage changes from the PICC line, check on my vitals, deal with medication changes, check on Baby:) and teach me how to deal with changing fluids, meds, and I was even taught how to put a catheter in my leg each day when my PICC line had to be pulled for complications. I had 3 separate PICC lines placed during that pregnancy due to the risk for infection that they bring with them. Migraines unfortunately are a problem come about my 11th week, which I assume have something again to due with the hormone changes compounded with the lack of good nutrition. This always lands me at the Drs to get a shot to finally break the migraine.

I did not have good care with my first three, the diagnoses was not even whispered, I am sure because of insurance reasons. This ended up causing multiple hospitalizations due to dehydration. So, even though, it is difficult to go through all of the treatment, and it doesn't really relieve the most obvious miserable symptoms, it keeps us together as a family, the baby healthy, and hope for getting through the nine months.

Now, with that said, I know, many people wonder "why in the world would she go through that over and over" That is very simple-all I have to do is look at the miracles each of my children are, and there is no question of "is it worth it?"-IT IS!!

The other question might be, "why dwell on all that difficulty, especially when you are most likely about to relive it?" The answer to that is kind of why I am writing this post. Remembering those valleys in our lives in turn reminds us of how God was faithful to get us through it! I can also see fruits that came from those times, especially in my children. They learned at a young age the blessing of helping one another, as well as the gift of life-how precious it is-what it is worth! I am also going to hopefully face this time with a chance to hang on to the simple blessing each day has. Already, we have begun to prepare for the worst, but pray for best!! I want to share that journey with each of you!! This will probably change a lot about this blog. At some point, if I do in fact go through this illness again, the shop may have to take a back seat, creating all together probably will. We are usually in a very basic survival mode around here, because I am bed ridden for a portion of the pregnancy. What I am hoping is that I can, at that point, at least muster enough mental power to connect and share about God's faithfulness.

So with this in mind, I want to share a few praises...

As some of you know, I was diagnosed with a heart condition 3 months ago. The medication, unfortunately is not safe during pregnancy, but my Dr believes that my heart issue has resolved itself-WOW!!! We are in the waiting period of no medication to make sure-how cool is that!!! Only three months and I thought forever!!!

Matt and I went out last night to look for a few things that the kids needed, and I was feeling the countdown quite overwhelming and the need to take care of it before I physically can't. I needed winter boots for Madison and found a super good pair at the thrift shop for pennies-Thank you Jesus!! Along with a few other needed pieces of clothing for the other kiddos that Matt will not have to worry about.

I was able to cut Noah's hair today and feel confident he will not need to have it done at a barbers, it can be done at home making less errands for Matt who becomes Mr Mom.

I was able to start a special family cookbook for the kids, who already know how to cook quite well. But this specific book will have recipes that are easy, cost efficient, and ones they enjoy and will not have to spend time hunting down. I am hoping to make a few new recipes in the coming weeks to test before I can't be around food. I have a few funny titles I am working on for this family crisis cookbook-to be announced;)

Madison made breakfast this morning-homemade doughnuts-YUMMY!! And yep-the kitchen is a bit dark but that is changing-yeah!!

Matt and I ventured out to the Re Store today and were blessed to find the light we needed for our kitchen at a fraction of the cost we thought we would be spending. Instead of saving until after Christmas, and Matt having to wrestle with home repair while being Mr Mom, we were able to knock that big need off our list today(and bring a little light into the kitchen for making Thanksgiving dinner) I will share pics when it is installed

We picked up a mini vacuum for hard wood floors to help with upkeep since i will not be able to keep up daily with the beloved dog hair, glitter, crumbs-ya know!! I remember that being such a silly but seriously aggravating problem during my pregnancy with Noah-isn't that funny! But even Noah loves using this new little vacuum, so we are set;)

I was able to move our antique guest bed up into our living room yesterday to use as a daybed. It will be a blessing for me to be able to rest in bed while being out with the kiddos instead of isolated in my bedroom.

I finished 6 pairs of mittens for the shop( I won't overwhelm with pics of all of them) and enjoyed it as a gift to sit at the machine.

I am trying to enjoy the preparation instead of feeling the pressure. I am working to soak in the moments and give thanks. I am replacing thoughts of fear with thoughts of Hope from the Lord, and I am just a bit giddy about the miracle that I will feel a wee one in my belly again!

It Was a Good Day!!

2011-11-18T14:58:00.000-08:00

Our home is just buzzing as we prepare for Thanksgiving and spend time with friends. I was up at the crack of dawn with ideas from drifting off to sleep still fresh on my brain! There are a few new changes this year with our family that I am needing to address and it all came together in my mind last night after I had crawled into bed. Our oldest will be starting high school football this next year and has been going through weight training right now. He has been working and saving and has purchased a mini gym for lifting. We were thinking of keeping it out in the garage and had a good set up but it is just getting too cold. I also needed to come up with a little more seating up in our living room for quests and I had a light bulb idea! We have a beautiful antique bed down in the basement that rarely gets used that would be perfect for a daybed! Years and years ago we had used a bed for a couch before we had had real couches, and so many friends have told me that they have missed it-which I agree, they just have a cozy charm to them. So, bright and early this morning before school, a couple of us brought the bed up to the living room. It is already a hit with the little ones! I am not going to mind curling up with a good book at night either in this cozy spot! So we hit two birds with one stone and all for no money-yeah!!

We also had some good friends over today for a visit. The girls were just loving on little Pip(Penelope). There is some big time baby dreams going on around here. I just love having the chance to sit for a few hours with a good friend while the kids play. True blessings!!

And this week I worked on a special project for a precious young girl who lost her mama. It was a project that I was very nervous about tackling because of the depth of sorrow that surrounds a loss such as this. But The Lord in His time finally brought a calm to my heart and hands. I was given a bundle of her mama's favorite clothing and linens to fashion into a doll. I am praying that this doll will be a comfort to her on hard days and I am praying that she will grow knowing that she is loved and not alone, that she can always take her burdens and sorrows to the Lord who knows her and loves her deeply.

Someone is Missing....

2011-11-17T18:01:00.000-08:00

The Lord is blessing us yet again!! We are expecting.....soon enough that sweet little chair will hold a sweet little baby! It has been quite a year for us and to end it with the news of a new little one just makes us squeal with excitement!! I actually took these photos without the kiddos knowing the news yet-they just thought I was taking photos for Christmas. Fortunately they were distracted enough with all the chaos not to notice the sweet little empty chair and baby booties. There was a lot of laughter and a little bit of tears(good ones) at dinner tonight when Matt and I spilled the news. With Noah being 4 1/2 now, this has been the longest span without a baby in our arms- and we were quite certain we were done. But I sure love the Lord's plans, they are always better than our own!!

DOUBLE SALE WEDNESDAY...

2011-11-16T05:30:00.000-08:00

~~~~THERE ARE TWO SALES IN THE SHOP TODAY!~~~~~~~~~~~~

ONE IS ON HANDMADE ITEMS-THEY ARE 25% OFF.

THE OTHER SALE IS ON VINTAGE CLOTHING-THEY ARE 50% OFF.

HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY!!

FABRIC SALE TODAY ONLY....AND A FEW NEW PROJECTS

2011-11-15T06:27:00.001-08:00

ALL FABRIC IN THE SHOP IS 25% OFF TODAY. I HAVE STOCKED QUITE A BIT OF NEW PRINTS THIS WEEK. HAPPY SHOPPING. AND I THOUGHT I WOULD SHARE A FEW SEWING PROJECTS I FINALLY FINISHED THIS PAST WEEK. I HAVE BEEN WORKING FROM MY PROJECTS BASKET LATELY. THESE ARE THINGS I HAD DESIGNED QUITE AWHILE AGO, SOME EVEN A YEAR AGO, AND HAD NOT ACTUALLY BEGUN WORK ON.

THIS BASKET IS A HUGE BLESSING AND ALSO IS A VERY VITAL PART OF MY PRODUCTIVITY. IT IS NOT JUST A PILE OF UNFINISHED , DID NOT FOLLOW THROUGH IDEAS. THIS IS WHY I LOVE THIS BASKET, THERE ARE SEASONS THAT I AM VERY INSPIRED TO DESIGN, AND IN THE TIMES I AM NOT, I AM USUALLY INSPIRED TO SIT AND SEW, SO THEY BOTH WORK TOGETHER WELL. HAVING THIS BASKET ALLOWS ME TO BE MOBILE, IF I HAVE TO DESIGN SOMETHING, IT MEANS I AM STUCK IN MY STUDIO. LATELY, I HAVE CRAVED SUNSHINE, SO BEING ABLE TO BRING MY MACHINE UPSTAIRS AND WORK HAS BEEN HEALTHY FOR ME. THEN THERE IS A NEED TO BE ABLE TO INTERMINGLE BEING A MAMA AND WORK. I HAVE BEEN NOTICING THAT AFTER PUTTING THE KIDDOS TO BED AND ME DISAPPEARING TO THE BASEMENT TO WORK HAS NOT BEEN WORKING SO WELL. BUT NOW THAT I HAVE BEEN WORKING UPSTAIRS, BEDTIME IS MUCH SMOOTHER, I CAN HELP WITH THOSE WANDERING THOUGHTS AS THEY DRIFT OFF TO SLEEP AND GENTLY REMIND THEM TO TALK QUIETLY, I CAN GET THAT 5TH GLASS OF WATER;) AND SO ON. BUT IT DOES NOT DRAG ON SO LONG AS IT DOES WHEN I DOWNSTAIRS. SO HERE IS THE FRUIT OF THIS BASKET BEING READY.

THESE TWO LITTLE WOOL HATS ARE MADE FROM SOME OF MY MOST FAVORITE RECYCLED WOOL. I WISH IT COULD HAVE LASTED FOREVER!

I AM SUPER EXCITED TO FINALLY SEE THIS QUILT IN IT'S FINISHED GLORY! I KEPT ALL MY LITTLE SCRAPS FROM THE VINTAGE STAR WARS LINENS I USE FOR BAGS, CLOTHING, ETC AND WAS ABLE TO PUT THEM ALL INTO A FUN QUILT.

I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON SETS OF CUDDLY JERSEY HATS IN SOLIDS. I HAVE JUST LOVED PLAYING WITH COLOR COMBINATIONS.

Money Does Grow On Trees...

2011-11-11T10:31:00.000-08:00

I am sure many of you are feeling the pinch of the pocket book too. But it is a good lesson most of the time to be good stewards of what we are given. To treat the blessings we have with care. Being frugal is always a good thing and there is always something new to learn in that area! But to say that I do not worry about the finances would be a lie. The fact that is more and more difficult to make the dollar stretch to cover the basics seems to be causing my focus to dwell on money all to often. And it rears it's ugly head more often and in more ways than I would like to admit. And while I have been working at using this time to teach the kiddos how to be frugal and how to care for our gifts, I have also actually found myself saying to the kids "do you think money grows on trees?!" in moments of frustration and stretching. And here is the proof that the kids have heard it loud and clear! But humor is a true gift from the Lord, isn't it?! It can allow us to relax and laugh and remember that the Lord is taking care of us even when the kids may think that money does in fact grow on trees! My daughter Madi decorated the tree with this little gift of humor and said very proudly with a fabulous smirk on her face, "see mom, money does grow on trees." I found myself grateful in that moment for the fact that, even though my frustration comes out at the kids sometimes, they know that I love them and are not afraid to joke around with me. I know they are all working at the lessons we are teaching them, but they are also teaching us how to find joy and laughter in everyday life. I then told Madi to keep working at it, I would prefer it to be real money on a real tree while she's at it! Haha.

A Few Finished Projects...

2011-11-08T07:09:00.000-08:00

I know I have written about this in recent posts. But I thought I would share some of our progress around the house. Once we came in from the summer activities, Matt and I, with the help of the kiddos as well, have gotten to work on some much needed painting around the house. We have been slowly working through each of the rooms upstairs. This time, we have been so incredibly content with the results and are very much looking forward to the upcoming holidays! Here are some pictures from our adventure in paint cans...

We finally tackled our stairway to the basement. A place of sore neglect and chaos. I believe that there were still areas that was original drywall still finally getting a taste of paint. And since I walk this stairway at least 50 times a day, I can now stop and take in all my blessings.

This is our front closet. I had taken the doors off of it a year ago and put up coat hangers instill of the basic pole. That helped to keep the clutter to a minimum. Everyone was allowed 2 pairs of shoes only, and the rest were to be stored in their rooms. So since it was open at all times, I wanted to paint it and draw it into the room. Noah was my right hand man on this project and it was a project that I could work with him on without to much collateral damage;)

There had been some pretty funky shelf liner paper still at the bottom from the previous owners which meant it needed to be primed once it was torn off. Noah had a good old time doing that for me!

Bell helped me roll on the red, actually almost all of the kids took a turn at that.

Here is the almost finished closet. I am not so anxious to bring in the pile of coats and shoes quite yet, who needs a winter coat or shoes anyways-right?! The dresser was also a project this past weekend. It keeps all of our hats and mittens organized for us.

The dresser was extremely beat up, but I used paint from some other projects we were working on and gave it a nice face lift. I used tape to create the inside boxes for red on each of the drawers. Here is the final look.

The bathroom just got a fresh coat of paint-a bit lighter than before. The walls sure take a beating from all the moisture!

We did have a fun day for Halloween. We did a little bit of trick or treating and then spent the evening at church for our fall festival. Bell was a lady bug, Noah a lion and Joslyn was Lucy from Narnia. Madison and her friend went at homecoming queens.

One of my most precious friends just had a little girl and we have spent some time visiting(kind of helps with the baby cravings!) I think I will be there a lot! Madi is pretty happy to hold this little wonder as well!

I had one of our lovely students from church come over and teach the girls and I how to make jewelry-what a fun and overwhelming hobby! Breann did a great job teaching us the basics as well as giving us some fabulous inspiration!

We have painted our living room with two happy colors, but of course before we began I accidentally put a hole in the wall while attacking a stubborn nail-oiy!

So I learned how to patch holes in walls-useful-especially when you are me;) The kids were quite amused with my predicament.

Here is a glance at the two colors we choose to put together. I am just in love with them. I painted the room orange a few years ago and from the first roll of the brush, was crushed at the color-but decided to finish it and live with it. It feels wonderful to actually like the color on the wall!

I still have yet to get things back on the walls, but I will be slow to accomplish that. Life has been neglected too long and we need to refocus. No more projects for awhile. Feels good to have that behind us though, especially with the windows still open and heat still off. Now that we are all painted up, the kids would much like it to snow. As Noah says, "now we can Thanks Give and put up the tree". There is a reason for that being so important to him, we do not bring out the train until the tree is up, we do not put up the tree until after Thanksgiving, and Thanksgiving is here as soon as it snows(at least to Noah). Love their minds!

And last but not least, I made a new slip cover for the ottoman a few weeks ago. It was time to use up some of my scraps.

WEEKEND SALE IS ON...

2011-11-04T06:41:00.000-07:00

THE WEEKEND SALE IS UNDERWAY...

ALL PURCHASES ARE 25% OFF WITH USE OF THIS COUPON CODE-

**********************"WEEKEND25"

SIMPLY TYPE IN THE CODE IN THE PROVIDED BOX AT CHECKOUT TO RECEIVE THE DISCOUNT....

HAPPY WEEKEND TO YOU!!!

UPCYCLED BED LINENS SALE TODAY ONLY...

2011-11-03T08:54:00.001-07:00

HELLO MY FABULOUS CREATIVE FRIENDS! JUST A QUICK NOTE TO LET YOU KNOW THAT ALL RECLAIMED BED LINENS IN THE SHOP ARE 25% OFF TODAY. THIS INCLUDES BED SHEETS, PILLOWCASES, FAT QUARTERS, QUILT SQUARES, BED LINEN YARDAGES AND FLAT RATE BOXES. I HOPE YOU ARE HAVING A LOVELY DAY!!

SALE TODAY ON HATS AND MITTENS...

2011-11-02T06:15:00.000-07:00

TODAY IN THE SHOP, ALL HATS AND MITTENS ARE 20% OFF.

A Few More Mittens...

2011-10-29T09:15:00.000-07:00

I have been restless lately, not sleeping well at night. Which many of you know, while there are real down sides to this, there is always one up side. That means time to sew. Last night was no exception to this and I was able to get some mittens finished. Both of them, I absolutely love for different reasons. One is perfect for Christmas and the other was designed with a wedding in mind. Beautiful, good quality cream wool is hard for me to find, And actually, so is the dark kelly green in the Christmas mittens. So, these two pair of mittens are even more unique due to that.

In Need of A Little Sunshine...

2011-10-28T19:24:00.000-07:00

I love rain, and even more-storms, love nighttime, love the lights off with maybe a hint of lamp light, love fall, love winter, a cuddly sweater, love the warm stove, love cozy. But after a summer spent in the sunshine, I have begun to see a real change in my moods now that we are indoors so much more. At first I feel happy to be pulling indoors a bit, nesting inside, instead of out. But this year I think I am sunshine deprived more than other years. So, I brought the sunshine in. At first glance, the color drew me in and made me smile, at second glance, the color scared me and I thought, here we go again with another bad color choice, at third glance, it does make me happy. Just a little corner of sunshine in my bedroom. I can spot it from the hall as I pass, and I love it every time.

About 2 months ago, when we were saying goodbye to the summer, Matt and I began prepping for a fall filled with indoor painting projects. Almost every wall in our house needed to be shown some love and repair. Finding color charts laying around was a normal sight. Piles of decorations began to gather in the garage, and walls started to look like they had chicken pox from all the filling of holes and dents. But, those plans have halted. The shop has been unexpectedly slow, and the truth of the matter is, that is where any "extra" for us, comes from. So we are doing our best to be patient and focus on other things that can be done. So, one night Matt and I on our date night, took our $20.00, got some coffee and ended up in the Menards parking lot debating what to do with the little amount left. We decided to buy a little can of sunshine with that date money. Every other project would cost more than we had, so refinishing a few pieces of furniture was the best for using what we had.

The dresser used to be Noah's(he is our youngest) but now that he can dress himself, this dresser, as cute as it is, is hard to open drawers on. So we switched one of our dressers for his. It was a grey and I noticed in certain light that it still needs another good coat of the yellow. But the yellow seems to suit it.

I also decided to paint this little TV table with the sunshine too. Makes it a fun little nuk in our home.

The Weekend Sale is Underway....

2011-10-27T14:06:00.000-07:00

This weekends sale is underway...all purchases are 30% off with use of coupon code "WEEKEND30". SIMPLY TYPE IN THIS CODE DURING CHECKOUT TO RECEIVE THE DISCOUNT. Have a lovely weekend!

Thursday's Upcycled Bed Linen Fabric Sale is Underway...

2011-10-27T07:20:00.001-07:00

The shop has a sale today on all upcycled/reclaimed bed linens. They are 20% off. This sale includes bed sheets, pillowcases, fat quarters, quilt squares, bed linen yardages, and flat rate boxes made up of linens. Lots of new linens are added weekly. Happy shopping and lovely day to you!

WEEKEND SALE...

2011-10-21T06:13:00.000-07:00

THE WEEKEND SALE HAS BEGUN. ALL PURCHASES WILL HAVE 20% TAKEN OFF OF THEM WITH USE OF THIS COUPON CODE..."WEEKEND20". JUST TYPE CODE IN PROVIDED BOX AT CHECKOUT TO RECEIVE 20% OFF OF YOUR ORDER. HAVE A LOVELY FALL WEEKEND.

WEDNESDAY DOUBLE SALE...

2011-10-19T07:06:00.001-07:00

THE WEDNESDAY DOUBLE SALE IS BACK TODAY!

ALL VINTAGE CLOTHING IN THE SHOP IS 50% OFF.

ALL HANDMADE ITEMS IN THE SHOP ARE 20% OFF.

HAPPY SHOPPING ON THIS CHILLY RAINY OCTOBER DAY(AT LEAST IN MY COZY LITTLE CORNER).

A Quilt for a Little Girl I Have Yet to Meet...

2011-10-18T16:22:00.000-07:00

Today is a very special day!! One of my closest friends gave birth to a precious little girl!! It is their 4th baby and 3rd daughter. They did not know the sex of the baby throughout the pregnancy, so today was such an exciting day, to finally hear the news! A GIRL!!! Her name is Penelope Ruth-I just love it!! I can hardly wait until I can go meet Penelope!! So after school today and a small nap, I went to work on her quilt. I did not want to make the quilt until I knew if it was a little lady or little man . With no interruptions(great thanks to my lovely children), I was able to finish it by dinner time. Yay!! Here is the quilt for the little one I have yet to meet!

I wanted to make sure to include all of her stats, so I hid them on flowers and corners of the quilt.

fAbRiC SaLe .....

2011-10-18T10:46:00.000-07:00

All Fabric in the shop is 20% off today. Happy shopping!!

I spent some time late Sunday evening sewing up some new fall scarves and wraps. I used reclaimed linens on these which makes them so soft and comfy. They are soft and gentle but still hold a good amount of shape to them making them so versatile. They are reversible and some of them would even work nicely for younger girls as well. Here is a peek at some of them.

Nothing Better Than Peanut Butter and Chocolate...

2011-10-15T18:08:00.000-07:00

I mentioned earlier today that we decided to use the afternoon for baking. And that we did! I too, have found a deep appreciation for Pinterest after hearing so many rave about it. It is a great place to store all of those inspirations, decorating tips, recipes that you just must try, solutions to those great cleaning dilemmas, funny pictures that just make you smile, storage ideas, books you want to read, etc etc. I find that in those minutes that come every once in awhile during the day, when I am sluggish, uninspired, or in need of a solution for around the home, I can take a quick stop at pinterest and get some ideas to move ahead. So today, we tried another recipe idea I had found there. The recipe came from this fabulous blog-baked to perfection. Cole and Madi both helped on this one today. They are a type of peanut butter brownies-YUM!

We made some in mini muffin tins and the rest in regular sized tins.

We all enjoyed one before bedtime as we took turns getting our baths for church tomorrow. The recipe was one I had pinned on my board and have now tried with great success. However, beware-one is more than enough to bring on a sugar rush-WHOA. I think we will stick to the mini muffin tins next time!

Warm Banana Bread on a Chilly Day..

2011-10-15T13:19:00.000-07:00

It is a fresh and chilly fall day. We have had a bit of a "hard- to -get- going" kind of day around here. But we decided to spend the afternoon baking since our cupboard was bare and and our plans were too:). I just pulled some warm banana bread from the oven. I used an old favorite recipe of mine from a cook book that came from the first church we served in. The book is hardly recognizable any longer since I was quite fresh to being a wife and mama when we moved to our first church. That book and all of those sweet women helped feed my family with all of their shared cooking and baking experience! Here is the well worn recipe...

WeEkEnD sALe-and A FeW NeW ThInGs..

2011-10-14T14:24:00.000-07:00

The weekend sale in the shop has begun. You can receive 25% off of your purchase with the use of this coupon code..."WEEKEND25". Just type it on at checkout in the provided coupon box to receive the discount.

I have just added a few new felted wool items and lots of fun bed linen bundles this week as well...

A new pair of felted wool mittens-womens

A fun set of felted wool hat and mittens for a 5-7 year old little girl

some fun green striped fat quarters

And some vintage floral fat quarters...

Fall Is Here...

2011-10-14T14:13:00.000-07:00

Fall is here along with all those things that charm me...

The wind today has a song of it's own and sometimes it is even strong enough to knock out the power. School is out for the weekend and I can hear the kids muffled laughter outside against the sound of the humming wind. There is apple cider mulling on the stove, and chicken in the crock pot. Madi said it feels like fall now as she sips on her cider. Leaves are covering the ground making that perfect rustling sound as you walk. They smell and sound like my great grandparent's farm from when I was a wee one. Bedtimes are getting a bit easier with the sun's disapearance earlier on the clock(something this mama loves). Walks are a bit chilled and I can bundle up in a favorite sweater. And my mind is happily collecting ideas for the upcoming holidays. It is my favorite time of the year!!

Linens Sale Today...

2011-10-13T07:30:00.000-07:00

I am having an upcycled bed linens sale in the shop today. All reclaimed linens are 25% off. This includes bed sheets, pillowcases, quilt squares, fat quarters, yardages, and bed linen flat rate boxes. Happy shopping.

Creative Homeschooling...

2011-10-12T13:42:00.000-07:00

I do not remember very often to share about homeschooling, but today I was able to again combine the worlds of sewing creativity and learning for my younger two, and thought it would be fun to pass the ideas on. Bell is in first grade and Noah is in preschool, but both of them have some basic learning that they can do together. Sounds of the alphabet is still a bit of a struggle for Bell, so having Noah right along side her is a type of cheerleading she needs. Today I felt I really needed to figure out some kind of creative way to help with their memory, something tactile. So, I came up with two fun ways to learn the alphabet.

First we decided to create a new letter each day- "the letter of the day." Today was the letter "A" of course. The kiddos helped me pick out the fabric, I cut the shape(nothing fancy) and sewed them up, and the wee ones then stuffed each of the letters while we talked about the letter and it's sounds. I don't know if you realize this, but stuffing is one of the most fascinating things to a little kiddo-mine could come up with 1001 ways to play with stuffing(polyfil). Here are some of the pics...

Next I worked on some capes over lunch time for each of them. Very simple, but they each had two squares of velcro attached in the middle for "the letter of the day" . They became super letter heros! Each day we will attach a different letter of the alphabet to the cape for there lessons....

Since they have been wearing the capes long after school is over, it also helps to remind me to keep bringing the letter into our conversations throughout the day. I need a little help sometimes too:) School should never really end.

And those capes---yes! they were made from reclaimed bed linens:)

Vintage Sheets Solution To Small Space Storage.....Hang In There... This is a Long Post...

2011-10-08T11:36:00.000-07:00

Maybe you have been there too, wanting to pare down, wanting to get rid of excess, wanting to want less, need less, be content. For me, being the mom of 5, homeschooler, keeper of a small army of pets, creative recycler, and home- "cozy"-maker, means that that is an ongoing lesson with ever-changing perameters. I have found that even after being generous with the garbage can and donations, being careful with choosing what makes it through the front door, there is still a struggle to find storage in a small space. Every once in awhile, I have a success, and AHA! moment and I enjoy getting the chance to pass it on from one, mom -in -practice, to another. And maybe this is not even a solution that you may need but it may just evoke an AHA! moment of your own!

So, here is the back story to how this solution came about. We adopted our dog Ellie almost a year ago now. She was a true blessing from the Lord. It was amazing how she seemed to slip her way in without any upset, adjustment, or frustration. As a matter fact, you probably would have never known she came to us as a 6 year old mama dog, she just "FIT" us. But we think she had been custom made just for us-thank you Lord-your creation is always good! Anyways, Ellie is a big old mama lab, that has a real adoration for comfort, which always gives us something to laugh about. After being a dog free home for sometime, I thought I was going to be quite strict about letting her on furniture, in the bed, etc. But, here you go...

Yep, we have spoiled her a bit, but oh how cozy she makes this home feel! So now that you have veiwed our entire family album-haha-let me get to the point.

We have a small, 3 bedroom, house for seven of us, some of you know that from previous posts. And the reason I mention it(often) is to hopefully be an encouragement to those of you sharing small spaces as well, and be hopefully sharing some useful solutions for making it work comfortably. Hopefully these will provide a few ideas for multi-functional uses of everyday things-or, not-so-everyday things that are still important to keep around. So, I had one of those ideas today. I had a few goals needed to be reached before the winter shut in starts. The odds and ends in the garage from summer projects and events needed to be stored before it is too cold to work out there, I needed to make some kind of dog bed for Ellie, because even though she is too cute cuddled up in our furntiture, she is wearing them out faster than all five kiddos put together, and I am attempting to finish some of my "unfinished" projects. And guess what, I was able to combine all 3 of those odd goals into one solution!! Curious yet!?

I took an unfinished quilt(it just needed to be bound-for like 3 years now) and yes, it was made from vintage sheets, big surprise:) and decided to turn it into the casing for the dog bed. Then to fill it(and here was a budget saver-not to mention a "need less" situation I mentioned earlier). I have some old comforters and quilts that are not being used for beds anymore, but we have kept them for summertime picnics, forts outside, etc. They take up a lot of room and having them sitting in the garage collecting dust, hasn't worked so well-so I used them to fill the oversized case. This will keep them stored and clean(I have some soft plastic garment bags that they will stay in while inside the dog bed slip cover) . And here you go with a few pictures of the process....

..................Here is the unfinished quilt I used in the project.

......................I folded the quilt in half and sewed it up like a pillowcase.

.................I used velcro to make the closure. I prefer sew in velcro, it handles best in the wash-which this will get a lot of.

Here is my stack of comforters needing a storage solution. They have become my filling for the dog bed.

And here is a perfect picture of success....

And when Ellie is not enjoying it, someone else will. I knew this project would have no shortage of attention. How about an afternoon nap in the sunshine:)

What Was Promised...

2011-10-06T18:18:00.000-07:00

Each time I have worked with the girls on their room, we always only get so far... fitting their 3 beds , 3 dressers, and a closet in a small room always leaves such a challenge especially the older they get. I promised each of the girls that we would figure out and build or find a shelving unit for each of them to at least have a little space of their own, but I have always come up short for at least one of the girls. So often they end up storing their jewelry boxes or keepsakes and collections in a crate in the garage because there is just no room to put them. But today, I finally figured it out and finished it-I was finally able to keep my promise to all of them. I was happy to finally carve out a small corner to give Madison, our oldest daughter-a small taste of privacy. I did this with an old shelf almost on it's way out to the curb. Maybe it has just a bit more life in it to give. Madi and I sanded it , took off the backing, painted it, and made a curtain for the one side. Here is a peek at the room after.

Here is the old shelf that will give Madi a little privacy...

We made the shelf into a little wall at the head of her bed. We added a curtain so she coul access her shelf from either side.

Bell and Joslyn are loving their shelves too. Noah had to join in all the excitement as the girls organized each of their new shelves.

I am just so thankful to finally have been able to fulfill a promise!

SECRET SALE!!!

2011-10-06T17:58:00.000-07:00

I will be running another secret sale for my blog readers(that is you;). All purchases will be 50% off with use of this coupon code-"SECRETSALE50" Just type in the code in the provided box while checking out to receive the discount. I will be running the sale until 10pm this evening. Happy shopping!

Thursday's Upcycled Linens Sale...

2011-10-06T06:06:00.000-07:00

The shop is having a sale today on all reclaimed/upcycled bed linen fabrics. they are 30% off today. this includes pillowcases, bed sheets, fat quarter bundles, quilt squares and bed linen yardages. Discount will be refunded through paypal or a revised invoice can be requested at time of checkout. there are some fun new prints just added this week. Happy sewing!

On with the Painting....

2011-10-05T16:36:00.000-07:00

We are at that point that comes every few years, where it seems that every single spot in our house needs to be painted, proving that we REALLY LIVE here! But it is that brief season of open windows in which it is best to paint. But I should say, my boys room was done this summer-whew..... at least one room that does not need decisions made and time invested. But the biggest project needing to be tackled is our ceilings, OIY. We have been in our home for almost 7 years now and we have not yet repainted them. They too, tell our story...where our Christmas tree has been each year(because of course, they are always too tall), all the places our dining room table has been from the suspicious sprays that look like a horror film was shot here in our house, but it is just ketchup from the kids fighting over who gets it next-there is about a whole roll of scotch tape up there too from all the birthdays-Valentines Days, kids art projects and so on-and if you are going to paint the ceilings, well the walls have all those stories and more, so they need it too. So by the time we finish painting everything, it will be time to start all over. And that is why you may read my blog and think, gee, is that all she does?

So, this time around, the kitchen got first pick due to a few things. One, the icky old fluorescent light fixture broke, and needed to be replaced-so as Matt and I were looking for a light, we knew that the ceiling needed to get painted first and we didn't have it in the budget quite yet for a light anyways, so last weekend we set to work on the kitchen while we had daylight(because remember-we have no light-haha). We went out to pick up the paint after thinking we had carefully chosen the right color. I wanted a change but still wanted to keep all the curtains, dishes, etc. This was not intended to be a full makeover, just a clean-up. I was so anxious for that ahhhhh! I LOVE IT response when we started rolling on the paint, but instead it was an Oh no...that is PURPLE (even in the dark-which is probably where I thought I had so wisely chosen the color in the first place). So after two coats of purple(it was suppose to be brown)-we reluctantly went back to the store and picked up the "right" brown and proceeded to finish with a third coat that fortunately the purple so nicely acted as a wonderful primer for:). It finally gave me the "I LOVE IT" response. It is a warm cocoa brown now that works well with the red accents. Here is a picture with the walls done-and it shows the before of the cabinets we will be painting a lighter shade of the cocoa. They have been dark for a long time and need some hard work as you can see.

and I even left all my dishes and mess out because hey, this is real life:)

While working on the kitchen, I had planned to work on the island(which is back in the kitchen) that Matt built me years ago. it has been my cutting table in recent years down in my studio, but with the new work table I have, it has finally been returned to it's rightful place in the kitchen. Here you can see the progress and finish of the table. After sanding and painting it completely, I used a water base polyurethane to seal it. We spoke with a man at the paint store concerning what was best to use and he said that using a water base sealer, it will not yellow as it does with oil based. I was so thankful for the advice because I was painting the top white and the last thing I want is for it to yellow. I have been dreaming of crisp white tables for so long.

........I am thinking I may paint the legs back to red eventually -that was the only thing I have missed a bit

I had such a fabulous turn out on the table that it gave me to courage to do another whole table that I have been thinking about.

It was so nice to do this table in two parts, crawling around on the floor to paint is not so easy anymore:) But it turned out fabulously. The white has made it so much more than just an average piece of furniture. It works so nicely for an extra table when we will have guests. Awhile back, Matt and I cut some of the height off of the pedestal because we were using it as a raised coffee table. So it works so nicely for kids-especially the wee ones! Just pop the island in and we have a "kids only" table for the Holidays! Oh I love beginning to prepare for the upcoming season!!

WEDNESDAY DOUBLE SALE...

2011-10-05T05:43:00.001-07:00

WEDNESDAY'S DOUBLE SALE IS GOING ON....

....................................ALL HANDMADE ITEMS ARE 20% OFF...

................................ALL VINTAGE CLOTHING IS 50% OFF......

I HOPE ALL OF YOU HAVE A LOVELY DAY!!

SECRET SALE!!!

2011-10-04T15:32:00.000-07:00

THERE IS A SECRET SALE GOING ON FOR ALL MY BLOG READERS....GET 50% OFF ON ALL PURCHASES WITH THE USE OF THIS COUPON CODE TONIGHT..."SECRETSALE50" JUST TYPE IN THE CODE IN THE PROVIDED COUPON CODE BOX DURING CHECKOUT. THE SALE WILL END AT 10PM THIS EVENING...

The Boy Can Sew!!!

2011-10-04T08:58:00.000-07:00

The kiddos have all learned how to use my machines except for Noah. And Noah has been begging for over a year to learn how to use the sewing machines(which means since he was just 3) I was anxious for him to learn, but I have been waiting until I saw a bit of patience emerge in him, not to mention a good sprinkle of caution as well, which does not come to quickly in little boys;). Back in May, on the morning of his 4th birthday, he was laying in bed with Matt and I studying his birthday card. The conversation was about how he was 4 now, he was older and bigger, and he exclaimed with all the excitement he could gather, "I AM BIGGER-I CAN SEW NOW!??" OH Yes, you can imagine how much my heart swelled with pride-how could I not be touched by that. I still giggle when I think back to that. Since I sew for a living, it makes me think that the kids see I love what I do and it is contagious. I never wanted to teach them to sew out of obligation, I wanted them to love doing it.

Well this morning, while Bell was sewing and Noah was intently watching her, I decided to set up my old faithful, simple as pie, machine for Noah to learn on. You can imagine the delight when he realized I was going to teach him! And here's the thing, for a 4 year old boy, he is not looking to make barbie clothes like the girls or a quilt, to him, it is a cool machine, he is mesmerized simply by watching it work! So, letting him sew lines in fabric is all he needs to be completely excited about sewing! Here are some of the pictures...

Keeping those little finger clear of the needle.

.....................................pure joy....................

This one makes me giggle...not even tall enough to reach the peddle...I keep meaning to build a little box for all of the little kiddos for when they sew. Reaching the peddle is always an issue.Bell was working hard at making doll clothes, so Noah is happy to finally join her at the table.

SOME NEW MITTENS ON THE SHELVES....

2011-10-04T08:11:00.000-07:00

A while back I shared a bit about the process of making mittens here. So now with the designing being behind me, the sewing machine and I have our work cut out for us. I was even able to bring my mittens along to a conference Matt and I went to last week. There was some down time in between sessions that gave me a chance to do a bit of sewing. I have all the mitten stages sealed in zip lock bags and stored in a handy little fabric tote which made it super easy to travel with!

Here are some of the new mitten designs for this winter.

FABRIC SALE TODAY ONLY....

2011-10-04T08:07:00.001-07:00

ALL FABRIC IS 30% OFF TODAY....

LOTS OF FUN NEW PRINTS ON THE SHELVES.

WEEKEND SALE IS ON...

2011-09-30T06:37:00.000-07:00

THE WEEKEND SALE IS ON....

WITH THE COUPON CODE.."WEEKEND25" -ALL PURCHASES ARE 25% OFF. THE SHOP HAS BEEN STOCKED THIS WEEK WITH NEW FELTED COZIES, NEW BUBBLE GUM HAPPINESS FLOWER PATCHES, NEW MITTENS, NEW FAT QUARTER STRIPED BUNDLES, AND A VARIETY OF FUN VINTAGE FINDS FROM MY TRIP LAST WEEK.

FOUND A BEAUTIFUL VINTAGE WOOL BLANKET IN AMAZING CONDITION...

FOUND THIS FUN RAINBOW STRIPED WOOL SWEATER FROM NEPAL...19 NEW STRIPES THIS WEEK ON THE SHELVES....

FINALLY FINISHED A HANDFUL OF THE SCRAPPY PATCHES...

FINISHED 6 NEW PAIRS OF FELTED WOOL MITTENS.....

AND ABOUT 15 NEWLY DESIGNS WOOL COFFEE COZIES JUST IN TIME FOR THE UPCOMING HOLIDAYS.....

SECRET SALE!!!

2011-09-29T11:30:00.000-07:00

IT HAS BEEN AWHILE SINCE A SECRET SALE HAS GONE ON...SO HERE WE GO! ALL PURCHASES MADE USING THE COUPON CODE "SECRETSALE40" WILL BE GIVEN A 40% DISCOUNT . THIS SALE IS TO SAY THANK YOU TO ALL MY LOVELY BLOG READERS. THERE IS A COUPON CODE BOX PROVIDED DUING CHECKOUT FOR THE COUPON CODE. THE SALE WILL RUN UNTIL 7PM THIS EVENING. HAPPY SHOPPING!

WEDNESDAY DOUBLE SALE...

2011-09-21T05:31:00.000-07:00

THE SHOP IS HAVING A DOUBLE SALE TODAY...

*********************ALL HANDMADE ITEMS ARE 20% OFF...

********************ALL VINTAGE CLOTHING IS 50% OFF...

My Walk With the Kids....

2011-09-20T17:23:00.000-07:00

Matt had to run out to a meeting tonight after dinner, so I took the kids on our evening walk and took along my camera this time. There is always so much going on with the five kids on a walk so I thought I would share some pictures from tonight.

Bell started out keeping me company while the others ran ahead to play on the trail...

Joslyn found this nasty spider and we just had to get his picture...

I asked the kids to stop for at least a minute so i could capture all of them together-they attempted to cooperate:)

Joslyn spent the time picking wild flowers...

Madison was walking Ellie but stopped to add a few to the bouquet...

Sun just about to set behind the trees...

Joslyn and Noah kept a steady pace a bit in front of me.

Cole was wild man running across the field in order to beat all of us...

The girls had these flowers already in jars upon my arrival at the front door. It was another good evening walk...

Coming Soon...Mittens in Progress

2011-09-20T11:20:00.000-07:00

It is that time of year when the dust from my wool begins to cloud up the breathable air, everything I touch seems to be covered in a thin layer of rainbow colored wool dust, the lint roller gets a work out, our vacuum just stays put in my studio getting used every couple of hours to clear paths on my studio floor, but I am in design heaven. I do acquire wool here and there even throughout the summer months when I come upon it, but I do not create with it much until the fall and winter. So pulling it out these past few weeks is like opening Christmas presents you have waited months for. Those plump shelves of colorful wool start to rapidly decline as the mittens making piles begin to pile up. This past week consisted almost entirely for prepping for new mittens. Here are some of the pictures from the process...

I began by cutting out 32 front mitten panels in a variety of colors, then I pulled the scrap baskets out for the applique designs I needed to create on each of the panels. That is the fun part!!

Each pair of mittens are one of a kind, even if I use the same design and colors, there are always at least small shade differences that make them different from the last. Working in color families has me completely fascinated whether it be using colors that compliment one another or colors that actually seem to clash, each has it's own personality.

Can I say again how much I am loving this table!! But after this week, I need to seriously start saving to get some better lighting, it was a bit difficult to work in the dim light. I unfortunately have no windows in my studio, which is killing me, but I opted for the kids play room to need the light more than me. I may just be surprised at the actual color of the mittens when I take them outside to be photographed:)

After I get the panels designed, I begin appliqueing them at my machine using my opening toe stippling foot that typically I would use for quilting. But then, I tend to stray for the production line style work a bit. I cannot just sit at my machine for hours on end appliqueing all of the 32 panels. Over the weekend I managed to get only half finished, but then I take a break from the applique part and start cutting out the wool and fleece lining for the rest of the mitten.

I also use recycled fleece from pjs, fleece blankets, robes, etc to line the inside of the mittens. I think it is actually more difficult to find fleece in good second hand condition than it is to find good wool. But I think that is because wool is a natural, organic material where as fleece is man made. Kind of goes to show just how good God's creation really is!!

The cuffs for the mittens come right from the sweaters I recycle. I cut off all of the cuffs and hems off the sweaters before I store them and store the cuffs in a separate crate.

These mittens have been completely designed and all the parts are cut and ready to be finished by machine.

And these are the front panels I have left needing to be appliqued. I can work on these here and there when time allows. I usually sew whenever my family watches a movie or TV show, or when the kids are playing or reading or sleeping:) haha you get the picture.

Here is the lone pair that has been completely finished and added to the shop. I absolutely love green, so I had a hard time not keeping these for myself. But my first pair I made for myself two years ago is still going strong and I am going to continue to resist my impulse to acquire more:)

So if you are looking for mittens and the shop seems a bit sparse, have no fear, there are whole bunch of woolies about to descend upon the shop! Let me know if there is one in particular you would like me to reserve for you-I would be happy to do so! I will be taking custom orders as well from now until the end of November. However, if you are needing larger amounts, I will need to know before the end of Oct in order to see if I have the time available.

Giveaway Winner...

2011-09-19T10:47:00.000-07:00

I AM SO SORRY FOR THE DELAY IN GETTING THE WINNER PICKED FOR LAST WEEK'S GIVE AWAY!! YOU GUYS SHOULD HAVE YELLED AT ME:)

THE WINNER OF THIS FUN FAT QUARTER BUNDLE IS.......

LUCIEP! GO AHEAD AND CONTACT ME THROUGH THE SHOP WITH YOUR MAILING ADDRESS AND I WILL GET THIS BUNDLE OUT IN THE MAIL TO YOU:)

THANKS TO ALL OF YOU WHO PARTICIPATED!

UPCYCLED BED LINENS SALE TODAY ONLY...

2011-09-15T08:18:00.000-07:00

BED LINENS ARE ON SALE TODAY!! 30% OFF ANY LINENS-INCLUDING SHEETS, PILLOWCASES, YARDAGES, FAT QUARTER BUNDLES, QUILT SQUARES AND FLAT RATE BOXES. HAPPY SHOPPING!

Finished....

2011-09-14T19:29:00.001-07:00

I have shared in earlier posts this week about some of the painting projects around the house. I told Matt when he came home today, "be careful, anything that is white is probably wet" He laughed at me when I said, "if I get the can of paint out, I mine as well get it all done"I finished the little shelf- not sure it will stay here-but I love the look.
The school table is done as well. Happy to have it back for the little ones. And on a side note, yes, I love old type writers! The kids love playing on them as well. I am hoping to locate replacement ribbons for them and then teach the kids to type. Madi and I found the blue one a long time ago and Matt and I found the tan one a few weeks ago. I am happy to be done painting!

Works in Progress...

2011-09-13T12:02:00.000-07:00

Earlier today I shared a post of random simple events around the house. I have taken a few more photos to share the works in progress...This resting place for this bookshelf has yet to be determined, not because it is unnessesary, but because there are so many places waiting to be oganized out of crates! The girls helped me paint this. I still have a coat or two left and then need to seal it.
This is the school table for my youngest two. We are giving it up for a few days to give it a fresh coat of paint and maybe even some fun designs having to do with school. I still have not decided on that. I tend to move furniture around as often as i wash bedding-so making something with a permanent theme is not usually a good idea;)
This little side table is actually an old stool. I couldn't pass it up-it had such a cute bean shape to it. We have used it for everything! But I finally have gotten around to painting it and re-glued the legs.

And last but not least for now at least, is a little school chair I recently found. It is shorter than most chairs and would not fit at a normal table, but our school table is at an awquard height which has made it difficult to find seating for. This chair works fabulously! This chair I took the easy way out and spray painted. Certain furntiure re-dos I will not invest alot of time in because I know the beating they are about to take;)

Home Life...

2011-09-13T08:47:00.000-07:00

Just a few fun snips of life around our house.I was sitting next to Noah while working with the kiddos this morning. Noah is 4 and a real character! I asked him to color inside the lines for his lesson on the letter "A" this morning. What I heard from him still cracks me up. Very quietly, in a whisper and with determination, he says to himself "come on...concentrate" He was working very hard to stay within this skinny little line on the ambulance.
Bell and Noah are a fun pair to school. I work in short segments of time in order to keep their attention. I am currently painting their school table, so we were at the dining room table this morning.
We gathered up some more out of the garden yesterday. I am attempting to ignore how icky the garden looks right now in order to resist the urge to rip everything out. The end of the season always looks so tired and overgrown, but it is still producing and I need to insert some patience . But this was a fun bunch of food to gather up! Pumpkin seeds!!! That is the first on my list!
Yesterday afternoon, I dragged all the odds and ends of furniture that has accumulated in the garage awaiting my attention and hauled them outside to get sanding underway. It did not take long before the older kids had finished their studies and were out next to me begging to do some sanding. There is just something about that little sander that is so therapeutic, everyone wants a go at it. I didn't mind sharing, giving my arms a break! Everything is getting a fresh coat of crisp white making the mismatched bunch, look somewhat coordinated.;)

GIVEAWAY.....

2011-09-12T06:49:00.000-07:00

IT HAS BEEN AWHILE SINCE THERE HAS BEEN A GIVEAWAY-SO TODAY IS THE DAY!!!

I WILL BE GIVING AWAY THESE 5 FAT QUARTERS TO ONE SWEET WINNER...

THE FAT QUARTERS ARE A LOVELY COTTAGE COLLECTION RECLAIMED FROM SOME BEAUTIFUL BED LINENS. THEY ARE POLY COTTON BLENDS.

TO ENTER SIMPLY LEAVE A COMMENT....ONE ENTRY PER PERSON.

I WILL CHOOSE A WINNER ON FRIDAY, SO CHECK BACK !!

MONDAY'S SALE...

2011-09-12T06:25:00.000-07:00

THE SALE FOR TODAY IS UNDERWAY IN THE SHOP. THERE IS A COUPON CODE TO USE FOR THE DISCOUNT. ALL PURCHASES WITH THE USE OF THE COUPON CODE ARE 30% OFF. TYPE IN "MONDAY30" TO RECEIVE THE DISCOUNT WHEN CHECKING OUT. HAVE A BLESSED WEEK!

Something to share...911

2011-09-11T18:30:00.000-07:00

After a day spent remembering...

This is a blog post I wanted to share...

Perspective...

Link...

Scrappy Patch Works in Progress....

2011-09-11T13:36:00.000-07:00

It was time to give my scrap bins a little love and a little purpose! I have not made any new patches for the shop for quite some time and I know there are a few fun customers who have been waiting patiently for some new ones. These are not a project that I do 1 or 2 of at a time, these are actually the type of project that is a rather large undertaking. Because of the volume of scraps I am working with and the time it takes to sort through them to find the right patterns and colors, I would much rather have the outcome be a whole collection than only a handful. I start by collecting the fabrics I want to use as the background foundation for the patches, for this bunch, I am working with pinks, reds, oranges, yellows and a touch of green. They remind me of lifesavers-YUM! After picking the prints, I iron fusible interfacing to the back of each patch after it is cut to size( I buy entire bolts of interfacing now-always love when JoAnns has their interfacing for half off!) I really enjoyed the process this time because it is the first time I have worked on a collection at my new studio table(it measures in at 6x9 feet! HEAVEN) I was able to lay out all the patches and work on them in smaller segments of time until they were all designed and ready to be sewn together. They are finished after 3 days of prep. They are now at my machine and I am hoping to spend a little bit of time on them each day to have finished by weeks end. Then I will begin on the greens and blues collection for next week. Here are a few pics from the process...

All coordinating and yet all one of a kind!

My blessing of a work table that has given me the ability to work on multiple projects at one time.

My floor after I am done working on scrappy patches. My fingers are a bit sore from all that cutting.

And 32 patches designed and waiting at my sewing machine for me. It will be a fun collection to see finished. I may just snag a few to frame;) Madi has been telling me I should make a quilt with pathces like these, I may just do that someday-sounds fun!

A Quiet End to the Day...

2011-09-10T21:24:00.000-07:00

.................A Sweet Reminder of my Gentle and Kind Husband......

A Little Bit of This and a Little Bit of That....

2011-09-08T12:05:00.000-07:00

Well, I am just about a week out from finding out I had a heart condition. Still have to pause when I say that... or type it... or think it... I have been on the look out for the villain called "side effects" from the new medication I am on and am happy to say, not only my heart agrees with the help, but so does my entire body! No tantrums here-I have refrained from driving just to be safe, which was okay timing because my mama van needs some real mechanical love right now and is parked just as I am. I was analyzing moods-which never works out too well-but nothing seems out of the normal realm of ups and downs;) Even after a ho hum day yesterday, I was still able to begin school with my youngest two(and have fun), get a few new mittens done, and work up a new recipe in the kitchen. The little ones were home with me last evening and we had some fun playing learning games and basketball outside in the cool fall air that has swept it's way into town this week. The garden is still growing, although certain plants have quit yielding, others are just starting, fun to see the change. I am loving the cooler weather but a bit sad for the end of swimming, planting, and laid back school days of summer. We camped in the back yard over the Holiday weekend, had a glorious fire, took some great walks,played badminton as a family and took down an eyesore fence in our backyard. Here are some pics of the week.

Our first fire of the season...oh how wonderful it felt to be slightly chilled and warmed by a fire!

The little ones enjoying their work on the first day back to school!

Had some mittens designed and cut out ready to be sewn up. Yesterday when i was feeling rather uninspired and sluggish, it was good to have these ready to go at the sewing machine. Always good to prepare inspiration for the times I am uninspired!

Did some Bug hunting today with Joslyn-which is why we call her Josie Bug. This fellow was a fun one to chase-he has it all...jumping, flying, camo-pretty cool!

And we planted the sunflowers later this year so that we could have something blooming at summers end. They are soo tall this year! Matt and I were chatting this morning about how cool it is to watch the sunflowers turn their faces to the sun! They will always be such a charming flower to me. They just seem to ooze imagination, don't they. I hope someday to live next to a field of sunflowers-just one of those tiny dreams of simple pleasure.

And last, I am trying a new recipe-feels perfect for the cooler weather. It is a chicken tortilla soup. I cooked up the chicken last night in a cumin, chili powder, salt, and garlic powder mixture and stored it in the frig overnight-yummy! Noah and Joslyn hanging out with me while making the soup today. I am not our main cook normally, Matt usually does the cooking, but I am the "step-in-and-add-new-recipes-when-we-are-in-a-rut" kind of cook. So, it is just one of those times that we are needing some new flavor in our lives:) I will experiment with new recipes, and we will decide as a family what wins and it will then go in the "Matt's cookbook" for future mealtimes. Whenever this time comes along, I am finally ready to really enjoy the process. This time comes when I needed to slow down and not be multi-tasking. I would have to say that my energy level is still pretty low, but I do not expect that to change rapidly, it will probably gradually return to me. I have changed my sleeping habits quite a bit-and I am removing almost all caffeine from my day because stimulants aggrivate my heart, so it takes some adjusting in many ways. Anyways, making the soup today felt good-I always love when I get to use so many fresh foods-God's foods!!

And Joslyn decided that when cutting onions, it is best to wear goggles-WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF THAT!" Love kids minds!

I used a recipe from a fabulous blog-called the Pioneer Women if tortilla soup sounds good to you!

Thursday's Upcycled Bed Linen Fabric Sale is Underway...

2011-09-08T08:52:00.000-07:00

THE THURSDAY BED LINEN'S FABRIC SALE IS UNDERWAY...ALL BED SHEETS, PILLOWCASES, QUILT SQUARES, FAT QUARTERS, BED LINEN YARDAGES AND FLAT RATE BOXES ARE 25% OFF TODAY. THE DISCOUNT WILL BE REFUNDED THROUGH PAYPAL OR A REVISED INVOICE CAN BE REQUESTED AT CHECKOUT.

WEDNESDAY DOUBLE SALE...

2011-09-07T10:37:00.000-07:00

WEDNESDAY'S DOUBLE SALE HAS BEEN UNDERWAY....

ALL VINTAGE CLOTHING IS 50% OFF.

ALL HANDMADE ITEMS ARE 20% OFF.

THE DISCOUNT WILL BE REFUNDED THROUGH PAYPAL OR A REVISED INVOICE CAN BE REQUESTED AT CHECKOUT.

FABRIC SALE TODAY ONLY....

2011-09-06T10:00:00.001-07:00

THE SALE IN THE SHOP TODAY IS FOR FABRIC PURCHASES. ALL FABRIC IS 20% OFF. THE DISCOUNT WILL BE REFUNDED THROUGH PAYPAL OR A REVISED INVOICE CAN BE REQUESTED AT TIME OF CHECKOUT. HAVE A BLESSED DAY!!