The Big Reveal

While eating dinner the other night Jaron asked me if I had any "old pictures" of him. I said of course I have thousands! He said "you know with my cleft lip." I said yeah why? He said he wanted to show his friends at school. Are you having show and tell? No. Did someone ask you about your mouth? No, I just want to show my friends. So I sent a text to his teacher asking if I could come in and tell the class about Jaron's cleft lip and bring pictures.

She said SURE! So I scrambled trying to get my hands on a book for children about clefts. There are several out there but I couldn't get one fast enough because I planned to go to the school the next day. So like usual I waited around to the last minute and didn't get anything prepared so I grabbed his baby book and rushed out the door. Thank God I had that made! I make all their baby books because I like to create my own pages for them on the computer with the things we like to remember. So all the pages are in clear protective sheets and I had tons of pictures of him.

I got there a few minutes fashionably late. :-D Mrs. Smathers asked me to sit down in her rocking chair and she wanted to record me. She first reminded the class how they had been talking about "then & now" and how things change over time. (that explains him wanting to bring baby pictures) So I started by telling the kids I had a surprise to tell them about Jaron. I asked if anyone had ever seen a baby with a cleft lip. And they all said no. So I turned his baby book around to reveal the picture of Jaron on the front. They were all very curious.

I began by telling them to feel their top lip and notice the little dip (cupids bow). I told them that is where our faces grow together in our mommy's belly. Well Jaron's didn't finish growing in my belly. So when he came out he got special squeezable bottles and went on 23 airplanes to go to the Children's Hospital and get surgery. While I was talking Jaron is passing out pictures from his baby book. He was not shy and I was so happy to see him confident in himself. Then I told the kids to feel the roof in their mouth with their tongue. I said Jaron had a hole there and the doctors had to make him a roof in his mouth. I asked Jaron to open up and show them and he did!

One little girl asked "why did he look like that?" I told her that God makes us all special. Some of you have red hair, brown hair or blonde hair. Some have blue eyes, green eyes or brown eyes. I said well Jaron is special because God gave him a cleft lip. That was it noone had any more questions. I of course expected it to be a lot harder to explain. But they are kindergarteners...I kept it simple and they understood. My last statement was "If you learn one thing today I want you to always remember to never make fun of a person because they look different." He almost cried when I left. He wanted me to stay but I had to go. I left Justus at home with my mom (1st time I had ever left him with anyone).

His teacher sent me a text that night saying how good it was and she was very pleased. I got the book I ordered in the mail 2 days later and he took it to school today and read it to the class. "A Special Smile"

Stand Still...

Discouraged

Chris and I have been married for 12 years and we have been regularly attending church for about 11 years.  We are trying to allow God to guide us in every area of our lives. Chris has been called to preach and I am learning every day more and more how to be a submissive wife. I love my husband and I trust him with our future. I know he is looking to God for His will in our life.

We attended our first church for 9 years and our feelings were hurt....things were said....and we decided it was time to move on. God sent us to this church we are at now and it hasn't been easy. We always feel like outsiders. Even at the other church. We never really "fit". I am not sure if it's because he's from up north and southern people like to make lots of jokes about that. Or maybe it's because I don't wear pants. God convicted me about that when Chris got called to preach. So as a preachers wife I try to set a good example and dress modestly. Maybe it's because we aren't fake. We don't want to be fake and we don't even know how anyway. If there is something we don't agree with or we're not happy about you can see it on our faces.

I guess most people in the world today know how to put on a pretty good show even when they are boiling inside. Life isn't always easy...fun...or perfect. We all have our ups and downs. I don't think there is anything wrong with showing your emotions. Chris has been criticized for being a "hot head". Well I have news for you people I am just as bad as him. We just don't pretend to be something we are not. What you see is what you get with us. In church, walmart or at home. We are always the same. We don't have split personalities. So maybe people think if we get angry in public it must be worse at home. Well it's not....what you see is what you get.

Our pastor recently resigned and our church is in search for another one. It's not easy. We are praying and looking for the man God wants us to have. It can be discouraging to hear other christians talk bad about preachers. I know that people aren't perfect and we all sin, but it's hard to live for God when so many are falling out of church all around you. It's no wonder people don't go to church at all. When you've been hurt like we have it can be very discouraging and make you never want to go back.

But we have children we want to raise in God's will. They need to know about His mercy and grace. We have to prepare them to face the world on their own one day. It's our responsibility as their parents to keep doing what we know is right. No matter how much the devil uses others to discourage us. We refuse to let the devil steal our joy!

speechless....

My mind is consumed...wondering if things will ever be the same...
I have so much to say...but I can't think of the words....so just enjoy the picture....

Window washers

I found myself on the crayola isle at walmart the other day and I got a little excited at all the new inventions. So I bought a few things. One of them was window crayons! They were a big hit!

 (the little girl is the one I babysit)

After 10 baby wipes and 3 paper towels we finally got it all off but it was worth it for them to have some indoor fun on this cold windy saturday.

I did it again!

I made snow pops for our valentine's banquet at church. They were a big hit so I wanted to share the recipe.

Make a 13x9 sheet cake~any flavor. Let it cool off and crumble it up in a bowl.
Add 1/2 a can of icing~I use cream cheese for all cakes.
Smash it all together with a fork into a dough like texture.
Roll 1-2 inch balls in your palms and put them on a plate in the freezer for a couple hours.
Take them out of the freezer and put popsicle sticks in them.
Microwave " candy quick" and dip the cake balls in it.
Have your sprinkles ready and (while spinning the cake ball on the stick letting the white candy drip)
cover it with sprinkles.

After a few seconds it will harden and you can lay them down on a plate. But this time I got creative and bought a green foam used for artificial flowers. 

Guess Who?

I broke the law...

...and I'm sure this won't be the last time. By that mean, my law, my rules. I set all these standards and rules for myself and then I can't always accomplish it. So I feel like a failure. I am making myself crazy.

I will fold that laundry before naptime today and if I don't get around to it I feel ashamed when Chris wakes up and folds it. (he never complains~it's just me worrying what he thinks)

Dinner must be at 5 and if it's not I feel like I have messed up the whole "schedule"

Homework and baths immediately following dinner. Sometimes we do these out of order and it bugs me WHY DO I CARE? as long as it gets done right!

Bedtime at 8 EXACTLY not a minute later and if they aren't in the bed I get impatient with them and aggravated with myself for not getting it done.

Or I might tell myself  "I'm not going to yell at my kids today" and when I do I feel like such a bad mother.

What is wrong with me? Surely I'm not the only mother out there who does this. Or am I?

"Is he your boss?"

I was in Walmart the other day with Justus and Jonah. My rule for Jonah is he is allowed to get out of the buggy and walk with me once it's full. So he was walking on the cereal isle and pointing at sugar (junk) cereals he wanted. I was saying "no come here". A man came down the isle on a scooter and asked me "Is he your boss?" to which I quickly replied "No I have 4 boys and I'm the boss". :-D

I don't like the idea people have that our children rule us. Or the little comments people make "OH BOY you've got your hands full!" Why do they say that? Of course I do and yes I'm busy but don't say it so negatively. I love my boys and wouldn't change a thing about my life. 

So yes my hands are full but you should see our hearts! 

A few firsts

 This is the first time he ever kept a passy in his mouth. I have tried them several times but he never liked it. And this was last week. He hasn't taken one since. I guess he won't ever like them....

This was his first little nap in his crib.

And this was my first time allowing my son to mix colors of playdough. It felt good :-D Jonah said "It's beautiful!" But of course I had to sort it back out in the correct containers when he was done. I know I have issues.

Why we don't vaccinate.

When our first son Jacob was a baby I did let them give him whatever they told me he needed. I was young and didn't know I could say no to their "vaccine schedule". But when Jacob was 2 months old I think he was having seizures after getting some shots. That's when I started researching them all and learned how dangerous they can be. I went to this website http://vaers.hhs.gov/index and read all about children who died the same day or the next after getting their shots. I knew then that vaccines were not for me.

We are christians and we trust God to take care of us. As we say "our every need". We pray to Him and ask for healing when we're sick and comfort when we're sad. Why can't we trust Him with this. Most of the diseases they vaccinate for are no longer around. The risks just seems to FAR outweigh the benefits to us.

This government funded organization VAERS was set up to compensate people who have reactions to these shots. That should raise a red flag right there. You can read about thousands of cases since 1990. what shots they had when their symptoms started, age and if they died or not. It's very heartbreaking to read. go to the website and click at the bottom "search vaers data" then scroll down the second page of their disclaimer and click I have read. The third page will be a list of spreadsheets from every year since 1990 showing everyone that reported a reaction to a shot. Even gardisil, flu or anything.

So the first thing people ask "How will you get them in school?!" Well its pretty simple actually. I just went to this website for a vaccine exempt form for my state and printed it out. We signed it, had it notarized and gave it to the school when we registered them, with no questions asked.

So this came up today when I took Justus for his 2 month check up. I of course refused and they of course tried to scare me into it. I told her that we are christians and we are trusting God to take care of us. It just doesn't seem worth the risk to me. So he was weighed and measured and we were sent home. :-D He's a whopping 13 lbs 6 oz  and 24 1/4 inches long. That is the 90th percentile for both.What can I say~he really likes my milk!

I know vaccines are a touchy subject and I don't want to come across as critical. I just need to do what I feel is right for my boys. It's a personal conviction. I just want to inform others of the information I came across in my research incase you didn't know.

Huey Duey & Louie

So last saturday I was feeling rather brave and decided to get the boys out of the house to let daddy sleep. He's been working overtime a lot. (Thank God for that!) We went to walmart first...

Then I took them to Monkey Joes! It's an indoor jumping place for kids. I forgot my camera so we used my cell phone.

We had a little snack and I had Jacob take a picture of me holding Justus in the wrap. Not because I wanted to be photographed....but because I wanted you to see how I hold him. And he loves it.

Now to explain the title....My Nanny told me one day they will go out to the bus like Huey, Duey & Louie. It was so funny but so true. When Jonah starts school they will all go to the same school for one year together.