In Spite of me

Evidence to support media bias against Ron Paul

2007-10-11T21:59:00.000-07:00

This is a very intersting article about what appears to be attempts by the main stream media to defeat Ron Paul. It is persuasive but the real reason I'm linking to it is what's written in the yellow box at the bottom of the page.

GO RON PAUL!!

A Calvin and Hobbes Education

2007-10-09T12:25:00.000-07:00

We were reviewing for Mikey's(11yo) English lesson today and he was asked to give the definition of a pronoun. His response:

"A noun that's lost it's amateur status?"

Yes, he may not remember anything I teach but he can memorize completely his entire Calvin and Hobbes comic book.

Look! It's a meme!

2007-09-11T12:05:00.000-07:00

My very first! Thanks to Meredith over at The Ugly Trunk. I've been looking for a good excuse to write on my blog but it's hard to come up with a good enough reason to break four months of silence. Now I have my excuse!

"8 Random things about me"

8. I can't stand to touch other people's feet or underwear. So I don't do well with foot rubs or folding other people's clothes.

7. I've painted four rooms in the past week and am about to paint my fifth.

6. I have a knack for trying to get a different color but ending up with basically the same shade just in a different name!

5. I switched my major in college from education to accounting after spending a week in a classroom with 25 kindergartners. It felt like a scene from "Lockdown"(prison movie with Stallone).

4. I now homeschool my six kids and absolutely LOVE it! Who knew?!

3. It's 2:19pm and I am still in pajamas. (See #7. I'm wiped out.)

2. I asked my 17yo to help me with this list and she laughed because she couldn't think of anything positive. Hey!

1. My 8yo chimed in and said, "Your the best mom that ever lived!" (God bless her!)

Ok, a little humor

2007-05-09T14:39:00.000-07:00

It's beginning to look a lot like winter!

2007-01-19T18:32:00.000-08:00

Yes, it really snowed in Central Texas!! 'Course it lasted about as long as a snowball in... well, you know.

And just 'cuz he's so cute...

Bubba Luke!

Rocky Balboa- The Next Christian Film?

2006-12-19T20:19:00.000-08:00

Here's another interesting post from Phil Vischer.

I know I've posted a link to him before. I just really have some respect for a guy that can make vegetables funny and entertaining for the whole family.

Beta blogger stinks and Walmart

2006-11-21T20:58:00.000-08:00

I have been trying to leave comments on a couple of blogs and beta.blogger won't let me. UGH!

Anyway, Dave, I'm so excited you have a blog! Great post, BTW. Give Clay and the girls a hug from us. We'll miss you guys. Thanks to all you other guys who've posted. I'm really enjoying reading your blogs.

As a follow-up to my Walmart post, I found this article. You still won't find me anywhere near a Walmart or other large retail store the day after Thanksgiving. Not even if you double-dog dare me!

Healthier Thanksgiving recipe alternatives

2006-11-20T18:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving! This is my favorite of all the holidays. It combines my two favorite things. Eating and family!

A friend of mine from church gave me these recipes. My mother-in-law is diabetic and I have been looking for a dessert that had less sugar but not an artificial sweetener. I haven't made these yet but she says they were, "delish." Enjoy!

Apple Pie6
(All notes are from my friend)
8 apples 1 (6 oz) frozen apple juice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
touch of lemon juice
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 Tbsp of cornstarch

Prepare a double crust (below)
IN bowl mix juices and spices and cornstarch then add pared and sliced apples and coat with mixture. Pour into bottom crust, top with other crust. Make slits for steam to escape. Bake at 425 for 15 mins, then turn down to about 375 for 40 mins or until apples are tender. Enjoy!

Spelt Crust
2 1/4 cup spelt flour (I took spelt berries - ground them in my coffee grinder)
1/2 tsp sea salt ( I put a dash of pickling salt - you could omit it)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 c water
Combine dry ingreds. Cut oil in with a pastry cutter until coarse crumb texture. Slowly add water - mixing with pastry cutter - don't overwork. Press into a ball divide into 2 balls. Put one ball on a sheet of waxpaper, press flat and cover with another sheet of wax paper. roll out as flat as possible. take top wax paper off. Put hand under bottom wax paper and with other hand hold inverted pie plate over dough as you flip the dough into the pie plate. press any cracks together and pinch edges of pie crust if using for a single crust pie. If using for a double crust pie fill with filling, then roll out second ball and carefully put on top of filling. Trim edges and then pinch edges together. Bake as directed - being careful not to burn crust!This was crunchy and delicious. It was not a thin, fine textured crust - but might be if you ground the berries finer. we all love it!

FF Pumpkin Pie
1 ½ cups pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cloves
3 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons Fat Flush Vanilla Whey in 8 ounces water
3 Stevia Plus Packets
1 tablespoon molasses
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
Whole grain single piecrust

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.Add seasonings to pumpkin puree then stir in beaten eggs.In a large bowl, mix together whey and water. Add to pumpkin and egg mixture.Add Stevia Plus, molasses, honey and vanilla.Pour filling into crust and bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees.Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for 45-50 minutes longer or when knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack before serving

Ssshhhhh!

2006-11-13T14:06:00.000-08:00

Don't tell my 7yo but she's reading!

She actually has known how to read for a while but didn't have the confidence to actually go and do it on her own. In fact, we have had many a day where the tears flowed (mine and hers!). It can be very discouraging to have such a reluctant reader as Ashely! I get that now. LOL

But just this weekend she has discovered some Pathway readers and has already gone through the 'First steps' book and is on to the next one. She is finally enjoying reading! YEAH!!!!!!

I gotta say, they don't make anything that can give you this kind of high. It's awesome thing to watch a kid develop a love for reading. It's even more awesome when you're the teacher!

Enough to make a grown Mama cry!

2006-11-11T19:38:00.000-08:00

We had a pretty busy afternoon today. Mike was actually home and (you better sit down for this) decided to do some work. Around the house.

Now, don't get me wrong. My husband is a hard worker. But since his father got sick and he had to do his job and his father's, he has had very, very little time to do anything else.

Anyway, so dinner time came and went and I hadn't even thought about what I was going to make. The kitchen was a total wreck and we were all out of leftovers. So, pizza it is!

I had to go to the grocery store and get the pizza so by the time I was on my way home I was tired and hungry. I started planning out my night on the way home trying to figure out how I could clean the kitchen, cook the pizza, get the kids bathed, and have everything set out and ready to go for Sunday morning. I stiffened my quivering lip and decided I would just do what I could.

When I walked in the front door my heart just about burst. My son was just finishing loading the dishwasher and wiping down the cabinets and my 7yo was setting the prettiest table a woman could hope for. They even had the candles lit. Everything looked so nice and it was so lovely to eat our pizza and drink water out of our good water goblets! I tell ya, it's the simple things!

What's funny is just two days ago I was looking at a furniture catalog and really feeling discontent with all the nice things I didn't have. And yet my 7yo was able to make due and set a table I would have felt comfortable serving just about any guest. Thank you, Lord, for showing me the abundant blessings I have right before me.

Another heads up on something

2006-11-10T10:29:00.000-08:00

When it comes to business, I lean more towards a laissez faire approach. I think generally consumers are most effective when they speak with their pocket-books.

Although few long term boycotts have not been that effective. I do, however, think this idea just might work.

Apparently Walmart has decided to throw support behind some homosexual causes. In fact, 5% of the online sales the day after Thanksgiving will be donated to the Washington DC Community Center for Gay, Lesbian Bisexual and Transgender People. I shop at Walmart a lot (A LOT!) and am very disappointed they've decided to make such a bold statement in support of a group of people that have defined themselves by abominable and destructive sexual behavior. I certainly will not be shopping online or at their store the weekend following Thanksgiving.

What I'm hoping we will be able to do is throw some support of our own behind some of the great family-owned, Christian homeschooling companies this year. Here's a few links to some of my favorite ones if you'd like to check them out.

http://rainbowresource.com/index.php?sid=1149535501-1828587
(They give free shipping on orders of $150 or more)

http://timberdoodle.com/

I heart Veggie Tales and I don't care who knows it!

2006-11-07T20:07:00.000-08:00

There. I said it. That's why I have found this site very interesting and upsetting. Basically, the Veggie Tales I know and love are gone forever. Woe is me!

Okay, who's got the next funny-even-for-the-parents idea for a kids movie?

Go ahead. Try NOT to laugh!

2006-11-05T20:30:00.000-08:00

I don't care how bad your day is. This will at least put a smile on your face.

The hard facts of life, Fern!

2006-11-04T16:29:00.000-08:00

My kids have discovered a new favorite movie. It's Charlotte's Web. I haven't read the book to them yet but they have watched the movie over and over again. The first few times we watched it Ashley, my 7yo, would get really bothered when Fern would have to accept the "hard facts of farm life" and say goodbye to Wilbur. She thoroughly understood Fern's hysterics over losing her beloved pig.

Today, Ashley and the other kids got their own dose of the "hard facts of life."

Mike went hunting and brought home a couple of deer. This is really the first time he has gone and the kids got to see the deer before the butchered it.

After the initial shock they handled it really well. I on the other hand just want to cry, "OH! THE INJUSTICE! THE INJUSTICE!"

Foreign soil in the USA

2006-10-31T11:02:00.000-08:00

Do you remember hearing about the NAFTA "Super Highway"? I thought this was almost a dead issue or was put on hold. When they say "Super" they're not kidding! It's a highway that would connect Mexico, the US, and Canada and would cut right through Texas, and up the Midwest. It would be several football fields wide, about 10 lanes.

The real kick in the pants is that it is moving forward and being planned by foreigners. It will also be built and run by foreigners. Think this sounds like a good idea? Read more here.

The use of "imminent domain" is one of the most egregious abuses of government ever. It completely sidesteps the right to own property in a government that was based on this God-given, unalienable right. It would be used to build this highway at an astonishing level.

Cheap groceries

2006-10-20T10:51:00.000-07:00

Here's my 'Frugal Friday' tip. (I love these!)

From the Angelfood ministries website: "Angel Food Ministries is a non-profit, non-denominational organization dedicated to providing grocery relief and financial support to communities throughout the United States."

They sell a box of enough groceries to feed a family of four for one week for only $25. Plus they have great box of meat specials. You don't have to qualify to be elligible to purchase from them. In fact a lot of their customers are large families that like the cheap but good quality groceries.

For more frugal ideas check out Biblical Womanhood.

Oh happy day!

2006-10-18T13:52:00.000-07:00

I have been looking for a cheap s'more maker ever since my sis-in-law, Gretchen, brought one over two years ago. (They weren't that expensive but I'm just a tight wad) I found one this weekend at Ross for less than half of what they are going for everywhere else!

Bet you can't guess what we'ev been doing! Let's just say my kids have perpetual chocolate faces and sticky hands.

Brain drain

2006-10-17T17:35:00.000-07:00

Last night I had a ton of laundry to fold. So, I turned on the TV. The only thing on was "Wife Swap."

I watched it.

Yep.

Anywhoo. The premise of the show is that two families swap wives/moms for two weeks. The first week the 'new' mom basically fills in for the real mom and carries out her day to day activities the way she would. No harm really done so far.

The second week, however, is when the 'new' mom gets to make the rules and the family has to follow them whether they agree with them or not. This is where things get really scary.

At one point the father of one of the families was reacting to the new rules he would have to live by with disgust. He said something to the effect of, "There is no way I'm letting someone come in here and undo everything I've worked so hard for."(He was talking about the training of his children)

DUH!! This is what he signed up for!

It occurred to me that this is what was happening when I was working as a Daycare worker or when I was sending my daughter to public school. For six to eight hours a day I was acting as 'mommy' to the kids left in my care. Inevitably my habits(good and bad) and my way of doing things rubbed off on the kids left in my care.

I am reminded of my teacher in third grade who told us her "honest-to-God", real-life Ghost stories. I was raised that when a person died their soul either went to heaven or hell. I left school that day thinking otherwise.

I am also reminded of a 2yo girl in the daycare I worked in who was one of 10 siblings. I remember her teacher changing her diaper and telling her in a funny voice that her, "Mommy had too many children!" The teacher didn't really think this little girl understood what she was saying but I'm willing to bet, if she stayied in daycare long enough, she probably started to think so too.

100 things about me - part 1

2006-10-15T22:12:00.000-07:00

Because I have no creativity I am borrowing this idea from a couple of other blogs. Because I have no memory I am not crediting any blogger so forgive me if you came up with this idea originally. Because I have not time I am only able to do this a few at a time. So here goes...

1. My mom swears she found me sitting up in bed by myself at the unbelievable age of 3 months.

2. I cut off most of my hair, all of my brothers hair, and gave my neighbor down the street with waist length hair a boy cut by the time I was five.

3. The above did have one positive consequence. I have developed a six sense about kids who are thinking about cutting hair. Many potential incidents have been avoided simply because I recognized a look one of my kids gave to the scissors!

4. My sister and I were mortal enemies growing up. She is now my best friend and not a day goes by that I don't talk to her on the phone.

5. I attended 4 different colleges and still don't have a degree.

6. I taught Jazzercise for eight years and taught 7-10 classes a week while pregnant with my son.

7. I cannot sleep in a house by myself. When I do I have nightmares all night about someone breaking in and I'm unable to dial 911 properly.

8. Those nightmares sorta came true when two years ago I had to call 911 for my son. We were at a health fair of all places when he said he wasn't feeling well and lost the ability to walk or see. He turned pale white and fell down on the ground. We were in a crowd of probably a thousand people and nobody. came. to. help. I tried to dial 911 maybe 5 or 6 times and it kept saying "call dropped."

9. If my math is correct, I have been pregnant a total of 5 out of the last 17 years.

10. I have nursed babies a total of 8 of those years.

Ok, that's it for now. Until next time...

For those looking for costumes

2006-10-04T09:59:00.001-07:00

I got this from jollyblogger. These are great! I especially like the disclaimer at the bottom of the page.

IRL

2006-10-03T12:14:00.000-07:00

So, here's a question. When you are talking to someone IRL and you are relaying a story or something that happened that you read on somebody's blog, what do you say? I mean, do you explain that it is something you read about one somebody's blog but that you don't really know them or what?

I confess that I hate telling someone I read it off a blog because I am pridefull and a little embarrassed about how much time I spend reading other people's blogs. I've found myself saying I know of someone that had such and such experience. But, this bothers me a little, too, as I then feel the need to clarify with this long explanation of how I don't really know them but feel like I do because I've been reading their blog for a long time. This usually ends with the person I'm talking to staring at me with a look that says, 'Who cares?'

Any thoughts? Or are you staring at your computer screen and thinking, 'who cares?!'

In tribute to Mr. Molina

2006-10-02T15:08:00.000-07:00

I have always called him Mr. Molina as long as I've known him. Even after Mike and I were married I could never bring myself to call my father-in-law by his first name. Every now and then I'd try it out and it just didn't feel right. He was a man I respected.

I have to admit he is partly to blame for me marrying my husband. I fell in love with his family right along as a fell in love with my husband. Mike and I were in college and he was living at home. Being the second oldest, my husband still had four younger siblings there with him.

The first time I walked into their house I immediately noticed the 'study' room where the walls were lined with desks. The biggest desk was Mr. Molina's where he would work at night right next to his kids doing their homework. He would stop and help all those who needed it and would make sure all work was completed before leaving the room. Even the ones in college would get checked up on from time to time!LOL

Then there were the family events. The atmosphere was always so warm and loving. Eventhough there was always a little bit of kidding around, there was never the bitter and angry fights that I experienced growing up. I loved being with his family and being a part of the fun they always had when they were together.

I always felt so honored to be a part of the 'togetherness' times Mr. Molina would insist on. Like Friday nights at the movies or Sunday dinners. I knew Mr. Molina loved his family and they were his priority.

I also knew he loved his wife, Susan. It was so sweet how romantic and mushy he was about her. They were married when she was 14 years old. Their marriage lasted forty years.

I'm thankful for the example he set. I'm thankful that he has two sons and four grandsons (so far) that hopefully will be influenced to be good fathers and husbands themselves. I'm thankful for his unfailing optimism and his contagious enthusiasm. I am thankful he was my father-in-law. I'm gonna miss him.

Michael Anthony Molina (1948 -2006)

2006-09-26T14:40:00.000-07:00

Da passed away this morning. We feel so blessed to have had him in our lives and for the example he set. We will miss him dearly. I'll write more later but right now my heart is too heavy.

Random ramblings

2006-09-24T21:40:00.000-07:00

I got this idea from Big mama.

1. We spent the evening at the hospital 'visiting' my father-in-law. I use the quotes because he is now asleep most of the time and can only whisper the few seconds he is awake. The dr.'s have told us to prepare for his passing as it is only a matter of weeks now.

2. We had a much cooler day today with the high only reaching the upper 70's. The kids wanted to get out their jackets. Tomorrow will be back into the 80's so, there, we had our fall.

3. Meghan got her license this past week. I'm really mad that nowhere, at any time, did somebody warn me how completely horrifying it is to send your kid off in a car by herself. Ok, it was just to the Walmart a mile a way but statistics say most accidents happen with in five miles from home. They do! I think 16 is waaaaaaay too young to drive. 18...no 19... okay 21 is probably a good age to let them start driving.

4. We start back to our regular routine tomorrow and I'm looking forward to it. We will officially begin this year's curriculum. As weird as it sounds, life actually seems less chaotic when we are doing school because we have a purpose and a plan when each day begins. We also have a routine which is something I thrive on.

5. Tomorrow Spunky will announce the winner of the camera contest. I get knots in my stomach thinking about it because I sooo hope I'm picked. Our camera broke and with our list of needs right now a camera is at the bottom of it.

6. We're getting a new roof on Tuesday! I'm trying to figure out how we can turn it into a homeschooling experience.

She likes to play the gee-tar!

2006-09-21T12:39:00.000-07:00

This is my entry to win a camera in the "Capture the Educational Moment" Contest sponsored by Spunky and Academic Superstore.

One of my goals that I want to accomplish is teaching my children how to go out and learn whatever it is they want to learn. I always marvel when they actually do set out to tackle something on their own and learn as they go.

Like when my oldest wanted to learn to play the guitar. We couldn't afford lessons much less a guitar. Providentially my brother had an extra one he didn't use and offered to loan it to her. That took care of one problem but we still couldn't provide her with a solution for the other.

That's when she decided to take matters into her own hands. She went online and found free lessons and began to use them to learn to play. After a while she reached a point where she had learned everything the free lessons had to offer and was ready to move on.

So, she began asking those who knew how to play the guitar to show her what they knew. One boy at church who had been taking guitar lessons for a while said she actually knew more than he did!

She practiced and played until her hearts content. She became so good that one day she came down and said I want to play a song I wrote. Listening to this child pour her heart out through song and music brought an emotion I can't explain. This is what she sang.

Frugal Fridays

2006-09-15T10:49:00.000-07:00

I am so interested in this blog idea! Frugal living is a necessity for us. Since my husband has gone back to work for his dad we have a $300 shortfall on paper each month. But somehow, the Lord provides for us and we always have enough without going deeper into debt.

My idea for this week is something I got from menus4moms. They claim that the average household throws away about 1/2 of the food they purchase. That means that if your food budget is $500 you are throwing away $250. Most of this occurs from people throwing away food left on their plate. After I learned this I saw that my kids do indeed throw a lot away. It really made me feel as if I were not being a good steward over the blessings God had so graciously given us.

To put an end to this practice I began serving half of what I would normally serve on the stuff I knew they liked and less for the stuff I knew they didn't like so much. For things like broccoli that means they would get literally one bite of food. Even if I knew they could and probably would eat more, I cut their portions because I could always give them seconds but I couldn't put it back (I guess I could but - gross!). On drinks, especially milk, I made sure they only poured 1/3 of a glass. I made sure they knew they could always have more but they had to finish whatever they had already been served.

I have been amazed at how much waste this simple step has cut down on. Now we have much more food leftover for lunches and I'm actually saving on our food budget. It's amazing how this one simple step has helped so much!

If you're like me and want more tips on frugal living, hop on over to Biblical Womanhood.

I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried!

2006-09-13T22:23:00.000-07:00

Praise the Lord! My sister had her baby after going 6 days past her due date. Her name is Mercy Lael and she is beautiful and healthy and home from the hospital and doing well now.

I say now, because the birth was an absolute nightmare. Not because her labor was exceptionally bad. It was actually short. And even though it was, as labors go, painful, my sister handled it really well at home and was calm and relaxed despite contractions that started at two minutes apart. When she got to the hospital, however, she met a staff of nurses that must have been sent from h-e-double-hockey-sticks!

By the time she got there the contractions were taking all her attention and she was having to moan through them to cope. Not believing her when she said she was in labor, they insisted on sending her to triage where the nurse then insisted on asking her - not her husband- crucial questions like, 'what's level of education did you complete?' and 'does your husband beat you?' Being the experienced labor and delivery nurse that she was, they would repeat the questions to her while she was having a contraction as if they she was ignoring them. My sister was able to utter a 'shut-up' to which the nurse says, 'EXCUSE ME!' and storms out of the room.

The next hour and a half is a scene out of some sick Twilight Zone movie. They insist she lay on her back on a gurney so they can check her to verify that yes the moaning woman having contractions every two minutes really is in labor. To do this is like asking my sister to lay down on hot coals. She refuses which they respond with refusing to call the dr. until she complies.

They check her and - LO AND BEHOLD! - she's in labor which means more crucial questions. When Emily pauses on a contraction the nurse says, 'I guess I'll just go out and get you a white nurse since you obviously have a problem with a black one!' Yes, she did. She accused a woman in transition of racism!

The episode, though, that takes the cake is when the baby's birth is eminent and Emily tells them it's happening NOW! They respond with, "Don't push, the dr. will be here in a little while." If you've ever experienced your body pushing the baby out, you know, it's completely involuntary. So she is on her side andtells them the baby is coming and two nurse jump on her and - try not to smash your computer - pushing down on her legs to SQUEEZE HER LEGS TOGETHER! As the baby's head is coming out my sister is having to push them off of her so the baby won't be squished between her legs. Because the nurse waited too long to call the dr., she arrived after the placenta came out and Emily was cleaned up.

The head nurse came to see Emily in her room the next day to basically do damage control. The nurse, they were told, was sent home on vacation for two days. The report she wrote in Emily's file basically made it look like it was Emily's fault and was just non-compliant. So my brother-in-law is making them correct it and will be reporting the nurse to the state board of nursing.

Anyway, I was so angry I was physically shaking. Thankfully, God was merciful and they are both okay. My prayer is that this will cause enough of a shake-up that it will never happen to another woman in that situation. And, just maybe, my sister will consider a home-birth next time! Not that I have an opinion on the matter! :P

Preach It!

2006-09-09T22:31:00.000-07:00

Ron Paul is a man I greatly admire. He is a voice of reason in a sea of madness. I honestly don't know how he has managed to keep going and not given up.

This speech he gave on August 30 is just one of the many, many times he has spoken truth to a congress full of power hungry politicians that have broken their promise to uphold the Constitution. We definitely need more like him if our republic is to survive.

2006-09-08T07:20:00.000-07:00

I was 36 weeks pregnant with our fourth child. I woke up that morning to the phone ringing. It was Lana, a mom I carpooled with. My first thought was, 'why is she calling so early?'

'Hello?' I said trying to sound as if I hadn't been asleep.

'Girl, do you believe this?!!!'

'What?!' I was immediately alarmed. My mind started racing imagining all the horrible things that could have happened. Never did I imagine, though, the truth of what actually occurred.

'You're not watching the news!! Turn on the tv. A plane just flew into the World Trade Center.'

Okay. At this point, I'll admit. I was a little annoyed. She scared the cr*p out of me over a terrible accident in a city almost two thousand miles away?! I turned on the the tv just in time to see the second plane fly into the second tower. It hit me like a ton of bricks. This was no accident. I sat down in the middle of my living room floor and cried.

I kept my daughter home from school that day. I was scared. She went to a school 25 minutes away on IH-35. I just didn't know where they would strike next and I wanted to be able to get to her.

The tv stayed on all day. I let my kids watch it with me. I felt they needed to see and understand. This was a national tragedy and they should grieve with the nation they live in. I didnt' want them to forget.

Over the next few weeks and months, one story really resonated with me. That was the Todd and Lisa Beamer story. She was pregnant and about as far along as I was. I just kept thinking how is she going to go through labor without her husband?

The birth of our fourth child was something Mike and I looked forward to and, when the time came, he was my rock and life line during labor. There was such joy and happiness between us over the birth of our child. It's really only something you can share with your spouse. My heart just broke for her that her husband wasn't there to share that with her.

It's hard to really comprehend all the pain and suffering that came from 9/11. I just have to cling to the truth:

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)

Even this is somehow for good. God will be glorified through this, we can be sure. May it be so, Lord, may it be so!

(you can read more personal 9/11 stories over at Rocks In My Dryer)

Not choosing evil

2006-09-06T11:58:00.000-07:00

My husband and I have found ourselves, more than a few times, being labeled as "liberal" because we aren't republican and criticize the President's policies on many things. Not being satisfied with having to vote for a candidate we felt would not be a good president simply because he wasn't as bad as the other guy, we went looking for an alternative for the last election. After all, you shouldn't complain about the problem if you're not willing to offer a solution, right?

We first looked at the Libertarian party but had some real concerns about their unwillingness to outlaw abortion and homosexual marriage. Plus, most libertarians believe as much as the left that religion should have no part of government.

Then we found the Constitution party. Quite frankly, we could have written the platform ourselves. There were a few things we disagreed on but ultimately we felt this was a party we could vote for and not feel like we were picking the lesser of two evils.

Here is the link to the party platform.

Here's an article by Chuck Baldwin about the republican party being associated in most Christians' mind as "God's party."

The things to come

2006-09-05T09:55:00.000-07:00

We have entered that stage with my 16yo where we are looking ahead and planning what her next steps will be for college. This is a subject we are approaching a lot differently than we will approach with our sons. It's also a lot different than my own approach.

When I was thinking about college I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do in order to provide for myself. What carreer interested me and what would be the most profitable? Although my dream since I was a little girl was to be a wife and a mommy, I didn't dare say such a thing to my teachers or highschool counselor. In fact, I came to think there was something wrong with me or I must be extremely lazy and wanted the easy way out by living off my future husband.

So, when it came time to choose a career path I chose chemical engineering. It took one class in chemistry to figure out this was NOT something I wanted to do for the next five minutes much less the rest of my life.

Okay. How about teaching? That was going fine until I had to go a spend a few days inside an actual class room. Everytime I see a caged animal pacing back and forth I think of those few hours I spent in a classroom surrounded by 25 children I couldn't spank or Biblically reprimand.

So, I switched to accounting and LOVED IT! Finally, something I could see myself doing for the rest of my life. BUT, then I got married. And we had kids. And we decided to homeschool. And I still had $10,000 in school loans for my husband to pay on an education that I wouldn't use. Sure, accounting could help me with the family finances but did I really have to go all those years to college and spend all that money just to be taught how to manage my family's finances?

Needless to say, we are not wanting to send our daughters down this same path. If we are to teach our daughters to "love their husbands, to love their children... to be homemakers" shouldn't we plan as though they will one day be one? I realize that not all girls will grow up and get married, but then, neither will all boys. So would it be okay to plan for my son as if he would not one day be a provider for his family?

All this to say, as we plan our daughters next few years, we are planning on her one day becoming a wife and mother and are making decisions that will benefit her in those roles. Her deepest desire is to be a wife and homemaker. Realizing that God might not call her to this for a while or at all, we are encouraging her to go on to college but choose something that she can continue after she is married and has children. Also, not to go into debt to do it.

Right now we are prayerfully seeking the Lord in what directions she should go and how. She would like to pursue photogrpahy and seems to have a real talent and love for it. Although the future in uncertain and something not to be taken lightly, I have to say, it is sooo exciting to wonder what God has in store for this babe of ours. Since the very day she was born I have been praying for wisdom to raise her up into a Godly woman. As we start to see glimpses of that woman I am awestruck.

God has been undeservedly merciful beyond words to me and to this child born to me out of wedlock. I pray He will continue to grow her, and her brothers and sisters, into godly and righteous believers who will help to raise the next generation of saints.

Technical Difficulties

2006-09-04T08:21:00.000-07:00

Please excuse the problems we seem to be experiencing with my webpage. Since I'm about as hi-tech as a washboard, Meghan is helping me. We can't seem to figure out how to get my postings to stand still (funny, I have that problem with my two year old as well!). Any suggestions?

2006-09-01T09:59:00.000-07:00

A conversation with a six-year-old

2006-08-31T22:40:00.000-07:00

'Oh! What's he doing?'

'He's nursing. This is how mammas feed their babies'

'Oh. He's sucking on you?'

'Yep. He gets milk that way.'

'Oh. Kind of like pigs do, right?'

'Yep. Kind of like pigs.' *grimacing at the thought of being compared to a pig*

(Conversation with a little girl from church at a Bible study in our home. Guess she learned more than just about Acts!)

Da

2006-08-30T14:40:00.000-07:00

Da (pronounced Dah) is my father-in-law. He was diagnosed with stage IV kidney cancer in January and given 8 months to live. In the past month he has gone down hill very quickly. He is in a great deal of discomfort and is back in the hospital because of fluid on his lungs.

If you come across this blog, please say a prayer that he would be brought to a saving faith in Christ. And if it be His will, that he be healed. He has been a wonderful father to my husband, grandfather to my kids, and father-in-law for me.

Thank you.

My confession

2006-08-30T08:01:00.000-07:00

Hello. My name is Amanda. And I'm a slob. I've been in recovery now for almost 7 years thanks be to God.

Growing up I was always looking for the easy way out. Stuffing things under beds; sometimes in the back of my closet. Disorganiztion and clutter haunted me. *sniff*

My parents took a picture of my room once and hung it on the refrigerator. They had hoped it would embarrass me enough to change my ways. It did embarrass me but I had no idea how to get organized and clean on a consistent basis.

Oh sure, I would clean up. Usually spending a lot of time on something. Deep down I thought, "There. I cleaned it and it will stay clean." I didn't get that being clean and organized took consistent effort on a consistent basis.

Sadly, it wasn't until I had my third child that this simple fact was presented to me in a way I understood. Flylady introduced me to the routine! Suddenly I had a handle on cleaning and staying organized! The clouds went away, the sun came out, and a new day dawned at my house.

One other very important lesson flylady taught me was to get up before my kids got up. This one simple step always helps me start my day on the right foot. Since Luke was born I have not done this. So its' no surprise that I have felt completely unorganized when I have to hit the ground running.

When I get up before the kids I have time to catch my breath, have a cup of coffee in silence, pray, and get dressed. Then when my kids wake-up and want breakfast I'm ready to cook, eat, and move easily into family devotion and school time.

Hurricane Katrina Aftermath

2006-08-29T15:46:00.000-07:00

Why do I watch the evening news? Everytime I do I end up getting upset.

All over the news today is coverage of the ceremonies remembering those lost to Katrina a year ago. Along with that are stories of the recovery of New Orleans. Of course, the topic of "lessons learned" has come up as well.

What makes me upset is not that they are trying to rebuild a city below sea level next to the sea. What upsets me is that everyone expects the federal government to foot the bill. Over and over again I hear people saying how the feds and FEMA are not giving them the free money they rightly deserve to rebuild their homes.

Most of the people who were stranded in New Orleans were the poor. They were people who had been living off the government in way of housing, foodstamps, etc. So when an emergency arose, of course, they looked to the same government to take care of them. What they got was a big let down.

Now there is a demand that the government "fix" it and make it all better. As if the money could be pulled from the air, they demand more and more. Somehow it has become the federal governments responsibility to accurately predict, efficiently evacuate, and then quickly rebuild what's destroyed when a hurricane comes.

It makes me so sad for our country. Gone are the days when we were a nation of God-fearing, resourceful, hard-working citizens. Now we are a God-less, lazy, egalitarian slaves to the state. I pray that God would have mercy on us and send a revival to our country that hasn't been seen since the 19th century.

Why I love homeschooling! (Reason #387,965,021)

2006-08-25T10:19:00.001-07:00

Okay, that number is totally made up. One of the blessings to come out of our public school experience with Meghan (actually I think it's the only one but I'm sometimes blind to God's blessings) is that I know exactly what we're not missing by homeschooling.

I've had other homeschooling moms ask me from time to time if I ever have a day where I just want to give up and enroll my kids in school. The truth is, no. I've never had a day bad enough that I would be willing to put them back into the lion's den. Believe me when I say, though, we've had some pretty bad days, too!

Thankfully, the Lord has faithfully shown me time and again why homeschooling is such a blessing to me and to the kids. So many that I couldn't possibly keep track, hence the made-up number. Today was one of those times.

The girls were playing with play-dough (great homemade recipe, BTW, if anyone wants it!) and Ashley asked her brother to look at the GIANT egg she made. Mikey made the comment that the egg was the size of a normal egg; which it was. "But," Ashley said, "just look at the size of my chicken!" as she held up a chicken way too small to birth such an egg.

Okay, at this point my mind started replaying Luke's birth story and I was just about ready to curl up in a ball when Mikey says, "Hey, that's kind of like God with our problems."

Sscchhwwwwoooop! That's the sucking noise made by my brain being pulled back into the present with a totally light bulb moment for my kids!

We then took a few moments to talk about how our circumstances may seem big to us but are no match for our God! An oppurtunity that would have been missed had my kids been in public school. Thank you, Lord, for that moment and for the ability to homeschool my kids!

**UPDATE**
And then there are the silly moments....

Right after I finished typing this, I turned around to see my son walking through the living room talking on a banana/cell phone saying, "Can you hear me now?"

Gotta luv that kid!!

Dinner and Dessert Help (WFMW)

2006-08-23T10:18:00.000-07:00

Certain foods that I use a lot of are ground meat and cookies. So when I'm cooking these foods I will usually double or triple it and freeze for later use.

Then, with the ground meat, I will freeze a pound or two in freezer bags to be used later. When I need it I simply take out a bag and pour it right into the pan frozen. Since it's already cooked, it can also be poured directly into a dish like spaghetti sauce or queso and cooked until warm.

With cookie dough I will put some in a line lengthwise on waxed paper and roll it up into a tube shape. I usually make them about 6 inches long and place them in freezer bags. Then when the kids want cookies I simply pull it out of the freezer, unwrap the wax paper, slice them about an inch thick, and cook them as directed.

Works for me! Be sure to check out other tips at Rocks In My Dryer.

My husband - to the rescue!

2006-08-19T21:25:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning on his way to work, Mike saw a rollover accident happen right in front of him. A minivan cut it too close and was sideswiped by a truck pulling a trailer. The minivan ended up rolling and landing on it's side. Thankfully the woman survived but was trapped inside.

During rush-hour traffic, my husband was the only person to stop and help. He stood on the hood of the truck and tried to pull the woman from the van. The driver of the truck actually came and held his legs so he wouldn't fall into the van. He said a motorcycle stopped across the road and stood and watched the whole thing without offering to help!

Watermelon Massacre

2006-08-15T09:05:00.000-07:00

This morning I left the kids in the kitchen just long enough to go the the little girls room. Really. It was a quick trip. Anyway, when I came back, I found my oldest Jedi in training, Mikey, using his lightsabre(butter knife) to cut up his watermelon. In mid-air.

Watermelon blood...er, juice, sure can fly!

Sorry no pictures, camera broken.

Willing to go to the stake?

2006-08-12T11:31:00.000-07:00

I was reading on another blog about convictions and what the issues she was "willing to go to the stake" over. A number of recent events have really got me thinking about my own convictions and how far was I willing to go to back them. Are my beliefs just what I would prefer over something else or are they Biblical mandates that I am willing to fight for, even to the death?

I think everyone would agree there are certain things we as Christians should be willing to die for. The right to worship and pray to our God for one. The problem is, an assault on our convictions and our beliefs is usually much more insidious and happens very slowly. It usually starts with little concessions here and there over small things that would seem silly to die for.

Being the hombirthing, anti-vaxing, generally crunchy family that we are, the lawsuit against the Cherrix family really caught my attention. This not only pits modern medicine against alternative, more-natural treatments but the very rights of parents against an ever-increasing intrusive government to decide what's best for their child. Whose children are they? Am I willing to go to the stake over which medical procedure my child receives? Maybe not. Am I willing to go to the stake to protect my rights as a parent to decide what's best for my child? Ultimately, yes. At what point do I take that stand?

This particular article reminded me of once hearing R. C. Sproul, Jr. recall his petition to his state legislature over the legality of homeschool. He begged them not to make homeschooling illegal because he would be forced to become an out-law. That's how strongly he felt about his responsibility to educate his children at home in the fear and admonition of the Lord. This is also my feeling.

I am willing to go to the stake to fight for my right as a parent to homeschool my child. Why? Because God mandates me to teach my children about Him "when we sit at home and when we walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up." I can't do this by sending them to a government school where my God is forbidden for six hours a day. To not do this would be risking my children's souls. That is something worth dieing for.

Charles spurgeon wrote that there is enough "tinder in the heart of the saint closest to heaven to kindle another hell if God should but permit a spark to fall upon it." I submit this is true for even the most benevolent of governments. If we as Americans make concessions on the small things I fear it will come to us compromising those convictions that are most important.

My sweet teenager

2006-07-28T22:16:00.000-07:00

"Any oxymoron," you say? "Meet my Meghan," I say. She really is a sweet kid!

I was reading on the Don't Try This At Home blog about how obnoxious teenagers are. Since she was born I have been fearing the coming teenage years. I was a teenager myself when I gave birth to her. God used her to break my pridefull and rebellious heart and bring me to his feet. Thank God, He did or I would probably have been dead or in prison long ago! No joke!

So realizing how bad I was despite my parents attempts to turn me around, I began praying for my own daughter asking God to give me wisdom in raising her. Little did I know He would lead us to homeschooling.

Until I actually met some teenage homeschoolers I thought all teenagers were obnoxious, rebellious, adult-haters. I had heard about rare exceptions, like in the news or something, but I never knew any. Needless to say, I was shocked when I found that homeschooling teenagers were by and large nice and *gasp* enjoyable to be around!

Thankfully this has proven to be true for my own teenager. She is sweet, funny, comfortable around adults and younger kids, and very helpful most of the time. I knew I would always love her through her teenage years but I never thought I'd like her. Even more crazy is I think she likes me, too!

The lesson learned from Andrea?

2006-07-27T19:43:00.000-07:00

I was just reading on another blog about Andrea Yates and the lessons we can learn from this horrible abomination. As most every one knows now, she was declared innocent by reason of insanity.

I have no doubt she was insane but how does this absolve her from guilt? Her progression into her psychosis was not overnight. It was a long, slow descent and everyone around her, including herself, knew she was not well. She gave sin a foothold by not holding every thought captive to the Word of God. Each time she indulged her thoughts and emotions she went deeper and deeper.

One thing that really concerns me is this call by some for more government involvement. Some people believe mothers should be followed more closely with newborns to make sure they're not developing PPD. It's another one of those, "the state has to protect the children from their parents."

This is a spiritual issue and to quote Ron Paul, "government has never been able to legislate morality." What we can do, though, is chip away at parent's rights so children are looked at as wards of the state. Once that happens, they will be viewed as they are in all welfare states. Burdens.

Then we'll have widespread infanticide (abortions) that will make Andrea Yates look like Mother Theresa.

The one-handed typist DISCLAIMER

2006-07-27T19:34:00.000-07:00

I feel like I should put a disclaimer in here about my poor spelling and even poorer grammar. It's the baby's fault! He 'likes the arms,' as my mother -in-law would say, and most of the time I type standing at my kitchen cabinet, swaying back and forth and typing with one hand.

Not that anybody but my sister reads these things. I just wanted to clarify in case someone was worried that I'm illiterate and 'homeschooling' my kids!

Dr. G.I. Williamson

2006-07-24T08:17:00.000-07:00

We were blessed to have Dr. G.I. Williamson preach at our church on Sunday. He is a long time OPC pastor/member and well known author. His catechism books have been used quite a bit in our house. He spoke on the third commandment and what it really means to take the name of the Lord in vain. Let's just say that Gos ain't talkin 'bout cuss'n. It was very enlightening.

My sister and brother-in-law, and another family from their church, drove down from Waco. It was so nice to have my sister there. All my family lives in Waco and they all go to the same church. I wish I could live in the same small town with them. I love running into family at the grocery store and having them just a few minutes away. Maybe some day...

Here's a picture of our last

July 4th bash.

This is one of my favorites

because it depicts

how things usually are

when we all get together.

Just one big joyfully chaotic group! :)

Luke's birth story

2006-07-20T15:41:00.000-07:00

It's taken me a while to be able to talk about it, much less write about it, but God's mercy has allowed the passing of time to cause me to forget the pain.

Needless to say, I had a rough labor. Baby Luke decided to make his entrance into the world sunny side up. Yep, after spending the last trimester in the perfect position he decided to turn posterior. Let me just say the only way to describe the feeling of a baby being born posterior is YEEEEEEOOOOOOWWWW!!

As a result of the 4 hours of pushing trying to get him out, I have become a member of a rather large group of women who often go ignored. Those women whose body parts are falling. Yes, I mean those body parts. Thankfully it looks like it isn't too severe and I won't be needing surgery, Lord willing, until I hit menopause. Oh goodies, something to look forward to!

hadababyitsaboy

2006-07-18T10:38:00.000-07:00

Wow! I can't believe it's been almost a whole year since I blogged last. Time flies when you're....well, time just flies. So much has happened. Let me see if I can summarize...Nope. Can't. Luke just woke up from his nap. I'll have to leave it at this until next time.

Wow! It's been a while!

2005-09-08T18:37:00.000-07:00

Where to begin?! First we were adopted by a kitty. One morning Meghan opened the door and a tiny little kitty walked right in and walked straight to the dog's food bowl and started eating! It was really weird! Anyway, Ashley and I have been living on Benadryl so we're trying to find her a good home. She is such a sweet kitty I'm really hoping we can find her a good one.

Second, I've lost 11 lbs so far on The Lord's Table. I had to take a week off when I was in Waco for a while. But, I was able to continue the food schedule while there and am really encouraged by it. I'm on day 35 of 60 and hope to continue throught the pregnancy so I don't become a fat cow. Just a skinny cow!

That brings me to #3. We are expecting Baby Molina #6 sometime in May! I took a test (Ok, I took six!) in Waco last week. I'm a little conderned, though, because I'm not feeling pregnant at all. I pray everything is fine but God's will be done. He is sovereign.

The Blog twilight zone

2005-08-06T19:50:00.000-07:00

Last night I hit the "next blog" button at the top of the webpage just to see what would happen. All I can say is, I'm a little freaked out there are actually people out there behind some of the blogs I saw. Some were like mine: random, boring, only good for my own personal enjoyment. Then there were some for business purposes. Others for information and education. But then there were some that were soooo disturbing. I really felt so sorry for some of those lost souls.

Today was a pretty laid back day. I did do the lawn, though. I love pulling in to the drive with the lawn freshly mowed. Gives me a great sense of satisfaction. Mikey is spending the night with some friends from church. Jordan has an earache. Tomorrow is church and juice day.

"For when I am weak then I am strong."

2005-08-05T15:43:00.000-07:00

Today I totally struggled with the blues. What is totally amazing is that instead of giving in and eating for comfort I was able, by God's Grace, to pray through it. What an amazing God we have! Thank you Lord. Thank you for reminding me that only by being poor of spirit can I ever really rest in You.

My sister and her family were here so no school. It is a "juice day" meaning I have to liquid meals and one regular meal. How do you like my ticker?!

The Lord's Table

2005-08-04T13:27:00.000-07:00

This past week I have been working through the Bible study program called the Lord's Table. It is actually for those people who turn to food as a source of fulfillment instead of feasting on the Word of God. I am so thankful I have found this program. It has really opened my eyes to what it means to Live in Christ. An added bonus is that I've also lost 4lbs. My sil, Amy, told me about it and I think she's going to start it as well. It will be nice to have someone I can talk to about it.

School has gone pretty well this week. We took yesterday and today off. We had Mike's neice and nephew over yesterday and today my sister and her family are coming in to town. The kids are very excited their cousins are coming. We are really blessed to have so many cousins for them to play with. On Mike's side we have a total of 11 cousins and on my side we have 14(and counting)!! The picture shows all of the grandkids on my side of the family at our July 4th party. My mom got them all matching shirts. Boy! It was tough to get them all to hold still long enough to get a picture! We had fun though!

Yeah! Family back together again!

2005-07-29T20:58:00.000-07:00

Meghan came back from camp today! We all really missed her. Ashley told her three times already how much she missed her and is glad she's back. She had a great time but was kind of sad to be back. She started unpacking and said she couldn't do it and got weepy. She made some good friends. We ordered pizza and watched a movie together to cheer her up. I think a lot of it has to do with her exhaustion, though. They had a lock in last night and everyone stayed up all night plus she didn't sleep much on the 9 hour trip home.

Anyway, the rest of the kids and I were in Waco the last couple of days while Mike stayed here. I'm glad to be home and have my family back together again! Home sweet home!

Curriculum Conundrum

2005-07-26T11:44:00.000-07:00

Since the time we began homeschooling, we have switched curriculums just about every year. We started out with Sonlight, the next year Abeka, the next year something else... You get the idea. We just couldn't seem to find the right fit for us. Money has really been an issue in the curriculum we chose the last few years plus I have come to feel very strongly that we need to teach every subject from a Biblical worldview. I was really hoping to find a curriculum from a Reformed perspective so that narrowed it down even more.

Last year we went with Christian Liberty Press for my daughter's 9th grade year. While she wasn't crazy about the Science (from Abeka), we really like everything else! So this year we decided to go with CLP for all the kids. We just received all the books about two weeks ago and I am so excited! I was very apprehensive about the reading program for my 5yo but we've been using it for over a week and she absolutely loves it! My son(9yo) is not very excited at all as he still feels school is just a big waste of time. But even he is enjoying the Nature Readers. It is such a relief to have something that works so well. Meghan(15yo) is going with Apologia Science because she really likes them, but she seems to be getting so much out of her school now.

In other news, Kinsley(22mo) has developed a severe case of chapped lips. She has the hugest red circle all the way around her mouth. I couldn't figure out for the life of me, why? Then I saw her in the back yard with her "buboos"(bubbles). When she blows the bubbles she puts the wand so close to her mouth she actually starts blowing bubbles out her mouth after a while!! When she woke up this morning the first thing she said was "buboos!". I had to tell her "no more bubbles" and she was very upset! I think we'll have to go with one of those big bubble wands that you wave in the wind instead. Poor baby!

First blog post: One small step for.... Oh forget it!

2005-07-24T19:15:00.000-07:00

Hello to anyone out there reading this! I am a 33 year old Christian, homeschooling wife to Mike and mamma to Meg, Mikey, Ashley, Jordan, and Kinsley. I am living my dream being a stay-at-home mom although, I have to say, that dream never included homeschooling! But, thankfully, God had other plans and I have been homeschooling for 6 years now.

I have been married to my husband for 10 years now. Sometimes it feels like it has flown by.
And, sometimes it feels like 10 going on 30 years! I'll be honest, it hasn't been ten years of wedded bliss. In fact, most of the time it's been pretty hard. But God is merciful in that He has preserved us both with strong commitments to the marriage. I love my husband very much and am grateful to God for blessing me with him.

Well, time for bed! We have been sick lately so we will have all the kids in our room with the humidifier tonight! Pray for the coughing to go away!