My dear Mama had knee replacement surgery on Tuesday of this week. She is doing really well and is happy that the surgery was not as bad as she expected. Her therapists are pleased with her progress and we are making plans to go home tomorrow.
Greg drove the kids and I to GA yesterday so we could play nurse for her recovery period. I stayed at the hospital with her last night and am doing so again tonight. However, you don't get any rest at night. No sirreeee, the nurses were in here doing vitals, checking on her leg moving apparatus and helping her to the restroom every 1 1/2 hours...all night long! There was one stretch during the night that I slept 2 hours, from 4:30 - 6:30 am. I must have been really exhausted because I slept through the "vampires" coming to draw her blood at 5:30 am.
Katie & Amy joined me for daytime nursing duty and got in some math & history work too. Greg & Will are building Mom a handrail from the garage into the house and put a handrail in the shower and something at the potty. They also bought us a gallon of sweet tea from Chick fil A and we have been drinking it all day! Gotta have that caffeine to stay awake!
Therapy is very interesting. You can tell who wants to get better and is working toward that goal. Mom is in that category. She is doing everything and is gaining back alot of strength in her leg. We are walking laps around the halls--today we have walked 6 laps. She also walked up and down a set of 4 stairs twice today. She has 3 stairs from her garage into the house, so she needed to learn how to do this. She also has to give herself shots of blood thinner so hopefully we avoid clots. We are learning lots of new stuff. Tomorrow we will delve into the world of home health care and home therapy. (Just found out she will have to do the shots for a couple of weeks)
We would appreciate everyone's prayers for her continued progress and return to health.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
A Woman's Rules to Live By
I found the following while visiting different blogs the other day and loved this message. It says everything I want to say but sometimes can't find the right words.
Many thanks to Candy at www.keepingthehome.com for giving me permission to copy and publish this on my blog. She has lots and lots of good info and links on her site!
You could say this is part 2 of my post from yesterday...
Many thanks to Candy at www.keepingthehome.com for giving me permission to copy and publish this on my blog. She has lots and lots of good info and links on her site!
You could say this is part 2 of my post from yesterday...
Rules for the Wife at Home
1.- Overlook husband’s faults, and instead focus on his better side.
2.- Never nag, or try to manipulate your husband into doing things your way.
3.- Trust God, and trust your husband. Pray for him daily.
4.- God first, husband second, children third, house fourth.
5.- Submit to your husband’s authority, and allow errors in his judgment.
6.- Allow him to provide for the family, and appreciate the money he brings in, and the provisions he provides for his family, no matter how little or how much.
7.- Spend your husband’s hard earned money wisely, and be frugal. Never sneak expenses behind his back.
8.- Do not wound his masculine pride. Instead, compliment him on his manly accomplishments, and show your appreciation of him every day.
9.- A modest, feminine appearance is important. As is feminine manner, nature, softness, gentleness, and a spirit of sweet submission and dependency on the husband.
10.- You have a God-given career that can bless you abundantly. That career is in the home.
11.- Cook delicious healthy meals, keep the home clean, and take wonderful, loving care of your children.
12.- Your duty is to be a “homemaker,” hence, your job is to make your house a home.
13.- Above all, the wife at home is to exude an attitude of happiness and joy. Rejoice in the Lord for the wonderful family He has provided for you, and never take your family for granted.
Wasn't that great! 13 very concise, clear guidelines! What a blessing this would be to all husbands if their wives followed these simple suggestions!
Monday, November 9, 2009
I Am a Wife & Stay at Home Mama
Before I elaborate on my title, let me fill you in on a few facts about me. My first marriage ended abruptly on Nov. 18, 1996 when my first husband died. We had a good marriage, but had many struggles. Our greatest accomplishments and sources of pride were our 3 wonderful children, James, Allen & Amy. For the next 9 years, I was a widow (hate that word) and a single Mom. For most of those 9 years I prayed and asked the Lord to show me what I could do differently as a wife if he chose to send me another husband. I prayed for specific qualitites that I wanted my Prince Charming to have...my list was very specific. I also prayed that the Lord would just drop my Prince into my life, I wasn't looking. And yes, over the years, I reminded the Lord several times that I was still waiting. I had friends praying that the Lord would send someone to me. Some of Amy's little friends prayed that God would send her a daddy. (She was 7 months old when her Daddy died, so she really didn't know anything about Daddy's) Besides praying, I was also reading the Bible about being a wife. In the spring of 2005, I saw a book advertised online named "Created to be His Helpmeet" by Debi Pearl. I felt like I was supposed to order and read the book. Its really hard to explain, but I did. (The book is great, I don't agree with everything Debi says, but alot of it)
Also, during that spring I was corresponding with a dear friend of mine (since I was 3) whose wife had been killed in a car accident. In one of his emails, he asked me what my kids reaction had been when I dated. I told him about my prayer and waiting on the Lord. I had not gone out with anyone. Can ya guess what happened next? My next email was a date invitation! And I said yes! We went to 6 Flags with 6 of our 7 children as chaperones and had a wonderful time. The next day, we went on a long drive and had a serious talk about our future together. We both agreed to pray about it and keep discussing where we thought the Lord was leading us. 2 weeks later, Greg proposed and we were engaged! My friends were thrilled and knew that our prayers had been answered. We were married on Sept. 3, 2005.
Mine and Greg's relationship and marriage is completely different than what I experienced the first time. I know spending almost 9 years of praying and seeking the Lord on marriage was a great benefit to me. And I was 23 when I was married the first time and almost 45 the 2nd time. You do learn from experience that some issues are just not important, you get your priorities in line. Greg and I are best friends. We are each others strongest supporters and encouragers. We love each other and truly enjoy spending time together. We love to do things together...I have gotten up at 4-5 am to go fishing with him, he has walked the aisles of JoAnn's with me looking for fabric, we have walked the streets of El Progresso, Honduras grocery shopping on Mission Trips, we pray together, work in the yard together, share ice cream sundaes, hunt for shells, go to National Parks, plan homeschool lessons, plant the garden, and watch tv. We love to do things together.
I also, relish the fact that I get to stay at home, keep house, cook meals, and homeschool our children. We are growing and learning and bonding as a family together. I like to have everything done by the time he gets home from work, so that we have time together at night. He is gone all day and likes coming home to clean laundry, a somewhat clean home and dinner. I say somewhat clean because we do LIVE at our house, all day long. The beds are made, most of the homeschool stuff put up and we are ready for him to be home. We also discuss decisions, purchases, budgets, & business ventures. I am pretty convinced that I am living in the wrong decade because most of these things are not important to wives and families today. The way we live is reminiscent of how families lived many, many years ago.
But what happened? Why did families change? Did they change for the better? Is keeping up with the Jones' and Smith's the reason families don't do things together?
I really like Proverbs 31. That woman did it all! She kept her home in order, made their clothing, shopped in town, kept the servants (in our case, children) in line, planted a vineyard, etc. Talk about achieving alot during her day!
I know that many folks don't agree with our lifestyle. But its our lives. We are happy and we feel like what we are doing is pleasing to the Lord. Every family is different and they live according to their own convictions.
Also, during that spring I was corresponding with a dear friend of mine (since I was 3) whose wife had been killed in a car accident. In one of his emails, he asked me what my kids reaction had been when I dated. I told him about my prayer and waiting on the Lord. I had not gone out with anyone. Can ya guess what happened next? My next email was a date invitation! And I said yes! We went to 6 Flags with 6 of our 7 children as chaperones and had a wonderful time. The next day, we went on a long drive and had a serious talk about our future together. We both agreed to pray about it and keep discussing where we thought the Lord was leading us. 2 weeks later, Greg proposed and we were engaged! My friends were thrilled and knew that our prayers had been answered. We were married on Sept. 3, 2005.
Mine and Greg's relationship and marriage is completely different than what I experienced the first time. I know spending almost 9 years of praying and seeking the Lord on marriage was a great benefit to me. And I was 23 when I was married the first time and almost 45 the 2nd time. You do learn from experience that some issues are just not important, you get your priorities in line. Greg and I are best friends. We are each others strongest supporters and encouragers. We love each other and truly enjoy spending time together. We love to do things together...I have gotten up at 4-5 am to go fishing with him, he has walked the aisles of JoAnn's with me looking for fabric, we have walked the streets of El Progresso, Honduras grocery shopping on Mission Trips, we pray together, work in the yard together, share ice cream sundaes, hunt for shells, go to National Parks, plan homeschool lessons, plant the garden, and watch tv. We love to do things together.
I also, relish the fact that I get to stay at home, keep house, cook meals, and homeschool our children. We are growing and learning and bonding as a family together. I like to have everything done by the time he gets home from work, so that we have time together at night. He is gone all day and likes coming home to clean laundry, a somewhat clean home and dinner. I say somewhat clean because we do LIVE at our house, all day long. The beds are made, most of the homeschool stuff put up and we are ready for him to be home. We also discuss decisions, purchases, budgets, & business ventures. I am pretty convinced that I am living in the wrong decade because most of these things are not important to wives and families today. The way we live is reminiscent of how families lived many, many years ago.
But what happened? Why did families change? Did they change for the better? Is keeping up with the Jones' and Smith's the reason families don't do things together?
I really like Proverbs 31. That woman did it all! She kept her home in order, made their clothing, shopped in town, kept the servants (in our case, children) in line, planted a vineyard, etc. Talk about achieving alot during her day!
I know that many folks don't agree with our lifestyle. But its our lives. We are happy and we feel like what we are doing is pleasing to the Lord. Every family is different and they live according to their own convictions.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Homeschool Field Trip
I have planned many field trips in my 14 years as a homeschooler. Some were successes and some were not. Todays field trip was a huge success. I had 70 people (count them seventy) sign up. It was unbelievable! I was thrilled with the response!
I planned a family fun morning at our local paint your own pottery place. The idea was for families to come together and work on Christmas ornaments or gifts for the holiday season. From the enthusiastic response, I would say that everyone was ready for some fun. We reserved the pottery place and filled up the tables and chairs. When we arrived, they had the tables completely set up...paint, brushes, water, paper towels, etc. Just ready and waiting for our families. Our hardest decision was which projects to work on. Children picked ornaments, mugs, plates, piggy banks, figurines, angels, etc. Some will be gifts for fathers or grandparents, some will be added to the families ornament collection, and some will be special treasures to sit on a dresser!
The children and adults had lots of fun. Our youngest painter was 2 and our oldest was...well, lets just not go there! We got to enjoy each other and the morning. There were lots of homeschool discussions between Moms while the children were occupied. I really don't know if any other Mom's painted but I did.
It was a fun morning with 65 of our homeschool friends!
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Thank You
The words "Thank You" have such a powerful impact when you say them and when you hear them. But, it seems like many people have forgotten to be appreciative.
Have you ever cooked dinner for company and not gotten a "thank you for the meal"? Even if your company is family, a thank you is a nice gesture. It means they appreciated the effort you made to cook a meal, whether they like the food or not.
Or have you made or bought a wedding/baby gift for someone and never heard thank you? Or if the gift was mailed, never got an acknowledgment of any kind that it was received? I am not even talking about a thank you note, what about a phone call or email or even a text.
Thank You is so easy! Its great to say! Its a blessing to hear!
Do we always remember to thank the Lord for all he has blessed us with? Our families, homes, clothes to wear and food to eat? Or do we just go our merry way and forget about being thankful?
I am very thankful for the gift of Salvation through Jesus Christ. I am thankful for my dear husband and 7 beautiful children. I am thankful for my warm home, heat and electricity. I am thankful for my freezer and pantry full of good food. I am thankful for the appliances that make my job easier as a homemaker. I am thankful for the freedom to homeschool my children and share in their day to day lives. I am thankful for Greg's job and his willingness to be the "head of our family" and take care of us, so that I can be a stay at home wife and Mom. I am thankful for my craft supplies and my books to read that fill many happy hours. I am thankful for my friends, both here and in GA. I am thankful for my computer, I get to explore, read and get to know other folks through my blog and theirs. I am just plain THANKFUL!
What about you? What do you have to be thankful for?
Have you ever cooked dinner for company and not gotten a "thank you for the meal"? Even if your company is family, a thank you is a nice gesture. It means they appreciated the effort you made to cook a meal, whether they like the food or not.
Or have you made or bought a wedding/baby gift for someone and never heard thank you? Or if the gift was mailed, never got an acknowledgment of any kind that it was received? I am not even talking about a thank you note, what about a phone call or email or even a text.
Thank You is so easy! Its great to say! Its a blessing to hear!
Do we always remember to thank the Lord for all he has blessed us with? Our families, homes, clothes to wear and food to eat? Or do we just go our merry way and forget about being thankful?
I am very thankful for the gift of Salvation through Jesus Christ. I am thankful for my dear husband and 7 beautiful children. I am thankful for my warm home, heat and electricity. I am thankful for my freezer and pantry full of good food. I am thankful for the appliances that make my job easier as a homemaker. I am thankful for the freedom to homeschool my children and share in their day to day lives. I am thankful for Greg's job and his willingness to be the "head of our family" and take care of us, so that I can be a stay at home wife and Mom. I am thankful for my craft supplies and my books to read that fill many happy hours. I am thankful for my friends, both here and in GA. I am thankful for my computer, I get to explore, read and get to know other folks through my blog and theirs. I am just plain THANKFUL!
What about you? What do you have to be thankful for?
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Chocolate
Who doesn't love chocolate? (Well, there is James and that whole milk allergy thing, but we won't count him) Amy and I are both self-diagnosed Choco-holics...I think we can get Katie to join us too. But I am not joining any Choco-holics Anonymous group...I don't want to be cured! Many years ago, I got an email justifying Chocolate as a Vegetable...but I can't find it now. It made perfect sense to me! I just googled "Chocolate is a Vegetable" and found the following. Not exactly what I had read before...but this is still logical and well-thought out (at least for chocolate lovers). Hope you enjoy this educational blog entry!
Chocolate is a Vegetable
Chocolate is derived from cocoa beans.
Bean = vegetable.
Sugar is derived from either sugar cane or sugar BEETS.
Both of them are plants, in the vegetable category.
Thus, chocolate is a vegetable.
To go one step further,
chocolate candy bars also contain milk,
which is dairy.
So candy bars are a health food.
Chocolate-covered raisins, cherries,
orange slices and strawberries
all count as fruit,
so eat as many as you want.
Remember:"STRESSED"
spelled backward is"DESSERTS"
Monday, November 2, 2009
Being Content
Are you content? Are you happy (content) with your life right now? Do you spend too much time and energy trying to attain more of anything? Can you slow down and be content with your life?
Sometimes, I think we all spend too much time, energy and money working & planning towards the future and don't spend enough time enjoying right now. I am not pointing any fingers, I am guilty of this also. Our lives are too hurry, scurry to "stop and smell the roses". I don't think there is anything wrong with planning and doing as long as we aren't consumed with it.
I know lots of folks who want the newest and the best of everything. Their kids are involved in many different activities and wear the latest fashions. They have a closet full of designer clothes and shoes and a driveway with the newest vehicles. They eat out everynight. And have a maid come and clean their house (the house they are never home to enjoy). They want and want and want...and unfortunately are in hock up to their eyeballs to pay for it. It is a vicious Merry Go Round that is hard to jump off of.
Why do we live like this? Are we really happy? Owning more goodies won't really bring us happiness. Our kids playing another sport will bring us one more thing to work into our already busy schedules. (And do they really want participate or do you want them to?) I think we would all be better off learning to be content with what we have and how we live. Eating dinner as a family, watching a tv show or movie together, or working on a project. How many times do you turn off everything and just read a book or play a game? Listening to books on tape is a fun way to share a story, it reminds me of everyone sitting around the radio to listen to their favorite shows.
Lets slow down and enjoy our lives right now. Our children grow up way too fast, lets enjoy them now.
Psalm 188:24 This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Ecclesiastes 8:15 So I commend the enjoyment of life, because nothing is better for men under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany him in his work all the days of the life God has given him under the sun.
Sometimes, I think we all spend too much time, energy and money working & planning towards the future and don't spend enough time enjoying right now. I am not pointing any fingers, I am guilty of this also. Our lives are too hurry, scurry to "stop and smell the roses". I don't think there is anything wrong with planning and doing as long as we aren't consumed with it.
I know lots of folks who want the newest and the best of everything. Their kids are involved in many different activities and wear the latest fashions. They have a closet full of designer clothes and shoes and a driveway with the newest vehicles. They eat out everynight. And have a maid come and clean their house (the house they are never home to enjoy). They want and want and want...and unfortunately are in hock up to their eyeballs to pay for it. It is a vicious Merry Go Round that is hard to jump off of.
Why do we live like this? Are we really happy? Owning more goodies won't really bring us happiness. Our kids playing another sport will bring us one more thing to work into our already busy schedules. (And do they really want participate or do you want them to?) I think we would all be better off learning to be content with what we have and how we live. Eating dinner as a family, watching a tv show or movie together, or working on a project. How many times do you turn off everything and just read a book or play a game? Listening to books on tape is a fun way to share a story, it reminds me of everyone sitting around the radio to listen to their favorite shows.
Lets slow down and enjoy our lives right now. Our children grow up way too fast, lets enjoy them now.
Psalm 188:24 This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Ecclesiastes 8:15 So I commend the enjoyment of life, because nothing is better for men under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany him in his work all the days of the life God has given him under the sun.
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