Being a Busy Mom and Teaching Others How to Save

Kroger Deals 12/5-12/11

2018-12-06T20:22:00.000-05:00

https://yourwaytosave.video.blog/2018/12/06/krogers-deals-12-5-12-11/

Links to My New Facebook Page and Blog

2018-12-06T20:17:00.000-05:00

Here are a few links to my new Facebook page and Blog site. Please share with your friends and family and help get the word out about my posts. I really would love for as many people as possible to take advantage of the savings I'm posting! Thank you SO much for your support.

Your Way to Save Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/pg/Your-Way-to-Save-496679237491255/about/?ref=page_internal

Your Way to Save Blog
https://yourwaytosave.video.blog

Your Way to Save

2018-12-06T20:12:00.002-05:00

I'm currently working on changing my blog up a little bit. Although I will still focus on my family I will also be going in a new direction in which I share daily savings and freebies. Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns!

Reasons to Believe in an Old Earth

2017-10-26T20:46:00.000-04:00

I am an English major so I’ve always been very interested in language and words. Since I have been a Christian since I was eight years old and grew up Southern Baptist, I have always been surrounded by many strong Christian influences. Every single one of them believes that our Earth is young and I never had reason to question that. But when I started college I began to study different authors, genres of books, and their origins. That led into a study of individual languages which is where I took an interest in Hebrew. As I’ve spend time studying the language I’ve come to realize that English has words that allow for much more in depth descriptions of things. For example, the word “yom” actually translates to day, or a long period of time. I had always been taught that yom in Hebrew meant a literal 24 hour day. Some of my own personal studies have suggested otherwise...based on the language in scripture alone.

For example, John 5: 16-18 says: “So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him. In his defense Jesus said to them, ‘My Father is always at work to this very day, and I too am working.’” I believe that this verse suggests evidence that the seventh day is an ongoing rest period. Jesus’ is trying to tell them that He is honoring the Sabbath in the way that God does. “That is, His Father works “to this very day” even though “this very day” is part of His Sabbath rest. (H.Ross, 74 A Matter of Days) It goes on to say that God honors the sabbath by resting from creating things. Going along with this point is that after creation days 1-6, God always says, “And there was evening and there was morning, the _____ day”. After creation day 7 all He says is, “...God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done” (Genesis 2: 3).] This leads me to believe that the seventh day is an ongoing period of time; from the moment God stopped creating things up until this moment. So if the seventh day suggests a period of at least several thousand years that must also suggest that days 1-6 aren’t literally 24 hour increments.

I also spent some time studying early writers such as Augustine, Philo, and Josephus. It’s amazing that these men (Philo lived as early as 45 years prior to the crucifixion of Jesus) believed that the Earth is much older than what young earthers believe it to be today. Philo expressed that he believed that the days were a figure of speech that were a metaphor for order and completeness. A quote by Philo:

“It is quite foolish to think that the world was created in six days or in a space of time at all. Why? Because every period of time is a series of days and nights, and these can only be made such by movement of the sun as it goes over and under the earth; but the sun is a part of heaven, so that time is confessedly more recent than the world. It would therefore be correct to say that the world was not made in time, but that time was formed by means of the world, for it was heaven’s movement that was the index of the nature of time. When, then, Moses says, ‘He finished His work on the sixth day,’ we must understand him to be adducing not a quantity of days, but a perfect number, namely six”.

Augustine in The City of God, wrote, “As for these ‘days’ it is difficult, perhaps impossible to think -let alone explain in words-what they mean”. He also writes “But at least we know that it [the Genesis creation day] is different from the ordinary day with which we are familiar.” He also states later, “Seven days by our reckoning after the model of the days of creation, make up a week. By the passage of such weeks time rolls on, and in these weeks one day is constituted by the course of the sun from its rising to its setting, but we must bear in mind that these days indeed recall the days of creation, but without in any way being really similar to them” (The Literal Meaning of Genesis).

The bible often uses the phrase, “...in the day of the Lord” which does not refer to a specific 24 hour day but instead means a period of time. The Hebrew word used here to describe day is Yom, the exact word used to describe the creation days.

These are just some of the evidence I’ve found based solely on language, scripture and writings of early church writers. I have also been very impressed with how recent scientific discoveries have backed up scripture. I believe God reveals himself to us daily in and throughout nature and He tells us this in the Word.

Job 27; 7-10

Psalm 19; 1

Romans 1; 20 (my favorite)

And here are some links to my favorite websites where I read up on new scientific discoveries which continue to back up the theory of the earth being much older than believed. I love that recently astrologers have been able to look back in time to observe the earth moments after it was created. The scientists have taken measurements of how far the light has traveled over a certain period of time and applied that to trace back to earth’s beginning. I’m not great at explaining things in scientific terms...I can read it and understand it but trying to explain it to someone else trips me up. Here is a link to one article on what I’m trying to share (http://www.faithfromevidence.org/is-the-universe-designed.html).

https://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/12/131220-year-in-review-2013-science-discoveries-fossils-space-history/

https://www.livescience.com/news

http://www.reasons.org/explore

Skipping School and Ice Cream Cones

2017-08-23T13:49:00.000-04:00

Today was our county's first day of public school. We made the switch to year round homeschooling so what did we do to celebrate homeschooling today? As the kids came into the school room and sat down ready to get started I looked at them, closed the book I had open, and said "we are taking the day off!" They were confused and kept asking me why. I explained to them that there was no specific reason other than the fact that I wanted to celebrate our ability to learn at home, their many accomplishments, and that I'm proud of them. So, we went to lunch and then I took them to a local ice cream parlor and we sat and chatted. And do you know what? They LEARNED! There were pictures of animals on the walls and Haleigh kept asking me what types of foods came from certain types of animals (i.e. bacon from pigs, steaks from cows etc.), which led Lucas into asking about what those types of animals ate. So we discussed how many animals prefer plants and are vegetarians while others are predominately meat eaters....carnivores. Then the younger ones wanted to know how ice cream was made so Noah and Haleigh took turns explaining the process to their little brothers. It was awesome. And I honestly believe that children have so much ability to learn outside the walls of a typical "classroom". And I am blessed to have the opportunity to teach them at home. :-)
Now we are back at home, unfortunately due to another one of my migraines, which the doctors still can't seem to explain. I'm hoping a higher dose of Topomax will do the trick but only time will tell. The kids are off playing together in their rooms...I wish I could say they were being totally sweet towards each other but there is definitely arguing; something about the monster trucks being the bad guys and it's not okay for them to be the good guys. But hey, there are worse things to fight over, right?! :-P
On a bit of an unrelated note, Lucas starts speech therapy on Friday. I'm really nervous for him but am excited more than anything. He has such a difficult time communicating where people can understand him and I can tell it frustrates him. I believe it's the main source for his tantrums so I'm very thankful for this service. He will be going Wednesdays and Fridays each week until the end of June. We will then re-evaluate at that point to see if he will need to continue for a second year of therapy. Lucas is really excited for it to start and he keeps saying "Mommy, I'm so excited for my speech classes because now people will understand me". It makes me relieved to know he isn't scared or upset but realizes this is something he can be proud of...that there is nothing "wrong" with him. Just that we all need a little extra help sometimes. :-)
But anyways, please be praying for him as he starts this new endeavor. And for us too. Wednesdays are going to be quite busy with school full time, speech therapy at 1pm and Haleigh's ballet class starting at 4pm. But we will manage. Just thankful for the here and now as I'm sure the future years will be much, much busier. :-)

Catching Up

2017-08-10T11:24:00.000-04:00

Hey guys! Long time since I've been here but my life finally has a nice groove to it and my youngest is almost three...which hopefully will leave a little more time for writing. I can't believe how much has happened in the time I've been away...honestly, too much to include in one post but hopefully, over time, I'll be able to catch you up.
We just started back into our fourth year of homeschooling...which is seriously hard to believe. Noah is technically a third grader by public school standards but I don't really like labeling the kids because they have their strengths and weaknesses depending on the subject. Haleigh started first and Lucas is our big boy Kindergartner. And then there is Judah....our strong willed two year old. :-) He keeps me on my toes...and if I turn my back for a second you can bet something has been destroyed or he has scaled a building; the kid is a Houdini.
We also just added a seventh member to this chaotic family...our puppy, Abby. She and Judah make quite the combination...I think that may have been God's answer to my prayers for a more patient and loving attitude. <3 at="" but="" get="" hearts.="" i="" it="" just="" leave="" less="" ll="" moms="" nbsp="" p="" picture.="" that="" the="" their="" think="" you=""> Just a little update on our kids who are growing up far too quickly.

Noah- Loves Coyote Peterson, Bugs (specifically spiders), is a Minecraft champ, his favorite game is Chess, his favorite subject is Reading and he loves to cook. On his current list of books he is reading is Goosebumps and The Hardy Boys. I love his enthusiasm and joy that comes with opening the pages of a book...just like me. When we go outside, he often has a book in hand and searches out the perfect spot to sit and read. He always does his chores without me asking and is our most sensitive kid. He is a Mama's boy and I love every second.

Haleigh- She is my girly girl and my mini me. She is starting her third year of ballet and absolutely loves it. She is an amazing artist (like, this kid puts my college art classes to shame) and we will be enrolling her in art school next year so that she can excel at her favorite subject...since this isn't something I can help her much with. She is very hyper and we often find ourselves searching for new creative outlets to channel her energy into. Just another reason I'm thankful we homeschool because I sometimes wonder if that hyper, talkative self would often stay in trouble in the public school system. Maybe not, but I worry that would be case.

Lucas- He is my all american boy. This kid loves wrestling with his baby brother, Imaginext, sports, and books. He is my problem solver. He loves puzzles, I Spy books, and anything else that requires critical thinking skills...I like to call him my little engineer in the making. This kid just told me the 50 piece puzzle I got for him was "too easy" so on to bigger and better things lol. He struggles with reading/letter recognition/phonics because he has a speech issue. He will be seeing a speech therapist two days a week for the next year so hopefully the issues he is having in school will improve as his speech issues do. It's hard to watch him try so hard and get frustrated because he isn't able to accurately articulate a letter sound even though in his mind he knows it. Now, math, on the other hand...Lucas excels at. That's definitely his favorite subject.

Judah- He is my very strong willed child but he is also extremely sweet when he chooses to be. He will come up and pat me on the face and say "love you, mama" for no reason at all...just out of nowhere. He loves playing in the water and getting muddy. He likes to drive his Mama crazy and I won't lie, many days I wonder how I'm going to survive this stage...but then he looks at me with those big, beautiful eyes and grins at me, and I melt.<3 absolute="" and="" at="" begs="" but="" cars="" favorite="" go="" he="" his="" imaginext="" is="" likes="" me="" nbsp="" often="" p="" place="" play="" salem="" the="" there.="" thing="" to="" trash="" trucks.="" with="" y-town="" ymca="">

Back Again!!

2016-12-03T12:40:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it's been over a year since I've posted here. Let's just say it's been very busy with four little ones; three of which I'm full time homeschooling. I plan on writing on longer post at some point soon but it's Saturday and we have family time to enjoy. Just wanted to update with an I"M BAAAAACK!!!

My Baby is a Big Boy

2015-05-23T22:18:00.000-04:00

My sweet Noah Bug graduated from Kindergarten today. I look back on the day he was born and wonder how time has so quickly passed us by. I am so proud of his daily accomplishments and the many milestones he has reached. God has completely blessed up with an armful of amazing children. Halebop, although little, already has quite the personality on her; what we sometimes see as stubbornness we feel one day will transform into persistence. Lucas is our little comedian these days; that boy is constantly making us laugh. He reminds me so much of my brother at that age...always up to no good but too darn cute to do anything about it. And then of course, we have our sweet little baby Juju Bean; we couldn't have asked for a better baby. He is a six month old bundle of joy whose laughter is contagious.
Praising God for His blessings today. If you would, please say a prayer for me, though. I've been fighting a sinus infection all week and just took my stubborn self to the doctor today to get medication for it. Hope everyone has a blessed holiday weekend...and remember the lives that have been given for our freedom. <3 nbsp="" p="">

Blessed with Some Pretty Awesome Ladies in My Life!!

2015-04-02T15:17:00.002-04:00

I am so blessed for every single Godly woman that I currently have in my life; YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!! Thanks for everything you do and for being a constant encouragement for me. Thanks for not feeling the need to gossip when we are together, but to simply enjoy life's moments. Praising the Lord for every single one of you ladies today!

Judah Bug is Here!!!!

2014-12-08T14:35:00.001-05:00

Baby Judah was born November 25th at 12:32 p.m. He has already stolen my heart with his precious personality. He enjoys sleeping and eating but his favorite thing is cuddling with his Mommy. God has been so wonderful to us and I can't thank Him enough for these blessings. Here are a couple of photos from the day of his birth and yesterday's Christmas photos.

Waiting on Baby...

2014-11-09T19:43:00.001-05:00

Impatiently, I may add. Very impatiently waiting on Judah. :-) As of the 36 week mark, I was 25% effaced and 1 cm dilated. I know that doesn't sound like much but it was really surprising because normally at 36 weeks, I'm 0 and 0. I went for a walk with the family today and I'm considering eating a pineapple a day in the hopes of forcing this baby out, lol. Not really, but it's nice to think that one of our four children will come on his own, when he is fully ready, without being forced out by a c-section.
For the past few days, my contractions have been crazy painful and are occurring pretty often. I'm so worried I'll make the decision to go to the hospital and they'll just send me home. (Can you tell this has happened often in past pregnancies?) The only reason I'm a bit more worried this time around is that my doctor said that if I went into labor I needed to go immediately to labor and delivery because this will be my fourth c-secition, and there is more risk involved this time. So, yeah, I'm stuck. I guess I'll just keep laboring/pre-laboring here at home for as long as I can manage and when things get too painful I'll just head into the hospital. Hopefully, this time they will keep me and not send me home, because I really don't want to pay for an additional ER visit on top of the regular hospital stay.
Speaking of that, they finally got our surgery scheduled for November 25th at 11:15 a.m. So, either way, we are only 16ish days away from meeting sweet Baby JuJu Bean. :-) I really need to try to be patient but that's never been a strong point of mine; I'm working on it.
Any who, guess I'm going to get off of here for now. My sweet Hubby is catching up from where we skipped a school day last week (which is so stinking awesome we have that option as homeschoolers). I'm going to continue to pray these contractions continue to get stronger so I can have this BABY!!! Night y'all!!

Vacay and Baby

2014-10-22T20:38:00.001-04:00

I'm sitting here in our hotel room listenting to the waves crash against the shore. Hubby had a work conference this week at Virginia Beach and me and Noah got to tag along. (The other two littles are enjoying time with their grandparents). The view from our room is awesome; it sits right on the beach and has a large balcony for us to enjoy. Yesterday was absolutely gorgeous with sun and temperatures in the 70s. Praise the Lord for one nice day of beautiful weather because we woke up this morning to rain, wind, and the 50s...brrr.
Noah and I worked on schoolwork and I have to brag on my (very smart) four year old. He is able to read many words and short stories, his math skills are excelling at a super fast pace, and his writing has improved drastically since the beginning of the school year. :-) Next month we will be taking a much needed break from school as we welcome the arrival of baby Judah!!
Today I am 34 weeks, 1 day and we are trying to set the day of our csection for the 25th of November, in hopes that we can head home on Thanksgiving day. We are still waiting to hear back from our OB/GYN to see if she was able to get us on the schedule for then. So, our countdown is currently 4 weeks, 6 days left until we meet our baby boy.

When Times are Tough

2014-09-13T20:46:00.000-04:00

I'm having a rough night....a really rough night. The kids have been absolutely horrible this entire week; there is constant fighting, screaming, yelling and I swear it's never ending. I'm at the end of my rope and the days are so long now.
Not to mention that this pregnancy is, by far, the hardest one I've had. It seems that we have had so many bumps along the way this time. First, we were told I would miscarry by my prior OB/GYN and we sought a second opinion. Needless to say, baby had a strong heartbeat and was measuring right on schedule based on ovulation. Then, a couple of months ago, we went for our gender scan and found out that we would be having a little boy...Judah. BUT, yet again, the news wasn't great. I was told there was scar tissue that Judah could become entangled in, preventing blood flow to his little body with the possibility of stunting his growth. That was terrifying to hear, but they scheduled me for another ultrasound four weeks later.
Then, I caught the flu about two weeks after my appointment. I couldn't eat, sleep, or literally move off of the couch for days; like, I'm talking a good 10-11 days. After the flu itself went away, I found out that I had a severe iron deficiency, and was too weak to even get up. I spent the next week laying in bed or on the couch, barely able to walk to the bathroom and back. My Mom and Husband were absolute lifesavers during this entire process and spent their days taking turns taking care of me.
A few days ago, after starting on iron supplements, I felt my energy slowly begin to return. It's still nowhere near where it was and I spend my days frustrated at myself for not being able to do more with the kids. We did get great news at our ultrasound on Friday concerning the scar tissue; Judah's head has compressed all of the tissue that could have been an issue into my uterine wall. This means that he no long can become entangled in it, which is definitely an answer to prayer.
Friday I also had my one hour glucose test, which I failed miserably. So that means next week I have to do the three hour one...and that totally bums me out. I'm trying so hard to have a good attitude about everything but I am really struggling right now. On top of all the physical pregnancy related issues (racing heartbeat, dizziness, a return of morning sickness etc) I am still trying to ensure that the rest of my kiddos have fun filled days. And honestly, most days all I really want to do is lay down and relax with my feet up. Instead, I'm fixing breakfast, lunch and snacks, teaching Noah school, playing with the kids. Tonight, I'm really feeling it...I'm drained. Totally drained. As I listen to their loudness, which normally makes me giggle, tonight it's putting me on edge. I know it's the combination of everything I've dealt with during the last month, but it still makes me feel like an awful Mom. I feel so guilty knowing that I can't keep up with their pace right now. I am so in love with baby Judah and I can't wait for him to arrive, but the waiting game (especially during third trimester) is sooooo rough. I need prayers and lots of them right now. God is so good and I believe He is going to get me through this rough patch of life.

:-(

2014-07-31T15:03:00.000-04:00

I'm having a really rough day today. Not going to go into details but please say a prayer for me. :-) I hope each of you is having a day full of blessings.

YAWN

2014-07-17T13:05:00.000-04:00

Wow! Today has been rough. I feel like I've had zero patience with the kids, which is totally unlike me. Every single one of them has pretty much refused to listen and the boys have been full of tantrums. A part of me thinks they are reacting (and regressing) because of baby Judah. Haleigh is now obsessed with talking like a baby and Noah Bug has redeveloped that toddler attitude I was certain he had outgrown. I am so thankful that Caleb and I finally arrived at the decision that this baby will be our last. As much as I would love to have more, I want to be sure I can equally divide my attention among all four kids. With three, somedays I struggle, especially now that we are a homeschooling family. I do believe that once I have this little one my energy and patience will return. These days I constantly feel drained and like I'm riding a hormonal roller coaster. And most days I can push through the emotions and still feel somewhat normal. But today...not so much. I put the kiddos down for naps and if they actually go to sleep I may try to take one myself. I know that a huge portion of this is due to not sleeping well the past few nights. But, praying and hoping for a great snooze tonight. :-)

It's a.......

2014-07-14T13:40:00.000-04:00

Sorry I'm late getting around to this post. I'm sure most of you expect that from me these days, lol. Three kids and another on the way...there's just always stuff to do. :-) Just wanted to let everyone know that when we went for our ultrasound last Thursday we found out we are definitely having a BOY!! His name will be William Judah, but we have decided to call him Jude for short. I can't begin to tell you how thankful we are to God above for another beautiful miracle.

Depression

2014-07-09T13:09:00.000-04:00

Looks like these lovely hormones of mine are working overtime. I've already started struggling with feelings of depression. I know this is the "norm" for me during pregnancy but I was really hoping it wouldn't effect me this time around. I'm so thankful for the antidepressants my doctor has me on, as they are at least making daily life bearable, but I hate feeling this way. It's a mixture of boredom and the inability to control my emotions. Not to mention I'm completely exhausted and just feel "down". I'm almost to the halfway point (I'm 19 weeks, 1 day) and I'm also having my c-section at 39 weeks. So, for that I'm thankful. I can't wait to have this sweet baby here in my arms and out of my belly. :-) And I'm looking forward to our appointment tomorrow morning and keeping my fingers crossed that little one keeps their legs UNCROSSED, lol. I hope everyone is having an awesome day and I will try to update at some point tomorrow if we are able to find out boy or girl.

TWO DAYS

2014-07-08T12:47:00.000-04:00

...until we go for our gender scan. Originally we were supposed to go today but the ultrasound tech ended up having to reschedule for Thursday, which is fine. I honestly think I'd be okay if we couldn't find out but part of me wants to be prepared. We didn't really plan on having any more babies so we pretty much got rid of everything infant related. We have been blessed with some amazing yardsale finds recently so we are slowly accumulating some of those much needed items. And a friend of mine gave us the baby swing we are going to use for FREE. :-)
I'm currently typing away on my new Chrome Cloud (laptop). My awesome Husband gave it to me for our anniversary and I'm pretty ecstatic. It's so nice to not have to run downstairs every time I need to hop on the computer. Oh, and speaking of our anniversary, we will have been married for six years this Saturday...and officially a couple for 12 years. Looking at that I'm like WHOA! Who knew that so many years could fly by and it feel like only yesterday I was being introduced to my spouse for the first time.
Next weekend we are actually going out of town for a night to celebrate. I am so looking forward to a night away from home where I can just be Raquel (and not Mommy) for a few hours. It is much needed and I can't wait.
Hope everyone is having a great start to their week. Tuesdays are such a blah day for me and today is proving to be the same. :-)

Kindergarten...here we come!!

2014-07-01T14:53:00.002-04:00

We are OFFICIALLY homeschoolers!!! Just put in our very first order for a curriculum. We have chosen Heart of Dakota Little Hearts for His Glory to use for Noah's year of Kindergarten. I don't know who is more excited...Mommy or Noah Bug. :-)
I must admit I'm pretty nervous to start this journey but I know that with God at the helm, we are going to do great. Please be praying for our family as we have discovered, it takes a village to raise a child...and we're going to have four soon, lol.

Typing Away...

2014-06-29T15:14:00.002-04:00

My littlest one is sick today. :-( Last night he felt really hot so I took his temperature and, sure enough, 101.0. He slept really well (like 2 hours longer than usual) and seemed to be doing ok when he woke up. As the day passed, though, his fever came back and he fought nap time like crazy, which is totally unlike him. So, instead of laying him in his crib, I rocked him and sang to him and laid him down on his brother's bed, where he dozed off to sleep. I'm praying that maybe this will be a good segway into him being willing to sleep in a big boy bed...because he is going to have to give his crib up in a few months when Arabella/Jude arrive. :-)
In other news, I get to go to the beach in October. It was a total surprise but Hubby's work is sending him to Hampton/Virginia Beach area for a mandatory conference and family is allowed to tag along. I've decided to just take Noah along because I know there is no way I can manage all three little ones by myself. I'm just so stinkin' excited because the entire trip will be paid for!! And then of course, that's like the last real relaxing moment before life starts to get really crazy again...holidays, welcoming a new baby, buying Christmas gifts etc.
I also received more wonderful news from two dear people in my life but will wait to post about that another time. All I will say is that we serve an amazing God. :-) Blessings, sweet friends.

God Answers Prayers

2014-06-26T15:11:00.001-04:00

It's hard to believe so much time has passed since I blogged. First off, I just want to say that God has worked so many miracles in our family over the past few months. I wake up daily counting many blessings and praise God for His love for us. :-)
Our sweet baby on the way is now 17 weeks, 2 days old. I've felt little one begin to move daily and it's such a joy to feel life stirring within me again. We go for our gender scan July 8th and are crossing our fingers baby will cooperate so we know if we are having a boy or a girl. I'm definitely leaning towards a little princess because of the horrible mood swings and depression that has already started up. Praise the Lord names have also been decided....Arabella Fayth or William Judah (Jude for short). And we have chosen to spell the FAITH untraditionally, with a Y because hubby's mom's middle name is Fay. :-)
We are heading towards the beach in October for a business convention my husband's work is sending him to. Currently I'm considering just taking our oldest, Noah, because I will be almost 8 months pregnant and nowhere near capable of keeping up with three at once. Please be praying that God will provide family or friends to watch Bear and Bop for us and that I will be able to leave them without getting overly upset. I hate it when our family is apart but want to make the best decision for everyone.
I hope each of you is doing well and it was nice dropping in to my blog again. Sometimes writing is what I need to lift my spirits and erase certain worries. Have a blessed day.

Here is an updated photo of our babies:

Big News

2014-04-06T15:45:00.000-04:00

I said I would announce something exciting going on in our home...we found out we are expecting baby number 4. We have had a few issues which are worrying us but we are trying our hardest to stay positive. I woke up Wednesday morning with a little bit of light spotting so went ahead and called my OBGYN's office to set up an appointment. They saw me right away for an ultrasound but said I was measuring two weeks behind...by my last period the baby should have been around 7 weeks, 4 days. I tried explaining to both the ultrasound tech and my doctor that I was late ovulating and couldn't have conceived until March 6th. They both pretty much brushed me off like I had no clue what I was talking about.
The conversation that followed was probably one of the most heartbreaking ones I've experienced. I sat down in front of my doctor who proceeded to tell me that "you will miscarry sometime over the next week; probably before your next appointment". As you can imagine, I was devastated. I tried getting her to explain her reasoning and all she kept saying was that it was because by when my last menstrual period was, my gestational sac/baby/yolk should be measuring further along than 5 weeks. :-(
After talking it over with my awesome husband, we decided to set up an appointment with another doctor at a different practice. That visit is coming up on Tuesday and we are praying with our whole hearts that we see our precious little one and a strong heartbeat...I can't imagine the feelings I will experience if they confirm that I have/will be miscarrying this baby.
It's amazing that a child that I have never met, never heard, and not even felt move, I could have already fallen so in love with. Regardless of the outcome, God is with us through this. I had a friend send me the verse Jeremiah 29:11; " For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Wow!! Talk about the promises of God!! :-)
As we enter this week facing the unknown, please be in prayer for us and this precious life God has blessed us with. Hope each of you have a wonderful week and I will try my hardest to update once I find something out on Tuesday. It really just depends on the outcome, I guess. God bless!!

Excitement!!!

2014-03-27T16:09:00.001-04:00

There is definitely some exciting news in the Johnston house!! :-) I will be making the announcement this weekend so please check back in Saturday or Sunday. It's amazing the way the Lord works. This week has been filled with hurt for friends going through rough times and joy at amazing circumstances.
Currently I've been trying to get back into the routine of homeschooling the kiddos. Noah is starting to learn to read and I'm seriously shocked every time he picks up a new word. I can't believe that he just turned four but yet can read as well as any Kindergarten. I was so excited to find a new book "Homeschool Your Child for Free" by Gold and Zielinski. It is seriously filled with over a thousand links/sources to websites totally devoted to teaching children from K-12th grade. What I love most about the book is that it's broken down by subject so it's super easy to reference depending on what we are wanting to study.
Hope each of you is having a great day!! Be back soon to share our good news!

St. Patrick's Day

2014-03-17T16:35:00.001-04:00

Sitting here listening to Bug and Bop chit chat with one another. Seriously...they sound like little adults lol. :-) When did they get so dang smart?
So, tomorrow is my birthday and I'm going to be 27. Do I feel older? No. Should I? Probably, lol. So many people around me complain that their kids make them feel old but am I weird for experiencing the complete opposite? They seriously make me feel young at heart, mind and soul. Praise God for that!
Since today is St. Patrick's Day I've been thinking about what I can add to my blog to "green it up". :-) I think I'm going to post some Irish quotes and sayings because they make me smile. So, here goes...

Blessings

2014-02-21T13:13:00.000-05:00

I realized something today; I REALLY need to get back into my writing. It is such a great way for me to relieve stress and at this point in my life, I need all that I can get. I love my children more than I can put into words, but recently their attitudes are larger than life. My daughter is two going on twelve, completely diva, my oldest thinks he knows everything there is to know about the world, and Lucabear is learning that saying "no" gets attention. :-) I've been trying to decide if I would like to re enter the workforce and I"m truly at a crossroads; so many days I feel isolated from adult conversation and sometimes get jealous of my husband. I feel like he is moving up the ladder of success and I'm stuck in this circle of diaper changes, tantrums, sibling rivalry and playdate politics (yes, such a thing does exist). I'm tired and stressed and am probably experiencing burnout.
But then, there are other days when my kids are so amazing; there is so much laughter. Everyday they look at me and tell me they love me, with a sparkle in their eyes that is unbelievable. They grab my hand with their sticky, chubby fingers and I fall in love all over again. :-) It's in these moments that I realize that I am beyond blessed. God has given me the opportunity to spend my days at home with them, raising them into young men and women; I can honestly say there is no job more hard or more rewarding than that of a mother, and in my case, a stay at home Mom.
Please pray for me as I struggle to make this decision. Make it what God wants for our family, and not what my selfish self wants. Since it's been so long since I've written, I think I'll add a few new photos for my blogger friends. Hope every single one of you is having a wonderful day!! God bless!!