Mountain Air

 

This past weekend, I headed to the Asheville mountains along with 8 other women- several of whom I have shared a friendship with over many years. Our family has been enduring some trials right now, and this was some much needed time away. Seeing as I found out the day before we left that I was going on this trip, I admit – I wasn’t so sure how my introverted self would do with a group of women so “big” (for me anyway )   Though I was tired from all the chatting and staying up late, it ended up being such a blessing to be around other like-minded women who love the Lord. I had some really sweet and encouraging conversations with my running and hiking buddy and so many other belly-laughing, good-for-the-soul conversational times, shopping, hiking and eating out with the ladies as well. The Lord has been so faithful to meet the needs of our family through these challenging times of walking the road of forgiveness and a deeper trust in our great Lord. And….I could not let this post come to an end without a HUGE thank you to my amazing pastor-husband for keeping all 4 kids with no outside help! He braved the entire weekend on his own and I swear he does a better job with them than I do. He even got them dressed, hair braded and off to church on Sunday morning (*ahem with only one minor wardrobe malfunction – backwards overalls on the little guy!). Seriously, he is amazing. I’m so glad we get to walk through all of life together…

 

 

 

 

 

 

(thank you Ellen for the pictures!)

 

500

 

 

This post marks our 500th post since the blog started 4 years ago. Would you help us celebrate by leaving a comment if you follow God’s faithfulness in our lives by reading? It would be fun to know whom the Lord has brought our way, and since we don’t do any formal followers on the side-bar or anything, we really don’t know who all of the daily “hits” are. Though it isn’t of great importance, since our desire is for this to be a legacy of life we will leave behind to our offspring one day, it really would be a JOY to see who has been along for the ride with us. So, please, take a minute to say hello!

 

A Little Inspiration

 

 

 

Need Everyone’s Help!

This is just an innocent plea for help A photo I took has been chosen for a photo contest on Facebook through Island Realty – the company my parents rent their beach home from for our annual beach vacation. They only chose 26 pictures out of alot and mine was one of them (mainly because of the nature of the picture I’m sure – it’s just darn cute with the grandparents and grandchildren). So, if you don’t mind and are on Facebook – will you please become a Fan of Island Realty and find the picture below under their “2nd Annual Photo Contest” link and all you have to do is click LIKE on our picture. Thanks for your help! I’ll keep you updated about whether or not we win

 

Jelly Telly

This is a must-check-out for anyone with wee little ones running around the house. Focus On The Family is a long standing ministry (that was a blessing to my parents when I was little!) that continues to stand tall with excellence in their resources for Christian parenting. We were beyond thrilled to find Jelly Telly for the kids on “those days” when you need a little extra help. For $4.99 a month, the price is hard to beat. Go here to see for yourself…

 

How to decide how many

So it seems the popular question during the stage of life I’m in to  be asked “So….you guys want more?” Talk about personal. And invasive. And gettin’ in eachother’s business. Just kidding. I actually don’t mind the question and in some weird way it helps to “talk it out” with others that are of similar age, mindset and the like…

Our pastor has some really good words of advice when it comes to deciding “how many” is a good number for your family. A good friend of mine and her husband have been wrestling with the question “how do we know when we are done having kids” You know, “when is the family complete?” I thought pastor George’s words were so helpful. He said:

1. Don’t let money be a deciding factor (if your honest with yourself, you probably can’t “afford” the kids you have now anyway! Gotta love the humor AND truth in that one!)

2. Don’t let the fact that you are in ministry (or whatever other vocation you are in) stop you from having more

3. Let your wife be the leading factor (WHAT? Talk about pressure! Seriously though, he went on to explain that because the wife is the primary caregiver of the little ones and the one who has to endure pregnancy/childbirth/post-partum and nursing, the husband should lean on her desire/lack of desire. If she feels “done”, than that’s a pretty good indicator (unless it’s purely selfish of course) and if she still has a desire for more, than go for it!)

And if that’s not enough to help you decide whether or not to add another little one to your clan, perhaps this little blurb written by Matthew Archibald might help you (or at least bring flavor your day with a little bit of laughter!)

A woman said to me recently that my five children were very well behaved. It’s one of the best things I can hear so I thanked her. Then she asked me “how do you do it with so many?”

I told her that I don’t think I’d be a very good parent of one child or two. She didn’t believe my answer but honest to goodness, I sometimes think that having many children is easier than just one.

Why big families are easier:

Patience. I never have to teach patience. My children know that I can’t drop everything for them if I have a baby in my arms.

Work Ethic. My children have learned to work because there are always chores to do in a small house packed with little messy lunatics. And they all learn quickly that sometimes they have to clean up a mess even though they didn’t make it.

Humility. My children have learned it’s not always their turn. They’ve accepted they can’t always get their way because other people have to get their way sometimes. They’ve learned that some children are better at certain things than they are.

Foreign language skills. You can learn a lot of Spanish by watching ten years of Dora the Explorer that you just can’t pick up in two. And now with the Diego spin off I’m practically fluent.

Laughter. The children have learned to laugh at the insane non sequiturs of younger siblings. They’ve learned that laughing just feels better when seven people are doing it along with you.

Competition. Do I really need to go into this? Everything is a competition in big families. The children compete over who reads faster, who drinks their milk faster, who gets to the bathroom first…etc. Everything is a competition and they’re all keeping score.

Balance. The floor of the front room of my home is a minefield of toys and childhood paraphernalia. Just walking through the room requires great skill and balance. I’m absolutely convinced my two year old will be a favorite for Gold on the balance beam in the 2016 Olympics. (She might have to lay off the cookies a little but I’ll deal with that later.)

Life isn’t fair. Sometimes you just give it to the baby because you want a little quiet. Not all the time. But sometimes.

Just say “No.” Being able to say “no” may be the most undervalued skill in this world. The need to be liked is pervasive. The need to be cool even more so. Having brothers and sisters teaches children to say “no” about 143 times a day. It’s a good skill.

Praying. They learn that nothing beats praying together as a family.

Nature/Nurture. Having many children has taught me that nature has a lot more to do with who my kids are than nurture. This is helpful, especially when your children misbehave you don’t have to feel bad about it. Just say “Stupid nature!!!” and blame your spouse’s genes.

Namecalling. You can occasionally call your child by the wrong name and still not be considered a terrible parent. They know who you mean just from your tone. Sometimes if you need something done you can call the wrong name and someone will still show up. That helps.

Spying. My children have learned that they can’t get away with anything. I have spies who look a lot like them who are willing to drop the dime on them for anything. Even at school I’ve got a child in just about every grade. If they do something I’ll hear. That keeps them nervous. And I like keeping my kids a little nervous.

Friendship. The children have many friends. They’ve got girly friends, crying friends, fun loving friends, consoling friends, and crazy friends. And they all have the same last name. And they’ll be there forever for each other. No matter what.

Love. I think my children have learned to love because there are others around them to love and who love them. I honestly can think of no better way to teach children to love than siblings.

 

Soapnuts Winner!

Remember Soap Nuts? The winner of this fun sample is….

ELLEN!!!

 

Healthy Living: Soap Nuts Anyone?

While we are on a roll  with healthy living, and since so many of you showed such great interest both in person and in the blogworld, let’s talk about soap nuts. Ever since our firstborn was a baby, she’s battled a skin condition called eczema. Nothing too serious, but annoying and extremely frustrating nonetheless. Who wants to watch their little one uncomfortable and itchy all the time? We’ve visited doctors, allergists, and researched homeopathic  remedies only to find that we must patiently wait for her to out-grow her skin condition that most likely is not linked  directly to any specific food allergy. We have found, however, that so many soaps, lotions, shampoos, and detergents out there are filled with skin irritants and most of that stuff tends to worsen her eczema. So, began my search for a laundry detergent that would not irritate my sweet girl’s skin and be “healthier” for all of us in the long run anyway.

Enter: Soap Nuts.  Most commercial detergents are filled with harsh chemicals and the natural alternatives often contain Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and other ingredients that are now being debated over their safety. Most commercial detergents leave perfumes (cover scents), brighteners, and/or fabric softeners on your clothes to cover up the fact that the detergent really didn’t clean anything. These additives can easily cause skin irritations.  Soap Nuts are the only laundry soap that grows on trees, thus giving us the most sustainable and natural option out there. It is 100% safe and natural for the most sensitive skin. Soap nuts are the dried fruit of the Chinese Soapberry tree. They contain saponin, a natural cleaner. They are simply harvested, de-seeded, and then dried in the sun. Great for hard water and high efficiency machines. It is biodegradable, hypo-allergenic, brightens colors, low sudsing, and contains a natural fabric softener. You can reuse a handful of nuts for 5 or more loads (depending upon water temperature, etc), and then they can be added to your compost! Most soap nut orders come with a reusable cotton bag which you use to place the nuts in and then throw in the washer, keeping them contained. The best price I have found is the NaturOli Soap Nuts. You can also find them here.  If you buy it in larger quantities ($50 for 800 loads), you are looking at around $0.07 per load! You can also purchase them in smaller quantities, which will be no more than $0.12 per load. Plus you will save additional money as there is no need for dryer sheets or fabric softeners.

We absolutely love these things. They have been a tremendous cost effective source of blessing to us. I still have our bag of Soap nuts that I ordered just about a year ago and it’s still going strong. And for added softening effects and “bleach like” dis-infectant , I’ll often add a 1/2 cup of vinegar to our loads of laundry.

Curious about trying Soap nuts? Since we’re prize-happy around here, leave a comment and you’ll have a chance to  Win a hand-sewn organic cloth bag of soap-nuts that will last you through 5-7 loads of laundry.  See for yourselves just how amazing this little “fruit” is!

*Word of caution: although Soap Nuts are technically a fruit, they are not to be consumed. Keep them away from little ones and pets.

 

And the winner is…

L

A

U

R

E

N

!!!

 

Healthy Living: Clean?

It seems Americans are obsessed these days with being clean (well the majority of them anyway). Many take more than one shower a day, wash with anti-bacterial soap, Clorox the house twice a day…you get the point. Ever thought about your body before and whether or not it’s really clean? Like, inside-out clean?

Nutrition has always been a real love of mine. Remember this post? Ever since I can remember, I ate my greens as a wee little girl just because I liked them. Ask my mom.  So I think it’s in my blood. I just love whole, nutritious eating (except for an occasional cheeseburger here and there, especially when I’m pregnant. no, I’m not pregnant) and I love reading books, articles, magazines…anything to do with health and nutrition.  Over the years as I get a little older, I’ve realized the importance of “cleaning” out my insides every once in a while. I’ve been on the search for a good cleanse and finally happened upon one that I LOVE and quickly became passionate about.  Before you stop reading because the word “cleanse” has you envisioning yourself camping out by the toilet or buying into some marketing scheme,  this isn’t rocket science nor am I trying to make money off of my friends and family.

That said, lend me an ear.  A cleanse is simply that, “cleaning” your body of waste and toxins (found in pesticides and hard-to-digest foods) and enabling your colon and other organs to function more freely. It’s almost as if, your body is “resting” from having to work so hard to rid itself of the bad stuff. I won’t go into all of the details as to why herbs aid in the cleansing process (because there are numerous cleanses out there without the herbs), but herbs are a natural source of health and wellness and were often used before medicine came into the picture to aid the body in self-healing. A cleanse also aids in maintaining a healthy weight and/or healthy weight loss for those that need it. And with ingredients such as butternut bark, black walnut hull, wheat grass leaf, milk thistle seed, and some good pro-biotics, you just can’t go wrong! We definitely don’t incorporate these gems into our body on a daily basis, unless you live in the Amazon or something.

I’ve been pleasantly surprised with the cleanse that I chose (which was recommended to me by a nutrition pro who happened to also be my maid-of-honor in my wedding) who has studied nutrition and supplements a good chunk of her life along with her mother.  So what’s the point in all of this? I mainly am just answering questions that many of you have had, and some whom even requested a blog entry about. There are thousands of details I’ve left out but to keep it simple, because of our poor food quality in our time and culture, nutrition is very important coupled with good supplements to help the body function at it’s best quality.

All of this is said, with a very fine balance of course. I don’t claim that if you do a cleanse or take supplements to aid in your health, that you will be happy and healthy. We serve a God who is ultimately in control of our health. At any point He could take that from us and so we as Christians don’t depend on products that are “good” to save us. Kevin and I believe that we are held responsible before the Lord to care for ourselves and for our family in the best possible way. And in particular, I as a wife and mom feel that this is one of the ways I can be faithful to the Lord. So no nutritionist wars here or battle of the opinions please We each do what we feel the Lord has called us to not pointing our fingers in judgment. This is just a very ,very small concern in light of eternity. I’m happy to answer any additional questions you might have about things I’ve implemented into our family or anything else concerning herbs, vitamins or cleanses. I’m here to help not because I think I’m “super nutritious woman” and have all the answers, but simply because I love nutrition and helping others to be more passionate about it as well.

And just to make this post a little more FUN, there’s a  huge prize involved! Just leave a comment (by Monday January 25th) and I’ll draw a name at random. The lucky winner will receive 2 packets of SPARK ( a wonderful, delicious and energizing vitamin/amino acid drink, also safe for children 4 and up), 2 bottles of SLAM (another incredibly healthy drink that especially helps when you are fatigued or need a boost for exercise), 20% off of one Advocare product of your choice ( a brochure of products will be included) , 1 Quart of FIT all natural fruit and Veggie wash as well as one 100% organic cotton kitchen towel with the monogram of your choice. And for local peeps, 2 FREE one-day passes to Health Central. A give-away hard to pass up. Comment away!