A Gift From God

My children truly are a gift from God. I look at these faces and can't help but smile. I can see the light of Christ shining from each of them. I have to marvel sometimes at the way parents speak about their children. As if they are a burden and a nuicense.

I honestly do not understand it. I love getting to know there sweet personalities. Finding out just who this little person is and who God made them to be.

I never can understand why people laugh or tell me I am crazy when I tell them I have four children and would love a few more.

One of the biggest blessings in my life is homeschooling. I get to spend my days learning, playing, educating, snuggling and laughing with my family. What a blessing!

A Fabulous Mid 19th century giveaway!

I saw this giveaway on Mrs.G's blog and had to enter! Its for a toddler dress and its absolutely gorgeous! If you would like to enter just follow this link!

http://www.pastoralsymphonyfarm.blogspot.com/

Weekly Weigh in Survived the holidays!!

I didnt realize I could be so excited to NOT lose weight! But I surely am! Ok I guess really what I am excited about is that I havent gained! Its a good feeling though to not be bummed out that I havent lost this week. I am still sitting at 173lbs and ater the Chritmas holiday I am glad to still be there.
One thing thats been on my mind lately is excepting ourselves AS WE ARE. In high school I was curvy. I am 5' 6 and weighed around 150. I had a very nice curvy womanly body, and I hated it! I thought I was so "Fat" and needed to lose weight! After having my first baby and then weighing 220 pounds then I really missed that body I had and couldnt understand why I had hated it so much.
I think as a society and as women especially we have been taught thru media and other things to not be happy with who we are and what we have. When all you see on t.v are size two rich women you start to think that that is normal and thats what you should be.
We need to accept and love ourselves WHERE WE ARE AT TODAY. Yes I want to lose weight and be healthier But that doesnt mean I am not a beautiful woman today. I should NEVER hate who I am. I can love myself and still want to improve myself. I have struggled with that in the past.
"When I weigh X amount then I'll be pretty/happy" I would tell myself. Thats just not true. If we cant learn to be content where we are right now today then we will never be content with who we are. No matter the weight. So a new goal of mine has been to look for the positive things about myself, especially when I look in th mirror. My eye tends to go straight to the things I DONT like. I need to change that habit and see the beautiful things in front of me.

My Sweet companion

There have been so many pictures on my blog and for the last several months none of them have had my sweet hubby in them. I am missing him like crazy and think of him constantly and so I thought I'd put a few pictures of him on here. The first is one from a family vacation in July. The next is a picture of Justin on D-day (deployment day) All those pictured with him are dear friends and soldiers who were deploying within the two months following my sweety. Calvin, Steven and Chad.

Such good men and good soldiers.

This photo is another from D-day, this is the "getting his head in the game" picture.

My husband is loving, honest, funny, sweet, caring and brave. I am so proud to be his wife and so thankful that God gave him to me to be my companion.

Christmas Pictures

I just wanted to share some pictures of my sweeties on Christmas morning.

Weekly weigh in

Not a bad week this week. I am down 2 pounds. I havent been posting my actual weight on here but am finding it harder to keep track that way! LoL So I guess it wont hurt to post it. I was 175lbs last week and was 173lbs this morning.
My plans for this week are to be sensible. If at a holiday get together I want a piece of fudge then you know what I'll have a piece. But only a piece, not five! Everything in moderation even holiday treats!
I hope the love of Christ fills your hearts this week and every week after!

My little mommy

My two oldest children are sons. One is eight and one is five. They are such sweet guys and I love them dearly. When our third child came along we were honestly expecting another boy. But God had other plans and blessed us with Hannah.
I have loved having a daughter and seeing myself in her.
Today was one of those times. She grabbed her baby doll and layed her in her sisters swing and covered her with a blanket. Then she picked up her baby sisters pacifier and looked at me and asked "baby?"
"Yes" I told her "you can give it to your baby." Then my sweet little two year old goes to her baby doll and gently cups the baby's head in her hand and gives the baby the pacifier. Then she pats the baby and says "There go baby, there go."
It struck me so strongly as I watched her that God had put into my little girl the character traits and instincts of a mother. God has given us as women everything we need to be exactly who He wants us to become.

Weekly Weigh in

Well my weigh in this week was pretty good. I stayed the same as last week. Now typically this would bum me out to not lose any weight. But this week I am content just to stay the same and not gain. Let me tell you why.
Saturday was my nieces birthday party complete with cake and icecream. Sunday was a Christmas party at Grandma's work, candies and cookies abounded and Monday I went to the dentist and had a wisdom tooth pulled, so there was no excersise going on at all. Despite all of the crazyness the past three days I didnt gain any weight and I consider that a sucess for sure! =-}

God knew

God really knew what He was doing when He created us didnt He? He created men and women inherently different. Both equal and both wonderful, just different.
I LOVE the roles that God has placed me in. I LOVE being a mother and nurturing, educating and caring for my children. I LOVE being a wife. Taking care of and working along side my husband. I LOVE running a household and all that it entails. Organizing, managing, cooking, cleaning, decorating, loving, sharing, caring, learning and growing. I honestly can not imagine doing something different with my life. I am really thankful that I have a desire to do what God put me here to do.

Baby blues? No maybe just the blues.

Today I am feeling kinda blue.. yesterday I was feeling kinda blue too. I think it has a good bit to do with all my hormones going crazy after having Alyssa. I think it also has a lot to do with my darling companion being half a world away. I'm not depressed, I'm not angry. Just a little down and lonely for my hubby. Lonely for the family time we usually share, especially when we bring a new baby home.
Despite being a bit down I am comforted by the fact that I am so truly blessed. My life isnt perfect but its still so good. I have a personal relationship with my Heavenly Father and my Savior. I have four amazing children who are healthy and strong. I have the ability through the internet to talk to my hubby most days of the week. I really am very blessed.Knowing that helps me get through these blue days.

22 fun Christmas questions

Twenty two fun Christmas questions!

1. Eggnog or hot chocolate? Egg nog is kinda gross in my opinion. My favorite is home made hot chocolate =-}
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? We don't do Santa. We feel its just one more thing in the world that distracts from the true meaning of Christmas which is Christs birth.
3. Colored lights on the tree/house or white? LoL This is a big debate at our house! I love colored lights on the tree and hubby prefers white, so we switch off each year =-}
4. Do you hang mistletoe?Actually no we don't.
5. When do you put your Christmas decorations up? Usually right after Thanksgiving.
6. Favorite holiday dish?Green bean casserole
7. Favorite holiday memory as a child? Every Christmas Eve we would gather with my cousins, aunts and uncles and have a family dinner.
8. When did you learn the truth about Santa? I honestly don't remember.
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? We always open one on Christmas Eve and its always new Christmas P.J's.
10. How do you decorate a tree? Daddy puts on the lights and we have a mix of old and new ornaments.
11. Snow! Love it or dread it? I like a nice light covering of snow its so beautiful. I don't enjoy it when it gets hazardous!
12. Can you ice skate? LoL NOPE!
13. Do you remember your favorite gift? Nothing specific really.
14. What is the most important thing about the holidays to you? Celebrating the birth and life of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and sharing that with my family.
15. What is your favorite holiday dessert?Pecan pie! Oh I'm hungry now!!
16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?HHmm I think reading the scriptures that tell us about the birth of Christ with my family Christmas morning around the tree.
17. What tops your tree? A star.
18. Which do you prefer-Giving or Receiving? Both are lots of fun!
19. Favorite Christmas song?Mary Did You Know.
20. Candy Canes-Yuck or Yum? They aren't my favorite
21. Favorite Christmas show? How The Grinch Stole Christmas =-} I have watched that every Christmas since I was little
22. Saddest Christmas song? I can'treally think of any sad ones

Official weigh in week #2

This week was a very good week. My goal this week was to watch my eating and staying with in my points (I do weight watchers). I am proud to say I accomplished that goal =-} I also lost five pounds this week. I am officially to my pre pregnancy weight.I am really excited about this because usually it takes me a lot longer and a lot more work to get off the baby weight!
My goals for next week are to continue with my healthy eating, find some healthy desert options for the holidays and to add three days of excersise into my week.

Celebrating our Savior

Every year we get funny looks from people when we tell them that "We dont do Santa". From the time our first child was little we knew we did not want Christmas to be about Santa and presents, but about Christ. We also felt that there was no need to lie to our children about some jolly fat man who would bring them presents if they were good. That just seemed to be sending the wrong message!
I feel such pride in my children when some one asks them about Santa and they respond that Santa isnt real and that what we celebrate is Jesus Birthday. =-}
One of the ways we make Christmas Christ centered is we read from the scriptures about the birth of our Savior throughout the month.We also make a "birthday cake" for Jesus.
How do you all keep your focus on Christ this holiday season?

Four Beautiful blessings

I am SO blessed!

Weekly Weigh In

I was so excited to find Kris' blog chronicling her weight loss journey. I just had our fourth baby and had already planned to start working off the weigh. I always do better at being healthy when I have others to share the journey with!
I am a weight watchers girl. There are no off limits foods. If I want chocolate cake I can have it. Weight watchers has a point system and it helps me to learn to make healthier eating choices. I try not to be number oriented when I am losing weight. I try to focus more on being healthy and fit. Not weight "X" amount or being "Y" dress size.I make healthy eating goals and excersise goals instead.
This time around my goal starting off was to lose the 35 pounds I gained during my pregnancy in the next three months. The three month time frame came about because my dear husband who is currently deployed will be home for a few weeks come March.
This week I am one week out from having baby number four and I have started my weight watchers and bought a scale so that I can keep track of my progress. My starting weight is actually only five pounds above my pre pregnancy weight! I was so excited I had to laugh!! So my new goal is to tone up and focus on healthy eating habits.