Why the Kids Really Need A Little Red Hen Mama…. — Mom Heart Online

Why the Kids Really Need A Little Red Hen Mama…. — Mom Heart Online



I have to say that this was quite convicting,  We're always trying to cut back on computer time, but it's so easy to get drawn back in.  I'm really looking forward to our two weeks of internet free vacation:).

You don't...

look like Daddy! This was Garrison's response when he woke up from his nap:). What do you think?

This next picture is of the lettuce that Scott grew in his greenhouse! It was delicious and all 4 of the older kids ate some and seemed to like it:)

I didn't take a picture of it, but Scott got a trampoline today. It was on sale and will make for a very good surprise when we get back from vacation! I think it would be fun to set it up after they're asleep one night, then see how long it takes them to notice it the next day:).

There was a good bit of rain today that watered our garden really well. Looking forward to a sunny day tomorrow! That will make loading up the car much nicer.

Happy Friday!!!

Mission Accomplished!

We had a very enjoyable day today. The kids were great helpers overall and it was a lot more fun to spend the day planting the garden together than watching Scott do most of it himself. We've all learned a bit more each year, which made it nicer this year. There is such a variety out there and Elyssia discovered that there is a bit of color on some of the flowers that they planted for me! Awesome!

I got an area of my garden prepped and Scott put in most of the strawberries we ordered. We won't get any til next year, but it will be something to look forward to:) We'll also put some dill and parsley in there, which will make weeding it a bit easier for me...

The kids enjoyed the weiner roast and the older two decided that they needed to eat one marshmallow for each year old that they were. That made 7 for Elyssia and 5 for Garrison. It was a hardship, but they stuck with it to the end;). Garrison told Scott that he couldn't do it for his, cause he'd have to eat, like 22 of them! That's a compliment. Scott turns 35 in July:).

A couple highlights for me were cutting the potatoes and then tossing them to the boys to put in the holes. Their giggles were priceless. Scott teaching the boys what to say if a girl flatters them when they're older. The boys had a lot of fun with that one:). Hearing Adelaide say "Dada" for the first time. At least that's what it sounded like. The kids all thought so too. Having Caleb ask me why I had pigtails in my hair and then telling me that I looked like a little girl when I wore them. He gave me a hug and said, "I love you". So sweet... They all were, actually. I really think that spending all this time with them seems to increasing their love and appreciation for us. Some would think it a hardship to have their kids do so much work, but when we do it together, it becomes an adventure and a memory for the future. They love hearing our childhood stories and those of Nana and Grandad. I think they're storing up these memories for their kids, when that time comes.

Baking day included one batch of English muffin bread and some angel eggs. We were enjoying the day outside and I should have time to make the saskatoon muffins sometime in the next two days. That was really the only other thing on my list. Pretty good, eh.

Well, it's almost completely quiet around here. Little ones in bed. One still reading, one requesting one last book. Then off the dreamland with one less thing to complete on the list and dozens of fun memories that I may just dream about tonight:)...

Three more sleeps til the big adventure...

Early Post

I was slightly awake when I heard a familiar clicking around 5am. Yes, a mouse partially caught in the mouse trap, but needing to be bonked. I went to get Scott and thankfully he took care of it. Lay back down, hoping to get a bit more rest before the 6am wake up call. Nope, not happening. I could tell that something was wrong as Scott came towards the back of the house. I didn't have to wait long to find out...

Sam found a porcupine! He found one when he was younger and Scott was able to pull out the quills without too much trouble. May really hasn't been Sam's month. First, getting hit by the car, then stitches and now the porcupine trouble... He's bigger, stronger and a bit smarter. Although we wish that he'd been smart enough to keep his distance from that porcupine.
At first he didn't need my help, but as he got closer to Sam's mouth, Sam kept trying to bite him. He got a belt to muzzle him with and now we had to be super calm and nice to get Sam to lay down and fast enough to get the belt over. Soooo, I just want to say right now that I'm glad that I'm not a vet. Scott had him pinned and I was able to get 3 out of the 4 pulled the first time. Sam still managed to writhe enough to give Scott a long scratch with his claws. Ouch! Praying it doesn't hurt too much and that it heals quickly. Think it was nearly impossible to get him muzzled the first time, it took twice as long the second time. Praise the Lord for helping me to get the pliers clamped and the last quill pulled right about 6am!

Now, that's one way to get your adrenaline going in the morning. I'd rather not repeat that method... The bad thing is that we don't know when he had the run in with the porcupine and the porcupine is still running around. Praying that he's killed quickly if he's still in the area and that Sam has the sense to stay far away and just bark to let Scott know if it comes around again.

So, no more sleep... It's Garden Planting Day! I'll probably do a little bit of baking, but not the normal amount. We've been saving up some from previous weeks for our travel and it's better if we're all outside helping to get it all planted.

Happy Thursday!

Hot, Hot, Hot...

I think that perfectly describes today:). I actually had the kids bring our fan upstairs, opened windows and turned on both ceiling fans. We spent the morning getting through all the schoolwork, then headed into town for prayer meeting. It was really cold in the church basement, so we sat on the back steps of the church for our prayer time.

We stopped in at Extra Foods for some last minute items that we'll take on vacation or eat before then:). Scott wanted to have a weiner roast before we go, so I think we'll do that tomorrow night to celebrate after we get the garden in. I should probably make some jello with marshmallows in it too, as a special treat for the kids.

The kids were pretty tired on the drive home and most of them fell asleep, but didn't stay that way once we got home. It was kind of a long afternoon, but I'd made the pizza dough before we left for town and we worked on that together for supper. Scott came home around 5 and had the strawberry plants that we ordered. They're soaking overnight and that will be one more thing to plant in the morning. Another friend asked if we wanted more raspberries, so those were also brought home. Tonight a different friend called to see if we wanted more raspberry plants, so we'll be going on Friday to pick those up and maybe some cherry bushes too:). More work weeding, but more delicious fruit to preserve for the winter! Our blessings are overflowing tonight...

Scott took the kids outside for a bit tonight. That gave me a bit of time to lay down and rest with Adelaide. Some people get their burst of energy from the sun, but I find that it wears me out faster. I have energy to burn in the winter when it's cold, so I try to get lots done then. Looking forward to a nice summer. Hopefully not an extremely hot one.

We found out tonight that my doctor is moving to North Battleford. Her husband has a new job there and she's going to transfer her practice. Sad to see her go. It was really nice to have a Christian Doctor for awhile. I know that she will be a blessing to the people there though and pray that another Christian Doctor will move into the area soon.

Well, I really should call it a night. I still have some laundry to fold and I think it's going to be a long, busy day tomorrow. Planting the garden, cleaning, a bit of packing, etc...

Motivation and A Heart Full Of Praise

The kids were taking a bit longer with some of their subjects this morning, but they are motivated by their desire to help Daddy out in the field. Scott was up early this morning, mowing the lawn around 6am! I think the excitement of planting wheat and barley, etc in our field is motivation for him to get through some of his non-favorite chores too:).

So far the kids are finished with their math and reading. I told them that they can go help Daddy, have lunch and come back to finish up the other subjects after lunch. It's not like this planting thing is an everyday occurrence and I'll include it in their school experience as "learning life skills":).

Adelaide is pretty worn out from our late hours last night and has been taking a good nap for over an hour now. I'm kind of going backwards in my writing about the events of the past two days. What I really want to share is VERY GOOD NEWS!!!

CALEB STERLING HOLLOWAY admitted that he was a sinner, in need of Jesus' forgiveness yesterday and asked Jesus to save him and come to live in his heart. I had Happy Mommy Tears over that one! It's been coming for awhile and he's even cried at times because he wasn't saved, but wasn't ready to pay attention long enough for us to talk to him and see where he was at in his understanding of why we're sinners, why we need Jesus to save us and that we need to ask his forgiveness and accept His free gift in order to be saved. What a wonderful day! He was very excited after he finished praying and gave me a big hug. He said "I love you" and when I asked him where Jesus was now, he said, "in my heart". I've asked him several questions since then, like, "Will he ever leave you?, Can anyone take him away from you? What's he doing in there?" The answer to the first two has been "No" and the 3rd one was, "He's cleaning my heart". We all realize that this doesn't mean he will instantly change and be the perfect little angel, but it does give us extra power through prayer. That now God can change Caleb from the inside. The older two have been talking to him about being a baby Christian and that they all need to grow. He's soaking it in and thinking through things. So, this definitely goes on my chart as one of the best Mother's Day Presents ever! The days that they were born are at the top of that list, but I think that's pretty obvious:) Their "spiritual" birthdays have more and more meaning as the years go by. Thanking the Lord for his wonderful blessings!

Last night I took Adelaide in with me for our Ladies Bible Study. This is the last one we'll have til September. There will be quite a few get togethers aside from that and we just find that it's nice to have a bit of a break when others are farming and vacationing so much over the summer. So, Adelaide really seemed to be competing with me for the attention:) She was doing a good job and being quite cute, but as soon as I got through the parts that I needed to read notes for I sat down and nursed her to sleep. It was much easier to talk with the ladies after that;). It was a sweet time of fellowship and I pray that the Ladies were encouraged by it. I know that I was. Encouraged and Strengthened for the days ahead. Thank you Lord for the wonderful group of ladies that have become my friends(family, sisters in Christ).

So many things going on right now, but mostly pretty good. My mom is flying to Germany on Saturday to visit my brother, Luke, and his family for a couple weeks. We'd appreciate prayers for her safety and all of theirs as they travel. We're still waiting to hear another update on Carter's condition. His platelet count was down again, but still no explanation for why... Trusting the Lord has a purpose and a plan in all of this.

Lots of cleaning, packing and last minute baking to do this week. It's kind of fun ticking off the days. No more pancake breakfasts before we go. No more laundry days before we go. No more office days before we go:) One more town day, baking day and cleaning day. We got the van all cleaned on the outside yesterday, so probably vac out the inside and start putting some things in to get it ready. That's always the challenge when we head out on a Sunday. We'll have morning church, but then we'll be visiting friends in Lethbridge and going to their church in the evening. We're very blessed that the church in Prince Albert is sending a couple out to preach while we're away. Thank you Lord for men who are willing to be used of you and are such a blessing to our family and others around the world.

Have a wonderful week everyone!!!

An Amazing Day!

This morning I was given a homemade card by the kids and enjoyed being in the middle of the group hug:). We were greeted early by the bright, warm sunshine and Elyssia offered to water the flowers before we left. She ended up watering the porch to...

This morning Adelaide got her first ponytail and all the kids were excited to wear their sunglasses. I was going to post pics, but then I realized that I opened it in the wrong browser. Most of you can see the pics on facebook, but if any of my readers would like to see them on here, please leave me a message...

We were heading in for Sunday School when we smelled natural gas. There had been some men working on it on Friday, so Scott called them to come check it out. They managed to take care of the problem before main service and the kids enjoyed having me teach them about the Prodigal Son at the park:)

There was a girl, I won't share her name right now, who visited our church today. She came here from the Philippines and hasn't been here very long. She is a bit shy, but would like to help out with the kids, teach them to sing and play her guitar, like she did back home. She specifically told her work that she needs Sat and Sunday off so that she can be in church. Only time will tell, but it seems like the Lord is starting to answer some of our specific prayers for more helpers in the ministry. She was very involved in her church in the Philippines and her pastor told her to find a good church as soon as possible and get involved. Thank you Lord for the many people serving the Lord around the world, witnessing to the lost and training them to do the same.

I requested prayer earlier for the special I was singing in church. I had practiced it many times while feeding Adelaide and getting her to sleep, but never while holding Kiersten... I went up to sing and found that I had a little shadow. At first I just held her hand, but then I picked her up and she quitly hid her head in my shoulder while I sang. I just prayed that the Lord would use it to be a blessing, even more so when I didn't have as much volume, due to holding 25 extra lbs:). It was going okay until close to the 3rd verse, some of the ladies tears got me a little choked up as I started thinking about it in relation to my own mom. I'd thought of it before, but tried to push those thoughts back a bit, not wanting to cry. It was okay though. Having our children there with us, helping to minister to others made it the best Mother's Day so far!

We came home to find butterflies all over our new garden. They seem to love it:) We had hot dogs, homemade potato chips and oatmeal cookies for lunch. A short nap, a history lesson and now we're heading out to enjoy the sun. We'll head back to town in a little while for the evening service and then Hymn Sing at Caleb Village. Only a week til our Family Vacation!:)!

Just a little over a month to go...

Yes, that 30th Birthday is approaching quickly. I really think this has been one of our most productive years ever though. Today, although I didn't plan it this way, I was able to get another item on my 30 x 30 list checked off. Planting flowers in front of the deck. I still have some other artistic things to do, but I think the flowers are all in.

Scott wanted me to go into town for the afternoon and I didn't object to that:) He wanted to finish the kids mother's day present for me. I started moving the wagon wheels and it ended up being part of the present. I didn't realize it until I got home and found that he'd added to what I started and planted flowers inside the circle of rocks. I think it looks really nice, but I might be slightly biased. The kids helped to get lots of rocks and and planted some flowers too. Scott got quite a bit accomplished with getting our big garden ready to plant, which puts us farther ahead for the work next week.

He had some things for me to pick up in town, but I had a couple hours free to just wander around. I decided it would be a good time to visit a friend that doesn't make it out of the house much anymore. We had a very nice visit and she sent me home with some hen and chick plants for my garden. The day was perfect for planting in the morning and the evening. I was gone in the afternoon when the kids were resting and missed the hottest part:).

I hear the little one calling for me and I should get her fed and put down for the night pretty quick. She already said her first word before she turned 6 months. It's "blah, Blah, blah,:)" Just so you know how brilliant she is:)

Wishing my mother, mother-in-law and all my "mother" friends a Happy Mother's Day tomorrow!

Ups and Downs

Today was busy, but quite fun. We finished school as quickly as possible in order to have more time for our house cleaning. The boys asked me to move the stove because they wanted to clean behind it! I think they enjoy the finding treasure part;) They did a good job cleaning it though, so I'm not complaining. Their other favorite job is cleaning out the fridge, getting to sit inside for a bit when it's done, also being their favorite part:). As long as they get it clean, it doesn't bother me. I gave them more outside jobs today, in order to burn off some energy before the company arrived. They brought all the bikes and wagons over to the climbing wall. Picked up snow shovels and put them away for the winter. They cleaned up and organized the deck too.

The Ham and potatoes were in the oven, I'd just gotten the garlic bread in and the phone rang. I thought that it was Scott calling to let me know he was almost home. No, it was the guests calling to say they couldn't make it. What to do... One of the kids, who shall remain nameless, started crying. "Was it because of the Legos?" He thought it was because he hadn't cleaned up all his LEGO yet. I quickly explained that it wasn't his fault at all. Something just came up and they wouldn't be able to come. On to Plan B. I called another family in the church to see if they already had supper underway. I know that we eat quite a bit earlier than some and thankfully she hadn't gotten started yet. Yes, they would love to come:). The kids were VERY excited about this. Thank you Lord. It did provide a bit of up and down feeling, but after enjoying this evening quite a lot I can see that God used the cancellation for good. We were all encouraged and the kids went to bed a bit after 7. Kiersten and Addie were the only 2 to have a nap and the others were quite worn out after all the work and excitement.

I'll leave you with some funny pics of Kiersten. Earlier today she closed the door of the bathroom and told me that she was going to keep me in there. Maybe if I was good she would let me out. She cracks me up. Tonight I found her cradling this instead of her baby or stuffy.

She's such a mixture of girlie, silly, mischievous, loving and determined all rolled into one. She was carrying it around in a bag in the house, but held it like this when she went outside.

I also have this picture of the boys from yesterday(obviously during baking day and before cleaning day:) They weren't getting along and my solution was this:

I kept them tied together for an hour. This included eating lunch attached to each other:) It's amazing how much better they were today. Caleb tried to take it off after awhile, but I told him that I'd add an extra hour if he did. He kept it on...

Well, that about sums it up for us. There's lots of excitement in the air over Mother's Day Plans. I was able to send my mom something and talk to her tonight. The kids are excited about their project tomorrow and Garrison keeps saying, "I know what it is, but I'm not allowed to tell you." They're getting better at not giving away the secret. I think I'm going to be singing a special on Sunday, which I'm a bit nervous about. I get nervous when I have a pianist, but even more so without one. I pray that God uses it to be a blessing though and trust that He will help me through it:).

Thanking the Lord for another wonderful day with family and friends...

Blogged Out...

Not really.... I think it's the nice weather calling me out and all the extra activity.

Yesterday was particularly busy. We all went into town together for the day. Scott has been working about an hour away, so he figured that it wouldn't work to go out there and try to get back for prayer meeting , then drive all the way back. It would be a LOT more driving time.

THE big stop was at the Optical Store. Scott's been needing new glasses for awhile now, but we had to get a new prescription, then make the time to pick out frames. Yesterday WAS that day. NO, we did not take all the kids in:). I went in and picked out several frames for him to try on. The lady was really nice and told me to take them out to the car to see how they looked, then come back in when we picked one. She also offered to do a second pair for half price. We thought it would be good to have a spare, just in case something happened to one pair. He's had his current ones for at least 4 years and they had dings in the bottom part of both! It reminds me to be thankful for good eyesight...

It was a perfect day for being outside and Scott had the kids help him plant some more trees when we got home. Sam stuck around for most of it, but then decided that a certain red car was too much of a temptation to resist. Scott saw what he was doing and told him to stay. Sam's disobedience almost cost him his life. I was preparing supper and looked out just in time to see him slide in the gravel beside the car. The car kept going and Sam slowly made his way back to the house. Scott came running and looked him over. At first we thought he was probably okay, but seemed to be favoring one side. Scott headed back to the field only to be called back when Garrison noticed that Sam's leg was dripping blood. I found a thin towel and wet it to use as a bandage, but it kept bleeding. Scott also noticed that his nose was dripping blood. He and Elyssia drove Sam to the vet. Thankfully all he needed was some stitches in his leg. He's taking it easy today and we're just praying that he's learned his lesson and will stop chasing cars now.

We finished out the day with baths for all the kids. They've definitely been earning those baths since the weather turned rainy, then sunny:)

Today has been fairly quiet, especially considering yesterday. We've done chores, baking and finished with most of the schoolwork for today. I've been trying to double up the batches of baking in order to have extra for our vacation. We're planning to do LOTS of picnics avoid eating at restaurants as much as possible. We'll have plenty of snacks and fruit so that the gas station stuff doesn't look so appealing:)

I'll leave you with a couple cute pics:

My newest kitchen helper! Pretty cute, eh?:)))

Posing for a picture after she caught me watching and taking pics!

I made these homemade ice cream cups the other day. It's Skor cookie dough that I baked in a muffin liner and tin. They turned out really well and seem to hold up fairly well with the ice cream in them. We also tried them holding pudding. Yummmmmm...

One more picture of Princess Drools A Lot, or Princess Chatterbox:).

I just realized that I don't have any pics of Kiersten in this batch. Will have to get some this afternoon:).

The Ocean is Back!

Awww... The Unusual Joys Of Spring In Saskatchewan:) Several weeks with lots of rain has brought back our water filled fields that start to resemble the ocean. I'm thinking the farmers wish they hadn't asked for rain. In the end it's really not up to us though. Other than that we're keeping busy with school and life... Finalizing plans and doing more research about the areas that we're going through on vacation. Fun times ahead... Not that there aren't plenty of fun times at home:). Just different experiences and reunions with friends to look forward to. I'm off to enjoy a Sunday Afternoon Nap, I think...

How old???

I honestly can't remember how old I was when I started hearing about people being persecuted, imprisoned and killed just for being Christians. Yes, there were those in the Bible that we read about, but I'm talking about people of all ages in places like China, India, North Korea, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, the Philippines, etc... I read a book recently that really broke my heart and made me ask, "what can I do personally and what can we do as a family?" There is a website called Voice of the Martyrs, that keeps us updated on recent persecutions of Christians and I found that there is a link for kids. It is called Kids of Courage and tells about what's going on from the young people going through it. It tells about kids in the States doing fundraisers to help free prisoners or provide food and clothing for families that are in need because the father was put in prison for witnessing. What if this was our country? Did we deserve to be born here in freedom? These people are standing up for their faith while we sit on the other side of the world amusing ourselves because we're bored... I'm talking to myself as much as anyone else. I've totally been guilty of this over the years. I know we can't help all of them, but we can pray and I know there must be other things we can do, as the Lord leads. I've been reading the kids stories to our children so that they can pray for them and be more aware of how blessed we are to have freedom of religion(for now). There are people in this country that want us to stop telling others about Jesus and I pray they never succeed. It amazes me that people can be so set against us as Christians when we aren't causing them any trouble. In fact, people in prison that our friends have told about Jesus and seen saved have gone from being troublemakers to well-behaved people. A testimony to what God can do in a person'e heart. We all have an empty space inside of us that only He can fill. I'm so glad He's filled up that part of me. I can't imagine life without Him! If any of you reading this have been a part of helping persecuted Christians around the world, I'd be interested in learning more about it.

The Complete Guide to Imperfect Homemaking: A Gift in the Mundane {Parenting in the Now}

  I read this article by a fellow blogger today and I'm pretty sure it's because I needed to read it:).  It was a blessing to me and I hope that it can be a blessing and an encouragement to other mothers out there.  Lest we forget...


The Complete Guide to Imperfect Homemaking: A Gift in the Mundane {Parenting in the Now}: If you have a child strategically climbing up your leg as you read this, or if you've stealthily poured a cup of coffee and tip-toed to t...