Blessings of a full life /Meals

This week has once again brought a life of sweet, blessed busyness. Many of you know that my sister and her husband has been dealing with the lingering process of the death of David's dad. After 2 weeks of ups and downs, hopes and disappointments, frustrations and anger, Papa Jake went home to be with his creator. Death is always ugly and never truly ready for.

This week I had the privilege of being mama to eleven children. Of course we still have Murren, who is schooling well and fitting into our world quite well considering her little world is upside down. We also had the Harmon's 3 younger ones. We schooled, played, laughed and cried together. We had a big surprise birthday party for Eric. Daddy was so excited to come home to a table full of good food, cheese cake, presents and 11 smiling faces. As we all held hands and prayed, thanking God for daddy's 35 years we were also thanking him for Papa Jake's homecoming. I loved what my table looked like tonight. It was so full of ... LIFE.

This week had difficult moments but I was able to serve those who were in most need of my service. Thank you David and Melanie, and Holly and John for letting my family borrow your children, letting us love on them as if they were our own. I have counted my busy week as such a blessing.

Mama, just a warning, 11 children fit in our house and around our table very comfortably....hmmm?? (my heart is leading me to Africa)


This weeks Meals
Chicken Marsalis
Tacos
Black beans and rice
tuna salad
navy beans, corn, turnip greens, corn bread
baked potatoes
pizza

Meal Plans

My friend blogs her meal plans for the week and I kinda like it. I am always looking for new ideas and maybe you are as well. So, I will try to keep my meal plans blogged and give my bloggers some ideas.

Black beans and rice
Roast, potatoes, and carrots
Chicken finger salad
Stir fry
Black eyed peas, green beans, corn, corn bread
Veg. soup, corn bread
Pizza

Encouragement

This Sunday was our end of the semester homeschool meeting. I always want to have something prepared to tell these women that will be an encouragement to them in their hard role as mama and teacher. This time I was wanting to bring someone in to speak but unfortunately there just aren't too many of us out there who have finished this journey well. Although, there are some great women who have, praise the Lord. Anyway, in my praying on how to encourage these mamas like myself, God gave me a week that I hope to model for weeks to come. You see, prior to starting school last week, Judson went through such a horrible time(previous blog) that my everything was focused on him. I did not want to leave my home, I had no desire to chit, chat on the phone just to catch up with people that I talk with everyday. But mostly, my whole mind was on my little home and what was going on with-in it. After a week of home mindedness I was then gearing up to begin school so, my mind stayed focused on my little world. I wanted to get up early and have B'fast for my children ready, with a well straightened house for us to begin our day with. I made a strict schedule and was able to keep to it with enthusiasm. We had free time that we really enjoyed after a day filled with hard work. I stayed up late to make sure everything was in order before we had to wake and do it all over again. All this worked well last week. My house stayed clean without nagging, school was done with a smile on our face, and we all went to bed knowing that we had accomplished something worth while that day. I was able to share this with the homeschoolers last night and I wanted to put it on my blog as well because a lot you are in the same boat as well. I know that God purposed this past week to show me a few things and maybe to encourage a few others as well. I always want some feel good encouragement thinking it will get me going and motivate me but in the end really all I need to do is return to the basics of what I know is true. Women, we are to be managers of our homes. The better that it is managed the more joy that can abound from it. I should get up early, get ready, put my shoes on and WORK. This is not my normal way of approaching my day, although, I know I should. Normally, I take it as it comes with a phone call here, and a coffee break there. I am robbing my family of valuable work time that I dedicated to them years ago. I get together with others and complain because my job is so hard and I can't figure out how to do it all but, am I working to exhaustion or am I working hard at trying to not have to work so hard. I want everything to be easy but it is not. But my most rewarding week in a while came from just getting back to the basics and stop trying to find some quick fix and just plain working hard. And it was so rewarding.

Another thing that I was able to shared with them is that I think that we want our children to be such godly people that we spend more time working on them than we do ourselves. I am so concerned with what they watch and say and if they listen well during bible time with enthusiasm, and things like who are they making friends with and what do they do when I am not around. Mamas, we can't make our children righteous. We can make white washed tombs and hypocrites but not men and women who know their God. I think I need to lay off my children's spirituality and work on my own for a while. Our children need to see that serving the Lord is joyful and free, not binding and legalistic. Mamas, Let's serve the Lord with gladness as we work hard for our beloved families.

"Give that baby a bottle" :(

Judson is doing much better. He is still very congested and has a decreased appetite so nursing is not going so well. I know I have "gone off" on my nursing joys before but it's time for another. Eric and my mama ,who both have good intentions, have decided that since nursing is going so poorly right now and that it is probably time to wean him. They say things like "he might just need a bottle, mama!". Well keep in mind that I have tried daily to give him a bottle because he is dehydrated somewhat. He will not take it. He wants me, not some old bottle. He cries and wants to latch on but each time he does he cannot breath and comes off screaming. This cycle last all day. I have been so frustrated. I am loosing my supply with each passing try and he is screaming wanting to nurse and all that is in the way is a bunch of snot! GROSS! I have tried it all to get it out but it is useless. I have tried pumping to keep my milk up, torture! So with all the problems going on maybe you to would be in the crowd of those to say "wean him". But thanks be to God for a mother's love and the bond of nursing. Finally, after 2 days and 13 missed feedings, Judson latched on and stayed there for 1 hour. He was so relaxed and happy. He went right back into the routine of playing with my face and rubbing my neck and arms in total satisfaction. I know it was only 2 days but I was lost with out my nursing baby and I believe he was lost without me. I am not ready to wean him and despite how sick he gets, he is not ready to give up his mama for a substitute. So ,although Eric and my mama love me and Judson with all their being, they are not his mama. But more than that, neither has ever nursed a baby and have no idea what that bond is like.

Now you all don't get in a tizzy and email me about disrespecting my mama and my husband. This is something that we have discussed in all fun and laughs.

Catching up

A while since my last post, I know. It has been a busy few weeks. Let me quickly catch you all up. My free time is still sparse so be patient as I try to keep up with "blog world".

*Christmas was wonderful. Too many gifts but overall a joyful time. Although Judson got an infection in his eye for a few days. We tried ourselves to remove the conformer to no avail which landed us at the eye foundation ER so that they could remove the conformer and treat the infection. HORRIBLE experience. Screaming, metal hooks, blood stained tears, and exhaustion.

*After Christmas we did "winter cleaning". We scrubbed floors, cabinets, toilets, and just really cleaned up our house good. WHEW. You all know I loved that. The feeling of a clean house is wonderful.

*Judson started cutting teeth with low grade fever and misery.

*More holiday gatherings with Eric's family. Fun Fun.

*Judson developed pneumonia and is still miserable. He ran of some degree of fever from the day before Christmas to Jan 3rd. He is still not well. He will not eat and is constantly slipping into dehydration. He cries hours on end and then crashes with exhaustion. I believe he should have been hospitalized but seeing as no pediatricians were on call through the holidays he was only seen by clinic Drs. Now I am trying to decide if he needs to be seen again by the Ped. or do like the clinic DR said and just give it a few days for him to recover. What to do???

*I started weight watchers. I usually do well on diets and loose my weight. The problem has been that I always gained it back and more with each pregnancy. That will not be happening again so hopefully all will go well.

*School is up and running again and going great so far.

*We have added one to our crew. A friend is having to go thru radiation treatments for 6 weeks and her daughter (6yrs, 1st grade) will be staying and schooling with us during that time. This makes my plate very full but I am praying that God will give me strength, wisdom, grace, and patience. I really want to help and I know that it is best for my friend if her dd can remain in one place then to be carted from here to there.

Gotta go. Life is so busy right now. But I love it. Down time depresses me.