FUN FUN FUN~

So this is our newest adventure!  We got 20 baby chicks yesterday and we LOVE them SO much!  They have the sweetest little chirp and the cutest softest little bodies.  We are really enjoying them!   Today was a hard day as we lost three to sickness, but tomorrow we will be getting 5 more!!  We're very very excited about this adventure and know that it will bring many ups and downs but for now, we are FULLY enjoying every moment!

Some Truth.....

Here's the deal.  I was thisclose to not posting anymore.  I was discouraged and not really willing to give this my time.  Then a friend wrote and told me she was enjoying it, so I decided to keep going.  I have been supposed to write for quite a few days, but the truth is.....I really haven't felt like it.  These past few days have beed a bit rough on our little family of six.  Sometime being the mother of a 2,4,6,and 8 year old, the wife of a great man, a daughter, a friend, a sister, the owner of a small business, the coordinator of the preschool calender at church, the teacher of an elementary school (our homeschool), a soccer mom, a cub scout mom and last but not least a sinner, is just plain exhausting.  Sometimes I want to throw in the towel and QUIT.  The past two days have for sure been that way.  There have been times that I didn't want to be a mom, daughter, teacher, wife, a working momma, a coordinator or a friend.  I am just plain tired.  And at the end of the day I go to bed thinking about ALL the things I didn't get done.

I know none of you have EVER been there or even come close to understanding what I am talking about.   But for the moment, maybe you could pretend.  Sometimes I don't think it can all get done.  Most days it doesn't, but somehow every.single.day the kids get fed, the dishes gets done and they all (make that WE all) learn something.

I can't tell you how *I* juggle all that I do.  Because the truth is *I* can't.  I can NOT do it all.  I can't even come close.  Actually, I feel sure that it were left up to me, NONE of it would get done.  Thankfully though God cares.  He cares about ALL the details of my life.  He cares about the food  I feed my kids, He cares about the things I teach them,  He cares about the goals I have set in my business, He cares about the tears I cry in frustration when I can't get it all done.  And all He asks from me is for me to give it to Him.  He wants to be in control.  He wants to manage my schedule and HE is the only one who can.

I know this because there have been times in the recent past where He has told me something was too much for me to do, and that I had to stop.  I have stepped down from ministry positions that I LOVED because God wanted me to do something else.  I have agreed to do things that I really didn't want to because I know that God wants me to.   And so long as I continue to surrender to Him EVERYTHING I have, He will get it all done.  The funny thing is, that sometimes the things I think need to be done, don't need to be done at all!!  The other thing is some things get done that I never thought needed to be done, but in the end, I see that it really was His plan.  He cares.  He cares about the broken screen on the LeapPad2, He cares about my tears, He cares about the camera-that my Hubby and I don't agree on and He gives the tech support lady grace to respond just the way I need so that when she says, we'll fix it, I know that ONLY GOD could have made that happen.  Because He is the only one who can care for the things big and small in my life that make or break each day.

He cares SO much so that He sent His precious, sinless son to die on a cross for my sin.  For your sin.  And because He cares that much for me, it is the least I can do to submit to my hubby's decision about the camera, to forgive those who have offended me, to beg my kids for forgiveness when mommy lost it yet again, and to surrender my life, ALL of my life, to Him.

Or maybe Tuesday/Thursday......

Alright, well......I have a LOT on my plate right now and so maybe I'll post on Tuesday/Thursday instead of Monday/Wednesday/Friday.  I think that is a much more realistic goal.  And even that we may have to cut down, but we'll see.

So today's different thing that we do....

We make our own shampoo!!  Tis true!  It can be done!  :)

I am really enjoying it.  It is very easy and works well.  It all started when I began to notice a build up on my hair brushes.  I had just been using whatever budget shampoo I could get my hands on.  It didn't matter what it was, if it was cheap, I'd use it!  Let's be honest, I have a LOT of hair and not a lot of money!  So, it was working.  But when I noticed the build up, I really didn't like it.

I started checking into making our own, and it is EASY!

I mix-
1 cup Dr Bonner's castile soap (I have used other brands and they don't work as well)
 2 Tbs apple cider vinager
1/4 cup water
a few drops tea tree oil & vitamin e

We keep it in a spray bottle in the shower, all four kids use it and I do too!  It's great :)

See you Thursday!!

three and a half weeks......

And just so you know I am real....truth is I don't have a post today.  Oh, I am know of things that make my family different and I could post that I suppose, but I just don't have the brain to do it today.  I'm a bit tired, (well more than a bit--a LOT!) we've been BUSY this week and last week and well, I'm just off.  :)  I know that never happens to any of you.  ;)  I'll be back to it soon, hopefully by Monday.  But in true Jess fashion, I have to skip a day, lest you think I am able to blog regularly!!  :D

Along those lines.....

Another thing that makes our family a bit different from the norm is that we don't rush to the doctor or antibiotics to heal our bodies.  As a matter of fact, in the past two years since our youngest son was born, we (a family of six) have only had 3 antibiotics, total.  My son, the baby, ended up getting some right after birth, LONG STORY, for preventative care.  My husband has had one for a sinus infection right during Thanksgiving/Christmas.  He only did this b/c he is a produce manager and could NOT afford to be sick, so he went the easy way!  And I have had one, b/c I had a staff infection on my leg.  We didn't know there were other ways to treat that, and so we paniced and I took them.  Just after that my daughter got a staff infection that we were able to treat without antibiotics.  We also believe that we have fought off strep throat, pink eye, tummy bugs, colds and who knows what else with herbs and homeopathic medicines.  :)  It is fun, challenging and extremely rewarding to see your kids fight something naturally, knowing that you are able to help them strengthen their immune systems.

I also want to add that, I am very thankful for modern medicine!  I know that it is needed and that God has used it to heal many, MANY people.  I do not think it is all bad, I just try to use more natural, wholistic/holistic ways before we go the modern medical route!!

No Hospital?

SO.....with that last post, the one Friday......I told you that my fourth son was delievered by a midwife, at least I think I told you that....well, he was!  He also was NOT born in a hospital!

When we found out we were pregnant with our fourth child, we knew we wanted things to be a bit different this time.  We had a bit a drama that seemed, well, unneccissary with our two middle kids, and so, we wanted things to be different.  We also did NOT want to be in the hospital for any amount of time.  We had three other kids who we wanted to be with and we did not want to have our time divided.

So we started looking for other options and found that the Birth Center was our best option.  They offered the care that we wanted/needed and they didn't require us to stay any longer than six hours after the birth of our baby!  It was GREAT!  We had a wonderful experience at the Birth Center.  We feel confident that had our fourth son been born in a traditional OB/GYN's care he would have been a c-section and that our midwives care is what spared us from that!

I truly could type for hours and hours about this topic.  I am SO thankful for the Birth Center and that God placed us less than an hour away from the ONLY ONE in the state of NC.  

Midwife?

So, in the last post I mentioned that my midwife was the one who gave me some pointers as to what to do about my health issue.  And I am sure that raised an eyebrow or two.  I totally see midwives for my annual check up.  It was actually midwives who delivered my fourth child!  I have chosen to see midwives as my healthcare provider because I feel like they listen to me and understand a womans body better than most.  They are quick to offer solutions that don't require medication and surgery and they listen to my concerns better than any doctor I've ever been to.....except maybe my children's pediatrician!

SO, for that reason I drive an hour once a year to see my midwife.  I enjoy my two hours alone in the car AND I am thankful for the time and care I get!