Our sweet nephew Wyatt Sawyer Moerke.

Born on this earth December 22, 1998...and flew into the arms of our heavenly Father January 8, 1999.

I love you sweet Wyatt, and will never forget you...I'll always remember the one time I held you in my arms, you're sweet little face and lips. You were so tiny. I thought I had more time..and would hold you on Christmas day. If I would've known I wouldn't see you on this earth again, I would have held you longer, and taken more pictures.

What will heaven be like? Will he be a baby, or a grown man? I don't know..but I do know it will be wonderful! No more tears or pain or suffering.

There is a book called Heaven by Randy Alcorn. I highly recommend it. As much as we can know about Heaven from the Bible, I think he explains it well.

We look forward to the day we'll get to know you in heaven with our Lord Jesus!!

Birthday girl

Our sweet lil girl is 3!!

Where has the time gone?

Sweet lil E..you are a joy to our family!

You bring a sense of gentleness, daintiness and a bit of sassiness to this house full of boys.

Schedules

I've tried many different schedules in the past 7 years of homeschooling, and I always come back to this type. I bought a copy of MOTH (Managers of their Homes http://www.titus2.com/ecommerce/products/prod_listing.php/1100 ) a few years back at a Mache homeschool conference. I've made two different 'moth' charts..but the little bitty color coded squares of paper were too much for me to keep up with, so I finally resorted to this system.

Everything is done in pencil so I can easily erase. Each hour of the day is written in along the left edge of the paper, skipping a row in between. One column per child, plus mom. Even a column for baby. It's nice to schedule in the times for naps, nursing or pumping and feeding.

It's nice to have everything written on paper so each child knows exactly what's expected of them. No arguing with mom..if it's on the schudule..do it! If it's not working..we can easily tweak it to fit our day. (say..more time for math, or less time for cleaning...yeah right. )

I also wrote out some chore cards for each child last night. I got the idea from a fellow 'momys' Amy at http://www.raisingarrows.net/ I was trying to do a chore schedule, much like the moth chart..but it wasn't working for us. So far, the cards are working great.

Well..according to my schedule..my computer time is UP. On to the next thing!

Thanks for reading.

:o)

Funds are low again, Hallelujah!

One of my favorite quotes is from C.T.Studd...

"Funds are low again, hallelujah! That means God trusts us and is willing to leave His reputation in our hands."

The Lord always provides, even in the least expected ways. Many times it feels like we're 'robbing Peter to pay Paul' as the saying goes. And it was no different this time. I don't normally like to share our financial info, but this story is too awesome not to share.

Our car insurance is due on the 15th. We'd been trying to save the $ needed to pay it. However, payday came and we paid our regular bills, put a little gas in the tank and bought our groceries to last us two weeks..I didn't spend any more than I usually do on groceries. I balanced our book and found we had less than what was needed for the insurance. ..and nothing left to 'live on' till the next payday. "Too much month left at the end of our money", as Dave Ramsey would say, I guess. So we decided to budget X amount of that insurance money to get us by till payday on the 14th and we'd pay the bill at the last minute. We don't have outlandish bills either. Just the basics. We paid off and closed our credit card a while back so we have no credit card debt, and no cc to fall back on.

This quote by C.T. Studd came to mind again Thursday night. I wasn't worried, but I was a bit tense waiting till the last minute to make that insurance payment. What if there wasn't enough to cover it on the next paycheck?

We also had a snow storm on the way and no gas in hubby's truck (4 wheel drive).

About an hour later I could hear someone leaving a messege on our answering machine. Our home phone wasn't charged so I couldn't pick up. It was a neighbor who we've only spoken to a couple times. She wanted to know if we were home and could bring us something. So I quickly vacuumed the living room and had the boys carry up the baskets of clean laundry :o) Then I called her back on the cell. She brought over a plate of Xmas cookies and an envelope. Even though I invited her in, she quickly scooted out the door.

When I opened the envelope I nearly fell to my knees....

200 dollars in cash, given in the name of the Lord as a blessing, to do with as we needed or wanted!

We had said nothing to anyone about our finances. I didn't even pray for money. But the Lord knew what we needed and just how much.

You can't tell me there is no God, or that He doesn't care or isn't there when we need Him.

I know He is.

He is ALWAYS looking out for us..always providing.

This couple had money to give and when the Lord prompted, they didn't hesitate.

I pray we listen to the Lord so closely, that we do not miss opportunities to help or bless others in their time of need. I share this as a testimoney to Him and His faithfulness.

"I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to
have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every
situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I
can do everything through him who gives me strength."

~Philippians
4:12-13

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, vast, unmeasured,
boundless, free!

Rolling as a mighty ocean in its fullness over me!

Underneath me,
all around me, is the current of Thy love

Leading onward, leading homeward to Thy
glorious rest above!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, spread His praise from shore
to shore!

How He loveth, ever loveth, changeth never, nevermore!

How He watches
o'er His loved ones, died to call them all His own;

How for them He intercedeth,
watcheth o'er them from the throne!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, 'tis a heav'n
of heav'ns to me

And it lifts me up to glory, for it lifts me up to
Thee!

Have a blessed Christmas as we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!!

Slow down sweet baby!

Just had to post..my sweet little baby boy, who isn't even 7 months old yet (will be on the 22nd)..pulled himself up to standing tonight!!

How is this possible?!?!?!

My baby needs to stay a baby..while he's a baby, for goodness sakes!

I tried catching it on video later on..but he was too worn out, I think, and soon went to bed. I'll see if I can catch him doing it sometime tomorrow.

Or maybe he'll change his mind and slow down a bit.....

Here's a pic for now..my oldest baby..and my youngest baby.

Caleb is completely infatuated with his big brother Ethan and gives the biggest smile when he's around...... or maybe it's the other way around?? Seems like every time I turn around, Ethan's picking him up. :o)

13 and 6 months.

Avon anyone?

Gabe and I walked down to a local craft fair a couple weeks ago. There was an Avon display and the lady asked if I had ever thought about selling Avon. Actually, I had been looking for a way to earn a little here at home in spare time (spare time?? what is that anyway?!) She gave me a call this week and I'm all signed up!
After hearing everything there is that goes with selling in person..I began to realize, after she left, that I might not have as much 'spare time' as I thought I had, and I'm really 'not' the type to go door to door and bug..I mean, ....visit with people...but there is a way to do it all online, via eRep. I signed up and am ready to roll! If you want to order Avon products, you can do so through my own personal link and have it mailed directly to you (or if you're local to me..I believe you can save on shipping and have it sent to me, and I can drop it off or you can pick it up at my home)
It's worth a try. I won't have ANYTHING interfering with homeschooling or taking care of my children and hubby..they are number # priority. :o) But this could be an easy, fun way to earn some extra savings..and this mama can get a discount and I could use some new make up anyway! :)
If you like, you can go to my site and sign up to become one of my customers. Thanks!
http://www.youravon.com/awatson6179.

Hubby brag..

I'm going to brag on my hubby now.

He finally had some time to get to the smaller 'honey do' list.

We broke down and bought a new microwave the other day. We don't really have a specific place to put one. I suggested over the stove but he didn't like that idea..and I'm not sure it's 'to code' anyway.

I certainly can't have it taking up counter space in my kitchen, either. I need that space to prepare meals.

He suggested in the cupboard by our fridge. I didn't think it would fit. He insisted that it would. (I still didn't think it would!)

Guess who was wrong??

Boy I love being wrong.. :o)

He cut down the cupboard a bit, drilled a couple holes for the cord to plug it in, installed a strip for the middle and..tada! We still need to put a cupboard door above..but we'll get to that eventually.

Now ..once again...the kids can enjoy their cheesey tortillas and I can reheat my coffee 2 or 3 times throughout the morning.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Where did October go??

Did we really have an October?? Boy that flew by fast.



Mikey had his vision appointment and his sight is fine. Caleb had a check up and is 19 1/2 lbs. Roly poly. :o)


The past month has had me preparing for winter..and preparing for Christmas. We managed to finish the children's Christmas shopping already with some money we had set aside. Also stocking up on what I'll need in December for baking, like butter on sale at our local Kwik Trip. I bought Christmas cards already and will be ordering some prints of pictures soon.




I've been trying to reevaluate our finances and my 'frugal attempts.' Raising 7 children on one income isn't the easiest.. but the Lord always provides, doesn't He? He always has for us. I have a budget and if I stick with it everything usually comes out fine. It's actually kind of fun to see how far I can stretch the budget. Following a menu plan helps. I have a two week menu for supper, breakfast and lunches.
Sometimes when I look at our budget it seems impossible...but we ALWAYS end up with more than enough! :o) My 'grocery' budget is 700 a month. That's roughly 500 for food and 200 for non-food items. I bake alot from scratch and our meals are simple..yet healthy. Things we eat are healthy natural peanutbutter, whole wheat bread, stir fries, and I try to avoid HFCS as much as possible (high fructose corn syrup), and lots of chili in the crockpot. I tried baking with just honey and only using pure maple syrup..but the cost was too much this last month and I went back to using dark brown sugar again. We do get WIC for our younger 3 children, which gives us a few gallons of milk every month, plus some cheese, whole grain tortillas, eggs, peanutbutter and cereal (I always get Cream of Wheat on it). So if you include WIC food I probably spend about 600 a month for food. I felt I should mention that because it does make a difference in my 'budget', of course. Children can qualify for WIC till age 5.



One of our favorite at home, from scratch brekkys (or suppers) is homemade waffles. It takes me about an hour to make them all but we usually end up with leftovers for the next day. I really want to get a second waffle iron so I could cut the preparation time in half!
Each square is 4 waffles..I made about 48 waffles and they lasted two meals.
There were made with part whole wheat, part white flour..no sugar added. We made homemade blueberry syrup to go with them!

Noah tried his hand at baking cookies...all on his own.

He measured, mixed and baked every step by himself. I considered it part of his schooling for the day. :o)

(notice the salt and pepper shakers on the back of my stove? I bought those at a yard sale before we moved to Minnesota. Mom and I went yard sale'ing for the last time before my move and this was what I bought at a white house along Highway 6. They're one of my most favorite possessions. )

Another thing I love to make is homemade granola. It us absolutely the best! The kids like it with milk, but I love to mix mine with plain yogurt and frozen blueberries. Oatmeal is super for nursing mamas, too. :o) My recipe is very simple..

RECIPE~~~1 large container of old fashioned oats. Poured into a large bowl. Pour 1 cup oil over the granola and either 1 cup of honey or 1 cup of brn sugar, lots of cinnamon, 1 cup of sunflower seeds. If you want sweeter granola, add more honey than I mentioned. I mix well, and pour into a large (15 by 10) in baking pan. I bake it on 325 for an hour or so stirring every 10 minutes. I don't let it get too dark or it will burn. The granola will crisp up as it cools. I store it in a large ziplock freezer bag. You can add coconut if you like or other 'goodies'..but I like this basic recipe and it's pretty inexpensive. ~~~~~

If you have any 'frugal' tips please leave a comment and share with me! I'm about to go over my menu plan again and change some things. Maybe I'll post it on here soon. I hope this post gave a little insight to 'how we do it' on one income with so many young'uns.

Have a blessed day!

:o)

Appointments and hiking

Just a little update on us. Obie and Mikey had their '5 year well child check-ups'. They are 4 and 6 years old. Complete with their 5 year vaccines. Both are healthy..Obie weighs 5 lbs less than Mikey! Mikey has been referred to an opthamologist at Mayo. Something about his vision being 20/32. I know nothing about vision so this is new territory for me. We'll see how it goes. :o)

Preschool shots are MUCH worse than baby shots..that's for sure. The nurses at our clinic are wonderful though. I had Caleb with me and the boys. One nurse took Caleb and Mikey for a walk to pick out stickers while Obie got his pokes. Poor guy cried so hard. Mikey walked in while he was still crying so that made him nervous. He cried just as hard. :(

We took them hiking at Quarry Hill afterward. Nothing like packing 20lbs on my back while hikin up hills. The workout was good for them though, since the shots could make their legs stiff.

We love to hike. The other day we took the boys hiking at Forestville State Park. It's BEAUTIFUL right now.

Our lil Pooh Bear..and more pics..

Here's our sweet little Pooh Bear Caleb..he'll be 5 months next week!

I love you Pooh! ..nom.. nom.. nom..

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Great Gramma and Grampa came for a visit this month. The children really enjoyed spending time with them.

________________________________________________

AND here are a few mug shots of our crew...see if you can figure out who's who!

This one's an easy guess...

Thanks for looking! Have a blessed week!

Caleb's 4 month check up

C has his check up with Dr. H yesterday. He weighs 17lbs 10 oz!! We grow'm well!

I had to street park at the north side of the M. Campus and walk the subway to the south side where his Ped's building is located. My 12 passenger won't fit in the ramp! I found out from a nurse that there IS a parking lot nearby, but not many people know about it. Oh well..the walk didn't hurt us, and Gabe met us on his break and walked us over there. I had at least 6 people say.."Wow..you have your hands full!" It was rather funny! I had C in a carrier, E and O in the double stroller and N and M walked beside me.

Yesterday I deleted my Facebook account. Why was that so difficult to do?? I don't know. But I feel so free now! FB doesn't make it very easy to get rid of your account. I still have to wait 14 days..and they 'might' delete it. But if I try to log in, or accidently click on something to do w/ Facebook in the next two weeks....my account will be reactivated. I'm not too happy about that.

I'll admit FB can be a useful tool...but in my case, the cons far outweight any benefit anymore. It's fun to read status updates and look at pictures...but I think it can cause alot of unintentional hurt ;) 'Sometimes' ignorance is bliss! I think I'd just rather be out of the loop.

I'll miss seeing my family's and IRL friend's pics.....but as promised, here's some of mine..

Caleb is such a yummy baby boy!

It's a BOY by the way..

It's been a while since i bothered to update this thing. Please forgive my typos..I'm laptop stupid. We just purchased one yesterday and this keyboard is just weird.

We are having a BOY according to my ultrasound..way back whenever that was. I'm 30 weeks along already. Pregnancy itself has been going well. I developed asthma problems in the month of January..but have it under control now. Seems to be weather related, maybe.

Our newest little guy is named Caleb John. He's still du e to arrive around the end of April...due exactly one week after Isaac's 11th birthday. He'd be thrilled -really!- if Caleb came on his bday.

We're all snowed-out and ready for spring..even though we haven't taken the boys sledding yet. Perhaps I'll convince daddy to take them this weekend. It's either been too cold..or too 'something' for us to not go.

My next appointment is mar. 1st at 32 weeks. Not sure when I'll have to go back in after that. We're getting anxious to meet this little guy. He's an active one!

:o)
~andee