Baby news!

Well..it's been a while since I've updated this thing! I am now..16wks pregnant with baby number 7!!!!! We will be finding out the gender in two weeks (hopefully). Everything is going well. I can feel Baby moving alot now. A week ago, just flutters. Tonight..I actually felt some kicks. It just never ceases to amaze me..there is a living human being growing inside of me. A true miracle from God!

We had a pretty mellow summer. Our new (to us) 97 Chevy Express, that we bought in the spring, has been sitting mostly in our driveway. After plugging an additional 1800 dollars into it...we're still trying to narrow down the problem. I think we're getting there..but we're certainly not taking it back to our 'regular' mechanic. I've learned far more than I ever wanted to know about Chevy trucks, thanks to Chilton's...and Google. :P

Since I found out about our newest blessing right when our school started, things have been..a bit slow, in our education department. But now that the 2nd trimester is finally here..I'm feeling better, and I think we're getting back on track. I had originally wanted to end our school year at the end of May, but I'm thinking now w/ baby coming in April..we may school right on into June..to finish up. Next year..I'm seriously considering getting all new curriculum..something easier on me, that will cover all the bases. (Thinking about Christian Light Education, or similar..we'll see)

That's about it for an update now. The kids are all growing like weeds. Ethan is taller than ME now. Ultrasound results coming soon! :o)

Explaining abortion to a six year old...Red Envelopes Day.

I received this email earlier today...and wanted to share it.

How would you explain abortion to a six year old child?



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

March 31st was "Red Envelope" Day. We participated by preparing our red envelopes to send to President Obama. Xena knows the tragedy of abortion, but JLee did not...it is very difficult to explain to a 6 year old about legalized abortion, everyone who "sits on the fence" should try it sometime, I believe it would radically alter the viewpoint. I wanted to keep the explanation as mild as possible; any attempt to gloss could confuse JLee, and Xena would not let any dishonesty for delicacy sake to occur. As I was pondering my approach, the thought kept popping up, "If I can't explain to a 6 year old then what unbelievable excuse are we telling ourselves?" Abortion is what it is...to abort means to discontinue...in this case, it means the existence of the baby. I know I am "preaching to the choir", however the recent reports show the staggering numbers of abortions in my lifetime have totally flattened me...and these numbers are only for the United States! Could I have made a difference in all those years? Could I have sought the Lord more? Of course, I could have...there can be no other answer; the shame hits me with such a horrid force. But, I do not despair, for I have a Redeemer who forgives the tragedy of my Laodecia sin. Moreover, my renewed hope is this, as long as He tarries...I can be His sword, awake and able to will His will.

There are many things in this world that a 6 year old child need not know about; many things that are considered inappropriate or gruesome and for me abortion is one of them. I was not prepared to tell JLee the "reasons" given for abortion, I was simply going to tell her what it was and why we were sending the envelopes...but this seemed to be so cold. I toyed with the idea of NOT telling her, but I knew Xena would have not liked this idea. I knew there would not be a barrage of questions after my explanation; JLee is simply not like that. Knowing this, it made it worse for me; questions clear the air and set the feet on a straight path…

Here is what I told this little girl and her remarkable reply:

"Doodle, we are mailing these envelopes to President Obama. We are mailing them because he is signing into law that our tax dollars be used for women who do not want to carry their babies anymore. It is called abortion. Some people believe they have a right to keep their babies from growing inside of them and so they abort them. They believe they have good reasons..." I hesitated for a question, but none came...I continued, "Right now, there are laws that restrict abortions and keep our tax dollars from paying for this, President Obama wants to change this and make abortion possible for everyone at anytime, even in other countries. There are people mailing these envelopes from all over the country and we hope that President Obama will listen and understand how many people do not want him to promote abortion".

JLee was quiet for a long moment, as she pondered I watched a very sad realization come upon her face, very quietly she asked me, "Grammie, why would a Mommy want to kill her baby?"

My heart sank, I had been careful not to use the word kill, although this is what happens to the child; to deny it would be insane and “culturally accepted” explanations absurd given the astute clarity of her question. Truth was what she wanted, “JLee, I just don’t know...except for the fact that we are all sinners...can you see my little Doobug, why we so desperately need a Savior?” Her little lip trembled, and I hugged her, "The babies that have been aborted are safe in the arms of Jesus...no worries there...but the Mommies' need our prayers. They have to live with a very bad choice and they need to know about the saving Grace and Forgiveness of our Lord."

We prayed and I could tell she took a great comfort in knowing the babies were now safe with the Lord and their mothers given to Jesus.

I wish President Obama could have looked into the face of JLee as she asked that question...to feel the crush of its weight...

Talk later

L

Psalm 139

"If anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a large millstone were hung around his neck and he were drowned at the bottom of the sea. Matthew 18:6

Here is an article about the results of the Red Envelopes...

http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=93404

Signs of Christ's Return

The Judgment of the Nations Part 2

An excellent read..
http://www.biblebb.com/files/mac/sg2379.htm

Day trip to Lake Pepin, Mississippi River

A short clip from our day trip to Lake Pepin (Mikey, Obie, Eliahna and me) The river is still frozen, but it was a fairly warm day (40's). Ethan, Isaac, Noah and Daddy went for a walk to the end of the pier.

12 Year Old Steals Day With Prolife Speech

"Teachers threaten disqualification, but girl chooses to speak against abortion."

Click on the title to see the article, and view the video.

Pray for Shelly

http://www.caringbridge.org/cb/viewMyStory.do?method=executeInit

Please keep this woman in your prayers.

She climbs! She walks!

A couple videos for our grandparents back in WA. :o)

Taming the Tongue

This sermon has been so very convicting to me..

Taming the Tongue, Part 1--James 3:1-5 ~John MacArthur

http://www.gty.org/Resources/Sermons/59-17

Taming the Tongue, Part 2--James 3:5-12

http://www.gty.org/Resources/Sermons/59-18

Some things I wrote in my journal, from part 1.

*"Every one of us is carrying around a concealed weapon, all we have to do is open our mouths and it's unconcealed.
* Remember your tongue is in a wet place and can slip easily.
* If a person can master his tongue, he can master his evil tendencies throughout his whole body, and that means his person.
* Focus on the mouth. If the Holy Spirit gets control of the most volatile and the most potent member, the rest will be subdued.
* The Bible refers directly to a wicked tongue, a deceitful tongue, a lying tongue, a perverse tongue, a filthy tongue, a corrupt tongue, a bitter tongue, an angry tongue, a crafty tongue, a flattering tongue, a slanderous tongue, a gossiping tongue, a back-biting tongue, a blaspheming tongue, a foolish tongue, a boasting tongue, a murmuring tongue, a complaining tongue, a cursing tongue, a contentious tongue, a sensual tongue, a vile tongue, a tale-bearing tongue, a whispering tongue, an exaggerating tongue, etc. Did you see yourself anywhere in there? (I did.) No wonder God put your tongue in a cage behind your teeth, walled in by your mouth.
*Speak only gracious words. Speak only kind words. Speak only loving words, true words, thoughtful words, holy words, sensitive words, edifying words. Speak with gentle words, comforting words, words of blessing, words of humility, words or wisdom, words of thanksgiving. Speak only unselfish words and peaceful words. And if you do that, you'll control every other part of your life, because the only way you can do all that is being under the power of the spirit of God. But the focal point is to concentrate on the control of the tongue.
*Pray-Lord please help me say what you intended to say. No more and no less.

In memory of..

Our sweet baby nephew Wyatt Sawyer Moerke.
He was born on this earth
Dec. 22nd, 1998..
and flew into the arms of our heavenly Father
January 8th, 1999.

We love you sweet Wyatt..
and look forward to the day we'll get to know you
in Heaven with our Lord Jesus!

Divinity 101

Divinity pointer # 1:
Make sure you follow a good recipe..and not just some quickly scribbled recipe you jotted down once upon a time..

Divinity pointer # 2:
Don't let your two yr old get ahold of the candy thermometer.

Divinity pointer #3:
After your first failed attempt at divinity-making..you will realize you only have one more chance since you forgot to buy sugar when you stocked up on chocolate chips. And there is a blizzard outside (literally)..so you're not going to the store.

Divinity pointer #4:
Don't leave the room when you're mixing the sugar mixture with the egg whites....and if you even THINK of putting the kids to bed during these few minutes, have your head examined.

Divinity pointer #5:
Just to warn you..the phone will ring while you're pouring boiling hot syrup over your egg whites. Both times.

Divinity pointer #6:
When you start out thinking you will make divinity like your Grandma did, you will end up with fancy marshmallow cream instead.

Now..on to the divinity lesson...

Gather your ingredients

2 egg whites
2/3 cup corn syrup
2/3 c water
3 cups sugar (stock up!)
1 tsp vanilla
CANDY THERMOMETER -Don't try to be a hero..use a candy thermometer. That's what they're for.
Nuts... if you remember them. I did not.
turn off your cell phone.

Separate the egg yolk from the egg whites. Do NOT get any yolk in the white or it will not turn out. Now....first things first. You're going to whip those egg whites in your KitchenAid mixer. If you do not have a KitchenAid mixer, stop now, put away your ingredients..and make fudge instead.

Beat those egg whites till they're stiff.They should look like this:Cook the corn syrup, sugar and water in a pot, WITH CANDY THERMOMETER clipped to the side of the pot till boiling and 260 degree F. Add the vanilla. Once it's reached the 260 point..pour over the egg whites while beating on high. This should only take about 10-15 minutes, tops. If you're still mixing after 30 minutes..you did something wrong. Trust me on this. The divinity should start to lose it's glossy-ness, and start to look crumbly..like this:
It should not look like this... This is why it is important to heat the corn syrup/sugar mixture to 260 degrees. (and to get your eyes checked occasionally if you're having trouble reading tiny print)
Now..what you do from this point on is up to you. You can drop it by spoonfuls onto wax paper, or scoop it out in a small pan, on wax paper..and press it even in the pan (like fudge) and cut into squares. I was feeling adventurous and put M&M's on top of mine..and some chocolate toffee bits. The toffee bits were good! (the M&M's just fall off the divinity when you cut it)

Enjoy!

Yogurt 101

I recently read an article in Better Homes and Gardens magazine on the different types of yogurt (Yogurt, Explained -Taking the Confusion out of the dairy aisle, Sept.2008).. I was a little miffed that they didn't share how EASY it was to just make the yogurt yourself!

I figure it's about time I just BLOGGED about it.



What you need to make vanilla yogurt:

milk- fat free, skim, 2% or whole-however much yogurt you want to make. Try a half gallon.

candy thermometer

Dannon vanilla yogurt with live active cultures as your starter. You only need this the first time you make yogurt.
Vanilla. Real vanilla is preferable. Use whatever you have though.

Sugar to sweeten.

Powdered milk-to thicken

saucepan to heat milk in

tupperware containers to store yogurt in

cookie sheet and kitchen towel to cover the bowls with

stove and electricity..or gas, or a wood burning stove. whatever.

What I do and Why.

I pour the milk into the pot and clip the thermometer to the side. I heat it on low, stirring frequently until the temperature reaches 180 degrees. You want to kill off any bad bacteria..so your new good bacteria can thrive. Once it reaches 180, I turn off the burner (important..I frequently forget to do this). Remove it from the burner and add half a package of powdered milk. It's about 1/2 cup. I whisk this in. Then I add about 1 TBS of vanilla..and about 1/2 C of sugar. Stir well.
Let the milk cool to 100 degrees exactly! Important! If it's too hot, it will kill your yogurt starter and it won't set up. Ask me how I know this.

Once your milk is cooled to 100 degrees..take about 1/2 to 1 C of the Dannon yogurt and whisk well into your cooled milk. Pour the milk into a couple tupperware containers. Place them on a cookie sheet and set in your oven. Do.Not.Turn.Your.Oven.On. Someone did this once. Not pretty. (and no it wasn't me) Cover the bowls with your towel. Let this set in your oven overnight with the oven light on. The light will give just enough warmth to help set your yogurt. By morning..you should have nice thick vanilla yogurt at a fraction of the cost.
Cover and store in your fridge..and enjoy!
:o)

notes

*I did not use the powdered milk until just recently. I found that the powdered milk makes the yogurt nice and thick..just like store bought. I could not get my yogurt to turn out that way before. Thank you MOMYS. :)

**If you want plain yogurt, skip the sugar and vanilla step, and use Plain Dannon as your starter.

*** If you have made yogurt successfully using soy milk or rice milk, please send me the recipe. Thank you!

November

It's been 71 days. I can't believe it's November already.

Take these hands...and lift them up. For I have not the strength to praise You near enough. I have nothing...I have nothing....without You.

And take my voice....and pour it out. Let it sing the songs of mercy I have found...For I have nothing...I have nothing....without You.

(Bebo Norman)


I still have tears that are ready to break thru at any given moment. Usually unexpected..and usually when I'm alone...but not always. I think about her every day..throughout the day. Every time I turn around there is something or someone there to remind me of her....I want to talk to her, and share things with her...and there is an ache in my heart that won't go away.

If you've been up all night and cried till you have no more tears left in you-you will know that there comes in the end a sort of quietness. -C.S.Lewis The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe

It's so easy to keep so busy that I can just ..put the crying off till later..till a "better" time. But I find when I do that..there really is no better time..and it comes upon me in the most public places.

There is no way around the pain that you naturally feel when someone you love dies. You can't go over it, under it, or around it....Going through it is what will help you heal. (Therese Rando)

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.” Matthew 6:6

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
What did our Lord mean when He said, “Enter into your closet to pray?” The word “closet” simply means some place where you can shut the door on the world and open the windows to heaven. As you study the life of Jesus, you’ll discover that Jesus sought times to be alone. Sometimes He would go on a mountain, sometimes into the wilderness, and sometimes into a garden. It is the secret place that is the sacred place. The mark of your prayer life is not really how well you pray in public, but in private-.LWF

A New Table-updated pics :)

Table progress... :o)




Our dining room is the "hub" of our home. Since we homeschool..we spend hours here every day..for meals, schoolwork, crafts, and playing. With a large family, and decent sized table is a must! My awesome husband has decided to build one himself (after seeing how much they cost in the stores!) Besides..he enjoys this. He would love to do this for a living. :)
Here is the first pic of the "skeleton" of our table. It's 8 ft long, the top will be 4 ft wide..and oak. :)

The Midnight Cry

Click the title above to see the video :)