Books I am reading right now

The Christian Woman's Guide to Childbirth ( wonderful read, even after 8 kids this book has been very benficial to me since we are doing our first homebirth)




Age of Opportunity A Biblical Guide to Parenting Teens by Paul David Tripp(great book about how we view parenting teens, must read if you have teens or soon to be teens)

Also going through the bible with the family during bible study each night. We are slowly going through Genesis, almost in Exodus.

Ramblings

First I want to start out by saying I guess most everyone now knows baby #9 is a boy!!! We are overjoyed and so excited. Cannot wait to meet our newest blessing in a little over 4 months. :)
Next thing is this has really been weighing on my mind. Why do people when they see someone with many children assume they getting government help, help from family,etc...? Could the Lord not be supplying what the family needs? I know I have to remind myself that some of these people do not have faith and therefore cannot understand how we can just leave everything to the Lord and trust in Him but some of these are christians. I just cannot understand for the life of my how you can live as a christian and not take the whole bible for what it says. Am I saying that all families should be like ours or look like ours if they are following the Lord. Absolutely not!!!!! I just think we all too often are ready to judge without first knowing even what we are talking about. And why do women feel the need to be so hateful about women who stay at home, obey their husbands, and follow the LOrd? Are they jelous? Perhaps but mostly I think it is that they are lost. We live in such a fallen world and I am so saddened by it. When our society is flavoring our sodas with HEK which stands from Human Embroyic Kindeys(from aborted babies) something is very wrong. Christians have got to start standing up. How have you become so silent. I admit it is easier to just sit back and hang my mouth open in awe but there come a point where we just have to stand up for those around us and for our beliefs. I did not mean to go off so much on this but it is something that is really bothering me. Yes, we have 9 children . Yes, we know other families with that many or more. Do we struggle? Sometimes. Do other families with 1 or 2 struggle? Yes, sometimes but there is where faith comes in. The Lord has given these children to us and His grace is sufficient for all our needs. I love my husband and if you think I am oppressed because I stay at home and obey my husband then so be it but I love my oppressed life then. I know many women are dealing with the hurt from how society treats them. Please drop me a line and let me know how I can pray for you.
On a brighter note I finally got to go with Billy to Alabama to visit with the family he has been helping after the tornadoes. WE knew nothing of this family before the storm but are so thankful and blessed to know them now. God is good and just. I am so thankful for my life and so thankful for all the blessings God has given me. I only hope with these blessings I can give back to others. I watched a sermon somewhere that says if you are doing okay financially or are well off it is not for your benefit but for you to be able to go out and help others. And if we all did that what a change we could make. I truly believe that and I so that in this selfish society my family can start seeing other peoples needs and help them and not just go about our busy lives. I know sometimes it is easy to get caught up in ourselves and our lives but there are so many hurting out there. I challenge you to step out of your comfort zone and reach out.

A new blessing

i guess I really have not updated about this baby much, life is just so busy. WE are super excited to be expecting number 9 and we will be hopefully finding out what this little one is next Wendsday. I did not want to find out this time but Billy did so we are. I am super excited now to find out though. Baby seems to be doing well. I feel him/her every now and then, I love that feeling. Each baby is a total gift from God and I always long to see the face of our new blessing and wonder who they will look like. I love my children so much. NO, I do not always have sweet gushy feeling about my children but I do always remember what a blessing they are. And lately I have been trying my best to not take them for granted. Even when I am awake all night with our 8 month old or so it seems and am scared out of my mind because I am not sure how I am going to juggle another one I KNOW God is there and I KNOW God gave these beautiful children to me for a reason and they are all here for a reason. I find it hard to believe the excuses some women give for not having kids, most are quite selfish. NOw if that is your decision then that is your choice but I am sadden to know the things they will miss. NO, being a mother is not easy but it is the MOST REWARDING thing you will ever do. Far beyond that wonderful job, getting that fancy car or nice pair of earring. I am so glad that God gave me each and every one of my kids. I get so many comments when I am grocery shopping and many sadden me. IT is amazing to me how people view children these days. In this society we protect animals to the death but just throw away our babies, how insane is that!!!! I am not sure how I got off on this but I guess it just has been on my heart so much lately. Just know children are a gift and a heritage from the Lord. My only hope is that I raise up godly men and women for the Lord!!

DATE NIGHT AND BIG SAVINGS

So my parents came and sat with the kids for a little while last night while Billy and I finally got to have some time together. It was really nice. We had a good supper and saved a ton of money!!! :)
We ate at Applebees and got a appetizer and two entrees with our drinks and paid $1 something because i had a $25 gift card from mypoints.com!!

Then we went shopping and scored some deals with coupons. Total for all that you see below we spend out of pocket was $43. We saved a ton of money. Just in formula here would of cost us like $200!!!! Then we go razors, Wisk, diapers, soap, and some pull ups wipes! So happy.



Then I got home and cashed in some of my reward points from pampers rewards and got two diapers.com gift certificates so I scored two packs of diapers for $2 something, which would of been $0 but shipping was $4.99 so my money didn't cover it all. AND I got a really nice razor coming.

So we were pretty happy when we went to bed last night. I am so thankful God has brought me to this point of learning how to really use coupons so we can turn around and take care of our family and be self sufficent. Thank you Jesus for taking care of our family!!!

YAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Great savings day

This morning I got TWO boxes of huggies wipes from Target.com for $12.72 shipped!!!!! I looked this morning while I was at Walmart and those same wipes at walmart cost $10!!!!! I am so happy because this is one item we go through alot of.

Then between WalMart and Ingles today I save over $100.00 with coupons. I got a lot of stockpile stuff like deoderant and body wash. I am so happy to be saving us so much money. I think we are gonna pay some bills off and just try to work on our stockpile. It is a bit time comsuming but so worth it for my family.

Don't miss the little things

I don't know how many moms are like me but I get so caught in MY TO DO list that I forget to "stop and smell the roses" so to speak. I get so caught up in keeping a clean house, homeschooling, some days just getting by ;) that I forget to stop for a minute. Well today I decided to stop for a minute and WATCH AND ENJOY my kids. And you know what I really miss so much. NO, I won't stop cleaning(mainly because I am a little OCD about a clean house) but I am promising to stop and answer my kids questions, play with them a bit, stop and hug and kiss them to pieces, stop and just watch them. Amazing the sweet things they do for each other. LIke a certain young little boy giving up his most loved blankie so his younger brother would feel secure going to sleep or when this younger brother made his younger sister fall he turned around and helped her up and gave her a big kiss. Trust me I know how busy the day can get but don't forget to "stop and smell the roses" and witness and take in all of God's goodness he has for us. :)

Being a christian does not always mean happiness

When many talk about being christians they talk about the joy they get from it. But I think we need to remember that life will NOT always be all happiness and free from sorrow. Don't get me wrong being a christian and being in love with Jesus is very joyful and sometimes so joyous it is overwhelming. But as christians sometime we will have to experience sorrow but in those times we can also find joy, we can also see God in it. I often wonder how non believers make it through life changing things, how in the world do they cope without that hope and knowledge that you are not along. That one day we will be free from sorrow and in a place where there is no pain. After all this with the destruction in Alabama, a dear christian friend dealing with the heartache of being pregnant with a child they know will not survive and is not normal like the rest of her children, after a aquantance suffering a miscarriage, and on and on I am reminded that God did NOT promise us life would be easy. But He DID promise He would be with us, carry us. In Matthew 11:28-30 it says "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” I have been amazed at the faith of these people I have seen go through heartbreaking tragedy. I know in all of this they will have a testimony that lives will be saved and people will be changed. Their suffering is NOT for nothing. And all they go through they do because we DO live in such a fallen world. My prayer is for everyone who reads this to remember why we are here. WE are all too often selfish(me included) and do not give God the time we should each day. He should aquire glory and honor in every part of our lives.No matter what happens in our lives God is God! He doesn't change. I want to leave you with this also: Remember love like you never loved before because you never know when this day will be your last.