A day in the life of me!!

This is for all those that think I have it all together. Today has been crazyyyy!! I got up early to be sure I could get my personal bible time in and boy am I sure glad I did because today has been one of those not in my own strength but only by God's grace kind of days. I already had planned for the little ones to do some planting some veggies and flowers. But first they know we have to get chores done. First we had to do some errands in town which went okay, had a couple of disagreements in the car between younger ones but nothing earth shattering. We get back home and start doing chores. So things were going pretty smoothly and then the older two girls started to argue. I was nursing Jericho( of course) so I called them to me and had a good talk with them about getting along , their responsiblities in this family, etc... OF course my 13 yr old leaves crying( here lately no matter what I say to her she cries) , so then I feel awful because she is a huge help to our family but I have to set her on the right course. Anyway, so that problem is solved. Before that the nine yr old is screaming because our 2 yr old is knocking down candles off the wall by getting on the top bunk so I have to address that issue. I lay Jericho down and start doing laundry. Of course not two seconds into doing laundry I hear him crying. So go get him and he seems to still be hungry so I feed him some banana's I had left over that I had made him last night. Then nurse him AGAIN and lay him down and start making out bills and then I get to thinking okay bills can wait I will do the planting with the little ones while Jericho is sleeping. So we get everything ready and with the help of my two older ones here today we start the process of planting(hope to post pics soon). Well of course chaos breaks out, everyone wants their turn at the same time , the 1 yr old bumps her head on the table and is screaming and so then my attention turns to her because we are on our screened porch and I do want our neighbors thinking we are beating our children. And while my attention turns to her they throw dirt all over the table. I send Pagie to go gather some garden supplies we didn't have and she comes back with Jericho who I thought would sleep for a long time. So she takes him. Anyway after all that everything kind of went smoothly , she took Jericho in and put our 1 yr old in the high chair with a banana. WE finished up our planting in which the little ones ended up having fun and we got to talk about how hopefully in a week or so we would see little signs of life and that God gives us plants and trees, etc... So then it was clean up time and while I was cleaning that up the 2 yr old slipped away without us knowing and was "washing her hair"( more like her whole body and the whole bathroom) in the sink like mama does. Water was everywhere and she also got into the toothpaste and that was everywhere. UGH!!!! By this point I have a raging headache and my allergies are acting up but I remind myself I am really working on patience this week so I clean up the mess and move on to trying to get lunch going .I put the 9 yr old in charge of making pb & j sandwhiches and take the baby to go nurse AGAIN and turn around and our 3 yr old has gotten the bag of pretzels and spilled them all over the floor. Sooooooooooooo, I put the baby inthe swing and clean up the mess, but Jericho is not having that so I get him and go to change the 2 yr old since she is still soaking wet from her "fun". I lay baby in the floor and change the 2 yr old and my 15 yr old son gets the baby. Now great I can finish up stuff. Nope just wishful thinking because son wants to look at a new board game he got in the mail and baby is also spitting up so he and my 13 yr old daughter are arguing about who is gonna take the baby so I take him and go to finally sit down to nurse again and he finally falls asleep when I hear screaming from the kitchen . I go to see what is going on and it is the 9 yr old upset that her 15 yr old brother took her magazine and put it up. So , had to take time for discipline AGAIN!!! Finally get baby laid down, do some laundry,and write this post. Baby WAS finally asleep but just started crying. So he is up again, HOPEFULLY other little ones are fixing to go down for a nap, only reason I could write this post was because they were eating lunch. I still need to finish laundry, finish making out bills, do some homeschooling with the older ones, and I had on the list to plant some herbs to start in cups. Plus figure out supper and do the night routine.
Most days run smoothly around here but some days we have days like today. I would still NOT trade my life for anything , and yes I still view my children as blessings .IT is just in these days like today I have to rely on the Lord more and is that such a bad thing? What kind of day have you had today? Have you had one of those not in my own strength kind of days lately?

Still alive

Still alive here, just busy!! Been a good kind of busy. Hope to write when I have time.

Not in my own strength

Something I have had to really learn lately is that I cannot do what needs to be done around my house and during my daily life in my own strength. Someone on my facebook page reminded me of this today as well. I have been really been working on patience lately and it is when I get far away from the Lord is when I lose my patience and feel like chaos is taking over. I get comments alot when I am out in public about wow you must have alot of patience and how in the world do you do it. Well............ I now reply I do not do it, only through God can I do it. These past few days of this week have been alot better than the other days lately. I have been really feeling like life was spinning out of control but then I realized I was not relying on the Lord. I don't know where that lie comes from that God doesn't give you more than you can handle, that is not always true but He never gives us more than we can handle WITH HIS HELP. IF we never had to rely on him, if we never felt that hole, if we never felt helpless would we call out to him??? I think the biggest advice I could give to a new mom, a mom with many little ones, or just someone struggling is to pray, have your time in the bible, and find a wise lady(or wise elder man)that can really encourage you in the Lord. God is good but we just have to call on Him.

Being content and not looking at others

I write this blog post as this is something that has been on my heart lately. As sinners in this fallen world are we ever content with what God has given us? Are we always looking for what is next? I want to strive to be content with what I have as we are so very richly blessed. But I have a problem with looking to what is next. What I might get to have next. I talk about the next baby I might have, etc... But you know what I need to be content with what I have NOW. I might not be blessed with anymore children ,I might not be able to take any grand adventures later in life, I might have but a small time here. Is that okay with me? I am not sure. IT should be because I am so undeserving. I look at others and think how in the world do they do it all. And in that moment when I start doing that many sinful things start taking over my mind. I want to always remember this verse.
Let your conduct be without covetousness; and be content with what you have: for He has said, I will never leave you, nor forsake you. – Hebrews 13:5

The Lord has blessed me beyond what I have ever deserved. I am so thankful he does not give me what I deserve. I have nine beautiful children and a wonderful husband. A nice roof over my head and do not want for anything. I should be thankful and content with that. I know it is the prideful, selfish , sinful human in me but I do not want my kids to grow up and not see me content and happy. I want to strive to be content where I am at that moment every day!!!!
But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain that we can carry nothing out. – 1Timothy 6:6-7

So hopefully from this day forward I can be more content, more thankful. I do not thank the Lord enough for what he brought me through to where I am now. I am so thankful he did not give me what I deserve and that when my time on earth is done I am so thankful that I will not get what I deserve then either.

Are you being content with the life God BLESSED you with?

Finding Joy in the Chaos

This year I really want to focus on being thankful and joyful. I want my children to see me happy more than stressed, happy more than angry, and if they see tears I want them to be tears of joy. Yes, I know being a christian we face trials but some of them we bring on ourselves. My problem is trying to be perfect. I am really trying this year to just LET Go and Let God take the wheel. These past few weeks I have been trying to get organized, we started a new diet, AND have been doing our taxes so it has been a bit crazy . I have to MAKE myself take time to read to my little ones or hold the 2 yr old. Just because she can walk and is pretty independent does not mean she does not want some mommy time. I want to stop and watch my children smile, I want to not only watch them dance around but to dance with them. These years pass by so fast and in these brief years I want to make them count. Not every day is chaotic but every day there is a part of the day that is and I can either decide to let that dictate how I feel that day or just pray and move through it and remember all the blessings God has given us and just find the joy in everything. IF I didn't have the fights to break up then that would mean I didn't have these precious children. IF I didn't have menus to plan or clothes to wash that would mean I would not have my precious family. So for anyone who reads this I also challenge you to find JOY in EVERYTHING. It makes a difference in the way your whole outlook on things are. I have really been working on this and hope by the end of this year I will be the wife and mother that I really want to be.

How selfishness sneaks in

The other day was a super busy day for me . I had so much to do and everyone wanting me to do something for them. I got to thinking nobody every thanks me for anything I do, does anyone notice. I got kind of angry when I started thinking of my husband and all the credit he gets for his work he does( I know very bad thing but that is how sin creeps in). The devil was really working on me and for that few minutes I let him. And then I got to thinking about all the rewards that I do get and also what I was put on earth for. I am not put here for my pleasure but to be a soldier for the Lord. I am raising up arrows to be able to hopefully one day shoot out and be a light in this world, to be children who love the Lord so much and want to shout it from the roof tops. I was put here to be a wife, a HELPMEET to my husband. A helper, not someone who stands out and gets praised for what she does. My reward will be in heaven and my reward is that I do have a husband who loves me and takes care of me and our wonderful blessings from above. I quickly changed my attitude from anger to joy. Joy at all the Lord has given me. Who cares if nobody ever thanks me. But then later in a small voice I heard one of my little boys say thank you for reading to him. Wonderful words especially at that moment. YOu can NOT tell me God does not hear us and does not give us what we need at the very moments we need it.
This society is filled with such selfishness that I hear so many women say (including yours truly) that I just need my me time. Just on a christian radio station yesterday I heard the anouncer lady talking about how glad she is her children went back to school just so she could have some me time. That made me sad. We miss so much when we want our "me time". One of my resolutions for this year is to read to my children every day. I started it and you would not believe the difference in their behavior and how happy they are to have their mama for those few minutes. Time goes so fast we need to take time with those precious little ones the Lord has given to us. We are never promised tommorrow and never promised we will have those children another minute. I just really felt the need to address this because I just hear it more and more. Yes, it is harder to stay home with my kids than to send them off and have some time for myself but then I get to thinking about it and I think I disagree. It would be extremely hard for me to send the kids off now, I love them to be at home with me. I know what they are learning, seeing, hearing, and who is teaching it to them. NO life is not always easy but the Lord never promised us it would be easy. It was not easy for Jesus to take up that cross for us and die so that we may live. I also hope in this new year I will remember not to be selfish and not let the devil have anger to use against me, I want to replace it all with JOY!

The Blessing of Nursing

I cannot believe our ninth child is already 6 weeks old today. We had many first this time around with him. Our first time having a homebirth, our first time not getting shots right away, and I think the biggest of it all our first time nursing!!!! At first I did not think I would be able to continue nursing. I write this post to encourage other moms who are even considering it. It has been a very beautiful yet trying experience but one I am so glad I have had the priviledge of knowing. IT is so nice to not have to worry about finding the right bottle that baby will like or changing formulas when it does not agree with him! While I support any moms decision on how she wants to feed her baby I now see why so many mom's are so supportive of nursing. It is so sweet to see my baby face when he is fully content from being full. While at first it was not easy and still makes me nervous having to think about doing it out in public even though I will definately have my nursing cover on I am so glad we decided to try it this time and fully see that it is what God intended! i am so in love with this newest bundle the Lord has blessed us with! And so very thankful he has blessed us in so many ways.