Sunday, March 27, 2011
Friday, March 25, 2011
Can you help?
If you have a heart to help children find forever homes please click on this link and read about how you can help little ones who need families find them! Also you have the opportunity to win a prize, it is the last day of the giveaway, but that doesn't mean that you can't still give if the giveaway has ended! Special needs children are so very close to my heart, though my sons do not have down syndrome, i do understand the uniqueness of these special little ones.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Elijah
This little boy has blessed me more then i can say. He is like salve to an open gaping wound. He is like a cold tall drink of water on a hot day. I am incredibly blessed by his sweet heart and how talkative and loving he is! I just love him! Such a joy to our lives ...i can not imagine our family without him!:)
Friday, March 18, 2011
Thank you everyone for sharing about where you would give if you had the ability. It's interesting to see where heart's lean towards and it is so awesome that the body of Christ isn't just concerned, or wants to give towards one certain avenue, Not that i have 500 dollars to give away at this time (as my husband so aptly pointed out that people are going to assume that i have money to give by asking that question). I was thinking about what i would give towards if i had the opportunity and I would give to my favorite organization (as well as Matt's) Gospel for Asia. If you haven't heard of them you should check out the website. It's a really great ministry! Look into it!
Thank you K for the reading suggestion, i will have to look into that!
So how's life here? It's going pretty good. Spring is just starting here, the daffodils are coming up by the house but they are already blooming in town. The trees are turning pink with their blossoms and the days are getting longer. I like spring.. it's a season of hope and it always feels like my spirit is thawing and warming. My days are filled with bringing children to their allotted therapy times and preschool hours. I am looking forward to "spring break" and not having to drive someone somewhere everyday!!!! :) I've been enjoying reading fictional books lately for relaxing. I just finished the book Emma Brown, i really enjoy period pieces like that.
I've just started on Little Women, I've never read it, just watched the movie so I'm excited to read it and actually get more into the characters and the full story.
In farm news we will be getting a whole mess of barnyard poultry in about a month. 10 chickens, 2 ducks, 2 geese, and 2 turkeys. I'm excited for all of the eggs!!! We are thinking we might add a rooster into the mix but we aren't sure yet. Pippin, our pack goat, is going to be finding a new home here in a couple of weeks. We've decided that with his temperament ( hyper though he is a pretty good goat) and the fact that he has horns (it wasn't a problem when we was little, but now that he is full grown it is a problem). he will be going to a very nice couple who hike often and his company will be a bunch of milk goats, so i think he will be very happy. We are going to be getting another pack animal... and we are thinking that we would like to get a llama. We are going to be going to visit a llama farm tomorrow and talk to the owners. I'm excited to learn about another farm yard animal! This is the Llama that we are considering...
His name is Valentino; he is used to small children; he is the owners favorite, and he works with special needs children on a weekly basis. So... we are going to go and meet him and the rest of their llamas and just get our questions answered and see how the kids feel about the llama's size! Also as you know I have a dream of running a small farm where families with special needs children can come to be around animals... so if Valentino works out well with our kiddos, i know he'll be a great addition to the farm.
Let's see... Matt's been working hard on his business and it's been going very well. We actually get a lot of international interest and sales. If you haven't yet you should check his hydro electric business out... I'm just proud of him so i can't help but sharing!
That's it for today.. i know our life isn't that fascinating! but i like sharing anyway!
Thank you K for the reading suggestion, i will have to look into that!
So how's life here? It's going pretty good. Spring is just starting here, the daffodils are coming up by the house but they are already blooming in town. The trees are turning pink with their blossoms and the days are getting longer. I like spring.. it's a season of hope and it always feels like my spirit is thawing and warming. My days are filled with bringing children to their allotted therapy times and preschool hours. I am looking forward to "spring break" and not having to drive someone somewhere everyday!!!! :) I've been enjoying reading fictional books lately for relaxing. I just finished the book Emma Brown, i really enjoy period pieces like that.
I've just started on Little Women, I've never read it, just watched the movie so I'm excited to read it and actually get more into the characters and the full story.
In farm news we will be getting a whole mess of barnyard poultry in about a month. 10 chickens, 2 ducks, 2 geese, and 2 turkeys. I'm excited for all of the eggs!!! We are thinking we might add a rooster into the mix but we aren't sure yet. Pippin, our pack goat, is going to be finding a new home here in a couple of weeks. We've decided that with his temperament ( hyper though he is a pretty good goat) and the fact that he has horns (it wasn't a problem when we was little, but now that he is full grown it is a problem). he will be going to a very nice couple who hike often and his company will be a bunch of milk goats, so i think he will be very happy. We are going to be getting another pack animal... and we are thinking that we would like to get a llama. We are going to be going to visit a llama farm tomorrow and talk to the owners. I'm excited to learn about another farm yard animal! This is the Llama that we are considering...
His name is Valentino; he is used to small children; he is the owners favorite, and he works with special needs children on a weekly basis. So... we are going to go and meet him and the rest of their llamas and just get our questions answered and see how the kids feel about the llama's size! Also as you know I have a dream of running a small farm where families with special needs children can come to be around animals... so if Valentino works out well with our kiddos, i know he'll be a great addition to the farm.
Let's see... Matt's been working hard on his business and it's been going very well. We actually get a lot of international interest and sales. If you haven't yet you should check his hydro electric business out... I'm just proud of him so i can't help but sharing!
That's it for today.. i know our life isn't that fascinating! but i like sharing anyway!
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
a question for you....
If you had 500 dollars to give away to any organization or person right now, who would you give it to and why?
Friday, March 11, 2011
vaccination update
If you are curious on what we decided about getting Elijah a tetanus shot, we've decided against it for now.
a rant on north americans...
I'm sure you have heard by now of the tragedy in Japan.
I was driving Daniel to therapy this morning and i was just weeping for the families who have lost everything. I was weeping for the days to come of the hardship that these people will have to endure. I have no idea what it's like to have everything literally washed away.
I was going through videos from various media outlets and one was from Santa Cruz , CA and they were doing this Ariel coverage of the effect that earthquake made on California. I guess there were like 15 recreational and fishing boats that were "ripped" from where they were anchored. The news reporter was speaking of it like it was a huge tragedy that these boats had been possibly destroyed. I just about threw up! SERIOUSLY... there are HUNDREDS of people who died, possibly will die in the next couple of days who have lost EVERYTHING and you are doing coverage on some millionaires ruined boats. Americans make me sick.. so self centered and ridiculous.
May God always keep my heart soft and my eyes open to the pain and suffering of others!
I was driving Daniel to therapy this morning and i was just weeping for the families who have lost everything. I was weeping for the days to come of the hardship that these people will have to endure. I have no idea what it's like to have everything literally washed away.
I was going through videos from various media outlets and one was from Santa Cruz , CA and they were doing this Ariel coverage of the effect that earthquake made on California. I guess there were like 15 recreational and fishing boats that were "ripped" from where they were anchored. The news reporter was speaking of it like it was a huge tragedy that these boats had been possibly destroyed. I just about threw up! SERIOUSLY... there are HUNDREDS of people who died, possibly will die in the next couple of days who have lost EVERYTHING and you are doing coverage on some millionaires ruined boats. Americans make me sick.. so self centered and ridiculous.
May God always keep my heart soft and my eyes open to the pain and suffering of others!
Monday, March 7, 2011
rabdom thoughts for march 7th...
Can i just say that I am very thankful for you my blog community of friends. Last night i was telling Matt how it's easy for me to give up coffee (over 4 weeks now coffee free) and gluten (i think I've been off gluten for the past 6 months... though i forget when i quit!) and other things.. but i told him how it would be hard for me to give up blogging because i find encouragement and challenge in it. It also keeps me connected in times when it's hard to connect. Things are getting much easier with the boys, but in all honesty, i don't often have a lot of luxury to talk to adults! I am blessed by a small book club that i have formed with a few good friends, but that really is my only main "no kid time" interaction face to face. It's funny though because the book that we are going through now is a homeschooling book, but none the less, great fellowship.
I'm sitting on the floor in front of the bathroom while the two older boys take a bath, and Matt and Elijah nap on the couch. Though it's not very quiet (for Joshua is very loud), it is a nice quiet time.
Today i had an IEP (individual education plan for children who have special needs in the public school system) meeting with Daniel's special needs teachers. It went well and we are going to be increasing Daniel's therapy time from 2 hours a week to 6 hours a week. (3 days a week, 2 hour time frames). I'm excited for him because i know he loves it there now and he enjoys the challenge. Though he is a little OCD.. he likes to try things until he gets them right. He will be able to be in this special program until next year, and then he will be kindergarten age, in which i will be homeschooling him full time. Though I do home school him right now.. him being just 4 years old is still so young that i don't consider him school age yet. During the meeting his teachers (which use to be Joshua's special needs teachers) asked me if i would be sending Joshua to kindergarten next year. I told them that he would be home schooled, but i was looking for an activity that he could do that would allow for him to have some social interaction. I always feel like i have to prove that i can teach my children and give them a good education... i wonder if i will ever get over that. I think i slowly am...
I think the public school teachers would think I'm crazy if I told them that I focus more on the children's character and their heart then on academics. Though academics are VERY important, and we do work on them... they are at such a young and tender age that instilling in them a love for others and a strength of character is more important then knowledge at this point. Knowledge will come later... words and numbers don't mean anything unless they have a purpose.
Speaking of homeschooling.. here is one of my favorite websites with interesting articles on homeschooling.
I'm sitting on the floor in front of the bathroom while the two older boys take a bath, and Matt and Elijah nap on the couch. Though it's not very quiet (for Joshua is very loud), it is a nice quiet time.
Today i had an IEP (individual education plan for children who have special needs in the public school system) meeting with Daniel's special needs teachers. It went well and we are going to be increasing Daniel's therapy time from 2 hours a week to 6 hours a week. (3 days a week, 2 hour time frames). I'm excited for him because i know he loves it there now and he enjoys the challenge. Though he is a little OCD.. he likes to try things until he gets them right. He will be able to be in this special program until next year, and then he will be kindergarten age, in which i will be homeschooling him full time. Though I do home school him right now.. him being just 4 years old is still so young that i don't consider him school age yet. During the meeting his teachers (which use to be Joshua's special needs teachers) asked me if i would be sending Joshua to kindergarten next year. I told them that he would be home schooled, but i was looking for an activity that he could do that would allow for him to have some social interaction. I always feel like i have to prove that i can teach my children and give them a good education... i wonder if i will ever get over that. I think i slowly am...
I think the public school teachers would think I'm crazy if I told them that I focus more on the children's character and their heart then on academics. Though academics are VERY important, and we do work on them... they are at such a young and tender age that instilling in them a love for others and a strength of character is more important then knowledge at this point. Knowledge will come later... words and numbers don't mean anything unless they have a purpose.
Speaking of homeschooling.. here is one of my favorite websites with interesting articles on homeschooling.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
interesting vaccination information
So I've been going back and forth on getting Elijah his tetanus shot. I've been doing research and i came across a website that was very much for vaccinating but they had a section on who shouldn't be vaccinated... this is what it said.
Who should not receive these vaccines?
Generally, any person who has had a serious allergic reaction to a vaccine component or a prior dose of the vaccine should not receive another dose of the same vaccine. People who had a serious allergic reaction to a previous dose of DTaP or Tdap vaccine should not receive another dose.
Certain rare adverse events following pertussis vaccination usually serve as a precaution against receiving further doses. Such events include a temperature of 105°F or higher, collapse or shock-like state, persistent crying for more than three hours, or convulsions within three days. Even if one of these precautions exists, there may be occasions when the benefit of immunization outweighs the risk (for example, during a community-wide outbreak of pertussis). A person who developed one of these adverse events after pediatric DTaP vaccine may receive Tdap as an adolescent or adult.
A person with a recognized, possible, or potential neurologic condition should delay receiving DTaP or Tdap vaccine until the condition is evaluated, treated, and/or stabilized. Although DTaP vaccine does not cause neurological disorders, receiving the vaccine can cause an already-present underlying condition to show itself.
I highlighted the most important part.. so since two of my boys have neurological conditions... I'm thinking maybe we should hold off on Elijah. I was slightly worried about Elijah getting tetanus especially because we live on a farm... but now after lots of research on tetanus and on the vaccination (both for and against) and talking to Matt about it further, we are more on the side of not vaccinating at this time. I am planning on talking to our FABULOUS naturalpath who has really helped our boys on the road to healing... i value her opinion and she also has a farm like us, so i am interested to see what she thinks about it.
I'm open to opinions... what do you think?
Who should not receive these vaccines?
Generally, any person who has had a serious allergic reaction to a vaccine component or a prior dose of the vaccine should not receive another dose of the same vaccine. People who had a serious allergic reaction to a previous dose of DTaP or Tdap vaccine should not receive another dose.
Certain rare adverse events following pertussis vaccination usually serve as a precaution against receiving further doses. Such events include a temperature of 105°F or higher, collapse or shock-like state, persistent crying for more than three hours, or convulsions within three days. Even if one of these precautions exists, there may be occasions when the benefit of immunization outweighs the risk (for example, during a community-wide outbreak of pertussis). A person who developed one of these adverse events after pediatric DTaP vaccine may receive Tdap as an adolescent or adult.
A person with a recognized, possible, or potential neurologic condition should delay receiving DTaP or Tdap vaccine until the condition is evaluated, treated, and/or stabilized. Although DTaP vaccine does not cause neurological disorders, receiving the vaccine can cause an already-present underlying condition to show itself.
I highlighted the most important part.. so since two of my boys have neurological conditions... I'm thinking maybe we should hold off on Elijah. I was slightly worried about Elijah getting tetanus especially because we live on a farm... but now after lots of research on tetanus and on the vaccination (both for and against) and talking to Matt about it further, we are more on the side of not vaccinating at this time. I am planning on talking to our FABULOUS naturalpath who has really helped our boys on the road to healing... i value her opinion and she also has a farm like us, so i am interested to see what she thinks about it.
I'm open to opinions... what do you think?
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Today
I got to snuggle a precious newborn that I've been praying for for the past since i knew she existed! :D Thanks Leanne for sharing her for a short time!
My husband got offered a unique business opportunity that may allow us some vacation time as a family in one of our favorite areas (the Olympic national forest) I'm hoping that it pans out...
I'm feeling joyful and full of hope. It's so nice to be in that place.
I'm loving my boys getting older.. it's so much fun and I am just feeling so blessed by their unique characters.
I'm working on putting together stories of Jesus' life to go through for the days leading up to Easter. I really think Easter is an important time and I really want to lead up to it with the boys on the life of Jesus and what He was like and the things that He did. Do you do anything to lead up to Easter for your kids? Do you celebrate Easter?
I hope tonight your hearts find peace and rest in Christ alone!
My husband got offered a unique business opportunity that may allow us some vacation time as a family in one of our favorite areas (the Olympic national forest) I'm hoping that it pans out...
I'm feeling joyful and full of hope. It's so nice to be in that place.
I'm loving my boys getting older.. it's so much fun and I am just feeling so blessed by their unique characters.
I'm working on putting together stories of Jesus' life to go through for the days leading up to Easter. I really think Easter is an important time and I really want to lead up to it with the boys on the life of Jesus and what He was like and the things that He did. Do you do anything to lead up to Easter for your kids? Do you celebrate Easter?
I hope tonight your hearts find peace and rest in Christ alone!
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Gluten Free Tips
I just had to share tips on going gluten free from this momma.. i couldn't of said it any better myself.
Book Winners!
Alright Megan, K, Jamie, Marissa, and Sandi... I'll get those out to you as soon as they come in! I should be getting them sometime this week. :)
Marissa, i know you just won my last giveaway, but that doesn't mean you can't get a book! :)
And I have everybodies addresses but yours K, so if you could e-mail that to me we'll be good to go!
Marissa, i know you just won my last giveaway, but that doesn't mean you can't get a book! :)
And I have everybodies addresses but yours K, so if you could e-mail that to me we'll be good to go!
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