Before I Was A Mom

Thanks to KC for forwarding this to me tonight! I had read this before, but it's been a while and I really love it! Not sure who actually wrote it...

Before I was a Mom,
I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby.
I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom,
I had never been puked on. Pooped on. Chewed on. Peed on.
I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts.
I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom,
I never held down a screaming child so doctors could do tests.
Or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom,
I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put her down.
I never felt my heart break into a mil lion pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom,
I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.
I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important and happy.

Before I was a Mom,
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache, the wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom.
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much, before I was a Mom .

Taco Soup with TVP

Well, I can't say that I'm a health nut or vegetarian, but I like to try new (healthy) things, infact, I've had this 'TVP' for about 6 months and have finally decided how I wanted to try it out. So, really, it took me a while to test it on Mike. Hah. I did pretty good I'd say - as I asked him what he thought it was before I told him - and he thought it was ground turkey. Yeah, that was pretty slick on my part! But he ate it AND enjoyed it, had seconds too.

Some of you may wonder "what is this TVP?" - it's Texturized Vegetable Protein, and has been used as a 'filler' for years with different meat products and used as a substitute, as it has the same texture as ground beef (or turkey) - but it's tasteless and needs to be marinated or spiced-up. It also has similar nutritional value as beef, but without the fat. It's also CHEAPER! You can find it in almost any nutrition section, I bought mine at Fred Meyer.

I thought I'd throw together something from the pantry for dinner tonight and this is the recipie I thru together (this turned out to be awesome!):

TACO SOUP:
1/2 onion chopped
1/2 green pepper chopped
1 cup TVP reconstituted in 1 cup of boiling water, let set for 5 minutes
1 1/2 Cup Black Beans (you could use any bean you wanted, I guess)
1 Beef Boulion in 1/2 cup boiling water water
3 cups V8 Juice
1 1/2 Cup frozen corn
2-4 TBS Taco Seasoning (season to taste)

TOPPINGS:
Shredded Cheese
Sour Cream
Tortilla Chips

DIRECTIONS:
Saute onion and green pepper in oil, add beans and reconstituted TVP and Taco Seasoning, cook together for a few minutes, add V8 Juice, Beef Boulion, and frozen corn, taste and add seasoning if needed, let simmer for about 15 minutes.

Memories - Part I

I recently reviewed some pictures that Mike put onto my new laptop and thought I'd post some 'memories.'

Live Fire Training

In the picture above Mike is on the far right, standing tall.

Yesterday Mike participated in a live fire training on Douglas. There are supposed to be a couple more in the spring.

Also, on Saturday afternoon he went to a house fire off of El Camino which had started in the livingroom.

He's VERY tired from Sunday's training, as he was gone from 7am-6pm.

I copied these pics off juneau empire's site below: (there are a lot more pics to see...)

http://spotted.juneauempire.com/photos/index.php?id=1894618&page=1

http://juneauempire.com/stories/102609/loc_509170122.shtml

Teaching Children how to Give

Recently with the Tsunami in Samoa - I have seen an opportunity to show Michael Jr. what it means to give to those in need. Because he can understand (for the most part) I explained what happened in Samoa and told him that "the water destroyed and washed away these people's cars, homes, clothing, food, toys, books..." and that we were going to go thru things in our home that we don't use that those in need would put to good use. He was very eager to share and suggested that we give some of his toys and cars to those children in need, and I let him pick out what he wanted to give, as I was doing some of my own gathering of items around the house. Several times a day he thinks about what has happened in Samoa and asks me questions and suggests "maybe people in Samoa need (fill in the blank)" and I find it has been a wonderful way to involve his little (big) mind in thinking about meeting the needs of others.

(There is a local family collecting donnations to send to Samoa via AML - let me know if you want more info on that).

Also, today in checking my email, I had come across the following article that I recommend (a short read) that is appropriate for this holiday season: http://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/spiritual_growth_for_kids/teaching_servanthood/gimme_gimme.aspx

How do you take opportunities to share with your children the importance of giving to those in need?

Drawing Closer to God - Financial Freedom - Part 1

Mike and I have been doing a bible study on Financial Freedom and it's amazing! It was on back order when we purchased it, so we've been waiting about two months and it finally came in the mail. We've only watched the first session - there are 20 sessions in all - and we've skimmed thru the 'Men's Manual.' The first session is "Learn What It Really Means To Be Financially Free," and is eye opening. It has a twenty question quiz "To What Degree Are You Financially Free?" and then gives 20 factors, scripturally based, showing how scriptural principles affect financial freedom. It also shows you how to identify evidence of financial bondage.

There are listed many factors of financial freedom which include the following:

Knowing God's purpose for money
Knowing how to Tithe properly
How to keep out of Debt
Living within your income
Learning how to live in abundance and in need
Knowing the potential of your home and developing it
Create a good family name
Avoid Partnerships
Avoid Slothfulness

Some scripture to ponder:

Deuteronomy 8:18
"But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth"

Philippians 4:12
"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"

Hebrews 11:6
"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him"

Romans 13:8
"Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law"

John 16:23-24
"...I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name...Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete"

Malachi 3:10
"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this, "says the Lord Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it."

2 Thessalonians 3:10
"...If a man will not work, he shall not eat"

Proverbs 19:15
"Laziness brings on deep sleep, and the shiftless man goes hungry"

Proverbs 6:10-11
"A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest - and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man"




I highly recommend this study: http://store.iblp.org/products/FFSP/

4th of July Pictures - Finally!

Well, the 4th of July was just two weeks after I had the twins, so I couldn't make it, but my parents took the boys and Chris and Lindsey helped out. Mike was walking in the parade with the fire department (see picture - closest to middle of street wearing his gear). I sure missed a good parade!

Pictures

Tram Adventure with Gpa &Gpa

Before the end of tourist season my dad and grandpa Maurice

took the boys for a ride up the tram and had lunch.

I Love My Husband Because...

There's just not enough words to say how wonderful my husband is, and how great he is with the kids, so I decided to start a list. Mostly, because I don't say 'thank you' enough, I thought I'd dedicate a blog post to the many reasons why I love him...

1. He never complains about my cooking.
2. He changes all kinds of diapers.
3. He helps with potty training Connor.
4. He scoots over and gives up precious bed space for me and two infants.
5. He gets up in the middle of the night to help when any of the kids wake up.
6. He is so quiet when he gets ready for work in the morning, I often don't know that he's gone.
7. He gives the kids a bath and story before putting them down for bed.
8. He plays with the kids outside after he gets home from a long day at work to give me a break.
9. He takes the kids to the park to give me some quiet time so I can get things done around the house.
10. He works a 2nd P/T job and does his Fire Fighter training on nights and weekends and still finds time to spend with the kids and me.
11. He'll take his lunch time to play with the kids at the park.
12. He'll watch all 4 kids to let me run to the grocery store alone :)
13. He'll load and unload the dishwasher for me when he sees that I'm too tired to do it myself.
14. He'll help me fold the large pile of laundry sitting on the bed so we can go to bed...

What are the many reasons why you love your husband?

cousins

More Pictures

Things I don't do very well anymore...

Now that I have 4 kids, and two of them being infants, there are a few things that have changed in my life. Including the way things get done around the house and when I actually get out of the house.

1. Answering the phone can be a bit of a struggle, and then when I do actually get to the phone, having a conversation without interruptions or a child in need is difficult, then, if someone actually leaves a message on our machine, yes, I do listen to the messages, but I don't always hear it on the same day it was left, and even if I do get to listen to the messages, I have a rather difficult time actually returning a phone call.

2. Dishes get piled up sometimes, and even when I manage to fill the dishwasher and they get cleaned, I don't always get around to putting the dishes away. I at least try to keep one side of my sink clear, and the other side my 'pile.'

3. Dusting & cleaning windows, hah, this might get done if the dust on the TV is too thick and distorts the picture! Some day I'll clean the drool, snot and hand prints off my windows, but not today or tomorrow, or next month, what's the use? It's just going to happen again... Plus, it's almost winter, so, I don't need to worry about letting the light in until next spring...

4. Vacuuming is a sore spot for me, I used to do it twice a day, but now I'm lucky if I get to it every other day. This just grosses me out, because we have a dog that sheds a lot! I need one of those robo vacuums then all I'd have to do is empty it out, and keep the kids from messing with it!

5. Getting somewhere on time just doesn't happen for me, I don't even know why I bother to look at the clock anymore. Even if I set myself a deadline for getting out the door 15-30 minutes before we need to be somewhere, I'll end up having to change 3 more diapers, turn off lights, let the dog inside, go pee (again), grab a drink of water, run back inside to grab the list I left on the table, shall I go on???