Simple and Deliberate

Four

2012-01-29T13:42:00.000-08:00

^{Joshua 4...
20} And Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken out of the Jordan. ²¹ He said to the Israelites, “In the future when your descendants ask their parents, ‘What do these stones mean?’ ²² tell them, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’ ²³ For the LORD your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The LORD your God did to the Jordan what he had done to the Red Sea^[b] when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over. ²⁴ He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the LORD is powerful and so that you might always fear the LORD your God.”

I am no Joshua. But, I am a part of a long, rich line of incredible men and women who have raised 'stones' in honor of the One who had delivered them from pain, sorrow, grief, struggles, etc.

Today marks the fourth anniversary of Eric's death. But, as I was thinking through the past four year's events I realized that this day should not just be a sad anniversary but could be, no, should be turned into a milestone to look back on and marvel at God's goodness.

Of course, building a stone altar might look a bit strange now-a-days. But, there is no reason why, in our minds, we can't pile our stones on this particular date to remind us of His wonderful right hand.
We do this a lot.
We create special dates using the calendar on our wall.
We celebrate all kinds of frivolous things along with all those important marriage anniversaries, birth dates, and holidays.
But, so much more important are those milestones that remind us of God's faithfulness.

So, here I raise my Ebenezer.
I publicly dedicate it as a monument to God's help, God's faithfulness, God's eternal covenant.
And, as we go on with our lives, the 'stone' will stand there,
visible to me as a reminder of God's faithfulness to our family.
May people always see that the 'hand of the LORD is powerful' through His working to complete in us what He started out to do in our lives.
And, may I regularly share this milestone with you so that you may rejoice with us at God's faithfulness.

~Heather

Goals

2012-01-23T21:39:00.000-08:00

Recently, our church had a woman's encouragement day where we enjoyed a wonderful brunch and listened to a good friend of mine talk about the importance of making goals..realistic goals.
Writing down goals not because it is the first of the year and everyone makes unrealistic resolutions but BECAUSE it is the first of the year giving us a fresh start.
At first I thought "yeah right, okay, goals...my main goal is to get through each day."
But, I know myself well enough. I know that I resist implementing new plans. I actually like planning but have a hard time getting going on the said plans. Maybe its due to years of making unrealistic New Year's resolutions that I just could never keep.
I sent away from the gathering truly encouraged...and, with a long list of small goals to work on for ninety days. Yep, 90 days is doable. Then I will reassess and either add more to the list or change things around a bit.
We were also asked to find an accountability partner. This past year I was blessed with a surprise friendship. Jennifer and her family moved to the Oakdale area recently.
They all showed up at church one Sunday and while greeting them she informed me that we were Facebook friends. I thought I had recognized her!
This was our first time meeting each other but we do have a lot of friends in common.
A quick friendship developed and now she is my accountability partner.

So, Colleen, the friend who was speaking to us about goals gave us eight areas to work on:
self-care, spiritual, intellectual/emotional, relationships, life/time management, nest management, financial, uniquely you

I thought I would share with you the different goals that I made. These are goals that I am working on until the end of March. So far, I am doing fairly well.

For self-care the decisions were made for me. I had actually taken a blood test and my Chiropractor, who is now practicing Functional Medicine, gave me the results. I was severely dehydrated and lacking vitamin D and Bs. I also had other things to deal with but those I can save for another day.
So, for self-care I am going gluten free and drinking three 24 oz bottles of water a day. In the meantime, our whole family is working on eating as much organic, whole foods and cutting out sugar and refined foods. We have done this before but since Eric died it has been hard to actually care. I can tell that my period of mourning is coming to an end as I am able to manage these things now without being so overwhelmed.

Spiritual - I plan on memorizing one song from the Psalter and one worship song that we sing in our church. I have such a hard time memorizing lyrics so I want to deliberately work on memorizing Mercies Anew and Psalm 54.
My second goal in this area is to keep a prayer log. I pray a lot. When I can't sleep I pray. When I am up with Sweet Pea at night I pray. I need to pray more but I also need to keep a log of those of whom I said that I would pray for. When I say I am going to pray for you, I mean it. But, sometimes my brain does not remmber as well as I would like so the prayer log will help me in this area.

Intellectual/Emotional - Although reading is one of my loves, it is also one of those loves that most frustrates me because I have a hard time making time to do so.
Did you notice that I didn't you the excuse that I don't have time? The thing is, we all have the same amount of time in a day to creatively fill with what we think is important. If reading is important to me I will find the time. So, this goal is one I am most excited about because I am purposefully making time to read something that is educating.
This book was brought to my attention by, I believe, Dr. George Grant and it helps that it has an acknowledgement from Ravi Zacharias. The book above was written by an Indian philosopher and so far the first part of the book is dealing with aesthetic philosophy which is something I have always wanted to study.

For the emotional part of the above section I am trying to create a new habit. Every time I am frustrated I will count to ten and say a quick prayer for wisdom. This is in hopes of controlling my tendency to speak louder when I get frustrated.

Relationships - I have a lot of relationships that I need to work on continuously. But, for the next 90 days I had purposed to work on my relationships with my older girls: Rebecca, Miss M, and Daisy. I was able to spend some great time with Rebecca while she was down here for a week and I have some ideas of how to encourage her over the next couple of weeks (although I can't explain them here because I know she reads this! :).
As for Miss M and Daisy, I will be traveling with them over the next couple of months for debate tournaments. It is not easy to get one on one time with them with Sweet Pea around but I sure hope to make some milestone memories with them that they can look back on.
I have very little time with them left at home. I am telling you what...those years of high school and early twenties go by so quickly. Before you know it they are off on a new adventure and your sole communication is by phone.

Life and Time Management -I had begun making a new chore list before hearing Colleen talk about goals but I was kind of stuck in the planning stage and wasn't sure how to implement it all. The Chore chart is almost complete because of the encouragement of Colleen and others. As your kids age, you find that chore charts, lists of things to do, and goals need to change with them. Since moving to the new house I had seen the need for change but had never put it down on paper. Now I am catching up and making sure that I have chores listed for weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly. And, next to them will be a dollar amount of which I will pay for these things to be done. Some of the items will be normal chores that you just do because you live in the house but we also want to encourage our kids to go above and beyond and be able to make a little money on the side. Nothing big...learned that a long time ago. Kids are happy with just enough to be able to save for something big or use to buy their favorite gum. A worker is worth his wage though so we try to be fair.
The second thing I am working on under life and time management is making better use of the children in helping maintain the house.
With the birth of this newest one I have found myself more frustrated with the inability to get it all done. It has been five years since I last had a little one in the house and I had gotten use to getting so much done. Well, baby doesn't let me get as much done...this means I have time to work on management and encouragement skills with my children. This is good!

In the area of Nest Management I have been lacking. But, then Pinterest came into my life! Pinterest is this amazingly fun way to keep and organize great ideas. I have been doing this manually for the past twenty years....instead of keeping magazines I would clip the idea out of the magazine and file it away for future use. Pinterest is the same thing except it is digital AND I don't have to have a special box to store all the info. Yes! So, now I have all kinds of great ideas stored online and guess what...it's inspiring me to make my house more of a home.

Another area that I am working on is creating new memories, new traditions for my new family. Of course, I need to keep some of our old traditions for my older girls but I need to create new ones for everyone. So, I'm trying to come up with unique birthday ideas and other creative ways to make memories with my new family. I know the value of having years of memories and how it helps solidify families.

Financial - I rarely even looked at the finances before I became a widow. That means that for two years I have learned the hard way how to manage our finances. I highly doubt that my oldest daughter and son had much training so I have a goal of helping my other children so that they know how to manage a budget, how to deal with extra expenses, and how to work credit to your advantage. I am not an expert but I just don't want them to have to such an uphill climb. My goal for the next 90 days is to work with Miss M and Daisy.
Secondly, I plan on passing the financial stuff to Phil. It is one less area that I need full control and one less thing on my plate means more time to work on some other project.

So, in the Uniquely You category I decided to spruce myself up a bit. First off I have made a commitment to always have make-up on and have my hair done when I go out of the house. I have kind of let this area of myself go ever since I got pregnant. Well, no more! And, honestly, I like it when I have my hair done, my eyebrows waxed, and my make-up on. The toes, well, the toes will have to wait until the warm weather comes and I begin to slip on my flip flops again.

And, last but not least, I made a goal to complete a photo album for 2010. For our wedding I created one of those online photo albums and the results were amazing! I love it. So, I was inspired to create one for each year putting the best of the best pics in from that year. I am starting with 2008 but decided to work on 2010 before the end of March. Sad to say, this goal just might not get done but it will have been because I got more important things done.

There you go. You now know more about me than you probably wanted to!
I hope this post encourages you to make some goals for yourself.
~Heather

Merry Christmas...um, I Mean Happy New Year!

2012-01-08T21:04:00.000-08:00

Yes! I am actually writing on my blog!
In this new year I have so much to be thankful for.
I look around me and see the beautiful, warm, cozy home that I live in and give thanks.
I sit at the dinner table and look into the eyes of each of my children and my loving husband and thank God for His bounty.
When I wake up with my husband on one side of me and our beautiful 11 month old on the other I praise my Creator for His sovereign plan.

This past Christmas season saw a continual busyness that I have still not learned to like.
I personally to stay home....unless I am traveling.
I have always enjoyed getting out on the road but I dislike the busyness that sometimes can creep into the lives of moms who school the children at home.
I did try. I did try to slow things down and enjoy a few moments reading books with the kids on the couch. And, we even worked on our Jesse Tree project.

I thought I would share some photos of my attempts in decorating.
This year we bought little, fake trees for each child so that they could decorate the trees the way they wanted. It has been fun to see each child's creativity come alive.
Miss M is using some of the old favorite ornaments with a silver and red theme.
Daisy is as funky with her tree as she is with everything else in life...orange and other bright colors along with old favorite ornaments.
Foley has decided to collect beer caps and wine corks. He came up with all kinds of creative things to make with both and then added some baseball stuff to his tree.
Brown Sugar and Sweet Pea share a tree and it is decorated by me! I have all these fun stuffed hearts made with the fabric of my old dresses and these cute shaped felt ornaments that my mom made for me years ago. Added to that are some snowflakes and some red hearts. It has a Mary Englebert flavor to it just like their room.
This meant that the family tree would finally be the way I have always wanted the tree to look. It is white and red in flavor with snowflakes and red tin stars and red beads and white lights.
I love it...I so enjoy sitting in front of it in the evening and just think about life with no other lights on except the white twinkling lights.
Ah...pure delight!

I have found Pinterest! For the past four years I have done very little in the way of crafts. I gave up quilting because of my eye sight. I gave up on scrapbooking because of how time consuming it is.
I do still knit because it is a great stress reliever and I can take it everywhere I go.
But, it was Pinterest that stirred up those creative juices again.
So, here is my attempt to decorate with little time on my hands.
It was refreshing...it made our house more like a home.

My mom started the tradition of making stockings for me and my siblings when we were young. She has kept up the tradition by making them for all of our spouses and children. The only problem? They are so big that it is hard to fill them!

I have wanted to complete Anne Voskamp's Jesse Tree Journey for the past four years. I bought it the Christmas before Eric died. He had been in the hospital the month before and so I really didn't do much with it that year. I have not been able to do it since. Last year I tried but I allowed our schedule to get to booked up. This year I worked harder to make it happen...even with a very needy baby.

Thanks to a friend of mine, we used some peach branches for our tree. We did get about half way through the book. Next year we will get all the way through it.
What I loved about this year was that I made new traditions, gave placement to my decorations, created a homey atmosphere for this big house.

My daughter, Miss M is quite the photographer. She has made a little business out of it and is doing quite well. She has been the assistant photographer at a few weddings and has taken quite a few family groups. Well, our family was one that needed a new family photo and here is the collection.

Love this one of Sweet Pea.

Sweet Pea has a proclivity to tearing our lips off with her death grip.

Brown Sugar is growing up...sniff, sniff! She is a very precocious six year old. Thankful that she is showing reading readiness...this girl needs something to do and I believe that reading will help her with her adventurous spirit and keep her away from the scissors!

Foley is such a handsome young man. Learning some hard lessons lately but man, that smile just gets him through so much boyhood craziness! Foley still loves to bike around, skateboard and if we had the money he would be the best dressed kid around! He has great taste in clothing (although he didn't think it was cool to have his shirt tucked in for this picture!).
He is a great reader and has more friends than he knows what to do with. I believe he is going to be an amazing young man with a powerful voice wherever God places him.

Daisy is as funky, quirky, sweet, and loving as ever. This girl can get down on the level of little ones so easily...she reminds me of her dad when she does this. I love her adventurous spirit. Part of that spirit is what drives her to learn Spanish, French, and ASL all at the same time. She wants to be able to speak clearly with when she travels the world.

Miss M is ready to face all of lifes darts. She is an intelligent young woman who can't wait to tell you all about this years Debate resolution (it happens to be on Federal revenue generation) or why you should vote for Ron Paul. She is still looking at all the possibilities of becoming a midwife which I hope she will be successful at...she has only dreamed of being one since she was a little girl!

Phil has officially, as of last week, finished his dissertation. He now has to prepare the bibliography and a small conclusion. He should get the rough draft of the last chapter back this week so that he can work on it and get it sent to the editor.
A defense of his dissertation is what is next on the list of things to accomplish before he can walk the aisle for his PhD. Yep, come this spring we can all start calling him Dr. Phil!
I am trying to keep up with everyone. Sweet Pea has turned out to be a high needs baby. She has no physical problems that we know of but she just does not like to be very far away from neither her mother or father. Its just in the last month that she has finally attached to her sisters giving me some breathing space and a chance to get back to shopping without it taking all day!
Between debate season, errands to run, homeschooling, and a house to keep up with, I am one busy momma. I love it. I love my life.
I thank God for this incredible journey that He has seen fit to set me on.
And, I am incredibly thrilled that I actually got this post done...even if it is an hour past my bed time! I hope I can keep journaling my journey for you and for my family this next year.
~Heather

Who Has The Time to Blog?

2011-11-13T22:33:00.000-08:00

Well, for my faithful readers who have not completely abandoned me, I am still alive.

I just can't seem to make time to sit in front of the computer for more than a few minutes at a time...and, if I am in front of my iPad it is because I am feeding or snuggling with a little one in which case I have very little ability to type well.

And, really, when it comes right down to it, my brain feels like mush most of the time.

I am sleep deprived and trying to keep my home in order.

I'm only sleep deprived because I have gotten use to having eight to ten hours of uninterrupted sleep every night. Ha! That isn't happening now.

But, I wouldn't change anything...not one thing.

I love my life.

I love my beautiful family.

I love holding a baby in my arms.

Life is good...very good, indeed.

So, what has been going on?

Well, since our trip North in August we have started school...this year we are in a Science co-op and enjoying spending time with friends.

We also have a weekly Ultimate frisbee game that the kids all attend.

We have enjoyed a few visits with my son and his wife as they have been down here for different occasions. Carrie finally looks pregnant!

Daisy was able to work up at a Homeschool camp and is working at piano, singing, and school. She is also taking a Spanish class and ASL class. I love the opportunities that have come together for her this year.

Miss M was working for the past five months and has a very busy Debate schedule. She seems to rarely be here...sniff, sniff. She has said that this is her last year of Debate and so we are working hard at getting to all of her meets this year and cheer her on. She is definitely a great speaker and is learning a lot.

Foley is doing fine. Nothing new...just school and play. He is also taking Spanish and has a knack for it as my friend tells me.

Brown Sugar finally has beautiful hair. I am learning...man, it is a lot of work! She is so hopeful that she will have long hair someday. Her permanent front teeth are now in which is the time that I say they no longer look like a toddler. She is a girl and a feisty one at that!

Sweet Pea is so stinkin' cute. She is very long and has the cutest chubby thighs. She just loves momma to the extent that she reaches for me even when in her dad's arms. She is definitely attached! She is eating regular food now and loves it although is quite a messy eater still.

Phil is almost done with his dissertation! He has been working very long hours. Writing a chapter a month is hard work. When he gets his chapters back from his dissertation committee chair it rarely has a mark on it. His grammar skills are amazing. Honestly, he should be an editor. He is hoping to be done in December which means that early Spring will be when he defends it and then in the late Spring he will walk the aisle for his PhD.

I am soooooo proud of him.

He has already started sending out the applications...we are really hoping to be able to stay in the Central Valley but we are also looking at other possibilities.

I am busy teaching, nursing, managing.

I still play the piano at church and have put together a choir for our church for Christmas this year....because I had a spare moment so spare?!?

We have had a wonderful, sweet family living with us for the past six weeks. They bought a house that needed some remodeling done and so we have enjoyed their company here. They are the reason why Brown Sugar's hair is looking so good! They have helped me with her hair and have been such nice help around the house as well. It looks like they will be leaving this week to move into their newly remodeled home.

I am full of gratefulness and thankfulness for so many things...

God Almighty, saving grace, the beauty of God's church, Philip, each and every one of my children, my children by marriage, our amazing local church community, my family, the many friends that God has blessed me with, my memories, my past, my home, coffee and good chocolate, a good dark beer, photos to help me remember all those wonderful memories, music, and the list goes on!

I hope that you are taking this month to truly be thankful for everything and everybody.

~Heather

Love!

2011-10-17T22:09:00.001-07:00

Seven Months Old!

2011-10-14T22:17:00.001-07:00

Shhhh...don't tell Miss M that I posted these. She hasn't done any work on these but I just had to share. They are way too cute! Sweet Pea is now seven months old and a-d-0-r-a-b-l-e!

She is just about to crawl on her hands and knees. She gets around right now by doing the army crawl. She can push herself up to a side sitting position and is pretty steady while sitting on her own. She loves to laugh and smile and jabber.

She is not eating solid foods yet but we hope to add that soon. Meanwhile she loves momma and the milk that I provide.

In fact, she is crying as I write for me to come up and feed her. So, I have got to go but I just had to post these. Hope you enjoy!

~Heather

A Godly Heritage

2011-08-29T21:10:00.000-07:00

–noun

something that comes or belongs to one by reason of birth; an inherited lot or portion: a heritage of poverty and suffering; a national heritage of honor, pride, and courage.

something reserved for one: the heritage of the righteous.

I am blessed beyond measure. Every time I walk past our picture wall I am reminded of the great heritage that the Lord has granted me. I love the above picture. Although Becca and Peter had their photo taken over, I loved this one because it showed a bit of their fun personality.
Peter makes Becca laugh...always a good thing!
Peter is getting ready to head to school and training for six months with the Coast Guard. We are all so excited for him but not so much for Becca who will have to be a part from him until February. We will be back here cheering both of them on for the next six months!

And, if you think I am blessed you would agree that my parents are even more blessed. Look at this group of grandkids! And, there's a great grandchild in there as well...that little one is due February 15th which is the day before his or her's Aunt Cora's birthday. Isn't life grand?

A picture of all the cousins. What a great group of kids.

This is my sister with her family (she is missing her step-daughter though). Lynn is a very hard working mama who gets the most amazing deals at the store. She works full time and manages to balance that, her children's many needs, and still keep a garden and such. Her husband, Jeff, works for...hmm, is it Air Force? National Guard? Horizon? I really don't know exactly who he works for but I do know that he and Nathan, my son, work in the same area even if they work at different air bases. MaKaela, in the back, has always held a special place in our home. We have spent many years getting to be a part of her growing up which makes it hard to only see Skylar (two year old in mama's lap) once a year.

Yeah, of course, the newlywed couple shows off some affection for the rest of us! Too cute!
Nathan is still stationed in Washington and Carrie is getting used to being so far away from home. We are hoping that her morning sickness will ease up since she is now into her second trimester.

This is my big, little brother. He towers over me at around 6'4" but is twelve years younger than I am. Ben is a graphic designer and his wife Chloe is a working on her dissertation while helping raise little Lucien. We had a great time getting to know Lucien during the week we were together.

So, this is the family that I was born into...My mom and dad just celebrated forty-eight years of marriage. I am the oldest with my sister coming along almost two years later. Then, surprise, surprise, Ben showed up ten years after Lynn. We have had some great times and some not-so-great times. I am very thankful for my family and for the many memories that have, over time, become warm and lovely to me.

And, here is my new family. New and growing. I started on this journey twenty-four years ago at the age of twenty when I married Eric. We had Becca a little over a year later and the family just kept growing. We've had our difficult moments and our burdens to bear but God has been faithful and has allowed us to bend a little here and bend a little there but has never broken this family. We have a new patriarch, a couple of in-laws, a wee little one, and a new little grand baby on the way. My cup overflows with His kindness towards me.
This is my heritage, my portion.
~Heather

Friends are friends....forever?

2011-08-01T22:42:00.000-07:00

I have written and rewritten this post...I just can't seem to put down in a blogspot what I am feeling. The feelings are intense and hard to accurately portrait them to you without you becoming confused by the mess of words that I spew out from my keyboard.

I remember singing the Michael W. Smith song "Friends" many a time during my high school, college years. By the time I was married I had made friends and said good-bye to them but usually because one of us was moving. In fact, I can't think of one single person whom I have an estranged relationship with until this past week.

It got me thinking about friendships in general. Throughout our lives we come in contact with many people. Some will stay in the acquaintance stage while others may move to that inner circle of close, dear friend status. Then, there are all the levels between the two that are occupied by the majority of our friendships.

I happen to be one of those gals that have a lot of friendships in the mid levels. I have a few that have been intimate, close friends but for different seasons of my life. We change, we grow and sometimes that means our friendships change as well. I am okay with that. But, when the majority of your friendships are couples that you and your husband are close with...and, when your husband dies...can you see some difficulty here?

Yes, you would think that those people would be the ones that gather around you to support you knowing that you are an individual that still needs that friendship. I found out last week that one of those close friends decided that she no longer wants to be my friend. Our friendship, I have been told, was based on my relationship with Eric. Since Eric is no longer here, we no longer need to be friends. I am just someone she knows now. Wow! This was a close friend...or so I thought. As this has sunk in I have found myself grieving all over again. It's hard enough to lose your husband, the life you had with him, your children's father, and pretty much your identity...but, to have a friend tell you this is just...it's just junk!

But, the shock has worn off and over this past week I have been reminded of a sweet blessing. God opened a few doors for me to have some interaction with some dear friends that I thought were backing off due to my different status in life. Those who really loved us both, loved me all the more when he died. They did not treat me like a project, they did not exclude me from functions, they backed off when they were told to by others, they loved me by helping me with my children and understanding my situation. I can't thank the Lord enough for those who loved me beyond what I could even see...

Thank you Dave and Jean H,

Thank you Carl and Jennifer S,

Thank you Steve and Wendy W.

And, a huge thank you goes out to all those at Central Valley Presbyterian who gave, loved, and prayed for me.

You loved me even when it hurt.

You have accepted my new life with Phil.

And, more importantly, you have been a shining example of how the Church should take care of its own and the widow and orphans.

So, if you didn't understand this post you now understand why I have had such a hard time writing it. Such grief, such sorrow over losing some friends while joy over reuniting with other friends. And, then the mixed feelings of sadness over time lost with those friends.

~Heather

Rebel at Heart

2011-07-12T20:29:00.001-07:00

So, I ask a lot of questions.
I ask questions because I want to know why people do things the way they do things.
I ask questions because I just can't, won't go along with the crowd.

And...I married someone who likes to ask questions as well!
I will never forget the time I was driving home and on the phone with Phil's best man and best friend. I needed to let him know that he would need to drop our marriage license off at the county office while we were away on our honeymoon. It had to be in within nine days and we were going to be out of town. He asked me why we were getting a license....um, because we are suppose to?
I asked him why he asked me that question.
He said that the definition of a license is to get permission to do something that would otherwise be illegal to do.
Hmmm...well, we were getting married lawfully. God had "righteously ended" my first marriage and so I was free to marry again. Phil had never been married and so according to biblical standards there would be no reason for us not to get married. Phil and I talked about this and started questioning the process that pretty much every one just does without question.

So, being the rebels that we are we started to look into not using a marriage license. Phil's friend conveniently did not turn in the paperwork and so we started on the long journey of learning how to tell the court that we were legally married.
We gathered up evidence of our wedding, had our Pastor sign a statement saying he married us, and with forms in hand we headed to the courthouse.
It isn't clearly written in law books how to deal with people like us.
But, we did peak the curiosity of a local county lawyer who finally figured out what was needed...we petitioned the court and on our court date we showed up with all of our info.
After the Judge asked me to get rid of my gum (oops!) and Phil to get rid of a coffee cup we got down to business. We sure thought we would be questioned by the Judge but instead she just looked at us like we were religious freaks and signed the petition.
A few weeks later we were sent our court ordered delayed marriage certificate.

This is really the condensed version! It took a lot of running around, a lot of questions to be answered, and a few intelligent brains to help us forge through the bureaucracy of the government.
So, why did we take the hard, and ultimately expensive, way to record our marriage with the state? Because, when you get a license you are, in essence, giving the State the ability to define marriage. But, God is the only one that can define marriage.
We, as Christians, complain about the ongoing fight for gay marriage...but, we have no right to complain. We have handed over the responsibility to the State to decide who (or what) can get married.
So, petitioning the court tells the court that we are married...we did not ask permission from them. We didn't need their permission. Although we do believe that the State is bound to uphold God's laws by recording our marriage and help with any disputes over the "contract" of marriage. So, they do have a position in all of this but definitely not to license people to get married.
Licensing came about for two reasons. The first was when a sailor wanted to get married before he set out to sea. Here's the history lesson...you had to "publish the bans" and give the public ten days to give reason why the two in the bans could not get married. Sound familiar? Yep, we moved this to the ceremony after the State started licensing people. In the case of the sailor, the couple would not have those ten days so the State community would step in and say they would guarantee that all was right for the two to get married.
Another reason to get a license was when a citizen of this country decided to marry someone who had not grown up in this country. The court wanted to make sure that this particular person understood that they would be marrying into a Judeo-Christian culture. Would they be willing to give up their religious affiliation and practice to live within a different culture?
I can see why these were needed but to expand the licensing to all marriages makes no sense. Again, it gives the State too much authority.

So, we just can't stop there.
I have always wanted a home birth. And, I had one but not without grief from the medical community.
I could not get a Doctor to be my back up so I didn't have one. I figured that if I have an emergency then it really does not matter who helps me when I get to the hospital.
All worked out...I had a wonderful experience.
But, after the birth we found that Sweet Pea has Phil's blood type which is the polar opposite of mine. Yes, I am RH negative and so I had to have a Rhogam shot but in the state of California you have to get this shot prescribed by a Doctor. That meant a trip to...somewhere to get someone to help me out. No, it couldn't be easy. I finally had to go down to the clinic where I was asked why I was there. I mean I had just given birth only twelve hours earlier...they didn't want to see me until I was two weeks post postpartum.
After lots of questions, pushing of contraceptives, pushing of immunizations for a newborn, and $1,000.00 later I finally got my shot.
All the way trying to get the medical community to understand that my choice was not irrational. It was full of thought.

So, our next appointment was to get a birth certificate for Sweet Pea. We made our way down to public records which is the last place you want to take a newborn.
We were questioned by the employees and then sent home to get some info that they wanted. The lady we talked to wanted to know why we had not been in there earlier. I guess the State requires us to be there within the first ten days after the baby's birth...are you kidding?
I couldn't even think about leaving the house within the first ten days!
When I told her that I couldn't find info on how to do this when you have a homebirth. She said "well, COMMON SENSE would tell you to call a hospital to find out how to file for a birth certificate." Seriously? Common sense? Phil had to practically continue to talk so that I couldn't spill out the nasty words I was thinking. Don't mess with a new mom!
We finally did get the birth certificate but not without a lot of questions.
Do you see a trend?
We ask questions about why we do the things we do...
when we get answers we decide to not just go with the flow...
then, we get questioned by those in authority about why we questioned their authority.

So, our latest episode with the bureaucracy was at the Social Security office.
Now, this one is fresh in my mind and so you are going to get the full story!
We had to sit for an hour in a long room filled with chairs all facing the same direction.
They were facing the security guard...not the windows where you would eventually get to talk to an agent.
I asked how long the wait would be and if I couldn't just make an appointment.
No...I had to sit there with baby waiting...feeling a part of the dull masses that just follow the rest of the crowd.
When it was our turn I handed all the paperwork to the agent and was told that they could change my name on my SS card but that they would not be able to help me get Sweet Pea a number. Not that I really want to give Sweet Pea a number but that is how we do things in America. I would rather not follow the masses on this but the repercussions are not great.

Anyway, the agent said that we needed proof of "continual existence". Seriously.
Continued existence.
They would not take the California birth certificate as proof of her existence. Let me remind you that a birth certificate is a legal document.
This is what they wanted instead...an immunization card or a medical insurance card.
Seriously.
These are not legal documents...in fact, I could just create my own if I was so inclined.
Yes, you guessed it...we do not immunize and we choose to not have medical insurance.
So, where does that leave us? No SS number for Sweet Pea at this point.
We did get a letter from our Chiropractor (oh, I also had to tell the lady that yes, indeed Chiropractors are licensed Doctors!) stating that Sweet Pea is a patient there.
But, now we are questioning whether or not we should give her a number.
I know, I know, we wouldn't get to claim her on our taxes but maybe we should let her decide if she wants to have a SS number someday.
Anyway, we are in the questioning stage again.

Our church has on its website
Semper Reformanda
meaing always reforming.
That is what we believe that we are doing when we question why things are done a certain way.
We are always learning, always reforming, always growing.
Its hard work going against the grain,
swimming upstream...
I don't see it changing anytime soon.
~Heather

Do the Next Thing

2011-06-29T10:49:00.000-07:00

A poem quoted by Elisabeth Elliot
Do The Next Thing
"At an old English parsonage down by the sea,
there came in the twilight a message to me.
Its quaint Saxon legend deeply engraven
that, as it seems to me, teaching from heaven.
And all through the hours the quiet words ring,
like a low inspiration, 'Do the next thing.'
Many a questioning, many a fear,
many a doubt hath its quieting here.
Moment by moment, let down from heaven,
time, opportunity, guidance are given.
Fear not tomorrow, child of the King,
trust that with Jesus, do the next thing.
Do it immediately, do it with prayer,
do it reliantly, casting all care.
Do it with reverence, tracing His hand,
who placed it before thee with earnest command.
Stayed on omnipotence, safe 'neath His wing,
leave all resultings, do the next thing.
Looking to Jesus, ever serener,
working or suffering be thy demeanor,
in His dear presence, the rest of His calm,
the light of His countenance, be thy psalm.
Do the next thing."

Ah...Finally Reading Again!

2011-06-08T09:24:00.000-07:00

Some of you may not know that I have an eye disease that

is continuously compromising my eye sight.

The professionals at Stanford University have said that they believe

I should lose my sight within ten to fifteen years.

Well, that was almost ten years ago and I still have my sight even though

I am somewhat visually impaired.

The degenerative genetic disorder is called Retinal

Dominant Drusens, Familial Drusens,Doyne Honeycomb Retinal Dystrophy, or Malattia Leventinese.

Anyway, very few people in the world are blessed with this genetic disorder...I found out about mine in my early thirties.

I have seen the most significant change in my macula which is where this disease resides.

Fairly soon after my diagnosis I chose to rarely drive at night.

If I have to drive at night then I have someone with me to put me at ease.

I have lost a lot of depth perception and lately it feels like the world around me is in 3D....you know that seeing some things up close while seeing others far off. Not fun...not fun at all!

I also have a hard time with bright light and yet I need good quality light when I read.

My eyes do not change quickly when going inside a store, restaurant or such.

So, if you see me but it doesn't look like I see you please know that I am not ignoring you...I really don't see you.

I had been contemplating whether or not to buy something that would help me read. I looked at all the Kindle like products out there but most are not backlit and so they don't really help me see the page anymore than a light would on a book page.

I love Apple products and so when we found out we were getting some money back from our taxes we bought an iPad for me.

I had been reading on my iPod for the past couple of years and on my laptop but the iPod is a bit too small and the laptop is cumbersome to carry around everywhere. Let me tell you, the iPod has been a gift from heaven for me.

I can finally read anywhere!

I no longer am limited to having the exact amount of light.

I not only use it to read books but I also use it as my "hymn book" for our church services.

I download the Powerpoint and read the liturgy from my iPad.

This is when technology is incredibly helpful!

So, I am looking forward to a summer full of reading. By the way, it took me awhile to get use to the idea of having my books in digital form. Personally, I love the smell of a good hard bound book. I love the crisp feel of paper and love marking up my non-fiction books.

But, above all I cherish the ability to read and that trumped the other reasons for buying a good hard bound book. I still will buy them for my children's sake but I will not complain about my new digital library. An added bonus? I found out I can highlight and type notes in my books and the downloaded Bible that I have. Woohoo! I'm thankful for those computer geeks out there that think of everything!

So, I thought I would share with you a list of books that I am reading right now...

The Mysterious Benedict Society

We just finished this book. I picked it up awhile back at Target, of all places. I liked the cover and the synopsis on the back of the book was intriguing.

It took us a while to get through this book mainly because we lent it out a couple of times before finishing it. It is packed full of riddles and crazy antics from the four main characters Reynie (with the voice of the narrator), Sticky (a small, screechy boy's voice), Kate (a wild, fun character who needed a strong Texan accent), and Constance (a high pitched, toddler like voice). The story is far fetched with a villain that is trying to sweep the memories from people so he can take over the world. But, it is a fun kid hero type of story...great for a summer read aloud.

Crispin

This is the first of our summer read-a-louds. I have a whole stack of books that we need to get through with this one on the top. My friend, Dan Glaeser of Dan Glaeser Books, always has a great collection of hardbound children's books for me to add to my collection. Last year he had a fabulous selection of Newberry hard bound used books for a great price.

This was among the selection and so I bought it...we will see if we like it or not. It just looked interesting and had great reviews.

By the way, one of the other Newberry books that we just finished reading right before The Mysterious Benedict Society was called Al Capone Does My Shirts.

A fun read-a-loud about the adventures of a family that lives on Alcatraz Island when Al Capone was in prison there. There were some words that I needed to change while reading but that is the beauty of reading aloud!

Notes from the Tilt-A-Whirl

N. D. Wilson is in my top ten favorite authors list. We started with 100 Cupboards (another great read-a-loud) and then I read Leepike Ridge (add this one to that summer reading list as well!). Daisy has read the next two in the 100 Cupboards series and insists that these be read aloud this summer (I am sure that I will comply with this request!).

Notes reminds me of years ago when I use to read Nathan's work in Credenda Agenda, a wonderful magazine filled with articles by Nathan's father Doug Wilson, Peter Leithart, and other brave souls.

N. D. , as he is known in the book world, is a poet. He sees things in ways that I wish I could. He writes with passion the way I wish I could.

He is a philosopher in a way that I wish I could attain to...maybe someday.

In the meantime, I am enjoying this work of art.

Liberty Defined

I am a Ron Paul fan. I have been for awhile. I read parts of Revolution and realized that this man is right on in his philosophy of government. You might disagree but I urge you to read this book. Especially if you are a Christian. I can't tell you how many people have questioned why I would vote for Ron Paul. This book says it all. For the 12.00 fee you can find out exactly what he believes. This man is right on! Most politicians waver on what they believe. And, the majority (in both parties) are so power happy that they would easily vote against their own philosophy of government than to lose power. But, Ron Paul has stood firm and not wavered on his beliefs.

I have learned quite a bit already from this book that takes on the top 50 most important issues of our day in alphabetical order. And, for those of you who say that Ron Paul is not pro-life this is a must read for you. He is and he proves it!

The Ministry of Motherhood

I picked this up from our church library. I haven't gotten very far because it is in book form rather than digital...meaning I have to read it when I have excellent lighting. But, the intro was good and I need these kinds of books to lighten my parenting up a bit. I can tend to be so concerned with obedience and living by the rules that I forget the heart of motherhood. I am looking forward to delving more into this book.

The Attachment Parenting Book

For years my late husband and I helped facilitate and promote Growing Kids God's Way material. I still like a lot of what I was taught but there is a lot lacking in that particular series. When I was a young mom I read and practiced Baby Wise. In fact, in my immaturity I actually use to talk badly about attachment parenting. Scheduling was the only way to raise a baby!

First came Nancy Wilson's book The Fruit of Her Hands.

In this book Nancy talks about method vs. principle. She uses the illustration that there is the principle of feeding your baby. It is a must do that is required of us parents to nurture our babies. Then there is the method. We tend to get hung up on the method..the how we nurture our babies. Breastfeeding vs. bottle feeding. Both get the job done. Yes, one might be better than the other but most of the time it is more important to squabble about the principle rather than the method.

In my early years as a mother I did not take this approach. I honestly thought badly of someone who decided to rock their baby to sleep every day or demand feed their infant.

I have grown up a lot since then and find that I lean more towards the principle rather than pushing my method.

Then came our adoption of Brown Sugar and Foley.

I started learning more about the importance of attachment and the dangers of leaving a child to cry. I began to see that we take for granted the nurturing that happens when you hold a baby close to your body and nurse that child through her fears of this unknown world.

So, I bought the book that I had so despised and decided to read it before saying any more negative things about it.

To my surprise, I am enjoying the book and realize now that I had no idea what attachment parenting was all about. As I enjoy the attachment that is forming between me and my Sweet Pea I realize that I was so wrong!

I still have Baby Wise on the shelf and I plan on reading it again after I finish the above book. After fifteen years, I want to be reminded of what they say about scheduling and then compare it to attachment parenting. In the meantime, I have my wraps and carriers that keep baby close at all times!

There you go....I have spent so much time describing my reading that I just want to get back to it! What is on your reading list?

~Heather

It's a Long Story!

2011-06-04T17:52:00.000-07:00

Sweet Pea ~ 4 months

Phil, Sweet Pea, and I were at Target the other day when I was asked if this was my first child.
Now, this is a loaded question!
And, it is a peculiar question, I think, considering that I don't look like the twenty something just starting her family.
Of course, maybe I do look like the thirty something that has had her career and is now starting her family....or maybe I just had not found the right guy until now.
Anyway, it is a loaded question all the same.
In fact, Phil or I usually say "No, but it's a long story".
Most people like long stories and I have learned to condense my testimony for such a time as this.

Here is my answer...Cora is my seventh child. My late husband, who died three years ago, and I had four bio children together and then adopted two from Africa. Phil and I married a year and a half ago and this is our first child together.

Why do I feel so compelled to answer in this way? Because it is the testimony that God has given me to share with others.
When the listener's eyes widen as they hear my story they usually ask questions or make statements that allow me to then share my faith in my Sovereign God.
Peace, Hope, Love are all a part of this sweet story.
And, when I have those days where I feel a bit overwhelmed by all that has happened in the last three years I just reflect on all that God has taught me and done in my life.
Thanks be to Him alone!
~Heather

I'm Back!

2011-05-28T22:25:00.000-07:00

Sweet Pea is almost four months and so it is time to get back to writing.
I have probably lost most of the readers of this blog during my hiatus but for those of you who are die hard readers and for future generations, I will carry on.

My brain has been barely functioning as I have tried to make it through each day without the amount of sleep that is usually warranted.
But, this past week baby has been kind to me and has been sleeping for longer intervals...
now the catch up begins!
In between naps and daily chores I will try to get some posts written for future dates and
Miss M has decided to join me in writing a few posts as well.

The past few months have been some what of a blur for me but I will say that I have spent a lot of time just enjoying our precious gift. I have spent a lot of hours holding, cuddling, and kissing this little blessing. I have also had my moments of frustration as I have struggled with the inability to get everything done that I use to be able to accomplish before baby. But, it has forced me to work up a new schedule and come up with new ideas that will enable our unique family and household to run smoothly.
I don't have it all together but I think that I have found (because I never have an original idea of my own!) some pretty helpful ideas that I would love to share with you.

I also have some hard words that I need to write.
It has been three and a half years since Eric's death and although I still find myself dealing with certain issues, whether financial or emotional, I think I have come to a place in my grief that I can share with those who are grieving what I have gone through.

So, for those of you readers who are left I hope you will continue to find encouragement through this blog and through our lives.
~Heather

A Word is Worth a Thousand Pictures

2011-05-02T19:18:00.000-07:00

When we found the house that we bought in October the first thing I noticed was the lack of backyard. Although many of my friends wish they could have acres to live on I would rather live on a smaller piece of property...yep, I confess that I am a city gal through and through. The lack of backyard space was such a relief to me after three years of trying to manage our quarter of an acre at our previous house. Now you can really laugh! Yes, it was only a quarter of an acre and it was laboriously hard to manage...of course, we had a huge pool that took a lot of time and money to keep clean.

Anyway, the people who lived here before us had added a trellis and quite a bit of stone patio area. Due to months of neglect the grass became weeds. So, Phil took out the side yard of weeds and with our tax rebate he built us big, cedar garden bags.

So far Phil has planted over 66 plants including:

strawberries, blueberries, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, squash, melons, green beans, and cucumbers. We also have quite a few herbs and an orange, grapefruit, fig, plum, peach, and pomegranate trees.

Now I am not the gardening type but I am truly going to try to make this work. We are all going to work at this together. Here's to hoping that I succeed!

Here is one of the stone patio areas. This is the view from the backdoor slider. Ah...such a wonderful retreat...and the trees from the neighbors yard keep the evening summer sun from beating down on our backyard.

We moved into our home in October. Just about everything has a place in our new home. Pretty much everything is unpacked and put away. All I had were a few decorating details. One of them was the vinyls that my friend, Tonya made me. Her business is

Fruitful Vine Creations. I have added a link to her business in my sidebar.

The above applique was a saying that I remember hearing in a Tim McGraw song that was popular the year Eric passed away.

It was definitely how Eric lived and I wanted a daily reminder to do the same.

This is in our bathroom.

We have a little den upstairs that we have all our games, schoolbooks, and videos stored. When you reach the top of the stairs you can't miss this wonderful verse. Always a timely reminder when you have a house full of different personalities!

This one is in the kitchen. Foley was memorizing this verse when I realized how perfect it was for our kitchen/dining room.

TASTE and SEE that the LORD is GOOD!!!

This one is hanging up in Tonya's home...I loved it and was incredibly happy when Tonya sent this to me as a gift!

This is my picture wall. I had a huge blank wall in the downstairs hallway and so I decided to fill it with pictures of my family. The middle big frame is filled with pictures of life. The other frames are filled with a portrait of each child. The blank one frame is waiting for a picture from Nate and Carrie's wedding.

Psalm 100:5 says

For the Lord is good and His love endures forever;

His faithfulness continues through all generations.

What better verse to place with my family photos!

And, below you see the vinyl that we placed in the stairway.

Great peace have those who love your law!

Psalm 119:165

What a wonderful reminder every time I walk up those stairs.

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

Deut. 6:4-8

~Heather

I Understand...

2011-04-29T11:17:00.000-07:00

...the amazement and utter disbelief one feels when told that their beloved has died.
I understand the courage and strength that one is given when faced with such tragedy.
I understand a peace that passes ALL understanding.
But, I can hardly imagine what it must be like to live through the terror of a tornado
and to come out the other side with no home, children who are hurt,
and the loss of your best friend, your beloved.

It was not long after the tragedy of the this week's storms that pushed through Alabama that we heard the stories of a family who had been struck with such tragedy. That story along with the stories of other families has caused an outpouring of love and help.
My friends James and Stacy McDonald know families that live in the storm wrecked area.
Stacy shared in her blog a few stories that she has heard so far.
Friends, you all were so kind as to help me out three years ago when I became a widowed mother of six. Please consider giving to these families...
I can tell you that every dollar you give will go straight to the families in need.
Click Your Sacred Calling below to access Stacy's blog to use the direct pay button provided.

Here is Stacy's blog post from her blog
Your Sacred Calling

The stories of heartbreak and loss from the devastating storms in Alabama continue to pour in. Our church has many friends in one of the hardest hit areas outside of Birmingham. A number of the families in that community have lost all their possessions – even their businesses. Some have also lost loved ones.

Lee Family

Tom Lee, father of thirteen, lost his life when his home collapsed on him and his family during the tornado. His wife and most of their children were trapped under the rubble for hours before friends (who had also lost their homes) arrived from two miles away to help. Three of the children were hospitalized. Miraculously, no one had any broken bones (even the daughter who had been pinned under a piano!).

Lee children were buried under this rubble for 7 1/2 hours before being rescued.

As the storm descended upon this small town, four neighboring families sought refuge together with the Crawford family (whose husband/father helped free the Lee family from the rubble).

Crawford Family

The Crawfords, who just had baby number 9 three weeks ago, had the only home on the street with a basement. After the storm passed, everyone in the basement was safe, but the home above was completely destroyed. Providentially, Kelly Crawford’s father had a massive heart attack the morning of the storm; so, neither he nor Kelly’s mother were in their home (which was located on the property, and destroyed) when the tornado hit .

My thoughts and prayers have been frequently focused on these two families since the tragedy struck. I think of my friend, Kelly (Generation Cedar), and how thankful she must be as she snuggles her newborn – her husband and all of her children safe. Yet, everything else is gone: Photos, home, vehicles, outbuildings, dishes, wedding gifts, children’s drawings, books, family heirlooms, home business. Still, Kelly’s Husband, Erin, said, “I don’t care if I get out of here in my underwear…we are alive! I don’t need any of this stuff.” He went on to give the hope of every Christian:

“There is only one thing I know…my God is faithful, gracious and mighty to save. Underneath all the destruction there is a brewing peace that things are going to be OK because of the God I serve. Even while the roads were still blocked, friends, church family and people from all over started pouring in-walking miles through the treacherous darkness and debris to bring in supplies-food, blankets, generators-people even from other states. I am overwhelmed.”

Then my thoughts wander to Mrs. Lee and her family. The Lee family was known for their servant’s heart and generous, sweet spirit. Their godly reputation inspired many. What a day she must have had yesterday, as she struggled to decide where she should be. Three children in the hospital. The other ten, safe, but, traumatized. I’m sure her mother’s heart wanted to gather her children under her wings and comfort them; she must have been so torn. All the while, not able to focus on her own grief. Her beloved is gone to the Lord; and her immediate future is uncertain. Please remember to pray.

While Mrs. Lee’s loss is staggering, she also knows that God is sovereign. An entire second floor home, including a piano, fell on top of this family of 15 people. Not one broken bone. Though God saw fit to take this husband and father home, his wife and children were mercifully spared. God’s purposes are a marvel, as well as a mystery.

Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:2)

We have set up a fund to help these families and many others. If you would like to participate in this effort, you can send a check to: Providence Church, 401 S. Carol Ave., Morton, IL, 61550. Or, you can use the link below to send your funds immediately. All monies received into this fund will be dispersed to the victims of the storm in Alabama. If you would like your donation to help a specific family, please specify that on your check; or, after donating through the button below, send an email to (service AT providencepeoria DOT org.) specifying the amount and the family you wish to help.

Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’
“Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ Matthew 25:34-40

Add This Up...

2011-04-25T22:47:00.000-07:00

6 kids +
1 son-in-law +
1 daughter +
1 daughter-in-law +

drum roll please....
and 1 grandchild!

Yes indeed I am expecting my first grandchild.
Rebecca and Peter are due to welcome their first child in December!

I can not even explain how excited I am...
I am blessed beyond measure to be a new mommy and a grandmother (I prefer Mimi!) at the same time.

God has been good to me!
~Heather

2011-04-19T17:00:00.000-07:00

Okay, since the time of Sweet Pea's birth on February 16th I have found little time to do much more than take care of my family. Of course, Sweet Pea is taking up the majority of this time.
Even at this moment I am typing with one hand while holding baby in the other.

Because of my lack of time (and lack of blog posts, and lack of sleep, and...you get the point!) I have decided to show you the last two months of activities with pictures.
Above is Grandma Olsson holding baby at about two weeks old.
Because we did not know if baby was going to be a boy or girl we bought an outfit for each sex. Needless to say, even though we had a baby girl we decided to keep the boy outfit because it was a baseball outfit...I just insisted that she wear a headband!

Sweet Pea had jaundice and so I spent a lot of time holding her in front of the window trying to get a little sleep.

Life does not stop with a newborn around...a few families in our church get together weekly to play ultimate frisbee.

Miss M took some wonderful pictures of Sweet Pea at three weeks. In fact, all the pictures of the kids in the sode bar of this blog were captured by Miss M.

We had many dear friends come by to meet baby. Dave and Karen are among our closest friends to come by and visit....they also just live right down the street from us.

Miss M adores her little sister.

Papa Bear (my dad) taking some time out to get to know his newest grandchild. My parents came down about five days after Cora was born and stayed for about three weeks. Honestly, I cant imagine how this household would have survived without them here to help!
We definitely ate better than we would have if they hadn't come down to stay with us.

Watercolor painting is one of Brown Sugar's favorite things to do in her "spare time". Mom needs these kind of favorites to keep everyone busy while she is taking care of baby.

Foley joined Christian Service Brigade's Stokade this year. This is his pine wood derby car for this year.

Thursday, March 10th everyone started arriving for Nathan and Carrie's wedding. I am sooooo thankful that I was able to get this picture of all my children...probably the last picture I will get with them all in the same room for a very long time.

Big brother holding his littlest sister for the very first time. I had one of my sweet
Becca holding her sister for the very first time as well but alas, it was on my new iPod which I lost a month after buying it. Ugh! Baby brain has set in!

Love this picture of daddy and his little daughter.

Eric's mom and step-dad along with one of his sisters came to attend Nate's wedding....and, they got to meet the newest addition to the family.
I so appreciate their love for me and my new family...I can only imagine how hard it is to see our lives go on without Eric. For this I love them all the more!

Eric's best friend (who happened to be our Best Man and Eric happened to be his Best Man as well) was Nate's Best Man.

Carrie with her parents...we couldn't have asked for a better family for Nate to marry into. We have really enjoyed getting to know the Moellers...and, we are thankful that they live just a short trip south of here.

Handsome!

All nine of my "kids"...bio, adopted, half, and in-laws!
What a wonderful family God has blessed me with!

Nathan bought this cute little camo outfit for Sweet Pea. It says Air Force Princess. This is what she wore to Nathan's wedding. She is twenty days old in this picture.

Nate and Carrie and Peter and Becca.
This picture makes me smile! I love that they all are living very close to each other.

Nate and Carrie opening presents.

So, in our family we have a group of birthdays that are all one right after the other. Foley's is on the 9th of March, my dad's is on the 10th, my niece's is on the 11th and Miss M's is on the 12th.
We added Peter to the mix because he would be celebrating a birthday on April 1st.

Me and my blessings!
This makes me smile as well....love this photo!

Nathan and Carrie on their way up to the Northwest to establish a new home, a new household.

In between the wedding and the picture above was a few Debate/Speech tournaments. I took Miss M and Daisy to one in Santa Rosa at the end of March. I spent a nice, quiet time in the hotel room while Miss M debated and Daisy hung with all her friends.
I am now convinced that every new mother of a lot of kids should head out to a hotel and spend a weekend just loving on and adoring her baby while watching television, reading a good book and sleeping!
The above picture is of one of Sweet Pea's cousins who came to visit the first week of April.

Cousin number two!

And, cousin number three!

Daisy enjoying her sister while she quietly sleeps. Baby has been plagued with Colic. Lots of crying around here for the past eight weeks. We love it when she is either eating or sleeping because the tears cease and quiet takes over.

Doggonit! This one is too cute! I have baby in the sling and she is looking up at me.

Sweet little one!

Daisy has found her calling in life! She is making all kinds of great meals for us lately. She is also learning how to plate the meals. The flavors are so good and she is taking to it so fast that I think she should consider a culinary future...her family will appreciate it as much as we do now.

Right after a shower, which is her favorite place in this house!

One of the landmarks of our fair city in the Central Valley of California closed its doors last week. Before doing so we took the kids for one last scoop of ice cream. Brown Sugar and Foley had Bubble Gum ice cream clown cone sundaes. Now that is a mouth full...literally!

We have spent many a birthday, anniversary, graduation celebration at the Ice Cream Factory. They made their own ice cream...my favorite being Swiss Chip Orange. In fact, I don't think I ever tried another flavor over the past twenty some odd years!

Daisy enjoying her shake.

The Please Do Not Touch sign behind us is as famous as the corner booth for our family!

Eager anticipation of the coming milkshake.

The Modesto Homeschool Choir that Miss M, Daisy, and Foley performed with this past week.

And, here we are nine weeks later. Today, I was able to get these photos of Sweet Pea...

laughing...

and trying to say something!

Aw...big brother posing with his adorable little sister.

So, as you can see life is full around here. Not much time for extras and it saddens me to say that this blog has been relegated to the extra's.
But, hey, I'm getting good at typing with one hand so maybe you will see more posts!
In the mean time, I have a crying baby that needs my attention!
~Heather

Baby's Story

2011-03-01T18:12:00.000-08:00

-walking through a contraction down our hallway-

-kinda looks like we are getting ready for a fight with me in my robe
and my husband wearing his rocky t-shirt!-

Well, February 15th started out just like any other day. I woke up to another day of heartburn, schooling, and daily chores. I had agreed to make a meal for two different families and since it was choir day for Miss M, Daisy, and Foley I was alone in getting these done. I just remember the overwhelming feeling of tiredness. I had, at one point, thought of canceling those meals but I was just so frustrated with being so tired that I pushed on.
We headed to the chiropractor that afternoon and delivered the meals. I had a couple of good contractions by then but nothing regular so I was hesitant in getting excited.
It wasn't until about nine that night that I had Phil set up the birthing tub and get things in order. But, I was still skeptical...the contractions were not coming at regular intervals and I could totally work right through them. I did contact my midwife, Dawn, mainly because, as I had told her throughout this pregnancy, I just don't "read" my body that well.

With Daisy I walked all day long and thought maybe something was going to happen. We went to the hospital at 6:00 pm where I expected them to tell me to head back home because I was not far enough along...instead she was born at 6:20pm!

But, back to Cora's story...my midwife told me to enjoy a glass of wine while sitting in the tub. Ah, the contractions didn't stop in the warm water and so I figured that this was the real thing.
It was! Around a quarter to eleven we called the midwife and I told her that I believed that this was it but was preparing myself for a long night. I figured that I would have baby some time the next day.
Dawn decided to make the trek to our home...she lives about forty minutes away. Another friend, Jacquie also planned on helping in the delivery. She lived closer and showed up a bit before my midwife.
Later, both would say that they were a bit concerned that I had waited too long...
my contractions were now between four and five minutes a part but they were only about 30 to 40 seconds long and so I figured that I wasn't going to have the baby any time soon. For those who might not know or remember, the contractions leading up to and during transition should be around a minute long or longer.
Dawn encouraged us all to get some sleep and so I went upstairs to lay down. This was between 12:30 and 1:00am. As soon as I laid down I could tell that the contractions were getting longer and harder. I got up to go to the bathroom and told Phil that I thought it was time to go tell the midwife that there was some action going on here.
Phil filled up the tub with some warm water and I got in. Oh, the feeling of that warm water was nice but I can't say that it dulled any of the pain.
I immediately went into transition...I even said "What was I thinking?"
Yep, everyone knew that we were going to have a baby soon!
In fact, at about midnight I remember thinking "I bet I have this baby around two."

The work was hard and I remember every moment like it was yesterday. I remember my midwife telling me to breathe lower into my diaphragm. I remember Jacquie encouraging me to go lower in my moaning. I remember my midwife walking around the pool and saying "You are doing so great, Heather!".
I remember just knowing that Phil was right behind me.
I tried to get into a different position thinking that it would help but it caused an incredible amount of pain through one contraction.
After that contraction I quickly moved back into the previous position.
And then, I felt something I had never felt before...I had the feeling of complete dilation. The cool thing is that my midwife never checked me. It was so awesome to just feel it and know.
I just knew that, even though I did not have the urge to push, that I could. And I did!
In four pushes little baby's head crowned and I started breathing instead of pushing.
She slipped out and then the fun began.
She was wrapped up in her umbilical cord. It was around her neck (not unusual) and then wrapped around both her shoulders...it made it look like she was wearing a backpack.
it was a little crazy there for a few moments as we tried to untangle her and get her to respond.
In some of the pictures she is a bit grey but I promise you that she was fine...just needed a few moments to adapt to her new world.

Miss M was helping by holding a flashlight. It was rather dark in the room which, by the way, was one of the things I liked most about having this one at home. No glaring lights or tons of people walking around. No hard bed to lay on. No time restraints or people asking me all kinds of questions.
So, Miss M was there holding the flashlight and taking pictures for us. She wants to be a midwife so whenever my midwife could find something for her to learn she would show Miss M.
Daisy was a bit reluctant to watch Cora being born. She said she didn't want to be there but she ended up hanging out by the door catching a little bit of the process. Sadly, she ended up being the go-to girl and when I asked for ice water she went to get it at the same time that Cora was born. But, what a big help she was...she ended up making me scrambled eggs for an after-birth-pick-me-up-meal. Let me tell you those scrambled eggs were the best I have ever tasted!

After I was cleaned up, Dawn and Jacquie helped me get into bed. It was about 3;30am when we brought in Foley and Brown Sugar to meet their new sister.

Miss M holding her little sister. Miss M ended up going to bed for a few hours right after this photo was taken. That morning she was headed down to Southern California for a debate tournament.

Love this picture.

Daisy holding her baby sister.

Big Brother holding his little sis.

Dawn getting ready to measure and weigh Miss Cora.

While Phil was putting his hands under our little bundle he was asked to tell us how much she weighed. He said "9" and all of us gals promptly said "no way". In fact, none of us believed him. Dawn had to check it out for herself but Phil was right...Cora was 9 lbs and 20 3/4 inches long.

We decided to change Cora's name. She is now Cora Verity meaning "maiden of truth" or if you are Scottish it would be "seething pool of truth"?!? Although I am Scottish I think we will stick with the maiden one!

Cora was ten days early which was such a blessing and a nice answer to my prayers. She was born twenty days before Nathan and Carrie's wedding day. Those twenty days were so needed for me to bounce back a bit before the big day. Having a baby at 43 is much different than at 28 which was when I had Daisy. I was rather exhausted and it takes a lot of time to adjust to having a little one around again. Thankfully I have a wonderful husband who has doted on me and helped me through the past five weeks. My parents were here for three weeks which was also an amazing help to my family. We would have not eaten as well if it hadn't been for my mom being here to help.
So, there you go...I had hoped to get this out earlier but my time has been spent feeding and adoring my little one and trying to get sleep!
~Heather

A Beautiful New Blessing!

2011-02-16T11:47:00.001-08:00

Cora Bailey was born on February 16th at 2:20am.
She is 9 lbs and 20 3/4 inches long.

I hope to give you all the details this week sometime...
in the meantime, I am one tired momma who needs to get some sleep!
~Heather

Smiles!

2011-02-09T20:48:00.000-08:00

Today I had Miss M take some pictures of the kids for a photo wall that I am working on.
These are the pics that she came home with...
Can you say adorable?
This five year old is a spit fire...she is a cuddle bug and very athletic. She just picked up a bike and started riding it, she runs like a marathon runner, she makes everyone smile around here. The other night she sat at the dinner table and said very calmly "the economy is going bad". We all started busting up laughing.
She is learning how to read...sometimes one of the most frustrating chores for me as a mom but it has been more of a delight than a frustration with this little one. Probably has more to do with my relaxed attitude with this one (hey, it only took six children!).

Oh my goodness! This guy is looking like such a young man! Foley is growing up and growing up fast. This guy has the most charming smile...ever! We hope that he doesn't lose the smile when they start straightening his teeth.
He is very athletic as well. This kid is fast...the next Usane Bolt? Hmmmm....
He is now in Christian Service Brigade's Stockade program and working on his pine wood derby car.
Foley is a happy kid and one of those kids that has a lot of friends....just like Brown Sugar.

Daisy is so incredibly happy-go-lucky. Always the optimist and a very hard working young lady. She is trying to find what her "talent" is...most of us agree that Daisy is very creative.
You should see some of the outfits that this girl comes up with. She painted her room orange and grey...it is so her!
Daisy is very loyal and she is athletic as well. She loves to be around kiddos just like her dad.
She is just so beautiful inside and out!

This is my in house photographer...Miss M has such a great eye for photography.
She is also very active in debate and this year has taken on Extemporaneous Speech as well. Extemp (as we call it) is a form of speech where you are given an up-to-date political topic and you have a half hour to write a 7 minute informative, compelling speech. This is not for the faint of heart! I get nervous for her just thinking about standing in front of three judges trying to convince them on an issue that you learned about only a half hour before!
The computer and library are her good friends...if she is not studying up on the political landscape of the day she is reading an Agatha Christie.

So, baby Olsson is now enjoying his/her 37th week in the womb.
Mommy is doing well...just tired and looking forward to no more heartburn!
Still hoping that we can have a February baby...
but also setting myself up for the possibility of a late baby like all my other kiddos.
Thankfully, I trust the Sovereign God who ordained this little one's b-day before the foundations of the world.
The lesson learned a long time ago? I can't control the birth date so don't worry about it...everything will work out.

Talking about smiles? I am very hopeful that I will get a picture with all my kids (and kids-in-law!) at Nate and Carrie's wedding. Yep, all NINE kids will be at the wedding if the baby arrives before and Becca and Peter can make it down. What a picture that will be!

~Heather

3

2011-01-29T14:55:00.000-08:00

Again the tears stream down my face.
I know it will take years...
But, the tears this year are falling from a thankful heart.
I am thankful to all that came down immediately to the hospital to support my children.
The hospital had to open a conference room because there were so many of you!
I am thankful for Lisa K who kept everyone posted on my blog.
I am thankful for Wendy W for coming down to the hospital to pray and sing with me knowing that the next day we would be declaring Eric officially dead.
I am thankful for Steve W (our pastor) for being the voice that I could not be....he graciously told the kids that their dad had died.
I am thankful for my parents who drove down from Oregon as soon as they found out that Eric had collapsed...and for the months of help with Eric's pool cleaning business...and for all of the help in dealing with the details of death.
I am thankful for our next door neighbors, the Johnsons, who immediately went down to their church and picked up a pager so that I could be encouraged by the thousands of people who were praying for us.
I am thankful that Rick was able to come out and say good-bye to his best friend.
I am thankful that Susan, Trish, and Brooke were able to come and say good-bye to their son/brother. I can't imagine their pain!
I am thankful for the Schroeder and Hector families who both took time to distract my kids during such a hard time.
I am thankful for Valerie McCall who was able to reserve their church for Eric's memorial.
I am incredibly thankful for all that Eric's military unit did to make sure his funeral service was the best it could be...we even had a real bugler to play taps while a flag was retired for Eric.

I am thankful for my children who have all bore well the grief of losing their dad and have all shown to others how God, their heavenly Father, provides for them.

I am thankful for the sanctification that God has seen fit to do in my life...
thankful for His provision...
thankful for His mercy.

Most of all, I am thankful for you!
Whether you are a close friend, a new friend, a blog friend, a member of the church we attend, your prayers and the love that was shown towards our family over the past three years has been amazing. Incredible.
I am in awe of God's faithfulness to us through you.

So, even though there are tears streaming down my face for the majority of this day, it is with a grateful heart that my heart keeps singing.

~Heather

Misc.

2011-01-11T21:35:00.000-08:00

I have a misc file in my filing cabinet.
I have a misc drawer down in the kitchen to "catch" all of those items that
don't seem to have a home.
I have a misc file on my iPod Touch that I add odds and ends that spill out of my brain.
I even have a misc category for our budget for those items that just don't seem to fit into the regular categories.
And, my laundry room would not be complete without a plastic storage bin with a misc label on it.
Miscellaneous is just too long a word
so I go around talking about my misc file or misc box or misc drawer.

Well, it is about time that this blog has a misc blogspot.
So, here goes...

I am at 34 weeks in this pregnancy. Heartburn has taken over and the backache rarely ceases. But, it has been a great pregnancy and with only six to eight weeks left I am gearing up for the birth of Baby Olsson. I can not tell you how much I am enjoying the kicking and moving this baby does. Even the hiccups are a blessing to me. Lord willing, this baby will be born in our new home. And, I am excited to try out this whole water birth idea...I love the water and remember well how those warm showers helped me through my other labors.
I walked into a store yesterday and quickly realized that 22 years ago I use to visit this same store on my lunch break. I worked at Security Pacific Bank at the time and would visit the deli at this store while pregnant with Becca. What a crazy thought!
The house is almost cleaned up and just about everything has a place to "live". We had some bookshelves put in that need to be organized but other than that I believe that all the moving boxes are empty and almost all the wall hangings/pictures are hung.
Phil and I celebrated our first year anniversary with a little get-away to the foothills. Thanks to some friends of ours we were able to stay at a Worldmark for very little money. We brought all our own food and just enjoyed the quiet. We rarely get quiet around here with all these kids! Phil finished his introductory chapter of his dissertation while knitted and finished up two books that have been sitting by my bed for what seemed like forever!
Miss M took the above photo of Brown Sugar. She has such a great, creative photographic eye. If you would like to see more you can hope on over to MD photography to see her ever growing collection of photos.
And, the little tutu that Brown Sugar is wearing was made by my oldest daughter, Becca who has a blog of her own and an etsy site coming online soon. Her blog is life through red lenses. Her initials use to be RED...love the creative name she has given her blog. So proud of Becca!
Wedding plans are being laid for Nate and Carrie's wedding. The big day will be March 11th! We are very excited for both of them...lots of work to be done!
Now, most of you probably do not know that almost all of my babies have been late...I guess they like the warmth of mommy's womb! Anyway, Becca was two days early but then Nate was a week late, Miss M was twelve days late, and Daisy was 20 days late! Yep, you saw that right. This baby is due February 27th but I have anticipated that the baby will likely come at least two weeks late. Psycologically I do better if I just expect the baby to be late. That puts me having this baby the weekend that Nate and Carrie are suppose to get married. So, if you all think about it...maybe you could pray that the birthday of this little one be closer to the actual due date so that I can enjoy this wonderful time.
Tomorrow, Miss M, Daisy and I are headed down to Southern California for a debate tournie that Miss M is participating in. What I am looking forward to is seeing the beatiful sun and soaking up some vitamin D! I always deal with depression type symptoms this time of the year and so that sunshine really does come in handy.
Speaking of depression...I thought about how ironic it is that Eric's birthday and the anniversary of his death fall in one of the hardest months for me. Eric's birthday was January 4th. He would have been 44 years old. I can't say that these important days are getting easier. The kids are a reminder of the pain our family has dealt with. The pain might still be there but the relationship that I have developed with my Savior during these past three years has made beauty from ashes.
You know, it doesn't help to have all these surging prego hormones while dealing with the lack of sunshine and January milestones. I find myself just crying...a lot! Who knew that someone could have so many tears! Thankfully it has made me prayerful and mindful of those that I know that suffer similar loss.
I sure think that pregnancy clothes are awful cute now-a-days.
Things I get to do in the next six weeks before Baby Olsson arrives...take girls skiing (I am NOT skiing, just driving them to the slopes!), sort through and catalog the library books, sew some pillow covers for the library windowseat, reupholster a chair I bought at a garage sale for the baby's room, help plant grapes and trees in our new yard and garden, enjoy hanging with the family that God has given me at this time before the next big change happens!

~Heather

It's January 3rd Already?

2011-01-03T22:18:00.000-08:00

But, wait!
I haven't even posted my pictures from Christmas!
Where has the time gone?
I am so far behind...

I have downloaded my pics and hope to have a post up soon.
Meanwhile, I sure hope you had a wonderful Christmas celebration.
I also hope that 2011 is starting out well.

I have much to write and share...
my mind is exploding with ideas of what to write.
No writer's block here...just a lack of time.

As I look back on 2010 I am overwhelmed by all that has happened.
I enjoyed my first year of marriage,
my oldest daughter was married,
my niece was married (which meant a trip to Washington/Idaho for me),
I found out I was pregnant,
we bought a new house,
and just before the year ended my son proposed to the girl that he has been courting the past four months.

Can you all say change?
I remember a squabble that Eric and I had years ago about how important it was to change with the "times". I was frustrated with some of his notions and thought he should change his mindset...he was equally frustrated with me and thought that I should stick with the status quo. For this particular argument I believe he was right but every time I hear the word "change" I think about that time way back when.
Little did I know then that my life would take one incredible turn that would lead to amazing changes.
Change is a part of life.
I can't say it always feels good...in fact, it can down right hurt.
Pain to the bone.
I have been thinking about all the changes in my life...if I look back over the past three years I can easily be overwhelmed by all that has taken place.
But, I made it through...I continue to make it through.
Each day brings more change as we have to die to self,
die to our own desires and wishes,
put to death some of those plans that no longer fit our life at the moment.
We have to be able to "go with the flow" if you will...
go with God's "flow" for our lives.

As much as I would like to hide in a corner and ask God for no more change in my life, I have come to realize that God is asking me to ride this wild river of life for His glory and my good.
He is asking me to live quite the adventurous life.
We had some friends over the other night for dinner and they shared with us a Youtube video of Pastor Francis Chan using a balance beam as an illustration for one of his sermons.
In the video Pastor Chan talks about Christians who like their lives to look pretty and be all put together...they are clinging to the balance beam. Pastor Chan asks what these Christians think that the Judge is suppose to do with their performance when they are done with their "routine". It can't be "Well done thou good and faithful servant" if all they did was cling to the beam for dear life. The adventure in our Christian walk is in the all out pursuit of a "routine" that wows the Judge.
Not because it is necessary for our salvation (it isn't) but because IT IS necessary to show our love for our God and Savior...the Judge!
Don't give up,
accept the change that God has placed before you,
"create" a routine that challenges you to live out loud rather than take the easy way out.

~Heather

Merry Christmas!!

2010-12-25T12:00:00.000-08:00

O great God of highest heaven
Occupy my lowly heart
Own it all and reign supreme
Conquer every rebel power
Let no vice or sin remain
That resists Your holy war
You have loved and purchased me
Make me Yours forevermore

I was blinded by my sin
Had no ears to hear Your voice
Did not know Your love within
Had no taste for heaven’s joys
Then Your Spirit gave me life
Opened up Your Word to me
Through the gospel of Your Son
Gave me endless hope and peace

Help me now to live a life
That’s dependent on Your grace
Keep my heart and guard my soul
From the evils that I face
You are worthy to be praised
With my every thought and deed
O great God of highest heaven
Glorify Your Name through me

O Come Let Us Adore Him!
Merry Christmas friends!
~Heather

Merry Christmas Eve!

2010-12-24T13:58:00.001-08:00

So, for my Christmas Eve post I figured it was about time to post some pictures of our Thanksgiving trip. We traveled up to Central Oregon where most of my extended family lives.
A couple of years ago I drove the kids up for Christmas and hit the mountain passes during one of the worst storms of the season. I figured this year we could miss a couple of those storms and travel for Thanksgiving instead. Ha!
We headed right into a nasty, early winter storm. Ugh! Thankfully I had Phil to drive us this time...he did great even though it had been a long time since he had driven in the white stuff.
We also had the advantage of having a four wheel drive vehicle this time...what a blessing that turned out to be!
Our first stop was Mount Shasta where we had breakfast at the Original Big Bear Diner. It is a favorite of Phil's family and so we got up ultra early to make sure we made it to the diner for breakfast. Hot cocoa was in order since we were now in snow country.

As I mentioned before, we were driving through a snow storm. I had one daughter that was wearing flip flops and the other was wearing a tank top.
Come on girls...you are making me cold!

One of our favorite places to hang out in Sisters. And, on a snowy day? Even a nicer place to be!

My parents live a few blocks away from the Sisters Coffee House so we typically walk down for a nice cup of hot coffee or hot chocolate. Inside it looks like a beautiful log lodge and the fire place is always ablazing.

This year we found a wonderful rental down in Sunriver which is south of Bend. It is a very nice resort and this house was suitable for all of our extended family.
It was my parents, my brother and his family, and my family.
Nathan came down for a couple of days and the young lady that he is courting came up by train to spend some time with our family.
Then, my brother and his family left and my sister and her family came down.
What a wonderful time we had....but, we sure missed having Peter and Becca around.

Not only did we drive through a snow storm we also enjoyed quite a few days of falling snow. One clear day the kids got out and played in the snow.
Uncle Phil took some time to build a snowman with our nephew and Joe.

After a long day out in the snow it is nice to enjoy the fire in the stove...and play computer games?!? Yep, Nathan was trying to show Brown Sugar how to play a game...

...and then, Brown Sugar shows my nephew how to play the game. Yikes! Did Nate know what he was doing?

Daisy and M (my sister's daughter) are really like sisters. We helped take care of M for years while my sister worked as a single mom. She is dear to our hearts and these two are very close.

We played Pictionary. Now, this is a fun game and our family loves to play games but, I have to admit that I was a bit intimidated. Why? My brother is a graphic designer and an amazing artist. It was the girls against the guys...the girls held there own and in fact we won. Well, only because we were ahead for awhile and decided that we wanted to end the game when we saw the guys were winning.

Bundled up for some fun in the snow.

A snowman that made by the girls.

Sunriver lodge...with all this snow it really felt like Christmas not Thanksgiving!

Gorgeous snow covered waterfall at the resort.

We decided to enjoy a one horse open sleigh ride through the meadow at Sunriver. M, Miss M, Daisy, Nathan, and Carrie (the young lady that Nate is courting) are all waiting for the next sleigh.

My dad (Papa Bear) holding my nephew as we wait for the sleigh.

My giant little brother (I am twelve years older than him) and his lovely wife. I am 5'9" and my brother towers over me at 6'5".

Inside the Sunriver lodge...beautiful!

After the sleigh ride and a walk around the lodge we walked through a Gingerbread House display. It was fun to see the creativity.

The cousins!

This is the house that we stayed at. Such nice accomodations! In fact, I think we are coming back in the summer for some bike riding, kayaking, and hiking.

Nothing like a visit from Santa...

What better thing to do in the winter than ice skating. Brown Sugar is quite good on skates. They all had a wonderful time going round and round the rink.

Miss M enjoying a couple of hours of ring around the rink.

My niece all smiles.

Foley with his new hat and his big smile.

Brown Sugar and her new hat.

Nathan had to get back to the base he is stationed at after a few days. We all said our good-byes (mine was a teary good-bye) and prayed that he would make it back through the snow and ice in safety.

Papa Bear with his little Brown Sugar watching a holiday film together.

We had a small fake, lit tree at the rental house. To decorate the tree we made some sugar cookies and frosted them.
What memories we built as we played games together, watched holiday movies, and ate some great food. Hanging with cousins and siblings and playing in the snow added to the festive occasion.
We even had the privilege of attending a wonderful community church while in Sunriver.
All in all it was a wonderful Thanksgiving.

We have a lot to be thankful for...
We got to hear Baby Olsson's heartbeat again and poke around feeling where the baby's head, bum, and legs are. The baby is gaining all that fat underneath the skin now...plumping up for his/her birth day.
Baby continues to move and stretch. I love how as soon as I eat the baby starts moving around and usually gets the hiccups as well. I am loving all this movement.
It is getting harder to move around and the bathroom and I have become good friends!
We are now at 31 weeks...yeah, a little more than two months to go before we see and hold Baby Olsson!

The rest of the family is doing well. We are finally seeing some of the house become more organized and yet there is still so much to do...but, we are very happy where we are.
Nothing like Christmas decorations, music, and cooking to help make a house seem more like a home.

Tonight we enjoy a wonderful, big dinner, watch "It's A Wonderful Life", and open one gift that always happens to be a new pair of pajamas. I mean, really, it is nice for the photographer for all of the photo subjects to be wearing new pjs for all those Christmas morning photos!

We pray that you have a wonderful, blessed Christmas in your home.
~Heather

Journeys

2010-12-06T18:10:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday our church had a very nice brunch for the ladies.
There were three speakers who shared with us their own journey to joy.
I consider all three of these ladies my good friends...I knew their "back" stories, if you will.

That got me thinking...
my eyes started to wander about the room and at each table I thought about the different journey each woman has been on.
We have women in our church who have dealt with the sadness of miscarriage,
the pain of abuse,
the grief of infertility,
the hardship of surgery and major health issues,
the loneliness of widowhood,
the heartbreak of watching children walk away from the Lord,
and the list goes on...

What we all have in common is a dependence on the LORD God Almighty.
Women who have had a change of heart...
one that is focused on living for the now, understanding that all things work together for our good and for His glory.
Women who are willing to share their experiences in order to help others.
Women who are compassionate and empathetic towards those who are hurting.
What a gift we have...our journeys give us something to share.

During this beautiful and yet often sad time of the year for those who have suffered or are continuing to suffer I hope that you will offer your support and empathy.
Who knows...the Lord might use your journey to bring light to a lost soul.
~Heather

Giving Thanks!

2010-11-24T21:37:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving Countdown...
9. Miss M is one of seven gifts with whom I have been blessed. She is energetic, opinionated, creative, and passionate.
10. Daisy, of whom I could hardly run a household without. She is thoughtful and just like her daddy. Very brave, crazy, happy, and has far more energy than all of us combined. She is practical and loves having a clean house and a put together life.
11. Foley is my baseball nut. I am thankful that God has given us this young man to raise. I am thankful that God has given him a new daddy. I am thankful that I see some great changes in his life.
12. Brown Sugar's life was almost wiped out by Malaria when she lived in Liberia. I am thankful that this little girl whom I held in my arms four years ago for the first time (she was only 12lbs!) has survived and is now a vibrant five year old.
13. It has been over fifteen years since I have carried a little one in my womb. I can not tell you how thankful I am to be given the privilege of carrying Baby Olsson. Every time this little one kicks more moves around I am in awe. I had wanted more children but just did not think it would ever happen...God providence is amazing!
~Heather

Los Angeles

2010-11-23T19:34:00.000-08:00

This past February Phil and I thought that it would be nice to take a "family" vacation. Disneyland would be on the agenda and so with the help of our friends we made reservations in Anaheim. October has traditionally been my favorite month to visit Disneyland. The attendance at the park is quite a bit lower than during the summer or spring months and the weather is usually wonderful...pleasant and cool.
The weather was exactly what I was hoping for...we even had rain and yet only at night. The place we stayed at (The Dolphin Cove - a Worldmark resort) was very nice. And, the extras that we did were as fun: a trip to Hollywood, a trip up to Chino and Claremont Graduate University where Phil is getting his PhD., and a trip to Torrance to visit good friends and enjoy the beach.

I have not been a baseball fan in the past but I see baseball as the athletic event of the future for our family since Phil is an A's fan. It's not that we like the Angels...buuuutttt...the stadium was right down the street from where we were staying. They sure have a cool stadium...thanks to Disney!

We went up to the Griffith Observatory to show Phil around. It has one of the nicest free museums that we have been to. Sad to say, it was closed that day but who could resist a picture of the Hollywood sign!

Next was Hollywood...at Grauman's Chinese Theater we had fun finding all of our favorite hand prints. Daisy had found out that Harry Potter's three main characters had recently put their prints into cement...the kids were excited to find them.
Some of the greats were John Wayne (which Lucille Ball tries to steal in one of the I Love Lucy episodes), Roy Rogers with Trigger's hoof prints and a print of his gun, and one of our favorite actors, Jimmy Stewart.

Then it was a walk down the Walk of Stars. We took quite a few photos of the ones that were special to us. Brown Sugar had to have her picture taken with one of her favorite characters. We found so many!
We also enjoyed walking through part of the Roosevelt Hotel which has quite the Hollywood history. It is said to be haunted by the likes of Marilyn Monroe and Clark Gable.
I personally enjoyed the architecture. It was amazing!

Aw...Daisy giving big kisses to the most famous mouse of all times!

Andrea Bocelli...ahhhhhh...such amazing music!

Now, when we reserved the hotel and started making plans for Disneyland we had no idea that I would be pregnant. Sad to say, there were very few rides that I could go on but this year Brown Sugar was able to go on all but Screamin' California and Indiana Jones. Now, Brown Sugar doesn't like to be scared so I figure that there was no chance to get her on Indiana Jones even if she was the right height. But, Screamin'? Oh yeah, if she had been tall enough she would have easily gone on it. She is a girl after her mother's heart! She loves the thrilling roller coaster rides..and she is only five years old!
We don't buy a lot of stuff within the park. Disneyland is great about letting you bring in food which cuts down the food bill quite a bit. But we did buy a couple of treats. The Mickey Mouse ice cream sandwich was one of my faves!

We did something that we haven't done before. We went to one of the Disneyland Halloween Party nights. I am telling you that this was the best bang for your buck when it comes to buying Disneyland tickets. The tickets are about half the price of the regular admission...you get to go into the park at 3pm and stay until 11pm, the park closes to regular customers at 6pm, you get a bag that they fill with candy all night long, and you get to dress-up (something that you can't do any other day unless you are under the age of 9).
I did have some reservations on how spooky the park would be and about the costumes that some would be wearing...those reservations were unfounded. Disney did what it always does - create a family atmosphere! The costumes were very tightly monitored and the "spookiness" was very Mickey Mouse style.
The bonus? A park with very few people in it. We walked onto all the rides and enjoyed the people watching.

Daisy's oldest sister, Becca, created a dress based on the new Alice in Wonderland. It really worked!

Brown Sugar went as a princess...everytime someone asked her which princess she was she had a different answer. Tiana, Cinderella, Aurora...

This is a traditional spot to take a picture of the kids. The last one we took was had all six kids in there. The next one will have a whole new look as well!

We also enjoyed a day at California. We had never been on the Tower of Terror so my older kiddos really wanted to get on it this time. There was no line so everyone went on it again and again. Yep, even Brown Sugar!

The beautiful park! We also enjoyed an amazing new creation by Disney.."The World of Color". Oh my goodness! It was breathtaking! A water and light show. The water creates a wall which they show clips of Disney films. It was just really, really amazing.

While some the rest of the gang was riding the roller coaster, Brown Sugar and I waited in line to meet Mickey. This picture is seriously taken quickly because she ran up, greeted Mickey, and then posed! What a ham!

Brown Sugar, Mickey, Baby Olsson, and me!
This picture makes me look sooooooo big! I really am not that big! I promise!

We had so much fun on the new ride based on the Toy Story series. What a fun interactive ride!

So, I couldn't go on the roller coaster rides because of Baby Olsson and I wouldn't go on carnival rides. I can do the upside down, fast speeds, and twists and turns of rollercoasters but I can not do the spinning of carnival rides and the cages on this ferris wheel made me cringe with claustriphobia. So, I did a lot of sitting, reading, and enjoying the beautiful weather. But, I was happy that everyone else was enjoying the fun.

Um...Daisy, I think you definitely make the height requirement!

Big smiles from Brown Sugar...

Splash Mountain...oh, the ride of choice this time around. Brown Sugar loved this ride as well as all the other kids so Phil and I sat on a bench talking and enjoying the beautiful weather (again) while the kids went on this ride over and over again.

We always end our time at Disneyland with a sweet treat. The kids usually get a Mickey Mouse cookie...this time it was in the shape of a bat.

Daisy and I shared this fun cupcake with a Mickey Mouse head on it.
I promise that Foley and Miss M actually did go with us! I just could not find any good pictures of them without one of their siblings with them.

While we were down south we were able to meet and visit some of Phil's friends from when he lived down south for school. We were able to attend two great churches and meet some wonderful Christian brothers and sisters.
We also enjoyed a day at the beach and some wonderful time with one of Phil's groomsmen and his family.
All in all, it was a great week away...

~Heather

Being Thankful...

2010-11-08T19:01:00.000-08:00

Continuing to give thanks daily...
4. The opportunity to love and be loved twice in my short stay here on earth.
5. My husband...thoughtful, loving, intelligent, handsome, funny, understanding, hard working...

6. Rebecca- my sweet, grown up first born who is incredibly creative and organized. I loved visiting her this year (IN HER HOME! crazy!) and having her serve me a cobb salad...what I normally serve my friends if they come over for lunch!
7. Peter- who loves my daughter, Rebecca, and takes care of her. I am thankful that God gave Rebecca a godly man with a love for life just like she has.
8. Nathan- my oldest son who reminds me continually of Eric. He is faithful to God, to his family, and to his friends. He is a hard worker who loves being a part of the Air Force. More changes coming to his life this next year. He will handle it all with honor and courage, I am sure.

Soooooo...you all wanted to see a picture of me in my prego state. Honestly, I have not wanted to post anything because I just hate photos of myself...what woman doesn't!
Anyway, I am now 25 weeks along and enjoying every little poke, flip, and kick.
This kiddo is active and I am loving that part of this pregnancy.
I think I have stated before that I am not one of those people who loves being pregnant but I am one of those people that actually don't mind giving birth. But, although I am not necessarily enjoying the "invasion" of my body I am enjoying the thought of carrying this little one and like I said before I am loving the movement.
Oh, there is a bonus to being pregnant during this time...there are great maternity clothes out there and I am oohing and ahhing over the baby clothes!

~Heather

And the Winners Are...

2010-11-03T13:56:00.000-07:00

E.T.'s mom has just won Nathan Clark George's Christmas album. Congratulations!
Patsy's favorite number is 7. Some of you guessed and wrote her favorite number but I wanted it to be a bit more of a "luck of the draw". E.T's mom's comment was the seventh comment.

And...Krissy has won this album from Nathan Clark George.
Congratulations to you as well.

Darby's favorite number is 37. But, since I didn't have 37 comments I thought I would add the numbers together making the sum 10. Krissy was the tenth person to comment.

If you gals would email me your address to lazydranch@prodigy.net I will get these out in the mail pronto.
And, for everyone else...oh how I wish that I could send you all an album! I hope you will visit Nathan Clark George's site and think about possibly ordering some as Christmas gifts.

Thanksgiving countdown...
3. I am thankful that, although the people of the state of California decided to vote back into office two idiots (Boxer and Brown), my hope is not found in civil government. My heart belongs to the Kingdom of God not the kingdom of man.
~Heather

Announcing Winners Tomorrow!

2010-11-02T21:36:00.000-07:00

Okay...so I was a little zealous in my thinking that I could unpack from vacation, download my pictures, and post a blogspot within twenty-four hours of getting home.

It just isn't happening!
But...

Tomorrow I have some pictures to share,
a couple of winners to announce,
and something new to unveil to you, my readers.

But, before I head to bed I want to give you two things I am thankful for; one for each day that has already been lived in this, the month of November 2010.
1. A Love that has never left me nor forsaken me...a Love that continues to pursue me and help me to persevere through all of life's crazy ups and downs.
2. Theology. Plain and simple...the ability to learn about God through His Word.

What are you thankful for?
~Heather

Family Camp and a Give-away!

2010-10-22T15:52:00.001-07:00

I have enjoyed Nathan Clark George's music for a while now.
His wife and I have been online friends for quite a few years now and I had the privilege of meeting him this past September up at our family camp.
It is hard to describe his style of music...
he reminds me of James Taylor, Bob Dillon, Wes King...
a nice touch of folk music.

Press the album cover above to visit his site. He has some wonderful albums available with a new one that is a compilation of Greg Wilbur songs called My Cry Ascends. It features a variety of artists including Wes King, Steve Green, Michael Card, and Nathan Clark George. I added this one to my Sovereign Grace iTunes playlist and what a great playlist it is!

The above album is a Christmas album that your family will enjoy for years to come.
So, why do I have these albums taking the forefront of my blogpost?
Because I am giving them away!
Two readers of this blog will be able to win one of these albums.
Details are at the end of this post.

FAMILY CAMP 2010

The move went well and I am feeling MUCH better. Thank you for all of your prayers and helpful hints.
We are still unpacking and will be for a while....so, I thought I would at least write something. Then, I remembered that I had a wonderful collection of photos from Central Valley Presbyterian's third annual family camp.
So, I figured I would share them with you. Thanks go out to Darby Sproul and Sven Rafferty for the few extra photos that they contributed to my collection.
Above is a very nice picture of Pinecrest lake where our family camp is held each year.

A bunch of the young adults getting ready to hike up to Cleo's Bath. Cleo's Bath is a rigorous hike up the hillside to a collection of pools. These pools in the summer are teaming with water that cascades down the mountain into the lake. But, in the fall the pools do not have enough water to create the waterfalls and so the we have an annual hike up there to be able to jump 10 to 30 ft into these bodies of water.

This one is out of order but I was just so thankful that someone took a picture of us. Miss M had the idea of getting a few of us together to perform a skit at the Talent show. We did a rather funny Monty Python skit based on a couple that shows up to a very nice restaurant where they find a dirty spoon. The different staff members go berserk over the complaint even though it was an innocent one. Pretty soon the staff has pretty much keeled over and the customers are left wondering what just happened and thankful that they had not complained about the spoon. Phil, Miss M, Daisy, and I were involved along with a few good friends.

Okay...back to Cleo's bath. Daisy is adventurous. She does not mind getting wet nor jumping off a cliff into a pool of water. So, the idea of her being pushed into the water is rather silly...

...there she goes...

...and there she went!

Phil was asked to do the morning devotions for camp.
He did a great job...of course, I am biased!

Brown Sugar and her daddy!

There were lots of games played including basketball

Who are you going to listen to? And, what rules are you going to follow? Those that were given from the director of the game or the ladies standing around watching?

Great discussions abound around campfire and throughout the day.

Ah...the girlies!

We had so many young people and old capturing the happenings at this camp with super cool cameras. Nikon and Canon were the faves.

For much of the camp I was sitting around watching. I had done something to my foot and it was swolen for much of the camp. But, on the positive I was able to take some amazing photos of some incredibly photogenic children.

So, Steal the Bacon has become an annual event. It is down right dirty and competitive. The old guys against the young guys. We ladies love to watch them duke it out.

At some point everyone is called out to "find" the bacon. What a pile up!

After Steal the Bacon there was another game that entertained the masses. Not sure what this was called but in this picture Daisy is hiding behind a friend in hopes of not getting hit. It is a extreme version of dodge ball.

Then, of course, there is dancing. A lot of twirling and foot stomping going on.

The Virginia Reel.

Daisy holding the youngest Sproul.

Volleyball...

it is a spectator sport! And, even in the cold mountain air we watched as the teams played against each other for the title of 2010 champions.

So, back to talent show night...Miss M sang along while the Winton boys played.
Like Mother, like daughter. Doesn't hesitate a bit to get up in front of people and sing her heart out.

When we first met R.C. Sproul Jr. we were visiting with our friends the McDonalds up in Illinois. Sunday morning we captured on film a story being told to the young kiddos that were waiting to leave for church. I am telling you what...my kids sat there transfixed to his every word. It was great!

So, on this talent show night R.C. gave us the chance to listen to him tell another story.
He had not only the kids listening but the whole of the audience.

Daisy took a speech class this year and plans on being a part of a speech club next year. Her favorite form of speech is interpretation.
For her class she took a piece out of Alice in Wonderland (the book!) and created a three character interp...all the characters played by her. But, for camp she turned it into a three person skit.

Very well done, indeed!

The theme was the fruit of the Spirit. The theme song was a kids song telling us all that the fruits of the Spirit are not the fruits that we eat. Fun to watch the Elders and Deacons of our church sing and hold up the different fruits.

Down at the lake I sat and watched Brown Sugar and other little ones play while the older kids and some of the other adults were hiking either around the lake or heading up to Cleo's Bath.

Nathan surprised us all by a visit from the Northwest. I was incredibly happy to see him as was everyone else.

Darby Sproul and Miss M hanging out. These two hit it off...Miss M looks like she is thinking about something terribly important...or maybe she is daydreaming about what it would be like to live in Florida!

Nathan Clark George performed for us and led us in music throughout the week. What a treat!

So, here are the kids performing the fruit of the Spirit song.

"The fruit of the Spirit is not a grape"

We always stop by Jimtown Frosty on our way down from camp. It is a tradition that many others have decided to join us in. This year it was fun to see the different families that stopped by. The Sproul family were driving past when they saw us and made the next turn.
We had such a great time hearing the Word of God preached nightly by R.C. Sproul and enjoy the music of Nathan Clark George.
We doubled the amount of people in attendance this year. It was great fun getting to know some of the new families that have started attending our church.
It is such a bonding time full of fellowship and good times.

Here is one of the dipped ice cream cones that we get at Jimtown Frosty. Yummy!

Darby and Miss M enjoyed their week together as well as Delaney and Daisy. I am only in the picture because Darby and I have been FB friends for a long time. It was fun to finally meet this lovely young lady. They are truly kindred spirits!

Another blessing for me was meeting Patsy George. Patsy and I have been on a yahoo group together for a very long time. I have met many of the ladies from this group over the past couple of years on our travels but Patsy and I have seemed to always miss each other along the way. There were even times when we were within days of being in the same place...so to finally meet this online friend was a treat.

So, here are the details on the contest:
Leave a comment...a nice comment!
I asked Darby Sproul and Patsy George what their favorite numbers are.
They told me and now it is up to you to comment and find out if your comment lands on one of their favorite numbers.

I will be out of town for the next week but will still be able to check up on the comments...don't worry if you don't see them posted right away.
Tuesday, November 2 (election day) I will post the winners and hopefully have a prego belly shot for you all to enjoy!

God Bless!
~Heather

Twenty weeks

2010-10-03T10:39:00.000-07:00

Baby Olsson is now about ten inches long from head to toe and weighs almost one pound.
He or she (we don't intend to find out until his or her birthday) is growing and moving which makes this momma happy.
Next Friday we will hopefully hear the heartbeat of this little one although at night when I lie on my side I can sometimes faintly feel the heartbeat. What a beautiful feeling.
I am now half way through this pregnancy and have needed to find comfort and joy in those little movements. I have never been "in love" with being pregnant.
I am one of those crazy gals that likes (not loves, mind you) the labor and delivery process rather than the nine months of pregnancy.
No complaining here though...I am so thankful that the Lord is giving me the opportunity to carry this little bundle!

Phil and I joke about the fact that in the past nine months of marriage I have been sick more often than not. After coming home from Hawaii I spent the next three months dealing with some kind of influenza. We believe it was a let down of my system. My body was able to finally relax and my immune system just finally gave in and succumbed to every virus that came along.
I did have a wonderful three months of healthiness where I was not dealing with a lack of energy or adverse symptoms. Yeah for those three months!
Then came three months of morning sickness. Wow! That took me by surprise. I had not dealt with that since I had been pregnant with Becca twenty-one years before.
So, I finally made it through those three yucky months (and thanked the Lord it wasn't longer) just to turn around and get sick again!
Yep, I am dealing with yet another virus or bacteria.
Low grade fever, very low energy levels, and a nasty deep cough.
I have heard that this can be common in the first year of marriage and then add to that the commonness of illness while pregnant and I think I am doomed to deal with a few of these.
But, when carrying a baby there is the added responsibility to take care on what medicines you digest and the questioning of when you need to seek medical help.
This has been my dilemma for this past week.
Do I head to the doctor/urgent care/hospital or do I just stick it out?
For so many this is just not an issue but for many reasons it is a big deal for us:

We pay cash for any visits to the doctor. We have chosen not to have health insurance but to be a part of a share program. Now, the share program will help with a visit to the hospital and we would readily pay the money for me to go to the hospital if it is an emergency but what determines an emergency? Of course, if I stopped breathing or if one of our family was in an accident than of course, that is an emergency. But, if you are dealing with cold symptoms well, there tends to be more deliberation on whether or not a visit to the hospital is needed.
We try to heal our ailments using natural means first. This does not mean that I do not use conventional medicine. I believe that there is a place for both but sometimes the line between the two is not so clear. Sometimes it is as clear as day. When Eric was dealing with asthma we tried some natural remedies but breathing is important (dontcha think?) and so we used conventional medicine. I appreciate all the more those who practice emergency medicine...they are my heros! But, some ailments like ear aches, tummy aches, colds, and such are easily dealt with using natural remedies.
I personally dislike going to the doctor's office. In all honesty, I hate that look they give me when I answer their questions on things like family size or immunizations. The last time I went to the Doctor was when I had to get our adoption physicals done...five years ago! The doctor looked at me quizzically and said "You already have four children why do you want more?"...I know the answer to that question but for some reason when I am in the presence of a man/woman who has spent so much time in school to learn their trade I get flustered. Same when I tell them that I don't want to have certain immunizations given to my children. I mean, really, I have my evidence and have come to these conclusions deliberately. I am not one of those mommas that just doesn't want to see her child in pain. I have my reasons, conclusions that I have come to through a lot of prayer and reading. But, I still feel like I stumble over my reasons and then look foolish.

After a week of dealing with painful coughing spells and dealing with all of these issues above we have concluded that tomorrow I will go to the doctor and face the inquisition. We have the cash to pay for the doctor. I have used natural remedies for a week now with some results but not fast enough for what I think is healthy for the baby. So, I am working on my smile and pat answers knowing that I am equipped to deal with the questions that will come my way.

All in all, I should be thankful that I am a thinking person.
I need not be intimidated by those who are more educated than I am because ultimately medicine is a science giving much room for differences of opinions.

How did you like my pep talk to myself?
Thanks for listening!
~Heather

Again....sooooo busy!

2010-09-23T23:00:00.000-07:00

I really hate to have so many days without posting.
But, right now there is no way around it.
I am now almost half way through my pregnancy and trying to move into and organize a new house.
I have a camera full of fun pictures from our family camp and a few give-aways to do shortly.
Please hang on and visit in the next week as I try to find the time to
share a bit of what is going on in our family.

Before I go I thought I would update you on the pregnancy.
All seems to be going well.
I am feeling much better yet am tired...always tired!
The little guy/gal that is growing inside of me is now about 5 inches in length and weighs about the same amount as a turnip (5oz).
We meet with our mid-wife on October 8th which will be officially my half way mark.
That is when we hope to hear the heartbeat of the baby.
So, there is the baby update.
I guess I just might have to share a picture of this growing belly at some point.
Maybe I should have my incredibly talented daughter, Miss M, take a photo of me...
hmmmmm...
Anyway, time for bed. I will write again soon.
~Heather

New House/New Home

2010-08-31T13:20:00.000-07:00

I thought that I would share a few photos of our new house that will hopefully soon feel like home. this is the front porch. The grass is in need of some TLC because the house has been vacant for quite a while. But, of course, that is an easy fix.

This is the entry way. It is a bit of overkill...I mean, really, they could have put a complete extra room in it! Thankfully, I have a beautiful quilt made by Eric's mom that will look wonderful on these tall walls.

There are many things about this home that we like...one of them is that the stairway is off of the hallway. It isn't a prominent part of the layout of the home. Although, I think the architect added a nice feature to the design with the arches at the top of the stairway.

This is the main hallway. Through that archway at the end of the hall is the front door. To the right of the front door is the formal living room. Then, that big sliding door (by Foley's head in the picture) goes out to a porch. Where everyone is standing is the formal dining room that we are going to turn into a library.

This is looking down on the formal dining room from the stairs. It will be full of built in bookshelves and loads of books. Oh, and that light fixture will be gone very soon!

The end of the hall opens up to a big great room with a beautiful kitchen. This is the fireplace in the great room.
We are also blessed with another fireplace in the master bedroom. This fireplace has a blower on it so it will easily heat up the great room/kitchen part of the downstairs.
Very happy to have the feature of a natural gas fireplace. Natural gas is cheap here in California and it keeps the valley air from getting to the unhealthy level during the winter. This valley is notorious for getting nasty air trapped in between the mountain ranges.
And, I sure am going to enjoy the lack of dust, dirt, and wood chips that seem to accumulate during those cold, winter months.

So, this is my favorite part of the house. I love to cook...LOVE to cook! And, for the first time in my adult life I actually have a kitchen that is easy to work in and that has ample amount of space. I even have a prep sink! I feel spoiled!

i sooooooo like the floors. They are a plank style brown pergo style floor. Carpet is throughout the bedrooms and in places like the formal dining/ and living room.
I have been looking at these pictures trying to decide where all of my kitchen gear and food will be stored. I think we will store most of the schoolbooks that we are using this year down here as well. We do most of our schoolwork from the table anyway.

This is another look at the front of the house. One of my favorite parts (besides the kitchen) is the fully landscaped yards with a timed sprinkler system. Yes! Finally! I have to say that after years of trying to convince myself that I am a gardener, I have given up and am willing to admit that it is not up on the top ten list of things that I like to do.
I actually like the idea of a small garden that is in planters and is easy to maintain. A bunch of fruit trees, an herb garden and a few tomato plants are exactly what I can handle. I will miss our chickens though...well, actually, I will miss the eggs they produce!

This house is quite the blessing. Much more than we really need and much more than we could actually afford if there was not the downturn in the economy.
We are hoping to be completely moved in by the middle of September.
~Heather

How Many More Changes?

2010-08-30T09:23:00.000-07:00

So, how many more changes could happen in one year?
I get married
My son joins the Air Force
My daughter gets married
I am pregnant...
hmmmm...
maybe that is just not enough!
Maybe what I need is...
a move!
Yep, we are moving!
We bought a house that is about a half hour north of us.
It is beautiful, it is big, it is perfect for our family.
I wish I could share pictures but I haven't downloaded them yet.
So, I will share the whole story about this crazy new adventure and pictures of the new home in a few days.

This is my official excuse for not posting anything for so long.
~Heather

12 Weeks

2010-08-14T06:15:00.000-07:00

Oh, the wonders of being pregnant!

It has been 15 years since this body of mine has carried a little one but it didn't take long for me to be reminded of all those quirky things that happen to your body when hosting a growing baby.

It is finally the end of my first trimester and have officially enjoyed six days of nausea free living. I have carried four other pregnancies and it was only with Becca, my first, that I dealt with morning sickness. Of course, with her it was all day sickness. It was so bad that they gave me suppositories to keep even water down for 16 weeks.
So, I was "thrown for a loop" when I found myself constantly needing to head back to bed to keep from getting to personally know the workings of my toilet. But, the nasty stomach was nothing compared to the cloud of "blah" that settled over me.
Thanks to that surge of hormones I had a "who cares" attitude for just about everything.
I am still struggling a bit with those feelings but keep reminding myself that this just the direct result of the hormones surging through my body.
And, honestly, the reminders that my body is doing what is should be doing is rather reassuring.

And, another great side effect of the "who cares" attitude is that when things start falling a part around you you just don't worry as you might have under other circumstances.
For instance, Miss M and Daisy started classes this past week and we found ourselves down to one vehicle. Our white mini van has bit the proverbial dust and so we are left with the suburban as our only means of transportation.
This means that we all pile in the car on the days that we need to go to those classes and drive Phil to work. We then sit at McDonalds or Starbucks for two hours and wait for the class to start. Then, we wait around to pick up Phil after work. Phil's work and the classes are over a half hour away so it seems rather silly to keep going back and forth.
But see? I don't really care. I am exhausted by the end of the day but what can I really do about it? Until we can find the right car at the right price we will have to continue this pattern.
So, there is an upside to being so nonplussed about life.

Tired anyone? I must say that I was tired when I was in my 20s having babies. I am even more tired now in my 40s. Whew! But, I feel a bit more energy coming back as I head into the second trimester.

And, last, to wrap up this blogspot about my pregnancy I wanted to share my excitement on finding a wonder midwife in our area that will be helping me birth our little one at home.
I am so excited to find someone that is a Christian and understands my philosophy of birthing.
Now, I need to find a Doctor who will understand my desire to have a home birth but will take care of our needs if we must head to the hospital in the case of an emergency.

So, here's to being back in the land of the living!
I sure hope to have this blog updated more often and I know I will have some pictures to share of our summer happenings and upcoming family camp.
~Heather

Peter and Becca

2010-08-02T11:10:00.001-07:00

Peter and Becca
May 1, 2010
Peter and Becca celebrated their third month anniversary yesterday which means it is about time that I post some pictures...doncha think?
Becca has such a fun loving, colorful way of looking at life...it made all the sense in the world that her wedding ideas would be full of such color.

Gerbera daisies were Becca's choice for her flowers. We were able to get white, red, orange, and yellow flowers making a beautiful bouquet of colors.

Praying for Becca before she walks down the aisle.

The two flower girls...Brown Sugar and Lisa's littlest who was born on Becca's birthday.

Becca getting last minute encouragement from her brother, Nate. He was unable to attend due to still being at Air Force Tech school in Mississippi.

So, every wedding has to have a glitch or two and we definitely had a humdinger of one.
It started a month before the wedding. Becca found out that the manufacture was no longer making the fabric she had picked out...kinda irritating since she had ordered it months before!
So, we were in a scramble to find some dresses. I was online constantly trying to find something and found something close enough so we decided to go ahead with it. But, it wasn't what everyone liked so they found some fabric and decided to have some made. Two weeks before the wedding we hadn't heard from the seamstress. One week before the wedding we hadn't heard from the seamstress. Becca put in a call and found out that the seamstress was willing to meet with us the night of the rehearsal. We had been told that the seamstress was very talented and so although I was a bit nervous about the last minute meeting I figured that all would go well.
Later that night after the rehearsal Miss M told me I might want to see the dresses on them.
I just started to cry when they came out of the room. The dresses were....I have a hard time describing them.
I felt incredibly bad for Becca. She is an amazing seamstress and I knew this was the last thing she needed to deal with on the night before her wedding.
This all meant that I had a few hours on Saturday to go and find yellow dresses for Miss M and Daisy. The Maid-of-Honor had a red dress that she was able to use for the wedding and Peter's sister's dress was sewn by a different seamstress...it seemed to be just fine.
So, I got up the next morning and did the last of the prep for the dinner for the private reception and then headed to the mall with Brown Sugar, Miss M, and Daisy. To shorten the story I will just say that we found one dress at one end of the mall and the other one at the other end of the mall. We got a work out, that is for sure...and, we got to the church on time!

For years Becca had dreamed of having a wedding in an almond orchard with one flowergirl walking down the path with these boots on and pulling the other flowergirl in a Radio Flyer wagon. Things don't always turn out the way you dream....but, at least she had the boots.

My beautiful girls...all fun loving!

The guys!

Peter with his parents...we have been friends with the Bradshaws for a very long time. Peter and Becca have known each other since they were four but it had been quite a long time since they had seen each other. Through some close friends they were reaquainted.

We have known the Hector family for a very long time...it was comforting to have Ben walk me down the aisle during a very difficult moment. Not difficult to be the proud mother of my beautiful daughter but difficult to know that my sweet daughter would be facing one of the hardest moments of her life...walking down the aisle by herself.

Oops...last minute nerves. The other flower girl baled out at the last minute and Brown Sugar was thinking the same thing might be more up her alley. But, Lindsey, Becca's Maid-of Honor, carried Brown Sugar down the aisle. She did fine the rest of the ceremony.

Aw...there's that smile!

During the wedding service the wedding party broke away for a time of praise music. Peter plays the drums for their church and so he took up his normal position. Katherine, his sister, played the guitar along with a couple of friends from the college group.

Eric's best friend from Navy years has always been known as Uncle Rick to our kids. He was asked to go down memory lane during the wedding ceremony. He made a lot of people laugh...as usual!

The wedding party.

Phil and me along with Peter's parents.

All the family that showed up for the wedding. I loved this photo as much as the one where we are all looking up at the photographer. It is fun to see what everyone was caught doing before the "perfect" photo was taken.

Not only did Nate get to talk to Becca before the wedding but he was able to watch the whole wedding via Skype. Someone came up with the idea of having this picture taken in honor of him being there via the internet. Gotta love modern technology!

This is Eric's family that came down to help us celebrate.

And, this is my family minus my sister and her family. We were sad that they couldn't make it.

So, after the wedding prep, the wedding, and then photos being taken after the wedding we headed over to the reception area. One of the fun parts of this "party" was the fun hats someone had brought for the pictures being taken of the guests. Becca had the idea of puting up some fun fabrics as backgrounds and then have the guests get their picture taken. She then put the pictures next to the signatures in the guest book.

Of course, some people were having so much fun that they made their way into quite a few pictures always doning a different hat.

My Mom and Dad.

The flower toss.

Becca found a Coast Guard garter.

The garter toss.

Becca wanted cupcakes so thanks to the dedicated help of quite a few friends she had 400+ cupcakes made for the reception. The ladies that set up the reception area did such a great job setting up the table for the cupcakes.

Becca's Maid-of-Honor made this topper for her cake. Miss M made the cake.

After the reception, Peter and Becca headed over to the Fletcher's ranch for some pictures and a closed dinner reception for close friends and family.

Becca had an adorable cake made for the dinner reception. The middle is black and white checkered in honor of Peter's love of NASCAR.

The dinner was great (if I do say so myself!) and the service was amazing (thank you to all my dear, amazing friends!), the weather was fabulous, and the fellowship was so nice.
But, what is a reception without an emotional call from a close friend!
Lindsey began reading a letter from Nate (the close friend) and then about a few sentences in the DJ piped Nate in over the intercom. He read the rest of the letter to the crowd....

and there were many tears...

many, many tears!

But, after tears comes dancing. And, boy did we dance!

Foley is quite the dancer...he moves so smoothly. It's just crazy!

Phil and I enjoyed a bit of dancing as well.

The Y-M-C-A with a little help from the crowd.

Daisy and some of her beautiful friends. These girls are beautiful inside as well as out.

I love this photo of Peter and Becca...may the Lord bless them with many, many years of sanctification, commitment, good times and hard, but most of all, love!
~Heather

Planning School

2010-07-21T11:46:00.000-07:00

I have been hard at work printing, organizing, and planning out the next school year.
Some of you have asked what curriculum I use and what method of schooling we incorporate in our daily schedule.
First though, I think it would benefit you, the reader, to know my philosophy on education.

Life is school.
We should never stop learning and the most important lessons of all work out well in just everyday life.
Added to that, I believe that our children's education is the parent's responsibility. That doesn't mean that the parent is the only one that can teach but that education if foundationally a parental priority...not the government's.

Over the years I have come to realize that it is not always the information that is important but the knowledge of how to get the information at the needed time.
I just don't remember everything that I was taught throughout all my years of schooling. I know that my kids will likely not remember all the facts that I drill into them as well. So, I had better teach them the skills that they need to teach themselves throughout life.
We never stop learning...

Two books that have impacted me the most when it comes to homeschooling would be...
When You Rise Up by RC Sproul Jr
and
Teaching the Trivium by Harvey and Laurie Bluedorn

I have embraced just about every method available out there but have found that each of them is just too confining for me.
I probably lean closer to a classical style of education with a bit of Charlotte Mason and lifestyle learning to add to the mix.
We do a lot of reading...a LOT of reading!
But, we also use a variety of core curriculum that I have found helpful in teaching the basics. I have tried many, many different curriculums but these are the ones that I have settled on as the best for our family:

MATH Math-U-See is our favorite. I dragged my children through years of Saxon, the holy grail of homeschool math, only to find out that they were not learning much. It was while I was at a lunch with a bunch of my friends that I discovered I was not the only one that was disappointed by the lack of results from Saxon. They had already started to move to Math-U-See and loved those results...so, I took the plunge and have enjoyed the calmer waters of a math curriculum that seems to suit my children's learning style and my teaching style.
MATH Teaching Textbooks is a wonderful high school math curriculum. I am just not good at math so I need good math tutors to help my children along withe Algebra and above. This is the curriculum that does just that.
PHONICS I am so excited about Phonics Museum from Veritas Press. I have not used a full blown phonics curriculum before...just pieced it together before now. That is changing with Brown Sugar and what fun we are going to have.
GRAMMAR We use a variety of things for Grammar. I start out using Simply Grammar, add Easy Grammar to the mix, and end up with either The Blue Book or Our Mother Tongue...my favorite being the last.
SPELLING I use Natural Speller. I have used so many curriculums and just don't like any of them. This way I can work on the words that they are truly having problems with. It's a simple curriculum and it doesn't cost much.
CREATIVE WRITING I have never used a formal writing curriculum so last year was a first as I picked up Susan Wise Bauer's Writing with Ease curriculum. I really enjoy the easy approach and small amount of work for the teacher. But, most importantly, I really like Susan's knowledge of good literature. She picks the best excerpts for the chapters. I always look forward to what we will be reading next and have picked books to read aloud to the kids that I would have otherwise tossed aside as fluff (e.g. 101 Dalmations).
HISTORY Well, this one is a no brainer for me. I LOVE Mystery of History...all of them! Including the one that Linda is still working on! Ha! This curriculum is the one that gave all four of my older children a love for history. Now I get to use it with Foley, Brown Sugar and any other child that the Lord sends our way. Add to this Homeschooling in the Woods Timeline figures on CD and you have a winning package that will take you all the way through those middle years. By the way, this is a curriculum that I find rather easy to use as a combined book for many different levels. You can add extra reading and activities for the older kids and keep it to a minimum for the littles.
HUMANITIES If you have never heard Dr. George Grant speak than you are missing out! This man is so full of knowledge and articulates well the different philosophies and world views throughout history. Sad to say, this curriculum is not available right now except for borrowing from some very thoughtful friend. We are hoping, hoping, hoping that Dr. Grant will make his new lecturesa available very soon.*****update!!!! Thanks to info that Lindsey provided I checked out the Kings Meadow site and found out that yes, indeed, Dr. Grant has published Modernity (one of four years). It will be released on July 31st and I will be "standing" in the online line ready to buy my copy! Christendom is the second of four that will be released soon. And, given that the last two years are given release dates in 2011 and 2012 I will assume that Christendom will be coming out sometime this year as well. By the way, the curriculum is now offered at quite a savings. It use to be $500 a year for a family license and now is offered at $350 a year for the same license...just checking out the samples online has proved to me that the quality has improved as well. Click here for a link to the samples.
SCIENCE I have some children that are very science and math minded and some that are just like me! For those who are like me I thought it would be kind to not bore them with info that they will never use. My solution was the Master Book/Explore collection. They have titles like Exploring the Planet Earth, Exploring Chemistry, etc. I like them because they are small paperbound books with comprehension guides. For those in my family that actually desire to know more about the sciences I hand them the Apologia text/workbook combos and say "more power to ya!".

There are plenty of other resources that I use to make my load light. I always visit Veritas Press while creating my reading list for the year. They are a wonderful resource for good, sound books to read for each reading level. I do find that some of their suggestions might be a bit too mature for the levels that they suggest them at. But, usually I find them incredibly helpful...and their reading/comprehension guides are fabulous!
I use a site called Homeschool Share for lapbook resources and templates. They have great unit study helps as well.
If you have never been to DonnaYoung.org then you haven't officially started homeschooling! Just kidding! But, you must head over there. You need lined paper right now? Download her template and presto! you have it. You need homeschooling documents? She has them. I am serious...this site is as important to know about as having a copy machine is.

I have a new resource that I will be using this year to aid my schooling of Foley. It is a biblestudy for young kids. While I am working with one child there is usually a down time for another. I try to have things on hand that can keep the one child busy until I can get back to them. My friend produced a Bible study for young kids that will fill that down time for Foley this year. He will learn all kinds of great things like the animals that are in the Bible while he waits for me.
This is a quality product that I know you will love. And, if you go to their site you can download a free sample to look at. You will not be disappointed!

So, all this talk of homeschooling can seem quite overwhelming for some. And, honestly, this year is going to be a crazy year for me which can make me become overwhelmed as well. I mean, this year I will have two highschoolers, a struggling third grader, a kindergardener and a pregnant belly! But, there is a site where you can find encouragement and creative ideas. Most of you know my friend Kendra....

...if you haven't "met" her or been to her site I highly suggest that you do so. She has ebooks available to download that are chock full of great ideas to help keep peace in your home, organize home, and teach a multitude of children of different ages.

Last but not least, I have to put a plug in for my friend Jeannie over at Area127. I typically find what I like and then order it from her. I have to say that I rarely visit her website because it is just too encouraging to talk to her on the phone. She has a wealth of information about all the greatest curriculums out there and since she knows my kids learning styles all I have to do is ask her what she thinks and I will get a recommendation to fit. She educated her children and now helps her children educate her grand children!

On all the references above, if you click the title of the book or website or icon there is a link that will take you right to said website.
I hope you found this informative...it really is just a run down on what we do not what I think you should do.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask!
~Heather

!

2010-07-12T14:25:00.000-07:00

"I've never been so happy to be so sick!"

"Sicker than a dog, but having the time of my life"
(borrowed from Barney Fife)

"How are you feeling today?"
My answer? "I'm sick and feeling great!"

Yep, that is my mantra right now.
Happy to be pregnant but not so much enjoying the symptoms...yet, enjoying the symptoms because they are a reminder that my body is doing exactly what it is suppose to do!
And, the reason why I haven't been on my blog for quite a while.
I still am in the throws of nastiness but I thought I would take a moment to let you know that I hadn't forgotten about my blog...just temporarily unable to do much.
I have about one more month of the crud but I hope I can at least get a couple of blogs written in the meantime.

Next blog will be filled with pictures of Becca and Peter's wedding.
~Heather

23

2010-06-24T10:54:00.001-07:00

Twenty-three years ago today I drove to Reno and met up with Eric.
We eloped at a small cinder blocked chapel that was overshadowed by the massive
Circus, Circus casino.
It was a strange way to start out a marriage but all the same it ended up being a very successful one.
It probably didn't look all too successful from the world's perspective...
no amazing house
no incredible income
no fancy car
no exotic vacations
no private schools attended
no college educations to brag about

Eric was a simple man. He liked things a certain way and worked hard to accomplish his goals.
We had quite a few rocky years as we both learned the roles of wife and husband...
but, boy did we grow up together.
Our last ten years was a testament to God's great mercy in our lives.
I was blessed to have been given such a wonderful man to help me in my sanctification.

God, in His infinite wisdom chose that we would only have twenty-one years together. But, I have twenty-three years of looking back and seeing what God has done in my life. Twenty-three years of love, heartache, happiness, sorrow, joy, and grief.

Thank you God for giving me Eric and I thank You all the more for changing me and making me more like You.
~Heather

A First Father's Day

2010-06-19T20:20:00.000-07:00

Father's day was a memorable one for us. The last two years have been sad ones as it was a yearly reminder that my kids did not have an earthly father any longer. It still is probably a hard day for my four older children but for my two younger children it is a great day of celebration.
It is a day to thank God for giving them a new daddy...their third daddy!
Foley and Brown Sugar are blessed to have Phil in their lives...as blessed as I am.

This was Phil's first Father's Day to celebrate as a dad himself. Talk about a jump start on the whole dad thing! He went from courting me last year to having four step-children and two adopted children and....
one on the way!

We are excited to announce that I am pregnant!
My life is so unconventional!
I have always wanted to be a part of the "in" group.
I have always wanted to be like everyone else.
But, God, in His providence has chosen to use my life in a way that kinda goes against the grain, so to speak.
Instead of that perfect home where mom and dad are married for fifty odd years and have watched their children and grandchildren grow up in the same home, I have been given a life full of pain and triumph, sorrow and happiness, grief and joy.
I have enjoyed a marriage of 21 years with my late husband,
birthed four children,
adopted two children from a Country on the other side of the world,
lost the love of my life, my best friend, to death,
faced widowhood for two years,
married again six months ago,
and now we are expecting another child...
all that in the first 43 years of my life!

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

~Heather

Something Good, Something Beautiful

2010-06-10T08:29:00.000-07:00

JUNE 26th 10am-3pm at the RIVERBEND RANCH in OAKDALE, CALIFORNIA!

For the past several years we have been helping to promote a worthy cause. Our dear friends, the Kjeldgaards, wanted to teach their children a valuable lesson; teach their eight children the value of money, the value of time, the value of helping those that need our help.
For the past three years they have spent many, many hours coming up with creative ideas for their annual carnival.
The first year they raised funds for the orphanage that Brown Sugar and Foley came from - Acres of Hope.
The second year they raised funds for the Davis Education fund...we have bought curriculum with it and enjoyed some great classes that we would not have been able to do otherwise.
Last year they raised funds for two great organizations: Agape Children's ministries and Seeds in His Garden ministry.

This year we have the privilige of helping the Kjeldgaard family raise funds for
Drawn from the Water.
I have to tell you that the first time Lisa told me about this incredible ministry to orphans in Africa I had chills. I still tear up and get chills when I talk about this great work.
Please visit their site here to learn more...it will truly touch your heart!

The Kjeldgaard family live on a very large walnut ranch in Central California.
They graciously open up their ranch for us to all enjoy a day of family fun.

There are fun games...every year they bring back the classics and also come up with new, creative games that will keep you coming back for more.
There is even a dunk tank...way too much fun seeing our Pastor or our favorite Dentist being dunked into the cold water. Last year we had a gentleman that dressed up in a suit and was dunked plenty of times...briefcase and all!

Face painting is a must at a carnival and boy, do we have some creative people with brush in hand!

And, what's a great carnival without a cake walk?
There is also great food and drink to buy.

So, don't miss out! This is down home fun...this is the kind of fun that you have thought might never happen in this technology driven day and age.
I know you will enjoy the time you will spend with your family and at the same time you will be helping a worthy cause.
Need more info? Click here!
~Heather

A New Day

2010-06-01T07:38:00.000-07:00

There is a time to mourn and a time to rejoice...
and then there is a time to do both simultaneously.
It must be said that I had never known the pain of loss until Eric's death.
I had known the pain of disappointment...I struggled with it regularly as I petitioned God for the chance to bare another child and yet His answer was always no.
But, the grief of the loss of my dearest friend, lover, and companion for twenty years was not known to this heart until January of 2008.
And, that grief, that sorrow, that pain was so overwhelming the first few months.
Those feelings showed up again at about the nine month mark.
I just remember thinking "Well, they (grief experts) said that this would happen and I guess I am no exception!".

But, from that point on I was feeling rather energized. I had made it through the first year. I had made it through all the firsts: first birthdays without Eric, first holidays without Eric, first trips without Eric.
The second year seemed to go much more smoothly and meeting Phil just added to the "phew...I made it through the first year" feeling.
Of course, keeping very, very busy also helped me from having much down time to really reflect or deal with any possibility of "leftover" grief.

That changed after Phil and I were married.
There is a split second where I feel sorry for Phil. But, it is only a split second. He will tell you that he is happy to be the one that God is using to mend my heart.
He is always willing to have a shoulder waiting for my every tear.
And, there have been a lot of them there tears!

I had no idea that God would use this marriage to give me the chance to really grieve.
I had no idea that my Heavenly Father would give me such a gift so that I would feel free to mourn in a way that I had not yet mourned.
For many, I looked stoic as I marched through life the past two years.
They wondered if I was really dealing with the pain or just setting it aside.
No one can completely escape the pain of losing a loved one.
It will be dealt with either in the present moment or somewhere down the line.
I felt that I was dealing with it as much as was possible within the structure of our busy, daily life. But, for my particular experience, it would take the love of another man, the closest relationship that God gives, the companionship of a husband to bring me to a point of
deep mourning.

In all honesty, there are some moments that I am incredibly apologetic to Phil for not seeing this outburst of emotions coming.
But, I had no idea that there was so much left in my heart that would show itself...
we are not talking about a few tears here.
We are talking about a pain that is so deep that I can hardly breathe.
We are talking about sobs of anguish that I can barely control.
It is so reminiscent of those early months.
I had one of those moments while we were watching the flag being retired at Nate's graduation ceremony. The last time I had witnessed a flag being retired was at Eric's memorial...I just couldn't help but sob. The great beauty of that moment was the gift that God had given me in Phil. My Heavenly Father knew that I needed physical arms to hold me, to be my strength, to encourage me, to just be there.
A moment of mourning and rejoicing at the same time.

Phil was there during another crazy, emotional, and yet beautiful time. During Becca and Peter's wedding I was faced continually with the fact that Eric was not there to celebrate with us. I knew that walking down the aisle alone was going to be incredibly hard and I knew that watching Becca walk down the aisle by herself was going to cause an even greater heart ache.
There was nothing more comforting then knowing that Phil was standing right next to me, knowing how deep my pain really was.
Again, a moment of mourning and rejoicing at the same time.

Many have wondered why I didn't lean on my friends or family.
I did...so many people have helped me in so many ways.
But, my deep sorrow has been shared by very few...I am quite a private person, really.
Much of my sorrow was poured out at the feet of Jesus in the privacy of my own bedroom.
There is an intimacy that a husband and wife share that allows a vulnerability.
This is one of the treasures that I have found in Phil. In such a short time we have found ourselves marveling at the closeness of our friendship and the intimate nature of our relationship.
Again, a much appreciated gift from my dear Saviour who knows what I need even more than I know myself...and, who is a giver of good gifts to His children.

It is a new day...to rejoice...and, to mourn...and, to be thankful for the chance to do both together.
~Heather

What to Write....

2010-05-23T21:54:00.000-07:00

It's not that I have writer's block.
It's pretty much that I have been incredibly busy.
After Peter and Becca's wedding life decided not to slow down as I thought it should.
Funny how life just doesn't "do" what I think it should...

As a reminder, my parents live in Central Oregon so our visits with them are usually few and far between. But, our friends, who live down the road from us, asked if my parents would like to housesit for them. So, for six weeks we are enjoying having Papa and Nana very close by.
In between getting household projects done and schooling accomplished, we are enjoying hours of games and movie watching and playing on my parents wii.
Thankfully we have about three more weeks left of their California visit.

Added to this fun distraction from daily life has been the joy of having Nathan home for twelve days. We are just about done with this visit (picture me with a very sad facial expression). I take him to the airport this coming Tuesday for him to fly up to Tacoma, WA to serve at McChord Air Force base....yep, Nate and Becca will be living very close to each other.
This gives me quite the advantage as mom...I get to spend time with both my kids with one short airplane ride. Nice!
Anyway, my days have been filled with time with Nate, baseball games for Foley, babysitting for older girls, playing games with family, softball games with Phil, ultimate frisbee games for kids, car problems, home repairs, chores, cooking, and frappes!
Tomorrow we head up to Yosemite to celebrate my umpteenth birthday...and Daisy's 15th birthday! Almost all my kids will be there (minus Becca and Peter) and my parents and clearly one of the sweetest gifts this year has brought me will be there as well, my husband.

Maybe on Tuesday I will share Daisy's birth story. It is a great story!
Until then...
~Heather

A Busy Life

2010-05-05T11:22:00.000-07:00

So, haven't heard from me in awhile? Maybe because my life became busy again. This time it was all due to the wedding of Becca and Peter.
The week before we had storm after storm send down bucket loads of rain on our valley. May 1st can be tricky but we were hopeful that the sun would shine and shine it did. It was such a beautiful day!
I don't have all the pictures yet but I just wanted to give you a taste of my daughter's big day.
The whole experience was heart wrenching and yet lovely at the same time.
I could barely get down the aisle without a few tears running down my face. But, when I saw Becca walk down the aisle I couldn't help but be happy and yet very sad at the same time.

Becca is such a creative young lady. She loves yellow and red. Her colors were those along with orange. It was a beautifully bright wedding. There were some glitches that I will talk about later but the event happened without anyone knowing about the drama behind the scenes.
(By the way, the photo above makes me look like I am shorter than my daughter...too funny, since I am at least four inches taller than her. In fact, my son is the only one who is close to my height at 5'9").

This is definately Peter and Becca's personality coming out in full bloom. They are a fun loving, happy couple who we pray will be a shining example of God's love for His own.
I promise to get back to writing...but, for now, I need to take the rest of the week to recover.
~Heather

Uninsured and Proud of it!

2010-04-18T15:02:00.000-07:00

With all of the hub-bub about our President's health care plan,
I have found it necessary to explain why we are uninsured to those who desire to start a conversation on the subject.
About four years ago we were faced with a decision. Our insurance company was upping our rates once again placing a $1,200 a month financial burden on our family. We had three choices:

Volunteer to pay the increased cost to an insurance company even though we rarely went to the doctor.
Go solo and have no substantial way of providing in the case of a major medical situation.
Join a health share program that would allow us to have some help in those major medical situations and help those who are truly in need.

We just could not afford the higher fees but there were other reasons why we thought it was a good idea to step away from health insurance industry.
For one, we never benefitted from all the money that we put into the system. I had already started to look into natural remedies for much of what ailed us. I was tired of going to the doctor just to go away with another dose of antibiotics and very few answers to my questions.
Also, we asked ourselves, if the money we were sending to the health insurance company was not benefitting us than who was it benefitting? It was helping the insurance company and those who have invested in said insurance companies. It also helped fund abortions and the antics of drug companies. We were helping fund an all inclusive industry. While our rates were going up so were the rates of medical procedures and doctor visits and drugs.

Going it alone didn't seem like a very wise option. You know, God does ask us to take care of what He has given us. And, while we were no longer wanting to hand over our money to large health corporations we were also not willing to lose everything in the possibility of a major medical crisis. So, the third option, although scary, seemed the most viable.

Share plans have been around for a very long time. The Amish use the same principle....to share one another's burdens. How does this differ from health insurance companies?
For one, the organization that we work through gets a one time annual fee which means that the monthly check that I write out is sent directly to a family in need. Very little overhead is needed to keep this organization running. It comes down to people helping people.
The families that we help monthly might come to our aid someday...maybe not. But, the fact that 100% of our money goes to the family in need is worth an awful lot to us.
You must be a Christian to be a part of this particular program and adhere to some rules which is a safeguard against those who might want to abuse a system such as this.

Now, I will tell you that when we started to walk away from the idea of health insurance I felt like we were cutting away the "safety net" from our family. But, after much prayer and discussion we felt like we needed to take the proverbial leap of faith. And, so we did.
We joined Samaritan Ministries share plan close to four years ago and have not had one single moment of regret.
I have not needed to use it once but have contributed monthly about one quarter of what we would have paid out for health insurance on a monthly basis.
When we pray for those that we are sending a check to we are always humbled by the fact that we have the opportunity to help in such a small way.
It has also helped us move more towards a more healthy, careful lifestyle. Since we know that we are the ones that have to pay for the doctor visit (the share programs are usually only for major medical problems) you tend to be more deliberate about your health decisions.
I don't just run to the doctor's office anymore. Instead, I read and learn how to better help our immune systems. I do this by using essential oils, homeopathy, and naturopathic remedies.
I assess particular situations by asking people that I trust who have more knowledge than me in this area.
I don't want to give the impression that we won't go to the doctor ever again. I actually believe that there is a definite place for medical attention but I am prayerful before taking any of us to see a doctor.
Here is an example:
While we were on our first trip across the United States we found ourselves in a precarious situation while in Kentucky. We had just left our friends home in Illinois that morning and had traveled all day long. We parked the trailer in a beautiful little campground and while unpacking noticed that Brown Sugar was having a hard time breathing. In fact, she had stopped breathing for a moment. I thought she might have swallowed something but couldn't imagine what that would be and after much pounding on the back we realized that it was an altogether different problem. I piled the kids into the van and off we went to find the nearest hospital. The whole time I am praying, asking the Lord to give me wisdom. I didn't want to sit in an ER room, pay $1000 plus dollars to find out that there was a simple explanation.
As we pulled up to the ER we sat there trying to decide what to do when my friend back in Illinois called and told me that her son had just had an episode of croup. I had not experienced croup before so I didn't know what it looked like. My friend gave me some helpful hints which led us to the local Walmart. We spent a couple of hours outside of Walmart making sure that the remedies were going to work before heading back to the campground (about 45minutes south.
Most people would just go straight to the hospital because their insurance would cover such things. Samaritans would have helped if I had gone to the hospital but I found a better solution...prayer and common sense. I like the fact that being uninsured helps me break out of that mold and think before acting.

Well, that is what we do for our family but I will fully admit that this might not be for all families. You see, I know two families in particular that would have a hard time making ends meet if they didn't have health insurance. They have children who are diabetic and the cost of medication and doctor visits is so high that it would break them without the help of insurance.
Our family was in a similar situation. If it had not been for the medical care that Eric received from the military we would be broke. His care costs for both times in the hospital was well over $100,000.
But, for the average healthy family this is a viable option and maybe even for those who are not altogether healthy (I just know that that would be a bigger leap of faith!).

So, when people start talking about ObamaCare I cringe. I shudder when the media starts throwing out statistics about "the uninsured" as if we had no other choices.
Socialized medicine will not change the problems in the health insurance debacle. Getting the government out of health care in the first place will be a start to a more "healthy" industry. Close down Medicare and Medicade.
Close down the FDA and allow a free market to dictate drug companies profits.
But, now I am probably showing too much of my political slip...

It is all about Semper Reformanda...always reforming.
For more information on Samritan Ministries please click here.
And, if you decide to join please mention Phil Olsson in the referral area.
~Heather

Thirty-Seven Years Ago....

2010-04-13T14:46:00.001-07:00

Last night, Miss M asked us to watch yet another photo slide show. When you have a budding photographer in the house you are always called over to the computer to review the latest photos taken. This time, however, we were to enjoy a beautiful music video that not only included the photos Miss M has taken but also a powerful message.

There is nothing that makes me more grateful than seeing my children take a passionate stance against a social injustice and as passionate a stance for the law of God.
Before you push play, you will want to pause the music player on the sidebar of this page.
~Heather

The Reception

2010-04-06T11:02:00.000-07:00

Many of you know how incredibly busy my life has been over the past couple of months. The busyness has not ceased but I had a moment before heading out to the garden and so I thought I would share some of the photos from our reception. Hey, I'm only four months behind!

Right after the wedding ceremony we had family photos taken while our guests enjoyed some wonderful bruschetta. The wedding party was then introduced again. Phil and I were much more relaxed at this point of the evening. He spun me around as we walked down to Etta James singing "At Last".

One long table!

Might as well get use to this...we have plenty of children to keep us busy and so we might as well learn to kiss around them!

My sweet daughter and my dear friend!

What a sweet group of friends that Daisy is surrounded by.

Dave, one of Phil's closest friends, gave the first toast. It was the start of probably the most emotional part of the evening for me. Dave talked about how they had been praying for a wife for Phil. Dave and I have similar interests in subjects like economics. He thought it was pretty cool that I owned and had been reading "The Creature from Jekyll Island". He thinks it funny that he didn't see this coming....and, is so happy that it did! So, for all those girls out there that love to read, talk politics, think philosophically, and enjoy learning, there are guys out there that are looking for gals like you.

Every single toast meant so much to me. Erik, another of Phil's closest friends, gave a beautiful toast...but, I wouldn't expect anything less from this very eloquent man.

Doggonit...the toast's just kept getting harder to hear....only because they were such kind words. Lisa's toast started out something like this "As many of you were praying for Phil to find a wife, we were watching Heather be a wife." It is still amazing to me how God has changed my life so drastically. What was rather sweet was that there were people present at our wedding that both Phil and I knew from different circumstances. For them to see us come together was quite wonderful....and probably strange as well.

So, the toast that I couldn't help but cry through was when Becca got up and talked about how hard this process was for her and yet how much she loved me.
She did a great job getting through a very teary toast.

Do you see the twinkle in my eye? Yep, I am trying to decide how messy I want to get.
Of course, I was just one big tease...I wouldn't have smeared it on his face. I did dab his nose though.

A bit nervous at what Phil might do to me. I love the playfulness of our relationship!

Not bad...not bad at all.

As with the wedding of Cana, we felt that our wedding should reflect the best that we could afford and give to our guests. We surely didn't want to have a wonderful ceremony, great food, and then skimp on the wine or the dessert.
The food ended up being amazing and the dessert was wonderful as well. The adults were served Tiramisu and the kids were served Twinkies and Ho-Ho's. Well, there were some adults that preferred the Hostess cupcakes!

We did the traditional throwing of the garter and bouquet. Phil's brother caught the garter...too fun! And, a dear friend of mine, Jamie, caught the bouquet.

and, then the dancing began....Phil and I started out the dancing with the Bride and Groom dance. I had recorded a song for him which is what we danced to. I had recorded it about a month before the wedding and so it ended up being a hard secret to keep.
Our family had taken dance lessons together before we brought home the kiddos from Africa. It was fun to see Nate and Becca putting those lessons to good use.

Love this photo!

The YMCA!

Enjoying being in my man's arms!

The kids got into the dancing as well.

The Hokey-Pokey...it was fun to see so many people out on the dance floor.

The DJ was worried that we might have a dull evening on our hands when he found out that we were conservative, homeschooling families without an open bar available.
I told him that he would be pleasantly surprised...and he was!

The Cha-Cha Slide...a favorite for many in our church. My friend Dana (in the far left side of photo) was leading the group. I love the mixture of adults and children...exactly what we were hoping for.

I love Phil's smile in this photo. Doggonit! I love this guy!

Mamma's and their children enjoying some dancing fun!

Even Brown Sugar and her friend were enjoying the dance floor!

What a crowd!

Before we had our last dance we gathered the kids and prayed with them. We wanted to say our last farewell's to them in private (well, the photographer was there but not everyone else who attended the wedding). It was a sweet time.

The last dance was danced to "Save the Last Dance" by Michael Buble. I wasn't expecting the last of the people who stayed to circle around us and watch us dance. But, the effect was fun...sometimes I had to close my eyes because I was starting to get dizzy by their spinning one way and Phil spinning me the other way.

Walking out to the car. My "boyfriend" helped hold an umbrella over me. It was too sweet. But, sorry kiddo, you can't go with us! Love that kid!

One last kiss for all to see. Off to Hawaii the following day to enjoy a week by ourselves.
~Heather

Children and a New Dad

2010-03-27T17:44:00.000-07:00

There are some wonderful things about having a man around the house again...
Little home projects are getting done,
I have an adult to communicate with,
There is someone else around here to help with the discipleship of the kids,
but, most of all, there is a man at the head of this home once again.

Phil knew that the task would be enormous when he asked me to marry him.
He knew that he was stepping into a potential beehive. But, he chose to take on the challenge because he believed that this is what God had planned for him.
He had waited a long time to find a woman who liked to learn, was a reader,
and had a bit of spunk to her personality.
I happened to fit that description and I had six children as an added bonus!
He had also prayed that the Lord would give him a family someday.
He just had no idea that the family part of his prayer would be answered so soon.

I would not have married Phil if I hadn't believed that he was up to the task. I also consulted many of his friends and my friends to help me discern if this was a good step for the family God had given me.
Here are some reasons why I thought that Phil was qualified to become an instant father:

He grew up in a family that took in foster kids. For many years he was able to be a part of this endeavor.
His family adopted one child and he has two black brothers who were formerly foster brothers of his who are just growing out of the teens years.
He has many nieces and nephews that he has been able to watch his siblings raise. He has purposefully watched what they have done and their approach to parenting.
He has purposefully watched one of his best friends raise his children; taking note of their methods and ways of disciplining.

As I got to know Phil, I realized that he subscribed to a very similar method of discipline and training of the heart. His desire is to lead his children to the Throne of grace and remind them of their deep need for a Savior. I am truly grateful to God for giving me such a kind-hearted husband who doesn't want to punish but rather nurture and disciple, using the methods that God has ordained in His Word.

So, how does Phil relate to the kids?
Well, as you can imagine, there are definitely some differences in how he relates to each group of kids. I have two that are adults and have left the home...Becca and Nate see him as my husband but really as a brother in Christ when it comes to their personal relationship with him. They are both happy that Brown Sugar and Foley have a dad around. All of the four, older children call Phil by his first name....Phil. The rest of the kids in his life call him Mr. Phil, Uncle Phil, or Mr. Olsson...this gives my four older children the ability to see their relationship with him as more intimate than what everyone else has.

Miss M and Daisy have a different relationship with Phil. He is not their dad and he recognizes that he will never be able to replace Eric's place in their hearts. But, he does have a place of authority over them as the head of this household. I am the primary disciplinarian for both the girls but if they disrespect me or my decisions, Phil is right there to remind me of my position in their lives. This is probably the hardest of all the relationships for me to deal with.
When you birth your own children you begin a relationships that develop over time. There is a trust and respect that you grow up with. In this case, Phil is coming into a home where these girls do not know him well and have not developed a trust or respect for him as of yet. Add on top of all that the fact that they are watching another man come in and take the position of their father's role and you have some hard feelings to deal with.
Thankfully, as I tell the girls, we have time on our side. We have only been doing this family thing for three months now. Not very long at all!
I wholeheartedly believe that God ordained Eric's death and I believe, as strongly, that God ordained Phil's and my marriage as well. That means that I trust God to work out all the details. I just have to be obedient....you know, that whole "Trust and Obey" thing!

So, then there is the relationship that Phil has with Brown Sugar and Foley. Both of the younger children call him dad or daddy. Unlike the other four, these two will be adopted by Phil in the near future. We told Brown Sugar that she couldn't call Mr. Phil daddy until we walked back down the aisle. I will never forget her tugging at my dress, as we were waiting for pictures, and asking "can I call him daddy now?". The day we saw her before we headed off to the airport for our honeymoon. She was being carried into the house by my dad when she said "hi daddy". Both Foley and Brown Sugar see Phil as their new daddy. They know that "Daddy Davis" brought them home from Africa. And, we have plenty of pictures to remind them of their Daddy Davis. But, Phil is their new daddy that loves on them, disciples them, wrestles with them, goes to their baseball games, etc.
This relationship is not that hard, really. They just willingly accept Phil as the authority over them. Again, I am grateful. I am so thankful that God decided that Foley needed a daddy. He's lost two now and it seems rather appropriate for this little African boy to grow up watching and learning from a man in the home.

As I was talking with the girls this week about their roles in this home and their relationship with me, Phil and I realized that the balance of relationships is kind of like a circular diagram. Have you ever seen one of those diagrams with two circles that meet in the middle? Think of the girls in one circle and Phil, Foley, and Brown Sugar in the other. I am in the middle section where the two circles meet...and where both circles have something in common.
My job right now is to try and find those things that we all have in common to help build a strong foundation for our family in years to come. There will always be differences between the two "distinct" families in this home but there are as many similarities and that is what I am trying to capitalize on.
Can I just tell you that I am one tired woman right now?
This is the hardest job I have ever worked on.
I have my two older children who need me to cheer them on right now.
I have the two middle girls who are a part of this new family that we are trying to establish and yet still have at least one foot firmly planted in the family they knew and loved.
And, then I have the two little ones and Phil who need to have a stable, loving home that looks as normal as possible.
I am a blessed woman...there is no complaining here!
But, I do sometimes catch myself thinking this is not what I was thinking life would be like. I wasn't necessarily hoping or dreaming about this kind of family life.
Obviously, this is what God had planned for me and He will sustain me and make this family successful in His timing if only we..."Trust and Obey".
~Heather

Simple and Deliberate

Four

Goals

Merry Christmas...um, I Mean Happy New Year!

Who Has The Time to Blog?

Love!

Seven Months Old!

A Godly Heritage

her·it·age

Friends are friends....forever?

Rebel at Heart

Do the Next Thing

Ah...Finally Reading Again!

It's a Long Story!

I'm Back!

A Word is Worth a Thousand Pictures

I Understand...

Add This Up...

Baby's Story

A Beautiful New Blessing!

Smiles!

3

Misc.

It's January 3rd Already?

Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas Eve!

Journeys

Giving Thanks!

Los Angeles

Being Thankful...

And the Winners Are...

Announcing Winners Tomorrow!

Family Camp and a Give-away!

Twenty weeks

Again....sooooo busy!

New House/New Home

How Many More Changes?

12 Weeks

Peter and Becca

Planning School

!

23

A First Father's Day

Something Good, Something Beautiful

A New Day

What to Write....

A Busy Life

Uninsured and Proud of it!

Thirty-Seven Years Ago....

The Reception

Children and a New Dad