A Plain Home
Dirt Pudding
Our local library has a teen program that takes place on Thursdays @ 11. My oldest usually goes by herself because she doesn't want my youngest tagging along, although both are old enough to attend. But you know, you have to pick your battles, right?
Well, since the oldest is at camp I let the youngest go this week. They were having a movie/snack party. Everyone was supposed to bring a "buggy" snack and then they were going to watch a "buggy" movie. So yesterday morning I had to make a mad dash to Walmart to get the ingredients for her "buggy" snack. I made some dirt pudding for her to take along.
Here's the recipe:
Dirt Pudding
1 pkg. (4-serving size) vanilla instant pudding mix
1 pkg. (4-serving size) chocolate instant pudding mix
4 c. milk, divided
1 c. thawed Cool Whip, divided
Oreo cookies, crumbled
Gummy worms
1. Prepare vanilla & chocolate pudding mixes separately with milk as directed on packages.
2. Let stand 5 minutes.
3. Gently stir 1/2 c. Cool Whip into each bowl of pudding mix.
4. Sprinkle Oreo crumbs into bottom of bowl or bucket. Enough to cover bottom, about 1/2" thick.
5. Pour vanilla pudding mix over top of crumbs.
6. Sprinkle another 1/2" of Oreo crumbs over top of vanilla pudding.
7. Pour chocolate pudding mix over top of crumbs.
8. Sprinkle another 1/2" of Oreo crumbs over top of pudding.
9. Add worms & a shovel!
10. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.
There were only 5 kids that showed up this week. Most likely because of it being the 4th of July weekend. Katie won a coupon to Arby's for "The Best Tasting"!
It was good!
Diet? What diet? 
Small Fire Update: Adjuster news...
Yesterday morning the 2nd cleaning place was here and the adjuster stopped by as well. The cleaning place said they would put their bid in, but we haven't heard what it is as of yet.
The adjuster went on to say basically after looking things over, this is going to take some time. It is going to be like we all are invading your entire life. We however will help you through it and it will be over in a short time, but it will likely seem like an eternity going through it. Having said that, he also says that we need patience. NO CLEANING is to be done until the cleaners come... so much damage can be done by cleaning soot that is irrepairable. I told him that DH had already started because he was embarrassed by the sight of all these cobwebs (which are soot webs, not cobwebs... we learned so much these past couple days!) We notice a couple places where dh had the vacuum stick and hit the tile or something and it actually made skid marks that Dh then tried to get out and couldn't... he likely made it worse. The insurance adjuster just raised his eyebrows, but understood since no one told us what to do... they try to get out the day of or the next morning, but our insurance companies fax wasn't working and once back online... they forgot to call over the weekend and they took a holiday off on Monday... so nothing was told to us until Tuesday. We have been eating food in the cupboards they deemed unsafe and have basically told me to inventory and throw out. We have been living in a house that they are making to sound unliveable until it is cleaned. That has been changed to be you can live there, but you should really be careful what you touch, what you track back and forth and washing dishes before you eat.. .regardless of whether they look dirty or not. I'm like Uh-huh... he knows we have a 3yo and that this goes beyond her comprehension.
The adjuster also said this takes steps. We can replace the stove and hood as soon as we want... that will totally be replaced so we can go ahead and go shopping and turn in the bill. But otherwise, the cleaning needs to be done first. After the cleaning is done, then they will assess the damage. Then we will have to get bids, then approval for work to be done, then the last of the repair work should get completed. The cleaning will take approximately one week... maybe a little longer. They asked what we were willing to clean and we said the microcleaning, which he is happy for. They will clean the big areas, the ceilings, walls, and floors... and the entire kitchen area (washing cupboards, dishes, etc.). That leaves me to pack everything up in the house in boxes and get it out of the way so they can do that... I then will have to wash everything before putting it away again. Steve will help, but he has a full day at work next week and I will likely be alone doing much of the cleaning and trying to entertain Paige in the process.
I am beginning to see the reason of why this happened... and I smile and grimace all at the same time... In one big swoop my house will be cleaned and decluttered all at once. Likely in two weeks... Everything will have been cleaned and sorted and replaced into it's home or taken away to the dump or given away as donations. DONE! For those who have been keeping up on my blog you know my decluttering journey is very slow. I take it one box at a time... and slowly go through items. I recall taking things to the basement last fall and this spring the prized items went upstairs to be sold online... which in all honesty... things are selling. I am going to the post office 1-2 times a week to mail off items. Anyways, I will no longer need to bore you on my decluttering process because... it will be done! (if I stick to it and work with the process... which Dh says he will stick me to it! LOL).
You know... in my last fire post I was trying to figure this out and praying about it because it made no sense to me at all. NONE... so I went to bed with a heavy heart. But in the morning I awoke dreaming about something I only recall the meaning of now... and yet I know it was of giving things away... And I recall sleepily replying to this thought, but LORD, I thought you wanted us to sell it and then give to the poor... and to which I felt a deep need to read my proverbs chapter of the day. I wake up more fully, opening my eyes and I sense the words... The Lord will supply all your needs... and then remembering my dream of giving things away... I then eagerly rushed for my Proverbs book (It is just the book of Proverbs in one little paperback that I use for my daily devotions)... and I read the following...
Proverbs 22:1 ¶A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.
Yes, I know that Lord.
4 ¶By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life.
Ok, I understand what you are saying, but I know you want us to be debt free and to do that, I need to sell some items to pay off our debt... (do you say BUT... to the Lord?)
5 ¶Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward: he that doth keep his soul shall be far from them.
BUT... can be a snare... keeping you in one spot... never being able to let go, never being able to get truly close to Lord, because I am stuck in my snare... Ok... I see.
7 ¶The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.
See... YOU don't want us in debt... I only know a couple ways to get out of debt... WORK...likely out of the home (we've tried at home jobs and the only one that gave us money for debt was daycare)...or selling stuff to pay off debt.
9 ¶He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor.
Bread is what sustains us... we pray, give us this day our daily bread... give my bread to the poor? Give away all the fluff in our house (our bread, that which will help us get out of debt)... that which will help keep giving us daily bread... I mean our debts will not get paid with nothing, so if it is gone... I have nothing extra to pay towards those debts... I already know our budget is cinched so tight... in fact our current budget allows for all the bills to be paid but absolutely NO MONEY FOR FOOD!... But Steve does get overtime, so I will need to put that overtime money into a food fund... and extra will go to pay off bills if that is even possible. ..the only extra money is our tax refunds which we have always paid unto debt... If that is what you want us to continue to do... OK. I will trust that your timing is perfect... Lord, please help my faith that doing this is what you want us to do...
16 ¶He that oppresseth the poor to increase his riches, and he that giveth to the rich, shall surely come to want.
Am I really trying to increase my riches??? I don't think so... I just want to pay off our debt. Are you saying my heart is eager to increase in riches? Eager to be debt free? Eager to be independent? Ahhh... OK... Eager to be self sufficient! Ok, I am seeing my heart... I want to be free of this burden of debt... and willing to go slowly at it, but have been simply willing to only do it my way? Are you saying that my goal to be debt free can come in the way of helping others? That it can make me avoid YOUR course for my day... because of my plan to sell and get out of debt? I feel that if I do accomplish this goal by my own way of doing things that you are saying I still will not be satisfied... what goal will I pursue next... it is a selfish goal for some in getting out of debt... meaning that we've attained something others haven't... put us into a different category perhaps...I reread...2 ¶The rich and poor meet together: the LORD is the maker of them all. I am beginning to read my own heart. I didn't think I was trying to attain something of earthly value, but I think I was beginning to see that I can take a Biblical value of being debt free and making it a god. It was all I thought of...my days plans were made around this goal... our diet was made around the goal (remember me saying I wouldn't buy fruits and veggies out of season because they cost too much???) Oh, my self-righteous soul!
17 ¶Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge.
18 For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee; they shall withal be fitted in thy lips.
19 That thy trust may be in the LORD, I have made known to thee this day, even to thee.
Trust.... Ok Lord, help me to trust in YOU alone. Help me give up my own self gratifying ways. Help me Lord in this process that I might humble myself to You and to do Your will in my home. Help me to trust when in my mind it seems so silly to give things away that can be sold and put onto a bill. When nothing makes sense... help me to just know that You can be trusted.
Those were my thoughts yesterday morning. I again sighed as I walked through the house with the adjuster and the cleaner. The cleaner was happy for all the STUFF... more to clean, more money to make! The adjuster on the other hand mentioned we had a lot of STUFF. The amount of books is tremendous, but he understood that and all the school supplies... he said... you need something to teach with... you basically have a school in your home... that is no small feat to try to fit it in. While he said it was ok, I recalled others I've met online that have ONE bookshelf for schoolbooks and supplies. And I'm now feeling remorseful in some ways. I've always thought that having alot of books was helpful... it helped keep library fines down... as we are late often in returning them... And when you return 20 books 5 days late... that can add up to a hefty fine. I tell them I am helping them keep their library stocked with new books... I buy several each year! Anyways, I admitted things had to go... and he smiles and says... well, you can sort as you clean. You don't have to put it back.
Dh has been furiously trying to come up with a plan and the $1000 deductible is not in our pocket book at the moment... so we do not want to buy the stove on credit only to wait to get repaid. So we have decided to wait on those replacement purchases until after we have worked off the deductible so that we can be paid for the stove right away. That means alot more one pan meals. This should keep us on our path to eating leaner! *Ü* Also, Dh had almost decide to let them clean it all... short of me working with the ladies as I could during the days. And doing the areas the cleaners didn't want to do... the bathroom closet, my daughters bedrooms, and our bedroom personal effects. I agreed that would keep me plenty busy. But as the decision for what to clean was made today, Dh said... we will clean all the small stuff... basically everything that has to be taken out, moved out of the way is our responsibility... books, toys, clothes, curtains, nick nacks, pictures, etc. This has increased my load tremendously and while I am willing to do it, I am cringing about doing it all alone. But dh reasoned that if they took books down and put them into boxes and replaced them, they would not go in the order that I would be happy with and I would have to redo it all again anyways... so why not just have me do that from the start. I am a micro cleaner... that is what I do best. My drawers, shelves and such have detailed order that drives others nuts... But the macro cleaning... is something that gets done on a have-to basis. So, he ultimately thought it would save me time in the long run if my duty was to do the micro cleaning... that way when things are put away, they are put away right and three weeks from now I won't be upset pulling a drawer out because it is poorly arranged... and spending an hour arranging it. Ahhh, he knows me well! Dh will be helping with the cleaning as well on his days off... it is not my job alone, but the part he left me to is the part that is best suited for me... I need to go through the items, I need to let go... Dh knows this and if he did it, he knows I would be upset with him... so it is for the best.
So, if anyone has hung through on this post this long... Please feel free to lift me up in prayer, that I might be able to let go with a light heart, not a heavy one. I do not wish to be like Lot's wife, holding onto things that seem to guarantee me some income in some way... Our budget is tight, but the Lord has always provided. I am beginning to look forward to having less. Less things to clean, less clutter to step over... and as DH wistfully says... the house will be CLEAN (uncluttered clean) in two weeks! He is so looking forward to it. (that reminds me that as we were talking of cleaning he says... I'd never clean out the entertainment center and wipe it all down, but here they are going to do it for us... and it will be cleaner than it's been in 19 years!... I wryly replied to that... I clean it out at least twice a year... I guess you never noticed. He said, next time, take a picture so he knows that I did it. He began to feel bad as all his hopeful expectant things to come of the crisis was a clean house... things will be cleaned that never were cleaned... and every thing he mentioned I clean on a regular basis... he just doesn't notice it because likely of the clutter that blocks his view... our house isn't a path house, but it has more clutter than it needs... I call it travelling clutter... I clean out a room and the clutter moves to the next room... I clean that room and the clutter moves to a different room... and so has it gone on for 19 years... yes, I admit I need change. )
Warmly, ~Melissa
ps, I'm not bashing going debt-free... we will continue our journey with that, but now being more open to God's plans in going debt free than my own.
pps, The help can't start until Tuesday and I can't clean until Tuesday... so that gives me a few days to get SS set up and going without having double duty... God is good.
Am I Going To Be Able to Homeschool?
When I envision homeschooling, I must admit that I’m a lot more relaxed about it than most people that I know. I want my children to want to learn (like most people) and plan to read historically accurate story books rather than buying history curriculum and stuff like that. Hopefully, it takes longer for my children to get burnt out on story-time than it does "sit here and read this book for half an hour and then I'm going to ask you questions."Recently, though, Samuel’s attitude has come into play. VERY tongue in cheek, I’ve started to wonder what the future holds.
I’m stubborn, and my wonderful husband can be very stubborn, too. So it’s only natural that our children have these stubborn streaks a mile wide. They get it from being human, I think.
Anyway, about a month ago, Samuel and I had this argument about colors. I was trying to helpfully teach him the different colors since he had expressed interest. However, he became utterly determined that everything he saw was going to be yellow. For a while, no other color seemed to exist for him!
He also grasps the concept of 1, 2 . . . . . and 5. So, today at breakfast, I got the bright idea to try to fill in the gap. I went and picked up three matchbox cars, and put two on the table. Problem is, he saw me pick up three, and set down two, so he was too distracted to focus on the words coming out of my mouth.
Finally, I helpfully prompted him. “Are there two cars, Samuel?”
“Yeah.”
I put the third car on the table, to his great relief. “Now how many are there?”
He studied them carefully. I tried to help again.
“One, two . . .”
“Nine!”
Where that number comes from, I don’t know. He must have pulled it randomly from his memory. We proceeded to argue about what the third car should be called – nine or three.
“One, two, thr(“nine”!)ee.”
Boy, my son can sure argue! It amuses me, because I’m sure sometimes I’m just as certain that I have the right answer, or I totally try to bluff God when I’m just guessing as well.
The part that concerns me is the future. Is this going to become habit? I can see myself years from now . . . .
“In 1492,
“No, mom. I’m pretty sure it was 1592.”
“Um, son, I’m reading this out of a book. It’s 1492.”
“Whatever. It was 1592.”
“1492.”
“1592.”
“1492!!”
Hahahahaha . . . . . . I love my eldest son . . . . .
Tomato Updates
This year when I went to pick out tomato plants, I went a little crazy. The nursery I went to has organic, 6” tall (or taller!) plants for $0.99 each. I was after 9 plants (at that point in time that was the area I had open) . . . . so I bought:One “Old German” – or something like that. An yellow heirloom. My *worst* plant so far, very spindly!
One “Cherokee Purple” – heirloom, supposed to be the ugliest, best tasting tomato around. Loaded with neat looking, zebra-striped green fruits right now that should turn purple.
Two “Sun Leapers” – I had such marvelous tomatoes with this last year. Then I had all the volunteers come up so I have LOTS!
One “Health Kick” – why not? I think if I remember right it’s supposed to have extra lycopine or whatnot.
Two “Husky Reds” – I don’t remember why I picked these out, either.
Two “Keepsakes” – Again, I was having fun and if I don’t try them, I won’t know if I don’t like them.
Well, of all the plants I put in, my “Health Kick” plant has yielded two red tomatoes already. They are the oblong shape of a Roma, but I’m not that picky. I didn’t know they were paste-type tomatoes when I bought the plant, but it doesn’t really matter anyway.
The tomatoes aren’t bright, bright red but I picked them anyway as we are due for a bunch of rain and I don’t want them to swell with extra water and dilute the flavor . . . I’ll probably cut one up today with a bit of salt and just eat it up!
An Update...finally!
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My girls have been keeping me pretty busy with running them around this summer so I'm finally posting something. They each volunteer and that makes my schedule busy! Katie (youngest) is volunteering at our local library on Mondays & Wednesdays. Ashley (oldest) is still volunteering at the vet clinic 3 days a week.
~We have been taking a sign language class on Monday nights. It is a 10 week course. I figure that I can count that as school even though we are on summer break. One of the pluses of homeschooling! You can count just about anything for school! 
~As you know my brother got married. We are going over to his house this Saturday for dinner. We have never been over to their house so I'm really looking forward to spending some time with them.
~I've been defeated! Yep, the grocery stores are winning! I can no longer feed my family for $200 a month. I think I'm up to $250 now! UGH! Even with cooking from scratch.
~We have decided to put our oldest back in school come fall of 2009. We feel it is in her best interest for her future as a vet to go back to either public school or private school (if we can afford it!) She will be entering the 11th grade by then so we figured that she ought to have some kind of morals by that age. If not, then we haven't done our jobs! She will be more eligible to get scholorships if she is in school then if she is homeschooled. So....DH has her working though a history book this summer to prepare her for going back. I'm sure that he will have her working on other subjects as well!
~OOH! My sister and her husband are adopting a baby!!!! They adopted a little girl about 6 years ago. She was about 5-6 at the time of the adoption. This new baby is 2 months old! So precious! The biological parents were only 17 & 19 and just weren't able to care for the baby properly so they gave her up. My sister & her husband got the baby last week and the adoption will be final on Aug. 1. Their 10 year wedding anniversary! How timely!
~OOH again! My brother & his wife are expecting #4 in October. The first 3 are all boys and they found out this next one is a GIRL! They are so happy! We all got to see the 3D/4D ultrasound on the computer as they were finding out what it was. It was really neat!
~WE HAVE ANTS! We have had this rustling sound in our ceiling for about a year or so. DH has gotten up on the roof numerous times to inspect for holes. We thought maybe a squirrel had taken up housing in there but there were no holes for something that big to enter. Dh drilled holes in the ceiling & sprayed bug killer in them but no luck. Dh called the exterminator yesterday and they said that we DEFINITELY have carpenter ants between the ceiling and the roof! UGH! They chew non-stop! Constantly! So they are coming out this Saturday morning to spray.
~I have started my diet.....AGAIN! Why is this so hard for me? Because I like to eat, I guess! On this diet I have to eat every 2-3 hours because I have low blood sugar. So you would think that eating every 2-3 hours would be really nice for someone who likes to eat, huh? NOT! It would be nice but I don't get to eat the foods I WANT TO EAT! It is hard for me to eat fruits & veggies & protein at every meal. Now give me something salty or sweet and I'm good to go! I think that I will start up exercising when our summer activities are over. Which should be this month.
~I have just gotten over another case of a UTI. I'm about sick of these things! I think I've had my share now! This time I didn't go to the dr. I just took the little pain pills that he gave me last time and have been drinking cran-grape juice & water along with taking cranberry pills. It cleared up! I decided to wait to see if it would clear up on it's own because too many antibiotics are bad! I can't keep taking them all the time!
~We still haven't found Frank. He will be missed!
~Oh yeah! Did I mention that my DH took me golfing? LOL! We went golfing about a week ago. Now I have never been "real" golfing before in my life! Only putt putting! We golfed the first 9 holes. I guarantee that I won't be entering any tournaments any time soon! After about the first 2 holes I just started hitting (or trying to hit) the ball with the same club. When you golf as bad as I do it really doesn't matter which club you use! It was fun. I think I irritated DH more than anything because I wasn't taking it seriously. Golf is a serious game, you know! LOL! Not to me! I was just out there having myself a good ole' laughing time. It's quite funny when you swing the club and expect to hit the ball and it is still sitting on the tee when you look down.
~For anyone who actually knows me and has seen my hair worn down knows that I have very, very, kinky, curly hair. I have always wanted to be able to wear my hair down and be able to run my fingers though it. That just isn't the case with my hair. It looks like a perm when it's down which is great but I have to put so many styling products on it to keep it from being frizzy. So I decided that I would buy a chemical straightener and run it through my hair to get rid of the curls for a while. What was I thinking? It didn't work! It is still curly! Not as curly as before but still curly! Guess the curls are there to stay! It is really straight when it's wet but as soon as it dries it's curly again so I guess the manufacturers will still be getting my money for their styling products.
Well, I think that is about it for an update. That's all that I can think of right now.
Have a blessed day!
Addendum To the Previous Post
I woke up pondering my thoughts today. We slept much better last night, so my head seems clearer.
My attitude has been, ‘Lord, if I wasn’t pregnant, I could have done this! I could have handled it!”
Like He really wanted me to handle it by myself!!!
If I wasn’t pregnant, I would have been a little less exhausted by broken sleep.
If I wasn’t pregnant, I probably wouldn’t have had the nausea issues standing in my way of drinking more fluids and trying to boost my milk supply so rapidly.
I wouldn’t have felt near so helpless and perhaps even prayed a bit less. I tend to have this mental image of myself as this very strong, capable woman. I manage and I cope and deep down inside, I figure if I don’t bother God with the little things, He’ll listen more when I need Him when the really big problems arise. He doesn’t need to be bothered with all my petty “complaints”. I can make it – I’ll muscle through it.
I look back and see how the events of the last three years have shaped me in a major way. I had so many assumptions and such a wonderful image of myself. I was the perfect, capable wife . . . and I knew it . . . . I wanted to control things and stay safe and comfortable and within my control.
And then our first pregnancy moved me into a realm I couldn’t control, and I moved relentlessly towards an event I couldn’t mentally fathom – labor and holding a newborn child in my arms. I knew fear for the first time in years and took baby-steps towards God. It was like learning to pray all over again as I learned a small lesson in humility.
The miscarriage brought me face-to-face with the fact that I’m a vessel; and I can’t control or hold onto the life within me.
Elijah’s conception, in my humble opinion at the time, was terrible timing. His pre-term arrival introduced me to a whole new level of dependence on God and I discovered that I’m really not as faithful as I think I am when things venture outside of what I feel is “normal”. And now I look at my son, and I know that God does all things well. I'm so thankful for Elijah, and that I trusted God's timing and didn't wait to feel healed mentally and emotionally before "risking" pregnancy again. God healed me, and taught me that He is always in control, even when we aren't . . . .
Right now, I forget how startled I was when I wasn’t due a month earlier, in December. I didn’t know that I would face something so scary with Elijah at 10+ weeks when I saw those breathtaking double lines. Who can plan for such things? God did know the future – He wasn’t surprised. I wonder to myself if He allowed much of this so that I would not walk these valleys alone on my own strength, so that I would not take “my” fertility and each child for granted, so that I would learn to depend on Him . . . .
When we decided to let go and take as many or as few children as God would give, we also began to desire to live more by faith. God gives life, He has given Jonathan a job, He has given us all that we have. We want to trust God through everything, to live by faith and not by what we see with our eyes.
I just didn't expect to start learning to trust Him through anything difficult so soon . . . .
~Ashley~
Fire Update: Cleaners came today to look around...
The cleaners came today to look around and WOW is all I can say. They told me that I need to throw out any food in the kitchen that was in a box or in a jar... that the soot gets into the food and it is junk... he said if you want a head start ... start making a list of all the spices and foods in your cupboards here by the stove and in the cupboards in the kitchen. UGH!
They also took their special cleaning sponges and wiped in every room and found soot around the entire house. They said this is worse than moving. You have to take everything out and clean it and replace it back again. Electronics... especially in the kitchen are likely junk and hopefully the insurance will cover. Apparently the soot gets into the workings of the machines and will ultimately burn them out in a short time... that's my stove, my microwave (which I don't use alot, but DH does), two bread machines, my grain mill, my kitchen aid mixer and my bosch mixer, my fryer (which we were going to give up anyways), my smoothie maker, all that kind of stuff... I'm wondering if the fridge qualifies as well.
I seriously was thinking this is nuts... this was a small fire. And you're telling me that cleaning up my house alone (just wiping things down) is going to cost between $5,000 and $10,000!!! And replacing all this other stuff... Not to mention the cupboard damage, the counter top damage and the hood vent damage. The ceilings in the kitchen and dining room can be cleaned, but not completely... both cleaning companies suggested cleaning, then sealing, then painting over.... OR replacing completely. I absolutely LOVED that tile! It was unique with gold flecks in it... nothing on the market like it now. GONE! We'd rather see it replaced than painted however. But what a mess that will make.
I asked the guy after hearing all that they wanted done... every thing cleaned out of every box, every cloth item washed... every hard item wiped down (down to every single book ... everything (does he realize how many books we have???? I own a small library in my house!) . I'm like... is this really reasonable for a small fire??? And he said... small fire big fire... it's still a fire and still smoke damage to the home. He said realistically the damage is the same except our structural support is still there. He said it is like being pregnant... either you are or you aren't... there are no little pregnancies. That made total sense to me and helped it sink in. Cuz when I am sickest with my pregnancy is in the beginning. (when I'm a little pregnant... ain't no one going to tell me I'm just a little pregnant! LOL)
So, now I am befuddled over this. I am trying to figure out what this little fire has caused in our life... a total upheaval! My girls are leaving for summer camp on Sunday. The one cleaning company said they can likely start on Monday after they leave. That leaves me alone to work with them with Paige by my side and keeping her out of their hair as well. If I clean, I can make between $8-10 an hour to decrease what we owe on our deductible... great. Perhaps we can work off our deductible considering the expected expenses... But why this trial? Why if we can make this work without too much added expense... what is the sense of this trial happening. That is what I am pondering. I am considering if it is God giving me an honest look at how much stuff we have and how if we didn't have this much stuff (which most of it is other peoples giftings to us)... how much easier it would be to clean... Is it building character... Is it me taking an honest look at myself and my own abilities. I just took on SS teacher at church and it starts this Week... now I have this mounting over me? Wow is all I can say. I'm sure God will show me what the true reason is in time.
I'm still not mad with my daughter. Her room actually the guy cleaning was going to be the worst of them to clean... they said 2 days alone in her room. UGH! And she will be gone at camp when they come to clean... so she will have little say on what stays or goes. She is a bit worried.
Well, tomorrow the adjuster comes and We will find out (hopefully) what the situation is with the appliances and damage to the cupboards and such. The cleaners just eluded by past experience with other fires of what to expect.
Until then, ~Melissa
Elijah Update/Response to Comments/pics
First of all, Elijah is doing SO much better! Typically, if he was due for another dose of Motrin at
He has also gotten his appetite back! He is very obviously craving different foods than normal, Cherrios rather than fruit or a piece of bread of some kind, but we are happy none-the-less to see our boy eating well again.
Also he has started to drink some goat’s milk with a bit of water. This child is fiercely independent! If we hold the sippy cup in front of him, he will usually decide to drink. But if we try to put it in his mouth, he fights. It sounds like a no-brainer, but it is very easy to brush a bottle nipple or a sippy cup nozzle against your child’s lips!
We laughed some today. It felt so good and “normal”. It’s been pretty tense for the last few days and sleep-deprived nights and to be light-hearted was wonderful.
This would have been so much easier if I were not 10+ weeks pregnant. At times, I wasn’t thrilled to be pregnant with Samuel, and with Elijah I thought the timing was rotten. And it has crossed my mind with this pregnancy as well that the timing is just terrible! I have wondered aloud to Jonathan if anything about having children is going to be easy for us. As I told someone in a comment today, we are simply trusting God with each moment and breath, and in the end, I guess we will know what we can and cannot trust Him with!
Just trying to be honest, here.
Secondly, to all of the thoughtful people that have commented and kept us in your prayers, thank you! I can’t tell you how much it means to me to have your support. You guys are my network of friends. I read each comment, sometimes twice or three times. I wish I had time to respond to each one, to visit old friends and new. Right now I balance between trying to “do it all” and simply maintaining my own blog in this season of life. I am addicted a little bit to comments, and I really enjoy sharing these bits of my life with you. Thank you so much for reaching out to me, old friends and new.
A few of you, I feel like I need to explain a bit more to:
Mamato8: I visit your blog. However, Google hates me. I end up re-configuring my password 95% of the time I try to log in. It’s a dreadful, time-consuming pain, lol. And I’m dreadful at commenting by the time I fight my way into your blog. Also, I just found the comment where you mentioned my midwife – she is a sweetie. J But when the chips are down, she is very direct – and I don’t mind a bit! I haven’t recorded our wonderful conversations, only snippets I remember from the heat of labor and delivery, which as I said, are typically very direct and to-the-point. J
Clare: THANK YOU for your comments. Every time I get an email notification in the mail that says “Clare has left you a comment” I just squeal. Lord willing, one day we will live closer together. Thank you for taking the time to leave me comments.
To Everyone Else: Thank you. Thank you, thank you! Don’t stop leaving me comments because I appear ungratefully silent in return . . . I’m just busy. God bless!
[Elijah stuffing his face tonight . . . so delightful to have our boy responsive and alert again!]
~Ashley~
Healthy Bodies: Low-Fat Diet
At the health meetings I attended with Dr. Diehl, I learned alot about what fat in your diet will do to your overall health. I'm a nurse and have taken nutrition and I've also had classes on treating heart disease and learned all about those fats... but I never really applied them to me... because I wasn't sick with heart disease. (sad, I know).
Anyways, one of the facts he gave us was that most men and women on the SAD diet (standard american diet) have at 40yo... at least a 40-50% closing of the arteries. He mentioned some signs of closing arteries that one might experience. A heavy sluggish feeling after a meal. When out working, you just feel a bit more exhausted after a high fat meal. The reason is simple your blood gets thick with the fat in your blood and it doesn't move as well.
He said that the American Heart Association suggests a 30% fat in your diet (may actually be lower... I'm trying hard to remember, but it is quite high actually). They are finding that this number really does nothing to reverse heart disease, and it can actually keep the disease progressing.
But they have found that a diet between 15-20% fat will help to reverse heart disease... meaning eating less fat will actually help one to clear their arteries that have been closing in diameter over these years of eating a high fat diet. Exciting news, eh? He said that reversal of the disease happens in over 80% of those that eat a lower fat diet.
I'm looking back over my family's health history and I know that my grandmother had a stroke, my grandfather a heart attack, another grandfather had a heart attack. Steve's family has about the same history... SOOO... I'm thinking a lower fat diet is especially needed in our own lives to prevent heart disease.
So, what does that mean, to eat a low fat diet? How many grams of fat? How does one measure it? While it is somewhat complicated to figure out... mathematics and converting % of calories to fat calories to fat grams... well... for different people it also means different things. There are several categories to which body sex and size and activity level can give us some estimates.
I found in one of my cookbooks a chart of some sort for figuring out the most common levels. The cookbook is More Choices for a Healthy Low-fat You, written by Cheryl Thomas Peters and James A. Peters, both are dieticians and He is a MD as well. So, when I look at the charts... I feel comfortable with the suggestions.
What this means for me! A 1200 calorie diet is the lowest amount recommended to maintain nutritional adequacy. That calorie level is appropriate for weight loss. I will tell you people... that isn't alot of food! Especially if you are eating a lot of processed foods! The fat level of this diet is 14%, which then equals about 27 grams of fat.
It is not practical for me to count every calorie, nor is it practical for me to know how much fat is in everything... SOOO, what I am doing is keeping a food diary. I am charting what calories and fats I can account for, but the rest... fruits and veggies... I am basically eating free will. My challenge currently is to reduce fat in our daily diet and to eat a bit lighter than we are used to. I think just watching these two items will help me to gain better health by losing weight and reducing fat deposits in my veins... which I'm sure I have knowing my past diet. I also realize that as I add more activity back into my lifestyle, I may need additional calories. So I am happy to keep my levels between the 1200 and 1500 caloried level. If I can maintain that, I am sure that I will continue to lose weight. The more 1200 days, the more quickly my weight loss will be. *Ü*
I thought I'd share some of the other notes about different diets...
1500 calorie diet: 16% fat/35 grams - recommended for weight loss for most men. Appropriate for weight maintenance for sedentary women and some older adults.
1800 calorie diet: 20% fat/ 40 grams - recommended for weight loss for some men, especially active men. It is also recommended for more active women for weight maintenance.
2200 calorie diet: recommended for most children, teenage girls, active women, and sedentary men. Women who are pregnant or nursing may need more calories.
2500 calorie diet: Recommended for teenage boys, active men and some very active women.
So if you are wondering how to figure that fat% in your diet. Pick your fat percent you are aiming for ... between 15 and 20% of your diet is healthiest to maintain. You can go lower... and some do quite well, but that is eating almost a pure diet with no added fat. Pick the calorie diet that seems most appropriate for you. Take the total calories and multiply by the percent of fat that you will allow in your diet. Then take that amount and divide it by 9 (which is the amount of calories in one gram of fat). Your total will now reflect how many grams of fat you can include in your diet. Now when you read labels, you'll have to remember one simple thing. The total fat is the number you are using and you must look at how much you are eating... if you are eating two servings worth, you need to double that fat amount listed in the label.
~~~~~~~~~~~
As for me, I've been trying to eat lower fat, but today is my first food diary day. I've ate breakfast and lunch and I've already consumed quite a bit. It sure doesn't take long to get to 1200 calories! As for the fat in my diet, that is getting easier. I am well below half of my fat intake for the day, so I am pleased!
Wishing you all good health! Warmly, ~Melissa
Crafts Crafts and more crafts
Here are some of the note cards I have made over the weekend. We are going to put them in a craft show after the 4th of July. I can't wait to make more! hhehe
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