tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-372497452024-03-13T14:36:03.758-05:00All are gifts from GodSeeking to shed the stigmas of modern homemakingAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326367789958194895noreply@blogger.comBlogger112125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37249745.post-78435967552740578612015-05-09T20:31:00.003-05:002015-05-09T20:31:57.648-05:00That moment when you don't know what to writeIts funny. When you read blogs at first you might think, I can do that! But once you start you realize its not as easy as it looks.<br />
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I've been suffering with a major case of nobody-cares-what-i-write. But the truth is that the beauty in a blog written for the purpose of just allowing ones life to play out IS to allow it to just flow out. It may not be perfect or pretty some times. You may think we have everything together. Or that my kids always do as they are told (trust me they don't) but I am not perfect and I fall down and need to work my way back up.<br />
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I've been working through a period of being down and feeling very far from God. That is such a scary thing to say! I worry what people might think but I realize as I've started reaching out to friends that we all have times like this and we need to be honest with our friends so they can pray for us, be there for us, and some times even lovingly call us out when are thinking is slightly incorrect.<br />
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I also am noticing that I do miss blogging. Even just the silly, simple things. I'm not going to promise to blog more. I've done that and then didn't follow through. I guess I'm just putting it out there so that if you are feeling down and like you don't have it all figured out, that you know, you are not alone.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326367789958194895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37249745.post-14437682973630735472015-01-02T11:38:00.000-05:002015-01-02T11:38:00.510-05:00It's a new year!Wow! As always I can't believe it's already January! But alas it is and it's time for new goals and resolutions.<br />
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This year we are working hard to get our finances in order through a Dave Ramsey style budgeting plan. We have worked on this in the past but never got too far. It seemed as if something always came up to discourage us or set us back horribly but this year, this time it already seems different! Why? I don't know other than we have been working through the whole month of December and praying a lot for help and we have seen the blessings pour in! It's truly amazing to watch God work in our lives in this way!<br />
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Another resolution I have is to try to get to a healthier style of cooking. It's not easy on a "beans and rice" budget but I am determined to put as many good nutritious meals in our bodies as possible.<br />
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Once again you can see a huge break in my blogging. I'm not going to promise that I will blog more frequently because we all know how that works. But I do want to try to at least add pictures and updates once a month because part of my purpose for this blog is a written picture of our family's lives so that someday the kids can look and see all that we did and my thoughts on how life was when they were little.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326367789958194895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37249745.post-14894752827012572902014-06-17T14:07:00.000-05:002014-06-17T14:07:35.020-05:00Meeting their brother<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It is amazing how different things are as you start to have the ages of your kids really spread out over time. It used to be a worry on what to do with the little kids when I went into labor. We had to think through who would be available to come quickly to our house or be ready for the kids to be dropped off. This time was totally different. All of our older kids were home and we were able to simply leave the house knowing that the older kids would be able to care for the younger ones. </div>
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Then the next morning when it was time for the fun first meeting for all the siblings, we were able to have James drive the younger ones up to the hospital for us. Wow. Stop and think about that for a minute if you have younger kids. LOL. Can you imagine being able to have a family support system like this in your own household? It's amazing! And our big kids really stepped up and helped out in such a fantastic way. Remember they had to not only drive the kids to the hospital but also get them dressed, teeth brushed, breakfast made and cleaned up, and diapers done for Hayden. But this is part of the awesome way a larger family can operate. Okay, I'm done bragging on the older kids. Now time for the fun part, pictures. Some of the kids are pretty funny!</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Osg8_O801F8/U6CM6bo0ViI/AAAAAAAAAQs/VPyX7QuCPhU/s1600/Elijah's+birth+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Osg8_O801F8/U6CM6bo0ViI/AAAAAAAAAQs/VPyX7QuCPhU/s1600/Elijah's+birth+008.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a>Russell was a little disappointed to have to wait a few hours to come to the hospital but loves holding his little brother!</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nux-DUiPjE4/U6CM9vGWk7I/AAAAAAAAAQ0/stT6RAVL7k4/s1600/Elijah's+birth+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nux-DUiPjE4/U6CM9vGWk7I/AAAAAAAAAQ0/stT6RAVL7k4/s1600/Elijah's+birth+007.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a>Katerina is so proud to be able to start stepping up as an older kid and adores this little brother of hers. Which shows that a baby is lovable no matter wether they are a boy or a girl. (If you remember she wasn't thrilled that Elijah was a boy since she wanted a baby sister.)</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-leJd9IYoVV8/U6CNJWPbIQI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/-Pyu_qtyFkU/s1600/steve's+cell+916.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-leJd9IYoVV8/U6CNJWPbIQI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/-Pyu_qtyFkU/s1600/steve's+cell+916.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a>James is at the age where babies are just kinda there but I catch him every so often playing with the little ones in such a sweet way. Shhh don't let the word get out that he's a softy on the inside.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CYf-UIZQkMI/U6CNKzMF_wI/AAAAAAAAARE/edJ4Ba46VLI/s1600/steve's+cell+917.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CYf-UIZQkMI/U6CNKzMF_wI/AAAAAAAAARE/edJ4Ba46VLI/s1600/steve's+cell+917.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a>Of course Hayden can't be left out! He loves holding his little brother. The only problem is he is over excited and only two so he needs to be blocked sometimes from getting to Elijah. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gH42tMJG72I/U6CNOyWN_qI/AAAAAAAAARM/VsspmdBDNUQ/s1600/steve's+cell+909.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gH42tMJG72I/U6CNOyWN_qI/AAAAAAAAARM/VsspmdBDNUQ/s1600/steve's+cell+909.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a>Natalia wishes she were older so she could hold Elijah more often. It's hard when you are only five and have to contend with older siblings who are allowed to just pick up the baby and you have to wait for help. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C6uMevoMmyc/U6CNUuETjhI/AAAAAAAAARU/-GZXCeLZmGM/s1600/steve's+cell+907.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C6uMevoMmyc/U6CNUuETjhI/AAAAAAAAARU/-GZXCeLZmGM/s1600/steve's+cell+907.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a>Savanna is the one who did a lot of the work in making sure the little ones were properly dressed and that basic hygiene was done before leaving the house. We teased her a little because when she arrived it looked as if she was a little out of it since she had no makeup on and her hair wasn't really done up. (These are two areas she enjoys doing everyday before ever leaving the house.)</div>
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I'm sure you can tell that we are all totally in love with this tiny, precious bundle from God!</div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326367789958194895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37249745.post-77039293215065985492014-06-13T20:08:00.000-05:002014-06-13T20:08:15.332-05:00Elijah Steven<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Announcing Elijah Steven!</h2>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">What a precious blessing he is! And his birth was many prayers answered. It was a weird week before he was born. </span><span style="background-color: #fafafa; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I had contractions on and off for a week. Then Saturday May 3rd I was praying NOT to go into labor since my son had a hockey game and my step-daughter had prom and I didn't want anything to take away from that. Plus Steve was driving her to prom and then hanging at a restaurant with some buddies until he had to go pick her up.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #fafafa; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">After Steve picked her up from prom and they got home and he checked on me (I was laying in bed) and then he went to sit in the living room with Savanna and her boyfriend while they watched a movie. All of the sudden I </span><span style="background-color: #fafafa; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">felt a huge kick and then knew my water had broken. I have never had it fully rupture so that was new. It was about 11:45 pm and I </span><span style="background-color: #fafafa; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">think my hubby had everything in the car and instructions given to the kids in about 5 minutes flat. LOL. He said he didn't want to have to deliver the baby. So we were off pretty quick. We arrived at the hospital around 12:30 am. Of course they don't admit until they know you are in labor so here I am contracting and trying to answer the zillion questions. She checked me and I was 5 cm and 50%.</span><span style="background-color: #fafafa; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So the nurse went to update the midwife. It felt like it was taking her forever but I'm sure in reality it wasn't that long. Meanwhile labor was getting harder and harder to focus through. All of the sudden I felt my legs start to shake and I knew I was in transition. I told DH that and then said I was ready for the water. (We had planned on doing another waterbirth which is why we use this particular hospital.) My sister went to ask the nurse if we could get moving towards the water and so the nurse came back in and took one look at me and said she didn't think they were going to officially move me to the room with the birthing tub but instead asked if we would walk down. I didn't mind as long </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">as we could get to the water asap!</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />So she quickly got the tub starting to fill and then came back to check on me. Shortly there after she said to come down the hall. It was a little hard to stand up while contracting but I remembered how nice the water felt and just wanted it now. So down the hall we went. As soon as I got in the contractions didn't feel nearly as tough. Steve and my sister both remarked how much of a difference it seemed to make. It wasn't long before I started to feel the urge to push. This is a first for me and something I had prayed for. I told DH I felt like I wanted to push. The nurse checked and said to go ahead as I felt I wanted since I was complete. Then she went to get the midwife.<br /></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I love that they pretty much left me alone. I naturally started to push a little and then stop and relax and then do it again. I could feel him moving down and it was so neat! Then I felt his head crown and I just wanted him out so I pushed and pushed. (The nurse listed my pushing stage at only 5 minutes.) My hubby says he shot out like a torpedo at this point because I was pushing so hard. Meanwhile the midwife had come in and for some reason thought I wasn't ready so she walked back out. The nurse said she was nervous SHE would have to deliver Elijah because the midwife wouldn't make it in time. Another nurse ran to tell her that his head was crowning. The midwife managed to just put her gloves on and reach in right as I reached down and grabbed him as he came out. She unwrapped his cord (it was wrapped twice around his neck and was still the longest cord I've ever seen!) And then she put him on my chest.<br /></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I must have said how glad I was that he was here at least 20 times. He was 7 lbs 4 oz 19 inches. Born at 2:23 am on Star Wars Day, May 4th. This too was an answer to prayer since my last baby was 9 lbs 4 ozs. It was the best labor and birth.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We managed to avoid a jaundice re-admittance to the hospital by a mere 1 point but again that was another answer to prayer. This is my first baby NOT to go under the bili lights. Everyone here is so in love with him and he barely ever gets put down. Other than hating to get his diaper changed, he is a very laid back baby.<br /><br />So now my stats are: </span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">#1 born at 37 + 3 at 7 lbs 6 ozs<br />#2 born at 38 + 4 at 8 lbs 13 ozs<br />#3 born at 37 + 1 at 7 lbs 9 ozs<br />#4 born at 38 + 1 at 9 lbs 4 ozs<br />#5 Born at 37 + 5 at 7 lbs 4 ozs</span></blockquote>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326367789958194895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37249745.post-13282290345881461472014-01-07T09:53:00.001-05:002014-01-07T09:54:11.019-05:00Getting ready for a new baby<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After surviving the Christmas season and the start back to homeschooling, I am now finding myself compiling a list of things to do before the new baby comes. We found out on Christmas eve that baby is a boy! I had a neat idea that I had seen about wrapping cupcakes with either blue or pink frosting to tell siblings about the gender of their new sibling and so I couldn't help but decide to do this!<br />
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This is the reaction we received from the kids. You can tell Russell is thrilled but Katerina and Natalia seem a little disappointed. They were really hoping for a girl. But once we started getting the baby clothes out to inventory what we have and what we need, they really started to get excited. </div>
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So that is the first thing I did to get ready, I inventoried what I already had for baby. Turns out that we have a ton of baby boy clothes saved. Really I found we didn't NEED anything. However I still wanted to do a few things for this new little one. So I bought a cute dog fabric in a soft blue color to make a new boppy cover since the old one was looking a little worn. And the craziest idea started forming. What if I went back to cloth diapering to save even more money? Hmm...more on that later.</div>
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So what's a nesting mother to do in the four months until the new baby comes? Well we do need to reorganize the boys room/homeschool room. And I want to work with my hubby to build some new shelves in an unused closet we have. That should help keep me busy, well you know along with homeschooling, extra curricular activities, and general home management. </div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326367789958194895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37249745.post-36343308345597704422013-12-17T08:55:00.000-05:002013-12-17T08:55:03.537-05:00Christmas rushIt's that perfect time of year. For us here in Ohio the snow is falling and it's full of Christmas bliss.......oh yeah and all the busyness and craziness of this time of year. We spend so much time like everyone else rushing to get things done and stressing ourselves out worrying about deadlines and presents and even homeschooling.<br />
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But my husband was so right when he said last night to me that it will get done, don't worry so much. And slow down and enjoy this season. It's true. Sometimes we get so caught up with doing the next thing that we forget that this is a season when we should really focus on what's important to us. Stop and evaluate if we are doing that.<br />
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The truth is that although I haven't done much Christmas shopping yet, I do have a time set up to go and get it done. Unfortunately this year Steve won't be able to go with me since he has been working crazy hours, 7 days a week all this month, but the nice thing is my sister-in-law heard that I was going alone and jumped in and said she would love to go with me!<br />
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God answers our busyness in ways that we may not understand or even see until we slow down. I am blessed with a husband who has a great job, even if the hours are long in December. And with a great sister-in-law. He has blessed me with a sewing machine, tons of scrap fabric, and pinterest to help me come up with some really cute presents for those I love.<br />
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How is God blessing you in this Christmas season?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326367789958194895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37249745.post-81821979305231219872013-12-09T08:34:00.002-05:002013-12-09T08:34:54.569-05:00Midwife appointmentI had another appointment with the midwife. It went well. The baby is very active! You can hear the kicks and squirms on the doppler as she tries to get the heart beat. And the heart beat was nice and steady in the 160's.<br />
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Also I was able to schedule my ultrasound! December 24, which will be a fun day to get the ultrasound done. We have a fun gender reveal that we will be doing for the kids. I am going to buy some cupcakes that are blue frosting or pink frosting and wrap them. Then once we get all the kids together they will get to unwrap the gift, find out if they are getting a brother or sister, and get a delicious treat! Win-win!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326367789958194895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37249745.post-43838657977575076952013-12-05T18:13:00.000-05:002013-12-05T18:13:26.076-05:00Renewing our wedding vowsRenewing wedding vows on an "off" year. It is always a subject that brings up questions. For our 12th wedding anniversary we renewed our wedding vows with a big party and ceremony in our back yard. It is so important to work on your marriage and to show Christ's love to your spouse. The 11th year of our marriage was a really hard year. Close family and friends know all that went on but the important thing is that we drew so much closer together and focused on working through issues and came out on the other side much stronger.<br />
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It was a beautiful ceremony that our pastor performed for us. We decided to do both the traditional vows and then we also wrote vows to each other. it was such a special moment that we both needed. I would encourage anyone who wants to reaffirm their vows to go for it!<br />
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I worked for a long time trying to come up with cheap ways to make the whole event feel like a backyard wedding and be classy yet fun and laid back. Due to the help of wonderful family and friends it came together beautifully!<br />
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Doesn't she look so cute! And I even saved the dress that Savanna wore in our original wedding and that's what Natalia wore. It was really neat to have her wear it. I am hoping some day one of the kids might use it in their wedding for their flower girl.<br />
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I really love this picture of us. It's right after I came outside and Steve saw me all dressed up. His look of awe was perfect! And the fact that my sister caught a picture of us kissing was the best timing.<br />
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It was hard to pin the boys down to get a picture of them and it's one of the things I wish we would have done but this is what us girls looked like all dressed up. My mother-in-love was so sweet and took us to a resale shop and that's where we found the dresses.<br />
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We discussed how to deal with Hayden's one year wiggles and the solution was to let him wonder. We assigned a friend to watch him if he wandered to far but instead it was cute how he went back in forth. He loves being in his daddy's arms so you see him there a lot too.<br />
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My sister-in-love was so sweet and came over and did my hair. I love it!<br />
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Unfortunately we didn't get a picture of the cake in it's full glory but I used a cupcake stand and made cupcakes for the bottom layers and then this small cake for the top. The sad part is the cake fell before we got the picture. Still you can see how nice it looked.<br />
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I wish I knew how to flip this picture but this is what we made as a table decoration. The blue mason jars were in a friends basement. We simply printed labels off, added ribbons, rice, little jewels, and a tea light candle. </div>
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I also like that someday when the kids get older we have experience pulling off a cheap but gorgeous backyard wedding. </div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326367789958194895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37249745.post-88274274337449236702013-11-29T06:30:00.000-05:002013-11-29T06:30:02.071-05:00Family photo shootFor so long I couldn't stand the idea of new family pictures without MaKayla in them. But after a few years I realized I had to get new pictures done and move on. So when a budding semi-professional friend offered to do our pictures for super cheap I jumped on that idea.<br />
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Steve and I had fun getting our pictures taken too!<br />
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The Boys<br />
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The Girls.<br />
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Okay so tell me we are not the only <strike>weird</strike> <strike>strange</strike> <strike>crazy</strike> different family. My kids started doing this weird thing one night when we were praying for dinner. I think it started because one of the little ones already had messy hands from starting to eat to early. So one of the big kids said, earlobes and grabbed the earlobes of the siblings beside them. Next thing I know this is becoming a regular joke between them. It's really kinda cute to have funny moments like this in our large family.<br />
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It's hard to believe that this guy was only 4 when I first met him. It's even harder to believe he<br />
will be graduating this year! But I can say how<br />
proud we are of him. He has already been accepted<br />
to the Culinary Institute of America in New York.<br />
James is a great student and has such an ambition<br />
for cooking! It is a joy to watch him grow and soon<br />
become an adult.<br />
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Savanna is much more of the free spirit kinda girl. If the mood strikes her to get creative she will in a heart beat. She's been this way for as long as I have known her. Even as a little 3 year old when I met her, she was full of energy. She has really found a place she loves at our local joint vocational school and will be right on James' heels, graduating next year. Her goals currently are to join the navy after high school and see the world.<br />
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Russell, my first born, has always been a laid<br />
back kid. This summer he disappeared after church and when we found him it was to discover that he had<br />
accepted Jesus into his heart. Oh how wonderful that<br />
makes me feel to know my son knows Jesus as his savior. Ever since then he has felt that he should become a missionary or maybe even a pastor. This<br />
little guy (who really isn't so little anymore) will be<br />
starting high school next year. Where does the time go? <br />
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Katerina is Steve and my first child together. Now that she's 8 I think she wants to be a "big kid" more than ever. She is another kid that is full of energy and lots of creativeness. She is my oldest homeschooler and she is constantly keeping me coming back to the Lord for how best to help her learn. She is a natural leader to the younger two kids and such a helper to me.<br />
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Natalia is my sweet little 5 year old. Although technically not old enough for public school kindergarten, she was racing through workbooks faster then I could believe and learning to read very easily, so this summer her dad and I decided she would do kindergarten in our homeschool. It has been such a joy to watch her learn. She picks up everything so fast! She's already doing 1st grade math! She is my little snuggle "kitten" (as she puts it) and whenever I sit down she hops into my lap.<br />
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Hayden was my hardest pregnancy, delivery, and my most challenging baby and toddler. At 3 weeks old we discovered he had acid reflux. And although medicine and a diet change for me did help, he still had nights of screaming that seemed to last forever. Now that he is almost 2 I thought we would move on to words, but instead he gets by using baby sign language and grunts mostly. He has graced us with some words but refuses to use them regularly. Yet he is so smart he can grab each family members shoes without them asking! And his little smile is so contagious! It is exciting to watch his fascination with the world around him. And like a lot of boys he loves cars, trains, and construction vehicles!<br />
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So this is us, the whole family, including the dog, Winston. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326367789958194895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37249745.post-50056505900638464952013-11-27T16:07:00.000-05:002013-11-27T16:07:14.695-05:004th of July week camping<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Please forgive the weird placement of the photos. I had a hard time figuring out how to post them in a more ascetic manner. Oh well the fun part is seeing the pictures, right?<br />
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So the first few days we were camping it rained pretty good. As you can see Russell fell in a puddle running from our popup to my dad's RV. It was so funny that I quickly got the camera and told him not to move. After one of the really good storms the little dip between campsites turned into a small creek. And of course the kids wanted to play in it. So I did what any mom does...I took pictures!<br />
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You can see how deep the water got in the little creek. After a good day or so of clear weather all the water was gone and things cleared up for the rest of the week.<br />
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So we went fishing. We have been going to this campground since I was a kid and we always joke that the bluegill that practically jump on your hook are "piranhas." Well as normal the kids were able to catch a lot of "piranhas" but the best catch was Katerina's catfish. She was allowed to help Grandpa take the bluegill off the hook but he insisted on taking the catfish off.<br />
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Natalia wasn't as patient with fishing but true to the norm she was able to catch a few "piranhas" as well. I love that I have pictures of my dad and the kids! He is an awesome grandpa and I know they will have wonderful memories from these pictures just as I have of my grandfather at this campground.<br />
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Next we went to a local baseball field and caught a game. Because it wasn't major league there are so many more things for the kids to do. The older kids enjoyed the game and I took the youngers to do face painting, run across the field, see an owl up close, and watch a clown make balloon animals for them. Oh and of course eat hotdogs because you have to have a hotdog at the game.<br />
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On the night before 4th of July we went to Blossom. It's an outdoor/indoor stage music arena. The outdoor portion is on a really big hill. We took a picnic dinner and after another quick rainstorm it dried up and we had a blast. I loved the patriotic music and you can see the kids loved it too! You can see Katerina pretending to be the director.<br />
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You can see that we had a lot of down time and this is one of my favorite pictures, Steve with Hayden and Natalia swinging on this old swing which over looks the lake.<br />
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We also got to go to the Holden Arborium. We hiked and then checked out the kids zone. The kids loved the miniature zipline.<br />
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This is Natalia playing her little "guitar." I love when she does this because it is just so cute!!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326367789958194895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37249745.post-3150262131560892332013-11-19T07:00:00.000-05:002013-11-19T07:00:03.930-05:00California in May<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QI7Hrmbsk9I/UopdQ3ZGsoI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/6_aq0BprJZM/s1600/464511_10200723417361291_438657836_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QI7Hrmbsk9I/UopdQ3ZGsoI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/6_aq0BprJZM/s200/464511_10200723417361291_438657836_o.jpg" width="112" /></a> This is pretty much how we traveled as we went through the airport and whenever we were out and about sight seeing. The umbrella stoller helped too for the airport but I think it is so much easier if you know you are going to be encountering steps or crowded situations to be able to put your little one in a carrier. I was able to stick diapers and wipes in the little pouch I made on this carrier and his sippy cup in my pocket. I love babywearing!</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ioATv5Lg60U/UopdVV55A_I/AAAAAAAAAHY/cGQPbnTCZa8/s1600/477715_10200701237566810_112878872_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ioATv5Lg60U/UopdVV55A_I/AAAAAAAAAHY/cGQPbnTCZa8/s200/477715_10200701237566810_112878872_o.jpg" width="112" /></a> This is my little guy watching the planes before we took off on our first flight. He was such a good traveler! Hayden had never been on a plane before so I didn't know how he would do. I packed so much into my diaper bag that it barely zipped closed but during our layover on the way there he had a diaper blowout. I quickly changed him and we moved to get in line for our next flight. As I stand there I realize that something still smells. Then I looked down and realized it was my shirt! Boy was I glad I had packed a spare t-shirt for myself too!</div>
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See I told you he was a good traveler!</div>
One of the neat things we were able to do was for the rehersal dinner we went to a bocce ball resturant. It was a lot of fun! As you can see Hayden wanted to keep throwing the balls. James loved it too, although he played with the grownups.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L_-OGGSQqWc/Uopdecqvt-I/AAAAAAAAAHw/8HBVlJIL6vE/s1600/976513_10200729158224809_1907198645_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L_-OGGSQqWc/Uopdecqvt-I/AAAAAAAAAHw/8HBVlJIL6vE/s200/976513_10200729158224809_1907198645_o.jpg" width="112" /></a>This is a picture of beautiful Napa Valley. We went and visited a winery there and enjoyed driving around. What a gorgeous country the Lord has made!</div>
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These pictures of us looking awesome are from the wedding. What a beautiful wedding! And my cousin was an absolutely stunning bride! James was in charge of Hayden during the ceremony so that I could enjoy it but really Hayden was a good kid and sat nicely most of the time.<br />
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Another one of the cool things we did was go and visit San Francisco. My uncle is a retired police officer from there and knows all the best places to visit. We rode the cable car, saw fisherman's wharf and had dinner at a delicious Chinese restaurant. Hayden again rode in the carrier and as you can see here he enjoys it! James loved the food and we all ate so much! It was such an awesome trip and I know I will treasure the memories with these boys!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326367789958194895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37249745.post-63691222979030316372013-11-18T13:08:00.000-05:002013-11-18T13:08:09.466-05:00UpdatesWe made it through a very busy summer and I will try to sit and work on posting pictures of all our exciting events but I wanted to update on all the exciting things we did this summer and early fall.<br />
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For Memorial Day weekend I was able to travel to California with James, Hayden, my Dad and stepmom for my cousins wedding. We had a great time and really enjoyed the sights of the San Francisco area. It was fun to be able to spend some quality time with the boys and my family out west.<br />
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In late June through the 4th of July we did camping in upper Ohio. It was very laid back and relaxing. We took the kids fishing and to an Arborium. The little girls participated in the campground 4th of July parade and of course we had campfires!<br />
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Also in July we finally got new family pictures done! It only took me forever! LOL. The last family picture we had I was pregnant with Natalia! The pictures turned out amazing and we all enjoyed laughing and playing as we got them done.<br />
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Then in September Steve and I renewed our wedding vows on our 12th wedding anniversary in our backyard. Although I was worried about rain, it turned out to be a beautiful day spent showing our love for each other and celebrating with our family and friends.<br />
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Later in September we again went on vacation, this time with Steve's Mom and stepdad, to Hilton Head, SC. It was such a blast to be in a house right on the beach!<br />
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Oh and how can I forget about a week after renewing our wedding vows we found out we are expecting #7! I am due May 20, 2014.<br />
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Thankful October and November have been a little quieter around here and that has helped me get through that difficult first trimester. Now I pray the morning sickness will ease soon and my energy will return quickly! And of course we look forward to late December when we can find out if we will be having a girl or a boy.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326367789958194895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37249745.post-76079127796396949422013-05-15T06:49:00.000-05:002013-05-15T06:49:30.896-05:00Camping...a review of our tripWe had a lot of fun but it was so cold! We never were able to have a campfire but because the pool was inside we were able to go swimming. This was really nice since that was a big thing for the kids. Katerina and Natalia even put their swimsuits on earlier in the week to make sure they were ready for camping.<br />
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While we were there we were able to play at the playground for as long as we wanted. Russell was there but he went with my dad to go back home for a hockey game. (He's a goalie.) Russell and Grandpa returned by dinnertime and the little kids enjoyed the swing set. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326367789958194895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37249745.post-87343372965672304712013-05-09T12:36:00.000-05:002013-05-09T12:36:24.515-05:00Camping...how do you pack for everyone?As I've let you in on how we do camping thus far I hope you have been enjoying this series. I've enjoyed writing it! Someday I hope that this blog can be used as a tool for my children to see the journey's we went on as a family and that I personally traversed.<br />
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Packing...how to begin with a large crowd. For years I would flounder but a few years ago I struck upon the idea of keeping my list from the previous trip and add to it those things I wished I would have packed. That morphed into a word document that I update every trip. Today as we begin to pack the younger kids know that Mom will pull the list off the computer and once printed it is the way we make sure everything important gets packed. The list includes things like clothes (that get put into marked baggies for each person for a day's outfit), chairs for the campfire, food, clean out the cooler and what to fill it with, medicine in case someone gets sick, things for the dog if he comes with us, etc.<br />
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The other thing I've learned over the years is that even though the list helps us so much, it is not a hill to die upon. If we forget something it is not the end of the world. Relationships are more important than something as simple as buying another toothbrush because even though I told a child to put their toothbrush in a bag they didn't. Grace is so important in parenting. Maybe someday we will get somewhere without forgetting anything but the important thing is to have fun.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326367789958194895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37249745.post-35530723192040720612013-05-08T06:36:00.003-05:002013-05-08T06:36:56.251-05:00Camping...what do you eat?Ok so you know what we sleep in and where we like to go but now we move on to what to eat. For starters I should say that when we go camping I do let my kids have some junk food. A lot of times I will grab some pop-tarts and soda pop. The kids think it's cool and they only get pop-tarts a few times a year.<br />
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Breakfasts are normally done all out. Big, and I mean big! Bacon, eggs, sausage, french toast or pineapple (or sometimes blueberry) pancakes, orange juice, and sometimes a fruit bowl. The bad thing is that we normally eat breakfast much later in the morning then my kids are used to so that is part of the reason for the pop-tarts.<br />
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Lunch is more simple. Sandwiches, chips, fruit, and sometimes if Grandpa is involved, cookies. A lot of times we skip lunch or do a very small lunch because everyone is still full from breakfast.<br />
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Dinner is the most fun, in my opinion. It is where we have a greater variety of recipes. We've done things cooked on the campfire, such as hot dogs or a type of aluminum foil meal (meat and potatoes wrapped in foil and stuck in the fire.) We've also done foods cooked on the grill. My dad brings a small grill and we use that a lot! One of my favorite meals is pork tenderloin from Aldi. They come in a few different pre-seasoned packets and once grilled are melt in your mouth good! Pair those with some grilled assorted veggies and you have some really good eating. However if you are going to be busy all day than using the crockpot is also a wonderful thing. There is nothing better than to come back to the camper tired and hungry from a long day out hiking or boating and find that dinner is cooked and ready.<br />
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And who could forget dessert? Smores are of course a staple in our meal plan for camping. Last year when we went to Colorado there were fire bans and we couldn't do campfires so we did smores over the grill. And we also do something called camper pies. You put two pieces of bread in the pie iron and then you put your filling in. We have done pizza pies and we've done fruit pies with apple pie or cherry pie filling. Then you stick the iron in the fire for a few seconds. The key is not burning your pie. These are such a treat that the kids usually beg for us to start them early instead of waiting after dinner.<br />
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This is just to give you some ideas of how we do our meals, but really you can do a <a href="http://swagbucks.com/refer/hisandhers2001">swagbucks</a> search and find so many different ideas. The idea is just to have fun and enjoy your time out in God's world!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326367789958194895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37249745.post-19176839488845383392013-05-07T09:10:00.000-05:002013-05-07T09:10:32.823-05:00Camping...where do you camp?Ok so you've made the decision to go camping but now you need to know WHERE to go. We like going to state parks mostly. Living in Ohio we are able to go to many beautiful state parks with plenty of hiking, fishing, swimming, and sometimes more activities.<br />
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Two state parks I want to mention today are:<br />
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<a href="http://www.stateparks.com/hocking_hills_state_park_in_ohio.html">Hocking Hills State Park</a> was so gorgeous and the trails alone are worth a trip there. The last time we went I was about 5 months pregnant with Natalia. I carried Katerina in the <a href="http://www.mayawrap.com/">maya wrap</a> and let the bigger kids enjoy the walk. It was definitely a workout but the fun we had was so worth it!<br />
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<a href="http://www.stateparks.com/maumee_bay_state_park_in_ohio.html">Maumee Bay State Park</a> is a place that we have started going once a year because it was a big deal to my sister's boyfriend's family. They love boating and state parks along Lake Erie are the perfect combination for both! All of us enjoy this park because we get to go on the boat and enjoy tubing behind the boat plus all the other activities we normally enjoy such as fishing, hiking, and of course a campfire!<br />
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We have also camped at <a href="http://koa.com/">KOA's</a> across the continental USA. Last summer we did a big vacation to Colorado and most of the campgrounds we stayed at were KOA's. The campground in <a href="http://koa.com/campgrounds/ouray/">Ouray, Colorado</a> was only a few miles from downtown Ouray and was well located to the places we visited around the area. (It was also way too close to the <a href="http://www.roadtripamerica.com/places/million.htm">Million Dollar Highway</a> that we took a few times but that is another blogpost for another day. The kids loved it but apparently at some point in my life I became scared of heights. Beautiful views though!)<br />
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What are the costs? That's the beauty of state parks! Typically you are looking at paying about $30 to $35 a night. And since you can bring your own food and cook it there it is a cheap way to get out and make some family memories! But now you ask what can you cook while camping? Stay tuned for tomorrow and I will tell you what we like to cook when we are camping.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326367789958194895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37249745.post-19488679431197231202013-05-06T07:00:00.000-05:002013-05-06T07:00:09.871-05:00Menu Plan MondayMonday- Cream Cheese Chicken from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Make-It-Fast-Cook-Slow/dp/1401310044/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1367582375&sr=8-1&keywords=make+it+fast+cook+it+slow">Make It Fast, Cook It Slow</a> Cookbook, with salad<br />
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Tuesday- Rotisserie Chicken from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Make-It-Fast-Cook-Slow/dp/1401310044/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1367582375&sr=8-1&keywords=make+it+fast+cook+it+slow">Make It Fast, Cook It Slow</a>. With homemade gravy, bread, mashed potatoes, and salad<br />
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Wednesday- Tacos<br />
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Thursday- Spaghetti with homemade sauce, homemade bread, and salad<br />
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Friday- Camping for the weekend!! We will be eating out with my dad and stepmom on the way to the campsite.<br />
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Saturday- Burgers and hotdogs on the grill, grilled veggies, cheesy potatoes, and various fixings with smores and camper pies for dessert.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326367789958194895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37249745.post-1446274544129204862013-05-06T06:00:00.000-05:002013-05-06T06:00:14.345-05:00Camping...where do you all sleep?I'm thrilled to be able to talk with you this week about how much our family loves camping! Today I will start with where do we all sleep. The simple answer is in our pop up camper. Don't know what that is? It's a small camper that folds into itself and can be pulled behind a mini-van. Our 8 seater chevy astro (not quite) mini-van does a great job pulling our little camper. This weekend we got the camper out and cleaned it up from it's winter slumber so the following are some pictures from our humble camper.<br />
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As you can see it's a little worn in some places but for us it's so much nicer then a tent. (one of the pictures shows the before clean up spots) Years ago when we first started camping with our family we tent camped. Eventually we had a mid-range size tent for Steve, myself, and really little kids, and then we had gotten the older kids their own little pup tents. We looked like a tent village and we had made a few campgrounds...er...well...not happy with how many tents we used.<br />
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And then there was the difficulty of sleeping on the ground. I was...well...kinda grumpy towards the end of a weekend from lack of good quality sleep. The kids couldn't have cared less about sleeping on the ground but I guess you could say I wasn't...a cheerful camper. My dad solved this by buying me a blow up air mattress one year. Boy did that help a lot! But it still wasn't as easy to load all the stuff in the van with the kids. We were happy to be able to go camping but were looking for a solution to make it a little easier.<br />
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The year my dad suggested he give us our anniversary gift, christmas gift, and birthday gifts all in the form of money towards our goal of buying a pop up camper was an awesome answer to how could we afford it. We took the money we had saved and the gift money and we started looking. It took a few trips to find the perfect camper but we eventually found it.<br />
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This camper has two bunks that pull out. One is about the size of a king size mattress and the other about the size of a full. It has a table with a bench on either side that folds down to about the size of a twin mattress and another table with benches on three sides that also folds down to about the same size. This makes it possible to tightly fit all eight of us in the pop up for sleeping.<br />
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But the truth is we don't often have all eight of us sleeping in it at once. Many times a child or two will go and <strike>beg</strike> <strike>plead</strike> sweetly ask if they can sleep in Grandma and Grandpa's RV. And of course they say yes! And sometimes we will have one of the older boys bring a tent to sleep in so they can still enjoy tent camping.<br />
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As you can tell we really enjoy camping!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326367789958194895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37249745.post-1756508189011161492013-05-04T07:47:00.000-05:002013-05-04T07:47:00.410-05:00Camping....the excitement!I wanted to do a short post to show you how excited the kids get about camping. Last week for a journaling activity Katerina wrote about how much she loves camping. She has given me permission to put it up here for you all to see it. I should mention that she came down first thing in the morning with this little writing done all on her own first thing one morning.<br />
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Monday, April 29, 2013<o:p></o:p></div>
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I go camping every spring with my family. Our biggest camping
adventure is going to Colorado where gold is made from and our next adventure
is going to (name edited out) in eleven days. I hope they have a swimming pool. I
love to go swimming in the pool. Do you like that too? And I wonder if they
have some teeter-totters at the campsite. Oh that would be fun too. <o:p></o:p></div>
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By: Katerina <o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326367789958194895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37249745.post-26037601376307405792013-05-03T07:50:00.003-05:002013-05-09T12:37:34.730-05:00Camping...and we are hitting the road today!Well after this week of prep work we are ready to hit the road! I pray you all have a wonderful Mother's Day weekend!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326367789958194895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37249745.post-84429141845039896552013-05-03T07:15:00.001-05:002013-05-03T07:15:52.942-05:00Large Family CampingWell maybe I should title this semi-large family since there are families much bigger than ours and we won't have all the kids for this weekends camping trip. As many of you know, our older kids are not biologically both my husbands and mine together. So this being Mother's Day weekend we don't have James or Savanna since they will be spending time with their mothers.<br />
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But everyone from Russell on down will be going camping! We love to camp! It's something the kids look forward to all winter long and then all summer they count down to the next trip. Right now Katerina has counted down on the calendar the days so that we can instantly look and see how long we have until it's time to leave.<br />
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Sometimes it can look like a lot of work to go camping. In the beginning of our marriage my husband thought it was kinda silly to pack up all your stuff to go set it all back up somewhere else just so you could have "fun". My how times have changed. He really enjoys going camping now. It's a fun way to go and unwind in a new environment with the family. I guess you could say camping is in my blood, and now it's continued into my children's as well. When I was growing up my parents would take us camping every memorial day and labor day weekend and at least a week long vacation in the summer. Sometimes we would go on more trips but at the least we were able to go three times a year. We didn't really "do" amusement parks...instead we did national parks. The history, fun, and family memories myself and my siblings learned in such a natural way will stick with me forever and that's what I want to give to my kids.<br />
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So next week I will give you a peek into what camping looks like in our family. What do we sleep in? How do we pack for everyone? What do we cook? Stay tuned for how this mom takes her kids on the camping adventures.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326367789958194895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37249745.post-21260991181755642542013-04-29T06:58:00.000-05:002013-05-03T07:04:22.101-05:00Menu Plan MondayMonday- Cheeseburger Soup from the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Make-It-Fast-Cook-Slow/dp/1401310044/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1367582015&sr=8-1&keywords=make+it+fast+cook+it+slow">Make It Fast, Cook It Slow</a> Cookbook with salad and homemade bread<br />
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Tuesday- Hot dogs, french fries, and salad<br />
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Wednesday- Tacos<br />
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Thursday- Ham and Navy Bean soup with cornbread<br />
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Friday- Spaghetti with homemade sauce, homemade bread, and salad<br />
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Saturday- Enchilada's from the <a href="http://www.monumentpublishing.com/jeub-family/love-in-the-kitchen-vol-1/">Love In The Kitchen</a> Cookbook<br />
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Sunday- Pork Tenderloin (from Aldi), baked potatoes, salad, and homemade breadAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326367789958194895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37249745.post-27057073755306985262013-04-24T07:55:00.002-05:002013-04-24T07:56:17.915-05:00The Ultimate Homemaking Ebook Bundle!We interrupt this regularly scheduled blog post to tell you of a great deal! I ran across this when I was reading a few blogs this morning and I have to say I can't wait to jump on this deal! What's included you ask? Well I will copy and paste it here so you can drool. LOL.<br />
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<a href="http://www.smockityfrocks.com/2013/04/the-ultimate-homemaking-ebook-bundle-plus-140-in-freebies.html">97 ebooks for $29.97!!!</a><br />
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<h3 style="background-color: white; color: #200a7a; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.286em; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.222em; margin: 1.833em 0px 0.611em; padding: 0px;">
Home & Property {Cleaning, Organizing, Decor}</h3>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://31daystoclean.com/buy-the-book/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">31 Days to Clean</a> by Sarah Mae @ <a href="http://sarahmae.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">SarahMae.com</a> ($4.99)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://kaysepratt.com/getting-it-together-the-ebook" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Getting it Together: Your Guide to Setting Up a Home Management System that Works</a>by Kayse @ <a href="http://kaysepratt.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">kayse pratt</a> ($3.99)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://www.cleanmama.net/2012/12/posts-2.html" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Pulling Yourself Together: Implementing a Cleaning Routine that Sticks</a> by Becky @<a href="http://www.cleanmama.net/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Clean Mama</a> ($10.00)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://simple30.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Simple Living</a> by Lorilee @ <a href="http://lovingsimpleliving.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Loving Simple Living</a> ($2.99)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://theinspiredroom.net/2011/10/25/not-a-diy-diva-how-to-create-an-authentically-inspired-life-in-a-pinterest-world/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">NOT a DIY Diva</a> by Melissa @ <a href="http://theinspiredroom.net/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">The Inspired Room</a> ($3.99)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://simplemom.net/one-bite-at-a-time/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">One Bite at a Time: 52 Projects for Making Life Simpler</a> by Tsh @ <a href="http://simplemom.net/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Simple Mom</a> ($5.00)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://www.aslobcomesclean.com/28-days-to-hope-for-your-home/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">28 Days to Hope for your Home</a> by Dana @ <a href="http://www.aslobcomesclean.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">A Slob Comes Clean</a> ($5.00)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://lifeasmom.com/organizing-life-as-mom-redesigned-and-updated-ebook" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Organizing Life as Mom</a> by Jessica @ <a href="http://lifeasmom.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Life as Mom</a> ($9.00)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://www.jennimullinix.com/clean-enough-ebook/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Clean Enough: Simple Solutions for the Overwhelmed</a> by Jenni @ <a href="http://blog.jennimullinix.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Live Called</a> ($4.99)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://lisawoodruff.net/10-steps-to-org-paper/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">10 Steps to Organized Paper</a> by Lisa @ <a href="http://lisawoodruff.net/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Lisa Woodruff.net</a>($5.00)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://www.thehandmadehome.net/handmadewalls/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Handmade Walls</a> by Jamin and Ashley @ <a href="http://www.thehandmadehome.net/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">the handmade home</a> ($9.95)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://www.goodolddaysfarm.com/easychorechart/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Easy Peasy Chores: An Easy-to-Use Chore System That Brings JOY Back Into Family Chores</a> by Alina Joy @ <a href="http://www.goodolddaysfarm.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">The Good Old Days Farm</a> ($17.99)</div>
<h3 style="background-color: white; color: #200a7a; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.286em; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.222em; margin: 1.833em 0px 0.611em; padding: 0px;">
Educational Children’s Resources</h3>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://www.underthegoldenappletree.com/p/little-apples-school.html" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Princess Training</a> by Richele @ <a href="http://www.underthegoldenappletree.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Under the Golden Apple Tree</a> ($3.99)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://www.underthegoldenappletree.com/p/little-apples-school.html" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">The Armor of God</a> by Richele @ <a href="http://www.underthegoldenappletree.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Under the Golden Apple Tree</a> ($2.50)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://www.underthegoldenappletree.com/p/little-apples-school.html" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">My Bedtime Learning Book</a> by Richele @ <a href="http://www.underthegoldenappletree.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Under the Golden Apple Tree</a> ($1.00)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://www.generationcedar.com/main/our-products/ebooks" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Think Outside the Classroom</a> by Kelly @ <a href="http://www.generationcedar.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Generation Cedar</a> ($6.97)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://www.1plus1plus1equals1.com/store.html" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Raising Rock Stars — Kindergarten Bundle</a> by Carissa @ <a href="http://www.1plus1plus1equals1.net/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">1plus1plus1equals1</a> ($10.00)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://roadto31.blogspot.com/p/godly-girls-curriculum.html" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">The ABC’s For Godly Boys Curriculum</a> by Lindsey @ <a href="http://roadto31.blogspot.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Road to 31</a> ($8.00)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://roadto31.blogspot.com/p/godly-girls-curriculum.html" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">The ABC’s For Godly Girls Curriculum</a> by Lindsey @ <a href="http://roadto31.blogspot.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Road to 31</a> ($8.00)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://store.confessionsofahomeschooler.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">K4 Curriculum</a> by Erica @ <a href="http://www.confessionsofahomeschooler.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Confessions of a Homeschooler</a> ($15.00)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://intoxicatedonlife.com/copywork-printables-write-through-the-bible/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Write Through the Bible (print)</a> by Trisha @ <a href="http://intoxicatedonlife.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Intoxicated on Life</a> ($5.00)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://intoxicatedonlife.com/copywork-printables-write-through-the-bible/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Write Through the Bible (cursive)</a> by Trisha @ <a href="http://intoxicatedonlife.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Intoxicated on Life</a> ($5.00)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://reluctantentertainer.com/balcony-girls-e-book/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Balcony Girls (books 1 & 2)</a> by Sandy @ <a href="http://reluctantentertainer.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Reluctant Entertainer</a> ($19.90)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://thedigforkids.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">The Dig for Kids: Luke (Volumes 1 and 2)</a> by Patrick, husband of Ruth @ <a href="http://www.thebettermom.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">The Better Mom</a> ($5.98)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://www.resoundschool.com/music-an-essential-ingredient-for-life" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Music: An Essential Ingredient for Life</a> by Ryan @ <a href="http://www.resoundschool.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Resound School of Music</a> ($6.99)</div>
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Budgeting {Finance & Time}</h3>
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<a href="http://www.debtortobetter.com/the-book/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">From Debtor to Better</a> by Barry @ <a href="http://www.debtortobetter.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">From Debtor to Better</a> ($10.00)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://amylynnandrews.com/tell-your-time/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Tell Your Time</a> by Amy @ <a href="http://amylynnandrews.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Blogging with Amy</a> ($2.99)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/the-homemakers-guide-to-creating-the-perfect-schedule/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">The Homemakers Guide to Creating the Perfect Schedule</a> by <a href="http://www.raisingarrows.net/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Amy @ Raising Arrows</a>($4.99)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://authenticsimplicity.net/yourgrocerybudgettoolbox/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Your Grocery Budget Toolbox</a> by Anne @ <a href="http://authenticsimplicity.net/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Authentic Simplicity</a> ($7.99)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://www.generationcedar.com/main/our-products/ebooks" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Finding Financial Freedom</a> by Kelly @ <a href="http://www.generationcedar.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Generation Cedar</a> ($5.97)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://www.theconfidentmom.com/services/classes-products/frugalita-ebook/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Become a Frugalista in 30 Days</a> by Susan @ <a href="http://www.theconfidentmom.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">The Confident Mom</a> ($3.99)</div>
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In the Kitchen {Recipes and Cooking}</h3>
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<a href="http://www.stacymakescents.com/crockon" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Crock On</a> by Stacy @ <a href="http://www.stacymakescents.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Stacy Makes Cents</a> ($5.00)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://thehumbledhomemaker.com/my-ebooks" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Real Food, Real Easy</a> by various bloggers @ <a href="http://thehumbledhomemaker.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">The Humbled Homemaker</a> ($9.95)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://www.littlenaturalcottage.com/cottage-mama-ebooks-shoppe/wholesome-mixes/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Wholesome Mixes</a> by Kristy @ <a href="http://www.littlenaturalcottage.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Little Natural Cottage</a> ($4.00)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://intentionalbygrace.com/20-minute-meals-giving-weary-chefs-grace-while-keeping-families-healthy/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">20-Minute Meals by</a> Leigh Ann @ <a href="http://intentionalbygrace.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Intentional by Grace</a> ($4.99)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://www.nourishingjoy.com/restocking-the-pantry/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Restocking the Pantry</a> by Kresha @ <a href="http://www.nourishingjoy.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Nourishing Joy</a> ($9.99)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://moneysavingmom.com/13857891478923475-2" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Money Saving Mom’s Guide to Freezer Cooking</a> by Crystal @ <a href="http://moneysavingmom.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Money Saving Mom</a>($3.99)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://www.modernalternativemama.com/store/simply-summer/#.UV4-8pOTiSp" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Simply Summer</a> by Kate @ <a href="http://www.modernalternativemama.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Modern Alternative Mama</a> ($7.95)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/do-the-funky-kitchen-ebook-2" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Do the Funky Kitchen</a> by Laura @ <a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Heavenly Homemakers</a> ($4.95)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://gnowfglins.com/ecourse/realfoodkidsebook" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Real Food Kids: In the Kitchen</a> plus 1 month access to select Real Food Kids eCourse videos by Wardeh @ <a href="http://gnowfglins.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">GNOWFGLINS</a> and Jami @ <a href="http://eatnourishing.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Eat Nourishing</a> ($20.00)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://www.spain-in-iowa.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Seasonal Menu Plans on a Budget: A Month of Meals from My Humble Kitchen to Yours</a>by Diana @ <a href="http://www.spain-in-iowa.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">My Humble Kitchen</a> ($4.99)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://just-making-noise.blogspot.com/p/just-making-ebooks.html" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Just Making Ice Cream</a> by Marillyn @ <a href="http://just-making-noise.blogspot.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Just Making Noise</a> ($12.00)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://www.handypantry.com/freebook" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">The Curative Kitchen</a> by Susan @ <a href="http://www.handypantry.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Handy Pantry</a> ($20.00)</div>
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Pregnancy & Baby Care</h3>
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<a href="http://firstbitesbook.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">First Bites</a> by Hilary @ <a href="http://www.accidentallygreen.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Accidentally Green</a> ($9.99)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://thehumbledhomemaker.com/cloth-diaper-convert" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Confessions of a Cloth Diaper Convert</a> by Erin @ <a href="http://thehumbledhomemaker.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">The Humbled Homemaker</a> ($9.95)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://www.yourthrivingfamily.com/2013/03/your-guide-to-stress-free-baby-shower.html" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Stress-Free Baby Shower</a> by Sara @ <a href="http://www.yourthrivingfamily.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Your Thriving Family</a> ($4.00)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://unboundbirth.com/store/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Unbound Birth</a> by Jenny @ <a href="http://thesoutherninstitute.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">The Southern Institute</a> ($4.99)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://simplydesigns.org/products/my-pregnancy-journey-a-printable-journal-and-planner/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">My Pregnancy Journey</a> by Mindy @ <a href="http://simplydesigns.org/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Simply Designs</a> ($9.99)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://www.hardlotion.com/ebook/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">My Buttered Life Baby Edition</a> by Renee @ <a href="http://www.hardlotion.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Made On Hard Lotion</a> ($5.00)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://www.theminimalistmom.com/book/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">The Minimalist Mom’s Guide to Baby’s First Year</a> by Rachel @ <a href="http://www.theminimalistmom.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">The Minimalist Mom</a>($5.00)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://redeemingchildbirth.com/free-downloads/reader-only/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Redeeming Childbirth: Growth & Study Guide</a> by Angie @ <a href="http://redeemingchildbirth.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Redeeming Childbirth</a> ($3.99)</div>
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Holidays & Special Events</h3>
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<a href="http://www.modernalternativemama.com/festive-traditions/?ap_id=jillmarks#.UWxTkbWTiSp" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Festive Traditions</a> by Jill @ <a href="http://www.modernalternativemama.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Modern Alternative Kitchen</a> ($7.95)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://www.littlenaturalcottage.com/cottage-mama-ebooks-shoppe/holiday-mixes-gifts-in-a-jar/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Holiday Mixes: Gifts in a Jar</a> by Kristy @ <a href="http://www.littlenaturalcottage.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Little Natural Cottage</a> ($4.00)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://frugalgranola.com/books/flourishing-spring/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Flourishing Spring</a> by Michele @ <a href="http://frugalgranola.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Frugal Granola</a> ($5.95)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/ebooks-at-kitchen-stewardship/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Family Camping Handbook</a> by Katie @ <a href="http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Kitchen Stewardship</a> ($6.95)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://truthinthetinsel.com/buy-the-book/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Truth in the Tinsel</a> by Amanda @ <a href="http://ohamanda.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Oh, Amanda!</a> ($7.99)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://www.givinguponperfect.com/plan-a-fabulous-party/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Plan a Fabulous Party</a> by Mary @ <a href="http://www.givinguponperfect.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Giving Up on Perfect</a> ($4.99)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://store.alliworthington.com/iphone-photography-the-visual-guide/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">iPhone Photography: The Visual Guide</a> by Alli @ <a href="http://about.alliworthington.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Alli Worthington</a>($9.97)</div>
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Spiritual Growth</h3>
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<a href="http://amybayliss.com/pursuit-of-proverbs-31-bible-study-and-inspiration/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Pursuit of the Proverbs 31</a> by Amy @ <a href="http://amybayliss.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Amy Bayliss</a> ($3.99)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://www.visionarywomanhood.com/the-best-of-visionary-womanhood-volume-one/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">The Best of Visionary Womanhood</a> by Natalie @ <a href="http://www.visionarywomanhood.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Visionary Womanhood</a> ($5.00)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://www.thepurposefulmom.com/p/gods-word-in-my-heart.html" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">God’s Word in my Heart: A Scripture Memory Learning Guide with Verses {all 4 versions}</a> by Jenn @ <a href="http://www.thepurposefulmom.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">The Purposeful Mom</a> ($3.99)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://quenchbible.com/bible-studies/kept/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Kept: a 13-Week Inductive Study on 1 Peter</a> by Lara and Katie @ <a href="http://quenchbible.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Quench Bible</a> ($4.99)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://quenchbible.com/bible-studies/love-like-him/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Love Like Him: an 8 week Inductive Bible study on 1 Corinthians 13</a><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"></strong> by Lara and Katie @<a href="http://quenchbible.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Quench Bible</a> ($2.99)</div>
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Marriage & Romance</h3>
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<a href="http://youngwifesguide.com/rekindling-romance-ebooklet-printables-kit/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Rekindling Romance</a> by Jason & Jami @ <a href="http://abiblicalmarriage.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">A Biblical Marriage</a> ($4.99)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://time-warp-wife.blogspot.com/2012/03/good-wifes-guide.html" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Good Wife’s Guide</a> by Darlene @ <a href="http://time-warp-wife.blogspot.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Time-Warp Wife</a> ($2.99)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://31daystopray.com/buy-the-book/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">31 Days to Build a Better Spouse</a> by Ashley @ <a href="http://ashleypichea.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Ashley Pichea</a> ($4.99)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://tolovehonorandvacuum.com/2012/11/31-days-to-great-sex-is-here/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">31 Days to Great Sex</a> by Sheila @ <a href="http://tolovehonorandvacuum.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">To Love, Honor and Vacuum</a> ($4.99)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://entangledbook.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Entangled: Recognize Your Emotional Affair</a> by Amy @ <a href="http://www.amyjbennett.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Amy J. Bennett</a> ($4.99)</div>
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Motherhood</h3>
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<a href="http://www.theheartofsimplicity.com/purchase/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">The Heart of Simplicity</a> by various authors @ <a href="http://www.theheartofsimplicity.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">The Heart of Simplicity</a> ($9.99)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://www.truechristianmotherhood.com/p/buy-book.html" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">True Christian Motherhood</a> by June @ <a href="http://www.awisewomanbuildsherhome.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">A Wise Woman Builds Her Home</a> ($7.00)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://www.hulahoopgirl.net/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Hula Hoop Girl</a> by September @ <a href="http://www.septembermccarthy.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">One September Day</a> ($4.99)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://www.generationcedar.com/main/our-products/ebooks" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">When Motherhood Feels Too Hard</a> by Kelly @ <a href="http://www.generationcedar.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Generation Cedar</a> ($4.97)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://mindsetformoms.com/buy-the-book/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Mindset for Moms</a> by Jamie @ <a href="http://www.steadymom.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Steady Days</a> ($4.99)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://www.cube2farm.com/ebook/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">From Cube to Farm</a> by Heather @ <a href="http://www.cube2farm.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">From Cube to Farm</a> ($2.99)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://4moms35kids.com/4-moms-of-35-kids-answer-your-parenting-questions-ebook-sale/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">4 Moms of 35+ Kids Answer Your Parenting Questions</a> by various authors @ <a href="http://4moms35kids.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">4 Moms, 35+ Kids Parenting E-book</a> ($7.99)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://thatworksfor.me/buy/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">That Works for Me!</a> by Kristen @ <a href="http://wearethatfamily.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">We are THAT Family</a> ($8.00)</div>
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Health & Fitness</h3>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/100-Pound-Loser-Control-ebook/dp/B009UKX7HY/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">100-pound Loser</a> by Jessica @ <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Jessica.M.Heights" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Muthering Heights</a> ($4.99)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://www.domesticserenity.org/honoring-the-rhythm-of-rest/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Honoring the Rhythm of Rest</a> by Danielle @ <a href="http://www.domesticserenity.org/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Domestic Serenity</a> ($2.99)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://42daystofit.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">42 Days to Fit</a> by Brandy, Emma and Stacy @ <a href="http://themarathonmom.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">The Marathon Mom</a> ($4.99)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://www.keeperofthehome.org/my-books/my-ebook-healthy-homemaking" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Healthy Homemaking</a> by Stephanie @ <a href="http://www.keeperofthehome.org/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Keeper of the Home</a> ($12.95)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://www.listplanit.com/store/eplanners/personal-eplanner/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Personal ePlanner</a> by Jennifer @ <a href="https://www.listplanit.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">ListPlanIt</a> ($5.00)</div>
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Beauty</h3>
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<a href="http://frumpstopumps.com/buy-the-book-or-get-it-for-free/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Frumps to Pumps</a> by Sarah Mae @ <a href="http://sarahmae.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">SaraMae.com</a> ($4.99)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://www.littlenaturalcottage.com/cottage-mama-ebooks-shoppe/the-cottage-mamas-diy-guide/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">The Cottage Mama’s DIY Guide</a> by Kristy @ <a href="http://www.littlenaturalcottage.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Little Natural Cottage</a> ($4.00)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://adelightfulhome.com/simplescrubs/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Simple Scrubs to Make and Give</a> by Stacy @ <a href="http://adelightfulhome.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">A Delightful Home</a> ($3.99)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://www.thenobrainerwardrobe.com/about-the-book/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">The No Brainer Wardrobe by Hayley</a> @ <a href="http://www.thenobrainerwardrobe.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">The No Brainer Wardrobe</a> ($7.99)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://trinaholden.com/embracing-beauty/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Embracing Beauty</a> by Trina @ <a href="http://trinaholden.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Trina Holden</a> ($9.00)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://www.thefrugalgirl.com/reuse-refresh-repurpose/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Reuse, Refresh, Repurpose</a> by Kristen @ <a href="http://www.thefrugalgirl.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">The Frugal Girl</a> ($3.99)</div>
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Working from Home & Blogging</h3>
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<a href="http://christianmommyblogger.com/your-blogging-business-tax-talk-and-tips/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Your Blogging Business: Tax, Talk and Tips</a> by Nikki @ <a href="http://christianmommyblogger.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Christian Mommy Blogger</a>($4.99)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://www.thebootstrapva.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">The Bootstrap VA</a> by Lisa @ <a href="http://www.thehomelifeand.me/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">The Home Life {and Me}</a> ($12.99)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://www.growinghomeblog.com/p/how-to-grow-your-blog.html" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">How to Grow Your Blog and Manage Your Home</a> by Jacinda @ <a href="http://www.growinghomeblog.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Growing Home</a> ($4.99)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://life.yourway.net/how-to-have-your-cake-and-eat-it-too/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">How to Have Your Cake and Eat It, Too</a> by Mandi @ <a href="http://life.yourway.net/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Life Your Way</a> ($12.00)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://simpleblogging.net/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Simple Blogging: Less Computer Time, Better Blogging</a> by Rachel @ <a href="http://smallnotebook.org/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Small Notebook</a>($8.00)</div>
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Ecourses</h3>
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<a href="http://cafe.tougas.net/products/learning-love-preschool-years" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Learning in Love: The Preschool Years</a> by Renee @ <a href="http://cafe.tougas.net/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Tougas Cafe</a> ($7.99)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://cafe.tougas.net/products/homeschooling-heart-ages-5-8" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Homeschooling from the Heart</a> by Renee @ <a href="http://cafe.tougas.net/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Tougas Cafe</a> ($7.99)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://groceryuniversity.com/grocery-university/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Grocery University</a> by Carrie @ <a href="http://coloradobargains.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Colorado Bargains</a> ($24.95)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://www.wellgroundedsite.com/work-with-lisa/courses/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Vibrant Living Strategies for Moms</a> by Lisa @ <a href="http://www.wellgroundedsite.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Well-Grounded Life</a> ($59)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.984375px; margin-bottom: 1.571em; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/ecourses/welcome-to-heavenly-homemakers-ecourses/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">You Can Do This! The First Five Steps to a Real Food Kitchen</a> by Laura @ <a href="http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/" style="color: #200a7a; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank">Heavenly Homemakers</a> ($5.00)</div>
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I can't wait to jump on this sale! It starts April 29 and goes through May 4. This could be a perfect gift for Mother's Day. The link again is <a href="http://www.smockityfrocks.com/2013/04/the-ultimate-homemaking-ebook-bundle-plus-140-in-freebies.html">Ultimate Homemaking Ebook Bundle.</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326367789958194895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37249745.post-64518693100307043772013-04-22T07:09:00.001-05:002013-04-22T07:09:30.956-05:00Our purposeI am thinking a lot lately about what our purpose is and what our mission field is. You see I have had an occasion to help out with a sibling set of five kids from 11-5. Some people might say they don't have time or that it's too much when I already have 6 kids. But when we stretch ourselves and show others the love of Christ amazing things happen. We had these kids for about six weeks last summer and this time they will have only been here for a week. It is a lot but we have had a lot of fun too! My kids get some quality fun times with their cousins and have had a lot of kids to play with. So today I want to challenge you to step out of your comfort zone and do something extra for your family or friends or neighbors. Let's show the hope we have in Christ as love shown for others!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06326367789958194895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37249745.post-34689574208050669822013-04-20T10:05:00.001-05:002013-04-22T07:09:48.904-05:00Hayden's Birth part 3<br />
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<a href="http://www.allaregiftsfromgod.blogspot.com/2013/03/haydens-birth-story.html">Part one is here.</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.allaregiftsfromgod.blogspot.com/2013/03/haydens-birth-story.html">Part two is here.</a></div>
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After getting in the bed and having my water broken there
was a huge gush of fluid. The midwife made a comment about there was sometimes
more and did something. Another gush, and another, and another! Tons of fluid
explains why I felt so huge! It was funny to see so much fluid and we all got
another good laugh. Thus far I was very comfortable and not in much pain at
all. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Within minutes of standing up from getting my water broken I
could tell that this was going to get a lot harder fast! I was trying to make
sure I didn’t get into the birthing tub too soon so I told them to wait. It
didn’t seem long though and all I wanted was the warmth and comfort I had heard
the water brings. I was so thrilled that I was finally going to be able to have
a water birth. <o:p></o:p></div>
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You see I had wanted a water birth when I was pregnant with
Natalia. It was part of what drew me to try a midwife instead of a doctor. But
when I developed gestational diabetes I was told I would not be allowed to have
a water birth with her. Fast forward to this birth and I was told the standards
had changed a bit. As long as I wasn’t on insulin or any medication for the GD
then I would be able to have a water birth if the labor progressed normally. Praise
God I was able to avoid medications. It wasn’t easy and it was only by God’s
grace but part of it I credit to <a href="http://melissarogerslovesjuiceplus.com/">Juice Plus</a>.</div>
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Now it felt as if the tub couldn’t fill fast enough! Steve was a great coach and helped me to sway and take each contraction as they came. Meanwhile my sister searched for my swimsuit top. She tried hard but couldn’t find it. After asking a few times if that shirt was it and my saying no I decided that I was too impatient to look for the shirt and just jumped in the tub. Poor Savanna was shocked! But labor isn’t a modesty thing. It’s messy and sometimes a birthing mama doesn’t care what she wears, if anything.</div>
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Now we were getting somewhere! The warm water helped some and it was a comfort but mostly by this point I was too focused on just getting this baby OUT! It felt like forever until they said I could push but in reality it really wasn’t that long. It was just after midnight as I was given the go ahead to start pushing. It was hard to push in this big tub and I ended up sitting sideways in it with Steve basically holding me up some. His arms were getting sore quick but every time he went to move I told him to go back to holding me up. He was awesome and kept at it though. Soon I felt like I was reaching the end of my strength. This baby was big! Steve said a quick prayer in my ear and it helped me to have that last little bit of strength come. And Hayden was born at 12:28am on January 31, 2012. He was 9 pounds 4 ounces. What a big boy! And was 21 ½ inches long.</div>
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