The big day

Well, not only was it my birthday and my own family didn't even tell me happy birthday, but I had my big ultrasound.
I have decided that I will keep the sex of the baby under wraps from all those I don't want to know until the babe arrives. The baby was healthy and active. Didn't want it's picture taken and snuggled way down in my uterus just like it's big brother did. Luckily the babe moved so she could get the measurements that were needed.
The due date was right with what I thought all along.
I had a nice relaxing day with the kiddos. Tomorrow is Elijah's Christmas program and then he is done with school until after the first of the year.
That is all there is for now. Hope everybody has a great holiday.
I will probably not be post after the first of the year until the baby is born because Mark is taking his laptop with him.

Update for week 12/07/08

Not much happening here. Corrisa is well into basketball now. She lost her first came and won her second. Her coach this year actually lets her play. That is a bonus. Last year she would play a minute and get taken out this year she is actually starting. The team she played last week had some big girls on it. There were 3 that were over 6 feet tall and another 3 that were almost 6 feet tall. All they had to do was reach a hand up to stop a shot. Our girls aren't even close to that height.
Briley is doing good at his dad's. He loves school and is making friends. He is doing wrestling again this year. The wrestling program in Boone is much more work then the one here. That doesn't surprise me. I went to school with some of his coaches. He will be coming here for a visit the day after Christmas until New Year's day. Miles can't wait.
Home schooling is going well for everybody else. We are getting done what needs to be done. Corrisa is actually starting to understand math. That is a good thing. I usually hear nothing but grumbling and today she actually said some of the problems were super easy. Miles is doing well with his reading. Gabe is just doing much better at listening. Today he even did his work by his self without me sitting right there beside him. That was impressive.
Elijah is doing good in preschool. He gets to bring birthday treats on Friday so that is the highlight of his week. He had the stomach flu on Sunday so he didn't go to school on Monday. He has a field trip tomorrow to tour houses in town. I think his teacher is nuts to take a bunch of preschoolers to fancy houses to see how they are decorated for Christmas, but she is the one calling the shots. Elijah has his Christmas program at school next Wednesday.
Corrisa had her winter concert last night. It was nice, but I miss the days of Christmas carols. Most of the songs sung reminded me of the forth of July not Christmas. She enjoyed herself though.
Markus is still a little trouble maker. He is wanting to go potty on the potty now. Not all the time, but when he catches somebody in the bathroom. He is still into everything. Loves to eat and loves to dance. I can't wait until he is actually saying real words not just Markus words. I understand what he wants most of the time, but it would still be nice to hear some words.
Mark will be home the 21st through the 1st. The kids will enjoy time with him. They loved the time they got to spend with him for Thanksgiving and that was only a weekend. We aren't planning on going anywhere so then we don't lose time as a family. We aren't exchanging gifts with anybody this year so I have an excuse not to have to spend time with family. My sister keeps me informed on what happens anyway so that helps keep me home. I hear enough complaining without actually being there. We have lots of board games to keep us busy and have good clean learning fun.
I have my doctor's appointment Monday and ultrasound Tuesday. The vote is 2 for a boy and 6 for a girl. Miles is going with me and we are the 2 for a boy. I guess you will all have to wait until then to find out. I may just keep it a surprise and not tell anybody until the babe arrives. I know if I am keeping a secret that I will not tell my sister because she can't keep one. I have had a sore ear for a couple of days. It isn't like an ear infection just a sore ear. It is swollen and hurts to touch. At first I thought it was a zit, but now I am not sure what is wrong. I put some Apple cider vinegar in it with cotton to see if that would help and will do that again tonight. I may have to break down and go to the doctor, but hopefully it will clear up on its own.
Well, that is all I have to tell. Enjoy the rest of the week. I will update sometime next week.

16 Weeks and Counting

Here are my 16 weeks belly shots. Sorry I look so disheveled, but I have been cleaning all day.

So I have 16 weeks down and only 24 more to go. It seems like the fastest pregnancy so far. In four short weeks I will be half way done. I get to find out the sex of babe number 7 on my birthday.

What a birthday present.

Fireproof

I went to this movie yesterday afternoon with my church. If you haven't seen it it is a must see for all married couples. I am going to get the Bible study to go along with it when I get the cash. If you haven't seen the other movies made by this church they are also must see movies. We own Facing the Giants and have seen Flywheel both are incredible.
Fireproof was just as good if not better then the other two. Made me cry about half a dozen times. I enjoyed it greatly and hope that you will all take the time to go on a date with your spouse and watch it together. Of course being Mark is not in my state I did go by myself and sat with another married woman from my church whose husband didn't go and a widow. We all enjoyed the movie.
I would love to hear from you if you have seen it.
Have a great week.

This Week

Well, I have be hitting the gym regularly for a couple of weeks now. Been lifting weights and using the track and machines. Corrisa has been asking me to go with her to gain some strength and lose some weight so I am going.
Corrisa started basketball Monday so she is getting twice the workout on some days. She says this years coach is much tougher then last years. Last year she had two females and this year she has a young male coach. She enjoys it though.
Markus is starting his naughtiness training this week. We are hitting the terrible twos quite early again. He is still precious though. Doesn't talk a whole lot, but does jabber a bunch of nonsense and loves to sing and dance. He loves to climb and give me heart attaches and such too.
School is going well this week. Everybody is doing what they are supposed to. Gabe is doing well at concentrating.
Briley will be going to live with his dad this weekend. He will be starting public school on Monday. He has mixed emotions about leaving his mama, but I think he will do just fine. His dad loves him and wants some time with him too before he gets too old. Mom will miss him too of course. It wasn't an easy decision to come to, but sometimes you have to do hard things as a mom. He will still be coming back for weekends every other month so it isn't like he is gone forever. Miles isn't handling it too well, but he is going to miss his best friend and big brother.
Elijah is doing well in preschool. He loves to go and learn. He loves to draw. That is his big passion right now. His latest drawings are of a man with a bow and quiver full of arrows. How cute is that. I am saving them for Mark when he comes home for Thanksgiving. Hopefully he will be a man with a full quiver.
I am doing well. Lonely, but well. Don't have phone service this week so I don't get to talk to Mark, but I will live. Hitting the gym helps out some. Went to the doctor on Monday. All is well on the home front. I guess I can't that for sure until all my results come back, but sure all is well.
Well that's about it for this weeks post. I will write again next week. Have a great week.

Tuesday

Well, Mark came home over the weekend. He picked up his car and took the dog with him. It is so nice not to hear the dog bark all day wanting out. Markus wasn't sure what to think of seeing his dad again. He would stare at Mark and then give him a hug and stare some more. He did that for a long while. Mark thought is was cute.
Started going back to the gym yesterday. Corrisa is going today to learn how to use the weights and I will walk with Gabe. We all went swimming this morning for a while, but Markus wasn't too keen on the idea so we left earlier then we planned.
Gabe is having some problems with the home school teacher. He won't sit still and is always talking. I keep saying that he has ADHD, but Mark won't hear it. So I am taking him to the gym to walk the track with me and hopefully that will wear him out a bit. Wrestling starts soon, so hopefully that will help wear him out also. We missed soccer this Fall.
Corrisa is going to a Bible retreat Friday night and Saturday. She is riding with another home school family. Miles went to this camp this summer and loved it. I am hoping Corrisa has fun there.
That is about all the news I have for today. I will update again next week.

Thursday

Well, nothing much is happening here. Been getting up nice and early in the morning. Suffering from insomnia and would really like some sleep. I hate going to bed and worrying so much about stuff that isn't in our control and then not being able to sleep. I need to start breaking out the old Bible and reading that before bed. Bring myself some comfort and peace. Lay it at the feet of the Lord. That's what I need to do.
Mark is still working in Wisconsin. He is really enjoying the job there and the people he works with. I am glad of that. He has found a place to live. It is a bit on the expensive side when you have household bills to pay on top of rent, but if he is happy then I guess there isn't much I can say. We are getting excited for Thanksgiving. It will be 2 days shy of 2 months since we last saw Mark when he comes home for the long weekend. We will probably be staying here to spend time with him rather then with other family. The kids don't need to compete for his attention with somebody else for the weekend and that is fine.
Markus is getting a few more molars in and has been a bit cranky. I never had this problem with any other kids. I didn't even know they had their molars until well after they had grown in. He has a bit of a runny nose and a cough too. I am going to blame the teeth for now. If it gets worse we will go see the doctor, but he seems to be fine.
The rest of the kids are doing good. School is going good. We are getting quite a bit accomplished. Corrisa's grandma bought her an early Christmas present. The third book in the Eargon series and she hasn't put it down since she got it. She is just about done with almost 800 page book so hopefully she will be back to normal soon. There is no sense trying to make her put it down because she will throw daggers at you with her eyes until you let her resume reading. Elijah is getting excited because he gets to wear his costume for preschool story time and preschool next week. His cousin had a pirate themed birthday party over the summer. The kids didn't go, but my SIL gave them all a bag of party favors that included: a bandanna, an eye patch, a hoop ear ring and some other pirate things. So Elijah is saying he is going to be a pirate. Throw some jeans and a shirt and we are good to go. We have a Long John Silvers pirate hat too if he wants to wear that instead of the bandanna. We don't do trick or treating, but we do hand out Bible tracts to kids that come to my house. We bought so many a couple of years ago that we are still handing them out. We hardly get any kids anymore.
Well, that is about all the news in our house. Nothing too exciting. Hope you all have a great rest of the week.

Talking Red Teddy

My mom bought my older kids talking Valentine's teddy bears many years ago. They eventually drove me nuts so they got put away. Well lo and behold my daughter came across one somewhere recently and gave it to Markus. He loves it. He carries it everywhere and always has it talking. Last night he was laying in bed talking forever. The bear will ask a question and if you say something will continue talking. Well, of course you can't understand a word that Markus says, but that stupid red bear just don't care. I always know where to find him because that bear gives him away.
Elijah wanted to take it to school with him today because it was Teddy Bear day and Markus made it quite clear that nobody was taking his bear anywhere. He wouldn't even finish his breakfast because Elijah was holding the bear. Never know what that kid will be interested in.
Well, have a good weekend my friends.

Fall Pictures

I decided I would update the kids pictures so I took them to the park and took their pictures. Markus was a bit of a little pistol and wasn't going to cooperate. Elijah, Corrisa, and Miles were the post photogenic ones. Gabe, Briley, and Markus were the ones who would rather have played. While taking the pictures there were a couple of guys that were playing the new Frisbee golf and they decided they needed to throw the Frisbee right where we were taking pictures even though I was there first. Well, when we moved as much as possible out of the way they finished there game and then started throwing walnuts at me. How immature was that. Grown men seeing me take pictures of my kids and throwing walnuts at an adult. Anyway, we got the pictures done and they turned out pretty good. I am getting pretty good at being the family photographer. Anyway, that is about all that is happening here. Have a good week. Shelly

Remembering people 3

Grandma Rosie

I can't really say that my relationship with Grandma Rosie is anything like Grandpa Lemon. She wasn't the lovey dovey type grandma unless you were a favorite. None of my mother's kids were her favorite. I must admit though we had it better then my mom's younger sister's kids. My grandma had nothing to do with them until they were adults. My sister had all the attention until my mom's youngest sister had kids then we were forgotten. And when my mom's baby brother had a kid I think we all ceased to exist. The things I remember about Grandma: her super sweet tea. You could actually get a 1/4 cup of sugar out of the bottom of your glass when you were done drinking it. She made the best fried chicken strips. Oh how I wish I had some now. She was great at baking and candy making. She made the best buckeye candy's. Unfortunately when asked for a recipe she never had one. She was crafty. We have lots of homemade stuffed animals and care bears that she made. She made us each a quilt. Unfortunately Markus came too late to get one. I remember staying with her a few times during the summer. I got to collect the chicken eggs. I always wished to live on a farm so I could have chickens. I remember the baby sheep in the yard and the baby chicks in the garage staying warm. I remember the prized car in the garage, but can't remember what kind it was. I remember her driving to my house on a motorcycle and her only having one real eye. She lost the other years ago while making grenades for soldiers or something like that. She had a glass eye to replace it. I always wanted grandma's house when she died. Of course that was unthinkable because my uncle and his family got it all. I did get some cherished home made items from her house though. I got a water pitcher and basin and the beloved Tree house cookie jar (my mom had one just like it that I wanted, but my little brother broke it on accident) and the tree house planter. I cherish the stuff made by her hands rather then the junk that was bought. I think I even ended up getting her old school box with the supplies still in it. When grandma was diagnosed with cancer she went pretty fast after that. My kids didn't really know her. Not that she died when they were young (she died last year) but because I never really visited her. I don't really visit any family anymore. My kids barely know my parents and siblings. I get my hands and feet from Grandma Rosie. My birthing hips (as Mark calls them). My love to live in the farm fresh air. I guess a lot of my looks are because of Grandma Rosie. I love her in my own way and wish I could have gotten to know her better then I did.

Remembering people number 2

Grandpa Lemon
Grandpa loved all of us no matter what mistakes we made. My sister and I would take turns every summer going to grandpa and grandma's for a spell. Sometimes we would hang out at their house and sometimes they took us on a vacation. The only vacations we got as kids were the ones the grandparents took us on. Grandpa could tell the best stories of years past. We all loved sitting and listening. Some of the members of the family never took the time to listen until he was on his death bed and then they had the notation to show up at his house with a video camera wanting to tape a story. He turned them down. Grandpa had cancer off and on throughout his adult life. I think the first time he had it was when my dad was born. He may have had it before then, but I think it was said that he was in the hospital the same time grandma was. He had lots of treatment and lots of organs and parts removed. I always remember grandpa and grandma's big gardens and flowers. My grandpa would work all day outside. He loved sitting on his porch and watch the birds. he always had a bird book near by to see what it was that was eating from his feeder. I think grandpa moved grandma to Boone when Corrisa was 1 1/2 years old. he knew that his life was coming to an end and he wanted her to be taken care of. I am thinking it was after they moved that they found the cancer again. There was nothing they could do because his body couldn't do treatments anymore. I took Corrisa over to there apartment everyday. She loved her great grandpa and him and grandma loved her. I remember when grandpa couldn't walk anymore dad having somebody help load him into the truck to go to the Ledges and see the deer. It was almost a nightly thing. Grandpa so enjoyed the outdoors. It got to the point that if grandpa wasn't in his room when I arrived I didn't stay. I didn't want to remember him in any other way except the active old guy that he was. i didn't want to see the wasted and dead looking body he had become. If grandpa was in bed when Corrisa and I would arrive she would go right into that bedroom and climb in bed with him. I am not sure what took place in that room, but Corrisa seemed to enjoy it. I remember the night he passed. Dad called and said that grandpa wanted us all over there and for us to order pizza. When I got to their apartment grandpa wasn't even conscious. he had labored breathing and was soon going to leave us. My brothers, sister, and I sat in the living room while dad, mom, and grandma gave grandpa a sponge bath. he died when all three had place a hand on him. Mom said that is what he wanted was the family with him. The funeral home came over right away to get his body. We all waited in the kitchen so that we couldn't see them haul the body out. Corrisa was in the room with grandpa the whole time and not one of us knew it. She was laying on top of his body until the funeral home man took her off. Then she snuck back in and watched them load him up. She never had nightmares about it. For that I am thankful. Grandpa died a few months before I had Briley. He so wanted to be there for his first great grandson. He was just sure that was what I was having because he already had 5 great granddaughter. he tried as hard as he could to make. The night Briley was born when he came out the lights in the room flickered. I joked with mom that it was grandpa making sure that i knew he was in the room watching his great grandson. Grandpa always stressed to us that we are family and we have to love each other no matter what. He never put me down for having two kids before I was married. He was disappointed I am sure, but he never told me so. Grandpa was always the backbone in the family. There was never bickering when he was around. And all holidays were spent as a family. I loved my grandpa and wish my children could have meet him. Corrisa was so young she doesn't even remember him. Grandma has a lot of videos of him, but she won't let anybody watch because she thinks they will get ruined. I hope someday to get them and have a professional make copies for each of us. I remember growing up that grandpa was the tallest person in our family. My friends refereed to Grandpa and Grandma Lemon as the tall grandpa and short grandma. Grandpa was only 5'11 and grandma was only 4'8. None of us kids got to be as tall as grandpa, but everybody says that my baby brother Josh looks just like him. I love all the memories I have of Grandpa and I love the fact that we were able to spend so much time with them. I know that lots of kids never get that opportunity. My husband doesn't have the memories like me of his grandparents. I wouldn't be the person I am today if it weren't for the influence of my Grandpa Lemon. I love you grandpa.

Remembering people of the past

I am going to take a different approach for the next few days. I am going to change my music to remember people who were near and dear to me in the past who aren't here any longer. I think of these people often and miss them.

Kristen
I first meet Kristen in grade school. We weren't best friends she already had one and so did I. We went to a private Catholic school together from Kindergarten through 8th grade. I loved staying at Kristen's house over night. We got to do fun things and her parents were never around. As years went by Kristen and I got closer. Kristen was beautiful and she made you feel beautiful just being around her. By the time we got in Junior High she was interested in boys and it would take her 2 hours to get ready for anything. She was obsessed with her looks. She was to put it bluntly vain. She came from the wrong side of the tracks she wasn't from a rich or well known family. She was working her own jobs from the time she was 12. She was the mother to her 3 younger siblings from the time she was 8. She sacrificed a lot to take care of her younger siblings. When she turned 16 her mom bought her a car, but soon after she had bought her own car. A little red metro convertible. We had such fun riding in that small little red car. She had a management position in a restaurant in town by the time she was 17. She had good grades and participated in dance. She always seemed to find time for her friends. Of course we all drifted our different ways during high school because of different interests and loves. She was engaged to at least 3 different guys before she married her husband. Even as we drifted apart we were never far from each other. She would call and need cheering up because of a break up of I may just want to talk. It was at Kristen's house my senior year on lunch break that I found out I was pregnant with Corrisa. She made me go to her house every day for lunch after that so she could make sure I was eating healthy. She threw my baby shower for me and was Corrisa's first daycare provider when I went back to work after I had her. She was always a great support. I could tell her anything and know she wouldn't judge me. When I meet Mark, her and her husband watched the kids for me so I could go on a date. She was the only one of my friends I invited to my wedding. When she sat in the hospital with preeclampsia for weeks before she had her first I would go up as often I as I could after work and talk with her. She definitely appreciated the chatter time. Whenever I would get pregnant she was always the first person I would call and tell. She never asked me when we would be done or how many more we were going to have. She was always as excited as she would have been for her own pregnancy. Her and Scott had problems conceiving their second and Mark and I had 1 together before she was able to conceive. She conceived baby number 2 shortly before we conceived baby 2. We went to the same clinic and so we would catch up while waiting to see the doctor. She had her son in December and I had mine in March. A few days before I had Gabriel I was delivering Girl Scout cookies to her house. We lived 2 hours away from where she lived and she lived out in the country. I had left Corrisa, Briley, and Miles out in the van while I ran the cookies in. While in the house my cell had rang so Corrisa brought in the phone and Briley had broke something in the van and followed suit. When Briley got out he locked the van and so Miles was locked in the van in his car seat. I couldn't find a locksmith and was hysterical. Kristen and Scott were great. They helped and we eventually found a locksmith. Mark showed up at the same time. He sped about 90 mph to get there with the extra keys. Shortly before Kristen's son's first birthday she was diagnosed with breast cancer. You see, Kristen lived in a tanning bed. She thought that was the best place to relax and unwind. She had developed a sore on her breast shortly after her son was born and she would pick at it. It kept getting worse and when she finally went to the doctor the cancer had gotten into her breast tissue. She was 26 when she had her breasts removed. She was so upset and felt less a woman. She was determined to get her size D's back and when they gave her her implants she settled for a C. She was happy. She didn't require treatment. She was living her life. She went back to school. Her and Scott were going to try for number 3 when she made it to the 1 year mark of being cancer free. She didn't make. She was teaching aerobics at a center in Ames and she hurt her back. She went to the doctor thinking it no big deal. It was. She had cancer again. She had it in her bones, liver, and lungs and later her brain. She was only 27 and told she had a year to live. She lived that year and 2 more after. She fought like crazy to see her babies grow up. She never had a negative attitude. She never slowed down. I only saw Kristen 2 times after she was diagnosed with cancer. I wished I could have seen her more, but her family needed the time they could get. She had a habit of putting her friends first. Every time poor Scott planned a night alone a friend would stop by and then it became a group thing. I didn't want to be like everybody else. Her family needed memories of just them. We talked on the phone plenty and I sent a card every week to encourage her. I was the first person she told that she only had 3 months to live. I cried. I loved her. She was the only one who loved me for who I was. She lived exactly 3 months from the phone call. I got the call shortly after I found out I was pregnant with Markus. It was the saddest funeral I ever attended. I went to the visitation, but never went up front to see her. I wanted to remember her for the beautiful young lady she was, not the shell of a body laying in a casket. I still remember sitting with old classmates remembering the old days when Scott came in carrying their 3 year old son. "Dad, now can I go see Mommy?" I thought I would die. Scott had a look of hopelessness on his face as he carried his son up to see his mommy. I looked at all the pictures and cried. They had an album made after she had had breast cancer. the photographer did a beautiful job. I have never seen anything like it. It was printed like a book. The pictures were printed right on the pages and Kristen or Scott had scripted letters to each other and each of the kids. It was beautiful. The photographer didn't set up the pictures they just happened. It was like watching a movie because the family was just enjoying a picnic, a walk, or just private conversation and nothing was posed. The next day I went and buried Kristen. Her daughter refused to leave the grave site because she wanted her mom. I was heartbroken. I didn't stay at the dinner after, but gave Scott a hug. It was the last time I have spoken to him or seen him. I haven't been able to send cards or pictures like I used to. I never know if he wants us to bug him and the kids. I know he has moved on and maybe married. Am I mad. No. Kristen had been preparing her children for a step-mom from the day she found out she would leave them. I talked with Kristen in my dream recently. I couldn't see her face, but it was her voice talking to me. I usually think about her a couple times a year. Certain songs. A small little red car. A trip to Hardees. A new pregnancy I can never share because she isn't there to get excited for me. I look back at old pictures of when we were young and remember a person from the past who helped make me who I was today.

It's been a long time

Did you all miss me? Wow, didn't realize it has been so long since I last posted. Well, some updates I guess. Still feeling mighty crappy especially at night. My head hurts all day long and I am so very tired. I haven't been to the gym for about 3-4 weeks because I am afraid I will start puking while walking the track. My husband thinks it will make me feel better. I would rather be safe then sorry.
Markus is officially weaned. Not that he wants to be, but mom thinks it is time. 18 months is a long time to nurse a baby. I hadn't even noticed that my milk was gone. He is only allowed to nurse once a day and I guess my body said enough and didn't make anymore. I was mainly nursing at night/during the night when he would get up. And the last three nights he had been very fussy even when he nursed. Last night is when it dawned on me that he wasn't getting any milk. He sucked and sucked and finally looked at me and said mom and started crying. Then he tried the other side and did the same thing. He wasn't about to be comforted. I almost felt guilty. Mark said I should. I told Mark he could nurse a boy with a mouth full of teeth and see how he likes it.
Elijah is doing good in pre-school. His teacher says he is the best student and the leader for his class. I asked if she was talking about my son. LOL. He loves to go. Unfortunately next Wednesday is Dad day and once again this year dad is away from home and won't be able to go with him. So, Briley gets to go again. Good things for big brothers even if he is only 11. They get to go on a firetruck ride.
We are taking a small break from school this week. Hopefully I feel better next week to get going again. I have also been thinking on how I am doing school and want to try some different techniques and see if that will help with schooling.
I was going to let my membership with the home school legal defense organization expire this year, but Corrisa's dad, grandparents, and great grandma are already throwing a fit that she isn't going to high school next year full time. So, I would like to be prepared legally in case something happens with that. I know that now that their dad is dating somebody and living with them that it makes him feel a little more powerful then when he is single.
Mark is just now today arriving in Wisconsin for work. He won't be home until Thanksgiving and then not again until Christmas. That is if he lasts on the job. He hasn't worked a job from start to finish in over 2 years so it isn't so far fetched that he will quit. He only left on Tuesday night, but the kids are already getting their dad is gone so we can be naughty behavior already. Of course it doesn't help that we are on the extreme west of Iowa and he is on the extreme east of Wisconsin. I love traveling jobs.
Well, I think that is our update in a nutshell. Hope you all have a great weekend.

Boys

So, I take Elijah and Gabe to an ICN class at the library first thing this morning. I hate going to them anyway and wonder why I even sign up for the stupid things. Anyway, there are four other schools besides them. The girl in charge of the class goes around asking questions about the alphabet and sounds and such and when she comes to us the boys have a knock down drag our over who gets to speak into the microphone. Gabe answers and then Elijah is bawling so loudly that when Gabe is answering you could hear him. I am supposed to do one next week with the two of them again and I think I will cancel. I don't need the extra stress anyway. This is why I never leave my house with the kids unless it is completely necessary. I know it is lack of discipline, but after getting up at the crack of dawn to take care of a dog you don't want, making breakfast, putting up with a moody teenager, laundry and home schooling who feels like chasing kids around and disciplining. My head is spinning by noon. Then my lovely husband will call and say "if you have time..." If I had time I would be a peaceful, happy woman. I do believe my husband is heading to Chicago this weekend for work. We shall see how long he lasts there. He is quiting is job of a week and a half today. He thinks the grass is greener in Chicago. Anyway, that is my day so far in a loop and it is only 10:30. I have to go make lunches for the oldest 4 because they have brown bag and books with the supervising teacher at 11. Have a great week.

Anniversary

Today was Mark and my 9th anniversary. Of course he is gone so nothing special was done. He did call me at 12:15 this morning so that he could say it first. After suffer from insomnia for the past week and finally getting sleep it would have been nice to sleep. We did chat for about a 1/2 an hour. I guess you could call it bed time talk from different beds. Nothing naughty just talk. When you have a house full of kids about the only time we can talk without interruptions is when we go to bed at night.
He called me again after work just to tell me again that he remembered first. What he doesn't know is that I was the one who set the reminder on his phone to begin with. It was a good day anyway.
I laid in bed with an upset stomach most the day, but I will live. Had a nice 5 minute bubble bath for a few minutes before the boys started coming in. And now Elijah is enjoying my hot bath. I hope he is enjoying it. He's out so now somebody else might enjoy it while the water is still hot. It sounds like it may be Gabe. No sense letting hot water go to waste I say.
Well, not much to say. Our church had its 95th annual Bible conference this weekend. One of the speakers spoke on creation and science and the other about making Godly decisions. Both topics were good, but the one speaker isn't my favorite. Every year my chapel chooses speakers from a Bible college here in Iowa and they aren't my favorite speakers. The other chapel in town chooses the other speaker and they are always good. I didn't know until this year that that was how the speakers were chosen. I always knew there was one associated with this college and one excellent speaker. Anyway, we enjoyed the conference all day yesterday, but my stomach only allowed me an hour today. Markus wasn't all that good today either. I think he got tired of sitting still yesterday.
Well, have a good week. I will try and keep my blog updated with any exciting news from the Sharp house.

Elijah

Today at Elijah's preschool story time at the library, the librarian asked the kids to say there name and then asked them to say their last name. My husband has the habit of giving the kids pet names. So when she got to Elijah she said and what is your name. Elijah responded "Elijah" and then she said what is your last name. Elijah responded "King". My husband calls him Elijah Keen and he hears it as Elijah King. So he has it stuck in his head that King is his middle name. The librarian looked at Corrisa and asked what his middle name was. She said "Lee-Louis". The librarian just started laughing. Mark thought it was funny when I talked to him on his lunch break. Well, have a great day.

Butterfly

Our Monarch butterfly hatched from it's Chrysalis during the night last night. So now Elijah has a beautiful butterfly. We are going to a program at the park tonight to tag and set it free. Our neighbor man is dating the county conservationist and she is putting on the program. The butterfly is in a plastic container on the front porch drying it's wings right now so he will be prepared for take off later tonight. Elijah is already planning on catching another caterpillar to watch. We shall see. It may just be a little to late in the year. This cold weather we had last week and again next week won't keep them around for long.
Have a great week.

Naked Baby

Markus was supposed to be taking a nap today. At first he started out talking then he started yelling or crying. After about 45 minutes I sent Corrisa in to make sure he didn't need a diaper change. I heard her say "Markus". She then appeared in my room with a almost naked Markus.
He had taken off his pants and his diaper. I noticed when looking at the diaper that he had pooped, but it was no longer in the diaper. So while I put on a fresh diaper, Corrisa looked for the poo. I had to change his bedding. And he still refused to take a nap. So come 7 tonight I am sure I will have a sleeping baby.
I must say out of all the kids I have this is the first time of dealing with this. They all do some different things. I guess I should be grateful he didn't eat the poo.
Have a great week.

The Bible

I forgot to tell you about my experience last Monday morning. I wanted to start the day refreshed and ready for school, so I got up at six. I put Rufus's food and water outside and let him lose to do his thing and then sat down with my Bible. I had been feeling sorry for myself for the past few days as all of you faithful readers have seen and so I did the read where ever the Bible opens thing. I opened it to Lamentations. Not a book of the Bible I would normally read, but figured God wanted me to see something in that Book. So I started reading the whole book of Lamentations and started to wonder if I should change my reading to something different. Then it happened. Chapter three was what he wanted me to see. I think it was written just for me. It opened my eyes and brought me to my knees in tears begging for God's forgiveness for my weakness and not relying on the one who is in control of everything. When has God ever let me down.
I so often worry about the things in life that only God can control. I need to rely on him to get me through everything. He loves me and my family so much and yet I always fear that we won't be taken care of. I just wanted to share with you my experience and if you have time open your Bible to Lamentations 3 and read it.
After I read it myself the kids and I started our school day with the same chapter. I almost couldn't finish reading because of the emotions it brought to life within me. Thank you all for reading. Have a great Labor Day.

Too Busy

I just filled in my calendar for the month of September. I have something going on everyday besides school. I am thinking I need to rethink some of the things I signed up for and remove a lot. I just told the lady at church who is in charge of women's Bible study that I would be going, but I am thinking now I will have to back out. I have to get school with the kids done and with everything going on I don't think that a hour and a half away on Tuesday mornings is going to be a positive thing this year.
I also signed the boys up for some ICN classes at the library and that is taking time away from schooling also. I know that the classes are educational, but I also don't want them getting used to running everywhere and not staying home. I have friends who home school that are always on the run and now their kids expect to be gone all the time and she wonders why. I am a home body and don't like running all over the place.
Corrisa has chorus which is fine, but the librarian always wants her to help out with preschool story time. Elijah goes, but Corrisa is also old enough to stay at home and get her school work done while I am at the library with him. I don't know. It seems like every year I start out with good intentions, but something back fires.
The kids go to the supervising teacher for 3 hours each week which also is taking a lot of time away. They go every Tuesday morning for an hour at 8 a.m. and then again on Thursday morning from 11-12. Miles stays from 12-1 on Thursday afternoons to get extra reading help. I am thinking I may need to do a every other week thing instead of every week.
I am sure it will all work out. I think I am just feeling overwhelmed with looking at the calendar. We are in walking distance of everything which helps save on gas.
I got some free school books from a teacher in the district. She gets new books every couple of years and has lots of good books that never got used and she gives them away. I got some and she has a whole storage area filled with more so I will get more. That really helps on having to buy books.
My toe is feeling much better today. It still hurts, but not nearly as bad as yesterday.
Hope you all have a great week. I will be busy, but am feeling the Lord's presence.

First Week of School

The first week of school was pretty much uneventful. I can not wait for Mark to go back to work because he throws every body's schedules off. He is always willing to let the kids stay up and play video games or something stupid even after I tell them to go to bed. He has been staying up all night playing video games and then going to bed when we start school.
I went to pick up Elijah's comp notebook at the preschool on Monday and they said to go ahead and bring him to school. So Elijah is going to preschool Monday, Wednesday, and Friday every week. Luckily we only live a couple of blocks away from the preschool so we can walk as long as it is nice out. I forgot to say that he got his preschool grant back so everything worked out fine there.
Corrisa is doing chorus at the middle school. She loves to sing and so we let her stay in chorus, but she did have to give up piano because we can't afford it this year.
Miles, Briley, and Gabe had to give up soccer for the fall season because we couldn't afford that either. They didn't seem too upset by it.
I broke my toe yesterday and it hurts bad. I walked to pick up Elijah from school and walked the kids to the library and by the time I got home I didn't think I was going to be able to walk anymore. In fact I thought one of the kids was going to have to run ahead and get Mark to pick me up.
Mark started cleaning out our garage yesterday. He had me go through some of the old toy totes and throw away toys that were broken or that I didn't want anymore. It probably would have been easier if I didn't have 3 boys outside telling me that they wanted this or that. I didn't throw away much, but I didn't switch out some of the toys that have been out for some that have been put away for a while. I now have peace and quite because they are all in the toy room playing with all the "new" toys. Markus is even having fun because we found two old cell phones for him to play with.
Corrisa is upstairs going through all her clothes and getting out what she doesn't want or what doesn't fit her. That is always a fun time a year. It is almost as good as clothes shopping. It is too warm yet to switch out the boys clothes so I think I will wait another month. I am going to switch my summer church clothes for fall clothes. It is really too late in the year to wear my light colored outfits anymore and I miss my winter/fall clothes.
I think that is all the latest on the family. Hopefully I can keep everybody updated more regularly. I know that it will start getting busier once we get into church group meetings and Bible studies and such. We have our church's conference coming up in a couple of weeks. That is always a refreshing time of year.
Have a great week and holiday weekend.

How low can they go?

I am seeing red now. First off I want to say that I was over the kids not going to school. God had a different plan than I did. To rekindle the fire though, the school district decided to stripe Elijah of his preschool grant. They notified me by mail in July saying we were getting it and they today sent a letter saying he wasn't. I just took his supplies in yesterday. I paid for him to get a check-up which I couldn't afford and now this. How low can the school district go?
I was signed up for the home school assist program, but not now. I don't want the school district getting a penny for any of my kids. I have an email sent to a friend of mine who home schools to see if she can be my supervising teacher. If not there are a few other options in the area. I went from being sad, to peaceful, to irate in a mater of days. What makes it worse is that the kids love the supervising teacher we have through the district. She is super easy to work with and she is very helpful.
I feel like my whole life is caving in on me. We have no money. I am getting disconnect notices for everything. My phone has already been disconnected. My husband can't keep a job and now wants to travel far away because he thinks he can make more money elsewhere. Life really sucks.

New update

The kids aren't going to school now. I can't get free lunches and when my husband can't stay with a job long enough to get bills caught up then you can't send kids to school. I am so mad and upset. I was really looking forward to having time to myself for the year. I can't write anymore right now. I am very sad. Have a great week.

Well

Well, Mark has changed his mind and decided to let me put the kids in regular school for the year. I am very excited and relieved to say the least. This is for only a year so that we can all get refocused on what God wants us to do in our lives. Corrisa is still only going part time, but the 3 oldest boys will be going full time. I am looking forward to a year of building my relationship with the Lord and trying to destress my life. I have the backing of my pastor who is going to home school his own children and that really means a lot to me. I think he knows that I need a break.
Anyway, just wanted to update everybody on our situation. I have a busy next couple of days. I have to get school supplies and shoes. I have to take Elijah for his preschool physical and shots. Take Corrisa to find out where her classes will be and sign the boys up for school. Have a great week everybody.

Finally Finished

Well, I finally finished my project room today. It took way longer then I expected it too and I am so glad it is done. I got all the dressers moved in and most the toys. My husband quit his job last week so he was here and decided that we needed to move our old couch from the porch into the room and add the old big t.v. instead of the little 14 inch that the boys had. I couldn't get all the toys into the room because of Mark's change in my plans. So now I have to store all the toys and the toy table. I am hoping to get all the rest of the house in order because school starts next week.
I will try to get some pictures up of the room so those who have seen the room before can see the difference that the yellow paint made to the room. Much better then the ugly old wallpaper from before. Well, I am going to hit the sack. Have a great week everybody.

Corrisa

Well, my daughter had her 14th birthday on 8-8-08. Pretty exciting date I must say. She passed her driver's permit test today. She is so excited to start driving. I was never excited to drive and actually hated it until I was in my mid 20's and had to drive from North Platte, NE to Omaha or Boone, IA on a regular basis. My mom couldn't believe I would do it because I was always looking for somebody to drive me places when I was younger. Now I drive everywhere by myself with all the kids. Doesn't even bug me.
Anyway, back to Corrisa. She can't wait to get behind the wheel of a car. I already told her that I wasn't driving with her she has to have her dad or Mark go with her. I know my mom and sister want an experience with her too. Mom, I hope you are prepared for this you are not as young as you used to be. I have seen her drive a car on video games and she is terrible at those. Haha.
With all the uncles and my sister and 2 dads she has plenty of people to drive with and I think you have to have so many hours of driving experience before you can take driver's education anymore. She is thinking she is going to get an expensive and nice car when she turns 16, but the only one who is for that is Mark and well he doesn't always think clearly. I figure a car that can get her and her brother to her dad's every other weekend is good enough. My first car was $200 and it served its purpose just fine. Wasn't pretty, but kids don't need pretty when they will driving in the high school parking lot with a bunch on inexperienced and immature drivers.
Anyway, wanted to update everybody and for warn you all that the road is now not quite as safe as it was this morning. If any of my family members feel the need to drive with my daughter I will not be held accountable for any extra hospital bills because you have a heart attach or stroke. Love ya all.

Crazy busy

Well, I haven't had and still don't have Internet. I am borrowing my husband's laptop so that I can check my e-mail and such. We have been busy. Corrisa spent her week with my cousin and enjoyed it a lot. I still haven't got to see her quilt because it was at the quilters when she left, but we will soon see it. I am sure it is lovely. I will post pictures as soon as we get it.
I enrolled Corrisa in school part time. The boys will remain here with me except Elijah who will be attending preschool.
Miles, Gabe, and Eli have been with Nana and Papa Sharp for the past week and a half. They made a sudden request for the boys and so they have them until this weekend. Then we will be starting school.
Briley and I started working on his room last week. We got the five layers of wallpaper removed and started the primer. Corrisa and I are finishing up the painting. We got the ceiling done and the first layer on the walls. It is coming a long pretty good considering the walls are in pretty bad shape. I wish I hadn't removed the paper. Oh well as Mark says it is a learning experience. We decided we would put all the boys in one room and put the toys and dressers in the freshly painted room.
Corrisa took her permit test today. She missed 2 too many. She wasn't too disappointed, but wants to go and retake it tomorrow. We will see.
I have to get the boys signed up for soccer. It starts on Monday so I can't put it off anymore. Corrisa was going to play, but has since changed her mind. She is planning on doing basketball though.
Markus is growing so fast. He jabbers all the time. Can't understand anything he says, but he knows and we respond just like we do know what he is saying. We say he is built like Miles, talks like Gabe, and has Elijah's attitude. He cut two more bottom teeth so we are up to 8 teeth. Doesn't bug me unless he bites me. He eats anything you put in front of him. He is a pretty happy little guy.
Elijah has been wanting to catch a caterpillar all summer and before he left he finally got one. He was so excited. He put it in his little box he made a VBS. He stared at that thing all day. He wanted to watch it shed its skin. The morning after he found it it was in a cocoon. We are still waiting for it to come out. We are pretty sure it is some type of moth. I hope it stays put until he gets back or he may be disappointed.

Well, I think that is all that has been going on here lately. Have a great rest of the week.

Scared Ya!!!

Miles is always trying to scare me, but I always seem to know that he is hiding. Today I was singing a hymn while doing the laundry and so I didn't hear him. So while walking up the stairs he jumped out and scared me. He thought it was great that he was finally able to scare me. He kept saying I am going to tell Briley how scared you were and I am going to tell dad that I scared you. I told him that I would get him back when he was sleeping so he better sleep with one eye open.
I finally got my oldest two back today. Only for a short while will Corrisa be here, but Briley will be here for a while. Corrisa is enjoying her vacation that is for sure. I know that she hasn't been away from all her brothers this much ever.
Well, I need to get supper for the kids. They have VBS this week at one of the Chapels in town. Have a great week.
Shelly

Life

I had really hoped in starting my blog that my family would find it interesting and leave a comment or insite on our family's affairs. I guess either they don't find my blog site interesting or they just don't leave a comment. It isn't as though they call me on a regular basis and see how we are and if I do call they are either not answering their phones or not in the mood to talk. Sometimes it just gets lonely.
I still haven't made my decision on where the kids will be doing their schooling. I am still praying for the Lord's guidance in this matter. I have well meaning friends who tell me that they should be in regular school, but they also have great confidence in the public school system. I don't think that the public school system is a great place for kids, hence my reasoning not to send my kids there and the hard decision I am facing now.
I am staying fairly busy with the four boys at home. I took them to the local Y today to swim. I figured we may as well get use out of the membership. They had a lot of fun, but stayed a little too long because Markus was starving by the time we got home so once lunch was started I had to nurse him to get him to settle down.
I started reading Jeanette Oke books a couple of weeks ago after watching her movies of the Love Comes Softly series. They sure butchered the movies in comparison with the books. I read the whole series in less then a week. I haven't sat down and read for years. It feels good to just sit and read an adult book. Of course Markus is right there on my lap trying to get my attention or just wanting to nurse. I think he is nursing more now that Corrisa is gone then he did when he was a baby. At least he is sleeping through the night. That is a plus.
I have been enjoying my quite time with the Lord in the mornings. Makes me feel refreshed. I am hoping once the big kids get back to have a nice walk or run in the morning before my quite time. See if that helps me also. I definitely need to lose some weight. I am at the heaviest I have been in a long time. I usually work myself to death to lose weight, but haven't had the will power since Markus was born. I think I have been suffering from a little depression and doing too much eating and not enough exercise. I love to walk, but with 6 kids tagging along it doesn't seem to be a benefit.
Been having problems sleeping lately. I think I have too much on my mind lately to sleep well. I am not tired during the day, so I guess that is a benefit. I think tomorrow instead of continuing with the book of John I should look up verses on anxiousness. I am in need of reading up on that topic. Well, enough of my boring life for those who do read. Thanks Kelly. Have a good night and until next time.
Shelly

The New School Year

I have a good Christian friend who sat in the nursery with me yesterday who had a good heart to heart with me. I really value her opinion being she is older then I and also home schools. She suggested that I put my kids in public school this year. She said that home schooling isn't for everybody and that sometimes in our lives we get to the point where the children would be better off in public school then at home.
I called another home school mom today to discuss the issue with her also. She is also a good friend and I value her opinion also. Both ladies are people who know how life is in our household and so I know that what they say is beneficial.
The second friend suggested praying and being in the word heavily before making any major decisions. I agree with that also.
A third friend who I love dearly and knows nothing of the whole to home school or not to home school issue sent me an email today. I had been praying since yesterday for God to guide my decision on what I should and should not do. The email I got from the third friend was for Revive Our Hearts with Nancy Leigh DeMoss. She was speaking on quiverful families and how to destress ourselves as mother's who stay at home and raise our children. My first friend was concerned that I was too stressed to home school. The second thought it was a season in life that would soon pass. I listened to the program and felt it was saying that I need to find ways to destress without sending the kids to public school. I need to start making sure I get time for myself and not look at myself, but rather at God.
I have been spending time in the Word everyday and praying more then ever, but wasn't feeling anything change in my life. The lady on the show suggested exercise. I love to exercise, but with six kids find it hard to find time to get anything accomplished. I may have to do my exercise early in the morning when I get up with Mark and save my quiet time with the Lord until after I finish my exercising. I will try this for the next few weeks and see where that gets me emotionally. I can put off my decision for a few more weeks anyway.
Please pray that the Lord guide me in my decision on what to do about schooling next year.
Shelly

Home Again

Well, Miles made it home. He was glad to get home. He had a lot of fun. In fact this was a much older and not as nice as the last camp and he said he enjoyed it more. He said not having air conditioning didn't matter and that he didn't get too hot. He said that 5 out of the 7 boys in his cabin were home schooled. He said except for one they were all pretty nice. He said that he spent most of the time by his self because the other boys didn't want to play with him, but it didn't seem to bug him much.
His brothers were excited to see him also. They asked if he bought them presents. Of course he didn't, but he didn't need to. Next year I will send some cards for him to send his brothers. He is anxious to get his film developed. Gabe got into his purchased items and upset Miles and we had to stress to Gabe that Miles private stuff is for him and him only.
Everything is back to normal again. Now we just have to wait for the other kids to get home.
Shelly

Desert Please!!

I love to bake. I bake all year round and love to try new and exciting desert recipes especially cake. I love cake as much as I love baking.
"This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless, let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as he himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband." Eph. 5:32-33.
Reverence - 1. a feeling of profound awe and respect and often love 2. an act showing respect

This morning we woke up late. I must have without knowing shut the alarms off of the phones and feel back to sleep. Mark woke up at 5:45 and needed to be gone by 5:30 to get to work on time. I was telling him what I had packed for his lunch and asked if he would like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich besides the salmon and peas I already had ready. He looked at me and said "you don't have anymore cake?" and then I said no you took that last of it yesterday. He then proceeded to look in the cupboards and fridge and freezer. I asked what he was doing and he said " are we short on groceries?" and I told him no. Then I asked him if it was about not having cake.
I never realized that he was enjoying the little chunks of cake I had been packing in his lunch everyday for the past couple of weeks. I know that my husband likes snacks, but he had never really voiced his like of having cake in his lunch. I didn't realize that I should had baked another yesterday when I know I had none.
So today I baked him a Lemon "W0w" cake. I even have two pieces ready for him since he didn't get a piece of cake today. I promised a cake for Miles when he got home from camp on Saturday so I best get one baked for him tomorrow. Knowing the boys that are still home there won't be any cake left for Miles.
I am reverencing my husband by baking the cake. I am showing my respect for his authority over me and showing my love of him by giving him something he truly enjoys. I guess I should have been more loving and had cake ready for him today, but then he also learns to count his blessings when I do the special things for him.
I hate fish. I always have. I tastes to gross and the smell I can live without. My husband loves salmon. So at least once a week I grill salmon for supper. I hate it, but my kids would never know because I make it with a smile on my face and no complaining. I eat it just like I would a piece of cake or something I really enjoy. Again, I am showing my husband love and my kids how a Godly wife should be.
Lately I have been bitter and complaining to anybody who would listen about how horrible my husband is. Today, as I was doing my daily time with the Lord he brought to my attention how I was wrong and sinning against him by doing so. I will have to make amends with my husband for putting him down.
I had written Mark a love letter last week. He had never said anything about it and when I emptied the garbage from his truck one day I just figured he never saw it and I got thrown away with the trash. Last night when he pulled into the drive he sat in his truck for a while. I was outside putting the salmon on the grill and so I walked over to get his dirty dishes as to wash them when I got inside. He was reading the letter. He had just found it. It had gotten pushed to the bottom of his backpack that he keeps his lunch and water in. After he read it he sat in his truck and pondered over it for a while. He then asked when it was written and why I had written it. I told him I wrote it last week or the week before couldn't remember and I wrote it to build up his person. Let him know that I was thinking about him and loving him even if I don't always act like I do.
It is the little things like that that make a man change into the person you want them to be. Not the harping and yelling and treating him like he was one of the kids. The more you pester him the more they act like a 12 year old boy with no brains. I am learning. Slowly but surely I am learning.
Shelly

Alone again

Well, it is just me and the three little ones again. Miles is at camp this week and Corrisa and Briley are on vacation with their grandparents. Miles was a little nervous about going to camp alone. I didn't know if he would end up staying or not. I have sent him something everyday to give him comfort. I have said lots of prayers for him to. I know that Monday there some storms up there and was worried about that. The cabin he is staying in is so small and jammed pack with six bunk beds. A mom and I opened up the windows and stuck a couple fans in so that the boys might get some relief from the heat. It was so hot and humid when I dropped him off. My mother in law was going to send him a card or two also. I am sure he will do fine, but the mommy heart in me worries about the big guy.
Corrisa and Briley are going to Branson, MO with their grandparents. They will be gone until the 20th. I was hoping to get them back on that day, but their dad seems to want them. I don't know if that will happen beings he seems to be seeing them more then me this summer. I know I get them all school year, but we all miss them when they are gone. Then when they get back Corrisa is leaving again to go to my cousins to learn to quilt. I am sure she will have a fun time with my aunt and cousins. I am sure she will be eating some very good food and maybe even learning a new recipe or two to bring home and try. My cousins and aunt are very good cooks. If I had the time I would go and learn some things from them.
We have been trying to stay busy here. On Monday Gabe had an activity at the library. He learned all about ladybugs. Elijah and I did some puzzles and read while waiting for him. Markus got anxious to leave so we ran to the store and back home and then picked Gabe up. On Tuesday I had ladies Bible study at church and the nursery worker brought her dance machine for the kids to play. They had a blast. After that we went to a free movie at the movie theater. It was Alvin and the Chipmunks. I hadn't seen it yet, but is was good. I hate the chipmunks because growing up my mom played the record for the daycare kids and my brothers all the time. They were so annoying. I guess I will live. Today we have Scripture memory school and right after Elijah has preschool story time at the library. And then nothing until we pick up Miles Saturday.
Well, that is an update on my family.
Hope you all have a great day and maybe week if I don't get back on the computer again.
Shelly

Happy 4th of July

To all the service men past and present THANK YOU for your service to this country. To all the families thank you for sacrificing your family member for us.
We had a campfire with the kids and grilled steaks on it. Then we roasted marshmallow for s'mores. The kids had a blast. Markus loves steak and I couldn't keep it on his stroller tray. That kid was eating so fast and screaming for more. If he isn't as big as his papa Dale when he gets older I will be surprised.
Rufus even got some steak. He didn't care much for the marshmallows.
We were going to camp in the back yard, but the bugs are so bad that we decided against it. Maybe later in the year who knows. Miles will be heading off to camp again on Sunday anyway and Corrisa and Briley will be heading on vacation with their grandparents.
I will be at home with the youngest three and Mark again. I am sure we will have great fun. Maybe we will have another campfire and sleep out this time. We will see.
Well, that is all I have to write tonight. Have a great weekend.
Shelly

A Day in the Life of a Stay at home Mom

I have never really wrote about a day in our house. What a typical day actually is. I really just write about what is on my mind at the moment. So today I thought I would give you a glimpse in a day at our house.
Most days are the same so there isn't much variety. I get up at 5 a.m. every morning and get Mark his coffee and make him 2 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. If there are leftovers they get packed up for his lunch also. Sometimes he is even lucky enough to get dessert. Last night I made a Too Much Chocolate cake and we didn't even get a chance to eat it so that got packed in his lunch. I hope he enjoys a little sweet snack while working in this hot and humid weather.
While I am waiting for the coffee to finish brewing or Mark to get ready I take the family pooch out and let him run around for a while. Today I actually feed him so that he didn't start barking at 6:30 to be feed. We have to let him run early in the morning or after dark because the old lady next door hates kids and animals and will call the police if she sees him running loose even if he isn't in her yard (which he never is).
I have been going back to bed to sleep for a few more hours, but today all I did was toss and turn and think about my life and how I have lost track of the route I am to be taking. So, on this day I have decided from now on I am going to stay up when Mark leaves and get house work done and study the word while my sweet children are sleeping.
I get the kids up at 9 a.m. and get them feed and dressed. This morning Miles, Gabe, and Elijah had scripture memory school at church at 10. So, while they are there Markus and I sit out in the car. I usually do my weekly ladies Bible study chapter at this time, but got my new TEACH magazine yesterday so decide to read that instead. I am glad I did because it is on organization and that is something that needs done in our house. If you saw my desk right now you would probably cringe. It is piled clear up to the monitor. Sometimes I actually have to move things in order to see the monitor. How sad. I know that my husband hates the mess, but hasn't said anything about it recently. I am hoping to surprise him and have the whole house cleaned by the time he gets home.
While sitting outside the church Markus was exploring the car and spilled my huge jug of coffee all over the floor of the car. So now when I get home I have to clean up the coffee before it starts to smell because I like my coffee with lots of sugar and milk. I hate the taste of coffee, but since I make it for Mark I don't want to waste the rest of the pot.
When I get home I do get the coffee cleaned up and also the spilt laundry detergent from a month ago. Mark will be so pleased because he asked me a few weeks ago to get it cleaned up. I then come into the house and sit at the computer. I have to write a blog on my home school blogger account and try and win a planner I want. So that being done I am now here writing.
The kids just got feed lunch and are now outside playing. After Markus is down for a nap I will get my cleaning done. I also want to make a card for Mark telling him how much I appreciate all the work he does for the family and allowing me to stay home and raise the kids.
I will let the kids play outside until about 5:30 and then they have to come in and shower because we have Bible study tonight at church. I will need to start dinner early to so that we get to the study on time. We usually stand around and chat for a while after the study. The new pastor and his wife are the same ages as Mark and I so we have a lot in common.
When we get home we will either watch a preach on You tube or maybe a board game. We love board games in this house. We may just sit and read the Bible. I try and get the kids to bed by 9:30 every night because we almost always have some sort of activity in the morning.
I go to bed once everybody else is in bed.
Throughout the day I am working on laundry, dishes, and general cleaning. The kids also have to do their daily chores or taking care of the dog, vacuuming, garbage, putting away clothes, rooms cleaned and beds made.
This is what it is like in our house.
I will give you a quick run down of weekly activities that the kids do. On Monday Miles and Gabe have an activity at the library in the afternoon. This summer they are learning about bugs as this is the theme of the summer reading program. Tuesday Corrisa has piano lessons if she is home and I have woman's Bible study at church. Wednesdays we have scripture memory school and adult Bible study at night. Thursdays we have preschool story time and movie at the library. Fridays we don't have anything going on. Weekends are just whatever we feel like doing. Sundays are church days.
This is a day in the life of the Sharp Family.
Shelly

A Merry Heart

Do you ever have one of those days where you wake up in a negative manner? You don't want to do anything but stay in bed and sleep? You can't even function because your heart is so heavy and not at all where it should be? I am not having one of those days, but was thinking how often I do. I feel like I wasted a whole day because I was too busy feeling sorry for me. I tend to do that a lot. I don't always provide the best example for my children. I was looking for verses for Corrisa to study and went to my Created to Be a Help meet book for some verses to study. The second chapter is entitled. Having a Merry Heart.
Do you ever notice when you go at a project with a merry heart the job seems to be done quickly and didn't seem at all hard to finish. I try to sing or whistle while doing a job I don't particularly care to do. Then I find myself in a happy mood rather then complaining about having to do it. Sometimes, I find myself complaining about the simplest of tasks and look at it from my children's point of view and see what a bad example I am being. My mother always made everything seem like a burden. She complained about having to do anything for us kids or my dad for that matter.
I don't want to raise my children with a mother that acts that way. I try to do things differently, but sometimes it just happens to end in a negative manner.
"A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones" Proverbs 17:22 How true the Lord's words are. When you are happy you feel good, but when you wake in a negative manner it effects everything around you.
"A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken." Proverbs 15:13. How many times do we approach a task with bitterness and complaining? I tend to forget that it was God who blessed me with my husband and 6 kids. I forget that it was these precious gifts from God and I shouldn't complain about the things God gave me to take care of.
"Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord He is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations." Psalm 100.
Again, if we approach everything with the taught that the Lord gave us the ability to do this task we can do it with a merry heart. He gave us health, we could be in a wheelchair and unable to do anything. We could be suffering from cancer and watching life go by from a bed. I know that it isn't always easy for me to be thankful for the work I have to do, but I do it.
My mother often questions me on why I have to get up to get my husband up and ready for work. I tell her that I was created to be Mark's help meet and that he wasn't created to take care of me, but me to take care of him. I was created to make his life easier. That was the purpose of my creation. Yes, he is old enough to get his self up and ready, but if this were to be his last day on earth I would want to know in my heart that I woke up and made his coffee and kissed him goodbye with a merry heart. I would hate to think that I complained and moaned about having to serve my husband who is going off to provide for my family so that I can stay home and raise my children. My husband works in the elements everyday and I can go back to bed, the least I can do is give him my loving attention before he walks out the door every morning.
I will try to remember these verses I have studied many times. I will try to remember my own words written here. I will try to have a merry heart in all I do.
Shelly

Daughters

I am sitting and having a conversation with Corrisa about salvation and have her watch a video on Godtube I came across the other day. If you want a good convicting preach look up Paul Washer and watch him. He is the best of the modern preachers.
Anyway, Corrisa was saying how at church camp one of her friends was more interested in flirting with boys then she was with anything else. She said that she wore inappropriate clothes and just acted like a bimbo (my words not hers). Anyway, I told her that maybe she shouldn't hang around this girl anymore and she told me that she didn't want to anyway because she isn't the type of friend she wants to have in life. I am glad that my daughter has a good head on her shoulders.

Anyway, I got to thinking of comments I hear mothers make about their children and the way they behave. I hear the blame go to friends, t.v., relatives, etc. No parent ever blames them self for how their children turn out. In fact they have nobody, but themselves to blame. If we are letting our children hang around these negative influences we can't blame anybody, but ourselves. The Bible says "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6." If you aren't raising them in the way they should go, then how can you complain about how they turn out. If you know your child is having sex and you all you do is put them on birth control to prevent a pregnancy, then you aren't addressing the real issue. You should have sat them down and talked to them about what the Bible teaches about having an adulterous relationship.
I think that now a days parents are afraid of what their children will do if they talk to them about the truth of the Bible when in fact they should be afraid of standing before God and trying to explain to him why our children turned out the way they did. If you let your child dress in a seductive way and then can't figure out why boys are calling and wanting a date with your child then you haven't addressed the verses in the Bible that speak of modesty. 1 Timothy 2:9-15 says In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with braided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;
But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.
Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.
But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.
For Adam was first formed, then Eve.
And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.
Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.

If we don't teach our daughter's how they should behave how can we expect them to behave in a Godly or righteous manner. God gave us the job of raising our children for him. He will be holding us accountable for how they are raised and how they turn out. I think this day and age more and more parents are worried about their fitting into the "in" crowd then they are about how they are walking their walk. We are worried about what clothes are in style and what music everybody else is listening to. I hope that Corrisa continues to wear clothes that are more modest then those of her peers.

Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. Ephesians 6: 1-3.
If we don't make our children obey us how do we expect our children to respect people of authority when they get older. If we let them call the shots and do what they please, wear what they please, listen to what they please, watch what they please who are we to expect them to get into heaven one day. "He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes. Proverbs 13:24. Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod or correction shall drive it far from him. Proverbs 22: 15." It says right here in God's word that we are to correct our children. To discipline them, not let them do as they want because they have to fit into a certain crowd.

The Bible talks to us about remaining virgins until we are married. About adultery. I am not trying to be a hypocrite when it comes to this because I myself committed adultery. In fact my first two children are a result of adultery, but I have also told my children of this sin and try not to hide it from them. I also tell my children what the Bible says about adultery. Proverbs 5 says this "My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ears to my understanding. That thou mayest regard discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge. For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil: But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two edged sword. Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell. Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life, her ways are moveable, that thou canst not know them. Hear me now therefore, O ye children, and depart not from the words of my mouth. Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house: Lest thou give thine honour unto others, and thy years unto the cruel: Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth; and thy labours be in the house of a stranger; And thou mourn at the last when thy flesh and thy body are consumed. And say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof; And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me! I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly. Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well. Let they fountains be dispersed abroad, and rivers of waters in the streets. Let them be only think own, and not strangers' with thee. Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth. Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love. And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger? For the ways of a man are before the eyes of the Lord, and he pondereth all his goings. His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins. He shall die without instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray." "To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman. Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids. For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life. Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned? So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent. Proverbs 6:24-29." Do we want to be responsible for an adulterous daughter? Do we want our daughter's to walk around half naked and not see that if we had taught them about modesty that they would still be pure at heart and body.
Staying pure isn't "in", but to get into Heaven it is. I guess I just don't want to have to stand in front of God and explain why I did the things I did. I hope my daughter looks at my advice as wise since it is backed by Bible teaching. If my daughter dresses in a not so modest way, I can't blame anybody but myself. I my daughter gets pregnant before she is married then I have failed her and my God for not teaching her how she should act.
I hope that this makes some sense. I have so much more to write, but can't get it in the correct order in my mind to get it typed out. I will have to continue this later.
Shelly