More children????

I can't even count how many times I've been asked about my sex life.  Well of course they don't think that is what they are asking but sure enough that is exactly what they want to know.  

"Do you want more kids?"

"So, you are done, right?"

"You know what causes that, don't you?"

"You can't possible want more.  You might have twins again!" Like having twins is some kind of disorder or illness.

And my all time favorite (NOT!), "If I were you I would shot myself in the head."

Or how about this one. "Your husband needs a new hobby."

I do not like answering these questions or responding to comments like this.  It's not because I'm embarrassed of my beliefs or afraid of what they might say.  I just do not like telling perfect strangers about my sex life.  They do not need to know.  

But I will tell ya this. I have the same thoughts that you have.  How can I take care of so many?  It would be so much easier to just use birth control and not have anymore.  Can I afford more kids?  Can I afford the ones I have?  Will I be hurting my other if I have more?  And so many more.

Mom's with many have the same thoughts and worries go through their minds as a mother with only one.  Being a mother is hard work.  It doesn't matter if you have one or 20.  You will be stretched and you will have moments of "How in the world and I going to keep going?".   I have mornings where I just don't know how I'm going to take care of so many blessings.  But then I remember.  I have a Father who cares.  He knows that I was up all night with sick kids or I'm sick myself.  And He is bigger then anything I will face today.  So when the worries and thoughts come my way I turn to these scriptures because the truth lies in His Word, not in my thoughts and worries.

Psalm 127

 ¹ Unless the LORD builds the house,
       its builders labor in vain.
       Unless the LORD watches over the city,
       the watchmen stand guard in vain. ² In vain you rise early
       and stay up late,
       toiling for food to eat—
       for he grants sleep to ^[a] those he loves.
 ³ Sons are a heritage from the LORD,
       children a reward from him.
 ⁴ Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
       are sons born in one's youth.
 ⁵ Blessed is the man
       whose quiver is full of them.
       They will not be put to shame
       when they contend with their enemies in the gate.

Proverbs 3:5-6

⁵ Trust in the LORD with all your heart
       and lean not on your own understanding;

 ⁶ in all your ways acknowledge him,
       and he will make your paths straight. ^[a]

And many others.

So I will not tell you if or when we use birth control, if we will have more, how many I would like to have, if we use family planning, or anything else about my sex life. So don't ask.  But if you would like to know where I stand on children I do not mind pointing you in the right direction.  I believe what the bible says about children and I will live according to what His Word says and what the Lord has put on my heart regarding my family. And that is it.  I pray that you have a blessed day and you enjoy those blessing that the Lord as given you.

11 Quick and easy ways to improve your mood for busy moms

We all have those days where nothing seems to go right and our mood is as sour as a lemon.  If you find yourself having a ‘bad day’, try some of these easy tricks for turning that frown upside down. J

1. Put on some upbeat music or better yet some worship music. Why not go as far as making a CD of get happy music so that every time you feel blue it’s right at your finger tips.  Worship music is also a great idea for improving your mood.  It helps us put our focus where it belongs. On His glory and away from our problems.

2. Have a piece of Dark Chocolate. Not only does it taste good, chocolate can also improve your mood.  Chocolate contains serotonin and stimulates endorphin production. Serotonin acts as an anti-depressant and a rise in endorphins will give you a feeling of pleasure or love.  It has also been proven that eating a small piece of dark chocolate everyday can lower blood pressure and high blood pressure could be the culprit for your bad mood. But beware. Having too much chocolate can have the opposite effect so try to stick to no more than 3.5oz a day of dark chocolate.  Can I have milk chocolate, you ask? Sure but it won’t help your mood, maybe even make it worse.  Studies have shown no benefits of eating milk or white chocolate other than making you fatter.  And I doubt that will put you in a good mood. So stick with a chocolate that has a 65% or higher cocoa content.  Over time you will get use to the stronger flavor and maybe even prefer it.

3. Load up on the fiber. Foods rich in soluble fiber can lower blood sugar and lessen mood swings so eat more oats, apples, pears, oranges, beans and carrots.  Try switching to brown rice and eating sweet potatoes to increase your soluble fiber.  Stay away from fiber supplements if you can.  They are a cheap substitute for the real thing.

4. Exercise.  We all know that exercise can be good for us and most of us have heard that it can lower the effects of depression but who has the time to exercise.  We always have an excuse and we mommies usually have a few really good ones running around the house.  So when I put this one on my list I knew I wasn’t going to tell you to get your butt to the gym.  This list is for busy moms.  So how does a busy mom workout?  Well she acts like a kid.  Run around the house chasing your kids.  Stand up instead of sitting down to watch TV and silly dance to all your kid’s favorite songs.  Not only will the exercise improve your mood but you will put a smile on your children’s face. It’s hard to frown when you are making your kids laugh.

5. Kiss your man.  Grab your man and give him a big kiss.  Then walk away like nothing happen with a big smile on your face.  This is a sure way to improve his mood too!!

6. Make a list of 20 things you are grateful for.  Sometimes all we need is to be reminded of what really matters.  Take this a step farther and keep a journal of things you are grateful for so when you need an attitude check just open and read.  Maybe get a pretty jar and bright paper scrapes and every time you feel grateful or maybe hear a great bible verse, write it down and put it in your jar.  This way gratitude is at your fingertips and so is a better mood.

7. Help someone else. What better way to feel better then to put your focus on someone else. Help a friend with her housework, volunteer at the soup kitchen, or just rake the leaves for your elderly neighbor.  Whatever it is do it for God’s glory and expect nothing in return.  Let the knowledge that you are pleasing God brighten your mood.

8. Light a candle. If you want to improve your mood have some Jasmine or lavender candles handy.  Or take it a step farther and use lotions or body sprays with these scents.  If their smells don’t appeal to you then just go with whatever you like.  Just smelling an agreeable scent can lift your mood and make you smile.  Check back next week for my post on how to grow your own jasmine and lavender. 

9. Have a cup of tea.  Look for teas with chamomile, lavender, kava, and lemon balm.  All these herbs have great mood boosting effects and can relaxed a frazzled momma.  Many stores have special blends for relaxation and mood improvement but if you don’t have any on hand, normal tea will do.  Just remember that sugar and even sweeteners can cause mood related problems so if you want your tea sweet try using honey. Next Saturday I will be posting some easy recipes for relaxing teas.  Check back then if you’re interested in making your own.

10. Fake It!!  When we are in a bad mood we walk around like grumpy old men.  Everyone can plainly see it written across our face. “Leave me alone, I’m in a baaaad mood.”  This in return has our family running the other way.  And I believe it’s true that when mommy is having a bad day, everyone has a bad day.  You set the mood for your home and when you have a houseful of kids that are also in a bad mood, things will start going downhill quickly.  So fake it!  Put a smile on your face, sing a happy song, and act like you are the happiest person on earth.  Go for a Grammy! Be Little Miss Sunshine.  Studies have shown that when you act happy you will soon become happy.  So act like a movie star and ‘pretend’ to be happy. J

11. Pray!!! I saved this one for last not because it should be your last resort.  It should be the first and last and everywhere in between. 1-10 are quick fixes but prayer is the cure.  So get on your knees and ask the Lord to change you mood.  Ask Him to show you why you are in your ‘bad mood’ and lead you in victory over it.  Let him show you where and how you need to go about recovering your smile. If could be by using some of these tips or seeking professional help, just don’t let a bad mood get the better of you.  You owe it to yourself and your family. 

Blessings to you all and I pray that everyone has a GOOD DAY!!!

Yummy, Yummy Chili

Don’t you just love fall? The leaves are beginning to change, leaving a kaleidoscope of color everywhere and I can pull my favorite hoodie out of the back of the closet.  Man, I love being snuggled up in an oversized hoodie.  But there is one other thing that I’ll be pulling out and that is my chili recipe.  There is nothing better than walking inside from playing in the leaves and smelling a wonderful chili on the stove.  It puts a little skip in my step.

Well, I’ve changed my chili recipe over the years that I’ve been married, trying to find the best fit for my family.  Drama is a picky eater.  I know what they say about making them sit there until they eat but it won’t work for her.  Once I ‘made’ her take a bite of tuna and she gagged on it until…well I need not tell you more.  So I’ve always tried to make things that I know she will like.   My dear husband is also a picky eater.  Well that’s not completely true.  He just doesn’t like to try new foods.  He knows what he likes and he likes to stick with it.  So with that all in mind, I have made the best chili for my family.  I hope you like it.

1 pound ground beef or turkey

1 large can of tomatoes stewed

1 can of black beans

1 can of red beans

1 can of corn

1 yellow onion, chopped into very small pieces (if Drama or Big Bro know they are in there they won’t eat it but it’s a must for my husband)

2 pack of McCormick Mild Chili seasoning mix

3-4 splashes of hot sauce (we like it HOT) J

2 cup water

Start by browning the meat in a large skillet.  While the meat is browning put everything but the seasoning mix and one cup of the water into a large pot or your Crockpot on high.  When meat is browned, drain and put back on the heat. Add 1 cup of water to the meat and both seasoning mixes.  I like to add it to the meat first because you can be sure that it gets mixed up really well and you won’t get unseasoned pieces of meat in you chili.  Once you have it all mixed and your ingredients in the Crockpot are nice and warm, mix everything together.  Let it simmer in the Crockpot all day if you like or if you need it quicker, heat on the stove top on med-high for an hour.  Of course it’s better to let it cook all day. This will make a lot of chili so be prepared to have leftovers.

Serve with toppings.  My family favorites are crackers, corn chips, shredded cheese and sour cream.  Leave a comment and let me know what your family’s favorite toppings are. 

With all this talk of chili I’ve decided to make it for dinner.  What’s for dinner at your house?

What to expect

I love to plan.  Each room in my house has it's very own cleaning day and I own more then one planner/organizer.  That is the only way that I get anything done so I made a plan for my blog too.  

Here it is:

Sunday: R&R for the busy mom

Monday: Weekly Craft

Tuesday: Because I said sew-whatever is on my mind that week

Wednesday: Wed. Wisdom (Biblical)

Thursday: Thur. Treasures -good deals on the web

Friday: Family Time

Saturday: Yummy Recipes and food blogs

Of course I will be blogging on just random stuff too. So check back often.

All about me and my blog

Hello and welcome to my blog.  I’m super excited about starting my very first blog and I can’t wait to start sharing.  I’m a Christian wife and mother of 4 wonderful blessings.  I’m not perfect but I follow a perfect God and even though I stumble my way through life, He never lets me fall.  

                I love my role as a wife and mother even though I feel like half the time I’m getting it all wrong.  My husband is a wonderful Christian man, police officer, and the best father.  We met and started dating in High School and now we have been married for over 10 years (2010).  Like I said above we have 4 wonderful kids.  Because I usually get asked about wanting more as soon as anyone knows we have 4 I’ll just answer now.  Yes, we would love more. 

                My oldest (8) and only boy, let’s call him Big Bro, is a sweet, caring, and great big brother.  Not only was he my first but also my biggest baby weighing in at 9 pounds and 13oz.  My second child (6), we will call her Drama, is my girly girl.  She loves anything pink.  Drama is the oldest girl and takes her job very seriously.  She can always be count on to change a diaper or play with the little ones.  Then there are the twins (2).  Yep that’s right, twins.  Twin A, the oldest by 2 minutes, is just like her older sister in looks and temperament.  She loves stuffed animals and cuddling.  At just barely two she can talk like it’s no one’s business. I caught her on camera saying ‘I love you’ at 8 months old.  Twin B is the opposite in almost every way to her twin and she is known as ‘Mommy’s girl’.  She is a little monkey, climbing on everything, and has everyone laughing at her silly faces.  Her favorite thing to say is ‘I’m cute’ and boy is she.

                If I’m not joking with my husband or running after my kids you will find me making something.  I love sewing, scrapbooking, cooking, decorating, the list could go on.  If you call it crafty then I like it.  I am almost always in the middle of a book too.  I love reading and will read almost anything I can get my hands on. I’m also on the long journey of writing a book.  But who knows when I’ll ever get done.

                I’m hoping to make this blog a source of encouragement and inspiration for all y’all crafters, wives, mothers and/or Christians who find themselves living their lives for God and family.  Check back often for craft ideas, R&R for busy mommy, biblical wisdom, recipes, and so much more.