July

It has been really nice to be here in Omaha with my sister. She's become a good friend plus being a sister, and it's fun to meet her places and to see our kids play together.
It has also been nice to see people that I don't usually get to see. I was able to have dinner with my two good friends from High School, Katie and Jackie. I haven't seen Jackie since my wedding almost 10 years ago. I also got to see her family which was great. Her dad was my volleyball and basketball coachI for 6 years and I really looked up to him. He meant a lot to me and taught me a lot more than just sports.
This next week begins a little bit of routine which has been missing from our life! We will start a new schedule to prepare for school coming up. We will do a little bit of workbook school left over from last year. I will also be waking up to do devotion time and fit some exercise in, hopefully. I have to make a willful effort to go to sleep earlier and hopefully Elsa cooperates.
Speaking of Elsa, she is driving me nuts. She has the worst sleeping pattern and I don't know how to change it. Last night she would not go to sleep until I nursed her, even though she had just eaten a little over an hour before. I don't know if it's a bad thing to nurse her so she goes to sleep or not. She'll only be a baby for a little bit so I should just enjoy the time I CAN nurse her, right? I know I'll have to break her of it later but you always have to break your children of something I've found. That's just how parenting is.
It seems I am forever breaking one of the children of some bad habit. What's one more? At least it gives me some peace for right now.

Last night was a church work night, so I was helping put putty into cracks in the trim. I actually enjoy doing it. Lela came in from playing outside and was watching me. She kept sighing and said "I wish I could work." I said she can work and she said "Yeah, but not in the trailer, I mean real work like you're doing, or what daddy does." I said there wasn't much work for 5 year olds to do in the church. So she sat sighing and watching me. Then she said "I hope my husband builds churches so that I can come in and work like you do." It was so cute! I melted. So I showed her how to put putty in the cracks and she helped me. I had to redo most of what she did but we had a good time!

Pretty Princess!

Right now Elsa is asleep on my bed, I'm sitting next to Anna who is drawing on her doodle pad, and Kayla and Lela are watching a movie with three friends. Yes, tonight is Kayla's sleepover and so far they're having fun! We made our own princess crowns, ate cupcakes, opened presents, and now they're watching a movie!
Noah went to the Newkirk's house to celebrate Zak's birthday. Caleb went to
Wichita with David Newkirk.
I exercised today! And I did fairly well with my calorie counting. I only went 100 over and if you know we went o Pizza Hut for lunch and I had a cupcake, thats pretty good!

Keep It Quiet

This morning started out really rough. I felt like everyone was against me and I was yellingv a lot.then I remembered Bro. Dedmon's message Sunday where he said pride will excuse itself from rules. We don't allow the children to yell at each other like I was yelling at them. Then I decided to not yell but to smile and talk quietly and it really helped! My attitude changed, the children calmed down, and we got stuff done.
My first day of calorie counting went well until I was given a free chocolate mocha milkshake at Sonic. I knew it would be too much but I ate it anyway. So tomorrow I start over. I also didn't exercise. No more staying up late!
We went to the chiropractor! He only charged $50 for all six of us to get adjusted.
Kayla's party is tomorrow and I found this cute craft to make princess crowns from headbands, pipe cleaners, and beads. Kayla seemed excited! But we won't e able to have a tea party because we only have four cups and five girls are coming. We will have to have Brooklynn over at another time for a tea party.
Starting tomorrow Noah and Kayla will not be grounded! I am as excited as they are. They had better not complain about playing outside for a while.
So a busy day tomorrow!
I'm hurting for my friend. God knows who she is. And I have two friends who used to be really close but are now running from the Lord. I miss them both tremendously.

My First Post

I picked the name "Through It All" because it's one of my favorite songs. "I've learned to trust in Jesus, I've learned to trust in God. Throug it all. I've learned to depend upon His Word."
Today was rough. Noah and Kayla are grounded so they've been on their beds except for meals, chores, school, and bathroom breaks. Which means they're hyper from no exercise and won't go to sleep!
Elsa screamed, literally, for two hours this morning. I'm not sure what I'm going to do for her tummy, nothing seems to help. I'm going to buy some Gripe Water a few friends have told me about.
Anna had a fever for a few days and that's gone, but now she has a cough and chapped cheeks. Teething maybe?
My amazing husband let me take a break this afternoon. I ran some errands, and then relaxed at the coffee shop. It was so nice, I didn't even have to take a baby! He got all of the kids washed up for church and got dinner started.
Speaking of dinner! He made an awesome Racheal Ray meal. He made Stuffed Sausage Meatballs kind of like THIS recipe. It was so good! I should have taken a picture. He also made breadsticks from a pizza crust mix.
Tomorrow I am counting calories again and exercising!!