Category: Family News

First Bean Harvest

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Marc and two of the kids picked beans for about two hours on Sunday morning, and then the whole crew got to work snapping them. Yesterday I worked all day on cleaning and canning.

Rebekah took these photos while they were at my father-in-law’s house working (finger smudge on the lens and all!):

…And here’s the finished product–46 quarts:

Marc had fun looking through our Facebook photo archives to compare it to last year’s bean harvest. We did better this year on our first picking (12 quarts compared to 46),  and we should be able to pick again this weekend.

How does your garden grow? 🙂

Passport Photo Adventure

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Now that we’re “officially” transitioning to Kenya (we finally pulled the trigger on plane tickets for February, 2012!), we went to CVS to get our passport photos taken this week.

Ever try to get a shot of a colicky 6-week old baby where he’s looking directly at the camera with a “neutral” expression?

I had the other six children go first (Isaiah already has his passport from his November trip with Marc), while I nursed Enoch. As soon as he was done and burped, I suggested we go for it. I was all for avoiding another trip into town for a second photo shoot.

So the nice lady put Enoch on the floor on top of a piece of white poster board. Thankfully, he was happy…but very wiggly! He kept moving his head from side to side (along with the rest of his body), and snapping the camera during the split-second when he actually looked directly at it was a challenge. I think it took us about twenty minutes, but we finally did it! As soon as the deed was done, no lie–he started crying. Praise God the mission was accomplished! Here’s his official photo:

 

Blessing…

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For a number of reasons (the least of which was convenience, as it was late and we were just finishing up running a bunch of errands), I decided to take the children to a local sit-down restaurant last Friday night. This is not really our style…we’re more of a McDonald’s “dollar menu” family on those rare occasions when we do eat out.

Between Wal-Mart and the restaurant, I wrestled with myself on making the decision. We had gone shopping for my father-in-law’s birthday and decided to get him a new pair of slippers, which led to all of the children asking for slippers. And I figured slippers would be a good investment and keep the feet warm, given that we don’t set the heat higher than 64* on most days. I had stopped getting slippers because we had a dog who constantly picked them up and carried them around (both inside and outside the house), resulting in very few actual PAIRS of slippers by winter’s end, so I had put a temporary ban on any “new” slippers last year. However, that dog is unfortunately no longer with us and so I re-thought my decision and figured $6 each for slippers really wasn’t a bad price. Until I put 7 pairs in the cart and did the math. And adding in the electric Shark sweeper I picked up to replace the one that had broken six months ago (and which I loved!), I was spending a pretty much un-budgeted $85.00. Any way you look at it, that’s a lot of money.

Sooo…you can see why I wasn’t sure about stopping at a sit-down restaurant, because it would cost me easily twice as much as going through the drive-through at McDonalds. However, I knew the kids would enjoy it…they always do when we take them to a “real” restaurant…and they could have pancakes for supper, a bonus! But…in spite of my financial misgivings I really just wanted to bless my children with something out-of-the-ordinary. And I was happy that THEY were obviously thankful and happy to see where we were going to have dinner, as we pulled into the parking lot.

As usual, we drew lots of attention at the restaurant (“Are they all yours?,” etc.) but the children enjoyed doing the coloring and puzzles on their kids’ menus and we talked to some of the folks sitting at the table next to us. The couple on the other side of us were obviously watching the children and enjoying them, and I could see that the gentlemen wanted to speak with us but I got distracted by a woman on the other side of me and we chatted about Jubilee (the “serious baby”) for several minutes. In not too long, the couple had left and I was a bit disappointed not to have engaged them in conversation.

Imagine my surprise when our server came with our meals and announced that the couple sitting next to us had taken care of the bill! They left a sweet note about “paying it forward” and wishing a Merry Christmas to a wonderful Mom and her beautiful children, which blessed me a great deal.

For the remainder of our meal…and all the way home…we all remained in awe of God and how He is such a good Father to bless us in so many ways. On the way home, I pondered this Scripture:

“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?  If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:9-11)

I had wanted to do something special to bless my children, and God turned it into an even better blessing for all of us!

Let us consider how we can encourage and uplift one another, particularly as members of the family of believers, and also prayerfully bless those outside of the church so that they will be drawn to Christ.

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds” (Hebrews 10:24-25)

 “A gift opens the way and ushers the giver into the presence of the great.” (Proverbs 16:18)

The Infamous "Sand Fit"

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I’m so bad about blogging regularly. We’re moving at the speed of life here, and so often I do not feel as though our daily doings are that inspiring. And, I’d rather focus on discipling my children and whatever else the Lord would have me do than just filling up words in cyberspace. But every once in a while I know there’s something I just need to share…and the infamous “Sand Fit” is one of those things.

Our 16 month-old daughter is so sweet and such a joy…it melted my heart when she started giving really slobbery kisses at about 14 months, and we all cheered her big accomplishment of learning to throw garbage in the garbage can at about the same time. She was learning to respond to the word “NO,” particularly when it came to keeping her little fingers out of the cat food dish. Of course, as she gets older there are a few other things she’s told “NO” about, like putting things in electrical sockets and climbing up on top of boxes that are precariously perched. For the most part, she’s learned to obey when she’s told “NO,” but she doesn’t always like it. So she sometimes lets us know how she feels…in a “passive-aggressive” sort of way. 😉

Once in a while, she’ll be told “NO”…and she’ll obey…but she’ll protest a bit by throwing a “fit.” She already knows better than to scream and cry, so she’ll simply throw herself on the floor and plant her head down in front of her–in a way that has always reminded me of an ostrich burying its head in the sand. Eventually I coax her out of it and ask her to come put her head in my lap to hug, pat, and reconcile. She’s happy to oblige and then we carry on as normal.

Over Columbus Day weekend we were blessed to enjoy a brief family vacation at the beach. Everyone had a blast–even Jubilee! She dug in the sand, walked on the beach, splashed in the water, and watched the big kids play with kites. Of course, I insisted that she stay close to me and our usual spot was pretty high up on the beach, away from the water and waves.

At one point we were up on the beach and everyone else was down in the water. She wanted to follow along but was told “NO,” because I was enjoying a conversation with my sister and didn’t really want to interrupt it to move down to the water. Jubilee obeyed, but she wasn’t happy. So imagine a sunscreen-coated (literally from head to foot!) 16 month-old stopping, throwing herself down in the sand, and burying her head in quiet protest! I unfortunately didn’t have my camera on hand but my sister captured the moment and later emailed me the infamous “sand fit” photos. They still make me smile.

Head in the sand.


Coming to Mom.


Reconciliation and comfort.

Sorry, I don’t have any pictures of the clean up. That was not fun!

Triple Snood

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I’ve got a few goals for our summer, once we’re officially done with school and have returned from our last two June conventions. I want to update the photo album (the last ones that got printed, labeled, and entered into the album were from June 2007. Yes, 2007.) Also, I would like to learn to sew. I know some basic hand stitching but haven’t used a machine since making an apron in Home Ec class in 8th grade. I’ve recently done a few small, hand-sewn projects. Here’s a set of matching snoods I made for the girls with some fabric I had laying around:


Can’t wait to get the machine out and try skirts! 🙂 If you have a link to any EASY project ideas, feel free to share!

New Year’s Resolutions

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Do your New Year’s resolutions only last ’till February? Yeah, mine, too. That’s why I usually don’t make them. This year, however, I’m going to cooperate with God in setting some goals and I do believe that the Holy Spirit will help me to make progress…and hopefully well past February. So here goes:

  • Complain Less. When those “big things” happen, like the washing machine pouring water all over the basement floor or a child falling out of the bunk bed and breaking her leg, usually there’s no time for complaining. And anyway, I typically can surrender those things to God because of course they happen in His Providence and for my good (Romans 8:28). However, it’s the “little things” that get me, and which I am prone to complain about. You know, like getting the wrong kind of juice for the coupon you planned on using and not wanting to go back and get it because the toddler is laying on the floor in the middle of the checkout line begging for water and the other children are starting to get glazed over looks based on how long you’ve already been in the store, and you just can’t believe they wouldn’t volunteer to send someone to get it for you.

    Ahem. Of course these are all just hypothetical situations. I do resolve (by the power of the Holy Spirit) to complain less this year, especially about those little things. “Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life.” (Philippians 2:14-16).

  • I also want to focus more on Scripture memory this year, for myself and for the children. We are supposed to wear “the belt of truth” and, in fact, our only defensive weapon against the “spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” is “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (see Ephesians 6). I believe that the time is coming that we will all need to be equipped to stand firm in the Truth, and Scripture memory may well be our anchor. Regardless, it is also important for our own personal spiritual growth.
  • I want to carve out more time in my schedule/routine for personal reading, Bible study and prayer. I tend to get too busy and I do crave to spend more time with the Lord growing in my relationship with Him. Sometimes my quiet times are more for the sake of “doing” them than for the purpose of “being” with the Lord, and my attitude about that is changing. I’m realizing that I need to be more flexible about some things so that I can prioritize time with God. I also want to encourage the children to do this.

What are your resolutions this year? Judging from our recent sales of Values-Driven Discipleship: Biblical Instruction and Character Training Manual, I would guess that many of you are hoping to get back on track in the discipleship of your children, making the Word of God a more constant presence in your training, encouragement, and correction.

As well, if you’re looking for an economical way to make progress with time and money management (budgets and schedules/routines) you might want to check out our Home Management Bundle, which is only $4.95. It includes chapter excerpts from The Values Driven Family on Budgets and Schedules, a “Home Management Nuts and Bolts” seminar, several planner pages, and a Microsoft Excel workbook budget tool. Here’s what a recent customer commented about this on our Facebook Fan Page:

“OK, I LOVE THIS PROGRAM! Love seeing the year at a glance and I must admit I am a nerd because I love the pie chart! Such a God-thing that you put this up today and I can’t wait to show hubby in the morning! He too is mourning the loss of our old system and wanting structure again! THANK YOU so much!!”

We are so thrilled to know that this tool is helping families to be better stewards of all that God has provided them!

Have a blessed New Year as you grow in the Lord!

She’s Here! :)

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Jubilee B. Carrier was born on Monday, June 15 at 3:27 PM…6 lbs., 7 oz. and 19 inches long. We are praising God for delivering another blessing into our family!


My water broke at about midnight on Sunday and the doctor wanted me to go into the hospital right away, since my Strep B test had come back positive and I would need IV antibiotics prior to delivery. Usually I labor at home and get to the hospital for the last couple of hours, so being in the hospital right from the beginning (and that on only a couple of hours of sleep) made for a l-o-n-g labor. Contractions started off pretty strong but then kind of petered out for a while, which was discouraging. My body didn’t seem to want to cooperate. Eventually we got things going again, but by the time I was ready to deliver I still didn’t feel like the contractions were close together enough…between the discouragement and my tiredness I can’t say this was my best delivery BUT, God is faithful. Marc was a great encouragement, as always. And of course, in the end, it’s all worth it. 🙂


Here’s our crew–they came into the hospital through a downpour! They all love their new baby sister.

An Almost "Normal" Day

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Prior to the moving adventure (3+ weeks ago now) we had about 18 days left to go in our school year. So, in spite of the fact that there’s still a bit here & there to be done, we’re trying to get back to the books a bit and finish out our objectives for the year.

Today we got to do some reading & writing, some painting (since both of the boys got acrylic paint sets from their Grampy for their birthdays), and some of our Indiana state history. Math will hopefully come later, after a little free time and some afternoon jobs.

What I am even more happy about is that the “littles” got back into THEIR routine a bit, too. I finally had few enough distractions that I was able to devote more attention to training (much-needed at this point), AND we got to spend more time just reading books on the couch, which we all love!

I’m finally almost caught up on the laundry, as well, which is a major praise. Way back at the beginning of the move, the washing machine got removed from the old house, but wasn’t functional at the new house for about a week–and we make a lot of laundry in a week! So I’ve been consistently about 4-5 loads behind where I’d like to be. BUT I think we’re caught up now.

I’ve been thinking that I need to pack my hospital bag…and bags for the children, since I don’t know where they’ll be going when the “big day” comes. Part of me is hoping that the act of bag-packing might induce labor. 🙂 But then again, it’s so nice to finally have a “normal” day, that it might be nice to have a FEW more before a new baby changes everything!

Progress and photos

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Well, as of Sunday afternoon I had my living room floor totally cleared of moving clutter. THEN, I moved on to my next goal for the day–cleaning out the van. As a result, the living room floor was clear of clutter for about an hour. Then we moved more stuff in from the van, and there it sat, until yesterday afternoon. Now we’re “done” again!

Marc did clear off his “working” half of the kitchen table on Sunday, and it remains pretty clean.

I’m posting a few pics, just in case you’re interested.

It’s your standard manufactured home on an acre… 🙂

Coming in the back door to the kitchen. You’re seeing about half of the kitchen table, the cabinets and appliances to the right, and my computer in the far corner (my new office!).

The living room…with no boxes or miscellaneous “stuff.” You can tell we are homeschoolers who like shelving and collect books, etc. The boys’ room is off the living room and you can see the girls’ room down the hallway to the right.

Light at the End of the Tunnel

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I have a couple of piles of boxes still to put away in the living room. Actually, that’s not accurate. I mostly have two big piles of miscellaneous “stuff” that isn’t really boxed at all. Since we’re not moving from very far away (just across the corn field, to be exact), we never bothered to box some of our things; instead, we just loaded them into the trailer and brought them over. So there’s a bit of a mess still to go through, BUT almost everything else has found a home.

Marc has been keeping his tools and supplies on half of the kitchen table as he’s been working…but now he’s approaching the end of his immediate “to-do” list and I’m looking forward to having the table back (and the kitchen a little more de-cluttered) as well. Once things look a little more normal, I’m hoping to post some pics. 🙂

Going from 3,000 square feet to 1,400 has been an interesting proposition, but we’re finding that with a little ingenuity we have a place for everything. As our ten year-old says, “It’s smaller, but it’s exactly what we need.” And praise God, it is!

I enjoyed a little break from house stuff yesterday as I gave a talk at Cindy Rushton’s Ultimate Homeschool Expo on the topic of Simplified Biblical Instruction and Character Training for Children. I spoke for about an hour, and the chat/questions went on for TWO HOURS after that–whew! It was a lot of fun for me. Now, back to work. My goal is to get the house in order before this baby arrives…and I have another doctor’s appointment tomorrow so won’t be making much progress at home, I expect. After being offline for a few days and finally getting our Internet restored yesterday, I’m just now catching up with email/business, so now…back to work!