eat sleep and farm

.... Because that's totally not my intention. I came across this very excellent article written by one of the Pastors of our church and thought it was "post worthy", especially since today is Halloween.  I think this is probably the most informative, most well written article about the subject of Christians and Halloween that I've ever read. And I'm not being biased. I've actually never met the man who wrote it - heard of him quite a bit, but I've never met him or heard him preach. So its a totally unbiased opinion, just really appreciated the way he comes at the whole subject and addresses it. If I had the speaking and writing skills he has, this is how I'd sum things up as well :)  And I promise that's the last on this subject from me!  ... for this year at least ;-p 

Kara has been teething the past 2 weeks. She's welcoming her 2 year molars and I think its been the hardest on her than all 3 kids. Her gums have been super red and swollen, often times becoming really white due to being so swollen. She's not been sleeping well at night and also has the typical runny nose that inevitably turned into an actual cold because of it all :(  Which reminds me, I need to buy one of those Amber necklaces for her to wear; hope that helps at least a bit.  In any case, about a year ago I discovered these wipes and I kept wondering how they worked. Because of the price I never did buy any... but felt tempted many times.  About a month ago I noticed our 2nd hand store carries them and they're $1.00 cheaper! So the total cost is $2.99 instead of $3.99 - that said , I'm kicking myself now because had I known how well they worked, I would've spent even $5.00 on the package!! These things are fabulous! Within 8 hours of wiping Kara's nos...

We tend to be a culture that's very concerned { though not enough } about what we put into our bodies, to fuel them and to be as healthy as we can be. But I think one area I find people less worried about is the area of hygiene. I hear a lot of "well, if I start freaking out about the soaps and shampoos I use on my kids, I'm going to turn into one of those paranoid women who can't do anything or go anywhere, for fear of it harming my kids." That is true. If you become such an over-the-top freak about those things then yes, you will become a hermit that can never leave your home. But I personally like to do my very best at making sure what I use on my kids and what I put into my kids is the healthiest choice I can afford and find. I do a lot of reading on these subjects, which does take a lot of time, but I think its been worth while, for our family. And I know Jason appreciates it, because he doesn't always have the time after work to soak his brain in all ...

We often have pictures that I'm not really sure what to do with. I save them, because even though they're random, they're glimpses of our day-to-day life and I know someday they'll be so fun to look through and walk down memory lane.  I wanted to post some of these, because the toys the kids are using, were gifts from their Grandparents. The baby carriers the girls are using here are from my parents. 

My friend posted this article on Facebook and I thought it was an excellent read. I've read posts on Halloween in the past and thought some were well written that were in favor of celebrating the holiday... but none as good as this one :-)  My intention on posting this is simply for those of you who are curious. So if you're not, don't feel obliged to read it.  Our family doesn't celebrate the holiday in the typical fashion, but I've been told over the years to stop saying we don't celebrate it, because to some, we do.  Apparently taking your kids to a pumpkin patch, where God has created and sustained seeds to turn into plants; growing up out of the ground and forming into pumpkins this time of year, is celebrating Halloween. And, going on hay rides, running through corn mazes and making corn husks dolls is also celebrating Halloween and not just welcoming this harvest time of year with harvest type traditions. I used to argue this point with others, but ...

I was in the kitchen yesterday, doing the breakfast dishes and started hearing all kinds of hysterical laughter and giggling. So I followed the noise......  ..... 

The move is over. Our belongings and bodies are in the new home. We're exhausted, but happy its done. 30+ hours ago we began moving things over and even though it doesn't sound like a lot of time... it sure felt like a lot of time.  We had some awesome friends come help us out. I'm telling you. I didn't believe Superman existed until I saw the speed and skill at which Jason and his buddies worked. And because we are so extremely thankful to them for their hard work, I have to give a personal shout out to................ Josh Clayton David Hoffman David Haidle   and  Brandon Harder.   Also, a huge thank you to our friends Katie Bliss and Heidi Dean for taking care of Ethan and Rachel, so we didn't have to worry about keeping them busy and out of trouble.  You guys are all amazing and we love you lots.  The house already feels like home and for that, we're so thankful.