I've come to learn that God's plans for our lives aren't always what we have expected or when we've expected! I especially came to that realization when I became sick 2 weeks prior to leaving on a missions trip to Jamaica that Chad and I had been named Team Leaders for a group of 19 individuals heading on a mission that took months to prepare for. I had been sick all day, but it wasn't a sickness that was flu like, etc..The next day, again sick all day and food just didn't sound good..I had met my mom, sister, aunt, and cousin in Canton to do some wedding shopping and was sick the entire trip. I then ended up heading home with my family for a short visit. We girls took a shopping trip the next day so that I could do some last minute preparations for Jamaica and my mom had mentioned to me that maybe I was pregnant. "I can't be pregnant." I told her..We were totally preventing and how could it take me a year to get pregnant with Brooke and then to get pregnant while preventing? That's crazy! And to top it off, I had just lost 25 pounds, was in the best shape of my life! So I continue to be sick and I really knew that feeling from anywhere..So I got a test (in which no one knew). I took it at mom's "knowing" it would say negative. I look down at that cheap dollar test (that with both of my girls always said negative when i was really pregnant) and there were lines EVERYWHERE! I begin to scream "oh my gosh, oh my gosh, i can't be", my mom runs in and looks at the sink and starts jumping up and down "yes, more grandbabies!", as I stand there in complete shock and can't say anything.
After the initial shock, which at this point I'm 4 mo. pregnant and still in shock, I called Chad. I had no clue how to tell him, which I knew he would be totally ecstatic, but the whole missions trip thing. Of course he was so excited, but in complete shock b/c how could I be pregnant! Now for those of you who haven't heard this story, when Chad was buried in that ditch, at the hospital, he looked at me and said "what if I can't have anymore kids?" and of course, I say "chad, just walk, don't worry about that." So of course now, he's like "sweet, all you have to do is break your pelvis in 7 different spots and you can get through anything! I beat a 0.1% statistic! So then I reply "No Chad, GOD beat a 0.1% statistic!!"
Then the worry sets in about the Jamaica trip.. Can I still go? Oh crap, what if I catch something? Should I go? The Dr. said "No, too risky", but doc, "God has lined everything up and I really think I'm suppose to go." To make a long story short, I went, and we were blessed beyond measure and everything was fine!
So there you have it! God has blessed us with another baby, and we are going to start a process of trying to adopt a little boy from Jamaica in sept. So, needless to say, pray for me, b/c I may go from 2 kids to 4 in one year..maybe not, who knows, only our maker! He has great plans for us and every baby whether it is planned, unplanned, not our timing, etc..it is His timing and it is the right timing!! Thank you God for our new baby who at only 16 weeks gestation already has fingernails, hair, sucks it's thumb and is a complete miracle from you!
Friday, August 21, 2009
Friday, May 1, 2009
CLOTH DIAPERING
For those of you who love being thrifty, like eco-friendly, hate diaper rashes, and desire diapers with no carsinogens, cloth diapering may be for you!! I started using cloth diapers with my daughter, Brooke, when a friend introduced me to the idea, and showed me how DIFFERENT it is now, than it was then, when our mom's did it! There are no more diaper pins to be afraid of "sticking" your child, there are no more hot, non breathable plastic pants, and not to mention, they are absolutely adorable!
One main reason I highly considered this diapering method was the cost effectiveness..I plan on having more children..I figured that in a child's diapering years, you would roughly spend over $2,000 minimum on disposable diapers that are not biodegradable and have carsinogenic chemicals in them..ok does that make sense? We are applying cancer causing agents on our children and are paying thousands of dollars to do it! Now, maybe that's going a bit far, but the other benefits outweigh that anyway. I have literally spent maybe $200 in 15 months on diapers that I can turn around and reuse on baby number 3 someday..I purchased 2 dozen prefold diapers, 3-4 diaper covers, snappi fasteners, and have had to get 2 different sizes..the prefolds are $2.00 ea. and the diaper covers are $11.00 each..
If the idea of pre cleaning a poopy diaper doesn't turn your head, you should highly consider this diapering method. I am a veterinary technician and so poop doesn't bother me one bit. I've been in worse and seen worse than a cloth diaper and had to clean it! Many people prefer disposables due to convenience. I find it no more convenient, other than having to rinse out the diapers, than before, when i used disposables. The only difference is that you take little bags with you and take your soiled diapers home. And if you are a stay at home mom, that extra step shouldn't spoil your day too much! I do one load of diaper laundry a week..
I'm pretty traditional, a bit old fashion, and really like to stick with the way that "my grandma did it!" I believe that wherever I can save big money such as this, I don't mind a little extra work, plus there are so many more pros than cons with this method. Good luck and happy saving!
For more information visit..www.nickisdiapers.com and www.greenmountaindiapers.com
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Faith, Family, Frugalness..
How would you like to save thousands on groceries and have so much food in your home that you could live 5 months or more without leaving the house?? This is a question that I believe we need to ponder and take very seriously especially with a fallen economy in today's society. Last year, the Lord brought it to my attention that when the fruit is plentiful, you need to take advantage, instead of taking it for granted. Proverbs 31:10 -28 speaks of a virtuous wife..just a little of these passages.."She seeks wool and flax, and willingly works wih her hands, she brings her food from afar. She also rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household, she extends her hand to the poor and the needy..she opens her mouth with wisdom and on her tongue is the law of kindness..her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her." These are just some of the passages, but especially since I am a SAHM, I have been trying to respect my husband to the point of strategizing my spending in order to stay home and the goal this year is to completely get out of debt!! Yes, at the end of this year, the only payment other than groceries that this family will obtain is a mortgage, and then to get rid of that!! That is our goal and we are striving hard to obtain it!! We feel especially in these times, we need to own everything we have..we need to own our homes..One way that we can accomplish this is limiting our spending in other areas..
Last year I had a dear friend of mine, who I like to call my 2nd mommy, taught me one of the most amazing money saving strategies that I have and will ever encounter. The wonderful world of couponing..The most often heard myths that people have given to me are 1. I don't get coupons for items that I use..2. My kids are picky eaters 3. I don't have time...These are only excuses and if you're willing to learn, I can save you up to 95 percent in the grocery store..that was not a typo, yes, up to 95%.
First, you need to start getting 2 sunday papers a week, if you have 3 children or more, I recommend getting 3 papers..
Purchase a 3 ring notebook, I started out with a 3 inch, but now I have a 5 inch!!!
You need to cut EVERY coupon you get! You never know when something is going to be FREE and you can bless someone else with it!
I shop at Kroger and Meijer b/c they double coupons..Kroger up to 99 cents and meijer up to 50 cents..I also do CVS and Walgreens now and do take advantage of Rite Aid single check rebates..My goal weekly is to not spend over $30 and you should see the amount of food that I can get for that price!! This includes, food, toiletries, everything you will need other than clothing! EVERYTHING!! The most that I ever spend on groceries in a month is what most families spend weekly!! This has been an awesome thing for our family's debt snowball plan!! Then you can take what used to be your weekly budget and take the rest and apply it to your car payment!
You need to first, change your way of thinking..which is pantry method vs. meal planning..
For the first month you will have to buy other food, but once you've done it over a month, you only buy what's on sale in the flyer and you have coupons for..you stock up on these items and then you cook according to what is in your pantry! IT DOES WORK! If you don't know what to have..go to http://www.allrecipes.com/ and put in your ingredients you have in the kitchen and they will give you this nice little meal to make! Some helpful websites are http://www.couponmom.com/, http://www.thriftyandchicmom.com/, (that one will tell you what's on sale with correlating coupons..she also does cvs, walgreens, scenarios!)
CVS and Walgreens that is like a game! Go to thriftyandchicmom for info on that since she does it every week!
This has been an awesome opportunity for our family and I hope it inspires others to start as well! No joke I got 15 4 packs of angel soft for FREE last week! You need to try this! Nice $12.00 razors for .99 cents after coupons and extra bucks and rebates! This is a wonderful way to be frugal and to be able to GIVE to others! When you get food and toiletries for FREE, then you can afford to BLESS others with it!!
Last year I had a dear friend of mine, who I like to call my 2nd mommy, taught me one of the most amazing money saving strategies that I have and will ever encounter. The wonderful world of couponing..The most often heard myths that people have given to me are 1. I don't get coupons for items that I use..2. My kids are picky eaters 3. I don't have time...These are only excuses and if you're willing to learn, I can save you up to 95 percent in the grocery store..that was not a typo, yes, up to 95%.
First, you need to start getting 2 sunday papers a week, if you have 3 children or more, I recommend getting 3 papers..
Purchase a 3 ring notebook, I started out with a 3 inch, but now I have a 5 inch!!!
You need to cut EVERY coupon you get! You never know when something is going to be FREE and you can bless someone else with it!
I shop at Kroger and Meijer b/c they double coupons..Kroger up to 99 cents and meijer up to 50 cents..I also do CVS and Walgreens now and do take advantage of Rite Aid single check rebates..My goal weekly is to not spend over $30 and you should see the amount of food that I can get for that price!! This includes, food, toiletries, everything you will need other than clothing! EVERYTHING!! The most that I ever spend on groceries in a month is what most families spend weekly!! This has been an awesome thing for our family's debt snowball plan!! Then you can take what used to be your weekly budget and take the rest and apply it to your car payment!
You need to first, change your way of thinking..which is pantry method vs. meal planning..
For the first month you will have to buy other food, but once you've done it over a month, you only buy what's on sale in the flyer and you have coupons for..you stock up on these items and then you cook according to what is in your pantry! IT DOES WORK! If you don't know what to have..go to http://www.allrecipes.com/ and put in your ingredients you have in the kitchen and they will give you this nice little meal to make! Some helpful websites are http://www.couponmom.com/, http://www.thriftyandchicmom.com/, (that one will tell you what's on sale with correlating coupons..she also does cvs, walgreens, scenarios!)
CVS and Walgreens that is like a game! Go to thriftyandchicmom for info on that since she does it every week!
This has been an awesome opportunity for our family and I hope it inspires others to start as well! No joke I got 15 4 packs of angel soft for FREE last week! You need to try this! Nice $12.00 razors for .99 cents after coupons and extra bucks and rebates! This is a wonderful way to be frugal and to be able to GIVE to others! When you get food and toiletries for FREE, then you can afford to BLESS others with it!!
Speaking of Blessings..Live every day to it's fullest..
A little testimony for today that correlates with the title of our blog..
For those of you who may not know Chad's story..Coming up in a couple of months will be the 1 year anniversary of Chad, my husband's, accident. Chad works for an extremely blessed excavating company, with an awesome boss, who is a God fearing man, thank God!! Last July, I was getting ready for a garage sale with my friend who lives up the road, and I vividly remember, that morning, Chad kissing me goodbye and saying "I love you". I do not always remember that! Especially, having a 5 mo. old and I was probably up with her at least once that night! However, I remember that particular morning, him doing that..God was preparing me for that afternoon..so all that morning, I had that in my head, "Boy I feel so loved today..I'm so lucky, I have a loving husband, gorgeous, healthy babies, and I can remeber telling my friend when I got to her house "Jenny, I just feel so good today, so loved" and told her it was going to be a great day and I was so lucky! About an hour later, as we were emptying my van, Jenny gets a phone call ( my phone was in the diaper bag in the van still). I noticed that she was highly stressed but continued to unload garage sale items into her building. She then brings over her phone and says "it's for you"..Chad's boss on the other end telling me I need to get to St. Annes right away b/c he was in a serious accident..I noticed the nervousness in his voice and thought "you've got to be kidding"..I knew it was really bad..I said "Scott, how bad is it?" He paused and said, "They don't know if it's life threatening, they still have to get xrays (being in medicine, i know that you can die of internal bleeding within minutes) and at that moment, my whole world stopped..I couldn't hear anything, I could see my girls playing, and had flashbacks of like everything we had ever done together..I finally snapped back to reality and said "Can i talk to him?" Chad gets on the phone and he was crying, telling me to hurry and to bring the girls with me.."I just want my girls", he kept saying, "dont' take them anywhere, just bring them here"..so my friend took off work that day and we headed to st. annes, and for once in my life, my world was upside down..The first thing i did was called another friend to pray and to call the church and I called my dad..I told my dad what happened and said "Dad, you need to pray like you've never prayed before, b/c I cannot live without him".. Could you imagine your daughter calling you with something like that and you can't do a thing about it..He was so upset, found out later, called my mom crying and said "we gotta go, chad's hurt bad". When I finally got to the hospital, I found my husband lying in a bed, his head was so swollen, he looked like he should have weighed 500 pounds..He was buried in a ditch up to his neck and his boss had to dig him out with a track hoe..After many rads and testing, I wheeled him out of that hospital with only 6 fractures in his pelvis and a punctured lung..a week later, a gentlemen had died of the exact same incident..When I talked to Chad about the accident, he couldn't do anything but cry and say that "God wasn't done with him yet" and that the experience that they had with God that day was unreal..His boss told me at the hospital " I did not dig him out of that ditch"..I think we all know what that means..Very humbling experience..chad was annointed at church that sunday and 2 days later with still 6 fractures, a punctured lung, and only 4 days post trama, didn't hurt at all..amazing! So I guess, I've learned alot in this experience and just to say, girls, when your husbands tick you off, praise God that someone is here to make you mad!! Do not take your loved ones for granted EVER..you never know when it's the last kiss goodbye..When your children are driving you nuts and screaming and crying and you're exhausted..Praise God, you have children to drive you nuts and you're exhausted b/c the Lord has trusted you with His children!
For those of you who may not know Chad's story..Coming up in a couple of months will be the 1 year anniversary of Chad, my husband's, accident. Chad works for an extremely blessed excavating company, with an awesome boss, who is a God fearing man, thank God!! Last July, I was getting ready for a garage sale with my friend who lives up the road, and I vividly remember, that morning, Chad kissing me goodbye and saying "I love you". I do not always remember that! Especially, having a 5 mo. old and I was probably up with her at least once that night! However, I remember that particular morning, him doing that..God was preparing me for that afternoon..so all that morning, I had that in my head, "Boy I feel so loved today..I'm so lucky, I have a loving husband, gorgeous, healthy babies, and I can remeber telling my friend when I got to her house "Jenny, I just feel so good today, so loved" and told her it was going to be a great day and I was so lucky! About an hour later, as we were emptying my van, Jenny gets a phone call ( my phone was in the diaper bag in the van still). I noticed that she was highly stressed but continued to unload garage sale items into her building. She then brings over her phone and says "it's for you"..Chad's boss on the other end telling me I need to get to St. Annes right away b/c he was in a serious accident..I noticed the nervousness in his voice and thought "you've got to be kidding"..I knew it was really bad..I said "Scott, how bad is it?" He paused and said, "They don't know if it's life threatening, they still have to get xrays (being in medicine, i know that you can die of internal bleeding within minutes) and at that moment, my whole world stopped..I couldn't hear anything, I could see my girls playing, and had flashbacks of like everything we had ever done together..I finally snapped back to reality and said "Can i talk to him?" Chad gets on the phone and he was crying, telling me to hurry and to bring the girls with me.."I just want my girls", he kept saying, "dont' take them anywhere, just bring them here"..so my friend took off work that day and we headed to st. annes, and for once in my life, my world was upside down..The first thing i did was called another friend to pray and to call the church and I called my dad..I told my dad what happened and said "Dad, you need to pray like you've never prayed before, b/c I cannot live without him".. Could you imagine your daughter calling you with something like that and you can't do a thing about it..He was so upset, found out later, called my mom crying and said "we gotta go, chad's hurt bad". When I finally got to the hospital, I found my husband lying in a bed, his head was so swollen, he looked like he should have weighed 500 pounds..He was buried in a ditch up to his neck and his boss had to dig him out with a track hoe..After many rads and testing, I wheeled him out of that hospital with only 6 fractures in his pelvis and a punctured lung..a week later, a gentlemen had died of the exact same incident..When I talked to Chad about the accident, he couldn't do anything but cry and say that "God wasn't done with him yet" and that the experience that they had with God that day was unreal..His boss told me at the hospital " I did not dig him out of that ditch"..I think we all know what that means..Very humbling experience..chad was annointed at church that sunday and 2 days later with still 6 fractures, a punctured lung, and only 4 days post trama, didn't hurt at all..amazing! So I guess, I've learned alot in this experience and just to say, girls, when your husbands tick you off, praise God that someone is here to make you mad!! Do not take your loved ones for granted EVER..you never know when it's the last kiss goodbye..When your children are driving you nuts and screaming and crying and you're exhausted..Praise God, you have children to drive you nuts and you're exhausted b/c the Lord has trusted you with His children!
Finally a free day!
Hi, My name is Missy, and I am an extremely busy housewife, mommy, babysitter, runner, God-fearing, veterinary technician, puppy kindergarten teacher, Jamaica Missions trip team leader, Mops member, 4-H advisor, sister, daughter, friend, stars class sunday school teacher, coupon class instructor, FPU member, homegroup leader, swimmer, I think that may sum it up! I could probably add a couple more, but in a nutshell, these descriptions pretty much define who I am! Which means I'm busy!!! I'm trying to get the feel for this blogging thing, so bare with me!!
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