I have moved my blog to
http://eeriedeals.blogspot.com

Finding My Way

A question I get asked a lot is how did I went from being a Independent Fundamental Baptist to a Presbyterian. I was always on the "liberal" side in IFB circles, now I am considered an ultra, ultra conservative Presbyterian. I met my husband (who was already Pastoring ) the summer before my Sr. year in college. I went to a very conservative IFB college called Hyles-Anderson, some people assume that I must think that every thing I learned there was absolute nonsense,that is far from the truth. If I had to do it all over again I would still have gone.

1. I learned how to get along with other people, especially other Christians, which isn't always the easiest thing.

2. I learned how to run different church programs, efficiently and orderly.

3.I learned how to witness and share the gospel with people. One thing I do wish is that I had more training with middle class people, most of mine was in the inner city.
4. I experiences first hand the joy in not only leading someone to Christ but seeing them baptized and grow.

5. I learned how to memorize scripture, I mean really memorize.

6. I learned how to love people.

Even though I wear pants now some IFB parts of me remain, in Bible Study I read from my KJV Bible, because nothing sounds like Bible to me but that. I also think that it comes from memorizing in that version. I dislike Christian contemporary music and favor the old Hymns and Gospel songs. IFB isn't perfect the older I get the more I see the petty fighting and arguments, of course Presbyterianism has plenty of it's own problems, if we fight at least it's about really issues like gay clergy or or using the feminine term for God!

A Wedding and Many more Funerals...

It hasn't felt like summer around here, I had to dig the kids jackets back out of the attic as it got down to 37 one evening this week. We also had a bad storm which knocked our neighbor's tree into our main power line and pulled the whole thing including the meter off our house..onto my van! 1,700 later and we have power but our deductible is 1k O well! We are still waiting for the insurance adjuster to come look at the van...I have been driving for 12 years and I have never had a ticket or an accident, no claim at all on my insurance and was rewarded last year with a $0 deductible , so every cloud has a silver lining. But on days like that I wished we still lived in a parsonage.

We are coming up on the season of graduation parties, we only have a few at church,mostly college people last year we had 8 high school seniors graduating! Wedding showers, and a few baby showers. We also seem to be getting funerals, usually winter is more a funeral time but they don't seem to be letting up. As some of you know my Mom broke her arm and will be starting therapy this week, 4 times a week for 4-5 months. The problem of course is that I must take her, and where I go the two kids must follow. She has applied to get a transport service but I have a feeling it is going to take some time before we know if she is approved.


I still have morning sickness, I think I am 16 weeks...is it horrible I'm not even sure??? without asking the midwife or figuring it out again. The closer we get to being able to know the gender the less I am wanting to "get a surprise"...I am so bad about keeping a secret.

A Christian Home

Today we sang this hymm, I know I've sung it before but the word are really just fablous, reminding me what I should be expiring to.

The Christian Home

O give us homes built firm upon the Savior,
Where Christ is Head and Counselor and Guide;
Where every child is taught His love and favor
And gives his heart to Christ, the crucified:
How sweet to know that tho his footsteps waver
His faithful Lord is walking by his side!

O give us homes with godly fathers, mothers,
Who always place their hope and trust in Him;
Whose tender patience turmoil never bothers,
Whose calm and courage trouble cannot dim;
A home where each finds joy in serving others,
And love still shines, tho days be dark and grim.

O give us homes where Christ is Lord and Master,
The Bible read, the precious hymns still sung;
Where prayer comes first in peace or in disaster,
And praise is natural speech to every tongue;
Where mountains move before a faith that's vaster,
And Christ sufficient is for old and young.

O Lord, our God, our homes are Thine forever!
We trust to Thee their problems, toil, and care;
Their bonds of love no enemy can sever
If Thou art always Lord and Master there:
Be Thou the center of our least endeavor-
Be Thou our Guest, our hearts and homes to share

Mother's Day

Tomorrow is Mother's Day I already know what I'm getting as I went with ReverendDr. to pick it out, beautiful dark purple geranium basket. I've never seen them that color and am very excited. I sent a card to my M-I-L which is my "step" as my real one died when my husband was a child. She never got to see her only child grow up let alone enjoy her grandchildren...when I think about that I am always a little sad. If her grave wasn't in NYC I would put flowers on it. I wonder if there is a service that put flowers on grave of loved ones in far off cities?

I bought my own Mom a color,cut and style , the grand kids bought her flowers and balloons though they did ask to play with the balloons about 3 minutes after they gave them to her ...I thanked the Lord that I still have my Mom though she does drive me C-R-A-Z-Y! I bought cards for a number of ladies, a few older ladies in our church that never had kids and are especially kind to ours. A special aunt and my high school teacher who though she never married or had children invested a lot of time in me, I want these people to know they are not forgotten and one of my very best friends who has been trying to become a mother for years and had another failed adoption this year. Like Christmas not every one celebrates Mother's Day with joy.

My Weekend

So last weekend I went to Boston to visit my best friend, I had planned this and bought the ticket in January before I knew I was pregnant and before I knew Grandma would break her arm and not be able to babysit.I contemplated putting it off, but till when? I thought I better take my chances and go, I begged , bribed and paid people to help ReverendDr while I was away and I returned home to everyone alive though a very dirty house. Flying up I felt great not even sick on the plane, Bean (best friend) and I enjoyed pedicures, fancy lunches etc. we went out to dinner with her in laws at a nice seaside restaurant I felt great, no gagging even! Then Saturday night I awoke at about 2 am and threw up all I had eaten for dinner. Ya, so nice to be sick at a house that's not yours...I'm pretty sure her husband thought I was dying and I don't know if that will be encouraging them to have children....I made it though and got a child free weekend.

I Have a Plan

I had a midwife appointment yesterday, those of you who know me know I had a home birth last time and am using the same midwife. She actually comes to my house for the appointments since she lives close to me and her office is a good 20 miles away as long as she can come when it's convenient to her. It's so nice Lillian was asleep I didn't have to get anyone all packed in the van etc. She just does the urine check, blood pressure, measures the uterus height and listens to the heartbeat with a travel doppler. The heartbeat was a little high in the 160's some people say that means it's a girl, which would be fine with me. Everything looked good.

I am going to be trying something new, I seem to feel the best between 7-10 pm. I am just going to do the same meals every day of the week. I love to bargain and coupon shop but am reserving that for drug store products and see how this goes. In the evening when I do feel good I will try to do as much food prep as possible. For breakfast the kids will be having cheerios and a banana or banana and raisin toast etc. ReverendDr can make this if I'm not up to it and they both love those type things. Lunch will be canned soup and sandwiches mac n cheese and fresh fruit since it's only me and the kids. I am going to try to have some PB&J already made up in the fridge in case I feel REALLY bad.

Beginning of the week made a big green salad and a pasta salad and maybe 1 desert.

Monday- Spaghetti, salad and Italian bread, I am going to make up the sauce and freeze it so all I have to do it throw it in the crock pot on low, and boil noodles.
Tuesday- Hot Dogs, baked beans, pickles and chips(very simple)
Wednesday- Grilled Chicken Breasts (or BBQ) baked potatoes and salad.
Thursday- Shrimp scampi (from frozen shrimp) linguini noodles and salad (oddly seafood smells don't bother me)
Friday- minute steaks, sweet potato and salad
Saturday- we usually go out
Sunday- Salmon, wild rice and salad

All very easy and basic things

Tough Decisions

This pregnancy has been rough, I had hoped the morning sickness would be wearing off by now...but it's not. I have been contemplating if any more children are a good idea. In the sense that if I get morning sickness this bad again I don't know how well I can care for the others. the ReverendDr and I kind of had the philosophy with babies that we would just be open to when God sent them and take it as it came unless any big problems arose. I have had good births with both but morning sickness with all 3. Oddly they have been spaced 2 1/2 years apart, even though we didn't do that "on purpose".
I am able to keep the kids bathed, fed and clean, but my house is a disaster and I have hardly cooked at all for 3 1/2 months, many of you know my Mom has also been down and needing help since she feel and broke her arm, so my "life line" in Grandma is also gone. Which has been costly in the sense of lots of eating out or frozen convenience foods. I will have a good day (like yesterday) I made two beautiful meals and felt pretty good, then today I did good to get everyone fed and dressed. and Pretty much laid/sat here threw up etc. The ReverendDr is a huge help when he is home, giving baths etc. but the church is always busy and that is his JOB. My heart also is heavy because I am not able to do all the church work I would like. I try to remind myself that this is just a phase of life.

Purex 3in1 Sheets

There have been so many free samples and great coupons for this product that I have ended up with quiet a bit...well after using them I know know why they are packaged in air tight plastic, the smell is truly overpowering. I like good smells but I think these also overpowered even my perfume and ReverendDr. said he could
smell it on his clothes all day long. I think these would be good for towels or sheets or maybe if you get really stinky at your job and want to smell fresh, have teenage boys etc. They are not for me however. How any of you tried them, do you like them?

Somethings Up...

Ok, with all of my previous pregnancies thanks to all the morning sickness and weight loss I never wore maternity clothes with #1, with #2 I only wore them the last 6-8 weeks, today my waist band felt tight...on all 6 pairs of pants I tried to put on. Despite the fact that I have lost around 22 lbs in the last 3 months....I have come to the conclusion that I am either stretched out from so many pregnancies or that there is more then one baby...I hope I am just stretched out. Elastic waisted leggings here I come! Anyone else ever have this problem?

Raw Milk???

I finally found a source of "USDA approved" raw dairy in this area. We drink between about 5 gallons of milk a week in this house, though lately i hasn't sounded good to me so we are down to 1 every 2 days. Raw milk is unpasteurized that's why it's so important that you get it from a good dairy, in my case I order it and go to the actual dairy, it's in glass bottles. (I return the bottles the next time I come)raw milk will have cream floating on top which you can skim off to use in your coffee or save and make a little of your own butter.
Does the idea of Raw milk sound odd to you please check out this short article.
http://www.raw-milk-facts.com/raw_milk_health_benefits.html

Affirmation

If you ever need affirmation of your mothering abilities have your childless brother watch your 1 1/2 and 4 year old for a few hours...upon your return home you find a full poopy diaper and a child covered in milk from a not tightened sippy cup, he escapes as quickly as possible while muttering "I can't believe you do this all day", then suggesting he be paid $11 an hour for his services.

Pooped Out

I am looking forward to morning sickness being gone, I have discovered something new, chewable Rolaids, they are the chewy kind like a gummy candy and they kid of make my tummy more "base" when I wake up. I also fear both Presbyboy and I have caught the cold my brother had...he will be thoroughly be punished.

This wasn't an exciting week I think I made dinner twice. I bought a quantity of microwavable burritos and pot pies, which I almost never buy because I am anti trans fat, (don't worry I'm very pro good fats) The kids have been eating frozen chicken nuggets and natural peanut butter sandwiches, I'm sure they could care less. I haven't been eating much of anything, I try to keep guzzling fluids but fruit and sour candy are about the only things that taste good, O and fruit and yogurt parfaits from McDonald's. This coming week is of course busy with Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter services. I considered going out to eat for Easter but
the crowds will be bad, so I think I am just making Ham, in the crock pot and rolls, and cold salads w/ desert so we can eat as soon as we return from church. I am also cutting way back on candy, only a chocolate bunny for each and lot of little toys, cars, bubbles etc.

Gardening and Reality

I am one of those women who always has about 10 projects going. I have a 4 year old a 1 1/2 year old plus morning sickness and do church work. Some days I think I'm wonder woman, but I'm not. I have several sewing projects and wallpaper half done around the house. Of course now it's warming up I think of all the outdoor projects I can do. We decided when we moved here that it would just be easier to hire a yard guy, he only charges $15 to mow and edge, ReverendDr. is usually too busy, I really can't take the kids out with me if I were to do it, so it's just one of those things we hire done.
I do however like to have some kind of garden, I love to can and cook and the kids think it's fun to pick stuff. Last year we did potatoes which I highly recommend they pretty much raise themselves and no tempting green fruit to pick. Tomatoes also do very well here, I think this year I will add some cucumbers, and of course lots of flowers. We also have a rhubarb and strawberry patch but they come up by themselves. What do you plant?

Is Lent Over Yet?

I am sitting at my computer partially cross eyed typing, mostly because I'm waiting for the ReverendDr. to get home from the hospital which he was called for an emergency, for the second time today, but two different hospitals. I am so stinking tired I could drop over and not be found till morning. In a moment of craziness I let the baby sleep until she woke up instead of my regimented nap schedule, I figured let her sleep so I can sit here and only have to keep track of one child...she slept till 6 pm, she will no doubt be up all night doing a toddler dance and making raspberries with glee... she has started doing a cute baby thing, she toddles over to our wedding photo and says "dada", repeatedly and LOUDLY, no mention of me whatsoever....Meanwhile Presbyboy was send to sleep at a normal time, after painting sun-catchers and half my dinning room table for "craft time".

I will also be doing a funeral dinner Saturday, and a Lenten Lunch Thursday, but I am just a helper for the lunch for the funeral I am commander and chief and Presbyterian ladies don't generally like giving up a Saturday,but there is always a faithful remnant of willing napkin folders and gelatin salad makers, (these my friends are truly the dying breed of church lady), ask a women under 40 to make a gelatin salad and she will look at you like you have three heads, ask a competent Presbyterian women and she will give you a choice of her "Top 5" specialties! Tomorrow I will start calling to see what helpers I can round up. My chief potato peeler is on vacation (no doubt she had a premonition of having to do another 50 lbs. of spuds by herself).Until we meet again.

The Excitement 'Round Here

I haven't been posting because I really don't have that much to say, I have zero energy. I had to hire people to help me come clean. (mostly because we are having people over this weekend). We have been getting a lot of takeout which is against both my frugal and nutritional well being. I did make dinner tonight of spaghetti and homemade bread sticks, and as you guessed it that meat sauce lasted about 2 minutes in my belly.
Pretty much my day goes that I have a strong craving for something say a Greek Dog or a fast food breakfast sandwich....I get so excited when I finally acquire the item then after a bite or two throw it up. I know the excitement never ends around here. I pretty much figure that as long as we have clean laundry and are fed and washed I am doing pretty well. I do seem to have an energy spurt around 6 pm till bed. That is when I'm getting a lot of things done. The ReverendDr. has had a lot of later meetings/hospital visits lately but that's fine, he does usually help me with baths if he gets home at a good hour. Have I ever told you how the Presbybaby is CRAZY over him. If he happens to come home good old Mom might as well be dirt. She's all about Daddy...however the Presbyboy still loves me best.

Working with What You Have

When we moved into this house the down stairs bath had "Easter Bunny" wallpaper, there was no other name for it pastels of large cartoonish bunnies...and it was old and pealing, it also had tile that was cream and black...Anyway the first thing I did was strip that paper off. Then I went in search of other wallpaper that matched the tile, why not paint you say? well half the wall was plywood paneling...ya it gets worse then the bunnies, and the walls under the paper were 80+ years old, I was pregnant with Presbybaby at the time and plastering, sanding was not in my reptua of projects....I wallpapered everything but the part above the toilet because I then figured out that in order to to that one had to stand on the toilet with nothing to hold onto, Fast froward say 2 years to today...I was now ready and couldn't find the rest of the wallpaper roll,I primed and painted the paneling I went in search of it at Lowe's they no longer sold ANY wallpaper and I had no idea ever who manufactured it. Resigned to my fate of stripping the whole room and buying another wallpaper....then magic happened last night! I was browsing and I found my same paper!!!!Are the colors my first choice, no way but it goes so nicely with the tile I can't afford to replace!

Morning Sickness

I am one of those lucky women who can tell shes pregnant by the morning sickness, it lasted about 7 months with baby #1, 5 with baby #2 maybe this time it will only be a few months, a girl can hope! I forget how completely drained I would feel , not to mention the usual 4 year old and toddler drain. For some reason I am more excited about this baby, I think pretty much any fears on birthing and rearing are gone, I know what I'm doing and I know what to expect. I do plan to have another home hippy birth (as my Aunt calls it). Assuming of course that I continue to have good health. We have been going back and forth as to find out the gender or be surprised since we have once of each, but it's so hard to wait to know!

The only sadness is that I did have to tell one of my very best friends about baby #3, she and her husband have been trying for almost 10 years. She would never begrudge me any happiness but I do know that any new baby announcement is only a reminder that she again wishes to make one of her own.

Presbybaby #3

I made hamburger last week and got ill at the smell....sure enough Presbybaby #3 is coming Halloween 2010! This will make all 3 kids exactly 2 1/2 years apart, which would have been perfectly planned....if we had planned any of them!

Menu Plan Monday

This is an odd week around here, ReverendDr. has gone to a conference and then this coming weekend we are going on vacation. Last night the kids, Grandma and I had French Toast and Sausage, unheard of since ReverendDr. doesn't touch french toast or anything else containing egg, cream, milk products or countless other foods with a 10foot poll. I am also using up odds and ends. If the kids don't like what I cook then they can always have a peanut butter sandwich. Those are the only two choices.

Monday- Tortellini Salad with FETA cheese

Tuesday- Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with tomato soup

Wednesday- Quiche, ham and Spanish with more cheese

Thursday- egg rolls with homemade friend rice,

Friday- Homemade soup of some kind, maybe broccoli cheese with homemade bread

then Gone someone else will be cooking

ROKU Player Review: Update

Ok, so we've had the ROKU player for a while now and it definitely was worth the money. I will be canceling the cable. We opted to use just the NETFLIX on it though there are supplemental channels you can buy. Anything that you see on Netflix that has an "add to instant que" on it you can play on the Roku. There are a lot of documentaries, tons of children's things, old movies etc. series etc. not everything is down loadable but Netflix is converting things quickly. It will also definitely save us money as it is just the 8.95 a month.

Let Me Tell You About My Snow-blower

I live in the frozen north, at this moment in my backyard there is almost 2 feet of snow, it's going to snow for the next 4 days and it's not going to get above freezing for the 7 day forecast...O, I also live two blocks from one of the Great Lakes which is currently frozen so the wind is really wicked.

We have really great neighbor's who snow blowed us out the first year we moved here, then one summer I found a snow blower at a yard sale,( I was a few days overdue with Presbybaby at the time) the thing looked new but the lady said it didn't work, it was in the garage when they bought the house. Well I talked her down to $25 and hoisted the thing into my minivan and away we went. A $30 repair later and it works like a beauty (she didn't know you had to mix oil and gas together for the fuel). It glides through the snow banks like a dream, provides enough resistance for a good workout too. I kind of feel like the Lone Ranger, I put on my knee high boots, my leather lined work gloves and my un attractive coat (which now smells like a mix of gas and oil) and out into the frozen wasteland I go. I blow out us, the neighbors the guy stuck who parked on the street and the sidewalks on our side of the road. Of course when I return bright red and sweaty I make sure to play the snow blowing martyr to the ReverendDr., but secretly I am a little bit in love with it.

New Years Resolutions

I wouldn't call these "Resolutions" rather areas of "Habits" I need to form and how do you form a habit? by doing it EVERYDAY for a month.

1. Get up at the same (early) time each day, and go to bed at the same time (which I hate doing), of course with having little kids is only but so doable.

2. Make a hot breakfast each day.

3. Live by budget, it was easy when we didn't have any money we had to plan and stick to our budget, now that we have less debt it's so easy to got out to eat more and throw extra things in the cart. I also realized we were spending close to $100 a month on milk....

4. Serve one raw food with each meal.

5. Work with Presbyboy on learning good habits, hes at the age where he wants to do and help with everything, I need to teach him while hes teachable even if it does take much longer.

6. Really make a point to have devotions with ReverendDr, having them TOGETHER as often as possible.

The Great Television Debate & Roku

The great debate that the ReverendDr and I have been going back and forth about since the first Presbybaby came into this world is about TV, how much should we spend, what should we watch etc. First we had deluxe cable with "on demand" so we could put on the cute little shows and not be worried, then they started with commercials...then we moved and went down to the very "basic" about 12 station, so this left only PBS in the morning and DVDs...which had led to a huge DVD mess! borrowing them from the library and buying them, digging through to find which ones are theirs. I have tried different organizing systems and it's just not worked. So now we have "expanded basic cable" which has Playhouse Disney...and a whole lot of marketing to kids and a whole lot of rock music and other things that I don't want my babies exposed to. So what has high quality entertainment , is CHEAP and "clean". Well I think I've found the answer,a friend told me about something I didn't know existed. A ROKU player is a box you hook to your TV (same way as a DVD player) and it has a WIFI signal built in or you can hook an Ethernet cable into it. So you do have to have Internet service. You can get NETFLIX for 8.99 a month and put movies and shows into your "instant que" then watching them on your TV, I knew you could watch them on your computer but not on TV. A basic player is $79 so for the player and NETFLIX pretty good deal! We plan on getting rid of our TV since we don't watch sports and get most of our news form the Internet I think this will work for us, will let you know how well we like it.

So Good, you MUST buy this!

I really try to stay away from prepackaged food, MSG etc. and most of it doesn't tempt me in the least, Hamburger Helper, ahh... no thank you ! Well I had a really good coupon for this so I bought it, you add your own chicken (I also added mushrooms), OMW it was absolutely fabulous!!! I can't believe how good it was! I served it with a hot, crusty baguette and a tossed salad. Bury the box deep in the kitchen trash and your husband will think hes married a gourmet cook.