Counting Down to Baby Number Ten

I wish I could say "I can't believe it's almost here!" And that it has been a quick and easy pregnancy, but that's simply not true. We found out at around four weeks that we were pregnant and it's been a LONG pregnancy. I haven't had any major problems, it just isn't easy navigating life being pregnant when you have a house full of children plus homeschool, and all the other 'fun' stuff wives and mamas have to do in any given day. Trust me, it makes pregnancy a little harder and seem a little longer (at least it does for me, anyways).

But, here we are three weeks until my due date and I am super excited to meet little miss Abby Lou!! I am feeling pretty good these days, but I did have some weird cramping two weeks ago which has led my doctor to doing a weekly non-stress test. Nothing has shown up on the test so far and she seems to be doing well. To be totally truthful, I've felt so good throughout this pregnancy, that I've still been exercising six days a week; which includes lifting weights and speed roping! It is getting harder every day, but I'm going to keep up with my normal fitness routine until I physically can't do it anymore (per the doctor's orders) or she is born.

I've had zero swelling this time, which is amazing, because I have ALWAYS had terrible swelling in the last trimester regardless if it was a summer or winter pregnancy. 

The only other issue I've had this pregnancy has been dizzy spells where I felt like I was on the verge of passing out. My doctor felt it was because of my blood sugars spiking too quickly, and that I needed to make sure I was eating small meals with protein multiple times a day. Once I started doing that, I haven't had any more of those spells.  

 My doctor doesn't typically do late pregnancy ultrasounds, but because I'm 39 years old he wanted to make sure the baby was growing correctly, which meant we got to see her beautiful face via ultrasound last week! Apparently older mamas have an increased risk of babies not growing properly at the end of pregnancy ~ thankfully Abigail not only is growing just fine and dandy, but she's measuring a full week ahead of her due date! I'm guessing she's going to be a big baby just like her big sisters. Both Tabitha and Lydia were over nine pounds when they were born!!

While I'm not a fan of unnecessary testing, I am grateful for a doctor who is attentive and insures my baby and I are both as healthy as we can be under the circumstances. Perks of the non stress test is that I get a couple hours break from 'life', and I get the joy of hearing my baby's precious little heart beat. But, the downside of being hooked up to all those machines is that Abby Lou DOES NOT LIKE IT!! She squirms and kicks the whole time and I have terrible false labor contractions which ends up putting me in the bed for the rest of the day ~ sigh! 

I've only gained around 15 pounds this pregnancy and I didn't really start showing until I was around 30 weeks, so I have very few 'bump' pictures. Last week I had my 16 year old take a few pictures of me so I can remember Abby Lou's baby bump in pictures. 

I'm sure with multiple appointments this week, and Thanksgiving next week, the next couple of weeks are going to fly by (or at least I'm hopeful that it does, lol). I am trying to focus on keeping up with homeschool and deep cleaning projects. I'd love to say it was because I was nesting, but nope, I typically deep clean around the holidays. It works better for me to do it now verses in the Spring when we're going into our big gardening season. Of course, I'm not getting nearly as much done as I'd prefer, but I am trying to take it easy and not over do it, which is super hard for this organizing, clean freak, type A, overachieving mama. 😜

With Love & Hope,

Jennifer

Game Day at Tuscaloosa: Roll Tide

I haven't been to a college football game in 19 years until just recently, and now I've had the privilege of attending two! As y'all know a few weeks ago my husband and I took our two Auburn fans to a live football game, and then this past weekend my oldest son invited me to go with him to an Alabama football game. 

My oldest son was given tickets by one of his bosses and after he asked a buddy who couldn't go, apparently I was next in line for him to invite. Can I just say I was floored that he would even think of me to take to a college football game, but still encouraged him to find someone else other than his dear old mom. But, he insisted he really wanted to go with me. And y'all when your 18 year old seriously invites you to go somewhere, you graciously clear your schedule and go!

I find marching bands fascinating with the formations they can make!

It was an eleven o'clock game so we had to leave super early to give enough time to get there before kick-off. Thankfully, my 16 year old son held down the 'fort' until my husband could get home from work. It was a fairly easy drive, even if it did take two hours. Once we got there it was a breeze to park and find our way into the stadium. Our seats were fairly high, but I was thrilled to discover they were at least on the end, making it fairly quick to get in and out and down to the bathroom (y'all remember, I am 28 weeks pregnant and this girl needs lots of bathroom breaks, lol!). 

The day was beautiful and the game was great. As in true Bama fashion by half time they were winning with a nice good lead. Due to the extreme heat and the fact that I forgot sunscreen {{ugh}} and we were both burnt to a crisp by this point, we decided to leave in the 4th quarter. We took our time getting back to the truck, stopping to take pictures and enjoy the scenery. It really was a fun time and I will treasure the memory always. I'm truly honored my son would invite me to a college football game when he could have invited anyone!

No trip to Tuscaloosa is complete without a picture with the famous Bear Bryant! The line to take a picture with the Nick Saban's statue was quite long so we skipped that photo op. 

While I'm not a huge fan of college football for a host of reasons, I must say it is a blast to watch a game live! The atmosphere is so much fun. I've also learned more about the game of football during my two visits to live games than I have in the past 19 years. I'm sorry y'all, but watching football on television is just plain annoying to me. But, up close and personal, it's down right fascinating!!

I'm still not swayed to one team or another, which is border-line sacrilege in the grand state of Alabama. You cannot physically be an Alabama fan and an Auburn fan, it just isn't kosher! To be honest both teams have their enticements, but neither one really wins me over, lol. If one of my family members is so inclined to invite me to a live college football game, I don't personal care who's playing. I would be delighted to attend and cheer for the team of their choosing. I guess that's not exactly the definition of a true fan, but I'm not sure I could ever be one really. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to BOTH football games and would gladly attend either one again!

With Love & Hope,
Jennifer

Back to School Weenie Roast & Campout

Due to life being super busy lately, I'm just now getting to the final post for our Friday the 13th family fun day. By now most of y'all have probably caught on that I love traditions. Well, one of my many crazy traditions that I implemented many moons ago has been our Back to School, Backyard Weenie Roast and Campout. 

Once we complete our first month of school we have a weenie roast and campout to celebrate all our hard work. As my fellow homeschool mama's know getting back into the swing of homeschooling and knocking out those first few weeks can be a major challenge ~ which is why I feel a celebration is  a must.

I grew up camping ~ in a tent! Sorry y'all I just don't believe it's camping if you're in a travel trailer or motor home. To me, true camping is in a tent. Tents have come a long way over the years and this one we have from CORE is amazing!! Once you get it staked, it's four poles and you're done other than attaching the rain fly. 

Everyone loves helping set up the tent, even the little bitty ones. 

Here's another one of those pictures I've taken for years and years and years. Ugh to watch my babies grow up (and our family grow) brings a mixed of wild emotions!

These two little rascals were the most excited, but they ended up going to bed inside after the weenie roast and roasting s'mores. Since my husband had to work the next day; he slept inside and we opted for the three little ones to sleep inside as well so that the big kids could have some 'big-kid' fun.

It was a very long day with the apple orchard, the covered bridge, and finally the weenie roast and campout, but my oldest daughter was a little energizer bunny helping set up all the food for our homeschool celebration. 

This year I opted to create a serving tray for the s'mores. This worked perfect for quick and easy assembly!

I love this picture!! My father-in-law has this cute little truck for piddling around the property. The kids used it to fill up with sticks for the bonfire. 

Yes, at one point our little bonfire turned into a massive flame, lol. No worries we were all safe and all weenies were salvaged.

Not all my kids love s'mores, but in my opinion no weenie roast is complete without the presence of s'mores! 

I mean what's not to love?? Char broiled gooey marshmallows, melted chocolate and crunchy graham crackers. Yeah I'm a sucker for nostalgia!

Okay y'all here's the nitty gritty of the conclusion of our Friday the 13th family fun adventures: it was ALL drama. and a story for the books! After our weenie roast and s'mores the kids played some after-dark tag while the older folks started cleaning up. Then we put the little bitty ones to bed and the big kids and I headed into the tent to enjoy our sleep outdoors in the backyard. 

Due to it being soooo hot I opted not to put the rain fly on the tent (BIG mistake ~ insert groan). I had checked multiple weather apps as well as t.v stations and radio stations for the overnight forecast and there was ZERO chance of rain!!!!!! When 11:45 pm rolled around, I was awakened to it feeling like someone was spitting in my ear. {{ugh}} Y'all I was literally about to get on to a child for pulling pranks and NOT sleeping. But, nope it was rain!! Insert massive eye roll!

Once I got my bearings, I frantically woke the kiddos up and told them to grab all the sleeping bags and pillows and to RUN! So our little backyard campout was cut half short due to an unexpected torrential downpour complete with straight-line winds. We all slept indoors that night and when we awoke the next morning our tent had about an inch of rain inside of it. {{sigh}} Thankfully, it was another scorcher of a day and the tent quickly dried out once we draped it over the swing set. 

And there y'all have it, another drama-filled fun day in the life of the Williams family. I really do try, and at this point all I can do is laugh about it. Oh, the stories my kids will have to tell their children one day, lol! Even though my grand plans rarely turn out the way I had envisioned, I'm still going to keep on keeping on, pushing through, making the plans and attempting to make special memories with my family.

With Love & Hope,

Jennifer

Social Media & the Modern Mommy

I've often had a love/hate relationship with social media. I mean the name doesn't exactly denote something we should spend an exorbitant amount of time frequenting. But at the same time most people can't seem to live without it. The majority of people have at least one social media account, if not more. As with all things I do think it can be a positive addition to our lives if used in moderation and appropriately.

Let me back up and give y'all a little background of our personal family dynamics. Our family chooses to live a simple life, one that doesn't include many extracurricular activities such as sports and other nonacademic lessons like dance or music. We purpose to save our money to pursue other family activities such as traveling and 'adventuring' through God's creation. Our church only meets once a week. Homeschool co-ops aren't something we choose to participate in either nor do we do many play-dates. (We do visit with friends, it's just usually a family event after church on Sundays.) This lifestyle has meant many days at home with little to no interaction with folks outside of our immediate family.

Now, I'm not complaining; I love our nontraditional lifestyle, but it can be very isolating at times. This is where social media has been a true God-send for me. While my family is my ultimate focus, I do desire love, support, and encouragement from like-minded ladies. I have found social media to fill that niche and then some. I have made some amazing friends and know if we met in person it would be a joyous occasion of kindred spirits reuniting. It is a wonderful blessing to be able to communicate with my online friends (that may be states away) without leaving my home. During my struggles and triumphs they are simply a direct message away from giving me the little bit of encouragement I need to make it through a difficult day or rejoicing in one of my victories.

Women need other women to help navigate this crazy journey we are on as mothers. We need to know we are not alone in our struggles. We need to celebrate our victories with those who can truly appreciate what we are going through. But finding that consistent support can be difficult when our lives revolve around our family's. Social media can help to fill that void so long as we remember some critical guidelines in using social media.

• Treat people the way you want to be treated even when you can't physically see the other person.
• Read everything with 'a grain of salt'. What others share may not be the gospel truth or applicable to you and your family.
• Don't compare yourself to others. Glean from your 'friends', but don't allow them to make you feel inferior.
• Keep it real. Share the highlights of your life, the good and the not so good. Remember others are gleaning from your insights too. People want to know the real you.
• Keep Christ first. God should be in all that we do, even our interactions on social media.

Much of life is about finding balance in all that we do. We need to effectively balance our interaction with others whether that is via social media or in real life. Spending too much time away from our God-given responsibilities through social media or any other outlet is not healthy or pleasing to the Lord. But, we can choose to use all of our resources, including social media, as blessings to help us best fulfill our roles as women, wives, and mothers.

With Love & Hope,
Jennifer

3 Easy Steps to Keep Prayer a Priority

As a Christian homemaker my relationship with Christ is of the utmost importance. Without God, there is no way I could live one moment, much less accomplish all that is required of me each day.  Life is full of triumphs and victories, but with each joyous occasion comes hardships and trials that will challenge our faith to its very core. I find great comfort in knowing there is a greater being who will never disappoint or let me down. Learning how to pray with J.O.Y. has allowed me to grow closer to the Lord, further enabling me to be the wife and mother God has called me to be.

The art of biblical homemaking can only come from a solid relationship with the Lord. The next step is to cultivate an active prayer life. Prayer is a wonderful way to insure the pathways to Christ are kept active and viable. Prayers to our Heavenly Father should be said consistently and on a daily basis. We can read in scripture, many times, where Jesus and other godly men and women prayed with diligence and commitment. Prayer should notbe a last resort, but a constant extension of our worship unto God.

Pray without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (KJV)

Prayer does not have to be a complicated process. It should simply be a gentle, yet focused conversation with the Lord. I have an easy acronym that I like to use to help with planning my prayer time which helps me to keep it a priority. I have heard several prayer acronyms over the years, but the one I like the best is ‘praying with J.O.Y’. Praying in a specific order assures us that we bring honor and glory to God first, the needs of others next, and ourselves last. The letters for the prayer guide I use stand for Jesus, Others, and Yourself.

3 Easy Steps to Keep Prayer a Priority

• Jesus: If it were not for Jesus dying on the cross we would notbe able to send our prayers to God. We should always send our praises of thanksgiving to Him. During my prayer time, I graciously send my appreciation heavenward for the many blessings He has bestowed upon me, recognizing many of them specifically. We are sinful creatures who owe Jesus a debt of gratitude from saving us from eternal damnation, the least we can do is thank Him for all His provisions.

"Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." Romans 8:34 (KJV)

• Others: We should put others before ourselves. There are many needs in our world; salvation, healing, strength, courage and protection to name a few. The hurts of this fallen world are great and everyonecould use a prayer spoken on their behalf. It is an honor and privilege to pray for believers and unbelievers alike. It is a very special and intimate way we can serve family, friends, as well as those we don’t even know. Fortunately, God does know each and every one of us and He has called us to bring allour cares unto Him.

"Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." James 5:16 (KJV)

• Yourself: Finally, we can and shouldpray for ourselves. The first words spoken in regards to my personal needs is for repentance from sins that often plague me, I pray that God would lead and direct my day, and that I would be in-tune to the opportunities He provides for me each day to serve Him. In regards to my homemaking pursuits; my prayer is that I would accomplish all that He would have me to do each day, as well as to accept the things I cannot.

"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." Philippians 4:6 (KJV)

Do not forget to take the time to listen during your prayer time. For it is in those still, quiet moments that we may hear the powerful and mighty words of our Savior. God is real and desires an interactive personal relationship with His believers. If we are doing all the talking with no listening, we may miss His precious words of wisdom and love.

"Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth." Psalms 46:10 (KJV)

The body of Christ needs more prayer warriors, those who will be faithful to lift up the needs of our fallen world to theAuthor andCreator.  As a homemaker my load is often heavy. Weariness can easily grip my countenance, but I hold fast to the comforting words of my Lord, and I cast all my cares upon Him. I can't imagine my life without prayer and communication with God. Keeping prayer a priority in my life gives me strength and courage to press on towards the goal God has set before me. If you are seeking to find joy andsuccess in the art of homemaking, I highly encourage you to commit to consistently praying with J.O.Y.

"Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Matthew 11:29-30 (KJV)

With Love & Hope,

Jennifer

Growing Your Own Food

The family garden used to be a way a life. It played a huge role in providing the bulk of the family's food supply. Eating fresh produce grown by the hands of the family was the norm. Unfortunately, due to the Industrial Revolution times have changed. People no longer have gardens. Sadly, many children don't even know where their food comes from. Such a sad state of affairs. And now the Industrial Age has led to the Technological Age which certainly has not made the situation any better. We're no better off as a country or as a people in the realms of how and what we eat. Obesity is widespread, the family unit is being traded for electronic devices, and our food is being artificially created. Do we really have to wonder why our health is deteriorating?

Well, for our family, things work a little differently. We grow a LOT of the food we eat. Our children grow up in the garden and in the kitchen. It's not just a matter of growing our own food, but preserving and cooking it. No, this is not an easy job. It takes everyone pitching in to make it happen. But, hard work builds character and the memories we make working along side of each other, AND knowing where our food comes from is far worth the extra effort.

Every year is different as to how much we grow and preserve. After all, ultimately only the Lord can  make our gardens grow. But we usually fill several hundred jars and 2 freezer full of food. And for that I am very grateful. We plan our meals around what we can, dehydrated, and freeze. Over the years we've learned how to really focus on eating fresh as well as from what we preserve. Our main garden is our summer garden, but we also have a small fall/winter garden and a small spring garden to help buffer our food supply. The majority of the produce grown during the fall, winter and spring doesn't really lend itself to preserving; although some years we do some minor canning during the off season.

The simple life can easily be confused with an 'easy life', but I can assure you, it isn't! It's non-stop hard work. Working when you're tired, sick, or there's yucky weather. Some days you really have to force yourself to be the voice of encouragement even when you're just as burnt out and exhausted as the rest of your family. But, the reward is oh so worth it. Knowing where our food comes from as well as cultivating strong family bonds through working hard together is a priceless gift we receive through this nontraditional lifestyle.

I'm often asked where a person should start with their home-growing food efforts and I aways say make a list of produce you enjoy eating and then learn how to grow it in your region. There's no sense in trying to grow something you aren't going to eat. Funny thing is the more you learn to grow, the more you want to grow AND as you are growing your own food the more you want to learn to cook and eat what you grow. It's a beautiful round robin of learning and adapting. At least this is how it happened for me. When I first started out homesteading I didn't even know the beginning of all the wonderful, delicious produce God created that we can grow with our very own hands! And I'm still learning every year!!

From there it's as simple as trial and error, perseverance and never giving up. You may be blessed and figure out gardening and growing your own food quickly, but most likely it will take time. Time to build your soil, learn your region, when the best time to grow, and so much more. It's a never ending process. I highly recommend keeping detailed gardening journals. Including what you did to your soil, where you planted crops, when you planted, the weather, and the outcome and any other notes you may find helpful for future plantings. Growing your own food isn't complicated it just takes commitment and dedication to work hard and follow through.

Despite the few people growing their own food these days there are endless resources available to learn how to garden. Anyone really can learn how to grow their own food. 20 years into this lifestyle and we are always trying new methods and planting new crops. Sometimes the new attempts work and sometimes they don't, but we keep trying and plodding forward adapting and regrouping to make our gardens the best they can be to meet the needs of our growing family. Lord willing our children will continue to pass down the knowledge adding to it as they work the soil, plant, and harvest the blessings God gives them.

At the very least may God restore in us all 

the desire to be good stewards of the earth He has given us. 

With Love & Hope,

Jennifer

Back to Basics

Sometimes life appears to be moving backwards. Not on purpose, but simply as a result of the reality life, which doesn't always turn out the we had planned. As Christians life can turn into a delicate dance of trying to discern God's will, giant leaps of faith, and praying with all your might that you've made the right decision. Sometimes we know without a shadow of a doubt that our choices are directly inline with God's will and other times not so much.

For most of my adult life (I am about to turn 39) I have longed to own a house and land. A house that wasn't prefabricated; a house that when in need of regular maintenance we could go to the local hardware store and repair it; a house where I didn't have to flee for my life and my babies live's in the pitch black Alabama night for fear of an impending tornado, and on and on and on the list could go as to why I deeply desire a 'site-built' house. The reasons for wanting land is just as long. We've been maxed out with our homesteading capabilities for many years now. Our space is limited. Furthering our animal husbandry isn't even an option. We do the best we can with what we've got AND we're grateful. But I know we could do so much more if given the opportunity.

Well, sometimes when you beg and plead with God unrelentingly for years, He gives you the desires of your heart despite it NOT being His will. The week of Thanksgiving 2017 we put in an offer on a massive 5,000 square foot 'fixer-upper' with 5 acres. We thought our dreams were finally coming true. Our patience and persistence had paid off, this was it, our homestead and final earthly resting place was finally ours! No more praying for land and a 'site-built' house. No more living in fear of tornadoes ~ this house was made of rock, brick, AND had a basement! The 5 acres was perfect for small animal husbandry and any large gardening we wanted to do. It was perfect, or so we thought.

Ecstatic, thrilled, over-the moon, elated, happy; those words don't even begin to describe the joy of finally finding our dream home and moving in. Sadly those emotions were short lived. All that could go wrong, went wrong. Within a few short months we wiped out our life savings and were in financial dire straights. What we thought was God's perfect will and design for our family was quickly replaced with the acute knowledge that we had made a HUGE mistake. The house which we thought was only in need of simple cosmetic fixes ultimately needed to be completely redone from electrical to plumbing and everything in between.

As first-time 'site-built' buyers we received a crude education on the harsh reality of buying a house in the American real estate industry. It's cruel people. It's hardly ethically and realtors will do anything to sell a piece of property. We were lied to and conned in the worst way. We learned valuable lessons on buying and selling houses that most people learn at a much younger age. We thought we had done everything right. We were God-fearing, honest christian folks simply trying to better ourselves and the future of our family. Well, apparently that agenda isn't the norm in this particular industry and any form of accountability is non existent.

Thankfully the Lord delivered us from our horrific house-buying nightmare within one year.
Since we were unable to sell our payed-for mobile home when we bought the big house, we were able to moved back into it after the sell of our house. (Thank God for unanswered prayers!) I won't lie; I was crushed and heartbroken beyond words. Why did this happen to us? Why? Sometimes there are no answers, it's just life. And life often includes set-backs and re-starts. Thankfully God promises he will never leave us or forsake us. Yes the journey can be painful and riddled with hurts that only God can heal, but God's mercies are ever real and present we just have to keep our eyes on the Cross, trusting that even when we make those 'wrong turns' He will always gently guide us back into His loving arms and perfect will.

 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Isaiah 41:10 (KJV)

If there's one thing I have learned through this whole house-buying experience; it's when you don't know what to do or where to go; go back to what you DO know, what's familiar and the last place you knew you were exactly where God wanted you to be. It's been four months since we moved back into our mobile home and I'm finally finding myself at peace with where God has us. I'm not convinced this is our final earthly resting place and I'm still hopeful one day we will have our 'site-built' house on some land. Will it ever really happen ~ only the Lord knows, but I won't give up praying for it, planning for it, believing one day the desires of my heart will be God's will too. But until that day arrives here we are back where we started 20 years ago ~ happily homesteading our little one acre.

With Love & Hope,
Jennifer

Be Anxious For Nothing

As I am building my blog and combining Modern Mommy Mentor with Country Mama to Many I'm trying to come up with a plan for how I want to post and share my thoughts. After all life seems to run so much more smoothly when there's a plan, at least for me it typically does. 

I have so many thoughts and ideas I'd like to share, and I am excited to get them out there. I'm thrilled to finally be writing again, I didn't realize how much I had missed it. This blog is the perfect outlet for a woman who more often than not finds herself isolated with limited adult interaction. (I'm not begrudging it, it's simply my season of life right now. But, sometimes, I'm just lonely and have so much to say.)

While I don't want to live in bondage to a writing/posting plan, I do want to organize my posts so that folks can know when and what to expect. It doesn't mean I'm posting three times a week or only on those days, this is just a guideline to help me process my thoughts. So I'm thinking something along the lines of this pattern:

Matters of Faith Mondays

What Works for Me Wednesdays

Friday Fellowship

So with keeping to this plan I'd like to share on this fine Monday about a topic that I struggle with quite often: Anxiety. Despite knowing that anxiety is wrong in the eyes of God, I still often find myself over come with it throughout the difficult trial of life. 

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7

But with Christ I have the freedom to break free from this bondage of anxiety and to replace it with peace and acceptance in that whatever happens is God's perfect will.

"Whatever is lawful is legal. Therefore whatever is legal is lawful. 

Whatever is lawful is ethical. Therefore whatever is ethical is legal"

I recently watched a movie where these words were being recited, in the opening scene, over and over again. Apparently, a very successful finance man was trying to convince himself that the business deal he was in the process of making happen was indeed ethical ~ it wasn't. But, because what he was doing wasn't illegal he'd convinced himself it was indeed ethical. Sadly, he ended up losing his job and so much more from just this one deal. If only he'd listened to his conscious.

We are in the process of selling our house. Mercy what a long and painful story, that I most likely will share one day, but that day is not today. We currently have a tentative contract based on the buyer selling their current home. But, as is due process for the purchase to be finalized when they do sell their home we must have a home inspection. 

Today is our home inspection.

To say I'm nervous is an understatement! to say I'm anxious is an understatement! My current state of affairs is a pure hot mess of gut-wrenching-I-seriously-can-NOT-do-this crazed woman! But, we have no choice, it has to be done. 

The sell of our home is dependent on this one man inspecting it. To make matters worse our realtor has warned us that we got the 'bad luck of the drawl'. This specific inspector, coming to inspect our home, has been the cause of many deals gone 'south' for our realtor. (insert massive sigh and the onset of hysterical crying)

Thankfully I am a woman of faith and I've got this, or more likely God has got this! He knows all about our financial woes and our fears, struggles, and anxiety in regards to the NEED of us selling this house ASAP. Trust me The Good Lord has gotten an ear full every.single.day. for months from me in regards to the sell of this house! But, we all know God does things in His own timing. So, I must remain patient and trust that He has my good will in the forefront of all His doings and either the inspection will go well or it will not. Either way it will be God's will and He will carry us through.

Funny thing is our realtor made some suggestions for us to do in the hopes of making the inspection go more smoothly. Are you kidding me? Seriously, is this legal? Is this ethical? Why should anything I do effect the outcome of the inspection of my home? Is this really happening to me? Why is adulting so hard?

Then my thoughts rush to our home inspection. Did the same thing happen to them. Is that why so many things were not what they said they were to be once we took ownership of the home? Did they sway their inspector and that's why we suffered the consequences of a really bad deal? (Oh, but the difference from us to them is that we've fixed all those issues that were 'missed' during our home inspection!)

I'm finding that throughout this mess that if I keep my eyes on Christ and continuously lean upon His Holy Word; my fears are as water rushing under a bridge. But, I'm not going to lie, when I stop and think about anything other than those precious bible verses I've memorized the anxiety nearly over comes me making me vehemently ill and unable to catch my breath. 

"For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee. Isaiah 41:13

Lord willing at the close of this day our home will have passed inspection and we will be well on our way to finalizing the sell of our home. If not then it just wasn't meant to be and I'm sure the Lord has something else all the more better for our future. We just have to keep remembering that simple truth! 

We are His and He is ours!

(through the good times and the not so good times)

So, how do you handle anxiety and stress? What are your favorite bible verse to quote during times of overwhelming fear? 

With Love and Hope,

Jennifer

How to Exercise When You're A Busy Mom

I am extremely passionate about being healthy and helping other women achieve optimum health. Here's another post from Modern Mommy Mentor regarding how busy mamas can make exercise a daily part of their lives....

Lets face it, it's hard enough to exercise before kids, but once babies are in the picture exercising quickly gets put on the back burner! A mom's job is endless: 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. It doesn't matter if you work outside the home or not, the responsibilities of raising children is nonstop and demanding. The best way to keep up with this magnitude of responsibility is to maintain your health. Proper nutrition and daily exercise are essential to keeping YOU in the best health you can be to effectively manage your beautiful tribe.

The question remains: How does a busy mom maintain an exercise routine when she can barely manage all of her daily tasks as it is? Mothers can make every excuse in the 'book' not to exercise. Removing those excuses is the key to creating a healthy exercise routine which can carry you through motherhood and beyond. The following steps are simple yet effective ways to insure you are taking the best care of yourself through physical activity; so that you can adequately serve your family.

• Ask the Lord to help you establish a life-long exercise routine that is within your physical capabilities.
• Don't compare yourself to other women, especially fitness models who have most likely been 'airbrushed'.
• Commit to waking each morning before your children to exercise a minimum of 5 days a week.
• Choose short, yet effective workouts such as HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) combined with weighted exercise (use some dumb bells, they help to build strong bones and keep osteoporosis at bay).
• Invite an accountability partner to join along in your fitness journey. Share your victories and struggles with each other, but most importantly hold each other accountable to your daily workouts!

HIIT workouts have been my saving grace to remaining committed to a daily exercise regime. I exercise 6 days a week for 15 minutes with moderate exercise sequences which target my whole body. Through this type of exercise I have been able to lose 50 pounds and maintain the weight-loss for 6 years, and nearly 4 pregnancies. This types of short yet intense workouts are super easy to incorporate into a busy moms schedule. For more details on how I use HIIT in my busy mom life, check out this post.

One of a mom's most important assets is her health. Without a healthy body she is unable to sufficiently manage her home and serve her family.  Our families deserves the best that we can give them. When we purpose to maintain a healthy diet and remain committed to daily exercise our bodies respond with improved sleep, ample energy, positive mindset, as well as reduced sickness and injuries. I encourage you to make today the last day of excuses in regards to NOT exercising. The steps listed above are the exact ones I have used to remain faithful to my daily exercise routine for the past 6 years.  I invite you to use the same steps to make your health a priority with a personal workout program that can easily fit into your busy mom life.

With Love and Hope,
Jennifer

Ditching the Clutter: A Busy Mom's Guide to Home Organization

I truly believe organization is the key to productivity and lets face it wives and mothers are responsible for doing the impossible. Our proverbial plates are often spilling over with things we must get done. Here's a post I wrote for Modern Mommy Mentor for how I try to keep the clutter to a minimum....

For anyone who knows me or who has read any of my blog posts; knows that I have a very type-A personality. I thrive on planning, order, and structure. When I started having children I had to learn a whole new way of living. I’d much rather have my children than the cleanest, most organized home, but there are some bonuses to preferring a systematic way of handling life. I find that life just works so much better when our home is organized.

The scriptures tell us that even God prefers life to be handled with order and decency. Should order be achieved in lieu of serving God and our families, no, but the two should work harmoniously together. When our lives are organized it allow us to think and work more effectively. We must first acknowledge and accept our need for organization and structure. Second, organizing our homes must be a family effort. Mom cannot be the sole proprietor of keeping a home organized. Husbands and children play important roles for maintaining an organized home.

Getting every family member involved as active participants makes organization easily achievable.
After acknowledging a need for an organized home and convincing family members of their vital role in keeping a home organized, the most important key to organization is STOP BUYING! Before I buy something I pray about it and wait for God’s answer, no impulse buying for this family. You might be surprised at how God answers when you start praying about your spending habits. I often find that after a week or two I really didn’t need the stuff I thought was essential. It’s amazing how much of the clutter starts disappearing when you stop buying unnecessary products.

3 Easy Steps to Ditch the Clutter

• Simplify, consolidate, and eliminate: This pertains mostly to the kitchen and bathroom, but it could easily be applied to any room. Many products can be combined to do the same job. Such as using one all-purpose cleaner or using a bar soap to wash and shave with. The mainstream media and marketing gurus have convinced us to use a different product for every task which promotes unnecessary and excessive spending. When in reality many homemade, non-toxic products can be used for multiple jobs and work just as well. Many utensils and tools can be consolidated.
• Baskets, totes, and uniformity: Loose objects go perfect in baskets and totes. My cabinets are organized with baskets holding an assortment of loose items, such as lids, canning supplies, toilet paper, essential oils, medicine, etc. My basket system is purely a time-saving necessity. Everything has a specific location which allows me to spend my time actually doing the tasks at hand as opposed to searching for the tools required. Uniformity works great too. When things are done in a specific yet simple way, children can easily learn to be willing participants in keeping their home organized. For instance, we have an array of different blocks. Each type of block is kept in a tote and all totes are stored in one specific location. Yes, they can play with the blocks, but when they are finished playing, they know where and how to put them away.
• Purge: Before Christmas and all birthdays toys are purged. My reasoning with the children is; "To get new toys they must get rid of some of the old". We cannot keep every toy they receive. Any broken toys are thrown away immediately. Books and homeschooling materials are kept in one location and purged yearly too. As for clothes and shoes, we keep a pretty simple variety. Each child has an average of four sets of 'play clothes', three sets of 'good clothes', 2 pairs of night clothes, and a weeks worth of under clothes. Shoes are kind of iffy, truthfully each chid has one good and one play, but somehow there are always seems to be strays that need to be put away in storage.

Organizing a home should not be a burdensome task, it should be done as an extension from a desire to create a peaceful home environment. From my personal experience our home operates much better when everything is in its place. The heart of organization begins with Christ and ends with families joyfully working together to keep a home running in decency and in order.

With Love and Hope,
Jennifer

This is a picture of the kitchen in the big house we bought and sold. This is not a staged picture, it was exactly what it looked like after each meal. :)

Taking Back Your Evenings: Why We Do NOT Do Extracurricular Activities

Once folks find out that we purposefully do not do sports or other extracurricular activities I'm typically inundated with questions of curiosity. And then usually comes their defense as to why they choose to do them. I'm not here to convince you one way or the other, but I am here to share why we choose to do things counterculture. AND to let you know there is an alternative, you don't have to follow the 'crowd' - you CAN raise children unto the Lord without participating in extracurricular activities. So here's another post I wrote at Modern Mommy Mentor....

The family unit is a true gift from God. Our current culture makes it mighty difficult to cultivate healthy family relationships. Families barely see each other long enough each day to have a conversation much less build lasting relationships with those who should matter most. Parents both work outside the home, children are sent away all day to school, and then evenings are filled with a myriad of activities for all members of the family. With these types of schedules its no wonder the family unit is struggling.

There's a misconception these days, that extracurricular actives are necessary for raising well-rounded children. While children may be more adept to team work and nurturing a competitive nature; they're missing out on key skills to thrive in marriage and parenting. We all know children learn best by what they see and experience first hand. When a child witnesses the daily interaction between their parents, they are gleaning valuable resources for when they establish their own families. The more the family is separate from each other the harder it is to create those valuable teaching moments.

We knew when we began having children that we wanted something different for our family, especially for our children. We wanted to pursue a home life that enabled us to develop close relationships with our children. It was our hearts desire to give them adequate training in maintaining healthy family relations. Relationships that would go so much deeper than just 'folks who share a house'. We searched the scriptures and the wisdom of the few families we had encountered who were purposing to live counter-cultural to today's norms. As we prayed and studied God's word we realized there was so much more to choosing NOT to do extracurricular activities.

5 Reasons We Do NOT Do Extracurricular Activities

1. We financially could not afford the high costs of extracurricular activities for a large family. The costs of equipment and materials required to do most extracurricular activities is very costly and not conducive to a modest single income.
2. We wanted to eat our family dinners together every night. Eating meals together and sharing the events of our days is just something special we cherish and we don't want them interrupted by practices, games, lessons, etc.
3. We wanted to have family worship in the evenings. Teaching our children the word of God is the most important aspect in raising our children. To consistently join in family worship we knew we had to plan our evenings to where we were at home and not spread all over town in different directions.
4. We didn't want our children confused as to whom their authority belonged to. We are all ultimately accountable to Christ, but God places parents over their children. When we start adding in other adult authoritarian figures, confusion can easily become an issue. If a coach or instructor tells a child to do something that is against the parents teachings, the child is put in a difficult situation that could have been avoided.
5. We didn't want to undo the purposeful sheltering we were doing through homeschooling. We homeschool for many reasons, but one reason is to shelter our children from ungodly influences until they are more grounded in the faith to handle situations which are contrary to the teachings of Christ.

There are many defenses as to why children should participate in extracurricular activities, but for our family we believe there are far more negatives to separating our family in the evenings. We value the time we GET to spend together. We've found that simply replacing traditional extracurricular activities with intentional family adventures is sufficient in filling in the gaps of not doing sports and other lessons. We are a not against athletics, the arts, or other special interests that could fill our evenings. On the contrary we are a very active family and enjoy learning plenty of new and interesting recreational activities; we just prefer to keep our evenings as a special time for encouraging healthy family relationships.

With Love and Hope,
Jennifer

P.S. Picture is of my sweet Titus taken by me, we may be anti playing sports ~ but little baby boys in ball caps with a ball and glove is just too cute. :)

Faithfulness & Contentment

Most people don't do anything without a reason. We all have a reason why we wake up each day, go to our jobs, clean house, stay at home with the children, go to bed at night, etc., etc., etc.. Whatever it is that we are doing each and every moment of our lives: there is a reason why. Now I'll admit sometimes when we're in the throws of something we may not have a clue why we're doing it, but I believe if we stop and look hard enough we'll discover exactly why we're doing it.

I kind of have a reputation for being wishy-washy or even worse a flake. I have wavered in so many areas of my life that I wouldn't even want to start trying to tell y'all about them. For one I'd be embarrassed and for another I may actually lose any ounce of credibility I posses through telling you all my shortcomings. Sad thing is this is not the sort of reputation I want to have nor do I desire to pass these awful traits on to my children.

My husband is the polar opposite. He is grounded. He hardly ever sways in his convictions. He's a man you can count on regardless of the situation. He makes me want to be a better person. He keeps me grounded and often bursts my bubble at times just to keep me from floating off into Never Never Land. He truly is a good and godly man ~ a man I know I don't deserve, but thank God for every day.

So here's a major confession: I'm struggling with this website. Yes, I know I'm only a few days in ~ now y'all can see exactly where I can be a flake (insert groan). You ask why am I struggling? I'm sure y'all will find it quite humorous, really. Y'all see my last two websites were 'paid-for' websites. They were quite fancy with all the fun bells and whistles. And, well, Blogger for free is just very limiting. I don't want to share too much and seem ungrateful; because after all, it is a FREE blogging platform! I truly am thankful to be able to write and hopefully encourage other women on their walk with the Lord. But, I do want to be real and genuine as possible, sharing my struggles.

Funny thing is I can't even remotely validate a 'paid-for' website because I have zero intentions of trying to make a profit from my blogging. I'm over that garbage. It almost makes me angry just typing it ~ thinking about how nearly every blogger out there is simply waiting to market their next product and sucker you into buying it. Convincing you that your life will never be the same if you don't purchase whatever they're marketing. Chances are you'd be just fine, and most likely you could find the exact same information on another website for FREE. 

So as I struggle through this angst, I'm trying to remember what is my purpose of this blog. Why am I here? AND to give myself some goals and accountability in regards to this blog.

1. To encourage christian women on their journey of being a wife and mother. especially those who homeschool and homestead.
2. Keeping myself accountable in my journey of following Christ.
3. Sharing our family and lifestyle with those who are interested in the 'simple life' (specifically an alternative to social media - where I can no longer 'hang my hat')

Wow! And there you have it: my reasons why. My reasons why I'm choosing to blog at Country Mama to Many. None of these reasons are dependent on any special Theme or blogging layout, and for that I'm grateful. But these reasons ARE a perfect springboard to keep moving me forward, to not give up. To prove I can remain faithful and content where the Lord has me. And who knows maybe one day I might just find my self back at a 'paid-for' website with more flexibility. 

For now I will graciously be writing on my free Blogger blog and I will keep my reasons why in front of me as I purpose to be content. I will share my heart and do my best to honor God with what I write. Removing this negative flaky stigma that seems to over shadow my character is important to me and this I believe is a great place to prove I can change. After all change can be a good thing! Not to mention what a perfect life lesson to use to teach my children about faithfulness, contentment, and how to allow the Lord to use you wherever He plants you!

"He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much." Luke 16:10

With Love and Hope,
Jennifer

P.S. Picture is courtesy of Cades Cove in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. I'm still under the old adage that every blog post needs an image, lol, and I just happen to think this one was pretty. :)

Organized Chaos: Homeschooling with Babies & Toddlers

Yes, I'm going to go ahead and share three posts in one day! I'm anxious to get all my posts moved over and start adding fresh stuff, so here's another one I wrote over at Modern Mommy Mentor. And hey y'all this one also includes my first freebie for over here at Country Mama to Many!

Homeschooling can pose many of it's own challenges in the best of circumstances; add a baby, a toddler, or both and it can quickly become a complete nightmare. Don't fret, mamas, you're not alone and there are ways to minimize the distractions. Yes, it does take a bit of juggling, and adapting; but by this point in the game I'm sure you're quite experienced in those departments! Take heart and keep reading to help get some ideas to make your days less stressful and more productive. Especially make a point to scroll to the end of the post and get your FREE Mama's Homeschooling checklist!!

We're in our 13th year of homeschooling and we have run the gamut of distractions, disorder, and pure upheaval during our homeschool days. Enough to make me romanticize about the glorious yellow cheese wagon that passes my house twice a day, and how easily it could whisk my crazy kids off to a day of someone else teaching and training them. And with that fantasy includes my toddlers going to daycare for someone else to potty train, clean up after, and corral all day long. My house would be clean and organize and my stress level would be drastically reduced. But, nope that's not what God has called me to, that's simply not the path for our family.

God called me to homeschool a long time ago. I fought it for some time, but literally had no peace and became vehemently ill after putting our oldest into public school for kindergarten. After three weeks we un-enrolled him and never looked back. Oh, I can assure you, I've threatened to send them all back, but they were always just empty threats. The days are long but the years are short. It sounds so cliché, but I can't believe we're about to graduate our first-born child! Has it been an easy road, absolutely NOT, but it has been 100% worthwhile and exactly what we were suppose to do.

Over the years we have developed a system which works to help keep the chaos to a minimum during our homeschool days. The more children we have had, the more we've had to adapt and adjust our homeschooling to accommodate the range in ages and the myriad of needs each child 'brings to the table'. While there are many facets to our system, today I'm particularly addressing how we handle the babies and toddlers of our crazy crew. Trying to educate older children while entertaining and containing the youngest members of the family can be mighty difficult, but with these few tips I can assure you homeschooling can be done with babies and toddlers.

Homeschooling With Babies & Toddlers

1. Give your day over to the Lord. Pray for your homeschool day and trust the Lord to orchestrate it the way that He sees fit. Get done what you can get done and don't worry about the rest.
2. Recognize and accept that you will have distractions. Plan accordingly for phone calls, visitors, minor accidents, and discipline needs. There are a multitude of interruptions that can occur in a day, simply acknowledge this and plan to adjust your day.
3. Minimize scheduling events such as doctors appointments and extra curricular activities during your typical school time. Creating a consistent school schedule that children can depend on is beneficial for all ages.
4. Don't compare yourself to the public/private school system or other homeschooling families. What works for one family will most likely not work for another family. Evaluate your family and determine the best schedule, system, and plans which allow YOUR family to thrive.
5. Group as much academic lessons as possible. Our family combines bible, history, science, writing, projects, art and all field trips. We start our day doing 'table time' which alternates these subjects throughout the week. I add more advanced material for the older ones and make adjustments for the younger ones as needed.
6. Utilize all 'restraining' devices (lol). Such as high chairs, booster seats, play pins, bouncy chairs, swings, etc. We take advantage of these  baby items often, especially during table time. The younger ones can typically be entertained for quite some time in a highchair with some toys or baby snacks.
7. Take advantage of nap times. Schedule lessons, especially one-on-one time during baby's nap time.
8. Assign sibling play time. We schedule each of the older children to take turns playing or reading with the younger kiddos, while I'm doing one-on-one with other children. This allows the older ones a small break from school and it encourages a special connection between siblings.
9. Set the toddlers to play close by you with quiet toys such as blocks, sensory boxes, and other educational toys which do not make noises. I require my toddlers and preschoolers to play quietly near my feet while I am doing one-on-one with other children. This allows me to keep a close watch on them and helps them to learn to play by themselves.
10. Consider homeschooling year round. A year round homeschool schedule has been a major blessing to our family. With this type of system we are able to reduce our workload through high stress seasons and pick it back up after life settles back down. We can easily keep our daily school time to 3-4 hours, which gives us plenty of flexibility and reduces the stress of trying to get so much done in a day. I love that I can plan for a few hours of school, a few hours of home management, and then still have plenty of time leftover to devote to the little ones.

Homeschooling is truly a gift from the Lord, even when your family dynamics create challenges. Learning to ebb and flow with those challenges is perhaps the greatest lessons of the day. Teaching your children to be involve with and help with the babies and toddlers is a life lesson that will stay with them for a lifetime. Building a strong family unit through a homeschooling system which includes all the family members, even the babies and toddlers, will only improve your children's overall academic experience. So, mamas it's time to relax, create a simple schedule, delegate junior mama's helpers, and enjoy your homeschool day.

With Love and Hope,
Jennifer

P.S. To help you keep the chaos to a minimum and stay productive throughout your homeschool days. I've create a Mama's Homeschooling checklist which you can print to help keep track of your one-on-one time with each of your children. I simply print off a sheet for each of my kiddos at the first of the week.  I write in what I plan to do with each child for the week. Then after we do their lessons I can check off each subject to make sure we're staying on target for our academic goals. Sometimes it's the simple things which help us simplify the most, but we've found these little checklists to be a super awesome asset to our homeschool days. I hope they will bless you as well.

Mama's Homeschool Checklist

Homeschooling With Learning Disabilities

Homeschooling is an extension of who I am and where my heart is. It is one of my deepest desires to encourage all mothers that they can and should home educate their children. Here's another one from Modern Mommy Mentor talking about how even children with learning disabilities deserve a home education.....

I have been told by parents, on more than one occasion, that the reason they can not homeschool their child is because their child has a learning disability. I find this all the more reason to pursue a home education, and I speak from experience. Today I’d like to share something that has been heavy on my heart lately. I want everyone to know that home education and learning disabilities can beautifully coincide, even if it doestake a lot of prayer and hard work.

To be perfectly honest, all of my children have experienced some form of learning obstacle(as I prefer to call them). We have addressed each one with prayer and trusted in God to sort out the details. My husband and I have worked tirelessly to help our children overcome many of these learning obstacles. That’s what parents should do! Nobody has my child’s best interest at heart more than me and my husband and I will never trust someone else to adequately address their personal needs and that includes the gift of learning.

We have encountered color blindness, speech impediments (2 children), severe speech delays, and a child with high functioning autism. We have never used the ‘free’ resources provided by the government, but we havedone our ‘homework’ and learned how to address each learning obstacle with God’s grace, mercy, love, and prayer. I have been overwhelmingly inspired and encouraged by God’s hand in each and every situation.

We recently experienced a glimpse of the miracle God is working in our six-year old’s life as he struggles with autism. Everyday, I consistently do his lessons with him; which includes working with numbers, writing, and reading. I have to sit with him and help him through every question, number, letter, and word. Sometimes I have to help him hold his pencil to write, but we do it, everyday. All my previous children have done the same work and could do it independently, but not him (and that’s okay). My prayer is that one day he willbe able to do the lessons independently. Well, this week he surprised me by bringing me two assignments that he had completed by himself! Can we say Hallelujah!!!

I send all the praise to the Lord above, for it is only by Him that we can be the parents our children need us to be. Unfortunately, more days than not I fail at this one simple task, even with God’s grace, but that is not God’s fault, but mine. Most days it would be far easier to put my child into a public school system, take advantage of all the “free” programs, and let someone else deal with the challenges that come with educating and tending to a child with special needs. But, that wouldn’t be God’s plan for our family. God didn’t give these children to anybody else, but solely to me and my husband. God’s word says He will not give us more than we can handle and that He will provide a way for us to address every need we will ever have.

Through our efforts of home educating children with learning disabilities I have learned a few things to make the journey a little more peaceable:

1. Pray over your child before lessons
2. Maintain a routine and stay consistent with academic requirements
3. Seek to have quiet during lesson time, remove distractions
4. Set realistic goals
5. Be cautious with ‘advise’ from others
6. Take things slow and let your child set the pace
7. Don’t let your child sense any frustration on your part (trust me you’ll experience it at one time or another)
8. Don’t compare your child to other children, especially academically
9. Do lessons orally, sometimes holding a pencil can just cause problems when in actuality your child really does know the subject matter
10. Give lots of love and praise

Having a child with learning disabilities is not without many challenges, but with those challenges comes the opportunity to practice faith and watch God work. God has created all of us special and unique and I think that is awesome! I wouldn’t change any of my children if I had the chance; each one is a blessing and has enriched my life beyond anything I could have ever imagined. I praise the Lord for giving me each one of my children and allowing me to home educate all of them. I will go to the ends of the earth to insure each of my children are given every opportunity to learn the lessons God has for them.

Don’t let learning disabilities be a reason not to home educate your child. I can’t imagine what would have happened to my six-year-old had we put him into public school. Fortunately, we will never know, for he will always have the sanctuary of his home as his platform for learning. There is no one better suited to educated a child than his or her mother, that is the way God designed it. Don’t be afraid of the unknown, live out your faith and trust in God to help you through the challenges associated with home education and learning disabilities.


With Love and Hope,
Jennifer