29 Weeks and Counting...

I got another sneak peek at our baby girl today at my Doctor's appointment.  She is continuing to grow and they think she weighs ~2lb. 13oz. right now.  We weren't able to get a 3D shot today because she had her face pushed right up against my uterus.  She's already getting squished and we've got about 10 weeks to go! 
I did find out today that I was wrong in assuming no news was good news.  I actually failed the one hour
Glucose Tolerance Test 2 weeks ago, so I will be doing the 3 hour test this Friday, September 9th.  Please pray for God's will.  I am trusting in Him and that He will continue to take care of Josey and me. 
When I shared the news with the kids, the girls were very concerned and worried.  How sweet the LORD is to provide us with life lessons that enable us to share God's promises with our children!  The girls and I have been studying the names of Jesus during school time, and this week we are learning that Jesus is our Rock.  Our verse is:  Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.(Matthew 7:24)  I was able to share with the girls once again how wonderful it is that we serve a God who alone can give us peace and safety when we build our life upon Him.  We can praise Him for allowing us to pour out our prayers and hearts to Him daily, and that He is strong enough to take care of our every need!  He is good and He is faithful!

Rest in God alone, my soul,
for my hope comes from Him. 
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my stronghold; I will not be shaken. 
My salvation and glory depend on God;
my strong rock, my refuge, is in God. 
Trust in Him at all times, you people;
pour out your hearts before Him.
God is our refuge.
Psalm 62:5-8

6 Months Pregnant!

I am a little behind blogging on my pregnancy and Josey's progress!  I truly don't know where the month of August went to! 

Here are some pictures of my baby bump taken by the sweetest 8 year old I know-our Lily!

How far along?: 28 1/2 weeks

Total weight gain?: 18 lbs

Symptoms?: Starting to tire a lot easier by late afternoon and have actually taken a couple of short naps recently which is NOT like me at all!  I am so thankful that we still enforce Quiet Time in the afternoons several times a week in our home with all 4 of our children.  It is a huge blessing for all of us as we all need a little break and time of refreshing!  Also, I'm having more Charlie Horse leg cramps while I'm sleeping at night, along with getting up 3-4 times to use the bathroom!

How big is baby?: ~15-16 inches and ~2 1/2 pounds

Gender?: Girl!

Name?: Josey Hope
*Josey means "God increases"
 Hope means "expectation or belief"

Maternity clothes?: Yes!

Stretch marks?: No-very blessed to not have any at all...yet!

Belly Button?: In right now....barely! It popped out with Katy and Parker!

Sleep?: I am sleeping well, just getting up to use the bathroom.

Energy?: Still have lots of energy in the morning, but losing it by late afternoon!

Exercise?: Does taking care of 4 kids count? :)

Movement?: Most movement is in the late evening when I am finally still.

Food cravings?: Not really craving anything right now, just very thirsty all the time!

What I'm looking forward to?: Holding and loving my baby girl!

Preparations?: We just sold a bunch of things at Picky Chick Consignment Sale and hoping to order bunk beds for the girls' room and bedding for baby Josey!

Labor Signs?: None

Best Moment this week?: Hearing each one of my children separately tell me that they can't wait for baby Josey to be here!  She is going to be very loved for sure!

Here are some ultrasound pictures from my last Dr. appointment that was on August 24th:

 Sweet profile!

Tiny foot!

I am getting spoiled by the Ultrasound Technician.  She is getting some great 3D pictures every time.  Parker carried around this picture for days just staring at it!

So far, she is continuing to grow and her weight and height appear to be just about average ~48%.  This is wonderful news!  Her heart is beating strong and the four chambers look healthy.  Praise the Lord! 
I passed my first Glucose Test and will now be going for appointments every 2 weeks for awhile.  They are still going to keep a close eye on Josey because of her 2 vessel cord which means we'll get a sneak peek at her every visit. 
Thank you for praying for our growing family!

Love this verse that Katy and Parker are learning for AWANA. It's short and sweet, but means so very much!:
...God is love.
1John 4:8

Lactose-Free and Loving It!

My very sweet friend, Jonnelle, surprised me and sent me 2 wonderful recipe books in the mail to help in preparing meals for our Katybug who was recently diagnosed with being Lactose Intolerant.  One of the books is Lactose-Free and Loving It:

Katy loves spaghetti and meatballs, and I didn't realize until I started reading labels, that just about every jar of spaghetti sauce contains milk!  So the first recipe we tried out of this cookbook was one for a pasta sauce.  It was really good and everyone enjoyed it! 

Primavera Sauce

1 (28 ounce) can Italian stewed tomatoes

1 (28 ounce) can Italian diced tomatoes, drained

1/4 cup juice from a jar of pickled jalapenos

2 tsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. dried basil

2 tsp. dried oregano

2 tsp. Italian seasoning

1 Tbsp. white sugar

Combine all ingredients in a large pot.  Blend with a stick blender.  Simmer for 30 minutes.

*I do not own a stick blender, so I combined all of the ingredients into my blender and then transferred over to a large pot to simmer.  I also added more white sugar to give it a sweeter taste.
It made a lot, so we were able to freeze the rest for later!

Here is our family recipe for meatballs that I got from my Grandmother:

Meatballs

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup milk (substitute Silk if you need to make lactose-free)

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (can be omitted or use lactose-free)

1 tsp. crushed parsley flakes

1 Tbsp. minced onion

Mix all ingredients and form into balls.  Place on cookie sheet and bake 350 degrees for 20 minutes, turning over at 1/2 time.

Hope you will enjoy these recipes!

Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

Psalm 34:8

Homemade Laundry Detergent

About a week and a half ago, the kids and I were reading a couple of chapters from the book American Pioneers and Patriots as part of our History/Geography lesson.  It has been a wonderful book so far. 

We were studying the English Pioneers and learning how everything they have was homemade.  My older girls were just amazed and fascinated with how the young girls and their mothers had to make their own soap.  I had been meaning to try out the Homemade Laundry Detergent recipe that my friend, Tracy Grooms, gave me.  When a couple of us got together recently, she demonstrated how easy it was, so I thought it would be a great Homeschool project for Buhl Academy, especially since it fit right in with what we were learning!  I took some pictures so we could share it with you.

Homemade Laundry Detergent

Ingredients:
4 cups hot tap water
1 Fels-Naptha bar soap
1cup Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda (found at Kroger...not baking soda or Arm and Hammer detergent: must be sodium carbonate!)
1/2 cup Borax
5 gallon bucket with lid

Step 1:  Grate bar of soap.

 Step 2:  Fill saucepan with 4 cups hot tap water:

Step 3:  Add soap shavings to saucepan.

Step 4:  Stir continually over med/low heat until all soap shavings have melted.

Step 5:  Fill a 5-gallon bucket half full with hot tap water.

Step 6:  Add melted soap, washing soda, and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved.

Step 7:  Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover, and let sit overnight to thicken.

Step 8:  Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry detergent dispenser half full with soap and then fill rest of way with water. Shake bottle before each use.
*This stuff gets really jelly like. Stir it in the 5-gallon bucket before you add it to your manageable dispenser and make sure you shake the bottle before each use.

**Option: you can add 10-15 drops of essential oil, like lavender, rosemary, etc. per 2 gallons. Add oil only once soap has cooled next day.

For Top Load machines: use 5/8 cup per load (approx. 180 loads)

For HE and Front load machines: use 1/4 cup per load (approx. 640 loads)

Hope you enjoy!

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Psalm 51:10

40-Love

This summer, our Maddy Faith started asking to take Tennis lessons.  A dear friend of mine gave us a recommendation for a tennis coach very close to our home.  When Jonathan called, the coach suggested that we sign Maddy up for Tennis Camp to see if she liked it before investing in lessons.  So the week of August 1-4, Maddy went to Tennis Camp at Beaver Brook Country Club!

The first day of Tennis Camp was the first time Maddy had ever picked up a racquet!  (Thank you Linda and Grace for letting us borrow your racquet for the week!)

The kids learned how to hit forehand on Day 1.

 The Camp was from 12-1 and it was very hot, but Maddy didn't seem to mind!

 Maddy did very well and she really enjoyed it!  Coach Kyle was wonderful with her.

 The kids had to go around the court and pick up all of the tennis balls. 

Day 2 they learned how to hit backhand, Day 3 was spent volleying, and the last day they learned how to serve:

 Then they played a match and learned how to keep score.

 Here are her 2 coaches and the kids that were in Tennis Camp that week:

Maddy had lots of fun learning how to play Tennis, and the kids and I really enjoyed watching her every day.  After 4 years of Gymnastics, Maddy's going to take a break and participate in Tennis Lessons starting in September.  Jonathan is excited because he is a huge racquetball fan, and now has someone to hit a ball with!  We are all excited for Maddy's new adventure!

I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
Philippians 4:13

Pray for Kenya!

My dear husband, along with 11 others, are on a Mission Trip right now in Kenya.  They left on Saturday, August 6th, and will be returning August 17th.  They traveled to Salama where they will be assisting Pastor Gideon. 
The Mission Team consists of two groups, construction and medical.  Jonathan is helping construct beds and desks for the brand new orphanage.  I'm so happy that God provided this opportunity for Jonathan, as he loves the LORD and loves children! 
Please be praying for the team while they are away.  Pray that God will give them a supernatural love for the people of Kenya, that they will be flexible and follow God's plan, and that they will rely on the Holy Spirit to guide them.  Pray that the people of Kenya will open their hearts to hearing the gospel and that they will see that the work being done is all for God's glory. 
I was able to hear from Jonathan yesterday and the team made it safely and with all of their luggage.  He was also able to witness and share the gospel to a man on the airplane from Rwanda-Praise God!  I can't wait to hear all of the wonderful things that God does during his trip...and to God be the glory!

For from him and through him and to him are all things.
To him be the glory forever! Amen.
Romans 11:36

Got Silk?

Our Katybug had her follow-up appointment at the GI Specialist last Thursday.  We were given the results of the biopsies from the two tissue samples that they collected during her endoscopy.  I am excited to say that we finally have answers as to why she's been having so many tummy troubles!  Her biopsy from the sugar test came back abnormal for Lactose which means that she is Lactose Intolerant. Lactose Intolerance is the inability to digest the sugar, lactose.  Her body does not produce the enzyme lactase that breaks down lactose.  This is why she was having such a difficult time with milk and dairy products, especially at Birthday parties where they were serving pizza and ice cream!  If she consumes food containing lactose it causes her to have gas, bloating, stomach cramps, nausea, constipation and eventually vomiting.  What horrible feelings to have!

Since this is something that she will have for the rest of her life, I was sent to a Dietician on Monday and Katy has been put on a restrictive diet that requires the avoidance of Lactose.

We are reading all labels and avoiding the following ingredients:

Butter, Caramel, Casein, Caseinates, Cheese, Cream, Cottage cheese, Curds, Custard, Ghee, Half & half, Lactalbumin, Lactoferrin, Lactulose, Processed lunch meats, margarine, Milk (in any form), nisin, nougat, Pudding, Recaldent, Rennet casein, Sour cream, Whey, Yogurt.

When I received the news I started crying...not because I felt this was horrible news, but because I had known in my heart something just wasn't right and I was thrilled to finally have answers to help my Katybug feel better!  Yes, it is going to be challenging, especially at supper time when the majority of meals I cook have at least one dairy product in it, but we are looking forward to experimenting with some new recipes.  If anyone has lactose free recipes, please share!  I am hoping to post some on my blog after we have tried them. 

Katy is proud to tell everyone she can't have "cow's milk" and she is enjoying her new Silk, especially the Dark Chocolate flavor.  I have to admit it's delicious!!!

Thank you for praying for Katy.  God has been so good to our family, especially through this trial.  He has provided us with wonderful Doctors and also has placed so many people in my path the last several months that are dealing with this issue.  I am so grateful and praise Him for always taking care of us!

God---His way is perfect; 

the word of the LORD is pure.

He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.

Psalm 18:30