The elf

His nickname is quickly becoming 'the elf' because he LOVES wearing this hat I made for him around the house. His little ears stick out and he reminds me of an elf...haha! No matter what, he's still a cutie!

I'm weak...be my strength

It was a miserable day. Rainy, dark, gray, cloudy......... Then the downpour! We were out driving with the wipers on high speed, not able to see but a few feet in front of you. Just a miserable day....... the storm had come.
then.....

We got the call today that hubby didn't get the job. His only prospect.....gone. What do we do now? We were talking about how easy it is for the words to come out of your mouth "Our God will provide".....but oh how much harder it is to actually feel it in your heart and soul. It's getting scary! Living on your last paycheck....
How weak I am. I can feel it and I know it. It's shameful really. I've seen God provide in the past. I've seen how He has taken care of us. I know He will....
I need God's strength. I need His peace. I need to look to the Word.......
but you know what happened by the time we got home...

the storm stopped. It was clear and sunny and beautiful outside. The storm was just for a short while, to serve its purpose for growth of the flowers, trees, grass.....
We covet your prayers while we go through our storm. Our storm for the purpose of growth.... growth that is obviously needed! God knows what He is doing.
I'm looking forward to after the storm...and how we will be able to share the goodness of our Lord! But please pray for us as we experience the not-so-nice 'growing' pains :)
It is all for His glory!

Almost got 'em!

Well, here is my attempt at getting another shot of this little guy. Came in a little clearer today :) They are such tiny birds!!

Hubby had his second phone interview. Hopefully we will hear something soon! He thought it went pretty good......so we wait.....

And, Happy Anniversary to my Mom and Dad. It's been 37 years!!!! Congratulations!

We have hummingbirds!!

We put the feeder up just a day or two ago and we have hummingbirds!!! If I thought it was hard taking pictures of birds sitting still on the other feeders, it's IMPOSSIBLE taking pictures of a tiny, moving hummingbird eating :)

I snapped this shot this morning but you can't really make out the bird in it....but it's there!

Our daughter was the first to spot one yesterday. She was so excited saying there was a little green hummingbird at the feeder. Since I don't think she has ever seen one before, I was a little sceptical yesterday (sorry sweetheart!) but hubby said this morning he saw one! So I grabbed my camera and watched as we ate breakfast this morning and sure enough.....there was the little green hummingbird. How exciting!!!! Hopefully I'll be able to get some better shots...but I doubt it!!!
(he is on the left of the feeder blending in with the leaves)

We've also been eating lunch on the deck for the past week. So far, the bluejays have become accustom to us and will come and feed. The feeders are set up right on the deck, and it's been interesting seeing them a little closer than through the window. The kids still get so excited when they come close, especially our youngest one!! He says 'bird' very clearly and jumps up and down when one flies by :)

Anniversary cake

I was happy the cake turned out well, but I wasn't totally happy with the final product. I guess that is more of my perfectionist side coming out. The swags on the bottom tier did not look the way I wanted it too but overall I was glad it turned out and people did say they liked it....
I actually got another cake order tonight!!!! That was exciting :) It will be for about 50 people. I thank the Lord that He is bringing orders through... I didn't know if it would really turn into anything!

Please continue to pray about the job situation. Hubby has not heard back about the second interview and so far there are no other leads at the moment. I can see the stress it is having on him, but we remind ourselves that God is in control!! :)

All-nighter

making cake......making icing......decorating....it will be all night!!!!
I'll post pictures tomorrow :)

Potty training???

Our 19 month old went and grabbed a new diaper, got up on the couch and laid down, all without saying a word. He did not want his wet diaper on anymore.......do I hear the potty calling????

Powerful video!

This is a powerful one hour video! Thanks for sharing Heather.

Watch Death is not Dying by Rachel Barkey.
A young mother of 2 dying from cancer sharing her love for the Lord.

Today

Hubby is glad the phone interview is over! *smile* He was nervous and thought it went O.K. We will hopefully hear by the end of the week if he will be moving on to the next interview....so here's praying and hoping!!!
And...Happy Birthday to my sister-in-law! Can't wait to have cake tonight :)

Interview

Hubby has a phone interview tomorrow morning. Please pray with us that all will go well. Since it is getting harder for hubby to breath, he is quite nervous about his labored breathing....Pray that God will give him wisdom and a calm spirit. If all goes well with the phone interview, I believe the next step is a face to face interview. This looks like a good company and one which he hopes will work out. A guy he used to work with at his current job has been working at this company for the past 2 years or so. It would be nice for hubby to see a familiar face :)
We will let you know how things go!

This and that

Well, the weekend has come and gone!
We were suppose to get together with family at the park but we had rain on Saturday, so it was cancelled.
We enjoyed our service at church today....we had a missionary from Haiti with us for the morning whom we've known for about 10 years. The kids were so excited to see him again. He is a native of Haiti and a very sweet man.
I'll also be doing a cake this weekend....a big one!! I'm excited and nervous. I think I'm going to try a new raspberry filling this time (I don't know if that is wise not having tested it before but we will pray all goes well!!!)
Still no news about a new job or even an interview. It seems to be slim pickin's here but I know God will provide something!
I'm anticipating my ultrasound coming up in 2 weeks. I'm nervous about that too.....
So other than that, I pray we have a great week ahead and you as well!

One answered prayer!

We went to hubby's appointment today for his throat. He can tell he is about 40% closed up and thinks he can last another 2 months before surgery. His surgery's are actually starting to get farther and farther apart! He was going every 3 months but this last surgery lasted him 8 months! Anyway...on to the good part of today!!
We sat in the room with the nurse as she asked us the normal prep questions before seeing the doctor. We explained to her that hubby has unfortunately been off his medicine since the beginning of the year because of financial reasons. His meds are $300 a month and we just weren't able to afford them but I told her to go and write up a prescription anyway for us (because hubby's health is just too important to be missing his medicine like that). She told us out of all the samples their office gets, they are flooded with this particular medicine he needs. She has so many samples of it she went and gave us a whole month's worth and told us to call each month and she would mail us some....FREE!!!!!!!! I almost started crying right there on the spot!! I keep reassuring myself the Lord will provide for us during this time of lay off and finding a new job, but WOW!
It doesn't stop there though....he went in for his check up with the doctor and although he is closing back up again, his throat looked really good! No inflammation or white spots that a usual active larynx shows. The doctor told us he has no explanation....hubby should be on the medicine but because everything looks really great, he can stay off it for now!
So, not only do we thank God for His provision of this medication for free when we need it, but we thank God that hubby doesn't even need to be on it right now!
It was just a really encouraging day for me.....now off to take a nap :)

Updates...

A few updates....
Hubby found out (through my brother...thank you!) that it is mandatory for the state to continue your health insurance for up to 6 months! This is a blessing with his surgery coming up and all my appointments over the next several months. One thing we need prayer about is for the actual delivery. Our insurance would run out the end of November and baby is due the middle of December, so hospital room etc will not be covered. If baby would like to come 2 weeks early or so...then that would work out great! *smile* From all the insurance plans we've looked at, if you sign up with a new insurance while ALREADY pregnant, maternity is NOT covered. We're looking at alot of medical finances this year so we could definitely use prayer that the Lord will meet these needs.
Hubby also has an appointment with his throat doctor tomorrow for a check up. We know he will be needing another surgery within the next month or 2. I know he would like prayer....he never enjoys the tubes being shoved through his nose and down his throat to check things out at these appointments :)
No real update on me as of yet. Still waiting for my scheduled ultrasound on June 1. I am currently in my 9th week. Still feeling gross....napping alot :) Please pray that we would hear wonderful news on June 1. It is always a scary time....wondering if all will be well. I think the 2 oldest are finally in agreeance that they want a baby sister. Have to wait and see???
Please continue to pray that hubby will find a job. He's been working with a recruiter getting his resume out, so we pray something will turn up quickly!!
....and.....Happy Anniversary (yesterday) to my brother and sister-in-law on 9 years!!

He reads!

Here is an excerpt of our reading lesson today. This was a new page for him. We've been reading about 5 pages a day. Here is the text he was reading in the video. (We are still working on 'the'...that's a tricky word :)
The Van
The van is big.
Men sit in the van.
Ten men will fill the van.

Not bad for an almost 4 year old huh !?!

A new lifestyle begins....

In all things give thanks.......

We expected it and it has happened....hubby has been laid off. Deep breath....
It was a small company which leads to more complicated issues as well. No severance pay, not able to add on COBRA for health insurance.....
We are basically floating down stream fast, with no paddles, hanging on for dear life!
BUT
God is steering our boat :)
God controls the winds and waves....
God whispers "Peace..be still" and there was a great calm.
My heart does not want to be calm, I struggle....
'Time to grow you Alissa' ......Not something I really want to hear.
But I am willing Lord, willing to accept this path and forge ahead knowing you are leading, knowing you will take care of us, knowing you love us!

So here we go.....

Happy Mother's Day

Oh what a privilege to be a mom! What an awesome responsibility to help mold and guide the lives of those little ones God has placed in our care for a short while. What a blessing to be hugged by so many little arms and kissed by those precious faces. Oh what a job...to be caregiver, teacher, nurse, disciplinarian....an example of Jesus Christ to them. What a joy to hear 'I love you' from their mouths!
I can't tell you how God has blessed me with my 3 children. He has answered the desires of my heart and continues to do so despite the fact that I am so undeserving! My biggest fear as a mother is failure. Failure that I will not be the Godly mother they need, that I am commanded to be. I so want to raise them to the best of my ability and my prayer is that with the Lord's help I will do just that. I have prayed to God that He might bless us with children if it would bring Him honor and glory. I want to raise warriors for Him....lights in this world of darkness....examples of Christ to show others God's love....
I love being a mom!! It's the most wonderful job in the world!.....tiring at times but amazing :)
Thank you to my mom who is such an encourager to me and continued support. Thank you for your love and sacrifice! I praise God for you!
Happy Mother's Day to all you Mom's!!!

Training Wheels

We got big sister's old bike out and popped the training wheels on, dressed in our new helmet, ready to tackle the art of bike riding. We do not have flat ground, so bike riding can be difficult to learn in the beginning! His first day had a few scrapes and a lot of frustration but it will come in time :) Then we finished the evening with some chalk drawing in the drive way (followed by baths!!!)

Too eager....jumped on without the training wheels yet and fell

wrote his numbers 1-20

Growth spurt

Seems as though our son is going through a growth spurt! Every article of clothing he puts on seems to have gotten shorter and he's always wanting to eat!! (maybe that's just boys in general :) He will be turning four in a couple months which is so hard to believe! He is already talking about his birthday and cake (I believe it is trains this year). We had a big accomplishment today in school. After months and months of working on our numbers, he finally counts to 20! He would always forget 13, then when he finally figured out where 13 went....15 seemed to disappear. Now I think he's finally got it and he's been counting all day long :)

Dancing Princess

Amidst the noise and chaos of boys with their pop guns, fighting enemy 'pillows'... stands a lonely princess dancing unnoticed to those around her....she twirls and spins....humming a song and dreaming of her prince charming....

teaching letters

Since our son has his little letters all learned now, our spelling tests are being written in small letters. You can see his little mind working as he tries to switch in his mind from capitals to small letters before he writes on paper. I actually just read an article that spoke against teaching kids their capital letters first.
It was saying....we teach our kids to write their names all in capital letters, then tell them forget that...it's not right....now do it in all small letters with only with first as a capital.....
It makes sense when you think about it. So now I have to rethink how I'm going to approach teaching letter writing to my youngest when it's time! I've also read that many like to teach cursive writing before printing. Yikes!! I don't think I'll take that approach but many believe it is the best way. I did start teaching cursive in first grade with our daughter, instead of waiting till 4th like the public schools do....she caught on very quickly and our lessons are half done in cursive and half in printing....
So here is our spelling test today. We are learning that you start writing on the farthest left hand side of the page (he is still working on that!) We are also learning about spacing between each word. We place our eraser on the page after we finish a word to know how much space to leave before starting the next word. He did excellent today sounding out each word and spelling them correctly, but there was ALOT of erasing as he would write capital letters instead of small....

and.....I want to wish my sister a very
happy 31st birthday today!!!!
(1984)

Dove

Thought I'd post a picture of a dove that was sitting out on the grill. They are such pretty birds!

Random things....

Just a few random thoughts....
I'm still feeling gross! That's a good thing but it sure makes things difficult around the house. Schooling is getting a little harder but we manage to put in a good amount of work. She can do alot on her own which helps so we are keeping steady. I don't have an appointment for at least 5 weeks so there won't be any update unless something goes wrong. For now we just continue to pray and wait.

Hubby's job situation is getting much worse. He feels like they are trying to hold on to him as long as possible before the inevitable happens. He is trying so hard to bring in work but nothing seems to be out there. We fear a layoff very soon which is scary.....we trust our God will meet our needs. We hold on to His promise!

Hubby was able to salvage our big bird feeder and put it back up again. Seems like no matter how we position that thing though, the squirrel finds a way to get to it. Our feed is usually gone by morning....I'm thinking we may need to bring the feeders in at night! I'm starting to notice some patterns with our birds and learn about them just by watching them. Our bluejay friends are the early risers. They are usually the first ones there in the morning and then we don't see much of them through the day. Our cardinals are so cute....there is a female and male who seem to stick together all the time. They visit the feeder together alot and where one is, you usually can spot the other not far away. The finches and titmouse are the friendliest. Usually when the kids open up the curtains to peek out the bird fly away for fear, but these ones seem to not be quite as fearful and stick around for the kids to watch. I haven't seen any new birds lately, but then again I haven't been up to birdwatching lately either :)

I thank everyone who is continuing to pray for us right now. I had a dear friend call me last night and pray with me on the phone which was such an encouragement to me. Thank you! Now off to find a nibble to eat cause I aint feeling so great... :)

#4 ?

Well....we usually don't like to do this quite so early but we decided this time we would like the prayers of our friends and family early on :)
We are hoping in December to welcome baby #4. As many who know me....I have ALOT of pregnancy problems! This is our 10th pregnancy....sometimes it is hard to believe! God has seen fit to bless us with 3 beautiful children which I am so thankful for. I love being a mother!!! Hubby and I would be so thrilled to have 4 children. I am experiencing some issues already though. We have seen a heartbeat which is wonderful news but there are some concerning things we would really like you to pray about. God knows and He has it all planned out....for now we just wait, hoping and praying that all will be well.

Prayer

I would like to request prayer for some issues I am dealing with right now. It is an anxious and worrisome time at the moment and I could really use the prayer of friends and family right now. I appreciate all who come by regularly to visit my blog and I'm encouraged by all the comments I receive daily!! You are an encouragement to me!!

Finally fishing!

Hubby has been promising to take the kids fishing for the past several weeks now. Saturday was just a beautiful day, so we headed to the park for an afternoon of fishing. The kids just loved their first fishing adventure!! Our daughter had just thrown in her line and caught a Brim within the first few seconds of arriving. She was excited but grossed out by the fish :) Later on she ended up reeling in a stubborn turtle who wouldn't let go of her kernel of corn....haha. They all got a good laugh from that one! Our son wasn't so lucky this time but enjoyed just sitting there and watching the turtles poke their head out of the water. I think our youngest wanted to get into the action and was not amused that he was buckled into the stroller. Soon, my boy!! We are anticipating our next fishing trip very soon!! Maybe we will have a little more success.....but what an enjoyable time with the kids :)



Her first fish!

The turtle hanging on to the kernel of corn!

first order!

I'm delivering my first cake order today. It is for a girl's birthday and she loves horses! Her favorite colors are also pink and purple. So this is the result! I really hope they are happy with it....I'm a little nervous *grin* It is exciting though and an answer to prayer. I'm thankful for the opportunity!

Sunbathing!

I didn't realize birds liked to sunbathe! This silly woodpecker was basking in the sun, sprawled out on the ledge of the deck. It was soooo funny. I actually thought he was dead at first. He didn't mind me taking pictures of him, but I guess he got fed up with the interruption and flew off. That is just too funny :)

New bird!!!

I need help finding this bird's name. It was beautiful! I have not seen this one before.....It sat with its back to me for the longest time. It is black and white, then it turned around and wow!!! What a beautiful red streak down the front. Looks like it is mostly on the neck area. Does anyone know what it is??

Just found it!! Rose breasted grosbeak.....how cool. It is a member of the cardinal family. I am just loving researching all these birds.

Ramblings...

So, it's been a busy week. Little of this, little of that..... I'm starting to work on a cake for the weekend. I'm making some characters to go on top of the cake and faces are always difficult, so I want plenty of time to try and perfect it! It's going to be a cute cake when it's done. My first paid order!!! Yippee :)

Other than that we've just been busy with school. The kids are still so enthusiastic and having fun which is great for me!

I did finally snap a picture of our bluejay friend. He usually only visits in the morning so I rarely get an opportunity to get a picture of him.

The pesky squirrel finally broke our big bird feeder....bummer. I don't know if he took a tumble to the ground or not but our feeder sure is busted. Still have to figure out a way to squirrel proof the deck :)

ttfn...ta ta for now

Baked Spaghetti

Here is a great recipe! We enjoyed in again tonight :) I can not take credit for it though....it is my sister-in-law who finds all these great recipes! This one is for baked spaghetti and it is delicious!!

Ingredients:
1 (16 ounce) package spaghetti
1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (26 ounce) jar meatless spaghetti sauce
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
2 eggs
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
5 tablespoons butter, melted
2 cups ricotta cheese
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:
1. Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the spaghetti sauce and seasoned salt; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, Parmesan cheese and butter. Drain spaghetti; add to egg mixture and toss to coat.
3. Place half of the spaghetti mixture in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish. Top with half of the ricotta cheese, meat sauce and mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers. Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes. Uncover; bake 20-25 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

Fruits of our labour...

It is so great to see the kids putting into place the things that they are learning. It makes me feel good as their teacher to see that they really are absorbing material they are learning, and it makes me feel proud as a mom to watch them grow and mature. We really have been enjoying our 21 Rules books I spoke about in an earlier post. We are on rule 18 and I hear them throughout their day telling each other 'that's one of our rules remember'....
Our 3 1/2 year son is starting to use his knowledge of words and spelling and has been reading ads and products around the house. Today as we sat at the kitchen table eating breakfast, he was reading the Rice Krispies box and said 'Mommy, that says POP'. So I asked him to sound out another word (we've only been working on 3 letter words so far) and he sounded out SNAP by himself. The other day there was an ad on the table and he read NOT in the title....gets me very excited!!!
Our 6 year old daughter is learning vocabulary words this year. We are going through the Wordly Wise series. A word last week was 'ape' which is a large animal related to a monkey or to copy the actions or speech of another person. While the kids were playing the other day, I heard her say 'look at baby brother trying to ape what I'm doing'....it was soooo funny because I didn't expect her to use the word like that at her age.
I will never get tired (although you may!! hahah) of telling others and encouraging people to really consider homeschooling. It is a truely wonderful experience and way of life for the family!!

Antichrist....Lightbulb!

Have you heard of the term lightbulb moment?? It's when the little switch in your brain goes....oohh yeah! I had one of those today. Hubby and I were talking about a message he heard a few days ago on the radio about the antichrist. My thoughts (maybe like some of you) was that there was going to be an antichrist born. A single person in history who would be taken over by Satan at some point. When will he be born? No one knows.......
Well...when you think about it....does Satan know when the end times are? No one knows the day nor the hour....that must include Satan. It makes sense that Satan probably has been molding many many people all through the generations so he can be ready for his moment....a moment he doesn't know when will happen. With each new generation, he may have an individual picked out, preparing that individual........just my thoughts, but a way I hadn't thought of before...interesting!

Thief!

We've been noticing for the past week or so that there has been a thief among us :) We fill the bird feeder to the top and by the next morning it is empty! We have alot of bird visitors throughout our day, but NOT that many!! We couldn't figure out how our thief was accomplishing his or her task. The bird feeder is strung up high on a pole and hangs out from the deck. Plus we have a slinky strung around the pole so nothing can climb up it.

Well, today I captured our thief on camera. He has been found out....sneaky fella. He jumps from the ledge of the deck ONTO the feeder, hangs by his legs upside down!! and snacks. What nerve!!!

We need to figure out a better approach :) Any ideas?

Another year

Does time go by faster the older you get? Sure seems like it!! Today I turn another year older :) As I look back over the years, I can not believe all that God has done for me! He has blessed me with a wonderful husband and best friend, 3 beautiful children, family who are loving and supportive, a great church family, great friends. God continues to meet our every need and showers us with blessings even though we are so undeserving! What true joy I have....only found through the Lord! It truly is a Happy Birthday....

Duggar family news

If you keep up with the Duggar family, they have recently come out with some exciting news :)

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Today we were able to get school done early and we took an afternoon nap....love those days!! I was never a morning person. I could sleep in till noon if I was able to. But with children and now schooling, I have had to become a morning person :) So those afternoon naps are REALLY nice!! We have enjoyed our first month of schooling. I think we have gotten into a good routine for the most part, trading off seatwork so I can work with the others etc. It has been working so far so we'll continue with it for now!

I was able to get another picture today of a different woodpecker. Our usual visitor is a small, round, plump, feathery guy but this one is a slender, sleek, bigger one.

It was funny the other night when we had the thunderstorm with the hail. Our kids got upset thinking about the poor birds outside in all the bad weather. It was sweet to see their concern.

So that was our day today...now to enjoy our evening!

Birthday fun

The kids were excited about celebrating Grandpa's birthday today, so I thought I'd have a little fun with the cake. He's an easy going fella and I thought he would get a kick out of seeing Nana on the hood of his convertible. He turned 55 today if you can't tell :)

It got a good laugh from everyone....
Happy Birthday Dad!

Things I love

I love to watch my children sleeping so peacefully. What 3 beautiful blessings :)

Today's thoughts...

Today was running around doing this and that. We are preparing for Resurrection Sunday tomorrow. I have quite a busy day with playing the organ, singing in the ensembles, and looking forward to enjoying lunch with family and friends! Couldn't pass up an opportunity to make a cake of course....nothing fancy at all...

We have also discovered a few more birds in the backyard. I believe this one is the white throated sparrow...I think it looks so cool with the yellow above its eyes! We also have 3 different types of doves as well!! There is one with the red belly (below). We also have a gray one with white on the tip of its tail and then an all gray one. They are hard to take pictures of.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter Sunday! I am so thankful my Saviour died on the cross to save me from the wrath of God! He paid a debt I could never pay because He loves me! What a wonderful thought. Thank you Lord Jesus!!

Rain...hail...lightning...

Today was not a good blogging day. It has been miserable for most of the day. It hailed for just a moment which the kids got a kick out of...but the thunder and lightning was not accepted very well. We had some nervous kids :) There was one boom so loud, I even jumped!! Not sure where the lightning hit but it was close! The power flickered several times, turning the computer off, so here we are at 10:30pm and there seems to finally be a calm outside. There were 2 tornado watches in the area tonight which frightened our daughter. I have noticed over the past year or so she has become scared of things. Is it because she is becoming more aware of her surroundings?....I don't know. But it was a great opportunity to talk to her about God being in control. We needn't fear anything when we know our creator is in control. Not just concerning weather, but daily life....(I am speaking to myself).
I've been in quite a battle ground lately with myself. Struggles that I KNOW I shouldn't be dealing with because my God is in control, yet my flesh decides otherwise. Anticipating the storm instead of allowing God to work, trying desperately to have control instead of allowing God to take the reigns. I do this so often, KNOWING it is wrong, and constantly praying for God's peace..... BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD! I repeat these words over in my mind....and hum a tune "Peace, peace, wonderful peace....."