Power of prayer

I wanted to let you all know that this week I will be going up to MI for the birth of my first grand baby, Emma Elizabeth. She already 4 days late in her arival, so please pray that I get there in time to be wiht my oldest DD. Her boyfriend is out of state for his job and she needs me to be there. I will be gone for a couple of weeks. When I come back there will be pic's of Emma to add :)

Now I wanted to share to other things with you that are connected in a circle of life sort of way. First, I lost my wedding ring about 3 months ago through my own ill temper and stupidity. I immediatly regreted it, but it was no where to be found. It was lost in the nursery and no matter how hard I or DH searched, no dice. Then two nights ago DH and I were having some quiet time alone I told him I didn't want to go to MI without my wedding ring. He said he had tried to replace it but he couldn't find the same one (matching his) again. We prayed, I repented for my sin and shared with DH how sorry I was and I finely took the blame for what had happened. Well, not but a few minutes latter he went to use the restroom and on his way back stopped and knelt by our bed. He said he was checking for his work boots for the morning, but he pulled out my ring! Now the room was almost pitch black and this is not the room I lost it in. I can't tell you the emotion's that went through us. I am not sure who was happier, him or me. Now you can offer a few different ideas about how this happened, but for it to happen it that time span in that order is just to big a coincadent and I believe there are no coincadents. Just God at work. I had been defient, ill tempered and unrepentent towards my DH. I felt distenced from him, and wouldn't even wear my engagment ring. Then I walked around the house moaning about what was wrong with my DH and our marriage. But I am here to tell you that since the new year and my renewed submerssion in His word I have felt closer to DH. Then when I finely repented God worked a mircle! Praise the LORD!

Now I want to share how this miracle has a two fold effect on not only my life but that of my oldest DD. First I am going off to MI with a lighter heart and a more positive outlook on spending time with DD and her boyfriend and his family, we all don't realy get along. I have been praying for alnost 8 months straight on what to do in this situation, stay here or go up there. I have felt no guidence in this area before now. But now I know I wasn't able to hear over my own whining voice. My daughter has voiced several times her desire for me to be there. I guess I am just finding it hard to believe after all we have been through together. There was years of therapy , scores of medication, cussing, not coming home, jail , dropping out of school and so much more that these items are just the tip of the iceberg. My childhood wasn't so hot either, so my selfesteem is pretty low before you add these things to it. I had years of hearing what a bad mother I was, especialy when I put her on meds and wouldn't bail her out of jail. So anyway, guess I wasn't convinced she ment it, that she might rather have her friends there. But she never changed her mind no matter how many chances I gave her. I feel that God giving me my ring back imediatly after me saying, "I don't want to go with out my wedding ring", is His way of saying,"well here it is, now stop looking for a way out and go to your daughter. Show her by example how I can work in ones life". So I am sitting here feeling mad that I was ready to give up on my relationship with her at the age of 22. I can clearly see she has made many positive changes in just a short time. She chose a long hard path to walk in this life. As a monther it breaks my heart and I want to help her "fix" it. But the best thing I can do for her is show her that not only will I not leave her like everyone else (her birth mom and dad), but God won't either. He will be right here waiting for her as she makes her way, in her own time, towards him.

SO, I am setting out to start a new chapter as Grandma with my oldes DD and as a misionary for God into her life and those of the people around her and my new and first grand baby. He truly is an Awsome God, and I am gratful to see the answer to all my praying. It happened in His time, not mine, and you know what.... It was just at the right time!

Blessings, Beth Ann

The rest of us

Here is almost the rest of my clan. Here is a pic of my middle children that I am home schooling, Zachary (14) and Breanna (10). This was are one and only snow so far, back in Dec. The kids managed to scroung up just enough snow to make these two snowballs - LOL
Next is everyone eating pumpkin pie after dinner on Thanksgiving, and watching Charlie Brown on T.V. I just love this pic, it makes me smile every time I look at it. I especialy love how the twins are sitting in their own little chairs eating so proper.
I have also included this picture of Howard, our 5 year old red male mini doxin. Don't you love how he is laying on the couch with the remote! LOL

Me

This one of the few current pic's of me I like. I am sitting in this tree on
the beach, at Edisto Island . Edisto is located right in the Atlantic Ocean off of South Carolina. It is our most favorite vacation place and we go there every year. This pic was taken on my birthday. DH and I woke up early and snuck out of the RV before any of the kids woke up so that we could take a walk on the beach and enjoy the sunrise together (pictured at left). A little one on one time.

My twins

Here are Elysha & Elijah, they are 29 months in this pic. This was back last Oct. 2006 on our trip to Edisto Island, South Carolina.

So you wanted pictures............

Well I figured out the picture thing - LOL Here is a picture from my wedding, April 12th. 2004

What is wrong with the youth/America today?

Okay, today I am officaly taking to my soap box. As of March ALL Wal-marts are doing away with their fabric section. They say it is to make more room for electronics and crafts. Now I ask you, what is sewing if it is not a craft? I will give you the Wal-mart answer, it is not money making in high enough profits like MP3 players and scrapbooking is. So once again we are reduced to numbers, not independent people or villiages trying to raise well rounded children or saving money on other clothing that is not made in Tiawian! Now your asking how does this affect our youth or the decline of American society. Well it starts back in the bible, everything does :) God does not want women to work outside the home if they don't have to. See whole bible or concentrate on the books of Genesis, Corinthians and Ephisinas. Now I am not looking to make people angery, I too was a working mom for over 15 years. I am just saying that if you have a choice to stay home and YOU be the teacher to YOUR children you you need to step up to the plate and stop blaming teachers when your children are in trouble. You can see a direct corolation between the decline of traditional family values starting when women entered the work force. So for those of us who chose to stay home and want to teach our children the life skills we value instead of lets say buying our cloths from a corporate slave driver and supporting communist countries (yes, Wal-mart is in China too)with our hard earned dollars that are needed here more, Wal-mart is making it almost impossiable as they have driven out smaller locally owned businesses.

This is just a small snapshot of a larg ongoing problem in America. First they took away our right to use lay-away on thier item, and now the fabric is being deleted from stores. What is next? MY DH and I are going to take our American dollars else where from now on. I suggest you all review your options as well.

For those of you doing the bible reading with me, today is Gen. 16-18 and tomorrow is 19-21.

May God bless you and yours. Beth Ann

It's here, it's here! (TGIF was done to death - LOL)

Greetings all from Never - Never land, where no one under 5 ever sleeps!!! Just thought I would do a quick shout out today to let you all still feel the love.

Bible reading for today was Gen.13-15, tomorrow will be 16-18 of course. Keep this up and it will become a habit, a very good one.

Not much else going on here in middle TN. Still having some pretty mild if not some what rainy weather here. It was so mild last night we slept with the window open! Can you belive that - wow! First of the year and our windows are open. Got to remember that where I come from summer is refered to as 3 bad months of snowmobiling :) Once again remined as to why we moved here in the first place.

While I have been reading Geneisis and Abrams journey from Ur to an unknown land I think about my own migration to TN. Here is a study note from my bible (NLV) that I would like to share with you all, based on Gen. 12:1 ..." When God called him, Abram moved out in faith from Ur to Haran and finally to Canaan. Gods will may come in stages. Just as the time in Haran was a transition period for Abram, so God may give us transition periods and times of waiting to help us depend on Him and trust His timing. If we patiently do His will during the transition times, we will be better prepared to serve Him as we should when He calls us". Wow, huh? That just blew me away and I had to share it with you all. I feel you can apply this to any asspect of your life, in so many ways - Amen

Well it is TGIF no matter how much I hate to use the term. But what that means around here is paying bills and hoping to have enough to get everything on my shopping list. I only shop once a week, so my list has more then groceries on it, like pet food, t.p. and more. All school supplies, gifts and clothing come from this too. So always stressful. I am sure this is true in many more homes then just mine. So lets all just remember that "the Lord will provide".

Blessings, Beth Ann

Thursday tactics continued...........

Okay I just finished dinner and am still alive to tell about it. Lets recap, to make it through the morning you need nerves of steel, and a grin and bear it attitude. Sometimes I have to many helpers during the morning, so I try to look at that as a blessing. Several strong cups of coffee don't hurt either - LOL It is even better if I have my new favorite find in it, Splenda coffee creamer sticks. Yummy :) I have only tried 2 of the 3 flavors (mocha and vanilla) both wonderful, will get the hazelnut next. I know, I know, splenda is evil and will kill ya. But I figure so will all this extra weight , according to my doc (whom I pay monthly to tell me), so one step at a time.

Surviving the afternoon is another thing. It seems while I am upstairs putting the twins down for their nap all my helpers go on hiattus. So I have to ever so sweetly and under my breath remind myself why I had children in the first place as I clean the mess they left before I can get any lunch for me. At this point a big soda always seems to help and since I have most my water for the day in (60 oz.) I indulge. Then I start counting the hours for DH to get home so that the ratio of adult to child is a little more even.

I know it is wrong but I hit (bet you thought I was going to say children here) the coffee pot again - LOL around 4 p.m.

Now I am in the home stretch for friday and the week-end. Just need to make it through the dinner hour. Am I the only one or does anyone elses kids seem to get worse the closer it gets to dinner time? Wonder why, drop in hormones? Brain cells? "Things that make you go Hmmmmmmmmm" LOL dating myself with that one.

Top 10 Thursday survival tactics....

1) Have nerves of steel
2) Coffee
3) Able to ignor annoying children in a single bound
4) Grinding teeth together while muttering under breath
5) Big soda
6) Nashing teeth together while spitting out finger nails that you chewed off
7) Make sure to say "your father will be home soon and..."
8) COFFEE
9) Ride your artifical sweetner high all the way upstairs for an hour alone with ... (insert tv personality of your choice here, unless DH is already hiding up there since he was tipped off on the status quoe by your standing on the roof screaming at the children to "just wait until dad gets home").
10) Your a Mom so you just suck it up and try to burn at least 100 calories after the kids go to bed (wink, wink) LOL

Good night to you all and remember - "The majority opinion is not necesarly Gods will"

Blessings from Beth Ann

Thursday - tactics for making it to the week end!

Greetings all! Well didn't sleep well last night, what is new.

My DH has sleep apnea, and it just keeps getting worse. It is to the point that I sleep much better without him. Not to mention he is a heat making machine, leaves sweat on his pillow in the dead of winter. LOL But I didn't get married to sleep alone, so I try to tough it out. I hope he will lose some weight with me and things will be better. We use to sleep all snuggled up together, and I miss that.

Well the clock on my blog is wrong and I can't fix it. I also can't figure out how to get pics on here, so bear with me please. I would love to share some shots of my beautiful family, just like all my friends do on thiers :)

It is 10:41 a.m. here in middle TN. and so fare I have surrvived the morning. Just finishing some unit projects with older kids, then will start school schedual full steam on Monday. Seems like I am always running around trying to finish something. My favorite time of day is when the twins nap. They are down to just one nap and it last usualy only an hour. But for that hour.......... That is when I try to get my reading for me done. I start with my bible, then what ever I am currently reading for recreation. Right now it is "Twas the bite before Christmas", by Lee Charles Kelly. It is the 5th in a series, but only the first I have read. I am not going to go out and read the rest if you catch my drift - LOL

Todays bible reading is Gen. 10-12 and tomorrows is 13-15

Dinner tonight is "camping chili w/baked potatoes" . That is my middle DD favorite bean recipe. She is a litteral child, litteraly. If it is called camping chili we eat it when we camp. It it were called Tuesday chili she would expect to eat it only on Tuesdays. Well we went camping to Gulf Shores AL last week and ended up not making it. So being the penny pincher I am, we are eating last weeks food this week so that I saved on the grocery bill last Sat. :) I like to make it while camping because it is easy to start then just leave while I am out at the beach or site seeing! I have added the recipe including the point values. Points are how us weight watcher people count our calories :)

Camping Chili -

1 can white beans
1 can red beans
1 can black beans
1 large jar salsa
1 1/2 pound ground meat (I use Morning Star Veggie Crumbles)

Drain beans. If using veg. crumbles don't thaw, just toss in crock pot. If using ground meat, brown first then drani and add to crock. So put all beans, meat and salsa in crockpot. Then add about 2 cups of your choice of stock. Heat on low for about 4 hours, or until heated through.

Makes 6 1c. servings. with meat 5pts., with veggie crumbles 4pts. If you garnish with cheese or sour cream make sure you add those points too.

Blessings for now and will try to let you know if I survived the afternoon. Beth Ann

Getting started

Good evening all. I am a newbie at this so bear with me. I hope to share my insites, wisdome, faith and foul - ups on this site in hopes of reaching out to my family and friends.

I am a 30 something mom of 5, deivorced and remarried . I have a 22 year old step-daughter from my first marriage who is expecting her first child, a girl, and my first grand baby. I have raised her since she was 2, so I always count her as one of my own. I also have a son and a daughter from my first marriage, which ended due in part to his bi-polar disorder. I am from northern MI, but relocated to middle TN almost 5 years ago. I remarried and had boy/girl twins who are now in their terrible two's!

I am a stay at home mom (first time ever) who found God down in this beautiful part of the country and He lead me to home schooling. I will tell you that after moving here I finealy feel like I am home and that I fit in. I am also embarking on a health quest with the start of this new year. A quest to be healthy mentaly, physicaly and spiritualy. I look forword to sharing this with you all.

I enjoy reading (mysteries and christian based), music (light jazz and classic such as Billy Joel),counted cross stitch, and RVing with my family and two dogs (14 yr. husky & 5 yr. doxin). I ador cooking and am great at it, hence the need to loss weight- LOL So always looking for new foods, food shows, cook books and kitchen gadgets. Looking forword to sharing my recipes and finds with you all.

That is my intro in a nutshell. Please be kind and remember to always behave like God is sitting right next to you, because He is.

I am also reading the bible in a year, and if you would care to join in I am starting with Geneis. I have already read 1-9, tomorrow will be 10-12.

Good night and blessings to all.

Beth Ann