O- Mother (hood)

I often get those looks of "are you crazy" and (insert a touch of sarcasim) those much appreciated questions/statements like
Are they all yours?, Did you plan them?, Do you wish one would have been a boy? You're brave, I'd couldn't go out by myself with that many kids, I'd hate to see what your wedding bills Will be in 20 year!

Some days, especially when the twin were babies, it was hard for me believe that they were ALL mine (until I accounted for all the sleepless night and stretch marks) and that we have 4 girls. Even if you 'plan' on getting pregnant you cant control the sex of the baby or the personality they will have, or if they will be healthy, etc.
Why not go out!?! Often times they are better behaved in public than at home, and I may be a stay at home mom, but doesn't mean I have to stay home 24/7! ;D I refuse to think about their wedding bills (we may just do 1 big wedding party, who knows ;D)
I feel so blessed to have such a high calling. Being a parent is a great responsibility, and being the parent that is the daily caretaker and educator is a wonderful privilege. :D More than that is my calling. What better way to spend your life than investing in your children and teaching them to love and follow the creator of the universe! This is not to say that some days when you feel like all you do is break up silly arguments and wash things that are dirt (clothes, dishes, kids,etc) that there is no discouragement. But I love knowing that my 'boss' is the best ever! He is patient with me while i learn the job, he encourages me when I'm discouraged, he gives me strength when I am tired and feel over worked. And bonus!!- I grow in my relationship and understanding of Him as I carry out my duties, becuase hes also my Father. :D
I found this article on http://www.desiringgod.org/ and thought I would share it!
Blessings and happy mothering!


http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/motherhood-is-a-calling-and-where-your-children-rank

long time....

wow! I know it had been awhile but 2 month since the last blog. Oops!
Well in the last few months we have tackled the adventure of potty training the twins. They actually did a great job. Just this last week we begun that little relapse that all kids seem to go through.. what with that?!? There's not much they wont do for a sticker and a piece of 'cookie bar' (thats what they call the cereal bars from Trader Joes).
School is coming to an end. I officially have 1 week left of class before summer brake begins and I move on to the next phase in life... full time homeschooling. I will not be working at VCA anymore but all 4 of the girls will be doing some kind of homeschool program; 1 in Kndg, 3 in preschool. Plus we have launched a new photography business to help us make money to fund the adoption that we are praying God opens doors to soon. Check it out and let me know what you think!
Summer fun is about to begin! Wahoo! :)

(BTW- the new business is Adelfia Photography. We have a page on Facebook or check out our blog at adelfiaphotography.blogspot.com) ;D

Cork Screw hair bows

Here is a simple out line of how to make those super cute curly hair clips. I always thought they would be harder to make. Now that I know how it has saved us alot of $$. :)

Materials needed:

Ribbon (I have found the thinner the better it works)

doll rods (make sure they are short enough to fit in your oven ;D)

clothes pins

static guard spray

Oven- preheated to 350 degrees

regular sewing thread and needle (coordinating color to ribbon)

hot glue gun

scissors
Alligator clip (or Barret/ pony tale holder whatever you are wanting to attach it to)

Steps:

1- choose your ribbon. (For fuller bows you will need more ribbon. The ones I made here are smaller)

2- wrap ribbon around doll rod securing it at each end with a clothes pin (you could also use a small dot of hot glue but then you will need to cut the tips off before making your bow)

3-when the doll rods have bee wrapped spray a generous coat of static guard onto them covering all sides- make sure you do this outside so you get your whole house stinky and sticky

4- place doll rods on a cookie sheet and place them in the oven (which has been preheated to 350 degrees) 'Cook' for 15 minutes. You can leave longer but shouldn't be longer than 25 minutes.

5- Remove doll rods and allow them to cool off.

6- When cool, carefully unwrap the ribbon.

7- Cut the ribbon into the sizes you want (Average bow would be about 3-4 inches). With the ribbon I had I made 2 small bows.

8- Thread your needle with about 12 inches of thread- doubled over and knot.

9- lay your thread vertically (needle up) place your ribbon strips on top of the thread. If you are using different colors try to make sure they are not on top of each other so you get more even results.

10- take your needle and pull over the top of your ribbon. Push through the the double end to loop around ribbon pull tight. Wrap around your new bundle for extra security. Knot to keep tight. Set the bow aside for a moment

11- Cut about 3 inches of coordinating ribbon to cover alligator clip. Put a line of hot glue down one half and glue to flat edge of the clip. Put small amount of glue on the in side of the clip and double ribbon onto the inside covering the top part of the clip on both sides.

12- attach bow to the clip. For extra stability I sewed and glued my ribbons to the clip. Take the dangling thread and push needle through the middle of the top of the alligator clip. Go back up through the bottom and tie off. Put a small dot of hot glue under the center of the bow to attach more securely.

This is one of the 2 I made from this ribbon. Great for the little ones or for pigtales on the older ones. :)

Once glue is dry and cooled off enjoy it! :) You just made a bow! :)

***You can also attach smaller versions of the same to other bows you make for a special touch. Same process just sew to the bow instead of the clip. :)

Cost: Ribbon- $.75-2 (depending on how much you use) ,

Alligator clip - about $.14 (just over $3 for 25),

doll rod- $1 (and you reuse, and reuse.....)

with hot glue on the top end you have spent about $3 (with lots of materials left over to make more :D)

Finding the bright side of the ribbon :)

A few weeks back when we had all our snow and ice I had a little fall while carrying one of the twins across the yard. I am now complete with 1 of my 3+ weeks on crutches (and still surviving thanks to my wonderful family). Going from a mom that hardly gets to sit during the day (especially in 1 spot) to trying to navigate a tri- level house with 4 small ones running around your injured leg and having to pick a spot and stay there most of the day has been a challenge. I have taken some refuge at the folding table that never seemed to get cleared enough to be put away after the holidays. (Sometimes it does pay off to not get something crossed off you to-do- list.) :D This table is in the kitchen and over the last several weeks had become our catch all spot for school projects and my crafts. Since my kids like to eat alot and its the main floor of the house and it is a place I can sit w/ my leg up and still keep an eye on most things going on it has been a great set up. And if you are going to sit there while you watch the house get messed up and dust collect you might as well have something to ease your mind of all the things you can't physically get done. So thus has begun my adventures in hair bows. :) My girls and nieces are gonna have the most decked out hair in town by the time I get to walk again ;D. We are experimenting with ribbons, flowers, fabric.... if it's w/in arms reach (or I can explain where its at) this getting made into an accessory. (BTW- don't tell my former self what I have become she wouldn't believe you anyway. Something about having 4 super cute daughters will change a lady!) Here are some pictures of the results of my boredom. :D

Fun valentine activities :)

With all this snow we are having to find LOTS of creative outlets for all our little ones extra energy. :) We made a heart mobile last week, we are gathering materials for "crayon Hearts: a cute project with melted crayon shavings in wax paper from Martha Stewart's website. Here is the link, super easy, and helps recycle some of those hundreds of broken crayon pieces. :)

http://www.marthastewart.com/good-things/crayon-hearts?backto=true&backtourl=/photogallery/valentines-day-decor#slide_4

We are also making frames and cards along with little Valentines for their friends. Maybe by the times we are finished the snow will have melted (at least a little). ;)

The twins and I did this one today. Its fun how even at 2 yrs they can want to learn so much. We used a ruler to measure the paper and they helped choose what scissors to use to cut the paper into squares.We made a pattern with the 2 paper designs, and they helped put the stencils in place so I could paint the letters on. their favorite part was helping with the thread and tape to hang it up. :D

Heres to coloring, gluing, painting, and deocrating our way to warmer days!

Good deals! :)

So I recently ordered from Artcow.com.
They are kind of like a Shutterfly website, maybe a little more product focused than photo storage focused. Anyway, I had seen ads for them but hadn't used them until recently thinking that the way cheaper prices were going to mean a sacrifice in quality. But I was very impressed. I made an ordered a photo book for my sister and brother-in-law for Christmas with the maternity pictures I took for them. It turned out way cute! They seem to run good sales often too. They have a good special on coin purses right now, a fun gift for a birthday or Valentines day.
Happy weekend! :)

Continuing Christmas Tradition- RACHEL'S FAITH

It hard to sit in our middle class homes filled with decoration and comforts and not feel pain for those who do not have the same opportunity we do. Even when money is tight, we have so much in comparison to much of the world.
In years past we have given donations to organizations like Samaritans Purse as gift to family for Christmas. This year with our heart focus being drawn more strongly towards orphans around the world we have looked into some of the great opportunities that All Gods Children Int'l offers to help orphans, mothers, and widows. AGCI helps family with the adoption process, but also has different ministries that help these groups in foreign, poverty stricken areas. They have a few ministries in Ethiopia one of which is Rachel's Faith. You have an option to donate to the cause or to actually travel with them on a mission trip to work with these women. And since a trip out of the country is not an option right now, we decided to donate to this ministry this year. Below is the info on Rachel's Faith from their website www.OrphanCare2011.org.

If you as looking for a last minute gift, how about the gift of life and family. :)


RACHEL'S FAITH:

In the Tigray region of Ethiopia, it is difficult for single mothers and widows to find jobs to help support their families. AGCI's program 'Rachel's Faith' provides opportunities for women to learn trades, open businesses, and care for their families. Because of this outreach to single mothers, children who were on the verge of being orphaned are now able to remain in their home environment.

May you all have a very Merry Christmas as we pause to remember our Savior being born as a man to save all men from their sins. A King so humble, the perfect Son and sacrifice.
Happy Birthday Jesus, thank you for the best gift ever.... you!

Christ must be 1st at CHRISTmas! Cute idea ahead...

Saw this on the MOPS Int'l website and thought it was a cute idea.
With our kids we make a birthday card for Jesus and put it in his stocking and then on Christmas morning when we have breakfast we read them to Him at his Birthday party. And yes we do the candel in the panCAKE and sing, it wouldn't be a party w/o that (a least acording to my 4 yr old).
Merry Christmas! :)



A Stocking-Stuffer Christmas Story
By Sherry Fiscella

It’s easy to get caught up in a “Here-Comes-Santa-Claus” kind of Christmas. One way to focus on the real meaning of Christmas is by telling the story of Jesus’ birthday with five fun stocking stuffers.

After gathering the stocking stuffers suggested below, wrap and number them in the order listed. Next, place the items in a single stocking or distribute them among family members’ stockings.

On Christmas morning, help your children unwrap the gifts in numerical order. Use each item as a prompt to tell a portion of the Christmas story.

Stocking Stuffers:



Angel ornament: This Christmas ornament reminds me of the angel, Gabriel, who told a young lady named Mary that God had chosen her to be the mother of a special baby boy. The angel told Mary to name the baby “Jesus.”

Small box of blocks: These remind me of a builder. Joseph, who promised Mary that he would be her husband, was a builder. While baby Jesus was still in Mary’s tummy, Joseph and Mary took a trip to Bethlehem, a town that was far away.

Animal crackers: When Joseph and Mary arrived in Bethlehem, there was no room left in any of the hotels. Instead, they stayed in a stable, a cave where animals were kept. These animal crackers remind me of the animals that might have lived in that stable.

A pacifier-shaped lollipop or a baby doll item: This reminds me of a baby. The most special baby ever born was God’s own Son, Jesus! Baby Jesus was born while Joseph and Mary were staying in that stable in Bethlehem.

A soft pair of socks or mittens: These soft socks remind me of wooly sheep. An angel visited some shepherds who were watching their wooly sheep near where Jesus was born. The angel told the shepherds to find baby Jesus. After finding the newborn Savior, the shepherds told lots of people the good news. I’m glad I can share the good news about Jesus with you this Christmas, too!








Sherry Fiscella loves stuffing her Christmas full of reminders of Jesus’ birthday as she celebrates with her husband and two children. A freelance writer and speaker, she may be contacted through her website: www.sherryfiscella.com.

babies are growing up

You know your "babies" are growing up when they call you by yuor 1st name instead of mama.
The twins are having a hard time going to sleep today and have been talking/ singing in their beds for about 30 minutes. I have tried laying them down and rubbing their backs, etc. without success. I left to for awhile to see what would happen, and I hear the sweet 2 yr. old voice, "Mama poopy." I thought if was probably just a trick to get me in the room again so I wait and a minute later hear her say, "K-Tina, I poopy." I did go that time, she's never called my by "my name" before so figured it had to be real. She was perfectly dry and sweetly smiles up at me and says "Sissy poop" her sister confirms so I check her only to find she is dry as well. They just laugh. They have defiantly been perfecting their "twin language" and can now use it to plan and trick mama! :)
We have been thinking about giving potty training a shot over Christmas, if this keeps up I think they might be successful at it. They know what their bodies are trying to do, its a start. Now helping them learn only certain people can call me certain names, which is hard I know since I have so many (even some of my adult friends have been confused at what to call me;)) Just not ready for them to be so grown up!:) I'll always be "mama."

"Baby Jesus"

Karis has produced her 1st Christmas single! ;)

Now that the twins have begun to really master language it is quite a fun (and noisy) place. I love to sit and listen to them talk with each other. I didn't quite believe others when they said that twins have their own language, but it's defiantly true for our two. They can sit and have full length conversations with each other, most are able to be interpreted by us, but some is just for themselves. Some of my favorite things about the language development is that they sing, alot. ABC's, Twinkle little star, B-I-B-L-E, and many more. Sometimes they, especially Karis, will just sing about a random thing they are doing or thinking about, usually to a tune of one of their favorite songs. Today I caught them playing with the nativity set when I was getting replacement bulbs to fix some lights on the tree, but I couldn't get upset b/c they were playing so nicely and singing about baby Jesus.

Here is a sample of Karis' 1st recorded Christmas single! ;)

She is only 26 months old, so not to bad!

toddlers rule

All parents know that the toddler years are interesting, busy, and full of surprises. These young children have unspoken rules, and when you have multiple children that fit into this category there are many amusing as well as frustrating moments.
If you have one 2 yr old, then that toys is hers, there is no contest. I am blessed with two 2 yr old and a 3 and 4 year old. So the old toddler rule of: I want it, it's mine; can cause quite a rowdy scene around our home.
Some of the consistent rules of a toddler I have found in my days of parenting:
- I saw it, it's mine.
- I want it, it's mine
- You have it, I can get it, it's mine.
-I beat her to it, it's mine.
- You let me use it, its mine.
- You set it down it's mine.
-You ever thought about getting me, one it, its mine.
- I'm giving you cute puppy dog eyes, it's mine.
- She's had it long enough (in my opinion), so now it mine (forever).
-It light's up, its mine.
-It talks, its mine.
- It sparkles, it's mine.

The list could continue.......................... on and on................................... :) ......................... but you know what I'm talking about.


No one ever had to teach us to be self centered (or most of the other not so pleasent attributes we have). And some say we are naturally good! Anyone that has spent a good amount of time with a kid, or looked honestly at themselves, can see that is totally false. We are a depraved and sinful people, even as cute toddlers.

Praying that during this season so fulled with 'things' and the 'stuff that I need to be mine' attitude that we are not overcome with ourselves, but that we are overwhelmed with the love a Savior that gave so we could have life. How many rulers/ false gods ever gave of themselves or resources so that the lowly could become part of their family/ inheritance?

I do look forward to the joy and excitement that will fill those 8 beautiful eyes of our children on Christmas, and I hope the same for our family and friends.
May you find many opportunities to fill your home with Christ as we prepare for His glorious birthday celebrations!

He will Carry you

No matter the stage of loss or the circumstance the pain is real. But our God is bigger than the struggle of the hour and will carry you. We say we trust in the sovergeignty of God and know that He works all things together for His good. (Romans 8:28) But in times of confussion and sorrow what/ who do we rest in? This song is so beautiful and speaks to this truth.

Thank you Lord for your great love, for being the Father that never abandons and the eternal comfort in times when we don't need all the answers that our hearts long for.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLuaGiu73jc

"I Will Carry You"- Selah

There were photographs I wanted to take
Things I wanted to show you
Sing sweet lullabies, wipe your teary eyes
Who could love you like this?People say that I am brave but I'm not
Truth is I'm barely hanging on
But there's a greater story
Written long before me
Because He loves you like this

So I will carry you
While your heart beats here
Long beyond the empty cradle
Through the coming years
I will carry you
All my life
And I will praise the One Who's chosen me
To carry you

Such a short time
Such a long road
All this madness


But I know
That the silence
Has brought me to His voice
And He says

I've shown her photographs of time beginning
Walked her through the parted seas
Angel lullabies, no more teary eyes
Who could love her like this?

I will carry you
While your heart beats here
Long beyond the empty cradle
Through the coming years
I will carry you
All your life
And I will praise the One Who's chosen Me
To carry you

Genesis According to a 4 yr old

Its pre-nap reading time. To my surprise (the good kind) all the girls have decided to read together today. Amara has chosen her children's Bible as one of her reading options today and snuggles in to "read" the stories to her sisters. Her interpretation goes like this:
"Once upon a time god Created everything, but everything went very wrong. Noah loved God and God told him to build an ark. He put two of all the kinds of animals on the ark. God made it rain a lot so they could get off and play. When the rain stopped God put a rainbow in the clouds. Noah went off and things weren't terribly bad anymore. The End of Noah's story."
I was in the kitchen trying not to laugh while transcribing her version of the stories.
"Mama did you like how I read the Bible. I read it just like God wrote it. He wrote the Bible, and Addys wrong because she said He didn't."
Think we are gonna have to get back to the old testament and fill in some of the missing pieces, but I praise God that she is listening enough to understand the parts she has.

PJs and God

Fall is offically here! It has come on strong and cool. With temps dipping down into the 40 at night I thought it might be a good time to break out the footie pjs again. Its amazing how just a different style of pjs can excite a kid so much. Although I must admit there are times during the cold months that I long for a good pair of footies. :) We dressed the girls in them last night and they all went to bed so proud and warm, it was a battle to get them into their dresses this morning though, not near as warm or cozy! They have been anxiously waiting to put them on again all day, so when the time finally came to get dressed for bed tonight they were super excited! Here is the conversation the two eldest are having:

Addy:I love footie pjs!
Amara: Me to I won't be cold.
Addy: I'm gonna wear mine, they have hearts on it!
Amara: These pjs are the best... o wait no, no,no. God is the best!... but I really love my comfy footies. God is better than my pjs, and your pjs too. He is bigger than all the pjs......

It continued on but I was to busy giggling to catch it all.
I enjoy hearing their conversations that show they are actually absorbing some of what they are being taught. I love the way God is in everything for a child and pray that I can gain some of that awe back.

Come one Come all... admission...FREE!

Do you ever wonder how many strangers stories you are in?
Just a few examples I could see others telling about our family:
-I saw this poor mom in the bathroom the other day w/ 2 kids on the potty and changing a diaper while the other one ran circle around her trapping her legs in the leash....
-This sweet little girl was narrating her potty experience to her mom in the bathroom…
- I was caught off guard today when a mom came out of the clothes rack holding a 2 kids...
- Did you see how far that little kid shot that food off her plate? She got a future in baseball....
-Or the one we all dread…. some little girls was coach/praising her mom on the potty today. (You gotta love then the tell you they are going to hold to you so you don't fall in and clap for you when your all done.)

Sometimes I think I need to charge admission for the show my girls put on in public, not always bad entertaining either. They are just so stinkin' entertaining! Karis will be trying to help push the cart and Kaelyn will walk beside her going "Skoot back!" Addy insists on wearing her sunglasses the entire time and is always looking behind her so she is constantly running into things/people or having very near misses. And Amara feels the need to constantly narrate everything, sometime even through song. She is a 1 girl musical show. :) We get so many people that stop us to ask, "Are they all your?!?" that Amara, sometime Addy, have started just telling people who haven't asked. And once they start you can't stop them until they have to preform the whole show, their ages, when their birthday is, how old they will be on their birthday, that they are sisters, and that they have twins, etc.
We are trying to give Amara some since of what a stranger is and that its not always appropriate to walk up to someone and have a conversation with them (Say what mom? If they can see me I must converse with them!) So now when she remembers not to go up to someone she will loudly announce to all those in the area, "Mom that man/lady is a stranger. I don't know them so I didn't talk to them. They might not be nice."
One thing is for sure we never have a dull time when we are out in about. But when your 4 on 1 you just learn to expect the unexpected and go with it. And carrying a few extra snacks and wipes is always a good idea! (You never know when one of the twins will pee out their diaper and it will pour out the cart and pool on the floor, so napkins are a good thing to carry to.)
Txt me for the upcoming show schedule!

The baby that would have been mine- Kari Coolidge Atalla."

This a beautiful song that one of my friends from college wrote and sings on her newly produced CD. She is very talented check her out. Kari Coolidge Atalla. :)

"A Recipe for Failure"

Found this today while doing some homework for school. Thought it was fun and true :)

"A Recipe for Failure"
1. Never get involved in anything. Say to yourself often, "Nothing Matters."
2. Keep you brain from getting tired - don't think about anything important too much.
3. Don't care about anyone or anything. Save all your concern for yourself and work on elevating selfishness to an art form.
4. Be a walking disaster. Leave trails of chaos in your wake where ever you go.
5. Have low expectations for yourself and always live down to them.
6. Waste as much time as possible. Spend your time hanging out, sleeping, playing games, complaining about how unfair life is, and making excuses.
7. Ignore other people and pretend you live alone on some remote island out in the Pacific Ocean. 8. Work on developing rude and obnoxious behaviors and appearances.
9. Never assess yourself, question your own values, or analyze your personal lifestyle.
10. Always keep your consciousness altered enough to keep you from fully grasping what is or is not happening to you.
11. Commit as much of your time, energy, and money as you can towards maintaining at least one major addiction to something everyone says is bad for you.

Copyright 1999, Ric Andrews

Catching up....

So I lost the month of June. I can't believe that we are going to be half way through July this week. I'm really falling behind on this hole blogging thing. Sorry :)
June was a busy month we celebrated our 5th anniversry, had 2 yard sales, got my school room packed up and ready to move to our new school building, did lots of yard work, and celebrated as our 2nd born turned 3. My sister and her family have been in the last 2 weeks. We have had lots of fun playing with my 1 yr old neice and visiting w/ Aunt Annie. 4th of July was a big hit this year, a family BBQ, swiming, and fireworks. Amara and Addy were old enough this year to truly appreicate the fireworks and had a blast watching them and the twins stayed up a little late a watched a few on tv, but didn't seem to impressed. :) Hard to believe that summer is half over! Guess now I really do have to be intentional about getting my checklist completed.

Are you allergic?

We have a few allergy issues that run in our family, so our oldest has taken an interest in allergies, what that means for the person dealing with it, and the limitations that they can sometimes bring. As of late she will randomly ask, "Mom are you allergic to___?" (fill in the blank with whatever is interesting at the time.) It seems that she thinks that anything we don't have, eat, or participate in means we are allergic to it. :)
We took a little field trip to the butterfly house today and as we are preparing she was asking in concern if Addy is allergic to butterflies. I told her no and she was happy to continue in our preparation. (Of course the way Addy squealed and ran from the butterflies you would have thought she was.) Afterwards we stopped to get some lunch and a family with 2 small boys sat down at the table next to us. They watched us (because seeing my clan out in public is always an exciting parade) and our girls being the social lil ones they are talked to oldest boy a little (he was maybe 3 and a half). After several minutes Amara looks at me as serious as can be and asks, "Mama are you allergic to little boys?" My mom and I just about fell out of the chairs. In her mind because we don't have any little boys in our family (yet) that must mean I am allergic to them. :)
"No Amara I'm not allergic to them God just didn't choose to give mommy any, He gave us you and your sisters."
"Oh well then I better start praying for everyday until he gives us one. 'Cause Bo is a boy and we are going to ride in an airplane to get him and he will be my brother."
"Yes he will. It will be so fun to have a little brother."
"And he won't make you sick because you're not allergic to little boys."
Good reasoning, she can make me laugh so hard. You can't help but love the heart and mind of a child. :)

I'm so embarrassed

Amara is into having to know everything about everything lately, must have something to do with being 4. :) The last week or so has been more focused on defining emotions especially embarrassment. She was playing the other day and I hear, "I'm so embarrassed! I don't know why I just am." Kids repeat a lot of things (especially when they think its a funny word) so I giggled and continued on with my day. Then today in the car she begins again. " I'm so embarrassed. Do you know what that means mama?" "Yes, Rara do you?"(Amaras nickname at home is Rara.) "No, but I'm just embarrassed. I don't know why. What does it mean?" And then before I can answer we hear Addy's little voice "Its like the 'Embarastein Bear' Rara, that what it is." Addy was so proud of her correct answer and wasn't gonna let anyone tell her differently. :) I love these stories that we will one day be able to use to truly embarrassed them with.... if they only know! :)