fourteen.

     I was going to post a Happy Homemaker Monday, but today is special. Not only because it's Memorial Day, but because Miss Maddie is fourteen months old today. Fourteen. It doesn't seem like that much time has passed since she was born. I love how her birthday falls around Easter. Her birthday and her name coincide together so well. I remember her first Easter like it was yesterday... She was three weeks old.

Easter, 2011
as big as a bunny

     And here she is today. Still teeny, still bald. But she has eight teeth, and (in my opinion) starting to look like me more and more everyday! She loves our 3 year old puppydog. She's very passionate with her life. When she's mad, hungry, or tired you know it. Her favorite foods are salmon, broccoli and wild rice. I think if she could eat that every night she would actually put on some weight, haha. She is strong-willed and she is definitely the head of the family. What she says, goes.

     Being supermommy can be quite overwhelming at times, but when I see sweet little smiles like the one above, it makes all my struggles to provide worth it. I know that being completely devoted to my husband and children has earned me a special place in my Father's heart.

Thank you, little one for the laughs and love shared these passed 23 months. I know you will bless the next 23 :)

 - Mommy

Happy Homemaker Monday #1

Happy Homemaker Monday, May 19th

Good Mornin' y'all! I hope everyone had a really quiet weekend! We've got a somewhat busy week. Miss Hannah has her classroom birthday party Tuesday, my darling husband has a fishing tournament Wednesday, and Hannah's honor program is Friday. 


The weather:::

This morning it was very nice outside. Miss Maddie and I went outside to throw some grass seed in the bald spots and to run around the back yard before it got too hot. Then about lunchtime it got cloudy and rainy and has stayed that way since. 


 On my reading pile:::  

  I started reading a book at my mama's house yesterday called Chosen by a Horse, but I left it by the pool for next Sunday. I am also currently researching Natural Family Planning.

On my TV:::

The Lottery Changed My Life. Even though I don't believe in playing the lottery it's truly amazing what a blessing a little money can be in someone's life. 

On the menu for this week:::

Monday - mean pleasing chicken, fried squash, green beans
Tuesday - meatloaf balls, stuffed crescent rolls with asparagus
Wednesday - roast, carrots, red potatoes
Thursday - cheesy chicken lasagna salad and broccoli for the babies
Friday - steak potatoes and salad
Saturday - cowboy chow

Sunday - leftovers  

On my to do list:::

Everyday I load/unload the dishwasher, fold some laundry, and make the beds, but Monday is bathroom day and since I grew a wild hair Friday night and did it then I thought I deserved a day just to play with the babies. 

What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating:::

Making a "no-sew" knotted blanket for my grandmother. Today is her 75th birthday!! :) I am also thinking of ways to decorate the house (with the help of Pinterest, of course)

Summer Fun:::

We are getting ready for Hannah's second and Maddie's first trip to the beach! VBS is coming up soon as well and I'm so excited because it will be Hannah's first year !! 

Looking around the house:::

Sitting on the bedroom floor with my eldest sitting next to me playin on her my iPhone. The blinds are open. Even though its cloudy outside but it's still fairly bright in the house. If you know me you know I love natural lighting. I wish I had a laundry fairy. I don't mind the washing and the drying, but sometimes life happens and once the pile fills the bed, I no longer want that responsibility. 

From the camera:::

She will hate me when she's older :)

 

Something fun to share:::
Hannah's last t-ball game of the season was this past Saturday and I am so proud of the strides she has made this season. It's the first sport she has ever been involved in and I was most surprised at how much she enjoyed it. She has informed me that she doesn't want to play t-ball in the fall, she wants to play soccer... So HAIL soccer!! 

On my prayer list:::

A lady in my Sunday school class who will be going on a mission to Nicaragua.
My husband to enjoy his fishing tournament Wednesday.
Part time employment for me during the summer, or (better yet) a teaching position for the fall.

Bible verse, Devotional::: 

  I am participating in a Daily Walk with the Lord (Reading the Bible in One Year)
Day 47 of 365  1 Corinthians 1-4

What's For Dinner? 2-Week Menu Planning

I promised more posts so here we go ladies.

Here is our menu for 5/21 - 5/27

Monday - man pleasing chicken, squash, green beans

Tuesday - meatloaf balls, stuffed crescent rolls with asparagus

Wednesday - roast, carrots, potatoes, salad

Thursday - cheesy chicken lasagna, salad (broccoli for the babies)

Friday - steak, potatoes, salad

Saturday - cowboy chow

Sunday - leftovers

 Here's my shopping list for the next two weeks. Please excuse the amateur photography

Here is our menu for 5/28 - 6/3

Monday - BBQ chicken (crock pot) served over rice, vegetables
makes for two meals

Tuesday - pizza puffs, dipping sauce, salad

Wednesday - simply sour cream chicken enchiladas, salad

Thursday - leftovers

Friday - stuffed peppers

Saturday - Hot Chicken casserole, white peas

Sunday - Memorial Day Cookout at Mama's

Here is our menu for 6/4 - 6/10

Monday - MY 25th Birthday Dinner out 

Tuesday - taco pizza

Wednesday - poppyseed chicken, broccoli, roll

Thursday - leftovers

Friday - spaghetti and salad

Saturday - wedding reception (CONGRATS CHRIS AND EMILY!! :)

Sunday - Daddy's Birthday Dinner at the Ranch 

Thank goodness we are being treated so much the first week in June because if I'm not careful I'm going to break my budget! 

Most of these recipes are brand new for me. If they turn out amazing then I will post them 

Thanks for stopping by

Whitney :)

is natural family planning an option for you?

participating in the Mommy Brain Mixer today. 

This girl is co-hosting this week! you should go check her out!

So much has happened since my last post and I'm sorry, buuuuut life happens.  Since October I've become an aunt for the first time and let me tell you... Being an aunt is just as special and amazing as being a mommy but it's a completely different love all at the same time. Is he not the most precious thing in the world?!!!?!!?

Ok, so now for the purpose of today's post. I've had some issues with my OBGYN lately and am looking for another one. One of these issues is the issue of birth control. I haven't tried EVERY birth control out there but I've tried plenty. None of which have worked for my lifestyle.

With my mother being a nurse, the minute I hit puberty it was off to the doctor to get on the pill to "regulate my cycle"! (I only wish you could hear the happiness disdain in my voice). Needless to say I've been off and on BC since I was 14. I've been on several brands of the pill, I've been on the patch, I've been on Mirena, and the DepoPreva shot. Each form of BC had different side effects on me. All have made me nauseous, all have made me moody and have affected my eating habits. Each time I would go back to my doc telling him that it wasn't working for me and I wanted to try something else. The only options given to me were hormonal contraceptives or barrier contraceptives.

About two years ago I heard from a friend that an acquaintance of ours was using natural family planning but at the time I thought this acquaintance was absolutely crazy and was playing with fire for not being on hormonal BC. Today is a different story because of all the health problems I've experienced because of unnecessary hormonal contraception.

I don't know how my husband has put up with me for as long as he has. I pray for that man everyday for his patience and unwavering love for me.

I was just curious one day and googled "Christian birth control" because ultimately I want to do the Lord's will and follow the path He has set out for me. I was astounded at the actual science behind my Christian Birth Control/natural family planning search.

One article mentioned that if a woman starts hormonal birth control before her first full term pregnancy that her risk of getting breast cancer raises to 40%.

As soon as I read that I threw my pill packet in the garbage, called my husband and told him I was done and decided that I was going to look for an OBGYN or midwife that would support MY wants as far as MY healthcare goes. I was also shocked to also read that the side effects I was experiencing was not "normal"... that it was actually my body fighting the chemicals in my body. My body was at war with itself and that scared me.

You might know a lot about NFP and not even know it. Using a fertility monitor or charting your temperature while trying to get pregnant is a form of NFP. But  it's not just for conceiving, it's for control as well. The days you would participate in your "marriage act" to conceive are the days you abstain from your "marriage act" in order not to conceive. It's not that simple but that's the math of it. You use your abstain days to court or be with the family.

I know this is a lot of information to absorb, but I want to empower you. I want to empower you because I want to give you options. Options that I wasn't given. I felt lied to, I still feel lied to. I know I will have a lot more posts about this topic because it's an ongoing issue in my life that I think is so VERY important.

It wouldn't surprise me to know that not a lot of people know about NFP because I didn't hear about it until a few days ago. I encourage you to do a lot of research in order to inform youself because you are your first and best advocate for health.

Ultimately it comes down to this for me. If a medicine is going to alter me in a negative way... I'm done. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Whitney