Just wanted to let you know that you are all back again! I tried all the great suggestions that Gerry sent me and the ones Spaces sent too, and none of them helped. Then suddenly, I tried again on Friday, and there you all were! So, expect to see me visit soon.

Hugs,

kbc

Hey, can someone help me out. I can receive incoming messages and viewers to my site, but I can't get to anyone else's. Every time I try to access another spaces site, I get an "internet explorer cannot display this page" error. I have tried accessing sites from my friends list as well as by typing in the exact address into the browser. Anyone else experienced this or  have any ideas? Thanks a bunch - I'm really trying to stay in touch here, but...

Kbc

Well, I finally posted the pictures of the finished project. Unfortunately the lady who ordered it didn't like the way it turned out (she had some very specific features she was looking for!), and so it was a two-week's-worth-of-work-plus-the-cost-of-materials loss for Josh. Not good, considering we were hoping to turn it into two weeks worth of food and shelter for our family! Things have been rather tight since then (to say the least), but God is getting us through. (Although I am still accepting all exciting recipies involving beans, rice and oats!) Josh finally has stable work, and got his first paycheck last week. We were able to make payments for the first time on all the bills incurred when we lost Baby Job. Don't you love it when God wants to teach you to rely on Him alone for your sustenance?!

 

I was also delinquent in updating photos because at some point during this cabinet project, Josh saw Blake walking around outside with our digital camera. Josh told him to "go give it to Mommy," and we haven't seen it since! I didn't water the lawn for days while I combed every inch of it for the camera. I'm sure it will turn up someday in some unnervingly simple yet extremely unlikely place! I have had to go back to using my old camera with its defective screen. Isn't it funny that although it is how we used to take pictures "in the old days", taking a picture without seeing how it will turn out just seems terrible (sorry, the synonym finder portion of my brain is offline right now!). We implement technology as a novelty, at first; but after a while we become completely dependent upon it. Take cell phones for instance... how many of you would turn around and drive home after discovering you had left your cell phone charging on the counter (like I always do - the leaving, not the returning - I am still a cell-phone user only under protest!)? Yes we have become dependent.

 

Nothing to do with cell phones, but everything to do with troubled times and reliance upon the only source of stability, here is a devotional I received recently. Enjoy!

 

 

It has been exactly a month since I have written anything; a lot has gone on though.  We went to Portland twice to work on Grama's house so she can (hopefully) sell it. For pictures of this activity see "Rob's Place" at www.mort3626.spaces.live.com. Josh got laid off, or put aside, or downsized, or whatever they call it these days when they no longer pay you for showing up at work. That was back in early April. He loooked everywhere for work, but finally decided just to take the test to get his own contractor's license again. That process was finally completed about three weeks ago (on one of the trips to Portland!). He is now looking for work to do himself. He has a few things lined up for the next couple of months. It will be nice to have income again! The bills have been rolling in from all the happenings with Baby Job - it's amazing how much money you can spend in 48 hours! The blessing in all of it is that my doctor isn't charging us anything! She is the best! She and her husband are even hiring Josh to help them finish some remodel projects around the house. God is good to have given us her!

 

My sister and I are busy doing school once a week together. That is the only day we do "formal" school in the week. The other days are just review and homework for the older ones. What a stress reliever. It is a method we borrowed from Classical Conversations (www.classicalconversations.com). We are using some of their suggested curriculum and then adding some of our own as well. It is the best of all worlds to me because it is the excellence of a Classical education without being all-consuming. I still have plenty of time left over for Charlotte Mason-type projects!

 

I am still healing - emotionally as well as physically. I still can't believe all the support we have received. I just finished a little scrapbook of the entire event. It was very theraputic and gives me something tangible to be able to hold on to when I am feeling my hurt is invalid somehow. That seems to be a real problem for women who have gone through miscarriages.

 

Better get on to my Saturday projects. Enjoy the new pictures (I think Kates might actually have some potential!)!

Big bear-hugs to you all,

Kerrie

My Mom wrote this poem for Job's service. I dedicate it to all you moms who have lost a child.

With love,

Kerrie

 

Shhhh…  it’s not time to wake me, Mommy.

Yes, I’ve come to know you this soon,

Nestled in the comfort of your womb.

Your breath seems so slow and so deep –

It’s rhythm has lulled me to sleep.

 

 

Shhhh… it’s not time to wake me, Siblings.

My eyes have still to see the sun;

These crooked limbs have yet to run.

You’ll have to wait to play with me,

To ride our bikes and climb our tree.

 

 

Shhhh… it’s not time to wake me, Daddy.

My tiny hands can’t grasp yours now,

Nor your gentle words teach me how.

Keep those stories and nursery rhymes,

Save your wisdom for another time.

 

 

Shhh… it’s not time to wake me.

Although my story seems untold,

My future’s promised to unfold.

I will awake when I am whole,

Stirred by HIS whisper to my soul!

Blessed be your name in the land that is plentiful,

Where Your streams of abundance flow, blessed be Your name.

Blessed be your name when I'm found in the desert place,

Though I walk through the wilderness, blessed be Your name.

 

Prechorus:

Every blessiing You pour out I'll turn back to praise

And when the darkness closes in Lord, stlill I will say:

 

Chorus:

Blessed be the name of the LORD, blessed be Your name;

Blessed be the name of the LORD, blessed be Your glorious name.

 

Blessed be your name when the sun's shining down on me,

When the world's all as it should be, blessed be Your name.

Blessed be Your name on the road marked with suffering,

Though there's pain in the offering, blessed be Your name.

 

Prechorus & Chorus

 

You give and take away; You give and take away;

My heart will choose to say, Lord blessed be Your name.

 

Blessed be the name of the LORD, blessed be Your name;

Blessed be the name of the LORD, blessed be Your glorious name.

 

Amen.

 

Well, God has seen fit to again put us through a time of trial. I went in for my first prenatal this morning (at 16 weeks) and my doctor was unable to find a heartbeat. She sent me in to have an ultrasound and they confirmed that our baby had died about 7-8 days ago. It was so hard to see it there on the ultrasound, looking like a tiny little life, but having no life within it. For some reason, my body has not tried to miscarry, so I will have to be induced. We are starting that process tonight, with the likelihood that I will deliver tomorrow sometime. I have always felt for moms who have had to go into labor to deliver babies already deceased - and here I am in the same situation - faced with the questions like what to do with the tiny body, who to have around me as I deliver, and how long to let myself grieve. In all of it is the comfort that God's hand is still with me. He has not forsaken me. Knowing that this event is one of the threads in the spectacular tapestry He is weaving from our lives gives me great hope. Say a prayer for me.

Hugs to you all,

Kerrie

Well, we are back from Portland, and the proof is in the pictures! Now that I see the old eye next to the new one, I'm sorry we didn't do it sooner! but, thankfully, Miles could care less. He was actually disappointed that both his eyes would look the same. He was hoping for a compass or an American flag on the new shell! He's a pretty secure fellow! My sister is always joking that when Miles leaves the room, all the kids are left wishing they had a "bad eye" too!

 

It was a pretty amazing process to see them paint the shell. The doctor just sat Miles down and started painting, using the good eye as his model. I guess I expected him to take a photograph and computer generate it somehow! It is complete with tiny red blood vessels - made by applying bits of unravelled red silk thread, no less! Is that amazing, or what?!

 

We also got to visit the Oregon Zoo. That was great for Kates and Miles. We have plans to go back this summer and take the other kids too. Maybe the cousins too! I did post a few pictures, but unfortunately my battery died three animals into the tour! Auntie has all the other pictures, so I will have to figure out how to get them from her.

 

gotta hit the sack - it's been a long week away from home!

Hugs,

Kerrie

Hi there, my fine, blogging friends. Just a word of encouragement before heading off to Portland for an appointment with Miles to get his prosthetic shell for his blind eye. (I'll post pictures when I get home!) I just wanted to encourage you all to keep up in your faithful endeavor to keep in touch with the entire cyber world while still maintaining a semblance of a "balanced" life. (Who is it that we have to blame for that ridiculous oxymoron??). Just to let you know that sometimes there are actually material rewards for all this punching of keys! No, I have not been hired by a famous magazine to do their humorous editorials! But, it was something just as exciting! Yesterday at church, a friend approached me and told me she had a gift for me. After reading my blog, she gathered together all her Fuzzi Bunz cloth diapers and covers (you know, the NICE cloth diapers - not the way my mother had to do it!) and "loaned" them to me for the coming baby! I was overcome! I blogged about my desire to swaddle my baby in something other than bleached environment killers, and look what happened! Aren't friends great? Isn't God good?! So... for all you fellow blog-artists, keep at it! You never know what may happen!

Hi all, I'm still working on schedules and goals and new ways of doing things, but I thought I'd stop in for a quick announcement. Yes, you guessed it, we are expecting another baby! (well, it is a gift from God, right?!) We haven't announced it to anyone yet, so I thought I'd post it here and see how long it takes my family to hear about it!  We are due in November; and, despite the fact we will be the parents of half-a-dozen, we are quite excited. Say a prayer for us!

Hugs,

Kerrie

 

PS Sick joke from my mother: How do you turn a fox into a cow? Answer: You marry her!

Love,

Kerrie the Cow!

Josh had a job opportunity recently that would have required us to move about 2 1/2 hours south of here. When we didn't get the job, I was surprised at how much of my disappointment stemmed from not being able to move. Josh's cousin wisely pointed out that our emotions regarding the move were a litmus test indicating our satisfaction (or lack of) our current situation. I had to analyze why it was I was hoping to move. What could be so wrong that I would want to leave our church, all our family, and my lovely home just to change it?! I did some soul-searching and realized I was hoping just for the "excuse" to change. Somehow moving (to me) is a way to "start over" in so many ways. You get to reestablish things - find all the missing socks in the house (and throw the mateless ones away!), clean behind every piece of furniture, find a better way to organize the linens - things like that. And I have always used it as a time to reestablish good habits and attempt to eliminate bad ones. I am realizing though that moving in order to "change" things is like my sister closing her bank account and opening a new one in order to balance her checkbook! So, after some reflection, I realize that I do want to start over. Mostly in areas having to do with my kids. I have procrastinated and rationalized away enough of thier lives - now it's time to really DO all those things that I think a good, homeschooling mom should be doing. I realize I am not spending as much quality time with my kids as I want to. I find myself saying, "Not now," "I'm busy," "Maybe later," much too often. (You know it is bad when your 2-year old tells her doll, "I'm busy!") So, my new resolution is to shut off all the electronic media in the house and do everything as a family. We don't do much TV time, but the computer seems to steal much of my time (all for GOOD causes, of course!). I want to slow down and make memories with my kids. So, I'm not sure how long I will be gone, but I'll let you know when I am back. Pray for me (and my precious children!)

 

Josh read this to the family last night (not knowing of my resolution! - tell me there's no God!)

From Matthew 5

29 If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.

 

So, I think it may be a little painful, but I must cut off this keyboard from off my fingertips rather than see my children perish!

 

Have a great week (or two!)

Hugs,

Kerrie

 

Hey all my cyber friends, I have a spaces question. Twice in the last few days I have had an odd thing come up in my history of recent visitors. Instead of just listing the page of my site they visited, it says RSS: in front of the page. Also, each entry posted that way is recorded at exactly the same time as the others. Does anyone know what this means? Is it good, bad, or neutral?

Thanks,

Kerrie

 

Added later:

Thanks for the responses. Since I'm not sure who it is that is linking to my site, I think I'll just turn off that option. It has me slightly freaked out!

I was doing some research today on Blake's digestive issues, and this was the ad that came up on the side of the page:

 

Yes, it's hard to believe, but Blake turned one yesterday. I would love to tell you that we had an all-day bash dedicated solely to the celebration of our third son, but... alas, the closest thing to a birthday cake he had was his fleeting glimpse of the cake at the Superbowl Party we attended last night. (Ok, so if you know me, you're shocked about the Superbowl part. But, for me, any excuse to party, ie: fellowship, is a good reason! I don't know the first thing about football, but I actually enjoyed the game! We rooted for the Giants [I'm a sucker for the underdog!], so we were able to be pleasantly surprised at the outcome of the game. Back to the topic at hand:) We did have a great first birthday party for Katie and even a bigger shindig (I am suddenly wondering about the etymology of that word!) for Miles' first, but we digress from there. Once you have a child of each sex, the first birthday becomes a little pointless. What could a one-year old possibly need that he doesn't already have or that hasn't been handed down to him by his older siblings? A grandma called the other day to find out Blake's wish-list, and I stammered and stuttered until I thought of what it was that I would like him to have, namely: diapers!! I've never thought to ask that before on a child's first birthday. You'd think I'd have this down by now! He doesn't need anything new, but he goes through 4+ diapers everyday! That's what we're going broke buying around here (no, I have not reverted to cloth. Buy me some of those fancy ones with several of the fancy $11 covers and I'll switch!).

 

However, we don't need a birthday party in order to reflect on how much we adore that happy little camper (as Blake is affectionately known around here). He is truly a joy; and despite the fact he didn't sleep through the night until two weeks ago, he has been a really easy baby. He isn't walking yet, but will stand on his own for long periods of time. He adores mobility, but seems to like to keep it closer to the floor. He has no first words to share yet, but has some great noises (did I mention he is a boy?!). When we walk into a room with lots of people in it, he will raise one hand and give a loud ... noise ... cry ... call ... vocal utterance as his "HI" to the room. It's rather cute. He also started shooting last week. Miles taught him to point his fingers and make gun noises. Of course, being a boy, he can already make more realistic gun sounds than his sound-challenged mother. He can also play a fair game of peek-a-boo albeit with just one hand slapped anywhere on his face. He does find it rather amusing though. And of course we find it highly intelligent! He has a doctor's appointment on Wednesday - a yearly checkup, so I'll give you all his one year stats later this week. He sends you all a nice slobbery kiss for remembering the birthday that he never will!

 

With an effort at no regrets,

Kerrie

 

This is an video about schooling. Although I'm not sure I agree with everything they say, it's certainly food for thought. I don't know what happens if you sign up for the email list at the end. I haven't done it yet - probably won't. If you do, let me know how it goes!

 

Here's another something I copied off another blogger's site. Sure glad I got drugged growing up!

Yep, it's E. E. again. Can you tell I feel strongly about all this? I'm preaching to myself though too. How often do I let things slide because I don't want the "conflict" in my home (the drawback of being a phlegmatic personality type - avoiding conflict at all costs!)? My neighbors have three kids and can't imagine having four because the kids are so out-of-control. When you have five - you HAVE TO get some rules going - or you'd go nuts! Someone asked me how she could become more organized - I told her to have more kids!  That's how I did it! I'm so much more together with five than I ever was with one. Another side effect of my personality - things rarely happen unless they are fun or URGENT! Housekeeping becomes and urgent matter with five little bodies and two big ones around! Anyway, if you aren't a proponent of disciplining children and you have more than two children, my question is, "How's that working out for you?"

Happy parenting! Enjoy:

When I was the newly widowed mother of a fourteen-month-old daughter, my mother sent me this quotation from Matthew Henry, an eighteenth-century commentator whom my father had been reading aloud to her that morning in April, 1956:

"Proverbs 19:18, 'Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying.' Parents are here cautioned against a foolish indulgence of their children, that are untoward and viciously inclined, and that discover such an ill temper of mind as is not likely to be cured but by severity.

"1. Do not say that it is all in good time to correct them, no, as soon as ever there appears a corrupt disposition in them, check it immediately, before it takes root and is hardened into a habit. Chasten thy son while there is hope, for perhaps if he be let alone awhile, he will be past hope, and a much greater chastening will not do that which now a less would effect. It is easier plucking up weeds as soon as they spring up, and the bullock that is designed for the yoke should be betimes (before it is too late) accustomed to it....

"2. Do not say that it is a pity to correct them, and, because they cry and beg to be forgiven, you cannot find it in your heart to do it. If the point will be gained without correction, well and good; but it often proves that your forgiving them once, upon a dissembled (pretended) repentance and promise of amendment, does but embolden them to offend again, especially if it be a thing in itself sinful, as lying, swearing, ribaldry, stealing or the like. In such a case put on resolution, and let not thy soul spare for his crying. It is better that he should cry under thy rod than under the sword of the magistrate or, which is more fearful, than under divine vengeance."

The language of the eighteenth century sounds a bit stern. We rarely call our children "untoward and viciously inclined," but we see other people's children--in the supermarket, in church, in our own newly decorated living room--who fit that description exactly. Children need a rod, and they need it early. Not a big stick. My parents found that a thin eighteen-inch switch did the trick so long as it was applied at an early age and immediately following the offense. It is important to note Henry's specifying "a thing sinful in itself." Punishment for such things should be different from correction for childish mistakes--spilled milk (have him clean it up if he's old enough), a forgotten chore (have him do that one plus another he doesn't usually have to do).

One grandmother recently told my daughter a method of persuading children to eat what was put before them. When others had finished and a child was dawdling over his plate, she set a timer for five minutes. If the plate was not cleaned it went into the refrigerator to be presented at the beginning of the next meal. "Worked like a charm," she said