Oh WOW! So One of THOSE Days!

I need to sift through the events of today and process them. So here it goes:

• Went to bed last night with a Glutened Episode coming on.
• JJ has very strange sleeping patterns and routines. It's not uncommon anymore for him to scream, play, or babble for an extended amount of time at some point before 2AM. 
• Woke up feeling lethargic and gradually got worse throughout the day.
• Found out Leif ended up sick and overall unwell today.
• Spent the day researching enzyme therapy for Gluten Intolerance.
• Found out that insurance will not cover me to go to an allergist. MAJOR bummer! 
• Made an appointment for a hair cut. So need one!! 
• Leif came home and we went to take the car into the shop AGAIN, for the second time this month. It wouldn't start so Leif's dad called on AAA for a tow. Sure grateful for his help. So frustrated with the car. It will be payed off this month but will continue to cost money for repairs. Ugg!
• Found out that the neighbors dog (whom already drives me INSANE with his barking) broke through our fence AND broke down the chicken coup fence. Seems to have hurt him (blood), but our Meany Rooster (Cobra) just may have done his job of protecting his girls. Maybe he is worth his grain.
• Made an appointment for the Wellness Clinic in SG that practices holistic health using every modality that I know of from Chiropractic to Allergy testing. It will cost less then a regular MD and will certainly give me more information about my body. Thank you tax refund!!
• Made the decision as a family to Home School. Should be fun (more on this later.)
• Caleb has been terribly sick again today. I am so weary of changing a dozen diapers and using up a box of kleenex all in one day. I need my boys to feel better!
• Leif was weary today and had a lot of homework. But he got a lot done. He amazes me in this regard. He has so much control over his will. Awesome!

So, there have been a lot of ups and downs today. Sigh...


Time to go watch Stranger then Fiction with Leif. Such a Funny show! We love it!

We are ALL Simply Beautiful!

I have something that I need to write about and I pray that the words will come. I'll give it a try.

Last night I was reading the latest posts on the blogs that I regularly follow. In one sitting I read two posts about great women and mother's feeling like they weren't good enough at this, that, or the other. Now, if you knew these women, you would know that they are amazing women. The truth is, we are all amazing! Now don't get me wrong, I am very aware of all of my weaknesses and short comings. The things that I don't do. The things that I should do. The things that I hate doing. But does that mean that all of my strengths and efforts are worthless? No.

Our community hosts a Women's Forum every year. This year the theme is, "You are SIMPLY Beautiful!"  Each year at the forum they honor a woman who deserves honoring. As I was thinking about who I would nominate for this award I began pondering the theme and what it meant. This is what I've come up with:

Simply Beautiful Is: seeing a mother at the grocery store with a toddler inside the cart, a preschooler riding on the outside of the cart, and a newborn strapped on mama in the snuggly. We all know the feeling and the experience.

Simply Beautiful Is: a woman who has suffered the tremendous heartache of dozens of miscarriages and has lived to tell her tale with the Light of Christ within her eyes. 

Simply Beautiful Is: inviting friends over to a "lived in" home to share love, laughter, and strength with her sisters even when the house might not be in ship shape.

Simply Beautiful Is: a mother with several children who continues to welcome more into her nest with love.

Simply Beautiful Is: a woman who raises her children in a barn, with joy. :)

Simply Beautiful Is: a mother who suffers from terrible clinical depression and still musters the strength to love and care for her family. If her family had any idea how hard this is they would kneel before her and call her blessed.

Simply Beautiful Is: a woman who drops everything to care for a sick child.

Simply Beautiful Is: a foster mother.

Simply Beautiful Is: a mother who has adopted her children.

Simply Beautiful Is: a mother who has lived through the all consuming sorrow of watching her child die and doesn't allow the sorrow to drown out the light in her life.

Simply Beautiful Is: a wife who has plenty of reasons to grind up her husband with harsh words but finds enough love for him to keep quiet.

As we read through our daily blogs or see the simply beautiful women all around us. Do not forget that YOU are one of these Simply Beautiful women. Remember that we never share or show all of our weaknesses and sorrows for the world to see. But they still exist, in everyone! This is part of being Simply Beautiful! Love Your Beauty Ladies!

Foto Friday - February Week 4

From Foto Friday - February Week 4

From Foto Friday - February Week 4

From Foto Friday - February Week 4

This week started and ended with some great snow storms. It's really pretty unless you want to be outside or drive in it.

From Foto Friday - February Week 4

From Foto Friday - February Week 4

This week ended up being a "Sick Week"/"Home-School" week. We had a great time together. Jakob enjoyed it so much he wants to stay home for good. We'll See... Either way, I enjoyed some quality time with my boys. Love It!

From Foto Friday - February Week 4

Washing dishes is always an adventure when Caleb is around.  He "washed" several toys. Ahh, the Joys!

From Foto Friday - February Week 4

From Foto Friday - February Week 4

This is something that I am so excited about! Leif built me a "Utility Room" :) I know it's not really the standard Utility Room. But hey, our house has NEVER been standard. He built shelves in the space where the ceiling meets the floor. It's the perfect place for me to store all of my random kitchen appliances. SO NICE!!

From Foto Friday - February Week 4

Friday was my Baking Day. Eating Gluten Free requires a lot of scratch baking. I usually plan the recipes I want to make and then spend several hours in the kitchen. This is a photo of the adventure. Sometimes I end up making a lot of chicken scratch. Other times we end up with some tasty treats. This time was a success.

Kindergartener Home Sick? Me Too. Here Are My Homeschool Ideas

We are keeping Jakob home from school for the whole week starting tomorrow. He's really sick as well as Caleb and JJ. Leif said that Jakob's class that usually has 22 kids only had 13 kids in class on Thursday. There is a lot of serious sickness going around.

So, I gathered some "home school" ideas to keep us busy. It makes me think about Home School again. It's fun a lot of the time. But we'll see how this week goes. Here are my ideas.

Morning Devotional: Scriptures and Friend Magazine


Money: Print out ads and have the children count out how much money they need for each item.


Sewing: Teach the children how to sew a straight line (fix Jakob’s bedspread that has a whole on the edge that lets batting out.)

Baking: Bake something using a very basic recipe that includes measurements (focus on 1, ½, ¼ cup). Talk about how the ingredients are made (grains, sugar, eggs, etc.) Grind oat flour. Make juice with electric juicer.

Reading: Read from Charlotte Mason reading list

Writing: Practice writing a short story: Have the child (1) tell the story, (2) illustrate the story, (3) write certain words of the story (mother writes what the child tells her to write and leaves out one/some words for the child to complete (ie sight words, names, etc.)

Art: Allow the children to create their own art (paper or digital)

Computer: Teach your child how to save a project, how to print, how to open a document to write, etc.

Scavenger Hunt: Give the child a list of things to find as they follow certain directions (use left/right or North, East, South, West)

Colored Beans: Allow the child “free play”. (Most likely, you’ll see patterns and counting throughout the playing.

History: American Heritage, George Washington: Prayer at Valley Forge


Science: http://www.kidport.com/RefLib/Science/ScienceIndex.htm

Exercise and Relaxation: Wii Fit Plus, Wii Sports

Foto Friday - February Week 3

Playing Together on the Weekend

Have you ever wondered where your clean laundry ran off to?




Spring is in the Air!

A rare moment lately, and oh so Precious!

A good ol' fashion Valentines delivery from Grandma Baron.


Valentines Roses!

We had dozens of eggs in the incubator and only ONE hatched. She's a strong one!


I turned around one day and Caleb was eating an orange, peel and all! Silly Boy!

Precious Moments!

Just too Cute!


I spent hours baking yesterday only to throw it all out to the chickens! DON'T BAKE WITH STEVIA if you don't HAVE to! Ugg!


Family Fun!

Rough Day, Gone Good

Today was one of those days when bad things keep happening. Lately I've used the word SERIOUSLY!? a lot. Today it fit in perfectly.

JJ was up sick until the wee hours of the night last night. Once he finally fell asleep he was up every hour to nurse and be comforted. The "Seriously!?" started at about 5:00A when I was woke up to feed JJ, at the same time Caleb woke Leif up and needed a new diaper and clothes, AND Jakob came out needing new clothes because he had wet the bed (for the first time ever.) He dreamed he was awake going to the bathroom. Classic! Luckily everyone crawled back into bed for the next few hours.

Once the day started we spent the morning getting ready to take JJ to the doctor. During that routine Leif came in to tell me that Silky, our broody hen who's been sitting on some duck eggs, switched nests and abandoned the eggs. That was a bummer. Then, as I was trying to help Jakob pull some clothes out of his dresser I knocked over a candle that was sitting on a warmer. SERIOUSLY!? There was wax Everywhere! Such a mess and So Frustrating!!!

We made it to the doctor and found out why JJ's been so miserable. He has a terrible ear infection and RSV. We also believe that this is his second Periodic Fever. He had a fever and cold symptoms exactly one month ago. The Periodic Fevers seem to weaken the immune system just enough to get them sick if the opportunity arrives. And man is he SICK! So not Fun.

We got home to pick up the boys at grandma and grandpa's only to find Jakob curled up in their bed with a fever and chills and Caleb with swollen, teary mucusy eyes and nose. SERIOUSLY!? I called the doc and he called in a prescription for both of them. Caleb clearly has a sinus infection. Strep is running rampant in our community so we'll wait to see if Jakob gets a sore throat. Otherwise it's probably RSV, he's had a cough and congestion for a while. CRAZY!

So, we took everyone home and went to sleep! We had a good nap and then woke up and cleaned up the house. Then we had some quality family time! Grandma came over and she, Jakob, and I put a puzzle together. Papa made us a yummy treat (even though he couldn't eat it. He's so sweet! He's doing the HCG Diet and has lost 20+ pounds so far! AWESOME!) And Caleb and JJ watched Bob the Builder.

Papa took JJ to the hospital in between the fun to get his nose suctioned out. So hopefully we have a better night.

So like the headline says, it was a Rough Day, Gone Good!

A Moment To Vent

I need to sift through my thoughts.  Then maybe I can get the umph I need to get my day started. 

JJ was awake until past midnight last night. He has a terrible cold in his chest with plenty of mucus. So he managed to throw up once all over himself and his bed and then again all down the front of me. Ugg! I’ll take him to the Dr. tomorrow. 

I was struggling already before a terrible nights sleep. (Well, I did get four hours of uninterrupted sleep that I’m grateful for.) But I just long for complete wellness. I am truly grateful for the strength that has returned after discovering my gluten sensitivity. But I still struggle with a lot of things and I long to have answers! I know there are reasons for my health issues.  I just want to discover them NOW, not when it’s too late to fix the problem(s).

Seriously, I’m not sure what my next step will be. I need to see a specialist(s). Is it an Immune System (autoimmune) disease causing an Endocrine Disorder causing other problems? As complex as that sounds, this is my prediction.

I sure wish I had the right doctors just around the corner. Instead, we have to drive several hours and stay for a few days in order to meet them. And then we have to hope they understand our situation and not delay things.  But, things are in the works to see the Dr’s and I hope I will have answers by the time the Summer rolls around. 

To everything there is a season, right!?

My Baby's Become A Nightowl. LOVELY! - 6 Month Update -

So here we are again. Third night in a row where JJ is still jabbering away on our floor. The last two nights he's done this. I lay him down at bedtime, he falls asleep, then wakes up and demands our attention. Yes, we're trying to help him fall asleep on his own. Unfortunately, tonight he has congestion and he puked while crying. That always scares me. So he's up until I crawl in bed. I know this isn't a huge issue. It's only 9:30P. But I do like the couple hours of kid free time before we crawl in bed. Hopefully then he'll sleep. Sometimes I have to smile in the middle of the night because I can hear him giggling and jabbering to himself. So Sweet!

Okay, I feel better. Thanks!

While I'm here I might as well give an update on JJ and how he's growing up.  Oh how we love our JJ!
He enjoys being on his tummy more these days. He'll roll around and wiggle over to different toys that he wants. When he's feeling good he can be heard wherever he's at giggling, jabbering, and talking to the angels. He's already a story teller. Seriously!

JJ weighs in at 17+ pounds. He's my biggest baby ever. Now that I'm regaining my strength I am able to hold him while walking around more throughout the day. That sure is nice!  When he's not laying somewhere playing with toys, sleeping, or being held, he enjoys his exersaucer. He also enjoys his swing at times. Although now he can reach the toys on the mobile and he loves to grab them and stop it.

So far he still prefers to breastfeed. But he eats rice cereal at least once a day most days. I've never been good at feeding the baby food to my boys when they can't feed themselves. But he doesn't seem to be lacking.

The boys LOVE their little brother. Jakob is a great example for Caleb of how to interact with JJ. So Caleb enjoys playing with him throughout the day when Jakob is in school. I will sure miss having a baby as JJ grows up... Except for those times when I won't;)

Well, he's acting like he might sleep. G'Night!

Happy Valentines Day, My Love!

There is something about your presence. You bring peace to my soul.


I love that you are willing to give of your time and energy so willingly to help me or someone else with whatever we need. No Complaints!

You never pick on me because of all of my weirdness or mistakes. I have always appreciated this and you have gradually healed a few broken pieces of me because of your kindness and love.

No one can make me laugh like you can! Even if it does give me hiccups!;)

You bring music and joy into our home. Thank You!

Very few husbands and fathers work as hard as you do with no complaints and STILL make time for quality family time. You truly amaze me!

Before I met you, I refused to let myself daydream about what kind of man I wanted to marry. I feared that he couldn’t possibly exist, let alone want me as a wife. Father knew my heart even when I hadn’t opened it up to myself. He led me to you and I realized that you were in my heart all along. It felt like coming home. I was complete!

You are so smart! Seriously, how do you do what you do!? How neat that my kids have a part of you in their brains. Looks like there’s hope after all!

I cherish the moments of being in the temple, reading scriptures with you, family home evening, Feeling the Spirit with you!

I feel safe with you around. I know that in an emergency you will have a clear head and do all that you can to keep us safe.

You are a peacemaker by nature. This is a gift and I am the one who reaps most of the benefits of this. As I said to you earlier this week, the kids will not recognize how awesome you are until they are a lot older. But I do and I Love You!

I LOVE when you read to me. Your voice is soothing and the time together is priceless. Someday I hope you’ll find a moment to read to me and record it (Just in case…)

I love being out in the community with you and watching you interact with the children. Their eyes sparkle as you visit with them.

Believe it or not, I love being in primary with you and participating in your singing time. No one does singing time like you. I DO love it even though I can’t keep my mouth shut sometimes. Most importantly, the children catch the vision you are trying to share.

How many husbands would go to work all day, write a school paper in the meantime, and then come home and fix their family dinner? Not very many. But you do! Thank You!

I love the last few minutes of the day when I lay my head on your shoulder and your heart calms my soul and sooths me to sleep.

I love hearing and reading your jokes!

I love that you enjoy Jazz basketball!

I love that you Love my family!

I love your chicken hobby!

It brings me pure joy to watch you playing with our children.