Hyacinth, Phlox, Some Border Plant

 Someone threw this border plant away. I grabbed it from the community mulch pile a few years ago, and it is slowly taking over the flowerbed. I am not sure what it is called. If you do, send me an email and let me know. contentmentacres@yahoo.com

 This is what is left of a hyacinth. My little girls are attracted to the tiny flowers!

 A tiny bit of phlox was growing at our home when we bought it 17 years ago. A few years ago, I decided to try to save what was left. Today, we have quite a bit of it growing in several places.

Again, my two littlest girls are very attracted to the hyacinths. I had 12 bulbs planted, but Emily and Hannah beat me to all of them!

 fringe edges

I am trying to get pictures of them because I know they will be gone too soon.

 Isaiah 40:6b-8 All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

Pertussis (Whooping Cough)

Pertussis is the infection. Whooping cough is a symptom of Pertussis. Several of my friends have asked me if I had any links with information to help those exposed to Pertussis.

Here are the links I am sharing with them:

http://www.theecomum.com/1/post/2011/6/recipe-beat-the-dreaded-whoop-natural-ways-to-avoid-eliminate-whooping-cough.html

http://www.whale.to/vaccines/whooping2.html

Daff-O-Deels

 Daff-o-deels is how Amanda pronounced daffodils when she was two years old.

 My children and I planted over 250 bulbs in the fall. We plan to plant more together each year.

 I like the delicate folds and tiny white tips on this one.

Growing up, my family called these flowers "Buttercups." Buttercup is my paternal grandmother's nickname. She had a hand painted name plaque with yellow daffodils that said "Buttercup's Kitchen" on it. I always think of her when I see these flowers.

 Psalm 145:1-9 Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts. I will speak of the glorious honor of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works. And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts: and I will declare thy greatness. They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness. The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.

Tulips

 There is actually a tiny bee inside the tulip.

Comfrey

 emerging comfrey leaves

This comfrey came from Grandma Susan many years ago. She got her plant from someone else. I have since sent several cutting off of it to other people all over the US!

Comfrey grows large and is incredible medicine! Comfrey is a cell proliferater which means it gives cells a faster turnover rate. That means it speeds the healing of skin, bone, cartilage, and muscle. The allantoin, the chemical which promotes healing, is absorbed through the skin. I have used it on broken bones, cuts, sprains, strains, bruises, and rashes. Add a salve base with a natural antibiotic like goldenseal root, and you have a salve that beats any triple antibiotic ointment in the stores. It never ceases to amaze me at how well it works! While internal use of comfrey is controversial, topical use is considered safe.

Every time I have used comfrey to heal a wound or broken bone, I have been amazed at how well it works! The leaf has more of the allantoin than the root. To use the leaves for a poultice, you must prepare them by mixing them in a blender with a little water. Add just enough water to blend the leaves. If it is "drippy" when you take it out, you can add flour to thicken it. This is the poultice. Apply to your injury and cover.

You should not apply comfrey to a wound that is deep. This is because the would will heal from the outside in. This does not allow for drainage which may cause or increase an infection. You could trap the infection under the skin and do more harm than good.

I love teaching people about the natural medicine present in every day plants. Once my children are grown, I may consider giving workshops to teach young mothers how to care for their families naturally. I am passing it down to my sons and daughters as we go. I teach them to absorb all of the learning they can along the way because they never know what they might need later.

Comfrey can also be used as a natural fertilizer in your garden or activator in your compost heap.

Out of the Mouths of Babes Comes Praise

One of the good things about the incident our family has been through recently is that our children have learned many spiritual lessons.

Bethany has clearly been thinking on the things she has seen. She asked me, "Didn't anyone ever teach (the person) about our actions having consequences?"

Me: "I don't know if they were ever taught that, but they should know."

Bethany: "Well, they know now, because God is teaching them hard lessons what happens when you lie!! You have to do things God's way, or you get in trouble!"

Matthew 21:16  and asked him, "Do you hear what these people are saying?" Jesus said to them, "Yes! Haven't you ever read, 'From the mouths of infants and nursing babies you have created praise'?"

Emerging Hostas

emerging hostas

just a few days later

and a few days later

after another week

I love walking around our place and seeing the day to day changes this time of year!

I Am Convinced There is a Cape and Some Tights in His Closet

Clint and I headed out to buy groceries at Sam's Club yesterday afternoon. Because of something affecting me health wise, I have not purchased groceries in over two weeks, so we needed to get them. We arrived at Sam's Club, got out of the truck, and Clint looked at me and said "Oh no! I forgot my bank card. I didn't put it back in my pants when Brandon used it. It is on the night stand at home." Sam's Club is about 35 minutes from our farm, and we have to go through some traffic to get to it. I hope you understand I simply had to tease him about our "fruitless errand."

Back at home, the children were confused as to why we were home so early...and without groceries to unload. Clint told them before I could, but I got a few teases in for him anyway. He found his bank card. We left and headed to the gas station because we needed gas for my big ole Ford.

While Clint was pumping gas, I had my face buried in my phone answering texts from both Amanda and my friend Julie. After candling, Amanda had questions about the low fertility rate of the chicken eggs in the incubator. Julie was asking me to pray about a bad storm heading for them. I heard some commotion outside of the truck, but figured someone was talking to a friend as they drove off. No, it turns out Clint was playing superhero again.

A woman did not get her car in park at the gas station. She left her children in the car while she ran inside to pay for her gas. The car slipped into gear and began rolling towards the 55 mph traffic on the highway. Clint stopped pumping his gas, ran to catch the car, opened the door, jumped inside, and stopped it from rolling. Then, as casually as he pleases, he looks around at the open mouthed, wide eyed children and said "Alright now. Ya'll have a good day!" Then he went back to pump his gas.

The lady at the pump behind the car stopped pumping and thanked him for keeping the children safe. Then people all over the parking lot started talking about and to Clint! The mother came out and someone stopped her and told her what Clint had done for her. She thanked him and several other people made a fuss over him.

I have known Clint since I was 16 years old. I've seen him do some incredible things. I am not surprised he acts quickly and looks out for other's safety. I married a super hero! He puts others first often to the point of denying himself, and I try to watch out for him because of his generous heart. I am very thankful he kept the children safe. I was a little put out I had to stop picking on him about the bank card after I realized out loud it was God orchestrating events to put Clint in the right place at the right time. So, I'll just tease him about wearing tights!

Practical Advice

picture belongs to savedwithamazinggrace.tumblr

Heal Your Body with Your Diet

This video is worth your time to watch.

"In 2003 Terry Wahls, M.D., was diagnosed with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis and soon became dependent upon a tilt-recline wheelchair. After developing and using the Wahls Protocol™, she is now able to walk through the hospital and commute to work by bicycle. She now uses intensive directed nutrition in her primary care and traumatic brain injury clinics. Dr. Wahls is the lead scientist in a clinical trial testing her protocol in others with progressive MS."

Her basic recipe for smoothies:  "For green smoothies, use this basic recipe: 1 cup greens, 2 cups fruit or juice, 1-2 cups ice."

If you go to her website and sign up, you will be sent to a page that tell you the initial steps of how to eat the Wahls' Way. 

Grill Daddy!

What a wonderful break it is for us wives when our husband's cook!

Bible Study

Our children value what Clint teaches them because he doesn't just "talk." 

He teaches with love and example. He draws from experiences in our lives and uses those to teach how God wants us to live.

Deuteronomy 6

Update 10 a.m.: I learned our family's picture is being used to encourage families to start studying their Bibles together.

Think About It

Ephesians 5:15-17 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.

Dancing Chick in Dollar Tree

I found this solar powered dancing chick in the Dollar Tree in Hampton, VA.

They also had dancing bunnies.

This would be a cheery gift to give someone in the hospital, nursing home, hospice, or an older person who is less mobile than they use to be.

If you can't find one near you, you can order one for $4.88 through here.

When I was little, my paternal grandfather kept a collection of toys. We grandchildren thought he was the coolest man around! I have inherited that toy loving gene!

What to do with Toiletry Samples

 a few of the samples we receive

Several years ago, I was camping and bathed in the shower house. Normally, I use our camper shower, but this campground was known for the clean showers and the oh so wonderful pressure of the shower head! A lady was in there at the same time. I started talking to her and learned she was homeless. She was living in her car while trying to find employment. She had lost her home after it was condemned due to flooding and had no where to go. She was doing the best she could with what she had. She told me a lot of the homeless use campgrounds all around the country. I learned homeless people at this particular campground used it very early in the morning. So, I started making up zipper freezer bags with sample soaps, shampoos, conditioners, hand lotions, etc to leave for these people. I added Christian reading material, meal coupons, and wrote a note letting them know we cared about them. I mark it as "FREE TOILETRIES" on the outside. It seems like such a small thing, but I learned from that lady that small things, such as a smile, a little time, a friendly voice, and a listening ear can mean so very much.

Clint and I also donate money well above the 10% tithe to well researched ministries and families we know that are facing financial challenges as the Lord leads. We do not make that much money, but the Lord has blessed our obedience by increasing our ability to give every year. We challenge you to trust Him and tithe according to His Word.

Proverbs 28:27 He who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses.

How Did She Get It Snapped?

Hannah put her pants on backwards.
I can not figure out how she got them zipped and snapped!

Have You Been Diagnosed with a Blighted Ovum?

Please read this before you consent to a D&C or other pregnancy ending procedure: http://www.squidoo.com/misdiagnosedblightedovum

How I Wash Legos, Duplos, and K'nex

I try to wash all of the children's building toys at least once a year. We have massive collection of Legos, Duplos, and K'nex which are the building sets our seven children have favored over the years. When you factor in some of them are 20 years old with the heavy use they receive, they need it. For the ones with many pieces, I wash them in a large kiddie pool. I fill it up with water, dish soap, and a little bleach. I let them soak for an hour. I go back and agitate them manually for 15 minutes. I agitate them with either my hands, a new broom, or my feet while I sit in a chair. I have also let the children take turns swishing them around with their feet. 

Then I drain them, refill it with water, let them soak a while longer, agitate them, and drain it. I put a cookie sheet under the drain hole which catches the ones that get through the hole. As I scoop the blocks out with my hands, I look for bits of paper or whatever and pull it out. I put them in a container with a hole and rinse them with water as I go. Then I let them sit in the sun for a while. Every few minutes or so, I wobble the container back and forth to get out more water. After a while of doing this, I put a thick towel in the bottom of their container, dump them in, let any water I missed be absorbed, shake them around some more, and then pull it out. I have also laid them out and let a fan blow on them, but it lengthens the time spent on them, takes up a great deal of space, and still does not get them 100% dry. It is not a perfect method, but it is the best one I have come up with to date. My investment of time is not that great since I can get other work done during the time I am waiting for the blocks to soak, drain, or dry out.

 Legos

Duplos

No Matter How Tired He Is...

 he always has energy for his family.

 Daddy Monsters like to munch on little feet!

 "Nom, nom, nom, nom!"

Clint is my best friend and my true love.
I can not imagine life without him, and I would do almost anything for him.

Winter Jam 2012

Eddie Carswell of Newsong

Kari Jobe

Peter Furler (former lead singer of Newsboys)

Sanctus Real Matt Hammitt

Speaker Nick Hall

John Cooper of Skillet

My favorite stars: Amanda (pink), Joshua and Bethany

Winter Jam 2012

Clint took Amanda, Joshua, and Bethany. Caleb was sick. Emily and Hannah were too young to go. Brandon wasn't interested. Brandon and I watched a movie and hung out for a while. When he went to study, I gave the girls pedicures, manicures, facials, and fixed their hair. After they went to bed, Caleb watched a tv show with me.

Clint left work early so he could take the children to Winter Jam. They were able to get excellent seats! Clint went backstage to the pastor's meeting to meet the performers and hear their testimonies.

Performers for Winter Jam 2012 were: Skillet, Sanctus Real, Peter Furler, Kari Jobe, Newsong, Building 429, Group 1 Crew, Dara MacLean,  For King and Country, We As Human

The lead singer from Skillet said when he was young, his church taught you could not listen to any music with drums in it. It was considered demonic. He liked Petra music. His mother opposed him on it. He asked her to attend one concert with him. She did on the premise that she would remove him when the demonic worship began. She came away from it being a Petra fan!

More Pictures

 Caleb saw the door handle was not staying on, so he fixed it without being asked.
He loves making repairs and building.
He definitely has the "Build it Better with Bailey" gene!

 Brandon has been on the Dean's List for all 5 of his class modules.
We are very proud of him!

He has also been selected for an internship and offered a job!

 It is rare all of my children are together for a fun project these days.

They are saying "Hi Dad!" so I could send Clint a picture of what they were doing.

Brandon joined in because he wanted his younger siblings to know he is interested in what their interests are. He is very aware of relationship building and the responsibility of being the oldest.
He takes setting a good example for his siblings very seriously.

 hand print giraffe

 My lovely ladies chill'axin!

Emily snuggled up to me for a rest.

"No Mom, I don't need a nap."