THANK YOU

Thank you to CFA of Gloucester Employees

for donating $434 towards

Caleb's medical expenses

out of their own pockets!

Caleb brought the check home to us today.

We are very grateful and will give an accounting 

of where it goes as soon as we can.

One of These Things Does Not Belong

Ace

I did it anyway.

Me: Hannah, have you been tickled today?
Hannah cautiously: No, I have not.
Me: Hmm, I don't feel like I am doing a good job as a mom then.
Hannah with laughter: I feel you are doing perfectly fine!

Peeking Ranger

Tortoises can take a while to get over a big change in their lives. They need caretakers that understand their ways and are patient, kind, and pay attention to details. When I took this picture in early Dec, I had Ranger for 16 days. I didn't brush the substrate off of him before I got him out of his habitat because he's been through enough. He had not eaten anything since before I got him. I had been soaking him daily in an electrolyte solution to prevent dehydration. I had been putting every kind of food in front of him including appetite stimulants. This was the first time I had seen him come out in front of food, and I was hoping he'd eat. He didn't eat anything, but he did keep his head out and watched us which is progress.

Update: It has been 41 days since he arrived, and we still have not seen him eat. His weight has remained steady, so no worries. He is not hiding as much and will walk around the room a little. He enjoys having his back rubbed.

Bethany's Toe

12/27: Bethany's toe is looking SO much better! The healthy part of skin took even though I didn't think it was possible. We cut the rest off with sterilized nail scissors. Comfrey salve came to the rescue again! Thank you Lord for plant medicine!

12/23: Bethany's toe opened up again today and is bleeding again. The flap of skin did not "take." We're going to do the same method of treatment that I did when I crushed my finger tip. 

Caleb asked his employer to give the nurse practitioner and doctor who treated Bethany a free meal. His boss said he would be happy to do it! Caleb also bought home lunch for the girls and I!

12/14/2019: The doctor called us last night to apologize to Bethany. She said Bethany had so much self control while being stitched that she (the doctor) forgot to offer her an Rx for pain meds. She said Bethany never flinched or complained! The doctor said she will call in a pain Rx if Bethany needs it.

Update 1:42 p.m.: The doctor put eight stitches in her little toe. Nothing important was damaged. She will need the crutches for a few days, and then she will be wearing a walking shoe to immobilize her toe to prevent her from tearing the stitches. Caleb is taking her to CFA to let her tell Joshua what happened, see some friends, and he is buying her lunch. He is a thoughtful and considerate big brother!

The doctor complimented me for my bandaging skills, for thinking of the bags to keep Bethany's foot dry, and for making Bethany use the crutches. She was so impressed with my first aid skills, she sent home a suture removal kit and said she knew I could handle taking them out myself if I wanted. I already have a kit and will save this sterile one for my traveling first aid kit.

Emily told me blood was in five rooms. I missed one because she cleaned it up for me.

Update 12:42 p.m.: I am answering all e-communications here since I am working on canning more. I asked Bethany for an update. She has done a number on her toe. She's had more than one doctor consulting with her main doctor on how to help it heal. One of those says Bethany will need at least six stitches in her toe, and she will have to wear a boot to prevent her from curling her toes and tearing the stitches out. They have not put the stitches in yet. She and Caleb are in the exam room waiting together. I imagine it feels good to Caleb to be the observer instead of the patient for a change!

12/13/2019 11:08 a.m.: Brandon's dog got into the trash, and a large piece of glass found its way into the kitchen. It wasn't very visible. Bethany "kicked it" and nearly sliced the outside of her little toe off on it as she walked through. 

She's a do-er and not a complainer! I found her kneeling on the floor quietly trying to stop bleeding with one hand and cleaning up the puddles of blood with the other! She looked up at me and said, "Don't worry; it's not bad." I looked at her and said, "That is A LOT of blood, sweetheart. I have to look at your toe." 

It is deep, and it is possible it is to the bone. That explains the bleeding. The side of her toe isn't hanging on by much. I bandaged her with eight gauze pads and wrapped it in with rolled gauze. Then I put three plastic grocery bags over it in case she put her foot down by accident as she went to the car. It's muddy here.

While I bandaged her, Emily and Hannah lovingly got her ready to leave. Emily got her a sock and shoe for the good foot. Hannah brushed her hair. 

Caleb grabbed the aluminum crutches and helped her into his car. Clint called ahead and faxed the necessary paperwork to the urgent care. Caleb is taking her so I could stay home* with the girls and clean up the floor in four rooms. It was looking like a horror movie in here. 

*I also have to meet with someone around 1 to 1:30 today too. 

Breville vs Hamilton Beach Oven

Update: 

Just when I thought the toaster oven review post was over. Not so fast...

Our thoughtful third born son purchased one for us when he saw we threw out the Breville. He did not know our plans. We all got a laugh out of it!

Caleb is laughing and saying, "You kind of messed up my Christmas present for you when you replaced the toaster oven!" Don't worry; we have a use for it.

Update: I took this picture for my friend Denise because she asked how the old cutting board would fit on the new oven. Since I've had a few friends interested in the toaster oven post, I shared it here too. The cutting board fits and is stable. There is less room between the bottom of my wall cabinet and the top of this oven than there was with the Breville. The new oven (w/ tax $72.66) sat in the box in a spare room while I was canning because I needed the counter space. I unpackaged it and set it up today. My lunch is cooking in it as I type. So far, so good! If I have any problems, I'll update this post. I've had two XL Breville's and still like the Hamilton Beach better because I've had no problems at all with them. 

My next kitchen issue to resolve...deciding how to refinish my cabinets. Amanda, Bethany, and I have discussed it, but we still do have a definitive plan.

Update: I was asked by Denise what model number. Here ya go, girl! Picts and link below. Click on the picture and it will be larger. You can see my date of purchase on both. There are many people complaining about the display in the reviews and in other places online. Having purchased a nicer model and a less expensive model at the same time, I can not say I will ever try a Breville again. The Hamilton Beach performed flawlessly. The Breville gave us trouble after only two weeks and continued to do so the entire time until it failed completely after five aggravating years. 

from the back of my oven which was recycled today

I purchased the cutting board and love it. It has held up very well, and the silicone feet were tough enough to handle the heat on the top of the oven. I would buy this again if I could not find a less expensive option. I prefer bamboo tools over other wood in my kitchen because it holds up to water so well.

12/9: I purchased my Breville oven for $250 five years ago thinking I was getting something really nice for my kitchen. Within a few weeks, the lit digital display started messing up. We searched the internet and learned it was a very common problem. The fix was to unplug and then plug the unit back in. We've had nothing but issues with the display since we received it. Then it started not heating. We'd unplug and plug it back in, and it would work again. A couple of weeks ago, the Breville oven completely failed. What a disappointment from start to finish!

However, the $70 Hamilton Beach extra large toaster oven we purchased at the same time is still going strong without a moment of trouble. Guess which one I will be purchasing to replace the one that failed?

Based on our experience, I highly recommend skipping the fancy Breville and going with the humble Hamilton Beach. 

Clint reminded me that we had a previous Breville oven which performed better than the model mentioned above, but it still did not outperform the Hamilton Beach.

Christmas Joy in the House

Emily

Clint and Hannah (aka Hank) 
She's getting help with her tablet.

Caleb

Brandon

Bethany delighted with the REAL octopus Amanda gave her for her art.

Clint opening the third tape measure in a row.
(A joke with our group.)

Joshua


Amanda being picked on by Caleb


Hannah


Bethany stylin'
the octopus sweatshirt she asked for
"Duckie glasses" she like in a movie we watched together
women's fedora from Caleb
scarf from Amanda


Clint with another drone


Because I told her I'd post it.
I live with a bunch of goofs!

Our mouths were filled with laughter, 
our tongues with songs of joy.
Psalms 126:2b

The three younger girls and I are taking the Christmas decor 
down and preparing for our annual
New Year's Eve prayer and praise party.

I have already been gently fussed at this morning for not having pictures up. 

I am working on them. 

Check back later!

Merry Christmas!

They were extra knuckleheaded this year!
This is our 21st picture of our children in front of the tree!

Merry Christ-a-must!

to our family and friends

near and far, old and new
close and estranged

May the true meaning of Christmas
be apparent in your homes
and your heart!

SO MUCH FUN!!!

The first Christmas Eve gift I gave everyone was socks. We all wear the same socks in the same color since it simplifies life a bit. None of them complained, but you could see from their faces they were expecting something a little different. Joshua said, "Mom actually gave us socks for Christmas!" I said, "I solved my problem of never being able to find any. Merry Christmas to me!" Their looks were hilarious!

Not too long later...

I gave Clint his Nerf N Strike Elite first. He thought that was the ONLY ONE I bought. He loved it and immediately started on our children. (The darts don't hurt as long as it isn't up close.) 

I waited about an hour, and let him dig a deep hole.  

Then, I opened mine, and let the children take turns using it. Clint again thought that was all there was. Clint was still king of the house at that point. 

I waited another hour. THEN, I gave ALL of the children theirs. 

Clint saw they all had one and turned to me and said, "Hey! That's not cool!" (The picture is the look he gave me when he figured it out! HAHA) 

Total anarchy ensued! 

The house is littered with the 2k rounds of foam darts! No one was hurt and nothing was broken, but 

the memories are going to be priceless! 

They have had a blast and have worn themselves out. 

None of them came after me because I gave them the blasters! 

Merry Christmas to all!



I will try to upload some more picts asap.
Right now, I have to clean up and put the presents under the tree, fill the "wise men bags," make the turkey and ham croissants, and do the other prep work for the people dearest to me. I have my blaster ready for action on my hip.

We Have 7 Children

He knew I was joking.

I got the blasters instead. :-)
It's fun and lively around here.

Yes, that's really how he's listed in my phone.

Yes, he really is an amazing husband!

Game On!

Every member of our family has a team spirit.
When we play, we set boundaries, and everyone tries to honor them.
We each look after the well being and enjoyment of the others 
because we want it to be truly fun for all. 
That allows us to enjoy and do things like this without problems arising.
We like to include like minded relatives and friends when we can.
Which leads us to this...

I am giving everyone in the family one of these Nerf and Strike Strongarm Toy Blasters to open on Christmas Eve.
Those are extra darts. They only come with six.

2,000 rounds of off brand darts.

I bought two packages of these.
They were on sale for $25 each.

They fit and "fly" very well.
I will use a broom to sweep them up 
and will store them in strategically placed baskets.

I preloaded Clint's and mine.

I cocked them too.

They will be ready to go the moment we open them.
Our children are ruthless with us parents.
Clint doesn't know he is getting one.
Most of the children know Clint is getting one, 
but they do not know I bought them one too.

I added extra foam darts to Clint's and my boxes too.
I've played with these people before.

I know there will be an immediate rush on the dart supply.

I also spent some time figuring out the sight and the dart drop over distance.
I kept at it until I could hit my target consistently.
Like I said, I've played with these people before.
You need to bring your A game "up in here!"

My husband, my children, and those rascals in our group know...
Mama is serious about good natured fun!
Keep your hands off my Nerf Blaster!

I'm going to keep my socks on so I can run 

and slide across the hardwood floors as needed.

*Be thoughtful and responsible. These will sting if you hit a person up close. I shot myself and also had a top secret volunteer help me. From a distance, it does not hurt. You should never aim for someone's face with one of these. When we are not in active play, we have our dart shooters pointing at the floor. Treating a toy dart shooter like a real weapon is good training/reinforcement for all. The blaster has a pretty good range for the price. Keep it safe and fun for everyone!

If it is not fun for all, it is not fun at all!

Loss of a Lifelong Friend

Obituary

She is with the Lord.
I am heartbroken for her family.
She was very kind to me during a very difficult part of life.
Her last words to me were, "I love you."
I am going to miss her dearly.
I already do.
She touched so many lives for the Lord.

Please pray for her family. 

His Steadfast Love is Better than Life

Because your steadfast love is better than life, 
my lips will praise you.
Psalm 63:3

Hamburger Soup

We pressure canned 93 pints of hamburger soup!

Thank You!

Gloucester Chick-fil-A raised almost $1k for Caleb's medical expenses.  Thank you to CFA for holding the fundraiser and to everyone in our community who gave. Every penny has been paid to hospital bills. We are very thankful! 

When Amanda had her car accident, Joshua's co-workers jumped up from the restaurant table with him and went to stand with her until Clint and I could get there. Thank you to all!

Our youngest two boys are surrounded by outstanding people at work! They are learning much, much, much more than food service.

Chevelle Motoring

She seems to have learned our home's layout faster than Little Jo.
We are really enjoying observing her and interacting with her.

"God knew you'd delight in it..."

A few years ago, I was admiring some vintage ceramic Christmas trees, but the prices were so high, I didn't plan to buy any. It was one of those, "It would be nice to have, but I don't want to part with the money for it." I shared my fondness of them and the prices with Clint in conversation later.

A few weeks later, Clint and I were in a resale shop and we found the 22" tree on the far left for $5! I was so tickled and also confused as to why no one else had purchased it with the prices of them being so high at that time! Clint said, "God knew you'd delight in it and left it here for you. He loves you, Wendy." I have used it to decorate our home the last few years. 

At the same time I found that one, I found a smaller one (no lights) with cardinals and gifted it to Amanda for her new home. It is also a vintage piece and is very pretty. Amanda loves it.

Fast forward to this year. I found a 8 inch vintage crystal Christmas tree in a resale shop for 50¢. 

Then, also this year, I found two more vintage trees in a friend's house. He gave them to me. They were made by lady who lived in the house and have her name and the date they were made on the bottom. It's the largest and the smaller one in the back.

I also have two new trees. Joshua bought me the small lit one you see in the front of the largest which is very generous of him because he helped purchase Ranger for me. The tree was battery powered, but I converted it to electric. Amanda also gave me the one beside that for my birthday. She felt I needed more trees on the table.

Dear Reader, there is a God who loves us and wants us to know Him. He tells us to give Him a try and we will see (Psalm 34:8) that He is good. He can heal our hurts and set us free of things holding us up in life. He will supply our needs and send reminders of His love. He cares about the big and the small in our lives. He can do far more than what we ask for or think. My life is a living example of all of these things and much more. I know if you try to get to know Him, you will see that He is good. 

For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Ephesians 3:14-21

A Warm Cheery Glow

Christmas lights casting a warm cheery glow in our home.

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world.
Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness,
but will have the light of life.”
John 8:12

She Marked Another Thing Off the Career Possibilities List

(This is a friend's home.)

Bethany has been learning how to do sheetrock from Amanda.

I heard sister chatter and grabbed the camera.

Hannah was keeping Bethany company, and they were talking up a storm.

My girls' "sister chatter" is one of my favorite forms of "music."
I listen to it with joy in my heart daily.

Canning Turmeric Chicken Soup

I love canning this soup because it is so easy.

I've done 90 pints of this soup so far.

I am switching back to Wendy's Chili soon.

An Easy and Simple Ministry...Just Share What You Have

Clint saw poinsettias on sale and purchased me five of them. As he handed them to me, he told me to keep one of the poinsettias for myself, so I am going to honor that. But, I had four to give away! My true love knows my heart!

One went to a lady who is widowed and lives alone. She is well off, but she is on heavy medication and spends most of her time alone. She can be shy and hard to understand because of the medications, so she does not get hardly any visitors at all. She was so happy for company!

Another two went to neighbors who appreciated them.

I received the biggest gift to my heart from the recipients of the fourth. The fourth of the five poinsettias went to an elderly lady and her disabled sister. My three youngest girls took it to them. These ladies have had a lot of sadness in their lives since their brother died. They live together and do not have much money, so I thought the plant would brighten their mobile home. My girls told me one of them almost started crying. She had looked at them in a store and wanted to buy one. They were so overjoyed by the simple gift, it made me resolve to look for more ways I can share with them. 

My girls were also deeply affected by the lady's reaction. I've been talking to my girls a lot lately about how ministry is simply putting actions to our beliefs as Christians. It's reaching out to others in a way that shows God's love and makes it possible for us to share the gospel. It's being Jesus' hand and feet. I am thankful they were able to see firsthand how a little kindness can mean so much.

Dear Reader, This post is about how something so simple and as an inexpensive potted plant can make a big difference and open the door to show someone God's love. Ministry is really simple...just love the people God puts in your path. Shine His light everywhere you go. That idea you get to do something for someone, don't put it off. Follow through with that thought, and watch the Lord work! 

Star Shadow

Usually, a cross leaves a shadow on the face of this church. 

Around Christmas, they change it to a star.
This is Mount Zion United Methodist Church in Gloucester, VA.

Mathew 2:2 Saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? 
For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

Where do your thoughts go?

flowers from my Forever and Ever, Amen.

Those who are dominated by the sinful nature 

think about sinful things, 

but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit 

think about things that please the Spirit. 

Romans 8:5

Above all else, guard your heart,
    for everything you do flows from it.
Psalm 4:23

Dear Reader, let's self evaluate. Are our thoughts self pleasing or God pleasing? Are we looking for faults in others, or are we self disciplining ourselves? Are we adding our thoughts and opinions to others social media posts or just taking the words at face value? Are we criticizing or praising? Are we discouraging others or encouraging them? In what situations or with what people do we fail to shine for the Lord? What triggers us into behaviors unbecoming for a Christian? Where can improve? Where do we do well?

He Looks Serious, Doesn't He?

Joshua explaining the rules to a new card game.

Bethany wearing her fedora.

Amanda's SUV

fender bender

We are thankful it wasn't worse, and that Amanda is unharmed.

a very tired daddy working to fix the baby girl's car

He used a come along attached to a telephone pole to pull the sheet metal out so he can get the headlight housing into it.

Amanda will make better repairs once she can get to a junkyard.

The Snail Became a Leap Frog

So far this month, the snail has been much like a leapfrog.
We're making up time that was lost from all of the things thrown our way.
Thank you to our team of prayer warriors!
We covet your prayers as we move forward.

Please pray our testimony for the Lord grows and our reputation stays good. This is very thorny and uneven ground we are walking. Please pray we are effective in forming relationships and shining God's love in dark places. We're seeing opposition again, but we know where it comes from and why. Ask the Lord to protect us from the snares set all around us...and they are literally all around us.

In the communities we are working in, there are so many people held as prisoner by their own anger. It goes back generations. They honestly do not know how to relate to anyone in any other way than with hostility. It's not only holding them back from Christ and so many other ways, but it is also holding their children and grandchildren back. It's holding the communities as a whole back. New people they encounter could so easily be infected by the bitterness because it just spews everywhere over such little things. However, it just takes a little Light to eradicate darkness! Please pray hard for us to make progress in shining God's love which will bring blessed FREEDOM to these people who so desperately need it.

Dear Reader, I don't know what you struggle with, but I know all of us struggle. I encourage you to reflect honestly and carefully in your own heart about the different situations in your life. You do not want the kind of bondage we are seeing in your life, and you certainly do not want to pass anything like this down to other generations. 

I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Revelation 3:15-16 

Wendy's Chili

We pressure canned almost 50 pints of Wendy's Chili.

How to Know Jesus

"If you don't know a person's purposes, character, ways, what he or she loves and hates, it's impossible to know the person intimately. And, how can you testify that Jesus is the Lord of your life if you don't really know anything about who He is? If you don't have a close relationship with Jesus, how can you be confident that you can really count on Him when the storms in life crash over you? How can you understand the fullness of the hope He offers you?"

"But what we can know for sure is that from Genesis 1:1 to Revelations 22:21, God's character, plan, wisdom, promises, intentions, and purposes are being revealed to us."

"The second reason we need to start with Scripture--because that is where we learn who Jesus really is and what He is teaching us."

These images were not showing up correctly, on some people's screens, for some reason, so I typed out the text this morning after learning.

Source: Standing Strong: How to Storm Proof Your Life with God's Timeless Truths Written by a man who loves God's people and knows that we can be victorious through life's trials, this is a book filled with the timeless truths of Bible doctrine to help the reader gain stronger convictions for a lasting faith. For the teacher, book provides understandable explanations one can use to answer students' questions and because of that, it is a good book to review before or while teaching others.