Mommy Fowler

WHY?

2012-02-04T21:27:00.000-08:00

Why not adopt?

1. Financial Cost
Jahovah Jireh - God is my provider

2. Fear of unknown
Jahovah Shalom - God is my peace

3. Danger in foreign lands
Jahovah Nissi - God is my banner; my refuge

My God is faithful, and when he draws hearts to spread His Word and love, he will be with us.

We are growing our family!!

2012-01-28T15:30:00.000-08:00

Well as most of our dearest friends know, we are growing our family!! No, we are not pregnant.....we are....ADOPTING!!

We had always had a heart for adoption but now God is allowing us to really activate that calling!

God showed us that we were to adopt from Columbia South America. We are very excited and blessed blessed blessed!!

I know most people think we are crazy with 6 kids and homeschooling! This shouldnt be that much of a shock.....maybe we should just go ahead and lay it out that we may adopt every few years until we age out! haha...there now we dont have to keep announcing it!

Love you yall!

Fundraising starts this week.....

Fundraising For Our Columbia Adoption

2012-01-28T15:25:00.000-08:00

href="http://www.fundraiserinsight.org/thermometer/">Free fund raiser
thermometer
to track your href="http://www.fundraiserinsight.org/ideas/">fund raising progress

Ye' Ole School House

2012-01-26T13:27:00.000-08:00

Our goal this year is to be lovers of learning. It wasnt as important to us WHAT we studied, as LOVING studying together, as a family, every night.

Billy's new year's resolution was to gather every night together to read God's word, sing, play instruments, pray, talk, and share. It is January 26th and we have not missed a night. Even when we went out of town, Billy pulled the car over at a gas station, pulled out our huge KJV Thomas Chainlink Bible (thanks Muna), and read to us. This simple act of leadership from my priest has turned my family upside down. God's presence is in our home in a major way and we are SO happy to have Him!

This year Abigail is studying the 20th century to present day (we will end with the presidential election next November!). The littles get some of the overflow but are mostly geared towards storybooks, and hands-on science.

We also began delivering hot lunches on Tuesday as a side business, and family meals for Tuesday nights for busy moms! That has been a wonderful experience to work together as a family. We cook everything from scratch and it is yummy!

2012-01-12T05:39:00.000-08:00

2011 In Review

Coming Soon....

My Man started Ball.......I finally get what the fuss is about

2011-03-26T06:05:00.000-07:00

Our Solar System

2011-03-03T04:41:00.000-08:00

This past week Billy and I greatly enjoyed exploring space with our little ones. We began by reading about the solar system in our children's excyclopedia. Daddy built us a model solar system and we watched Magic Schoolbus gets lost in space.

Friday night each child went out with dad to look at a star through the telescope and then went on a constellation hunt with mom. Finally we narrated our experience.

Narrating their space experience!

More Science on a Shoestring to come!!

Honour Him, Both to Great and Small

2011-01-20T04:37:00.000-08:00

When Ahasuerus, King of Persia, banished Queen Vashti from her position as Queen, he sent out a decree that all wives should honour their husbands both to great and to small. I knew when I read this verse this morning that it was meant for me.

I love my husband. I tell him I love him and I tell him I appreciate how hard he works for our family. But, do I honour him in the small things?

There are things that I know are important to him that are not important to me. Shouldn't those small tasks be at the top of my to-do list?

He prefers his scrubs folded but I insist on hanging them so there are less wrinkles. Am I serving him in the way he has asked? or am I doing what I feel is BEST for him?

Who am I to truly tell him what is best for him. I am his helpmeet. I am here to fullfill his vision for our family.

Our house can be a mess but if a few little areas are clean then the whole house seems clean to him. Should not those areas be my priority? Every day?

A few years ago God brought my to my attention, the order of a home. Man is the head of the home. Since that time I have sincerely tried to humble myself totally and allow him to make all major decisions. For a while I was also honouring him in the small. These past 6 months I have not been so attentive. I have used my pregnancy as an excuse to my moodiness and lack of consideration. From this day on I want to die out to the moody pregnant me and allow God to love my husband through me again. I am so thankful that my husband is a man that loves to have children! What a rare trait in this day and time. I best not forget that!

Today I am going to fold his scrubs and prepare my home for his arrival this evening.

With love in Jesus Name,

Ashley

Treehouse

2010-12-29T06:26:00.000-08:00

This Christmas we took the money we normally spend on tons of toys and put it together with money from my mom & grandaddy, and my aunt & uncle from FLorida, and are building a treehouse.

The actual floor plan came from the video Measure Twice, Cut Once. This video is well worth the money!

My oldest two children were incharge of the fire and taking pictures of the project. When I uploaded the pictures this morning....there were 65 pictures of the fire they were building...and one picture of the treehouse!!

Planning next Christmas

2010-12-27T10:21:00.000-08:00

There is no better time to think about the things you would like to change about your Christmas celebrating than right after Christmas.

I am making a list of who I am going to buy for, who I am going to make something for and what traditions I want to implement or cut out.

Ofcourse I want to buy 1-2 gifts per child. This past year we cut the amount of money we spent by 75% per child. We spent about $40-$50 where as we normally spend $200. Next year we are definately going to keep this change. It was simpler and way less stressful.

Each child was able to buy a $10 gift for each of their siblings.

A family present was given from my mom & dad, aunt & uncle, and from Daddy & I. This year we gave them a tree house. Next year we will focus on a family gift as well.

I do want to give each of the ladies in my family a handmade craft next year. I will make a list of all the ladies and begin making these in June. This year I totally missed this part of gift giving. I was so concerned about the drop in funds for Christmas, I forgot to give to these important women in my life.

I will also plan a special garden for growing foods to make different preserves for gifts. My plan was to have a small basket for each family containing blueberry jam, pepper jelly, dehydrated blueberries, basil vinegarette, ect. I really only canned enough for our family to make it through until next season. Therefore, the baskets did not make it together.

As far as traditions, I am keeping the breakfast foods that I have been making the past few years. Honey Bun Cake, Monkey Bread, two quiche, and kolaches. I also implemented breakfast punch this year and will keep that tradition.

GO ahead and make a list of any last minute trips you had to make to the store so you are sure not to forget these items next year. Also take note of anything that you wish you would have had (cooking utensil, serving plate) and try to add those affordably throughout this next year.

Beach Moments at Munas

2010-10-15T13:57:00.000-07:00

Another Fowler Baby

2010-08-21T16:47:00.001-07:00

Well, it official! (even though just barely!)

We are having another baby!

We are so excited! What a blessing it is! I cannot wait to see it, hold it, kiss, nurse it! I do hope that it is a curly red-headed baby girl......but I would love a playmate for my two little men.

Thanks to all our friends and family who share our excitement!

Love,

My sweet family

Clarity & Focus

2010-06-18T19:08:00.000-07:00

I encourage each of you to take a good look at your life today. Are you spending time on things that matter? or are you so busy you dont even have a true relationship with you husband & kids?

I know that there are times I just wonder where the day went. I did not stop to read a book to my little ones, I did not talk with Wy-man in gibberish. I did not brush Abi's hair or let Hannah tell me all about something important to her or look at what Will built.

Stop .....take time to enjoy,

Love,

ashley

Smothered Pork Sausage in the Crockpot

2010-06-16T06:26:00.000-07:00

This week my kids have swim lessons and it is right in the beginning of the evening! Which means dinnertime and dinner prep time is interrupted! Crockpot meals are a must every night!

Here is my recipe from last night:

1-2 lbs Uncooked Pork Sausage
3-4 onions
1 bell pepper (optional)
Salt & Pepper
Seasoning of choice (I use Cavendar's, you could use Tony's)

Place uncooked sausage in crockpot
smother with onions & bell peppers
Let cook for 3-4 hours on high
Season with salt, pepper & seasoning of choice

Serve over potatoes or rice!

OH SO GOOD!!

Kiss the Dinner rush GOOD-BYE!

2010-06-14T17:08:00.001-07:00

One thing that is SO important about exclusively (atleast almost) eating at home is to have a PLAN!

You even need a plan for when you plan fails!

Any good mama can get lost in playing with there kids or folding laundry mountain, look up and realize it is 30 minutes until dinner!!! and the chicken is NOT thawed out!

You need to have atleast 2 or 3 go to recipes. Go ahead and excuse yourself, these recipes do NOT have to be as healthy as your normal meals. They will probably be more healthy than McD's and OH so much cheaper!

I wanted to share 2 of our favorites

Taco style lentils & rice

Hillbilly Enchiladas (yes these are high fat - deal with it!)

You don't have to use my suggestions but decide on 2 last minute meals and always have them in stock. Another favorite is Bacon & Eggs OR Pancakes & Sausage

Our First Farmer's Market

2010-06-12T14:46:00.000-07:00

Some pics of our kids

2010-06-12T14:06:00.000-07:00

Our Princess
Our Angel

Curly

Our Man

Payton killin' the soccer ball!

Some sights around Fowler Farms

2010-06-11T11:10:00.000-07:00

Tomatoes ripening in my kitchen window

Blueberries getting ready for market

Thyme

Green tomatoes

The Blueberry Orchard

2010-06-09T03:39:00.001-07:00

Photo Credit

One of the things that drew us to this land last fall was the blueberry orchard. It is so beautiful in every season, all the trees perfectly aligned in rows. We have over 100 trees and they are all dripping with round blue berries!

Billy and I have prayed to make money as a family laboring on our land and this weekend we will be the blueberry vendor at the Marksville Farmers Market!

I feel so blessed and so excited!!

All of the other produce is growing so well! For the most part it was all grown with total organic practices! Although I truly have SO much to learn, and those Louisiana bugs are KILLING ME!!!

Our Garden Then & Now

2010-05-24T19:12:00.000-07:00

In the Beginning Was a Dream and A Plan:

Our dream birthed..........a jungle! Help I am lost among squash!

My volunteer Squash

(I threw these seeds out into compost because they would not sprout! HA)

Our SWEET Green Tomatoes!

Family Pictures...cont

2010-05-24T18:53:00.000-07:00

Mommy & Abi

Sweet Big Sister

Wyatt eating his ice cream cone from the bottom up!!

CHEEZEEE (I look like my Uncle Mac!)

Sweet pictures of my family

2010-05-24T17:14:00.000-07:00

Hannah's First Spelling Test

William's First Handwriting Assignment

Wyatt about to be diagnosed with Strep Throat...ugh

William refusing to smile at Awards Sunday

Homemade Wrinkle Releaser

2010-05-13T08:16:00.000-07:00

Here is a GREAT recipe for homemade wrinkle releaser!

Seeing as I hate to iron and I love Downy's wrinkle releaser, but it is too expensive for my blood, I have been using this equal substitute (in my opinion).

2 caps full of fabric softener (I often get this free through coupons & sales at Kroger)

&
fill the remainder of the Downy Wrinkle Releaser Bottle full of water and shake

Spray away!!

If I can get the fabric softener for under $1, then each bottle of wrinkle releaser now costs me $.0625!!!

Sunday School Awards

2010-05-04T20:28:00.000-07:00

Pigs in the SUV

2010-03-04T06:10:00.000-08:00

photo credit

Our organic farm truly became a farm yesterday when we went and picked up 3 piglets. We bought 2 for slaughter in August and 1 to become a sow. In our truly nieve minds, we put down the back seats in the SUV and loaded an extra large dog crate filled with hay into the car.

As a family, we drove out to the pig farm about 45 minutes away. On the way there Billy and I were holding hands asking ourselves if we were sure we wanted to be farmers. Do we really want to do this or do we want to move back to the city and me teach Math!?! I thought my stomach would envoke a vomit for sure.

As we pulled up to the farm we saw a sow walking across the road. She was HUGE! Our first thought was OH MY GOODNESS!! WHAT HAVE WE DONE!! hahahaha. The kids were all screaming and jumping up and down. Abi was able to pick the male piglet and we bought both females. The females are a pink color and the male is a red/brown. They are a Duroc/Yorkshire mix.

After we loaded the crate and paid for them, I insisted on stopping at a meat store on the way home to pickup some local beef and pork. Man the color of this meat was amazing!! Then I HAD to stop by walmart to get the supplies for a "redneck" grow light. (more on this later).

We honestly could have already been home by the time I got in the car from Walmart. The pigs were smelling up the car but it wasnt really stinky it was just a distinct farm smell.

THEN.......we heard this strange smell and the pigs were throwing up due to motion sickness. ALL the kids were in the back gagging. Poor William was sitting in the far back next to the crate and he is the one that could see it. I had to let Abi hold him in the middle seat because he was dry heaving so heavily. We still had a 45 minute drive. Needless to say, we laughed so hard, while gagging that we were crying.

After we bathed everyone and put them to bed early, we realized it.......we were officially farmers.

AC adapter Out - Computer Dead

2010-02-03T18:24:00.000-08:00

Will resume posting this weekend or early next week.....Love yall! Keep working on those seeds!

Ash-

Healthy Shopping in a World of Supermarkets

2010-01-29T11:24:00.001-08:00

Well as fired up as I am about knowing where my food is coming from I felt almost powerless when I made my grocery list today. My children have to eat this week, my garden will not be producing for quite a while, and I have even gotten my pigs yet much less had them slaughtered!

SO.....what's an organic health lovin' mama on a budget to do??

I started out by making a list of what I knew was good for us. Then I bought the most important items first...here is a few of the items I got:

Cage Free Eggs - These were considerably higher than the regular eggs but all I could think about were those poor hens in battery cages laying cheap eggs. I just could do it. So I found these eggs instead. They were more than I normally spend but I only bought 2 instead of 3. Plus my long term resolution to this issue is that we are getting our own free range chickens this spring. In the meantime I will buy free range eggs.

One very important part of healthy living is to only use pure foods. We have been using pure cane syrup all year and we love it. We use this instead of pure maple syrup because it is about half the price ($3/can). Artificial syrup is a created product and it is not a good idea to put those kind of things in your family's bodies. Also this brand of syrup is made/canned in Abbeville, LA....so it is local. You can buy this little jar at Walmart.

Fill your buggy with produce first. Get all those good fruits that the kids love. Now, I have also learned that many off season fruits and vegetables are carried in from far away, picked before being ripe and then ripened with a gas.....GROSS! BUT...I have to feed them something so I bought organic as often as possible (especially when there was little price difference). The strawberries were the most off season fruit I bought but my little boy was standing by them saying...."look mama, strawberries!"....I couldnt help it. I will be posting how to keep/use all this produce without waisting it soon.

Buying milk and cheese made from cows that are not treated with rBST is another important thing we can do to help shield our babies from chemicals. Bordon milk and cheese is sold at Walmart.

I also found whole chickens for about $4 each that were free range chickens. I bought 2 for this week.

Making these little changes is how we begin to change our lives!

Now I am off to make homemade yogurt, homemade granola, & homemade bread......babysteps lead me to this....haha! Yeehaw!

Gettin' off to a good start

2010-01-28T17:03:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture of a little square foot garden off my kitchen. It is not getting much sun right now so I am not sure what I will put there but it is ready for when I make up my mind....;)

Here are my herb seeds. I am doing 9 plants of each of my herbs. That seems like a lot to me but I am hoping to can a ton of spaghetti sauce and dry the rest of my herbs for use during Fall '10 to Fall '11. I am also going to make my own taco seasoning packets and greek seasoning packs. This will cut down on prepackaged items from the grocery store. Who knows what is really in that stuff anyway.

Here again are some more of my herbs and a TON of beefsteak tomatoes. I sure hope these things produce a bunch of tomatoes. Any tomato advice PLEASE SHARE. Also my catnip is in those circular starter thingys but my cats eat every spring that pops up....haha. If they would be a little more patient they would have a TON to chew on!

Here is my dear dear husband tilling our ground. As I have stated I am a huge fan of square foot gardening but I am going to try to do a raised bed adaptation of square foot gardening. It is our choice because we are focusing our money into the pigpens and the chicken coop and this is a free way to get my big garden going.

Food Inc....Rent this tonight!

2010-01-27T07:55:00.000-08:00

I watched Food Inc and it honestly has only confirmed my desire to grow our own food and raise our own meat. It is insane how our food is truly only coming from a few companies. And the living conditions of these animals is sad.

Watch this video ASAP and then make a change so these companies get the message!

This year my home will:

Grown as much of our own produce as possible

What we do not grow we will buy from farmers markets

We will raise 2 pigs for a years supply of pork

Harvest & replant as many fruit producing plants as possible

Buy a very limited (emergency cases) amount of prepackaged food (boxed meals)

Buy only grass fed meats

Limit our purchases to Walmart and other large corporations and increase our purchases with local farms/meat stores

Homemade Granola - Do this Tonight!

2010-01-26T13:32:00.001-08:00

Today I was looking for a snack to soothe some stress and quite frankly, I did not have ANYTHING worth mentioning. Then I remembered that a friend from Sunday School had told me she made her own granola and how easy it was.

SOOOO......I googled this recipe and got to work (click here).

It was fantastic. You can add any nut, dried fruit, or even coconut & chocolate chips (after the mix has cooled) that you have laying around.

Do this SOON!! I will probably be making 2 batches one time per week. This will allow for several snacks/breakfasts of yogurt and granola, and some in a bag for a traveling snack.

Love ya!
Ash-

Living on less....fall clothing

2010-01-19T17:47:00.000-08:00

In an effort to organize a list of clothing "needs" for this coming Spring, I am going to look back and see what the children really wore during the fall/winter of this year.

Wyatt - 1 yr-old boy
Footed Fleece rompers - he wore these to sleep in, play in, and even run errands in.

2 Favorite Mini Boden outfits - these 2 outfits outshown the rest and he wore these all the time

1 Gymboree monkey outfit

2 holiday sweaters - 1 for fall and 1 for Christmas (nutcracker sweater from Janie & Jack)

Gap jeans - 3 pairs

socks

chore boots for outside

leather boots for church/casual wear

William

fleece pj's with socks

Homemade fleece longies w/ long sleeve tees

sweater/coat/fleece zipup for outside play

chore boots

ankle boots for church/casual

2 holiday sweaters (same as above)

Gap jeans

Boden flannel pants w/matching tee (x2 sets)

2 pairs of rib waist cargos from Boden that I LOVED w/ random tee's

tennis shoes

socks from children's place

Hannah

Knit dresses with knit pants/tights underneath

Knit pants with matching tee's

Holiday dresses Thanksgiving & Christmas & New Years

2/3 church dresses

matching pj sets (warm)

chore boots

land's end mary janes/pedi peds for dressy & casual/boots

Hannah had a lot of mini boden but it ended up being too wide for her and she hardly wore any of it. I am hoping it will still fit for next year.

Abigail - (my biggest challenge to buy for)

knit dresses w/tights/knit pants

matching pjs

pencil skirts

sweaters - zip up

tee's for layering

boots

ballet flats

chore boots

lots of accessories, scarfs...ect

Now looking at what we DID wear will make buying for future seasons easier. My goal is to NOT BUY those things that only get worn once or do not get worn at all! So the first step is pinpointing what we DID wear.

I challenge each of you to do this so your clothes budget goes farther. Buy less, wear it more often!

My First "Successful" Loaf

2010-01-16T18:34:00.000-08:00

Well, friends and families.....this is it. This is my first loaf. In the midst of a bathroom remodel and a major closet clean out I baked my first "successful" bread loaf today. I will not even describe the look on my husband's face as I was kneading dough while he was stressing over getting a toilet back into the guest bathroom.......just in time for company to arrive tomorrow. Priceless!!!

I have tried twice before (a while back) and this was my "three times a charm".

I bought the video...Homestead Blessing "How to bake bread" by the West ladies (will add link later) and it was worth every penny. Not only did my loaf cost about a quarter but it is delicious. I also use their video for homemade cinnamon rolls.

SO.....I will now be baking our bread loafs...I will probably bake 2 loafs, twice per week. YUM!!!

Now if anyone has any suggestions on how to cut this thing please let me know!

Decorating on a budget.....our guest bath

2010-01-15T18:59:00.000-08:00

Here is the first step in my guest bathroom remodel. What do you think? This part of the bathroom was done for under $100. We basically painted granite onto the countertop and then antiqued the cabinetry which was in excellent shape.

Here is the new faucet we are getting and after I get it in I will match new knobs and a light fixture.

Now we have to finish the floor, walls, and tile the tub enclosure. Since I wont be able to finish the tub before our company comes, I am making a fabric tub surround from luxury shower curtains I found for $10 each at Tuesday Morning.

I will upload more pics and instructions soon....

Water - The drink of choice

2010-01-11T09:40:00.000-08:00

Funny how we need to be reminded of some of the most basic healthy ways to save money. We are so consumed by a materialistic world that sometimes we forget that we only NEED the basics. Food, shelter, heat, water......

Making water the standard drink around my home has not only saved me money on juice, soda pop, lemonaide, tea, and milk but it also is making us healthier.

I am NOT talking about buying a bunch of bottled water (that does not save any money). I am saying drink tap water. Pick yourself up off the floor and go get you a pitcher and fill it with plain ol'water and stick it in the fridge.

It took about a week for my kids to get used to it but just last night Hannah came to me and asked for a drink of water...then Will woke up late last night and instead of saying "I need just a wittle bit of chocolate milk" he said "I need just a wittle bit of water"....

I was so proud.

We bought each of the family members a reusable water bottle. I try to always remember (they remind me) to fill it up each night so they have a cold bottle of water in the fridge during the next day. If they need a drink, they help themselves.

The way that I rationed the milk/juice/soda...ect is that my kids get a glass of milk when they wake up and when they go to bed. They can have juice with lunch and then a couple of meals a week I will provide a 2-liter for a treat.

Such simple things make such a HUGE difference.

Homemade Yogurt and Fruit - A healthy affordable snack

2010-01-09T19:04:00.000-08:00

I LOVE homemade yogurt.....it is so creamy and so much better than store bought. Honestly, just like everything else, if you get on a schedule for making it, it is easy and routine.

I make mine every Thursday afternoon, that way we will have a fresh batch every Friday evening to enjoy. It is so easy and I am reposting the link to the instructions below. I make a half gallon of yogurt and dont forget to save 1/2 cup or so as your yogurt starter for next week!

Dont delay, try it today! Once this was just one of those things I "wanted" to do and now it is part of our life......I highly encourage you to enjoy creamy homemade yogurt this week!

Add the following items to your grocery list:
Milk (I prefer whole fat)

Your favorite yogurt - I use vanilla store brand pint.

Frozen fruit (optional)

Then I use the following from my cupboard:

Vanilla Extract

Natural Sugar

Cane syrup or Maple syrup

Recipe for Homemade Crockpot Yogurt here

Here are some photos of my babies enjoying their nighttime snack today:

Abi totally skipped the yogurt and made herself ramen noodles!! CHEATER!

I just wanna eat this face up.....

FREE Shutterfly PhotoBook

2010-01-08T14:24:00.000-08:00

www.shutterfly.com

Redeem this code for a free shutterfly 8x8 hard cover photobook....

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Do the happy dance!

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Ladies, Start your SEEDS!!!

2010-01-08T11:03:00.000-08:00

It is that time of year!! I am so excited to be gardening on our very own homestead this year!

Believe it or not, it is time to start some of your seeds.

I do not claim to be an expert gardener. I am simply sharing what we are doing in order to have a sustainable harvest this coming year.

You will need:

1. seeds - may I suggest purchasing heirloom seeds so that you can participate in harvesting seeds from your plants this year. This will save on costs next year! and you will have some to share. It is not that much more to buy heirloom seeds. Besides, the quality of the plant and the savings next year will be worth it. May I recommend http://www.rareseeds.com/. This site has provided us with good seed and good service.

2. Seed starting mix- I bought a bag of Jiffy seed starting mix at Home depot for about $4.

3. Small containers in which to start the seeds. Egg cartons work fine for us. I clean them out and keep them until it is time.

SEEDS TO START IN JANUARY:

tomatoes
potatoes

beets

broccoli

carrots

cauliflower

swiss chard

chinese cabbage

eggplant

lettuce (my favorite)

English peas

hot peppers

bell peppers

radishes

Ofcourse you want to plant only what you are going to eat.

May I also recommend the following books:

The Square foot garden, Mel Bartholomew

The Backyard Homestead, Carleen Madigan

I use these books on a regular basis for reference, how to, and ideas for my garden.

Grocery Store Confessionals

2010-01-06T10:58:00.001-08:00

Have you even gotten to the grocery store with your list in hand ready to tackle the big bad supermarket??

Have you ever sat down to write a grocery list of what you NEED only to truly fill it up with what you WANT?? and then to make it worse, you buy everything on your list!

Seriously, how can we expect ourselves to live on a grocery budget until we get a real perspective on what we NEED! And then we must ask God to help us enjoy aquiring these needs, not focusing on the fact that we did not get that 1/2 gallon of praline pecan ice cream!

If you have been in any situation like this then...........

GROCERY STORE CONFESSIONALS

is for

YOU.

During the first week of my challenge I cheated and sent Billy to the store (he never buys anything extra!). Since I have been on a major spending freeze with my grocery budget, I am low on everything! Below you will see what I made off with during the 2nd week. I added a few things and dropped a few things from the original list.

This week I went A-L-O-N-E..

..well Abi went with me and did hook me for $1 erasers

(they were shaped like eggs in a frying pan....who could pass that up)

but overall it was

me and my money

against

the store.

I obtained my buggy, walked straight to the milk fridge (as this is where most of my money is spent anyway!), obtained 2 milks, 1 carton of eggs, only 1 creamer (not 2 as in my original grocery list because I have been using less), 2 bags of shredded cheese, $1 2-liter of Sprite, 24 double roll pack of toilet paper, hair gel for daddy (those men have to fix their hair!), baby soap, and a 50% off skein of yarn for knitting next years Christmas presents.

My total was

$41.83

- $32.72 giftcard balance

$9.11

YEAH!

Things We Do....

2010-01-05T19:59:00.001-08:00

God Loves Louisiana....wanna know how I know?

I went and picked fresh lettuce for our salad tonight. Seriously, where else can you do that? And look at this lettuce, that is some PURTY lettuce! Since it is going to freeze most of the week we did cover the garden with trashbags and we will be focusing on starting our seeds indoors.

Another thing we are working on is how to make this wood burning heater heat the whole house. Right now our living room is nice a toasty but my boys are freezing in the bedroom! (Just kidding E, we have the regular heat on too..;)

Here is Billy starting his first fire in our new home.

I love this place.... look the heater even has my name on it! AWE!

Living On Less....Clothing

2010-01-05T07:26:00.000-08:00

My goal is not only to HAVE LESS clothing but to SPEND LESS on our clothing. This will come from shopping for sale items, sewing our clothes, and from buying used.

Another nugget of wisdom (its really more like a duh!) is to only buy WHAT I NEED!

Now to some that may sound like normal common sense but I know I am not the only one who has bought because things were attractive and a good price.

Keep in mind my monetary goal is $5/week/child for clothing.

I bought a very fine pair of Gap jeans in HARDLY Used condition for $8 shipped for William. These normally cost about $25 pair online. He just went from a 2 to a 3 for length and Gap is the only brand that my skinny kids can wear without looking like they are balloon pants...even with adjustable waists!

I normally would have gone online, found a decent sale bought a few pairs of pants....spending about $50-$75. I only spent $8! GO ME!

Sorry but this is a big deal for me! Just be happy for me...;)

Where do you buy used? I buy from ebay, from gymbofriends, and from bodenboard....all reputable forums which people sell their used clothing.

So right now I am 2 weeks into my goal and I am $2 under budget for Will.....so cool

Put Off Anger....Put On Self-control

2010-01-04T10:48:00.001-08:00

"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."

Proverbs 22:6

In this New Year 2010, I am resolute to live on purpose. No more will time pass where I do not deal with things that need to be dealt with. It is so much harder and takes more time to deal with behavior issues correctly with instruction than to just reason the behavior away and spank or time-out.

God's Word clearly instructs us to train our children.....then to discipline them for disobedience. If we are not training them first, then how can we discipline them with a peaceful heart. Clearly we must instruct the children HOW to act before they can get into trouble for NOT acting that way.

The first character trait that our family will be working on is self-control. There have been instances in our family where anger has shown its ugly head. I have gotten angry because the children have left things out of place or made a mess. The children have gotten angry with each other over toys and such. I want anger out of here! So the way I am choosing to battle this is by training my children to have self-control.

"An angry man stirreth up strife, and a furious man abounds in transgression."

Proverbs 29:22

If we are angry we will cause fights with others and live abundantly in sin. I do not want that for my life and I most certainly do not want that for my children.

"He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city"

Proverbs 16:32

We should be slow to get upset, no matter how wronged we have been. Often something as simple as taking a deep breath will allow the feeling of anger to flow out of us.

"A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grevious words stir up anger."

Proverbs 15:1

This is God's answer to deal with anger....speak softly. If we yell at a child for being angry, what does God say will happen? It will stir up the anger. However if we speak softly then it will turn the wrath away!

Feeling upset or wronged is a natural emotion and one God is familiar with, therefore we must learn what to do with it. When we feel angry we must control our voice and our actions.

Practically this means that we will be picking 1-2 scriptures and teaching them to the children (immediately following breakfast works great for us as well as when we are in the car driving). When they are able to recite the scripture without help we will move on.

Then I must inctercept the behavior of anger with a kind face and soft words (remember what God says about soft words?) and remind the child of the scriptures they have been learning. Speak sweetly and ask them if they are using self-control....with God's help I will be reporting good things about the eviction of anger in my home!

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, & self-control."

Galatians 5:22-23

Menu Plan - January 2nd - 8th

2009-12-31T15:36:00.000-08:00

This picture doesn't have anything to do with menu planning but I thought it was sweet of me and my baby. And yes, that is my favorite shirt...I wear it all the time, living on less, remember?

Second week of $75/week budget

- Well last week went so well with spending no money (except that stint at Mcd's), I think I will do it 1 more time to get us deep in the black and start the new year off right.
This week I will be relying on leftovers….still (heard of the roast beef that wouldn’t die?) and meats that I have stocked up on in the past when the price was right.

DINNERS
Grilled Chicken Leg Quarters w/BBQ sauce & veggies (such a deal at less than $1.50 for my chicken)
Turkey Spaghetti w/fresh garden salad (fresh from my garden!)
Chicken & Dumplings (The other $1.50 of those leg quarters and homemade dumplins!)
Shrimp fettuccini or red sauce which ever I have on hand
Beans & rice w/a little leftover ham (see below)
Mexican Beef n rice casserole (this is that roast beef again)
Left over ham sandwiches from our New Years ham – from Logan Farms w/$50 gift card from Billy’s work (yep The Lord will provide!)

Breakfast
Yogurt w/fruit
Eggs & cheese w/toast
Oatmeal w/ pure cane syrup
Cinnamon & sugar nuggets w/ syrup
Cereal
Blender batter waffles made with whole grains (literally…they have not been ground)

Lunch
Tuna sandwiches
ramen noodles
Pb & J, fruit & yogurt
Mac N Cheese w/hotdogs wienies
smoothies
Spagettio’s
frozen pizza (I know soooo bad)
Well, this is going on my second week and I am super excited. This has allowed for us to use our money elsewhere.

All of these items I have in my storage/leftover except I will need the following:
- milk (whole milk) - 3 gallons - $4.50/gallon - $13.50
- creamer (coffee is my major weakness) - 2 quarts - $2.70/quart - $5.40
-cheese – three 8-ounce bags of shredded cheese about $6

$24.90 + tax

Coconut Oil, Baking Soda & Vinegar

2009-12-29T19:31:00.001-08:00

This photo was taken from www.mountainroseherbs.com. This is the website where we order all of our coconut oil, our glass bottles for extract and many of our bulk herbs. Go there and get you some coconut oil!

These are three of the most necessary items to have in your home. These three things clean, condition, can clear up a baby's bottom & can unstop drains...how is that for bang for your buck??

Baking Soda
Not only is this fine white powder a deodorizer and teeth whitener, when powered with vinegar it cleans & unclogs drains.
• In fact if you put ½ cup of baking soda (mixed with a splash of water) down your drain and follow with ½ cup of vinegar, it will keep your drains nice and clear.
• If you have a little nephew that comes over and draws pretty pictures with permanent marker all over your wood, then couple baking soda with toothpaste, scrub on, wash off and stare with amazement. But don’t get too excited and clean the whole play kitchen ( I hyper focused just a touch here)

Vinegar
• One of the most natural cleansers for your kitchen and bathroom is straight vinegar with water. I added about 5 drops of cinnamon essential oil to cut the smell. (Essential oils are also something to keep on hand, but more about those later).
• This can also be used in a Downy ball as the fabric softener….your clothes will not smell like vinegar, they smell fresh.
• This can also be used as a rinse for your hair. Come on all you long haired ladies, give it a try. It cleans SO well and make your hair soft, shiny, and smooth….well I have curly hair so lets just say it made it smoothER.
• As stated above, when used with baking soda it keeps those drains clean.
• Use it in the dishwasher as the rinse aid….so great!

Coconut Oil - purchase from http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/
• This is by far my favorite kitchen staple! It is know for building immunity as well as weight loss! I cook my eggs in it, I fry my chicken in it, I fry pancake mix in it and add powder sugar, I add it to my melting white chocolate pieces when making baked goodies….it is just that something extra!
• This is also GREAT for conditioning hair. If our hair is a tad fuzzy I just rub a little (key word, little) but through the ends and voila!
• This is also so great for BABY BUTT RASH!! Seriously with an investment like we have of cloth diapers, you CANNOT use products like desitin or other store brand rash cream. It repels water and stays on the diaper. But whether or not you use cloth diapers, coconut oil will clear up that baby’s rash in a hurry. I lather it on Wyatt everytime he gets a little rash and it has cleared up by morning.
Not only are these all natural ingredients, they are cheaper than commercial chemicals AND they are better for your family! (and better for your wallet….did I mention that already?)

XOXO

Ashley

Turkey Stew

2009-12-27T19:28:00.000-08:00

I am excited to report that my first 3 days of my new goal have gone exceptionally well. (except we did spend $17 today on McDonald's chicken nuggets and a newspaper)(we stayed in town too long and the kids were starving and we ALL know that hungry kids make stressed out parents!)

1. I cooked the BBQ sanwiches and it was edible. Note to self: next time you are turning any beef into pulled beef (beef falling apart in BBQ sauce) start the crockpot in the morning when you make breakfast. My sandwiches were like sliced beef bbq...not my style.

2. The Turkey Stew was surprisingly FANTASTIC! What I did was put the turkey bones with meat intentionally left on (you dont have to carve it so closely to get all the meat off) into a crockpot Saturday night. Sunday morning very early (too early if you ask me) I was awoken by a delicious smell in my house....it was the turkey simmering in water and spices. I added the leftover roasted potatoes and half a bag of frozen (gasp) mixed veggies. *remember I am on a budget now and that means I HAVE to use those bags of frozen stuff/or canned stuff that has been hiding out waiting for its expiration date to be tossed into the trash.

I walked in the door from church with an optimistic attitude and the stuff was GREAT! We put a roasted red potato in each bowl, mashed it, covered it with the veggies & turkey and added some of the broth. It was really good. So there was a free meal from leftover Christmas turkey.

***I forgot to mention that Billy did pull the turkey out of the crock, deboned it, and put the edible meat back in all before I got out of bed this morn. He know I hate that part.....awe.....

2 poor man meals down, 5 more to go!!

Menu Plan - December 26th to January 1st

2009-12-25T19:15:00.000-08:00

Well, I am gearing up for my Live on Less challenge this coming year! I am so excited, I hope I will be this excited in 4 more weeks!

Since I have company (which I love play hostess!) I need to be sure that my meals are feeding 7-12 people each night. I also am coming off of spending hundreds of dollars for Christmas dinner and gifts (which I am purposing not to do this next year! In part by planning ahead.) SO....I am going to reuse a lot of leftover meats and make them into totally different meals.

Here is my plan:

First week of $75 budget
- Actually use $25 for this weeks budget
- $50 for the next week

7 Dinners
Turkey stew – turkey, pasta, veggies (leftover turkey &veggies/pasta is in the freezer)
Gumbo – Chicken & sausage (all leftover)
BBQ beef – (leftover brisket)
Roast w/rice & gravy – gravy packet (roast is in freezer, I bought it on sale)
Spaghetti w/fresh garden salad (ground beef I bought on sale - in freezer)
Beans & rice (in the cupboard - always a low price go to! Keep bacon fat/lefovers to flavor)
Beef & cheese quesadillas (use part of that leftover brisket for these)

Breakfast
Leftover quiche & fruit
Yogurt w/fruit (I make my own yogurt to save a TON of money and it is whole fat)
Eggs & cheese w/toast
Oatmeal w/cane syrup
Cinnamon & sugar nuggets w/ syrup
Cereal

Lunch
Tuna sandwiches
ramen noodles
Pb & J fruit & yogurt
Mac N Cheese w/hotdogs wienies
smoothies
Italian chicken w/corn
Hot dogs w/buns & fruit

All of these items I have in my storage except I will need the following:
- milk (whole milk) - 3 gallons - $4.50/gallon - $13.50
- creamer (coffee is my major weakness) - 2 quarts - $2.70/quart - $5.40

$18.90 + tax

I may need to pick up the 3 packs of ramen noodles as well (my kids LOVE these stinkin things!)

This menu will use lots of leftovers (not wasting food is key when trying to keep a low budget) and it will provide larger 1 pot meals for feeding big groups.

Now lets just see if I can get out of that store without spending a ton of money! haha!

UPDATE: I did make it out of the store without buying ANYTHING extra!! YEAH!!

MY secret: I sent Billy to the store...hahaha

Living on less!

2009-12-22T19:32:00.000-08:00

This is my New Year’s Resolution….to live on less.

Live on less money, live on less STUFF, live with less commitments, live with less stress.
I think it is sad that I have failed at properly budgeting our money. I am inconsistent with my spending in every category. In groceries I fluctuate by well over $100-$200 each month. In clothes, I spend large amounts ($600-$1000) twice a year. Now, if I would set the monthly budget aside to make those bulk clothing purchases it would not be such a big deal but I don’t.
Needless to say, consistency is not my strength.

My plan to live on less is as follows….(no gasping allowed)

Spend $75 a week for all grocery items
• Clip coupons
• Plan budget conscience menus
• Limit snack foods
• Focus on whole food & meatless meal diet
• BE ACCOUNTABLE
Spend $5 per week/per child for clothing - $25/week total (this one scares me!)
• Sew as many clothes with repurposed materials as possible
• Buy used clothing
• Save clothing for younger siblings
Grow 75% of all produce this year

Plant 5-10 more fruit trees to increase fruit harvest in coming years

Spend no more than $75 per child per birthday (party & gift)

I am committing to bring $100/month into our family budget through talents I have.

I am so excited and optimistic about this plan. I have had these ideas and desires floating in my head for a couple of years at least but I never made a plan. I am so nervous and so excited at the same time. Of course while I want to sew everything the kids wear, I also have to realize I do not have much extra time. SO….I must budget my time with a balanced schedule and plan ahead.
I will plan at least 3 months ahead. I will hold 1 major planning day at the beginning of each month and then 1 smaller planning day each week.

On Wednesday’s I will plan my menu for the following week based on my coupons and the sale papers. I will go to the store on Thursday or Friday and report my success/failure. I am tracking the prices so that I can accurately plan my menus.
I will be working on clothing items each week and will post about those as well.

Christmas is Almost Here!

2009-12-21T12:16:00.000-08:00

I love this time of year. Christmas.....A celebration of the birth of our Saviour Jesus Christ. It is so easy to say that without realizing the true impact of its meaning. HE was BORN to SAVE us!!! How awesome is that!?!?

He saves me daily from my flesh, my selfish ways! Only through him am I able to be the best wife and mother I can be. Thank you Jesus that I have you to rely on.

Just last night I prayed for God to give us a family to bless this year with gifts and food and not even 24 hours has passed and my beautiful Aunt told me of a family that she came in contact with that was in need!! I watched her in amazement and told her the simple prayer I had prayed JUST last night! We both started to cry at the realization that she had been divinely placed at a particular store and a particular checkout line so she could ASK FOR THE lady's name and give it to us!!! Thank you God that she was sensitive to His will!!

WOW!! That is all I can say! WOW!! Thank you Jesus. Now my children will have the most amazing Christmas experience of all.....giving.

Happy Holidays

2009-12-09T08:30:00.000-08:00

I love this time of the year. It can be so joyful and full of well wishes. IF we allow it to be! I have noticed that my family's enjoyment of the holidays is directly related to whether or not I am allowing God's love, grace, mercy and joy shine through me!

I am committed to enjoying this season, everyday, even if laundry mountain has had an avalanche!

I am also looking forward to the coming year! I have great changes in store for myself and my blog. I have been praying about a few things and will be very excited to share them very soon!

Much love and blessings,

From the Fowlers

My Family

2009-10-29T06:11:00.000-07:00

Family Weekend 2009

2009-10-25T18:35:00.001-07:00

The ones who started it all.....Thanks Pops & "E"

Here are the kids through out the weekend. Hannah loved the ability to run back and forth between our tent, Rick's tent and the jumpers! Notice she is having a COKE at 4:35 PM!! and of course that was NOT at our tent, that was her "Sue Sue". Uh-huh. No wander she never wants to come home.

Wyatt showed up in his pj's Sunday morning but since they were Halloween pj's, I felt they were fitting to the occasion.

Costume Contest

SO...FUNNY!!

Bill got the kids dressed for the costume parade since I was busy chatting. Well.....we forgot her Tink shoes AND she left her undershirt on!....HAHA. SO funny.

I love my kids

2009-10-25T18:21:00.000-07:00

I am so in love with my life. I really feel like I have it all. I have a wonderful husband, fantastic kids, a great family, and I get to stay home. I have a great family and a great family-in-law.

I just want to say "Thank you, God".

Disney Summer 2009

2009-07-21T13:38:00.000-07:00

Learning to Teach

2009-07-08T04:33:00.000-07:00

As a mother, I am maturing more each day.

Yesterday, Billy and I went to the local School Aids store and bought some games for the kids. We bought 2 puzzles that are wood and only have about 12 pieces. We bought a Go Fish game that we played for a while last night AND we bought a puppet (mouse) and named him Uncle Oscar. We have been reading the kids a chapter of Stuart Little each day so we though that Uncle Oscar would be an appropriate narrator.

I have actually set aside the "prepackaged" curriculum for the past 2 weeks and have just enjoyed learning about things with the kids. We went to the library and checked out books with BIG pictures and lots of facts. It is amazing what those little minds can recall. We are learning about farm animals. Hannah wants a horse. Hannah is learning to read & write so well. William is so good at playing. He can build towers & Castles out of just about anything. Wyatt is just all about chasing his brother and sister around and getting into whatever they have. He is almost walking. He has taken a few steps. He does crawl up next to the french doors and talks to his reflection.

Abi is enjoying her summer researching different historical events. Her first even was WWII and now she is studying William Shakespeare. She is such a joy.

Tuesday

2009-05-12T07:27:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful day today is. It is amazing when you set your routines, wake up early enough, and follow your plan, what you can get accomplished before 9:30AM!!

I have done my morning cleanup

*made up bed
*showered
*gotten dressed
*clean both toilets & sinks
*picked up Billy's late night icecream bowls (hehe)
*cleaned off my dresser
*helped the kids make their beds
*changed 2 boys cloth diapers
*got boys dressed
*fixed girls hair
*fixed MY hair
*took a walk
*nursed Wyatt
*fed Wyatt
*gave Wyatt a snack..haha
*fixed free range scrambled eggs with mozz cheese (cooked in coconut oil)
*cut a melon
*cleaned all the dishes from breakfast
*started the laundry
*put Wyatt down for a nap
*ready the kids their daily Bible story
*and...I lived to blog about it.

This is all because of my terrific man as he made me coffee this morning and practically carried me to the couch....haha. Watch out! If you tell him "PLEASE make sure that I wake up early", he will do it!

Wyatt is almost sleeping through the night IN his bed. We are really close to that and the puppy is going all night w/o being let out. So I see the light at the end of the tunnel. I just might be back to the routine I LOVE (getting up at 5AM with Billy) this month!!

I will also be 30 this month. I am excited about that. I would really love to go out of town with the one I love for my birthday but I just cannot justify spending the money. We are doing SO well on our budget. Maybe next year.

To all my family that is reading my blog. I love you! Thank you for loving me!

A Tribute to my Mothers

2009-05-10T06:25:00.000-07:00

My 5 year Anniversary

2009-05-07T04:30:00.000-07:00

It has been 5 wonderful years of marriage! We celebrated our 5th anniversary on April 5th 2009. Everytime I think of what my marriage is compared to how the majority of the world sees marriage, I cannot help but be amazed. Amazed that a man would love me so much that he would spend most of his time working to allow me the joy of staying home to raise my children. Amazed that even though I am a very distracted housewife, often choosing a mini project over laundry, he still loves me and is proud of me. Billy Fowler has single handedly won the label "World's best husband"

Thank you baby for the life you have provided for me! I love you!

Your bride

To celebrate our love, we went for coffee & pedicures, dinner at Texas Roadhouse, then off to see the play Smoke on the Mountain with some best buddies! Thank you to my sweet mommy and "E" & Pops for affording us such luxuries!!

Hannah is Home

2009-03-07T08:32:00.001-08:00

Last night about 6PM Daddy brought Hannah June home. She is still so sick and weak but she is home.

Thank The Lord!

Prayer Requested for Hannah

2009-03-04T18:20:00.000-08:00

Well we started off the week with a few days off to visit our Daddy where he is finishing up his Master's Practicum. Hannah got really sick last night, and after she was obviously dehydrated and then became unresponsive, we rushed her to the ER where her Daddy was doing his study. They rushed us right in and started an IV for fluids. They had to try 4 times to get a good stick. Poor angel, she was so patient. They have admitted her and expect us to be here for 2-3 days.

Please pray for this little firecracker that we all adore!

Ashley

A Better Way

2009-02-27T07:58:00.000-08:00

Well often I have found myself in the depths of despair (the Anne of Green Gables sort of despair) and I have said "There has to be a better way." This is often followed by an intense spike in internet research and a revelation of sorts.

This past month I have become "sick and tired" of being "sick and tired" and sought out how I can change the health of my family. Thus my health, holistic journey began.

As Wyatt got sick again this last week I discovered that rubbing cinnamon essential oil on your feet aids in relief of congestion!! (It also turns your feet a little yellow, but hey no pain no gain)

We have also seriously increased our vitamin intake adding fish oil and vitamin C to our daily regime. On top of that our snacks now consist of almost totally healthy foods (with an occasional cheeto!)

Today I went to the grocery and this is what I bought for this next week:

Yogurt
granola
bananas
grapes
oranges
apples
whole wheat bread
cheese stix
cheese stix (cheddar)
water bottles (dont worry Grandaddy, they were SUPER cheap)
protein powder for smoothies
frozen fruit for smoothies
skim milk
spinach for smoothies (dont tell the kids!)
chicken breasts
sweet potatoes
skim milk
pretzels
corn
broccoli
brown rice

BAD STUFF
Sprite
saltine crackers
dr. Pepper (ok I caved!)

After I got home I made a green smoothie for all the family and they LOVED IT!!

Here was my recipe:

1tbsp OJ concentrate
skim milk
ice
frozen fruit (any)
a few leaves of fresh spinach

It was green! It will be good for my baby with yellow feet to drink the green smoothie...haha

EGG CHAMPION

2009-02-21T18:53:00.000-08:00

I am so proud of my girl!!! Abi took Champion at the 4-H Cookery Contest in the Egg Main Dish Division. She is currently competing against the Sr. Champion to see whether she will be able to do to District. We will update you on that next week when we know more.

Abi made a Chicken Cordon Bleu Quiche (original recipe)

Here she is chopping the ingredients

Mixing it all together

Hannah eating all the Black Forest Ham...hehe

Will, mad because noone was listening to him....."I want some"

With her medal!!

Doesn't "E" look beautiful in this pic!!

GO ABI!! I AM SOOOOOOOOOOO Proud of you

Emergency Preparedness

2009-02-17T12:21:00.000-08:00

In keeping with the Proverbs 31 woman, it is safe to say that God expects us to be prepared in case of emergencies.

It is sometimes comical around hurricane season we always start getting really "prepared". My sweet hurricane-vetran-aunt gives us all a crash course in how to weather a storm.

Well, this year Aunt P., I will be prepared. I am begining my journey to prepare our home in case of disaster.

I will be putting together a 72-hour survival kit, a 3-month food storage kit, and an emergency car kit.

Here is the blog I will be using as a guide to help me on this quest:

http://www.safelygatheredin.blogspot.com/

Homemade Laundry Soap

2009-02-12T11:55:00.001-08:00

I have making our own laundry soap off and on for a few years. It works great for us and is super cheap. Here is the recipe I use:

http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/04/09/making-your-own-laundry-detergent-a-detailed-visual-guide/

I challenge you to add these ingredients to your shopping list THIS week and try it!! My 10-year-old can do it!!

We also use straight vinegar in a downy ball for the rinse cycle!

Goodbye

2009-02-10T13:17:00.000-08:00

ALIENS ARE COMING TO EARTH ON FRIDAY AND THEIR MISSION IS TO ABDUCT ALL GOOD LOOKING AND SEXY PEOPLE.

YOU WILL BE SAFE,

BUT I'M JUST POSTING TO SAY GOODBYE.

Passionate Homemaking

2009-02-05T19:43:00.000-08:00

This is a blog that I frequently read as it has wonderful tips on being frugal, green, and Godly!!

They are giving away a book called "The Mission Minded Family."

Wouldn't it be wonderful if the entire world raised their children to be mission minded, always seeking out the people who are in need and do not know Christ!!

Go check it out!

www.passionatehomemaking.com

I have had a sick baby boy so my posts have been very sporatic.

Be Careful Little Eyes What You See

2009-02-02T12:12:00.000-08:00

O be careful little eyes what you see
O be careful little eyes what you see
There's a Father up above
And He's looking down in love
So, be careful little eyes what you see

O be careful little ears what you hear
O be careful little ears what you hear
There's a Father up above
And He's looking down in love
So, be careful little ears what you hear

O be careful little hands what you do
O be careful little hands what you do
There's a Father up above
And He's looking down in love
So, be careful little hands what you do

O be careful little feet where you go
O be careful little feet where you go
There's a Father up above
And He's looking down in love
So, be careful little feet where you go

O be careful little mouth what you say
O be careful little mouth what you say
There's a Father up above
And He's looking down in love
So, be careful little mouth what you say

This childhood song has so much truth in it.....Our mind will house forever what we look at for a second.

To my children my heart cries out!! "OH Be CAREFUL little eyes what you SEE!! It is a sad day when I cannot let my child watch a wholesome cartoon on t.v. because indubitably there will be a commercial that contains an explicit message.

"That is just the world we live in" Well that may be true, but it does NOT have to be MY FAMILY'S reality!!

Oh be careful my little babies, when mommy is not there....

Psalm 101:3 (King James Version)
3I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes

It is a good thing to be different, set apart....do not be embarrassed for the stand you are taking!

Oh, be careful little eyes what you see........

Dear God let this burden not pass from my heart, to ensure the salvation of my children!

Jessie Robinson: Auteur de Invite'

2009-01-30T19:22:00.000-08:00

Today we have an Auteur de Invite' (guest writer). This beautiful young lady is as amazing on the inside as she is on the out. Her call and stand for homemaking at such a young age is a testimony to Christ. There is a great need for leaders for our daughters. Thank you Jessica for sharing your love testimony and your heart with us!! I know God will use this to touch someone's heart!

The Love Testimony

Hello from Kingsport, Tennessee- “The Model City”. I’m Jessica Robinson and I live here with my husband of two years, Andraé. We met 7 years ago when I began attending his church. It was love at first sight for me. It was took 2 years and many prayers, but in the end he fell in love with me too! You see, I’m 9 years younger than Andraé and it was rather unimaginable on his part that he might fall in love with a 15 year old, but fall in love he did. We chose the route of a non-traditional courtship and sought our parent’s blessing as we moved through the many wonderful stages of our relationship. We wanted to become best friends before we became lovers. From first-dates and through heart-aches, in the happy times and in the hard times, God has blessed our marriage and our friendship immensely. I am married to the man God designed for me, and there’s nothing so wonderful or that brings more contentment than to know you have God’s blessing.

A Call To Women Everywhere

I live in the “Model City”, I have the “model husband”, I lived the “model love story”, but am I the “model” wife? The “model Christian?"

Do I do anything that would make others want to be like me?

I have no desire to be on a pedestal, but as a Christian my life is supposed to represent Christ.

I am plagued with these thoughts daily. I’m torn. The Bible shows us that as omen we have such an amazing opportunity to minister in our homes. But we’re constantly being pulled by the suffocating pressure to follow the world’s models of womanhood.

I want to stand up and tell the world, “NO!! It’s not working!” The very sad reality is that the world replies, “Ok…then show us how!”

It’s at that point I look around and see that there are very few true Christian models of womanhood to look up to. No wonder our young girls are as hopeless as they are, they have no one to look to. Christians have followed the world’s models for far too long, someday someone is going to have to change that.

I think that someday is now. I want to devote my life to being that Christian woman that younger ladies can look up to. I want to show them that there’s more to life than boy syndrome. I want to give inspiration…homemaking can be a blast…..I love it!

So pull your courage out of the old, dusty cabinet and join me, Ashley and our families in this journey to find out what God’s models are and to bring happiness and joy back into our homes.

My Valentine's Wish

2009-01-29T08:41:00.000-08:00

I want to be alone with Mr. Fowler

...........all day............alone...

I want to see him smile at me

I want to hear him laugh

I want to kiss him

I want to talk and to listen

I want to dress pretty

I want to smell nice

and then......................

........................I want to blog about it....:)

The Modest List

2009-01-28T06:54:00.000-08:00

For some reason these days, I find myself on the blogs of the most fabulous mommies!

This is a link I found on one of their sites and I just could not keep this quiet!!

For all my Pentecostal fashionistas out there, this links for you....(my meg especially)(and J.R. too!)

www.themodestlist.com

This is a site with links to retailers that provide ultra hip modest clothing for a fabulous price!!!

Happy Shopping!

Self Discovery

2009-01-26T19:19:00.000-08:00

At some point today between.....

....................breastfeeding.................homeschooling............changing some cloth diapers....................wearing my 5-month old in a sling........................reading recipes on making your own baby food.......and sleeping with 4 of my children *my husband was in there too, somewhere)...........

.....................................................I came to the realization

I am a hippie A.K.A - a Crunchy mom (see definition to follow)

Here are a list of qualifications for "crunchiness""

extended breastfeeding (beyond a year) (working on it)

cloth diapers (trying it)

homeschooling (working towards it)

drug-free births (probably wont do it - but never say never)

baby wearing (do it)

adoptive breastfeeding (would totally do it)

co-sleeping or family beds (do it)

full-time parenting (do it)

Now according to the definition I found, you can deem yourself semi-crunchy, full crunchy, or not crunchy at all......................

. Feel free to comment and tell the world your crunch factor!

The Cloth

2009-01-24T19:17:00.000-08:00

I woke up a couple of days ago and decided to go green. We have switched our paper napkins for cloth napkins and our disposable training pants for cloth training pants.

I have been feverishly sewing the CUTEST training pants for my dear W#1. This is the explanation for the crick in my neck and the hunch in my back. (I will not go as far as to tell you that I am also switching out W#2's disposables for cloth as well, you may think I have lost my mind)

Here is a picture of my W#1's first pair of homemade cloth training pants - as modeled by him!

And a view from the back

And here we decided that worst case scenario, W#2 could wear it as a winter hat

Tribute to the Dishtowel

2009-01-20T15:51:00.000-08:00

(Borrowed this pics offline..flickr)

I have recently discovered a love for dishtowels. They have truly aided me in keeping a clean kitchen. I thought I would pass along my system:

#1 Buy some pretty dishtowels - A dear Mrs. S bought me a pack of yellow ones

#2 Make a dirty dishtowel disposal - I use a little basket in my laundry room

#3 You will use 1 dishtowel for each meal/meal cleanup

#4 Lightly wet the towel with warm/hot soapy water and wipe the counters,high chairs & stove.

#5 Put the soiled dishtowel in its disposal

#6 Pull out a clean towel and place on the counter for the next meal (use this same towel for light cleanups before your next meal)

#7 I wash a load of dishtowels either with my towels or alone every couple of days

Seriously this has made my kitchen cleaning SO much easier. If there is any type of a mess, I just take the dishtowel that is on my counter, wipe up the mess, and set the towel back.

This cuts down on trash & expenses!!

No paper towels to throw away or buy!

Somewhere there is this sweet old grandma rocking in her rocker smiling, thinking "It took you 5 years of marriage to figure that out?"

My Husband

2009-01-19T04:55:00.000-08:00

Billy is an amazing man.

He makes me coffee on Saturday AND Sunday and lets me drink it in bed.

He tells me I looks nice.

He slow dances with our girls.

He plays GI Joe's with our boys.

He secretly loves to clean our floors.

If he is playing a game, he wants me to play too.

He gets up with our kids at night so I can sleep - almost EVERY time

He is H-O-T hot.

He is a good kisser.

He takes care of me.

He lets me stay home.

He loves to fry and grill food...and it is the BOMB!

He helps me with the dishes before he goes and turns on ESPN.

He drove my dark pink car with no heater the first winter we were married so I could drive his NEW trailblazer (with heater).

He lets me cut his hair.

He made my little girl his own.

I love you Robert William Fowler and I am eternally yours, and proud of it!

Your Bride,

Ashley Marie Fowler

Two of my babies

2009-01-18T19:56:00.000-08:00

Ode to Joy

2009-01-14T10:44:00.000-08:00

Have you ever thought of what it takes for an orchestra to produce such an amazing piece of music? There are different instruments that are being played, playing at different octaves to produce harmony. When you think about it, it is many different sounds that are being put together to produce one beautiful, unified sound.

As the co-conductor of our own little orchestra, what sound are we producing? Is it a unified, harmonious music that represents all of our different interests & loves? Or does it sound like William just crashed into his cymbals?

There are definately a few notes off key like today when I was trying to take time to sew (this was not on the schedule) while William and Hannah were chasing each other around with small building blocks flying between them. Sometimes I wish God would just give me the sheet music already and just let me play; but I really dont think that is what it is all about. This is an oppotunity for me to write my own concierto.

What kind of music do I want us to make.....................

My Stud Muffin

2009-01-10T19:51:00.000-08:00

Look Ladies, He is not Available and NEVER will be!! He is Mommy's Man!!

Christmas Morning 2008

2009-01-10T19:31:00.000-08:00

This year was the first year that we actually put Christ back in Christmas. We avoided the commercialization of the season by only buying what the children needed and Santa brought everyone a musical instrument for the kids to play on music night

Here are 3 of my babies on Christmas Morning -

Notice Hannah's "Christmas Hat." It is actually was the only things she asked Santa for. (She later added a request for a guitar) -------->

Oh yeah - this is my man getting excited about his socks!! (above) Oh and our puppy got a keyboard! (below)

Then Daddy saved the best for last and sent Mommy (ME) on a scavenger hunt looking for clues to find her new wedding band!!! My original one has diamonds (I shouldn't be complaining right) and it always scratches my babies, so he bought me a beautiful smooth titanium band. GO DAD!!!

I hate to say it but I was ready to put up the tree this year. New Year Here I Come!

Twister

2009-01-10T19:23:00.000-08:00

"Elf on the Shelf" brought Twister to the kids a couple of days before Christmas and we ALL played, even Mom and Dad and Houston!! What fun! Of course this could only be played with family IN the privacy of your own home!! HAHA!

Chocolate Chicken

2008-12-22T11:54:00.000-08:00

Yep....you heard me right CHOCOLATE CHICKEN!!

My children have 2 favorite aunts (politically correct statement) and 1 of those aunts LOVES to take care of these rascals when she is in town! Well is almost seems that at the very time she has planned a vacation to Alex, my need for a babysitter is exaggerated!! Isn't that convenient?? haha.

Well......during this last trip my boys became extremely ill and Auntie P. took care of them during frequent trips to the Dr. and ER.

Upon returning from 1 visit, the kids met me at the door jumping up and down talking about chocolate chicken. Yep....you heard right, they had chicken nuggets with chocolate dipping sauce.

Ah..the joys of being able to spoil and them and then leave......thanks P.

Now we have to have chocolate chicken EVERY day..:)

Hannah's Visit From Santa Claus!

2008-12-22T11:20:00.001-08:00

Hannah had a visit from Santa at her school. It was so sweet that Santa brought the children wrapped books!

Did I mention Hannah is half puppy these days?

With an unspoken effort to shy away from the commercialism of Christmas this year, Santa knew just what to bring. He brought her a pop-up nativity story! It was such a CUTE book! In fact all the other children were crowding around Hannah and I to read her book. What was funny was that all the other books that we saw were about Santa and toys and the North Pole.

Maybe we shouldn't judge children so quickly.

Just maybe if they had the chance to really choose......

......................they would choose to celebrate the real Reason for the Season

.....go figure.

You're Gonna Miss This

2008-12-18T08:54:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RpBRkEahVw

Please click on the link above to watch my babies in a wonderful clip

This past May my children had the privilege of being part of a video that was played for our church on Father's Day. They first time I saw it, I was moved to my core. I do not want to miss anything. I do not want to have anything that I would have done differently. I want to LIVE in the moment, loving my husband and my kids with wild and wreckless passion. I want to tune out the chaos and tune into the joy and playfullness in each of my children's eyes. I CAN and AM teaching/leading/guiding them with love.

I LOVE YOU FOWLER FAMILY!!!

The Best Christmas Pagent Ever

2008-12-15T10:44:00.000-08:00

Here is Abi and her friend K. They are so funny when they get together! Oh, I can hardly keep up!

I am SOSOSOSO proud of my little darling Abigail! She was in our church Christmas play this year and had such an antimated part!! She has always had a very playfully sassy attitude and we knew if God did not use it for his glory then it may give us trouble in her teens.

Here Abi is playing the bully part of Imogene Herdman

Well in my opinion God did use it for his Glory as she was cast as Imogene in the Best Christmas Pagent Ever!! It was hilarious! I could not stop laughing!

Here is Hannah and her little friend K. (Thanks Kayla, I totally stole your pics)

Hannah was quite upset (jealous) because she was not on stage. She actually cried after the play and said "Now Abi is not my sister anymore!" Then when we started to watch the DVD again yesterday and she went and sat down, facing away from the the t.v. and crossed her arms. Would not even watch the DVD....HAHA!! What a riot.

Toilet Paper

2008-12-11T20:58:00.000-08:00

Abigail and I were unloading groceries before we headed out the door for her play practice the other night. When I returned I asked Hannah - my born organized child - to go arrange the toilet paper in the bathroom. I knew that with her extreme sense of order she would take the paper out of the package, place it on the shelf and throw the plastic wrapper in which it came into the trash.

She very politely did as she was asked then soon returned to playing with William.

An hour or so later I walked into the bathroom to find all of my toilet paper arranged....:)

haha

Happy Veteran's Day

2008-12-11T17:46:00.000-08:00

This past Veteran's Day was spent with our most favorite Veteran of all!....POPS!

After he got over us waking him up early for donuts, he was happy to be with us too!

John Deer Green

2008-12-04T19:29:00.000-08:00

William got a John Deer Tractor for his birthday...........and a mud cake

Here are some pics from his party::

Still Adding More Pics

A Calling

2008-12-01T19:34:00.000-08:00

Have you ever felt like God was wanting to take you to a place you hadn't ever been? I am there. I have these thoughts and desires that God is calling me to be consecrated/set apart/devoted to God. I mean REALLY devoted. The only problem is that I am not totally sure what that means. I have these crazy desires to throw out the t.v., home school, have a life centered around the Bible, to have my children wake up with the sounds of their parents travailing on their behalf. (The only problem is I dont really know how to travail. I really only barely know how to pray. There are even times I feel weird when I am calling out to God. How can he really hear me through this ceiling? How can he really heal someone? How does he have that power?)

Why when so many are starting to step away from the standards of the old church, am I being pulled towards them? I struggle/even fight against, on some level, the desires that are pulling at me. Is this God calling me to be seperate? Is this me just...........what? What else could it be? How do I break the habits that in some ways have me bound and keep me from taking those first steps? What really are those first steps?

I was baptized and got the Holy Ghost when I was 7. Billy got the Holy Ghost this past July 13 after coming to church for almost 5 years.

Starting last fall we began to really set our sights on God and started making decisions to raise our family in a way that would honor him. There was a momentum that built and we could just feel the intensity every Sunday. As we were down in the altar, we could tell God was changing our lives. After July 13th, everything went downhill. We just let life take over. I was pregnant, then we had Wyatt, then school, then fall festivals, then illnesses, then......yadda....yadda...yadda.

Yesterday was the first time I felt the power of God moving in my soul, urging me to continue on the path we started on last year. I prayed "God, give me the strength and courage to raise these children the way you want me to." I am so scared. Scared my friends/family will think I am fanatical, scared my kids will be bored without the t.v., some things sound so trivial writing them here. Fact is, I need a confimation that these desires are from God.

Sorry to ramble but I had to get this out.

Scavenger Hunt

2008-12-01T19:27:00.000-08:00

My Man is "2"

2008-12-01T18:51:00.000-08:00

Richard Robert William Fowler

November 21, 2006

I cannot believe that my baby boy is now 2. I can remember when Bill and I wanted to have another baby (right after we had Hannah) and it was just not happening. We wanted them back to back....so close in age you would think they were twins. Then, just after we decided that another baby must not be what God wanted for us, we got pregnant. We were so excited! Then 9 months later we had a baby boy that was named after both his daddy and his grandfathers.

He is my prince charming.

William is such a noble name, I love it!

Prince William

He will place his hands on either sides of my face and talk to me so seriously while looking me deep in the eyes.

He still cries when I leave him.

When he wants to sleep with us he knows to ask mommy not daddy.

I thought when I had Will that he was a gift to my husband. What I now realize is that he was a gift to me.

A momma's boy through and through.

Now that little man that changed my life turns 2.

Oh Lord please dont let the next 16 years go by as fast. I want to slow down enjoy those moments reading to him and listening to his explainations as to why all the pretzels or crackers are all over the floor.

Oh my baby boy......Thank you for letting me be your mommy.

Mommy will always love you!

Keepers At Home

2008-11-29T10:26:00.001-08:00

We have decided to implement a "girls/boys" project night on Monday nights. This will be a time for Billy and I to share/define the male/female roles in our home. For the girls I am taking my version of "Keepers at Home" and teaching the girls how to do things that will be required of them when they have their own home. This mainly focuses on the fun things in homemaking. Decoration/not really so much cleaning.

Well this first Monday we decided to conquer wreath making. We collected many pine cones out of the front yard. The tree we have produces HUGE beautiful pine cones. Seeing as I have made many a wreath from grapevine and latex flowers, I decided that we should make pine cone wreaths for the doors. Well we started to make them one way.....then that wasnt working, so we tried another way.......well needless to say after you see the pics............It just didnt work out so well.
The lesson for our first "Keepers at Home" club meeting was: When something you are making does not work out, have fun, and remember next time to find some directions.....hehehe

Marching into Fall

2008-11-29T10:04:00.000-08:00

Yes I know I am WAY behind on my blogging but there are a few stories that are worth sharing.

My Ol'Goat* is alway one to try to make any type of work fun. As he pulled out the scarecrows (Nov 1) to put in the yard, he let Hannah and Will each pick their favorite one. Then he proceeded to lead the children in a "March of the scarecrows."

They marched from the back storage area, around the side of house, and into the front yard where the scarecrows were placed and were to remain until Christmas decorations went up.

Aren't they just some stinkin' cute kids!!!

*Ol'Goat is Billy's self-selected "papa" name. We decided to go ahead an implement it so that it will have years of practice before the first grandbaby arrives. The funny thing is that it will end up being "Ogo."

A MEME

2008-11-28T19:19:00.000-08:00

All you have to do is copy from my blog to yours and place 10 items you have done at the end of the list. Bold ALL the items that apply to you (inc the ones you added)

Come on and have a little fun!

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea (from the beach)
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Built a snow man
101. Been Snorkeling
102. Have let your kids go to bed dirty
103. Been to New Hampshire
104. Watched the Twin Towers fall - Live on TV
105. Drove Lombard Street in San Fran
106. Drove through Pebble Beach
107. Pumped my own gas at a full service stop
108. Been to Carmel California
109. Drove coast to coast
110. Taught my kids to say "Yes maam/No maam"

What Do you do?

2008-11-19T12:58:00.000-08:00

Seriously, what do you do when.........

........your kids are sick
........you've been up 6 of the 8 hours of sleep time with a baby
.......there are dishes in the sink
.......there is laundry in baskets needing to be washed
........there is laundry on the couch needing to be folded
.......there are scarves/hats/mittens to be made
.......I owe people bows
.......my husband is not coming home on time

You laugh...........there is always tomorrow!

Scheduling

2008-11-13T04:53:00.000-08:00

I do not know about you other mothers but I have a hard time finishing everything I need to get done into one day. In an effort to solve this problem I have taken on the task of scheduling my home. Bill has helped me to get a temporary schedule in place while we use trial and error to finalize it. THIS is the main reason for my absence on my blog....*sniff*sniff*. Although my housekeeping is almost completely caught up, my kids are well-fed, well-clothed, and my holidays are almost planned, oh and I am almost done with another denim skirt I am making for Abi, my blog time is often squeezed out with things I truly "have" to get done. My schedule is very pretty and so far it is fairly acurate.

We took all the things (ALL OF THEM) that we wanted to accomplish in a day or a week and placed them into 1/2 to 1 hour squares then glued them onto a huge sheet of paper with 24 hours, split into 1/2 hour blocks of time. It was so funny when after the paper was full, we looked down at all our little 1/2 hour projects that we wanted to put onto the schedule. No wonder we are stressed! We have 30 hours of work planned for 24 hours! HAHA. Of course we put the most important things on the schedule first. I did allow myself 30 minutes a day to blog but it just has not worked out in my favor yet.

On another note......I think I am going to rearrange the kids rooms. I have a few problems that need to be solved:
1. The kids always want to sleep together.
2. They do not sleep well when they are in seperate rooms.
3. I have a hard time keeping their clothes separated,organized, put away, and off season clothes kept in an acceptable place (ie. NOT a wet storage room).

SO....since we only have 2 bedrooms for the 5 kids ...hahaha.....I thought I should let them have a sleeping room AND a dressing room. I can put all the bunk beds and cribs in the large room then all the dressers and clothes in the smaller room. This can almost become like a huge closet where I can store the off season clothes, put up the large metal hanging racks for all the kids. When Abi or Payton (the only two who need privacy) are dressing, they just go into the "dressing" room and lock the door. It will also solve my problem of where to hang the clothes to dry that is not in plain view of everyone entering the house.

Any suggestions on this topic would be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

Mother-to-my-five

The scheduling book I chose to use was Managers of their Home from Titus2.com

Fulfilled

2008-11-07T09:34:00.000-08:00

There is nothing better than feeling like you are doing what God has called you to do. I truly feel that as I endeavor to love my kids more, kiss my husband more, keep my home a more peaceful place, I am reaping the rewards of a content heart by doing what I am called to do. This is my calling. I am a homemaker. Whether or not God will ever have me work, I am not sure. For now though, I am building a home. The cleanliness, nutrition, knowledge, love and atmosphere of my home is MY responsiblity. I have a whole lot to learn, but am finding even the journey of discovery so fulfilling.

I have never felt more conected with my home. As I am cleaning the floors and throwing out the clutter of my physical home, I am doing the same with my heart. Although there are several uncertain situations in our life I have a peace.

Thank you God for such a feeling! I never realized that living for you would be so rewarding. Thank you for showing me that you love even me.

The Votes Are In

2008-11-05T05:19:00.001-08:00

Well I must say this is a new feeling for me. I am dissapointed that McCain did not win this very important election. The news this morning is sending a very heroic message. They are calling Obama a "World Leader." They are showing countries around the world rejoicing for his victory. Has the Bush administration really been this bad? In my little home with my 5 children I have enjoyed not worrying about my country as much because in my core I trusted President Bush. Even though I have not understood all the things that have happened in Washington, I know he hit his knees before making any decisions. Have I missed something or is this all just part of God's plan? This morning Abi was so dissappointed when she found out Obama was our president but I reminded her of what we said yesterday, "We are trusting God and whatever happens is his will." It was harder to say that today when we are living in a country that did not elect the candidate with more "Christian values." God has not changed and what we trusted him with yesterday, we can trust him with today.

God bless President Obama. Quicken his heart to hear your voice.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Voting

2008-11-05T04:56:00.000-08:00

Bill and I usually divide up the kids to go vote with us. This year I took the boys and William got to push the buttons. This was his first presidential election. Abigail went with her dad and Hannah decided she just wanted to play outside.

Actually I realized that I have given birth to 3 children since the last presidential election! WOW! I have a productive term! I will truly miss President Bush.

Election Day

2008-11-04T13:48:00.001-08:00

There are many days of the year that I love but Election Day is one of my favorites. This is a day where we are able to make a difference in our country. Voting allows us to play a part in where our country is going. I do believe that God has everything in control and ultimately our country's future lies with him, however, he requires us to do our part to stand up for moral values!

This year we decided that our volunteer work for the McCain/Palin and the T.A. Messina campaign would be sign waving. Usually we pass out fliers to area homes and people we know, oh and we always have signs.

Abi and I started about Noon and waved signs until 3:30 at the corner of Jackson and Macarther. Wyatt was tucked away in his little chest carrier. We were out there with the best of them! Shannon Gremillion and Triston Knoll both made appearances. The Obama supporters turned out in great numbers! I was a little sad that the McCain campaign only had US to wave signs. That is part of the reason why we stayed so long.....and we just love yelling at people as they drive past!

Mary Katherine joined us in the afternoon...

Then just as we were about to leave a film crew shows up and starts interviewing people. He walked up to us and asked if he could ask a few questions, and ofcourse I said sure! We proceeded to talk about my beliefs and how they are affecting my vote. We talked about several issues including Palin's religeous beliefs. I really nailed his questions and felt like God actually used me to almost witness to this guy. I hope I will have time to share with you all what I said later. He was doing a documentary on the McCain/Obama presidential race. You neve know, ol'Ashley may end up being on T.V.!!!!

Lots of love, we are off to the Messina Party and then to the local McCain party.

Dr. Seuss

2008-11-04T13:47:00.001-08:00

My Honey reading to the children.

Bill read The Cat in The Hat to Hannah because she is learning to rhyme. Anytime you say anything that rhymes, her eyes get really big and she says "That rhymes!" It is so cute!

William kept smiling at the camera saying "CHEEZE!!"

Abi, Wyatt and I just sat in "our chairs" and enjoyed the story as well.

"Boo" Outfits

2008-11-02T13:31:00.000-08:00

I love making custom clothing for my kids. I would sell them if I had the time but right now Billy says "No way!" I made Hannah and Cecilia (our neighbor) a custom outfit for halloween. It was SO cute. I am going to make one for Thanksgiving - with a turkey; and about 3 for Christmas - a Christmas tree, candy cane, and maybe a gold star. I love everyone oohing and ahhing over the clothes I make......Yeah me!! (in a very humble spirit)

Mr. Bumbo

2008-10-31T07:29:00.001-07:00

Mr. Bumbo is a little name we like to call the Bumbo seat. This seat enables your baby to sit up as soon as he/she can barely hold their head up. Last night we introduced Wyatt to Mr. Bumbo and he LOVE IT.....

For a little while...........

Welcome Back from the Closet Mr. Bumbo!

My Shiny Sink

2008-10-31T06:37:00.000-07:00

I have cleaning issues.. I am NOT a BO (born organized) person. I have to work at it. Last night after doing a FULL load of dishes, then made a tutu for my au pair's (nanny) halloween costume and filled an order of 5 bows, I crashed into bed. I dreaded the several very messy pots/pans waiting for me on this Friday Morning.

When I awoke I found a beautiful shiny sink and a hot pot of coffee waiting for me.......

..............just another reason why I love Mr. Wonderful

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