SweetPea Castle

Inspiration

It comes in many forms... and often at the strangest times and in the most unexpected ways.  But, I wouldn't have it any other way.  I grew up very troubled and struggled with myself for many years.  My outlet was creative writing.  I loved writing poetry and song... more songs than anything though.  It's been years since I've given into the desire to write.  But, I think it's time again.  And, I think it's time that I got that piano uncovered and really started playing.

The children are getting older and growing up so quickly.  I have my hands full.  But, I have songs in my heart that I believe the Lord wants me to let out... even if they never become anything more than private worship.  He deserves ALL my praise!

Jason and I had the miraculous pleasure of spending two nights and three days away from the children and regular life this past weekend/week.  We attended the Integrity Deeper Worship seminar in Virginia Beach.  We took a great part of our church worship team down and God really blessed us.  Now, we all return with fresh vision and inspiration.  But, even better than that... we had an amazing time just being alone and in the presence of the Almighty!

Our two pups are at their two week puppy boot camp... and a great young lady from church (God Bless the Dahl family!) came to stay with our four littlest ones.  It gave us the freedom to attend the seminar without distraction or other concerns.  Such a rare and much needed retreat!

Now, it's time to get back to the daily walk and everything that it entails.  I'm sure I'll get back to post a more mundane and regular post sometime later.  But, for now I've got tons to get done around here.  I've got some diapers to get listed in the online store too.  May the God of gace and mercy draw you ever closer to Him... and may you meet Him... at the foot of the cross...

Rejoicing in the simplicity

I promise that there isn't anything drastic going on and I haven't fallen off the face of the earth.  However, I have found that I have to take the proper time and be focused on the tasks the Lord has laid before me right now - training up my young children in the ways that they should go, being a Godly wife, praying for my young adult children and being a Godly example.  This means that I've got even less time than before to be online posting updates.  But, this is a GOOD thing.  However, as I have family and friends that DO keep up with me through this... I thought I'd update a bit.

Dash... he is staying here with us at this point.  Some things changed and Jason decided that he was going to take on the training responsibilities for him.  I think Dash read my email and blog posts... because he totally started sucking up to Jason and stopped peeing on the floor around him.  Totally different pup!  I took both of them to be professionally groomed yesterday and they look like new dogs.  It's amazing how much a bath and good haircut can help things.  ;-)

Noah is doing fantastic with his third grade homeschool studies.  He is my biggest helper and is growing up way too fast.  Eliana is being very patient with me and her kindergarten studies.  I need to be more diligent in spending quality time with her on this.  I'm spoiled because she really already knows most of this work.  Tabitha is studying right along with us.  She is doing really well with tracing her lines and letters.  And they both love having tea parties with me.  Josiah is... a wild boy!  He will be 2 in January and is fearless.  I am happy and yet sad to see him getting big so quickly.  We are going to work on potty learning in the next couple of months.

Speaking of Jojo and being a wild child... he gave me a mild concussion on Monday night and my head is still spinning.  Don't worry... HE is fine!  I was laying on the floor in the playroom, coloring with the girls, when he decided to jump on my back and ride me like a wild horse.  Only, he decided to give me a big bear hug at the same time as I decided he was being a bit rough and starting sitting up.  The end result was that he cold cocked me with his forehead just behind my left ear.  I saw stars and the ground swirled around me.  Jason and I spent a portion of the night in the ER getting a CT scan and being told  what to watch for, while Memaw watched the sleeping littles back at home.  My regular doc checked me over again

yesterday.  As long as the headache continues to go away, I'll be just fine.  But, if it gets any worse I have to go back in for more testing and a referal to the neurologist.  However, in the meantime I'm just supposed to take it easy and not get hit in the head again in the next month.  ;-)

Having to spend all this time just resting quietly on the couch has given me time for reflection and enjoying the simplicity.  I am blessed beyond measure by my family.  I often cannot believe that the Lord saw fit to give us these six amazing children.  And, I love my husband beyond words.  And, I've had an amazing time being able to catch up on lots of teaching podcasts.  God is awesome!

Now, I am truly praying that this headache goes away quickly.  I have a ton of things that have been set aside while I recover... but I am anxious to get back to sewing.  Money is tight and I could use the diaper sales.  However, HE is my provider and I trust that we will have everything we need in HIS perfect timing.

With great sadness...

We are looking for a new home for Dash.

Back in May, we were originally only going to get one pup, but I inadvertently convinced my husband that a pair would be better than just one (I was just pondering aloud the benefits of more than one so that I would feel confident that we were right to get just one).  I should have just trusted my gut and stuck with our original plan for getting one.  Because, four months later and I am overwhelmed.  I have six children... two grown and four young children at home, stay home fulltime and homeschool.  My poor husband is in a new job that has him on call 24/7 and therefore is not much help in any area.  I can handle one pup, but the two of them is not working out at all.  Ace is my heart dog... has been since the moment I laid eyes on him.  To further complicate matters, Dash submissive urinates and is quite timid.  He doesn't pee like that for me at all... just for my husband and any other unfamiliar person (but most often men).  Because of the urination issue, the boys have been confined to the tile kitchen most of the time.  This is NOT how I want to keep a dog in our home.  So, after a lot of prayer and tough consideration, we have decided that we want to find a better home for Dash.  One that can provide the one-on-one training and encouragement that we think will make him thrive.  I am heartbroken about this, but truly want what is best for the dogs and for my family... and this is it.

We are not in any rush and aren't about to give him to just anyone.  We want to find a proper home for Dash that will be a good fit.  I wouldn't think of abandoning him like that.  I just want to do what's best for him.

Dash is 6 months old and is nuetered.  He's a buff cocker who loves to be in someone's lap.  He'll chase tennis balls or anything else as long as he thinks food is somehow involved.  And he has perfected the cocker sprawl.  He's also akc registered... I haven't sent the paperwork back in yet, so someone else still has the chance to submit his AKC registration name and paperwork. He is current on all vaccinations, on flea and heartworm preventatives, weighs 24lbs and is house and crate trained.

Submissive urination can be very common in cocker spaniel pups and is usually outgrown by the time they are a year old.  But, it does require a bit more time and training... especially when combined with his timidity.  We are confident that these issues can be easily overcome by someone who has the time to work with him and love on him more.

You can see the latest pictures of him in the flickr gallery here.  There will be more added over the next week or so as we get his bath done and finish his grooming.

Please email me directly if you or anyone you know would be interested in adopting this ball of love.  This has been a very rough decision.  Please pray that the right home is found for him.

Surgery Follow-up and more

The doctor's report was a mixed review.  He is happy with the repair itself, but not confident that we won't still have problems... either now or later.  Jason and I are taking this to the Lord and taking one day at a time.  I am still in regular pain.  We'll see what God does over the next several months as to what (if anything) we do.

The pups... Ace and Dash are doing great!  They were nuetered on September 10th and are healing nicely.  They get their staples out a week from tomorrow and we can hardly wait.  They are STINKY boys and seriously need to be bathed and groomed.

Homeschool is moving along.  I am looking forward to getting back into our "normal" routine in the next two weeks and being able to maintain it without all of these appointments and stuff.  The SOS curriculum is working for Noah, but I'm just not sure it's what is best for us.  We'll see how the rest of the year goes.

Noah, Eliana, and Tabitha have dentist appointments next week on Wednesday.  This will be Tabi's first visit.  We've also got her speech therapy on Tuesday.

Mudpiebabies... I'm going to start sewing (well, the cutting and prep-work anyway) for my next stocking this coming week.  I have some bills to pay and get under control.  So, I am praying that a few nice big stockings bring back the customers and bring in some new ones.  I need to see if I can get someone to do some banner ads for me.

Knitting... I recently finished a lovely test-knit shawl and will be purchasing yarn for several more.  I frogged back a pair of finished longies for Josiah and added to the rise.  I'm just about to start the legs again and need to be sure they are longer this time.  They would have fit perfect... for about a month... as they were.  But, I wanted them to fit the season.  I've also got another shawl on the needles and a child sweater.  I'm waiting on some handspun yarn to start knitting a sweater for Noah.  And, I just saw a perfect pair of fingerless gloves that I think I'll cast on for next.  I LOVE knitting!

I have a bunch of things to get done today... so I best be getting off here for now.  I have some serious menu planning to do.  If anyone has some recipe ideas that might work for picky littles, please feel free to share.  Between their pickiness and Jason's diabetes... I have my work cut out for me.  But, I am determined to start making proper meals again.

I am most grateful for the place the Lord has me right now.  It isn't comfortable... but I know that He is growing me and drawing me closer to Him.

Healing is a time-consuming process

I am doing well, considering that I'm just over two weeks post surgery.  I am still tired out very easily and hurt if I'm on my feet too much or do things that I shouldn't.  It's the Lord's way of keeping me right where I need to be... resting in His presence.  I've got another 3 weeks before my follow-up appointment with the doctor to see how things have healed.

I started knitting a shawl just before surgery and am making steady progress on it.  It's really going to be lovely.  But, I realized that I need proper fitting longies for Josiah before it starts getting cooler.  And, I have PLENTY of yarn to make them with.  So, I frogged something that I started last winter and started it over.  The yarn colorway coordinates perfectly with an ooga booga shirt that A-Squared Designs custom made for me in the spring.  The set will fit Josiah perfectly for the upcoming fall/winter season.  I'll work on more after these are finished.

I have a pair of socks (or two or three) that I'm itching to cast on for, but they are on hold while I wait for word on doing a test knit for an awesome fellow knitter.  I'm excited about that and the socks can wait.  ;-)

In other news, it looks like things with the CPSIA are starting to work themselves out... in one form or another.  I've still got some intense changes to make this fall... but perhaps I will manage to keep MudpieBabies open yet.  I'm itching to get back into the sewing room.  I've got some new embroidery designs to stitch out for some really cute diapers.

The pups are doing well.  They flunked out of their puppy training boot camp.  But, we've rescheduled it for Mid-November - once they've been neutered and matured a bit more.  They are doing awesome since being home.  It's definitely time for them to be neutered though... talk about testosterone fights.  ugh!

The children are doing fantastic!  I rejoice in every day that I get to stay home and train them up in the ways that they should go.  I am amazed every day that the Lord has entrusted such precious jewels to my care.

Have an awesome week everyone.  God is SO good!

Recovery going well... bad attitude.

Surgery went well, as far as we know.  Of course, we won't know if it was truly successful or not for another 6+ weeks.  I only had to stay in the hospital overnight and am home and trying to rest now.

However, I fear that I am struggling with a really poor attitude.  I suck at giving up my job of "keeper of the home" to anyone else.  Much less to my poor husband... who really sucks at trying to do my job.  I praise the Lord that he is an awesome husband, father and man of God.  But, he fails miserably at trying to fill my shoes.  And, this makes life even more difficult for the two of us right now when he has no choice but to take over my responsibilities until I am able again.  He is a good man and puts up with so much from me.

Since I cannot seem to say (or write) anything further that would be edifying... I'll stop here.

Lord, please help me to just keep my mouth shut and rejoice that You've given me more time to be a better servant.

Happy 3rd Birthday Sweet Girl

My sweet Tabitha Naomi turned 3 years old today.  She amazes us more and more each day with her sweet and generous spirit.  Just a little less than 6 months ago we confirmed that she has speech apraxia and feared that she might never truly master verbal communication.  Now, she has begun speaking in simple short sentences and we can usually understand them!  She still struggles a lot and this is going to be a long road, but she astounds us each and every day with her victories.

May the Lord continue to draw you closer and closer to Him and help your Daddy and I to be amazing parents to you.  We are incredibly blessed and thank the Lord every day for you.  Happy Birthday Tabi!

Meltdown mode...

My next (and prayerfully last) surgery is scheduled for August 7th.  So, I've now got less than three weeks to get a ton of stuff done in preparation.  So, I'm wondering what I'm doing here... oh yeah.  I wanted to write a quick update.  hee hee...

I've got bloodwork and an ekg and a physical to get done.  I've got housework and family preparations.  I need to get all of the important family paperwork back into it's proper safebox for Jason.  And, a ton more.

The puppies are going to attend a two-week obedience training camp starting 10 days after my surgery.  This will be good for them and good for the family.  Our last puppy went through this type of training and it made all the difference in the world.

Tabitha turns 3 on the 29th!  She's doing VERY well with her speech therapy and we are very excited.

My surgery is still a bit uncertain.  I will be in the hospital a minimum of overnight... and possibly for several days.  It all depends on what they find when they get in there.  We are praying for the best and preparing for the worst.

Everything else is just a blur right now and I really have to get back to cleaning the master bathroom right now.  I need to prepare my home for my recovery time.  Have a great week everyone!

Monday Monday...

This is going to be a very busy week for our house, so not much time to update.

I am finishing up 12 small AIOs for a very dear friend this week.  Then, I've got 12 more and some fitteds and covers to finish next week.  She is due "any day now" and I'm WAY behind.  The next batch will have some embroidered AIOs... the current are just plain PUL.  I'll post a seperate update sometime in the next few weeks in regards to the future of MudpieBabies.

My brother-in-law (and sister-in-law and nephew), as well as my father-in-law and step-mother-in-law, are visiting us this week.  I've got to finish my sewing so that they have enough room to crash.  ;-)  Then, this is month-end weekend for Jason at work.  And, we've got a family cookout to head to after church on Sunday.

I'm working on a pair of beautiful pink x and o knit socks.  Next are some longies for Josiah and a shawl for me... and a few other things that I need to get busy with.

This morning was started with prayer and study in the Psalms.  Now, I'm listening to some Bible teachings on my iPod while I'm busily working in the sewing room.

What?!?  You are wondering how I am sewing and posting?  Me too... so, I'm outta here before I lose complete track of my time today.  Have a wonderful week and I really do hope to post some more updates soon.  God is doing awesome things in my home.

MIA... Vacation

We are off to Minnesota for a wedding and to pick up our pups.  My parents are watching all four littles until we get home Sunday afternoon.  This is the first time in years that Jason and I have gone away together alone (aside from my last hospital stay).  We are excited.  When we get home, Jason has a three day pastor's conference to attend.  And, my parents leave next Wednesday on their cross-country trip to visit my sister.

Have an awesome weekend!