What does September 11 mean to me?

Well, I guess I need to join blog land and remember 9/11. I pretty much gave all my thoughts concerning that day here. So read away. 9/11 has another meaning for me though.

You see the very next day this beautiful little girl came into the world. At the time she lived somewhere else. She had another mommy and maybe a daddy.
She had some older sisters. I like to think she had a home. I don't know. But God knew. He knew 7 years ago today that tomorrow a little girl would be born and in 3 more years she would come to my house to stay.
She is my spunky girl! She sees EVERYTHING! Don't try to pull one over on her! NO sir! She will catch ya. She can smile and light up your world OR she can give you a look that will scorch you.
She wants so badly to be as big as her sisters. She thinks her baby brother talks to much. She has a best friend in Adrian. They either get along great or hate each other. She has not mastered reading yet, but boy does she want to. She has these amazingly chubby cheeks that you just want to smother in kisses. She's very opinionated.. a little bit like her mama. She always has one toe over the line. My other girls mimic me perfectly, "I hate Bratz!" while spunky says, "OH, I love Bratz!" She has never had anything Bratz in her life, she just wants so badly to be different.
My mom thinks Kelsie is the middle child. Kelsie has no middle child tendencies. Tamara has all the middle child tendencies!
Anyways, all that to say. I love this little girl more than I ever thought I could love another human being. I am so glad God brought her to me.

Happy 7th birthday Tamara! While the rest of the world cried tears of sorrow you were preparing to cry the first tears of your life. You are indeed a special little girl!

You like me.. you really like me! :)

My friend Rachelle, sent me this award! She is so sweet. She has a whole passel of kids and we are so going to get all of our kids together one day. I think we should go to a restaurant or something so people can really gawk. I can go in first with all of them and then she can follow a little later. How funny would that be? A side note: I love being gawked at for having five kids. I try to make sure I am smiling and happy as my duckling follow me and people count. What a wonderful reason for people to stare at me and my family!

Here are the rules:

A. come get your award (just copy and paste it)

B. put it on your blog

C. pass it on to seven other blogs, that you enjoy!!

D. put there links in your post and let them know you gave them an award!

I have so many blogs I LOVE! If you are in my sidebar.. I pretty much love your blog. I put everyone over there so I can go down the line and read them as I get a minute.

But here are 7...

1. Candy at A Pretty Home. Her blog is beautiful. She is a lovely person. I love going to her blog for inspiration to make my home a more lovely, inviting place!

2. Mrs. Laura, at Decor to Adore. Another inspirational blog in the way of making my home more lovely and inviting. She is a wonderful lady. She leaves the most gracious comments even when she does not agree with me. :) We are still friends, right? LOL

3. Dawn, at A Quest for Plain Living. She is a new favorite for me. I love hearing about all that she is learning. She is a very great example of a wife and woman. Her blog is always fun to visit.

4. Mrs. Mobunny, at Rabbit Trails. She is so wise. I love learning from her. She has raised some wonderful children and is in the process of raising some more. Her blog is so much fun. I always find something to smile about there!

5. Kim, at SAHM, I Am. She is smart, funny, and a great blogger. We almost met once. But I was gone. Maybe another day. I love reading her blog because I know I can find something over there to inspire me or make me laugh out loud. Sometimes both!

6. Sweet, sweet Angela, at Our World. I love her.. let me count the ways! She always makes me smile no matter what. I am going to meet her. It will be my birthday present. I have already decided. If I have to get a second mortgage, Im coming girl! She has been so encouraging the past few days with all we have experienced. Oh yeah, and her blog is great too. Very funny stuff over there!

7. Laura, at Becoming A Godly Woman of Vision. She lives in Australia and has a beautiful baby boy. She is a wonderful young mother and I enjoy reading her blog and the things she learns.

Phew, that was hard. I love all the blogs I read. I take something different away from each of them. I read them to be encouraged and to learn.
I hope you will take some time to visit these lovely ladies!

Be Blessed!

Our Cooking Ministry

Well, Im ready for something a little lighter around here, how about you? :)

The ladies from our church get together every other month and make up a big batch of freezer meals. One lady has a pressure canner so sometimes we make soup and sauces as well. We store these freezer meals and pass them out throughout the month to families in need. Job loss, new baby, illness, family crises... you get the picture.

Its been so wonderful to have this time of fellowship and also to not have to coordinate a bunch of different meals for a family in need. I keep them in a chest freezer I have here at home. Another lady with a big pantry keeps all the canned stuff.

We make chicken and rice, mac n cheese, meatloaf, mashed potatoes.. all sorts of different meals.

We take donations from members for food. Also we have some money budgeted for it. It's worked out great for the past 4 months we have done it.

Does your church have anything like this?

Be Blessed!

She watches over...

She watches over the ways of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness.
Proverbs 31:27 NKJV
She carefully watches all that goes on in her household and does not have to bear the consequences of laziness. Proverbs 31:27 NLT
I think I know what's going on... My prayer lately has been that my home would be free from evil. I am on a mission to kick the devil and his minions out of my house. No, I do not give undue power to the devil, but I do know that we wrestle not against flesh and blood... Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places].
I have prayed over and over the last few months that my home would be a safe refuge. A place of peace and renewal for all those who enter. Somewhere to recharge before heading out into the world again. HA! I thought I was far from that place. There are so many areas I have to fight. Idleness being in the top five. But see I know my business is to watch over my house. To be ever aware.

Our ladies Bible study that meets on Tuesday mornings is doing the study A Woman After God's Own Heart by Elizabeth George. The last session was A Heart For Your Home. Day 2 was watching over your home. Mrs. George showed us the Hebrew words for "watch over". Here they are:
To guard, protect
To watch, to look narrowly
To preserve, to save
To make sure

I am guarding my home. I am watching over it and protecting it. I am working double time to bring peace and order to a home in the midst of this unpeaceful, disorderly world. I am casting out evil. Praying for discernment. Watching carefully to make sure no evil enters. Evil can enter through attitudes, anger, bitterness, unforgiveness, possessions... I have to be on guard, prayerfully, each day to stand against these things.

So you see, I am making progress. I am banning the devil from my home and he is banging on the door trying to get back in! That's what the toil and strife has been about lately. I'm almost sure of it. Now I know that God will not allow the evil back in. My family is going to be safe. I'm sure of it. Please continue to remember us in your prayers though.

God, forget the hedge, please build a huge concrete wall around my home. Place barbed wire around the top. And Your guards at every corner, entrance, and side. In Jesus name, AMEN!

Perfect Word

This is what God gave mw today. I prayed these words out loud. :)

Psalm 139
1O lord, thou hast searched me, and known me.
2Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.
3Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.
4For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.
5Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.
6Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.
7Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
8If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
9If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
10Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.
11If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.
12Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.
13For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.
14I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
15My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
16Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.
17How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!
18If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.
19Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men.
20For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain.
21Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee?
22I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies.
23Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
24And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Psalm 140
1Deliver me, O LORD, from the evil man: preserve me from the violent man;
2Which imagine mischiefs in their heart; continually are they gathered together for war.
3They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders' poison is under their lips. Selah.
4Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from the violent man; who have purposed to overthrow my goings.
5The proud have hid a snare for me, and cords; they have spread a net by the wayside; they have set gins for me. Selah.
6I said unto the LORD, Thou art my God: hear the voice of my supplications, O LORD.
7O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation, thou hast covered my head in the day of battle.
8Grant not, O LORD, the desires of the wicked: further not his wicked device; lest they exalt themselves. Selah.
9As for the head of those that compass me about, let the mischief of their own lips cover them.
10Let burning coals fall upon them: let them be cast into the fire; into deep pits, that they rise not up again.
11Let not an evil speaker be established in the earth: evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow him.
12I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and the right of the poor.
13Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: the upright shall dwell in thy presence.

Just so you know...

I used to advocate so strongly for other Christian parents to become foster parents if at all possible.

I retract that advice. Please don't put your family through this unless God absolutely positively calls you to it. Once you are a foster parent you never get to not be one. Years later they can show up at your door and your world turns upside down.

Please keep our family in your prayers.

I guess I should say, God did call my family to this. He knew before we even started what would happen years later. He knows the outcome even now. I will trust Him to protect my family.
I'm just a little upset. I never once regretted my decision to foster. Never once until today. Of course then where would MY babies be? I can't regret it for long because there are these beautiful eyes staring at me. Lots of boo-boos to kiss. Hair to play with. Trucks to race around the living room.

God, thank you for my children. Each one was placed in this home for a reason. Protect them and us from anyone who wants to come against us. Place your guards around our door to keep the evil out. Amen.

A shout out also, to HSLDA and Mr. Klicka for rushing to help us out this morning. Mr. Klicka was awesome and so was his staff who speedily made sure we got to talk to someone and helped us with our rights. Please if you homeschool join HSLDA. I always in the back of my mind wanted to join but kept putting it off thinking we were safe. DH and I agreed it was the BEST investment we ever made. It really was not that expensive either.

This and that...

I thought I would just do a mid week post since I have not been around the past couple of days.
We started Co-op today with our homeschool group. Jonathan is in the nursery.
Tamara and Adrian are in the K-2 grade class. The first hour they are doing Apologia Zoology. The second hour we are learning about butterflies.
Karly and Kelsie are in the 3-5th grade class. First hour they are learning about Florida wildflowers and animal habitats. The second hour they are doing Science Experiments.
They all had a great time today.

As for my previous post. I hope everyone understands I was not telling you that you must also do this. I was explaining what our family does and how we got to that place. Some have never even given it a thought and I wanted to just kind of put the idea out there and get others thoughts. I am very interested in what everyone is saying. :)
Last but not least, guess what I have in my garden??? All my lamenting, praying, sobbing, hopelessness BUT NOT GIVING UP has paid off. I ate a cucumber from my garden yesterday and have about 4 more that will be reading in a day or so! I also noticed my broccoli coming in and there is another plant with a flower that might turn into something! AND my basil is gorgeous. I guess I really need to figure out how to harvest it and dry it. Its so beautiful though. I also have something that looks like a cantaloupe out there.

I am hoping to spend some time in the next week getting my other bed planted. Still planning all that though. :)

I wish I had pictures but I am having problems loading and downloading from my mom's computer.

Be Blessed!