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Mercy Elizabeth | A Birth Story

Friday morning I woke up with an anxious heart. Today was a big day. A huge day. Today I would meet a new piece of my heart.

I styled my hair, put on some makeup, finally packed my hospital bag, and grabbed my camera. I held back tears as I kissed and hugged and said goodbye to Jeremiah, Shiloh and Levi and prayed I would see them again soon. I hugged my parents goodbye as my mom took pictures the whole time. And, without eating or drinking anything, we drove off to start a new season.

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At the hospital I was made to put on my stylish outfit and the questions and pokes and lack of privacy began… and lasted for 2 hours. During this time I got numerous texts, emails and phone calls from friends encouraging me, praying for me, and uplifting me with scripture. My friend Tracey sent me the lyrics to an old hymn that I knew was straight from God. I quickly set it to memory and it truly is what got me through the next few hours.

“How sweet it is to trust in Jesus. Oh for grace to trust You more.”

It was soon go time. I sat on that tiny, cold table with my back humped over as I hugged a pillow that refused to hug me back… and prayed. Although the anesthesiologist assured me that my epidural would be easy and quick and virtually pain-free, let me assure you it was anything but. For the longest half hour ever he pushed and stuck and shook and pressed and had me in so much pain that prayer was the only thing I had to hold on to. Out-loud for the room to hear I repeated, ”How sweet it is to trust in Jesus. Oh for grace to trust You more” over and over and over and over.

I cried out to Jesus. Through those words I repeated to Jesus how much I trusted Him, that my trust was only in Him, that I knew He had this, that I knew He had me, and that there was still so much I didn’t know and didn’t trust Him with… and I was begging to trust Him more. I didn’t stop praying until I was laying on the table and the anesthesiologist quietly told me that I was in fact, not an easy stick. I told him I knew. Man couldn’t comfort me, but God could.

Finally, the curtain went up and my surgery began. When they reached the baby, the doctor lowered the curtain and I watched as they pulled out her out of my body and she took her first breath. It was beautiful.

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I watched on a big tv screen while they cleaned her off, checked her vitals, Brandon cut her cord and they got her footprints. She weighed 7 pounds 12 ounces, was 19 inches long and as healthy as can be. Perfect. Continue reading →

Baby Time | Our Whole Family Pregnancy

Goodness! I’ve been putting off this post because… well… I’m having a baby but somehow the details of this “baby having” have been wildly up in the air.

Until now.

And that is scaring the heck out of me!

I am 2 days away from the scheduled c-section of my 4th baby and couldn’t be more content to let this baby stay put for as long as she likes. No, I am not your typical mom who “can’t wait to get this baby out”. I love having my own little secret miracle dancing around inside of me to music only she and I can hear. It’s amazing. Every time I feel her, it’s amazing. Amazing.

Am I looking forward to meeting her? Yes! Would I like to walk waddle-less and pain-free again? You bet. Do I want to have a ginormous needle stuck in my back and be ripped open on an operating table? NO!!!!!!

Ahhh, the price of being a mom. I wouldn’t trade one stitch or poke but let’s be real, it’s not a walk in the park to bring a baby into this world. God didn’t intend for it to be. It says in Genesis 3:16 “I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children”. it’s supposed to hurt… and it does!

Scaring you yet? Me too!

As I drove home from my 6 hour doctor visit yesterday with all 3 , well 4, kids in tow (they were great by the way) I thought waaaay too much about the “pains of childbirth” and got myself to the point of needing to throw up. I was sweating and my heart was moving faster than the traffic. For real! Ladies, you know what I’m talking about. We can get our mind so wrapped around something, anything, that we can make ourselves sick with worry and fear. Yep, I was there! Still kind of am….

Thankfully, God is gracious and faithful even to a worry-wart like me. In the middle of the night, because who needs sleep anyways, a revelation came to me (I’m a little slow sometimes) to stop focusing on the 30 minutes of pain that will happen whether I like it or not, and start focusing on the beautiful baby I am about to be entrusted to mother.

With all of the busyness of moving and school and parenting and life I haven’t focused a whole lot on this sweet little girl who is about to enter my life forever. This still nameless little girl that will change my life like her older sister and brothers have is where my heart is. I am a blessed lady, indeed! My focus should be there!

Yes, childbirth will be hard and painful. I will miss my kids while I’m in the hospital. I will worry about Jeremiah’s diabetes care. My kids will miss me being there for them. Brandon may very well have a nervous breakdown caring for our household while I’m recovering. We will both be exhausted.

But God. God will provide for me. God will provide for Brandon. God will provide for the kids. God has provided a new blessing into our lives and I am choosing, 2 days out, to focus on that blessing and rejoice in it.

I’m having a baby! We’re having a baby! A baby desperately wanted, desperately loved, desperately fought for. My heart longs to meet her, to touch her, to kiss her, to teach her. I am overwhelmed with excitement, a touch of fear, and a whole lot of love.

A baby!!!

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Continue reading →

Lord, Please Bless This Mess

Today my sweet son called me his lifesaver. His lifesaver. It was so kind and loving and completely not what I would have called myself. A lifesaver?

Let me tell you, I don’t feel like a lifesaver. I feel more like I am desperately trying to keep my head above water on a sinking ship.

I can sort of wash my hands in the kitchen sink on top of all the dirty dishes piled up in it. My husband doesn’t have any clean underwear left. The pile of dirty clothes is larger than the ginormous pile of clean clothes. My floors need sweeping… and mopping. I am unexpectedly potty training my youngest and spending every 20 minutes in the bathroom with him. Of every day. We’re slipping on a banana peel trying to train a puppy. Our marriage is being refined… and that can be a painful process. Finances are tight. My clothes are tight.

Did I mention I’m nine months pregnant? I have heartburn, I’m exhausted, my crotch feels like it’s on fire, and I am sooo not ready to have a baby. My patience is thin. I cry way too often and I’m not a cryer. I get frustrated often. Oh and school! Homeschooling is stretching me every which way and it can be HARD. I’m in agreement with the kids that I would rather just not do it! And go figure, my kids want to eat every day! 3 times or more a day! We moved to a new state a few months back and are still finding our place in a big, new city. I miss my dear friends from home. All of them.

A glass of wine would be nice right now. Or a donut. Or some Bill Miller’s fried chicken. Or some Fuddrucker’s fries dipped in hot cheese. Or a vacation. By myself. On the beach. For a long time.

Wait….. Where was I?

Oh yeah. Not a lifesaver. More like a big fat emotional mess.

I would throw my hands up and cry but… oh wait. Been there, done that.

Is there hope?

Yes.

For me. And for you.

Many, many years ago I heard a sermon and although I can’t remember all the details I do remember one key plea that has stuck with me for all these years.

When in a mess pray: “Lord, please bless this mess.”

“Please Lord, take my mess and make it into what glorifies you, what brings honor to you, what portrays your goodness, what you want it to be.”

WE may expect perfection. WE may be in this competition to be the mom who has it all together. WE may think that we have to do it all to be wife-of-the-year.

Listen closely. WE DON’T!

God does NOT expect perfection. Not at all. He welcomes us in, calls us in, pulls us to him… mess and all. MESS AND ALL!!!

Even with my frazzled hair, my smelly kids, my sink full of dishes, my dirty floors, my huge pile of clothes on the floor, God is still lavishing blessings upon me- in abundance.

I am so relieved that God doesn’t demand that we clean up first, that we get it all together, that we have the perfect kids, the perfect marriage, the perfect house before we can come to Him.

No, He invites us to bring the mess with us, to give it to Him, to leave it at His feet, and to rest knowing that He has it all in His perfect hands.

No matter where you are, we can pray together to the Lord, “Lord, please bless this mess”.

Does my laundry still need to be done? Yes. Do my kids need to learn something in the day? Well… yeah. Do I need to do this dishes before my house begins to stink and I have nothing to cook with? Yep.

So how do I work this out? 

I allow the grace that only comes from the Lord to cover my heart, to warm my soul, to nourish my bones, to strengthen me, to give me wisdom, to sustain me, to help me achieve what He has for me to do, and to have JOY in doing it. The Lord’s yoke is easy and His burden is light.

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

I am giving it to God. I am trusting in His goodness. I am believing in His truths. I am clinging to His promises.

Do I deserve this grace? Heck no. That’s why it’s called grace. That’s why it’s so beautiful. That’s why it’s so amazing. That’s why it’s so God.

Grace is unmerited favor. Grace is God’s sufficiency. Grace is all we need to accomplish the work set before us. Grace is saving. Grace is what makes us what we are. It is enough. It is more than enough.

Are you a mess? Me too. A big, fat, emotional mess.

Give it to God. Lay it at his feet. Pray and ask God to lighten your load. Ask Him for His grace. Ask Him for His gentle care. Accept His help. Take on His yoke.

I am choosing to handle the stress of my life, God’s way. I am choosing to be completely dependent on God and not on myself. I am choosing to not let my circumstances dictate the level of my joy. I am choosing to not defile the name of the Lord because things are hard. I am choosing to glorify God.

I am giving my mess to God. 

The Lord will mold my mess, and your mess, into something beautiful, something God-honoring, something glorious.

He really will.

Believe me, He already is.

Thank you Lord, for blessing this mess… 

Whole Family | Valentine’s Day Crafts and Snacks

Valentine’s Day is such a fun day to go out of our way to give each other a little extra “lovin”. Yes, yes, I know that it is a totally commercialized day but it’s still fun, isn’t it?! Here are a few ideas of fun crafts and snacks to make with the family to make your Valentine’s Day extra special. Have fun! 

Note: There are a few crafts without links but the pictures are self-explanatory and these are all super simple.

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Heart Trees 

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I Love You Because….. Sign

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Paper Heart Garland Continue reading →

Whole Family | 30 Days of 100% Paleo: Results

At the beginning of the year, and these 30 days, we sat down and made goals as a family. How are we doing? Let’s check it out. 

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Our family goal was to be SIMPLE.

More specifically to cut down on electronics and be wise with our finances. How’s it going so far? Really well actually. We have all been reading more now that t.v. is not as big as a focus and are truly enjoying it. We have been spending more time outside, using our imaginations to have fun, playing games, and when we do watch t.v. it is much more purposeful and special. You should try it!

When it comes to our finances we have been attending the Dave Ramsey: Financial Peace University class at our church. We have been learning and following the steps to getting our finances where they should be and are excited to be on the right track. How cool is it that we set this goal and a week later this fantastic class started? Very cool and very God. Looking forward to learning more as the class goes on and handling our finances biblically.

Our spiritual goal was to be “purposeful about seeking out, looking for, being thankful for, acknowledging, talking about, reading about, and sitting at the feet of the Lord in our daily lives”.  As I said in our goals, this is much easier said than done. I still agree with that statement. It seems I never forget to eat, I never forget to sleep, I never forget to do what is important to me but somehow I can forget about the God that gave me life. So very sad how that happens, and how often it happens. Have we gotten better? Absolutely. Do we still have a long way to go? Oh goodness, you better believe it.

I am glad to say that I am seeing growth. We are talking more about truth, about spiritual maturity, about trusting God, about how nothing comes to us that hasn’t been sifted through the Father’s hand. I try, try, try to remember in situations to bring it back to what God thinks about it, how it affects God, and how we need to view it in light of God. This is sooo hard sometimes but we are taking steps in the right direction. When my kids talk about building their lives on solid ground, about weighing things against the truth in scripture, about being a light to their friends, I am encouraged that our conversations are making headway. It’s not a fast track, it’s a journey. A journey I know God is helping us walk out.

Our physical goal was to do the 30 Day At-Home Crossfit Challenge and make significant progress with our physical well being. Overall, we did decent. Did we workout every day? No. Were we more active than we were the month before? Absolutely. We went bike riding, took many walks as a family, did crossfit together and Brandon has been working out at the gym with friends. We didn’t do as much as we could have but we made progress and are continuing to.

Of course, we chose to eat 100% paleo for these 30 days and that alone has brought about great results.  Continue reading →

Day 30 Eats!

Aaahhh!!!! We’re on day 30!!!! How exciting!!!!

Today was a wonderfully relaxing day, just the way I like it. We started off the day with meatloaf covered in runny eggs. This might sound weird to you but it was soooo good. Of course, my picture didn’t come out but just imagine: very, very yummy. We also cut up a fresh melon that my kids devoured quickly.

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After breakfast we went to a dear friend’s house to play. We had such a fun time as each kid has a friend his or her age and they all play so well. This was our last playdate with our friends as they are moving in a few days so it was very bittersweet, but still a ton of fun. We have been blessed to know them, even if it was only for a short time. God brought us together and I have a feeling we will be friends for a long time.  Continue reading →

Day 28 Eats!

Dang, did we have a day. A day, I tell you, a DAY.

I woke up with a headache and immediately started thinking of all I needed to accomplish and how busy of a month we have and the feeling of overwhelmingness was already upon me. At 8 am. I served everyone some eggs, muffins and berries and got to work on my lists for the day. That’s about as far as I got.

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I made the lists and then proceeded to stay in my pajamas all day. It was one of those days where my brain wanted to do so much but my body couldn’t do any more. I’m finally starting to slow down and today I reeeaaallllyyyyy slowed down. We got in the basics of school and then, for the one moment I left the room, chaos ensued.

Oh. My. Goodness. I’m not even sure I can talk about it. Well, okay here goes. Jeremiah ran to me in a panic saying, “Don’t get mad but…. Jazz ate a diaper! A poopy diaper!!!” Continue reading →

Day 27 Eats!

Sunday!

Usually our Sundays start with a rush to throw some food in our mouths and rush out the door late to church again. I was sooo glad to have plenty of leftovers from Saturday’s breakfast to cover us for Sunday. We again had fresh fruit, apple muffins, blueberry pecan muffins, breakfast sausage, pumpkin pancakes, and eggs. Just as good for round 2!

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Football Party For Kids!

I still remember bringing Levi home from the hospital in his Saint’s sweatshirt, my little 8 pound bundle of joy, and sitting down to watch the Saints win the Super Bowl. It was a pretty great day.

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Fast forward 3 years and Levi’s birthday is the day before the Super Bowl and his first birthday party will be on Super Bowl Sunday.

The kids and I have been planning some fun football activities and snacks for Levi’s football party and let me tell you, Levi is soooo excited!

I thought I would share with you guys what we are planning as these fun kids activities are perfect for a football birthday party or a Super Bowl party with kids.

For the celebration I will be making these delicious paleo vanilla cupcakes with whipped cream frosting. These include agave nectar so substitutions can be made if you want to.

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Continue reading →

Day 26 Eats!

Yay for Saturdays! Yes I know, I probably say that every Saturday.

On this particular Saturday our house guests got to hang around a little later so instead of fast muffins, I went all out. We had fresh fruit, apple muffins, blueberry pecan muffins, breakfast sausage, pumpkin pancakes, and eggs. It was a great way to start the day and so nice to share it with new friends.

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Day 25 Eats!

Our house guests are still with us so we planned ahead with more muffins for breakfast. My kids begged for apple muffins and since I love them as much as they do, I had to make them! Dang, they were good….

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For lunch we had the rest of my meatloaf cake. Even though I made a 3 pound cake we finished it off way too fast. Next time I will be taking it up a notch to a 4 pounder.  Continue reading →

Day 24 Eats!

We have a sweet family staying with us for a few days while they attend a homeschool speech competition. They had to leave very early this morning so I planned ahead last night for breakfast. This very much reminded me that I need to do this much more often. Planning ahead is sooo helpful. I laid out homemade blueberry pecan muffins and my little helper, Jeremiah, put out some strawberries this morning. Perfect!

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I was a little nervous about how this family would like my muffins. Going grain-free and sugar-free out of nowhere is sometimes a lot to ask, especially for two teenage boys. No need to worry. They loved them! Jeremiah ate breakfast with them and said that they really liked them and even took extras for snacking. I asked Jeremiah if he told them they were healthy muffins but he didn’t. He said what did it matter when they tasted so good. I couldn’t agree more. Continue reading →

Whole Family | Week 5 Paleo Meal Plan

I am loving this new way of meal planning. I schedule, and buy the ingredients for, a number of meals for the week without any designation as to which date they will be served. It is so liberating. For me, if I am on a schedule, I feel very pressured to stick with that schedule. If I planned a certain meal for dinner, even if I have plenty of leftovers available, I feel compelled to make that meal. But…. if I have a flexible meal plan I am content and happy to warm up those leftovers and enjoy away. Works great!

Check out our Whole Family Week 5 Paleo Meal Plan:

Breakfast

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Continue reading →

Desperate & Paleo Slow Cooking | Giveaway

Thank you all so much for helping Whole Family’s Facebook page reach 2,500 likes! We are so thankful to know we are reaching so many.

Why? Well, because the more people we reach, the more people that try out new and healthy recipes, the more people are feeding their families well, the more people are realizing they have no excuse not to exercise, the more people are being encouraged as they raise their kiddos, the more moms are getting confirmation to stay home and even homeschool their children, the more parents are being encouraged to read the word to their kids, the more families are working together as a whole family.

We are excited to encourage you on your journey, as we walk down ours. Thank you for being a part of it.

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CLICK HERE TO ENTER WHOLE FAMILY’S AMAZING GIVEAWAY!

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Day 23 Eats!

Isn’t it crazy how you can stay home aaaallllll day and yet still be busy as anything from sun-up to sun-down? Today, that was us. We have a family staying with us for a few days, starting tonight, from Dallas. They are here to participate in the Houston homeschool speech and debate competition. We had a lot of work to do to get the guest room ready for them… after we finished school. Who knows how long cleaning a room full of toys and dress-up clothes (and then the aftermath that leaves in other rooms) takes for most people but for us, it takes hooouuuuurrrrsssss. We had to cancel a playdate just to make sure to get it done, but it was worth it. I’m loving my clean and organized guest room!

Before we started all this work, we started with a delicious and filling breakfast of chorizo and eggs. Too bad we don’t have any left now. (sad face) I am looking forward to my baby doctor visit next week so we can stop by the Whole Foods down the road and get more chorizo!
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Whole Family | Healthy Freezer Meals

As I get ready for baby #4 to grace us with her presence, I am starting the preparations. I don’t even have a nursery set up (like at all) but food, food I will have set up in plenty of time! I want to make sure that not only is my family well fed with delicious meals while I am out of commission, I want to make sure that I am not the one up in the kitchen cooking those meals. Can I get an amen?

I have found quite a few recipes not only for meals covering the entire day, but for sides, desserts and snacks. There are options for everyone, all of them being naturally grain-free. Some include dairy if you can handle that and a few have natural sugars. Overall, these are very healthy, whole food meals that will easily go from the freezer to your plate, or from your freezer to your crockpot to your plate.

I plan on taking a few days, spread out, to make many of these meals and fill up my deep freezer. Work now means rest later. First, we need to make sure we have the must-have resources for these meals. Check the list and have all of those items in-house before you start as they make all of this much easier.

Many of these meals can either be left big or, like with the breakfast casseroles, I cut them up into serving size pieces and freeze them in snack sized freezer bags for easy access. I freeze date balls and muffins 2 to a snack sized bag as well. Almost all of the meals can, and should, be frozen in gallon sized freezer bags to save space. The chicken pot pie recipe is geared to be made in foil containers, as others could be if you choose as well.

The snack list consists of no-cook items that our family loves and I plan on having available for all of us, especially when I won’t be up and at em. I listed some sauces and spices that are not necessary to have, but you might choose to make them to add to your meals. If you want to be super organized check out this Intro to Freezer Meals for  personalized planning templates and more. 

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Have fun, make a plan, make a grocery list, get cooking and fill that freezer! 

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Must-Have Resources and Needs:

Label maker (splurge) or a permanent marker

Crockpot

Crockpot liners

Gallon sized freezer bags for meals

Quart sized freezer bags for pancakes and waffles

Snack sized freezer bags for muffins, date balls, shredded chicken and shredded turkey

Foil baking dishes

Breakfast:

Breakfast Cookies

Pumpkin Waffles

Lagniappe Casserole

Pumpkin Sausage Muffins Continue reading →

Day 21 Eats!

Although today was a Monday it felt a whole lot more like a Sunday. Today was Martin Luther King Day so we all had the day off and seriously, we had the day OFF.

Last night, Levi came in our room at 4 am with a 102.5 fever and wide awake. I gave him some meds and let him stay with me in bed, while Brandon went to the guest room. Levi and I both were exhausted all day, although Levi took a good 3 hour nap later. No such luck for mommy. Stay tuned for how I got him back to health asap…..

For “brunch” we had the rest of our waffles with a side of ham. (Photobomb courtesy of Levi)

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Continue reading →