I'll Walk with you!

They have been learning this song at church and the youngest was singing parts of it while making dinner tonight. It has such a sweet message we wanted to share. We will have to get the whole song when they learn in better!

Those we rely on

At our Thanksgiving meal this week my brother started razzing me about never calling him anymore when I asked him if he knew I had started grad school.  My response to him sums up how I have felt lately.  I told him how just a year or two ago I had called our mom at least once a week and how I realized recently I don't call her nearly as much.  Then I said I think its because things are going so well in my life I don't feel like I need as much help as I used too.  Things have been going good for me and my little family!

This week we closed on our second home.  The move has been the easiest in my life.  We just bought the house we have been renting for the past year.  We are happy with the decision as I am close to work and the girls are close to friends.  It feels like a good decision for us and relieves the stress of home shopping for a few years.

Jeremy is a year away from finishing his Masters degree and I started working on mine this past summer.  In another three weeks I will have nine credits under my belt.  Even though it has been hard at times I feel this too has been a good decision for our family and I have still been able to focus my free time on my kids.

 Maybe I am just getting older and more confident but I don't feel I need to rely on the support of family members as I have in the past.  Don't get me wrong I need help and often receive it, but it has come more from my neighbors and friends.  We are very blessed to be where we are today!

Canning dried beans

I enjoy learning how to do new things but when I do I want it to be the best and safest way. I'm getting ready to can some pinto, red, and black beans. While many blogs are interesting in their stories and canning techniques I prefer proven methods that are scientifically proven safe. I also like a quick instruction as the site below provides. Happy Canning!

 

http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_04/beans_peas_shelled.html 

Be prepared

On Tuesday I was hauling boxes out to our shop. On one trip I had knocked over the snow shovel but neglected to pick it up. Before heading out with another box Brooke decided she wanted to come so I got her all ready and we headed out. As I turned the corner outside the door my foot caught the shovel. With a spin plop and crack I was on the ground and bleeding from the back of my head. Now I don't fall down all that often and I have never cracked open my head. I was certainly dazed but got up and went in yelling for Cora to get my phone while I got a rag on my head. I had no idea how much I was really bleeding and didn't dare take the pressure off my head. Where it was the back of my head I couldn't see anything anyway. So the only thought going through my head was to get help before I passed out.
I probably should have relaxed a moment and processed the situation a little better but I have seen to many movies where people fall, hit their heads and die. Yeah, I was a little freaked out especially with my four little darlings in the house. I called my spouse, his boss, and my sister. No one responded and I frantically tried too think of someone close but couldn't focus so I dialed 911.
They were here quickly and I didn't even have enough of a gash to warrant stitches. Jeremy's boss called me back so I was able to get him home to help me with the kids. I was a bit noxious and really worked up. It took me all night to calm down.
In retrospect I could have walked over to my neighbors house, but I was so worried about my kids. I knew Cora could call for help but I didn't want her to need to. I am the boss, as my girls tell Jeremy, and I should be able to take care of everyone and myself. I have also realized I needed to teach Brooke and even Ally to use the phone to get help or to run over to the neighbors if I was ever unresponsive.
There are other ways I need to prepare my family for emergencies and after having this experience I'm going to do a better job!

The New Addition!

Saige Quigley Coleman joined our little family last week! She is such a beautiful baby! My three older girls have all been such pretty babies and Saige is no execption. A week later I am feeling so happy to have her out in the world rather than cramping my ribs. Inside she was really making life difficult for me. Difficulties still come with her outside but it is so different though better to get most of my body back to myself. Now that dad has gone back to work and Cora has started school we have began to settle into a routine here at home. My babies have all done well with routine as well as myself. They wake up, eat, stay awake for a bit then sleep again every three hours during the day and I let them wake up on their own at night. It has worked well with my three oldest and looks to be working well with Saige now. I love my girls and wouldn't trade them for anything!!!

Icie Finger Saver!

If your kids are anything like mine they spent most of last summer crying that their hands were too cold when eating their otter pops or go-gurts.  Or you have tough kids who are just happy for a treat.  My sisters solution was to give them rags to wrap around the ice cold treat.  Towards the end of the summer I stumbled across an even better solution. 
     For each of my girls I made hooded towels for birthday presents last year.  Also on each one I cut a small section off the hand towel for the hood.  I hate throwing things away so they sat in my craft room for a few months.  As the summer wore on and my girls continued to ask for something to save their hands from their icies I found in my craft room a solution.  The left over pieces of towel were the perfect size to fold up and sew into otter pop pockets.  So that is what I did and here is the result!  They work for otter pops and go gurts and any cold treat this size.  My girls each have their own and I don't have to worry about cold fingers.  Now if I can just find some way for the treat to pop out of the plastic on its own so I don't have to help them squeeze it out!

Not so lonely Sunday

    Sundays have become very hard for me over the past two months. Jeremy starts church meetings at 8 in the morning.  The girls and I slowly get ready each sabbath morning and then get to see dad a little while at church.  At times he can get home quickly after church but lately he seems to be buisier than normal and instead of seeing him in a half an hour it has turned into an hour and a half.  I suppose that isn't all so bad however we have 11 o'clock church and Jeremy has been working for three hours starting at five on sundays.  That means that on those late days home from church we get an hour to an hour and a half before he has to leave.  Today was especially hard for me waiting for him to get home from church and I was so greatful that my sister Nora was home this evening and willing for the girls and myself to come and crash her peaceful sunday evening.
     They live up on top of a hill on the East bench of Pocatello.  We walked all over their mountain hunting deer and turkeys.  The kids played hide and seek in the spruce and after a long walk really tired themselves out.  Back at the house the girls watched a little tv with their cousins and were fed a wonderful pancake dinner.  I hung out with my little niece and enjoyed some adult conversation, something as a stay at home mom you don't get a lot of.  This sunday was taken from a stressful lonely day to one that I really enjoyed.