Snap-EZ Blog

 Nicole!  Way to go Nicole!  She got 12 out of 14 right!

So here’s some of my favorite answers, some for their creativity and some for their accuracy!

Photo 1 was the husk of dried Indian Corn – nearly everyone got this one right.

Photo 2 was the top of the head of Esther’s stuffed elephant -  Auntie Lisa guessed that it was a stuffed toy and that was the closest guess!

Photo 3 was meatloaf -  Deborah was the only one to get that right – it was thought to be casserole, a Costco muffin, a breakfast cookie, a ravioli dish, the inside of a pumpkin, and a apple desert!  Great guesses!

Photo 4 was peanut butter – everyone got that right, but I especially like Gwendi’s answer – ” Peanut butter jar – almost empty – add to shopping list “  LOL!

Photo 5 was a leaf from our Thansgiving centerpiece –   Leslie was so accurate “Thanksgiving decorations-fabric leaf ”

Photo 6 was a bath scrunchy -  everyone got this one right as well – nut again Gwendie’s guess was so sweet”Bath puff – scrubby thing (Ruth, make time for those long soaks in the tub – you deserve it!) ” – I do try!

Photo 7 was a sock on a counter (and yes, Gwendie, it was a clean sock on the bathroom counter! LOL) Both Roxy and Gwendie got that one correct!

Photo 8 was mustard on a hotdog bun -  Nicole was so accurate with “hotdog bun with a line of musterd (yum!) ”

Photo 9 was dried Indian Corn – almost everyone got that one right! I liked Traci’s answer – “dark indian corn”

Photo 10 was ” Jessica’s purse from Berlin” as Nicole got so right – but Roxy also new it was something from Berlin, and Auntie Lisa knew it was from Germany!

Photo 11 was dog food

Photo 12 was a vacuum hose -  Kim was the only one to guess that one!

Photo 13 was Esther’s little backpack for her feeding tube pump – Deborah was the closest with “suitcase”

And photo 14 was Esther’s eye -  Gwendie was the most accurate guess – “Ester’s baby-sweet eyelashes (right eye) ”

You can review the photos here:

http://snap-ez.com/WordPress/?p=143

And the prize???  A bage of Lind Chocolates – Nicole do you prefer light, dark or white chocolates?  Or do you want a mixed bag?  Yum!!!

Ans lastly – no one guessed correctly as to the mystery photographer – no it wasn’t Rueben (although he got two votes) or Rebekah….it was Jessica!  The next morning after I posted the contest  Jessica came in and I asked her who had taken the photos, and she said she had as she wanted to make a game for people to guess what they were – great minds think alike eh???

thanks for playing ladies!

That was so much fun, I might just have to have another contest!  Would you like that?

if you have to care for so many children?  This is a good question!

First of all, and most importantly, I can not possibly meet all my child’s needs, even if I had only one!  That’s God’s job!  If I could do that, my child wouldn’t need God!

Secondly, do our children “need” all the things that the typical American family deems necessary?  Does every child “need” to be involved in organized sports?  Music lessons?  Have their own bedroom?  “Quality Time” with parents?  Lots of toys/music/electronic devices?  New clothes?  A bath every night?  A hot breakfast every morning?

I see childrens’ needs as very basic – a roof over their heads, clothes, healthy food, and a loving home.  They need parents who are willing to take the time to answer questions, teach them to be responsible people, teach them about their world, and provide for their social needs.

Social needs….that’s a big one!  What are my child’s social needs?  My child needs to learn to function in society – this includes our family, friends, and our world.  Will my child learn politeness, compassion, patience and such by spending a majority of the day with other children?  Maybe, but most likely not.  Most children are just as in need of training in social graces as my child.  I believe that children will learn best if they are around those who model the characteristics I desire them to have!  In some cases, that is other children, but in most, it’s adults…their father and mother!  Does this have to be done one on one?  No, this is modeled in everyday life – at the table, in the car, during school time, during play time.  Just being home with my children provides ample situations for teaching and instructing them – making use of the situations as they arise!

So, we keep things as simple as possible, and I try to be available as much as possible for my kids – to answer questions, to teach them right and wrong, to comfort them when they are hurting.  I am not perfect, but with God’s help, it’s very doable!

Also, a biggy in large families, is the concept of training our older children to become good parents and spouses.  Having little ones to care for, under my authority and supervision, is an excellent way to accomplish this!  My older children have watched me parent and care for them, so they are taught to care for their siblings (with in reason of course) likewise!  This also meets the needs of my children, both young and old  Most families with 4 or fewer children, are usually all close in age, so they are all young adults at the same time.  This provides few opportunites to learn to care for babies and toddlers.  But in our family, all the kids learn to change diapers, feed a baby, sooth a crying toddler, potty train children, and so much more!

A really big thing that I see in large families is the concept of sharing the work load!  I for one, wasn’t forced to train my children to do chores until I had 5 children!  Through the years we’ve worked to teach the children to do things around the house that they are capable of.  This starts when they are toddlers – they are big kid helpers – they can also get diapers for momma, carry things, get things, and so forth.  Then when they turn 5 years old they start getting bigger jobs – like making their bed, tidying their bedroom,  setting the table, putting away a specific kind of toy (like wedgits or legos).  When they turn 7 they get “big kid jobs” – like tidying one room everyday with an older sibling, clearing the table, unloading the dishwasher.  When they turn 10 they learn to do their own laundry and begin to lean skills that will make them dependable for childcare once they reach the legal age for baby sitting (12 yo’s can care for chidren under the age of 6),  Lastly, when they are 13 they are old enough to be a team leader – we have teams for doing kitchen duties – a counter team, a table team, and a dishwasher team!  We also share meal preparation.  Starting as mom’s helperat age 8, they progress to making meals more on their own around age 10 – two meals a week for each child and the mom doesn’t have to cook unless she wants too! So when my children get married, all of them will be capable of doing all types of housework and cooking and baking!  This will make the transition to marriage so much easier than it is for most adults!

And finally, providing for their physical needs – food, clothing and shelter.  God is our provider, but He usually doesn’t provide well in advance. We’ve never had a savings account, and usually there’s a bit more month than money, but we’ve always had what we needed.  This might mean baking out own bread or living without some things to make ends meet, but this can be very good for our children – to make due with what you have and learn to be satisfied with it!

So, can I meet all the needs of my children when I have so many?  No!  But I can, with God’s help and the help of my family, friends, and church community, provide a loving environment that will, Lord willing, produce an adult well prepared to make a difference in their world!

 I was asked this today during my visit Friday with the nurse from the health department.  That’s a good question.  I can’t remember exactly what I told her, but my reply was a negative in some form.  But while trying to go back to sleep early this morning  I realized that I should have truthfully replied that yes, we do have family planning – God!

It’s interesting, but when we first considered taking God into the equation when considering “family planning”, we got so excited about our “new” outlook that we told people right and left about it.  The responces were varied, including everything from agreement to anger!  Due to our family size, I rarely, if ever, am the one to bring up the subject.   And I’ll tell them “We let God plan our family” (or something like that.  Jokingly I’ll often add funny comments like “He hasn’t made any mistakes so far” or “they’re all keepers” – and of course, there’s the old “don’t you know what causes that?”  This one I have a variety of answers to ranging from sublime “yes – and we now keep out toothbrushes separate” to the audacious “yes- and we are really good at it – if you need any pointers, let me know!”I’ve only used that one twice – and both times it was with a person who was being insulting in there comments – they both laughed nervously and left it at that!  I’ve regretted using that one, but I love to joke about that one!

So, why do we have more than four times the national average when it comes to children?  Aren’t we concerned about adding to the “population explosion”?  Aren’t we worried about not meeting all our children’s needs?  Those and others are great questions I’ve been asked recently and I’d like to take the time to answer those questions and other for you!

But…. this would be a really long blog entry that could potentially take days to write/read, so I’ve added a new category for my blog entries and I’ll break down my thoughts/beliefs into smaller entries for you!

So as I find time, I’ll post about why we believe what we believe and answer questions I’ve been asked, as well as those that might come in response to my posts!

Lastly, please understand that I believe what I believe to be true, but I know that very few will agree with me, and I understand that – God has each of us in His hands and challenges each of us in different ways – my only request is that you prayfully consider your choices when you are “planning your family” – as most families make their choices without even considering what God would have them do!  We did for many years!

I’m looking forward to this, I hope you are too!

I got a great photo of Esther just before we left for church Sunday, but first I thought a few of photos from her birth and first day in the hospital to show how far she came in 8 weeks  today might be great! This is the only photo we have of her at home – just after this photo was taken we started to realize that she wasn’t “pinking up” and we just weren’t too concerned about photos at that point. She was quite “blue” in this photo, and from there she actually got darker – more of a dusky purple by the time she left for the hospital – that was a really scary time for all of us! This is how she looked when I arrived at the hospital – one very sick little baby. But she was pink – and that surprised me – I thought she’d still be blue for some reason!
And here she is, looking like a princess in her finest! She was only half awake, so she looks a little groggy yet! Today marks the last of my “stay at home and schedule my day as I want to” days for this week. Thursday morning I have an appointment for Esther, and then back home for a couple of hours, and then back to Bellingham to take Jessica to the oral surgion.  Yes, if my year hasn’t been hard enough, I also have two kids who need oral surgery! Jessica had a tooth that needed a crown last summer, but when they took off the temporary to put on the new crown, the entire tooth broke off at the roots!  So we were face with a choice of a bridge or an implant – both are about the same money wise, but the implant was recommended since it’s her molar and she’s so young. So tomorrow she’s having the surgery to implant a metal thing into her jaw bone.  Once it has healed (3 – 4 months!  Ack!), then they will put a new crown/fake tooth on the rod and it will look like it’s her own tooth and if all goes well, it will be permanent. Please pray that she will not be worried about the outcome, that the procedure will “take” and not have to be repeated or abandoned.  Please also pray that I will be able to get along over the next while (I really have no idea how many days she’ll be under the weather from this) as I care for her and also lose her help around here! I also found out today that Jonathan’s teeth have moved faster than expected and he is now ready for his surgery – he had a baby tooth that wouldn’t fall out on it’s own, and that caused the permanent tooth to remain in his “cheek” above his molars.  So he had to get braces to make the opening large enough, and now they need to apply a “brace” to that tooth with a chain attached, and then the chain will be attached to the wire from his braces and it will pull the tooth down and into place!  Ouch!  Great timing – Jessica right before Thanksgiving, and my hunch is that Jonathan’s will be just before Christmas!  Happy Holidays anyone??? Also, neither of these procedures (or any of the orthodontist work on my three kids who needed it for medical reasons, and not cosmetic) is covered by any of our insurance, so I’d love it if you could pray that God will provide a way to pay for all this.  We were able to get financing for Jessica’s procedure, but I sure hate to borrow money for things like this! Friday, two women are coming over to work with me to set up and access programs for Esther – they are from the health department and the birth to 3 program.  I’m sure they are wonderful women and they are coming to help me, but I just can’t help being a little worried.  Anytime I think of someone associated with government coming into my home, I get a little frazzled!  Not the I have anything to hide, it’s just that I do have a much larger family than most, and I just don’t know what to expect.  In general people are either positive about a large family, or very negative.  Pray that I can have peace about this, and that the kids will be great while they are here!  I’d really appreciate it! Due to scheduling problems, Esther’s trip to Children’s for her echo-cardiogram won’t be until the Tuesday after Thanksgiving – I’m relieved as my schedule between now and thanksgiving is anything but open! Also, on Monday, Dayton is having some major dental work done – under light sedation.  He had this done in September, and he was very upset afterward and had several hours of almost constant crying.  This time it shouldn’t be as bad (he had his top 4 front teeth pulled last time), but I am intimidated with the thought of going through this again, this time with Esther to care for, and possibly Jessica as well!

Here’s a photo of Esther in the shirt that Leslee, one of the EMTs that was at Esther’s birth (thanks Leslee for bringing over – it would have taken me forever to stop by to pick it up!) brought over as a gift!  Those EMTs and the paramedic helped our midwife save her life!

This has been a year of stretching for our family. It started off in the middle of building our new home.

Soon afterward, we found out that Esther was on the way, then it was moving time.  Followed soon by getting the old mobile home ready to sell.  All this while introducing the new line of Snap-EZ Eco products.

Then it was trying to sell the mobile home and finish building the house (I was painting trim for what seemed like forever, and it’s still not all done!).

Next was summer – busy, busy, busy!  We did find new owners for the mobile home, but finding a place to put it was a challenge for them, and then working out the move, and finishing everything on the house before our bank deadline of September 1!

Then I ended up on bedrest for 5 weeks, then Esther arrived and I spent 5 1/2 weeks with her in the hospital.

So here we are, a year that didn’t leave much time for anything but crisis containment, and it’s telling on us!

This morning I had a heart to heart talk with the children about how we treat one another.  We have fallen into some bad habits and it’s time to reverse this and begin to again treat eachother in love so our home reflects Christ’s love.

My friend, Sally, who has 2 daughter with severe special needs, shared an article with me last week from a mother of 11 children (I found out she’s expecting her 12th sometime this year – at least she was pregnant when they were on the Family Life Today program last March), whose 11th baby was born with Down Syndrome.  She said a very interesting thing – that all our children are born with special needs – I took this to mean that they are all born with a sinful nature and are in need of our Saviour, Jesus Christ!   How true that is – any Chrstian parent would vouch for the fact that our precious little ones are in need of His saving grace!

So, in light of our “special needs” (mine too, especially as a parent), we are going to be concentrating our studies over the next 6 weeks, and beyond, on the fruits of the spirit and on making our home reflect Christ once again!

Please pray for all of us as we attempt to reign in our sinful natures and begin to find a new “normal” for all of us.  Pray especially for me, as parenting this many children in a godly fashion is not easy, but the rewards are out of this world!

Updates on Esther – everything is going well, but she’s still not making much ground as far as increasing how much she takes from a bottle – there is little, if any, improvement that would lead towards removing her feeding tube.  I’ve tried to use a supplimental nursing system (by Medela) to help teach Esther how to breastfeed , and it would work if I could get her to latch correctly.  But this is very time consuming!, She does well now, at not getting frustrated (the system allows milk to flow when she sucks, even if it’s a poor latch and/or she’s not drawing any of my milk down) and that’s a great improvement – but she just doesn’t seem to be able to latch correctly.  Pray that we’ll get the hang of this soon, as direct nursing will be so much easier for us both once she gets off the feeding tube – pumping and then feeding her is like having twins as far as time consumption goes – and someone has to care for Esther everytime I have to pump, as it’s nearly impossible for me to care for her while pumping!

Thanks in advance for your prayers!