Lost and Found



Today is a sitting in comfy chairs at the Y kinda day! Ooo, Ooo, or a nice breezy day at the beach?

Have you ever felt lost? like you have no idea what you are doing? like you want to just scream all the time? or just be alone for one full day? If you have NEVER felt this way, then I am alone.

My husband has been out of town for a few days. He has gone on business trips many many times before, but for some reason this one is horrible. Our youngest is of the age that he notices things or people when they are missing. His behavior for the past few days has consisted of screaming all over the house, with real tears... crying "daddy, daddy." Nothing I do is comforting him. Our 3 year old has been whining NON STOP, and our 5 year old just aggravates everyone. These actions are normal, but never as constant as they have been for almost 48 hours now.

I have held close a few scripture verses lately, that have helped so very much.

Psalm 34:18
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.

(I feel like my heart is so very broken, and my spirit is beyond crushed) I miss my husband (even when he is gone for this short time) and feel like a piece of me is missing, I am sure our children feel this same way!

Philippians 4:7
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

I have needed this peace that I know comes from only Christ.

I hope and pray you are comforted by the reality of this. I know sometimes we feel (or at least I feel) lost, alone, out of control and in need of the heavy hand of Christ to lift us up and hold us close. Let Him do that for you today. I am still learning daily what that looks like, and will continue to humble myself in the presence of our Lord.

Many Blessings

A New Room - A New Journey

Ahhhh, a sigh of relief! Our homeschool is finally ready for learning, and we learned so much about God's creation yesterday. Take a look at our new room, we are all excited about this journey, and can't wait to see what God will do this year!




  The Reading area, minus a rug, some pillows, and the rain gutter shelving we will put in soon.






I would love to see your homeschool pictures.

A Paste for Teeth ;)

I ran across this recipe and thought it to be very interesting. I am not so sure that I will use it, but I thought some of you would enjoy even the idea. The blog entry is from http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/2008/08/going-fluoride-free.html 



Have you thought much about fluoride? This lovely product is added to many water supplies and toothpaste. Dentists supposedly say it prevents tooth decay. When I discovered this product has been banned from adding to water in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Austria, France and The Netherlands, I questioned why it is still being promoted as a healthy product here in the States.
Andreas Schuld describes fluoride as follows in an article on the Weston Price Foundation:
“Fluoride is any combination of elements containing the fluoride ion. In its elemental form, fluorine is a pale yellow, highly toxic and corrosive gas. In nature, fluorine is found combined with minerals as fluorides. It is the most chemically active nonmetallic element of all the elements and also has the most reactive electro-negative ion. Because of this extreme reactivity, fluorine is never found in nature as an uncombined element.”
Highly toxic? Corrosive gas? I am not sure about you, but that concerns me. These references are referring to the addition of fluoride to most water systems in the US, but there is another form of fluoride that is added to your average container of toothpaste.

Fluoride Deception

You might be interested in checking out these videos…
Fluoride Deception – interesting video on harm of fluoride
Cure Tooth Decay – can tooth decay be related to what kind of food you eat?
Fluoride Alert – professionals sign document to end fluoride in water due to its toxic content. Two interesting videos about fluoride.

Fluoride Free Alternatives

Fluoride is added to most toothpastes you will find in the store, and although your consumption may be minimal, it is something to consider. Finding flouride-free toothpaste is a spendy pursuit, costing up to $5 per small tube. Sodium lauryl sulfate is included in most natural toothpastes, which is the foaming agent that is added to toothpaste and other bathroom products. There is much controversy whether it is safe as well, so I am seeking to avoid, if possible, and stick to the ingredients that are safe to consume, especially for the little one, as she very well may swallow it.
Here are a few alternatives:
Toothsoap – I have not tried this, but have heard many rave reviews from others. The ingredients are all natural, based upon coconut oil, olive oil and a few other products. The price might sound a bit high at first but I have been told a tube lasts three months for a family of four. Toothsoap is preferred over natural toothpastes because not only does it not contain fluoride but it also does not have sodium lauryl sulfate.
I reviewed the list of ingredients and I thought…why not? These are simple enough to combine together at home. I wanted a toothpaste with quality ingredients that I had on hand, without spending too much on a tube of toothsoap. Here is what I came up with:

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Homemade Toothsoap Recipe #1

You can actually just us Dr. Bronner’s as a natural toothpaste, but the texture is very liquidy and very powerful in taste (soap here we come!). Definitely not something the hubby or baby would like. I tried mellowing and sweetening it a bit with these ingredients and all are quite satisfied!  Still under a little experimentation. This recipe provided a nice moist but thicker consistency than Dr. Bronner’s alone.
1 Tbsp Dr. Bronners castile liquid soap or any natural castile liquid soap -  contains coconut, olive, palm oils – we use Baby Mild unscented (because it is more versatile for us, and covers multiply uses in one product) and then flavor with an essential oil or two
5 Tbsp coconut oil
1 Tbsp or more olive oil or water – to get the consistency you want – this makes it pourable to put in the soap dispenser
Essential oil (20-25 drops), I use orange and peppermint together, as peppermint alone is a little strong for me, but you can use whatever combination you like. If using Peppermint Dr Bronner’s soap, you can skip this altogether.
Stevia, or  to sweeten to your taste – a few dashes or so works
Warning: Do not test this product more than a few times at a time or just a dab at a time, or else you can burn your mouth (if using peppermint oil/soap), as I experienced. Best to taste by putting it on a toothbrush and brushing your teeth, as flavor is a bit different from just tasting the toothpaste directly.
I store mine in a new soap dispenser in our bathroom. No scooping it up, just pump it out right onto your toothbrush. No messes in the draw from spilled sticky toothpaste tubes either!

Homemade Toothpaste Recipe #2

1/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup vegetable glycerin
1 Tbsp castile liquid soap
A few drops peppermint, anise, wintergreen essential oil, optional
dash of stevia or  xylitol
Combine ingredients with a hand mixer or by hand as desired. Store in a old toothpaste dispenser by cutting the end off and filling with your toothpaste. Seal the end with masking tape until it is ready for a re-fill.
Both of these recipes work well for cleaning your teeth and are completely safe and natural…so no fear for the little ones! Just make sure to only give them a little dab on the toothbrush because the ingesting essential oils is the only concern here. So please use less essential oils if you are concerned.
Other fluoride free toothpastes on the market:
Tom’s of Maine Fluoride Free Toothpaste – they sell a children’s brand as well.
Trader Joe’s Fluoride Free/SLS free toothpaste – this is a very inexpensive alternative if you have access to TJ’s!
Nature’s Gate Fluoride Free Toothpaste

Sweepin' up Cheerios

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

                                                1 Corinthians 10:31

I heard this song a few months ago and started weeping almost immediately. Not at all a ballad or love song, but shows, with music and lyrics how we are to do all things to the glory of our Creator, Jesus Christ! Sometimes... well, most of the time I feel like my job as a mother and wife isn't as important as most. I pick up everything off the floors, only for it to be messy again in about 60 seconds flat. I finally get all the laundry done, only to find a secret load hiding in our boys' room. I plan out our meal for the evening, and forget to take out the meat. All of these negative things have a tendency to hinder me from being joyful in the service I am doing for our Lord. Although I don't think my job is important, it is the most important job I could ever do. I wouldn't have it any other way, and it is the highest calling we have as mothers and wives! Don't let the evil one steal that from you. Pick up socks and sweep up cheerios to the glory of God.

Fall into Autumn

Is it “autumn”, or is it “fall”? What do you call it?

Whatever it will be called, it is so close to being right in our back yard.
The colorful leaves, the crisp air, the bon fires that light up our neighborhood, and the snuggly sweat shirts we get to wear and dress our children in!

I would love to be more traditional; Like the families that have been doing the same holiday things for hundreds of years. Sadly, I am not like these people, as much as I would like to be. I would, however, love to start a family specific tradition this year!
The idea of apple picking, decorating our house with the colors of fall, pumpkin carving, or making crafts out of leaves, really appeals to me!But, I am in desperate need of some time management skills. We have three small children, and are pregnant with our fourth. Where do I find the time for these things mentioned, along with many more???  Maybe those of you with larger or similar family sizes can help a mama out ;)

I would love to hear about your family traditions, fall, autumn, or otherwise.

This "Y" Sanctuary



I LOVE to read. After having Three (almost 4) children I haven't had much time to do so, but, I have found a sanctuary! YMCA is not only good for my physical health, it's also here to provide sanity for my mental and spiritual health too! Often times I will drop my children off at the daycare  they provide and walk about five feet to the lobby. Comfy leather chairs and couches await me hugging my growing pregnant body a little closer these days, but nonetheless, oh so comfy! I settle in for coffee, reading, blogging, praying, or, some days just observing the different people who come in and out.

Yesterday was one of the "observing" days! I often notice a large group of women settle in around 8:30 or so! The laughter is almost deafening, but so nice to hear. These women chat about the most random things. "These shirts are on sale for thirty dollars" "have you read this book yet" "oh hi Sally, we sure did miss you yesterday" "let me share this recipe with you" (etc) I, of course pretending to read, listen and smile the whole time they talk.
These ladies, fit with high waisted pants skimming just above the ankles, silver hair, glasses, and what seems to be wedding rings that can only be cut off make me think: Will I be part of a group like this someday? Will I be talking about recipes, and things that make me laugh? Will I have worn this wedding ring so long that it needs to be cut off? I can only pray these things will happen. I long to be close with godly women. My heart often aches for fruitful accountability, for lasting "Titus 2" relationships! This scripture teaches us to teach and learn from other women (and men from men)
These women, seemingly, were teaching and learning from one another! It made me realize how important this is to me, and should be to all women who seek the truth.
The "Y" is my sanctuary. My place to observe interactions between women, and men who love each other. What is your sanctuary? Where do you find your quiet? How do you reflect on the things of God? What is He telling you today?

Many Blessings