Good bye Curly

Let’s be real! The kids are in bed, door shut, lights out. Now it is my time. My time to relax. My time to get ready to bed. My time to snuggle with my husband. Time to climb in bed and laugh because my dog is going to get on my husbands pillow and look at him with his sad puppy eyes. Every night this is what happens. He lies on my husband’s pillow and teases him. Then my husband comes to bed and we all giggle because the dog is on his pillow AGAIN.
Only tonight something is missing. Something small and white and cuddly. Something my daughter lives for. My dog is no longer here. Last night was my last night snuggling with my dog. I knew he was not acting right. His breathing was weird, he would not lay down and sleep and he kept coming to my face. He rarely gets in my face. I knew he was not feeling well. I never dreamed he was so sick.
This morning I took him to the vet as soon as the doors opened. The vet said he was very anemic and gave me a plan. He said the plan was to give him a blood transfusion and IV meds and he thought that would help. He said I could take him home in the next couple of days with meds to continue for the next 6-8 weeks. I paid my $555 and said good bye to my sick puppy. I called back a couple of hours later and they said he was holding his own. I assumed that things would go according to plans. He had not been sick long, he is only ten years old and I am not ready to tell my kids he is not coming home. A couple of hours later the Vet called and said he needed oxygen at $45 a hour. I agreed because how do you say no. How do you tell your kids you did not do everything you could? Then I called my hero and said it was time to have the talk. You know where you decide how much you are willing to spend, how much you are willing to do for this dog. He called the Vet to get a better idea of what was going on. She was honest and said he was not doing well and she could not guarantee he would get better at this point and if he did it would not be the same happy go lucky dog. He then called me and we made the decision we were not ready to make. He instantly called the Vet back to tell her we would not be doing much more. As he was talking to her Curly passed away. Okay, that was easier, we did not have to make the decision it was made for us. He was at peace.
End of story, right? No, I called back to make final plans and she said Curly was alive, yes you read that right, he was alive. She said when she hung up with my husband he started moving again. She said please understand his oxygen is really low and I do not think anything has changed. I told her we were done, that it is not fair to him. She told me we had made the right decision and she would put him to sleep.
My hero came home early and we told the kids. Then I took Hope to pick him up. Curly was her dog. She dresses him almost daily and plays with him. We brought him home and buried him in the back yard.
Today was a hard day for our family and honestly I hate it. So now I am avoiding going to bed because I know there will not be something there to keep my feet warm or to get between my husband and I.
My husband and kids have been on line looking at dogs all night. I am not ready for another dog. I do not think they realize how much work they are. If you have a child friendly dog I would love to hear about them. What kind, what breed, what do you love and not like?

Pamela

Pray for Me Monday

JAMES 5:16
"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so
that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and
effective." (NIV) 

PSALMS 116:2
"Because He has inclined His ear to me, Therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live" (NKJV) 

Welcome to this weeks Pray For Me Mondays with Home Grown Families and Pamela from Troop Petrie.  We are so excited to be working together on this journey!



Basically, PFMM will work like this:

• Pamela and I will write posts on relevant topics and post


• You can link up your own post, comment or e-mail us your prayer requests


• We'll pray for you and hopefully others will, too

This week, we are talking about husbands!!

Tiffany {the single one} says:

The subject of husbands has been weighing on me for weeks.  Not having a husband, I am curious as to why this is! :)



I never expected to be a single Mom.  It honestly wasn't in my "5 year plan."  But, life has a way of taking over and spinning out of control.  FAST!



Seriously.  I was 16 one day and a single Mom the next.



I would be lying if I said that I don't sometimes want a husband.  Well, if sometimes is 99% of the time...



Then, I see what my girlfriends go through.  I have a  friend whos husband is addicted to pain killers.  Another friend is battling a porn addiction with her husband.  Yet another friend has a husband who refuses to get a job~ and then complains that there isn't enough money for the bills.



I don't want any of that!!  I couldn't even begin to deal with that with everything else that is going on!  When I see this, I think 'You can keep it!  I don't want a husband!'



I have so much more to say on the subject but we are going to have to save it for another week!



Pam {the married one} says:



Marriage is: rewarding, challenging, security, scary, forever, ending, comforting, uncomfortable.  Marriage is not what I thought it would be.



You see, when I got married I was living on my own.  I was independent and secure and did not need a man.  I went as far as refusing to allow our minister to put in the sentence "to love and obey."  Heck no!  This is something I have since regretted.  Something I long to repeat and change.



I did not understand the importance of praying for my spouse.  He is strong and can handle things on his own.  He does not need me.



I was so wrong.



When I am on my knees for my husband, it humbles me.  It draws me close to noy only my husband, but to the Lord, too.



So, how do you pray for your spouse?  What do you pray for?  First, I would say to ask your husband "How can I pray for you?"  That gives us something to talk about, it lets me know his hopes and dreams and fears.

Colossians 3:18-21

Wives you must submit to your husbands, as is fitting for those who belong to the Lord.  And you husbands must love your wives and never treat them harshly.  You children must always obey your parents for this is what pleases the Lord.  Fathers, don't aggravate your children.  If you do, they will become discouraged and quit trying.

Ladies, I encourage you to take time to pray for your marriage.  Ask God specifically how you can encourage and help your husband.  Along those same lines, I encourage you to ask your husband to pray for you.  I think our men need to know they are needed.



Do you have a specific request this week?  Please know that I pray for all of my blog readers.  The ones who comment and the ones who just visit.

Request~ Please pray for both of us~ Pam as the wife to a loving and faithful man and Tif as the husbandless Mom.  Please pray for all of those with husbands battling a problem and for all of us who don't have them.

Praise~ A Blogger linked commented that she needed prayer for her sick daughter and we are happy to report that her baby is home and on the mend!

You can contact us with your prayer request privately at PrayForMeMondays {at} yahoo {dot} com.

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Fill in the blank Friday

1. The best part of October was turning off the AC and not turning on the heat. Opening windows and airing out this smelly house. Woo hoo! I love hearing the birds, I love feeling the breeze.
2. The worst part of October was my hero being gone for two weeks. Which meant he missed Hope’s 9th birthday and his 40th birthday. That is so not fair!
3. For Halloween, I’ll be hiding out in my life. Wishing the holiday did not exist. Wishing that people would not make it so scary.
4. I hope that in November bring really cold weather because I am not ready for it. I do not want to turn on the heat and bundle the kids up to play outside!
I love fill in the blank Friday and meeting other military wives. If you would like to join us head over to Wife of a Sailor.
Pamela

Feeling Beachie

This week’s statements:
1. I have a _better attitude with my children___ at ___any place that is public and I do not like that side of myself._
2. I always buy _diet pepsi__ that_way my husband is happy because__ If__he goes without he is a scary person to be around._
3. I spend way too much time ___worry about what other people think about my house and how my blessings dress. ___
4. I hope that when people meet me and think about me they __realize I am fun to be around and that I have a heart for the Lord!___________
Pamela

Five question Friday

1. Do you prefer cotton, silk, or flannel sheets? Flannel sheets for the winter and during the summer I like these sheets that are almost silk, smooth and cold but I do not slide off of them.

2. What time zone are you in? Eastern and I do not like it. I love to go to bed early but I find myself staying up late to watch T.V. shows. Dang, that eastern time zone!

3. What is your favorite part of the holiday season? The time before Thanksgiving and Christmas is my favorite time. All the get togethers, all the extra time my husband gets off. Shopping for others if I am not done. Baking and baking and baking.

4. What is your favorite "wintry" drink? (It doesn't have to be an "alcoholic" drink!) Hot chocolate, homemade hot chocolate. I love thick yummy hot chocolate curled up in front of a fire under a blanket.

5. In your opinion, what is the worst job in the world? I cannot think of one. I am thinking teachers get the least amount of credit. Parents constantly complaining about something. I think being a soldier is one of the hardest, leaving your family telling your children good bye. Then the whole time you are deployed you see people complain about you and protest against you.
Pamela

The old School house is giving a wonderful gift to military. Please watch this video
By the way the little blond about 1.38 is my baby girl. Thank you switched on school house for the wonderful gift.
Pamela

I survived...

I survived my first outing with six children. I mean I have been to the store a hundred times and to the park and even to a friend’s house but never to a official event. So this is how the evening went. Please feel free to laugh at me. My husband is in the field so he was not available to help.
I left way to early like usual. I arrived at the church for boy scouts. Not just any Boy scouts but a court of honor. A court of honor where my son had a speaking part, a speaking part he was very nervous about. We set in the parked car for 20 minutes because as usual we are way too early. Finally Michael went in and a few minutes later he came back and said no one was there. So we went ahead and got everyone loaded into the van. Please understand this is 6 children (okay 5 children and a teen) and we parked on the street. I get everything together and realize I FORGOT THE DIAPER BAG. So I search the van and find a diaper (that is his size). Walk everyone in and the only casualty was one skinned knee. Which by the way I just remembered I never gave a band aid or cleaned it?
We walked in and the place was a ZOO, they were taking registration for all kinds of sports. I saw no one I knew so we called and asked if we should be in another part of the church. That is when it happened. THEY WERE NOT MEETING AT THE NORMAL LOCATION! My first thought was I am going to kill my son and husband for not being prepared. So we go back to the van and load everyone and head to the new place. This would not be an issue for someone who is from here but giving me directions is like talking to a brick wall. I found it and luckily they were close.
We arrived and guess what? THEY WERE MEETING OUTSIDE AND ONLY ABOUT 20 FEET FROM A PLAYGROUND! What? I do not have jackets and how can I expect them to get them to set quietly when they can hear other kids on the swing?
We unloaded the van; did I tell you we were bringing a box of popcorn? Got everyone to the picnic area. We honestly made it through the ceremony with little issues. Jerry got bored rather quickly but a boyscout came to the rescue and played with him. Towards the end another mom got him out of the stroller and played with him. Then I held him for about 20 minutes. I loved it, he babbled and talked. I keep saying I know he is 17 months old but I want to be close to him. He loves to be held and he comes out of his shell and babbles more. I think in some ways it would be therapeutic for him. Okay, back to the tonight.
What I learned tonight: don’t forget the diaper bag, did you hear do not forget the diaper bag, lollipops only keep children quiet for a couple of minutes (a couple of short minutes and then they are a sticky mess), pack jackets even when you do not think you need them? Do not promise your children ice cream because you do not know how cold it will be when you are done; make sure you know where your meeting is at. And finally go with the flow, be patient and most importantly smile and know that the babies you are worried about making noise will be grown before you know it. I have got to stop worrying about rather other people are looking at my blessings or worrying rather they are bothering other people.
So tell me how do you handle having your blessings in public? What do you expect of them? I have not had anyone complain about our children and actually hear lots of compliments but I always worry. It drives my husband batty.
Pamela

It is Monday

What a week, what a wonderful week. I think I have pulled myself from the darkness. I did not like being in that place. I know why I was there and have to work on it.
I have been on my game this week. I have so been on my game that I had to:
Return a water bottle to the pet store because it was leaking. Not a big deal right. It is not unless the sales clerk told you that you were not feeling the water bottle up (I will say it took him twice to figure it out). I will not say that it took three water bottles to figure out that we were doing it wrong.
This week we started our envelope system for Dave Ramsey and I was determined to stick to it. That was until I went through the DEBIT/CREDIT line only at Sam’s and then refused to go in and pay cash at the gas station with 6 kids.
I am so on my game that when cleaning up my livingroom this morning I found a baby spoon from a friend that was at my house last week.
I am so together that this week I finally took my on line training for doing respite care. I just knew I would flunk and look like a fool. But guess what I made a 100%.
I am so on my game that one day last week I caught my teenager eating with a measuring spoon instead of a regular spoon because the dishwasher was not ran the night before.
I am curious are you on your game this week. Maybe more caffeine or sleep will help.
Pamela

">Miscellany Monday is a wonderful way to talk about your week.

Pray for Me Monday

JAMES 5:16
"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so
that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and
effective." (NIV) 

PSALMS 116:2
"Because He has inclined His ear to me, Therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live" (NKJV)

Welcome back to Pray For Me Mondays with Home Grown Families and Pamela from Troop Petrie.  We are so excited to start this journey together!

Basically, PFMM will work like this:

• Pamela and I will write a post about relevant topics


• we'll post it on our blogs


• we'll pray for you and, hopefully, others will too

Tiffany Says:



This week has definitely been better than last week for us!  I have gotten a few answers I have been waiting for and things seem a bit calmer~ for the moment at least! 





Emotionally, I am a mess!  (See yesterdays post Things a Christian should never say)  Things are so hard for me to deal with emotionally right now!  I feel like that is where most of my problems stem from recently~ my inability to regulate my feelings.  Being a single mom, and always alone, is a dark place to be sometimes.  It is very easy to let your thoughts run away with themselves and then end up a crying mess over something that isn't even the reality of a situation.

Please pray for me and all single Mothers this week.
Please pray for Pam~ her husband is going to be gone all week. Pray that he is safe in the field and that training goes well. Please pray for the children as their father will be gone.

Last week, Pam and I asked for people interested in guest blogging for Pray For Me Mondays to contact us at PrayForMeMondays {at} yahoo.  We would love to have posts about anything related to praying!  Praying for friends, family, ex's, children, churches, etc.  How you pray, your prayer system, your prayer outlines, etc.  Really.  Anything prayer related!

If you have a private prayer request please feel free to send it to PrayForMeMondays {at} yahoo {dot} com.



{We will not share your prayer request with anyone.  We will not mention you by name.  We will not reveal specific details.  We may mention your issue like "pray for a husband to be saved~ request via e-mail" unless otherwise requested.}

Love

Love in our house is spelled W-R-E-S-T-L-E, these two crack me up. They would wrestle all day every day if I let them. So I choose when it is raining or yucky outside so they can get some energy burned off. I cannot tell you how close these too are.





Pamela

Fill in the blank Friday

1. I want __to be a better wife, I struggle daily and my hero deserves so much more than I give him_______________ .
2. I have _a amazing husband who loves me even when I do not know how to love myself. ________________ .
3. I wish _my friends who have not accepted Christ would know how much better there life would be if they knew Christ. ________________ .
4. I hope _my hero comes home for the weekend. I have missed him and need a hug________________ .
5. I wonder _if they will ever come up with a fix for my eye issue so I will be able to see properly.________________ .

This was a fun link up, if you would like to join in head over to wife of a sailor.
Pamela

Feeling Beachie

This week’s statements:
1. I am afraid of__driving in snow or ice. I am honestly afraid to drive in any weather. __
2. My _livingroom__ is my favorite room of my house; it is the only room that has any real decorations. And honestly it does not have a lot of decorating.
3. The last time I _rode a zip line____ I couldn’t _hold my own body weight and landed on my bottom with little rocks all over my knees and arms_____.
4. I got my first __house on my own___ when I was _18 years old__

Pamela

5 Question Friday

1. Where do you escape to when you've had enough? On my front porch. I have a rocking chair and lots of trees in the front yard. I can hear the birds and watch the squirrels play. I love to set out there, especially if it is raining.

2. What shows are you watching this fall? Nothing, it seems weird but really nothing. Oh wait, that is a lie. I am watching sister wives and 19 kids and counting.

3. What was the longest road trip you've ever taken and where did you go? From WV to MD, it was the first time I move out from my mother’s home. It was about 12 hours from home. So not terrible.

4. Do you plan on taking your kids to Disney World? Nope, we did it a few years ago and it was fun but it would be years before I would spend that kind of money again. Worth it when we went but too much money right now for something half the kids will not remember.

5. What is something people would surprised to know about you? That is high school I was anorexic and weighed less than half of what I weigh right now.
Pamela

Caramel Apple Cake

I am so excited for this weeks challenge. We were told to use apples and caramel. A couple of days later I saw a recipe for Caramel Apple Cupcakes. I am so excited to show you this recipe. I am not so excited to tell you that my husband was not home and I had to peel the apples myself. I am so spoiled. The reason I need him is because I always do something silly like spray the apple juice in my eye.
Ingredients:

• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 3 medium apples ( granny smith) peeled & shredded
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 11 ounce bag of caramel bits
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix cake mix according to directions on box. Then add the apples, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Bake according to box. I did realize this needed about 10 minutes longer to cook than the box said. Check it to see how your oven cooks it. Pull out of oven and let stand.
Pour the caramel bits and heavy cream and vanilla in a saucepan over low heat and melt together. Make sure you are constantly stirring. As soon as it is melted together pour over cake. Let stand about ten minutes before serving.
This is not my recipe. I found it on Mrs. Happy Homemaker. She made it into cupcakes. Please stop by and tell her I sent you. Her pictures look amazing and I am hoping to make them into cupcakes soon.
Pamela
Pamela

A smack in the face

Have you ever been smacked in the face? This morning during my quiet time I was reading about pride and over and over I felt like I was being smacked in the face and being told to wake up.
I have an amazing son. A son I enjoy being around and guess what he is a teenager. If there was one character about him I would change it would be that he very often talks negatively. You may not even notice it if you were around him but it seems like it is constantly in my face. Constantly reminding someone of their faults or how they could do better. Or if a sister would say I want to be a singer when I grow up he reminds them of how many singers turn out worldly or how her voice is not good enough. He has also started back talking. I know that part of it is just being his age and feeling like he wants to be more involved and so I do try to take into account. Michael loves to watch super nanny, he has for many years. The other night he went to bed and it was left on in the living room. So my hero and I stayed up watching it for 2 more hours. The show we watched gave us a great idea. This family set a chart up and said they would give each child a certain amount of money weekly if they did not curse. So our thought was we would do the same. Michael does not curse. But every time he back talked or said something negative then he would mark off a quarter. Since we do not pay our children for daily chores this would be a great way to help him earn money. It is really about re training him to think before he speaks.
So back to this morning. I was having my quiet time, reading about pride and humbling ourselves. My first smack was, I need to not only encourage him to re train his brain but that every time he marks off a quarter to take a moment and pray for help to stop before speaking and to think about how his words are affecting others.
Today I read about humbling yourself and asking for help and repenting of the things you are struggling with day after day. It made me think about how I will ask for help with one situation and receive it and then I get prideful about handling it on my own. So I forget to ask for help.
Then the big smack happened. I was so caught up in having my eyes opened about my son that I was not listening. I realized that this morning’s quiet time was not about my son. It was about me and how I speak to everyone. Am I looking for the good in every situation? Am I encouraging my children when they tell me about their goals and dreams? Am I speaking with a sweet spirit? Or am I harsh and to the point? Am I in too big of a hurry to hear what they need to talk about or what they want to talk about?
Father, today I ask you to tap me on the shoulder and point out how I am not being humble when it comes to my thoughts. Thank you so much for opening my eyes. Thank you for being there for me and giving me your word to teach me and encourage me.
Pamela

Happy Birthday Grace

Have you ever wanted something more than tell people. I have. I use to joke that I wanted a long visit to a hospital. You know someone to deliver food to your bedside. Time to read a book, watch all the latest movies. Yeah, guess what that is not what a hospital stay is really like. After the first week of laying flat on your back you have no brain. You do not even remember to write down who visited.
Six years, five weeks ago I was lying in bed trying to take a nap when my water broke. I instantly went to the hospital. They then told me my water had not broken but that I was urinating on myself. My response was ARE YOU KIDDING ME? A couple of hours later I was sent home and told to use depends and if it last more than a few days the doctor could put me on medicine. So I went home and sat on my couch with my legs crossed tightly because every time I moved I leaked fluid.


On Monday I went to the doctor. The doctor who got a phone call on Saturday night about me. He was told my tests were negative and I was okay. He took one look at me and said yes your water broke. I was admitted that night. I had no clue what I was in for. I was 26 weeks pregnant with three other kids at home.
Day after day I laid in that bed. I did not read books, I did not scrapbook. I just laid in bed. My brain was in a fog. That is what happens when you do nothing but lay around. My doctor came every day to check on me. He was amazing. He would tell me to continue to pray.
At 31 weeks there was no turning back and my precious baby girl entered the world. I did not hear a cry or even see her before they rushed her to the NICU. Later that afternoon my hero wheeled me down to see her. It seemed so weird that I was able to stand up for more than a few seconds.
I remember the first time I saw her. She was so tiny. They had put a little bow in her hair. Did you know K Y jelly dries hard like glue and is perfect for getting little hair bows to stick to a bald head? She was breathing on her own and doing well. She weighed 2 pounds 12 ounces. It was hard to not hold her or touch her.
That was one of the best days of my life. My precious baby girl Grace was born. She honestly is just as special to me today. Today she is a fun loving little girl. She loves to snuggle. She loves to play outside.
Today I say happy Birthday to my baby girl!
Pamela

Homemade Baby Wipes

I have seen this on many blogs and thought there was NO way it could be that easy. My husband enjoyed this one because he pulled out the electric knife to cut the paper towels in half.

1. Buy good bounty towels, have someone cut them in half.
2. heat 2.5 cups water, not boiling just hot
3. add 2 Tablespoons baby shampoo to water
4. Add 2 Tablespoons baby oil to water
5. Add a couple of drops of tea tree oil if you are worried about mildew.
6. Pour water mixture over paper towels and turn paper towels upside down (obviously in a air tight container)
7. Pull the inner cardboard tube out.
8. Use baby wipes by pulling from the inside first.
I did read that you should not expose to heat or sunlight. That you should keep it in a air tight container. I am so excited to try these out. They feel amazing and smell wonderful. Not that I want to change a dirty diaper but I am anxious to try them out.
If you enjoy this recipe you may enjoy my homemade laundry soap recipe or my dishwasher soap recipe.
Pamela

Monday

I hope no one minds that I combine Not me Monday and Miscellany Monday. In my mind they go together.
1. This week we did not find the smell that had been there for weeks in my sons’ room. And it was not a bag from camp with wet clothes in it from a month ago.
2. I am not the parent who checks under her children’s beds and in their closets when they are told to clean there room. I am also not known to pull anything out of places it does not belong and leave it in the middle of the Childs floor.
3. It was also not my son who woke up and found no clean spoons in the drawer so instead of opening the dishwasher used a measuring spoon.
4. I did not lie to my friend for 3 days about her husband coming home.
5. Did you know that twice in the last month we have gotten free Domino’s pizzas? They make this offer on there facebook page for a free artisan pizza. So twice I have ordered one under my page and one under my husbands. I did not however make my husband go out at 9pm one night to pick them up.
6. My beautiful baby girl turns 6 this week. She has actually grown a few inches. She is still skinny as a rail and her ribs look scary to me. Why do all six of my children need clothes in the same month. We are on a tight budget right now so it was not me that trusted my 6 year old when she said the pants she was trying on in the fitting room fit her. It was not me who almost cried when we got them home and they were too short. I mean big time too short. UGGG anyone have some size 5 pants that are long they want to send my way.
7. I do have a question, why are clothes not made to fit my daughter exactly? She needs a size 4 waist and a size 6 length please. Oh and dresses she needs a size 7 for length and size 4 waist. I am sorry my little girl is not wearing a dress that shows her little bottom as cute as it is.
8. Are you someone who is late or on time? I am always on time. Actually it is normally me setting in the parking lot with the kids waiting so I do not arrive too early to something. So it was not me who was late to AWANA last week because I stopped to buy allergy medicine. It was also not an AWANA leader who made a comment about me always being late. WHAT???????? Do you know me?
9. Do you have a list a mile long of things you just need to get done? I have a 9 hour training to do on line and never find the time to do it. This training would make it possible for me to get paid for doing something I already do for free. So it is not me who is in my room typing this out instead of taking the training like I should be.
10. Okay, honestly it is not my fault that I cannot do the training because I have to have one more authorization I was not aware of. I cannot get it because it is a holiday. Can I say UGGGGGGG any louder?
Pamela
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