ER Adventures

If you've ever had an asthma attack, and the treatment/puff doesn't work, you know how I felt. It was Friday, and I was sitting on the edge of our couch in the living room. My lungs felt tight, my tummy hurt, I had pains around my ribs and I could barely talk. It was around 6:00, so the doctor's office wasn't open. I asked dad if maybe I could get to the Emergency Room soon. He looked at me, and I must have looked pretty bad because he got up and immediately went to talk with Mom to arrange it.



About a half hour later I was laying down on the bed in one of the little emergency rooms. A few nurses came in and started checking my "stats". Thankfully, oxygen level was 100%. I've had it at 60 before! The doctor (who I noticed was wearing mountain boots :) practically jumped in, listened to my lungs and told me the respiratory therapist was coming to give me a treatment, then jumped back out. We waited for a bit (I have to admit, much to my discomfort) and then the guy-who-keeps-people-breathing (who we later found out was a Christian) came in and started my treatment for me. About 10 minutes later it was done, and let me tell you, I felt much, much better!

After waiting around some more, and having more nurses come in to "listen to me" (I think I probably had those cold stethoscopes on my back ten times!), the doctor came in. Pretty much, he said that I sounded fine in the lungs so I wouldn't need to be x-rayed to see if I had pneumonia. For the breathing problems, he prescribed me some Prednisone, which has been helping. Then, he told us we could be leaving pretty soon, and left. By then I was feeling like I needed another treatment, so when a nurse came in to have Mom sign the discharge papers, I told her and she called back the respiratory therapist. About five to ten minutes later he came in to the room and started me one. Again, by the time I was finished I felt a lot better! Since it usually takes a while to get a prescription filled at the hospital, Mom took the prescription down to the pharmacy while we were waiting for a nurse to come in and let us out.

A few minutes later, Mom was back, and so was the nurse. We went downstairs to get our prescription, and, Praise the Lord, it was ready and waiting, and we were out of the hospital by 9:45!

I've been feeling much better today, and am only needing to take treatments every four hours like I'm supposed to. Since I'm taking the Prednisone, I should just get better from here. Sometime early next week I'll go to the doctor to make sure, then if everything is fine the ordeal should be over with!

Your Getting Better Sickie Friend,

Thanks, Miss Hannah!

Thanks to Miss Hannah, I've been awarded a bloggy award! I have just recently "met" Hannah in cyberspace sometime this month, and have greatly enjoyed her blog. She is such a loving, caring, godly and not to mention sweet girl who enjoys many of the same things I do.

I'll only be awarding one person today, and that will be another Hannah who blogs at Striving to Glorify the Lord. I have just recently "met" her too, and enjoy reading her blog. Lately she has been writing some very good thought-provoking posts - the kind that is one of my favorites to read!

Thanks again, Hannah, for awarding me! I appreciate your thoughtfulness.

“These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.”

Quilting Class

Remember the quilting class I mentioned on Monday? Well, Mother Dear and I went last night, and learned a good amount of ways to make quilt blocks. For Hanukkah I received this class, as well as some Dick and Jane material for a quilt I'd been eyeing. I can't wait to start! I learned how to make the quilt blocks I'll be using for this quilt at the class, so I'm pretty set to go. I'll keep you all updated on how it's coming as soon as I sew my first block!

APH Winter Bundle - Week 5

Miss Jocelyn is giving away another package of lovely things! You want to know what I'm hoping to win? The A Pondering Heart Boutique Graphics! My dad has recently downloaded Paint.net onto our computer, so I could really make my own, but I really like what Miss Jocelyn designs. And since she has so much experience, she most likely could do a much better job than me! This week's prizes are as following...

Andrea Carter and the Family Secret

Pride & Prejudice 10th Anniversary DVD set

APH Boutique Graphics

Custom Design to HOFLD

So sorry I haven't followed through on posting them every Tuesday, but this week I've just not been feeling well. I've got a pretty bad cold, and since I have asthma and get pneumonia easily while having a cold, I've had to keep up on breathing treatments to keep my breathing normal, and to hopefully keep that pneumonia out. Hopefully I'll be fine, and be better by next week!

Your Sickie Friend,

Government Parenting in Sweden

"There’s an old saying that once you reach the top, you can only go down.

For the nation of Sweden, however, reaching the top was only the beginning.

Sweden has long been regarded as a model nation, whose policies and laws are at the cutting-edge of international thinking on children’s rights. Sweden was the first nation to completely ban corporal punishment, the first to make sex education a mandatory feature of its educational curriculum, and the first to offer working parents free child-care for all children between the ages of 1 and 12. Thus, it should come as no surprise that on June 29, 1990, Sweden became the ninth nation in the world - and the first industrialized Western country - to ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child." Read the rest of the article here.

Wow. I just read the article on Sweden that Mother Dear linked to, and am aghast at the amount of government control over children...and parents. From what I've read, apparently parents have pretty much zero control over their children. The kids run the show. No spanking, time outs, nothing. Reminds you of the screaming kids and negotiating parents in the grocery store, doesn't it?

And then, there is the sex education. It is a mandatory subject that has to be taught to all children being schooled. So, does that mean it would be taught to kindergartners?? Now, obviously it would be toned down some, but still.

What's wrong with free child-care you ask? Well, lets take a look and see. When you drop your child off at day care or preschool, what are you doing? You are abdicating your parental role for the time being. The Bible says that parents are supposed to train up a child, not some government-educated day care teacher. And besides, how do you know what that teacher - and the other "students" - is teaching your child? You don't. Not until your child has already learned it, that is. So, free child-care is wrong because it is encouraging mothers to forfeit their God-given duty. Period.

Would you like to know the saddest thing about all of this? Children are unmistakeably being brought up lacking discipline, loosing their innocence much earlier than they should and are being taught by their peers and a government-educated person from the very beginning.

You know, I wish I could say that I am happy to be living in the United States for the freedom we have, but chances are things are going to get worse. The good news is that God has commanded us to parent our children, and He will provide the way. All we have to do is trust in Him.

A Young Maiden's Daybook - Week 3

Interested in participating? Sign up at Miss Alexandra's blog!



Today…
January 126th, 2009



Outside my window…
there are black skies, Active Boy's helmet on the porch.


I am thinking…
about what I'd like to do this evening. I think I'll be getting into bed early. I don't feel too great!


I am thankful for…
ice cream. I woke up with a sore throat this morning, and a couple scoops of Peanut Butter Perfection was soothing!

I am wearing…
a purple turtleneck, black broomstick skirt and my cozy cozy navy blue slippers.



I am reading…
Numbers, Psalms and The Star Fisher by Laurence Yep. A great book about a Chinese-American family trying to start a new business and new life in a small, narrow-minded town.


I am creating…
still, an embroidered pillowcase for my hope chest.



One of my favorite things…
seeing a letter just for me in the mail-box, waiting to be opened.



For education this week...
well, many things, but my most favorite - a quilting class coming up this Wednesday! I'm really excited. :)



A keeper at home skill I am using/learning…
embroidery. Those French Knots are giving me a bad time!



A spiritual lesson I’m learning…
submission.



A godly character trait I plan to work on...
patience.



Scripture I am memorizing…
John 15: 11-12


I am praying for…

my future husband.


For the rest of the week…

I'll be doing school, one or two aerobics classes at the gym (Mother Dear and I are going as guests!), the quilting class and a Nutrition/Exercise unit for preschool.


A picture I’d like to share… Sissy-Sissy-Sue-Sue all dressed up!





Enjoy your week!

Before and After

For the past few days, I have been working on finishing up a project that has long been sitting in our sunroom, waiting to be finished. We've had the kiddie sized picnic table for a while now, and it badly needed a sanding and new coat of paint. So, Active Boy stripped the paint off, sanded it and primed the picnic table. Then, I, with all my knowledge of painting things (I had actually never painted anything in my life - except paper - before this) came in and gave it a color coat. Now, teal is not my most favorite color in the world, but it was either that or sea-foam green, or the two colors of our living room: dark rose or light, soft tan (isn't it nice to go shopping in the basement?)

All in all, I think the table turned out pretty good! It will be nice to have on the deck this summer, so the kidlets can dine outdoors. :)


Ok, ok. So I don't have a before picture. BUT you might! Do you have any projects you've done recently that you'd like to share? I'd love to see them! Just sign yourself up on the Mister Linky here, making sure you link to your Before and After post (not your blog homepage).



Love,

Baked Mediterranean Tilapia With Flavored Rice

Last night I made this great fish recipe with the rice to go with it! Even though I usually hate fish, the tilapia wasn't so bad. Tonight we're having the rice in a casserole pan, with the leftover fish on top, sprinkled with cheese, so this is a good two-night dinner, depending on how many people are in your family!


Baked Mediterranean Tilapia

8 Tilapia loins
2 Large or 4 medium onions
4 Medium tomatoes
8 Tbs. Fresh chopped basil, or 4 Tbs. dry basil
16 Cloves garlic
8 Tbs. Olive oil
24 Olives


1. Defrost tilapia loins in the fridge a day or two before you start dinner.

2. Slice and chop all your vegetables. Slice tomatoes and onions 1/4" thick. Chop olives , basil and
garlic.

3. Preheat oven to 375 F. Heat olive oil in sauce pan over medium heat. Saute onions, 2-3 minutes on each side or until onions are translucent.


4. Place loins over onion slices. Sprinkle olives, garlic and basil over fish. Place tomato slices on
top. Salt and Pepper to taste.

5. Place pan with fish in the center of oven, uncovered, for 12-15 minutes, or until fish is opaque. Serve.



Flavored Rice

2 cups uncooked rice
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
2 tsp. garlic powder


Bring 4 cups of water to boil (add an extra cup of water for brown rice). Add rice, soup mix and seasoning. Lower heat and simmer 20 minutes for white rice, and 40 minutes for brown. Serve.


To make Vegetable Rice, substitute an envelope of vegetable soup mix.

To make Spanish Rice, substitute 1/2 cup taco seasoning for envelope of onion soup.

Enjoy your meal!

More Prizes to Win!!

It is the fourth week of Miss Jocelyn's Winter Bundle Giveaway! Here are this weeks' prizes:

Bundled In Prayer Shawl
The Art of Soap-Making DVD
TDP Custom Site Design
Sense & Sensibility Epattern
Winter White & Rosewood Baby Sweater

If you would like to win any of these exciting things, enter by clicking on it! To find out more ways to enter, go here.

A Young Maiden's Daybook - Week 2

Today…

January 19th, 2009

Outside my window…

cloudy, gray skies

I am thinking…

that I'd better hurry up and post this so I can go make some quiche for dinner and pop it in the fridge, so that I can do an extra-long Kathy Smith aerobic video with Mom and still have dinner on the table at 5:45 (the time Dad comes home for his lunch break)!

I am thankful for…

completed school work. Even though I started school late today, I got it all done!

I am wearing…

a pink turtle neck sweater and my favorite jean skirt

I am reading…

Leviticus, Psalms and I just finished Frozen Summer by Mary Jane Auch.

I am creating…

still, an embroidered pillowcase for my hope chest.

One of my favorite things…

playing Yahtzee.

For education this week...

the usual.

A keeper at home skill I am using/learning…

cleaning. The homeschool room was a big mess today from not keeping it picked up over the weekend!

A spiritual lesson I’m learning…

submission.

A godly character trait I plan to work on...

meekness.

Scripture I am memorizing…

John 15: 11-12

I am praying for…
a good friend who has just found out she is pregnant to have a problem-less pregnancy and birth.

For the rest of the week…
letter writing, a playdate on Wednesday, hopefully a sewing class on Wednesday (haven't heard from the craft store if it is going to happen or not).

A picture I’d like to share… the pillowcase I'm working on:

Have a blessed week!

**Oops! I just realized I didn't link to Miss Alexandra's blog!
Go here to sign up for today's daybook.**

Today's Dinner Episode

Lil' Active Boy: "Why do we have peas and green beans in our soup? They both match."

*Everyone smiles*

Dad: "They're both green, aren't they?"

Lil' Active Boy: "Yeah. Army Guys are green too."

Dad: "Does that mean your peas and green beans are army peas and green beans?"

Lil' Active Boy: Looks down at the floating contents in his soup. "Uh, yeah."

A Great Giveaway

Over at A Pondering Heart, Miss Jocelyn is having her second annual "Winter Bundle". She's giving away lots of great stuff each week, and I can't wait to see if I win something! Here are all this week's prizes:

The Play Book

Chickiva Handbag

Flakey Friends

Heart Of Wisdom Teaching Approach

Let It Snow? What Is Snow?

Click on each thing to enter to win it. Have fun! I'll be posting each week, keeping you updated on the week's exciting gifts, and to remind you to enter in the giveaway yourseves. :)

Have fun!

Preschool Activity - Bird Treats

Get ready...

1. Take all your little preschoolers outside and gather up some big pine cones.

Get set...

2. Come inside, and tie string to the top of each pine cone. Pour some bird seed into a jelly roll pan, and place pine cones and birdseed on the table. Put out a small cup of peanut butter for each child, as well as a butter knife to spread it with.

Go for it!

3. Have the kids (feel free to do it too - this project is even fun for big people :) coat a layer of peanut butter on their pine cone, then sprinkle heavily with bird seed. Repeat, repeat and repeat until your pine cones run out!

4. Hang the bird treats on some tree branches by a window, preferably one your preschoolers can easily see out of. Wait for the birds to find them, then watch them (and your preschoolers) enjoy your fun and tasty preschool project!

Homemade "Superman" Capes

Remember how I told you about the gifts for Hanukkah I was giving? Well, here they are!



These cape costumes were a hit! All the children loved them, and still do. I learned a lot by sewing the "outfits", since I was still a bit unsteady at my sewing skills (not that I'm anywhere near perfect now!), and can't wait to start another project.

On the day after Halloween, my mom and I shopped the sale-throwing fabric stores, and that's when I found all this sparkly material...and came up with the idea to sew capes for gifts. I didn't exactly know how I was going to make them, but estimated how much material I would need for each child's cape, and went ahead and bought it.

It wasn't until December I started, as I had no clue how to make a cape, but once I did everything went fine. As you can see, I made head and wrist bands to go with the capes, and sewed metallic ric-rac on the cape and head piece to make it more costume-like.

Here are a few more photos snapped of my siblings in their garb:

Have a blessed day!

A Young Maiden's Daybook - My First Entry

Today…

the evening of January 12, 2009

Outside my window…

I see the lights of cars going down our street.

I am thinking…

that this is a fun meme!

I am thankful for…

rest.

I am wearing…

a jean skirt, pink shirt and blue hoodie.

I am reading…

Leviticus, Psalms and Step to the Stars by Lester Del Rey (a great sci-fi book!)

I am creating…

an embroidered pillowcase

One of my favorite things…

reading.

For education this week…

I'm a kind of dreading math. It's not one of my strongest subjects!

A keeper at home skill I am using/learning...

knitting.

A spiritual lesson I’m learning...

cheerfulness.

A godly character trait I plan to work on…

doing tasks because I love the one I'm doing them for, not because I have to.

Scripture I am memorizing…

Isaiah 64:8 "But now, O Lord, Thou art our father; we are the clay, and Thou our potter; we are the work of Thy hand."

I am praying for…

my Great Great Aunt Ruth who is very sick with cancer.

For the rest of the week…

I am hoping to get better from my cold, will buy a gift for a friend and take it to the post office so it can get to her in time for her birthday and am using "Our Senses" as my theme for preschool time.

A picture I'd like to share...

In a fierce game of Monopoly, my Uncle Rusty was down to ten dollars and a mortgaged property. But, what do you know, in the he landed on the biggest Free Parking jackpot known in the history of our family.

Would you like to participate in A Young Maiden's Daybook? Sign up at Ally's blog, Firmly Fixed on the Father.

Is it ok to Have a Crush?

How many times have you asked yourself that question? To be honest, until recently I have never thought about if it was necessarily "wrong" or "right". For the past few days I have been seriously thinking about what my opinions are on the topic, due to a question a friend recently asked me: "Is it ok to think a guy is cute?"


Here's what Vanessa says over at Maiden of Purity in her post about crushes...

"Now, there are many definitions to this word, but the one which fits best to
what I'm looking for is, "temporary love of an adolescent." Temporary means,
"lasting, existing, serving, or effective for a time only; not permanent." Does
that already explain a lot to you? This is what I'm getting from it. Why start a
crush, when they are ALL practically just temporary."

Exactly. Why have a crush when it's going to end anyway, probably with regrets and maybe even some hurt feelings? We should save our affection for our future husbands, who will greatly appreciate it. Our affection will be so much more precious to give after saving it for him, just as a present would be so much nicer to give if we didn't give away any pieces before presenting it to the intended person.

"Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you by the gazelles and by the does of the field: Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires." Song of Solomon 3:5

While thinking someone is cute and having a crush are very different things, I believe that "thinking a guy is cute" can very easily develop into a mild crush. Especially for girls. Just like guys struggle with looking inappropriately at ladies, girls struggle in having inappropriate thoughts about boys. Since God has designed us ladies to easily get infatuated with a guy (something that is intended for, and should be saved, for our husbands), we really need to guard our heart...as well as our minds.

"Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." Proverbs 4:23

Having a crush all starts in our mind. It's not about "love at first sight" or "we instantly bonded", it's about what we have allowed ourselves to think about.

Whenever I find myself thinking about a guy, whether inappropriately or appropriately, I ask myself, "Would I want my future husband thinking about another girl in this way?" That always helps me easily catch any inappropriate thoughts that are infiltrating into a place I would much rather be using to glorify God, not disappoint or sadden Him.


"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things [are] honest, whatsoever things [are] just, whatsoever things [are] pure, whatsoever things [are] lovely, whatsoever things [are] of good report; if [there be] any virtue, and if [there be] any praise, think on these things." Philippians 4:8


Another way I keep my thoughts pure is by frequently praying for my future husband. Not when I'm struggling with temptation, as that could lead to more impure thoughts (i.e.: "Please bless my future husband ~hmm...I wonder if Fred is the one?~ while he is going about his day today ~he's probably going to church...I bet he'll look good all dressed up...~), but while I'm doing every day things, or while already praying. My favorite time to pray for him is at night when I'm in bed. I like to take a few minutes to specifically ask God to help him grow in certain areas, such as knowing the Bible or having a good work ethic, and to bless him the next day, making it a good day for him and helping him to guard his heart, mind and eyes...something that I hope he is praying for me too!

We've also got to think about the younger girls who are watching us. When you were nine or ten, I'm sure any girl you knew who was thirteen or older, you wanted to copy her every move exactly. If she had a purple bedroom, you wanted a purple bedroom. If she liked white hot chocolate, suddenly your favorite drink was white hot chocolate. And, chances are, if she had any boyfriends or crushes, you wanted to have them too.


So, if you are in that "thirteen and older position", use it for good. Keep conversations with younger ladies positive, and don't bring up the "he likes me, I like him" topic all together. We want to encourage, not hinder.


"Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity." 1 Timothy 4:12


One other thing Maiden of Purity said in her post was to pray Psalm 51 when you find yourself struggling with impure thoughts. I like that a lot! Psalm 51 was the psalm David composed after realizing he was wrong in committing adultery with Bathsheba. While having a crush and thinking about a boy in an impure way isn't exactly committing adultery, it certainly can be connected if you thought of it as sort of committing adultery using your emotions, instead of your body. Something to think about!

In closing, I would like to encourage you to guard your heart against having any "crushes". Also, keep guard and fight against any thoughts that could lead to them. Once you're married you can think "mushy" thoughts about your husband as much as you want to...so save them till then!

What about you? How do you guard and fight against impure thoughts about boys? I would love to hear them. Or, maybe you have a different opinion on this topic. I'd like to hear that too.

Blessings!

WANTED: Advice From You

For the past couple of years I have enjoyed getting the American Girl magazine. Sadly, I recently noticed it doesn't seem as interesting and exciting as it used to be when I was younger. Also, sadly Disney has taken over American Girl, so it is slowly getting that "magical" touch...something that is a little too "Disneyfied" for me.

Does anyone know of any good, wholesome magazines put out for young ladies? There's got to be some out there somewhere, although I have never seen any before. I really enjoy getting magazines in the mail (Above Rubies and Better Homes and Gardens are some of my favorites!), and getting one specifically for young ladies would be a great encouragement. Thanks for the help!

Ever grateful,

Fresh Thoughts Challenge

My mom, over at Fresh Thoughts From the Laundry Room, is hosting a 30 day challenge. Basically, she challenges everyone to take 30 days to do a little cleaning up of their lives. Like she mentions in her post, these 30 days will pass whether we are doing something to improve our lives or not. So I thought, "Hey, why not give it a try? It certainly wouldn't hurt!"

After much pondering, I've decided that for the next 30 days I would like to be in bed, with the lights off, by 10 PM. For the past few weeks I've been going to bed at very irregular times, resulting in crankiness in more evenings than I'd like, and tiredness from just not going to bed at a steady time, and getting up at 7 AM regardless. Not to mention, I've noticed I don't look too good with dark bags under my eyes.

There will be one exception, however. Since Saturday morning is my sleep in morning (Shabbat Shalom!), I would like to have Friday night as a time to stay up without a set bedtime. However, I will try to use that unset bedtime in moderation!

What about you? Do you have any New Year's resolutions that haven't been put into gear, or something you know that you really should be doing...but just haven't gotten around to consistently doing it yet? If so (and I know everyone has something), I'd like to encourage you to commit to doing it for at least 30 days. Join me in the Fresh Thoughts Challenge 2009!

*Update: Mom is now having a giveaway for all who sign up for her challenge. On January 18th she will randomly choose a name to win a large stack of magazines focused on dieting, exercising and meeting dietary goals. I have personally poured over these magazines for hours and have enjoyed the tips, all though I am not dieting. Here's another reason to do a little life pickup!*

Hyper-Blogging

Well...I'm back! Right after I posted about Hanukkah (I think it was even that same day), our computer shut down. But, Praise the Lord, after much contemplation and research by my parents, we all went down to Wal-Mart today and bought a new computer.

Everything seems so high-tech! Our huge, flat monitor makes me think of a TV screen, and I can't believe how small the computer is! When my Dad was setting up everything, I asked him what that box was on the desk, and I was so surprised when he told me it was the computer. Our old one was much, much bigger and sat on the floor.

I'm so used to everything being so sloooow (it was so slow that we had a little pile of books on the desk to read while we were waiting for the computer to change pages) that now it's almost a surprise when I click, and the computer instantly does exactly what I want it to do. I love it!

You want to know another thing I like about this computer? Pictures download in seconds! Literally! Our old computer was so bogged down that it would shut off whenever we tried to upload pictures from our camera. With this computer it's no big deal. We had 200 something pictures on our camera, and still they were almost instantly ready to use. Look - I just got my picture taken, and here it is! See how fast that was?

As you've probably guessed, I haven't used a "high-tech" computer in a while. All our computers we've gotten have been older (used), never new, so this is like heaven! Just thought you might enjoy sharing in the excitement. :)

I'm exited to be back in the bloggy world, so you'll be hearing much more from me in the next few days. Stay tuned!