Twelve Days of Christmas

Have you ever wondered about the meaning of the Twelve Days of Christmas?

I received this email and thought I'd share...

From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.

-The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.

-Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.

-Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.

-The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.

-The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.

-The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.

-Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit--Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.

-The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.

-Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit-- Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.

-The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.

-The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.

-The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.

So there is your history for today.

Mammogram Results

Sorry I have been AWOL for so long but I am working six days a week now. I did want to update my "readers" on my "Survivor" status. In January, I will be celebrating my ten year Cancerversary!! However, I went in for my yearly mammogram (the first time I made it to a year between them) last week. Unfortunately they found a lump in the other breast (actually arm pit). It appears from the ultrasound they performed to be an enlarged, abnormally shaped lymphnode. I have to get all of my films and try to get into another "pro-rated/(oh dear GOD I hope free)" program in Houston and have another ultrasound in eleven weeks.

The good news is there was no biopsy ordered last week! :o) Right?? AND the mammogram AND ultrasound I had last week were F-R-E-E!!!!! Love that! It is hard to find these programs but they are out there. If you had cancer before and cannot get health insurance (like me) call the American Cancer Society, get the local chapter phone number and call them! Do not give up until they have gotten an answer for you. Continued screening is a necessity. I discovered this program when I was talking to another SURVIVOR at the Relay for Life in 2009.

Please do keep us in your prayers though. Life is nuts for this working mom of 6. I would not have it any other way though!

Soap Scum Remover Tip

To get soap scum and dirt off your tub or shower, put a little baby oil in a spray bottle and mix with water (1 part baby oil to 4 parts water). Spray mixture on a section and wipe off with a sponge. When you're done, spray with a disinfectant cleaner to make sure all germs are killed.

I found it here: Momof9's Place

We went Rednecking today

Garden Bounty

So the four oldest kids have been gone for a week now. I am not cooking as much as usual and all the stuff going on at the house has had me neglecting the garden.  It seems to be doing pretty good all by itself, huh?  Those zucchini are GARGANUOUS!!!!  I am thinking about trying some zucchini salsa recipes.

Vicksburg National Military Park

Vicksburg National Military Park in Vicksburg, Mississippi, was established in 1899 to commemorate the battle of Vicksburg and protect the ground upon which it was fought.  The main part of the park runs along the boundaries of the city of Vicksburg and includes the majority of the original battlefield.

Kevin and I toured the park the day after we dropped off the kids to their dad.  It was very interesting. (Extremely HOT and HUMID, but interesting.)  Here's some photos of our whirlwind tour!  We are hoping to take all six of the kids there when we pick the oldest four up.

Giggles

Okay I know this is an odd post but who cares!

I used the facilities at the Vicksburg National Military Park

and this was just too cute to not share!  

What a clever name for a company!

(Just in case you can't read it -- Hiney Hiders!!!!!)

Stone Mountain

My four oldest kids are visiting their dad in Atlanta for six weeks this summer. The boys got to climb Stone mountain today!  My grandparents lived there when I was growing up and we visited often so our family and all our cousins OFTEN had races to see who could get to the top first!  I had that mountain memorized.

One of the highlights of my youth was when our church youth group took a Lynx trip to South Carolina and we stopped to climb this mountain!  FOND memories of great times and GREAT friends!  Here's a picture of our trip back then:

I am so glad my kids have had the opportunity to see this, even if I wasn't able to share it with them.  For more information of Stone Mountain visit here.

Funnel Cakes

I adore funnel cake!  Mmmm with cinnamon

Ingredients:

4 cups Flour
1/3 cup Sugar
2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Salt
2 1/2 cups Milk
3 Large Eggs
3 cups Vegetable Oil
1/2 tsp. Vanilla
Powdered Sugar to sprinkle over finished cakes

1. Heat the oil in a deep skillet until hot. 350º to 375º using a thermometer or add a drop of batter. If it bubbles up the oil is ready.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center and add the milk, vanilla, and eggs; whisk until smooth.
3. Transfer the batter to a gallon-size resealable Ziploc bag (Ziplocs have the best seal for this), remove the excess air and seal the top. Use scissors to snip off a corner to make a 1/4-inch-wide hole. Carefully squeeze 1/2 to 1 cup batter back and forth into the oil making a swirly web.  
4. Let funnel cake cook in oil for about 2 minutes or until golden brown then turn with tongs and cook about 1 minute on the other side.
5. Remove and place on paper towels to drain excess oil.
6. Sprinkle the funnel cakes with powdered sugar and serve hot.

Prayers

Lord God, you are my strength. Hold my hand in my weakness and teach my heart to fly. With you, there's nothing to fear, nothing to worry about. Hold me tight in your embrace, so that I can be stronger than the challenges in my life. Amen.

I found this at Eliza's Prayer Box.

Piggy Paint

Non-toxic, odorless, water-based, hypo-allergenic Nail Polish and Remover? Yeah, right! Okay, I will try it. My three girls will put Piggy Paint to the test. When I received this product for review my three girls went WILD! We were gifted a yellow polish and a bottle of polish remover. All three girls LOVED the polish. There was absolutely no offensive odor at all. None, nope, nada. I was very impressed. The polish lasted as long as regular polishes too.

What impressed me the most was the polish remover! No smell at all! It was awesome! And safe to boot. I usually do not remove my little ones polish I let it wear off because of the chemicals and odor of the remover. This product is truly amazing. Non-toxic, odorless, water-based, hypo-allergenic how can it be any better than that? As a cancer survivor I am cautious what products we use, I can feel very confident with this product. From a mom of six to every mom out there...this is definitely worth it.

Stop by Piggy Paint and check out all of their colors and products.

The Gift of Exhortation

Has anyone ever just said something that made you feel good, like you have a purpose and give you more of a desire to do better, try harder, be a better person? My entry yesterday, "The Art of a Compliment" really led me down a thought process. Flashing back to my "pastor's wife days" I remember the teachings of Spiritual Gifts very well. I am thinking particularly about the gift of Exhortation. Those who use this special gift seem to have a knack for saying just the right thing to encourage others to live better/be better.

Let me give you a simple definition of the gift of Exhortation: The ability to help others reach their full potential by means of encouraging, challenging, comforting, and guiding. The divine enablement to present truth so as to strengthen or urge to action those who are discouraged or wavering in their faith.

People with this gift:
- aide the weak in spirit to strengthen them
- challenge or confront others to trust and hope in the promises of God
- urge others to action by applying Biblical truth
- motivates others to grow.

In my opinion this gift is an extra special one. (I am not very good at this gift, in case you were wondering.) I had a very good friend growing up who let this gift flow through him. I always admired him greatly for it. To have the ability/knack/gift to say just the right thing to lead others to think, really think about what is truly important. WOW!

What is your gift and how do you use it? If you would like to find out more about Spiritual Gifts here are a few sites that have a very simple (not very thorough though) test you can take on-line to determine what your gift is. I cannot vouch 100% for each of these as I have not taken the test at all three of these.

Church Growth Gifts Analysis

Mintools.com

SpiritualGiftsTest.com

The Art of a Compliment

Compliments are beneficial not only to the receiver but the giver. Compliments build self-esteem, break the ice, motivate, diffuse stress, inspire, reward, comfort and validate. However, an improperly executed compliment can have negative effects.

First of all, BE SINCERE. The receiver will always know if you are genuine. If it is really a bad haircut, compliment her on her jewelry choices. This is why being specific is so important. Speak from your heart.

BE SPECIFIC. "What a pretty painting. I really like how you gave the detail here in the back. I never would have thought to do that." The more specific your are the more sincere the compliment seems.

BACK IT UP. "That blouse is beautiful. It really brings out the blue in your eyes."

UNCONDITIONAL. "This is a good meal. Except for the mushrooms." It totally turns from a compliment to a complaint.

Likewise, receiving a compliment correctly can greatly boost the givers self-esteem, or hurt it.

Simply, SAY THANK YOU. Don't try to repay a compliment with a compliment. It will seem fake.

DON'T DISQUALIFY IT. "Oh, it was nothing." "This old shirt?" These types of responses completely undo the compliment and leave the giver feeling discredited.

Ki loves her new raft

FLASHBACK

Mom, Debbie and Me (left to right) circa 1973(ish)?

Tips

I was thinking about a post and I have ideas you know. shortcuts and cheap ways of doing things to feed a family of eight and clean up after six kids and a hubs. Here's one:

Hot wet dishrags in the fridge? Yep if there is a spill of jelly, meat juicy gunk, strawberry syrup or the other sticky mysterious substance that just makes you stomach rebel against you just get a dish towel or rag wet with very hot tap water and put on the sticky spot in the fridge, freezer, oven, microwave, stovetop or freezer leave it there while you wash the dished or prepare the evenings meal and by the time you are finished the swipe and ALL DONE!

My Attorney

After living what I felt was a 'decent' life, my time on earth came to the end. The first thing I remember is sitting on a bench in the waiting room of what I thought to be a court house. The doors opened and I was instructed to come in and have a seat by the defense table. As I looked around I saw the 'prosecutor.' He was a villainous looking man who snarled as he stared at me.. He definitely was the most evil person I had ever seen. I sat down and looked to my left and there sat my Attorney, kind and gentle looking man whose appearance seemed so familiar to me, I felt I knew Him.
The corner door opened and there appeared the Judge in full flowing robes. He commanded an awesome presence as He moved across the room I couldn't take my eyes off of Him. As He took His seat behind the bench, He said, 'Let us begin.'

The prosecutor rose and said, 'My name is Satan and I am here to show you why this woman belongs in hell..' He proceeded to tell of lies that I told, things that I stole, and In the past when I cheated others Satan told of other horrible perversions that were once in my life and the more he spoke, the further down in my seat I sank.
I was so embarrassed that I couldn't look at anyone, even my own Attorney, as the Devil told of sins that even I had completely forgotten about. As upset as I was at Satan for telling all these things about me, I was equally upset at my Attorney who sat there silently not offering any form of defense at all. I know I had been guilty of those things, but I had done some good in my life - couldn't that at least equal out part of the harm I'd done? Satan finished with a fury and said, 'This woman belongs in hell, she is guilty of all that I have charged and there is not a person who can prove otherwise.'
When it was His turn, My Attorney first asked if He might approach the bench. The Judge allowed this over the strong objection of Satan, and beckoned Him to come forward. As He got up and started walking, I was able to see Him in His full splendor and majesty. I realized why He seemed so familiar; this was Jesus representing me, my Lord and my Savior.

He stopped at the bench and softly said to the Judge, 'Hi, Dad,' and then He turned to address the court. 'Satan was correct in saying that this woman had sinned, I won't deny any of these allegations. And, yes, the wage of sin is death, and this woman deserves to be punished.' Jesus took a deep breath and turned to His Father with outstretched arms and proclaimed, 'However, I died on the cross so that this person might have eternal life and she has accepted Me as her Savior, so she is Mine.'

My Lord continued with, 'Her name is written in the Book of Life, and no one can snatch her from Me. Satan still does not understand yet.. This woman is not to be given justice, but rather mercy.' As Jesus sat down, He quietly paused, looked at His Father and said, 'There is nothing else that needs to be done. I've done it all.'

The Judge lifted His mighty hand and slammed the gavel down. The following words bellowed from His lips.. 'This woman is free. The penalty for her has already been paid in full. Case dismissed.'
As my Lord led me away, I could hear Satan ranting and raving, 'I won't give up, I will win the next one.' I asked Jesus as He gave me my instructions where to go next, 'Have you ever lost a case?' Christ lovingly smiled and said, 'Everyone that has come to Me and asked Me to represent them has received the same verdict as you, ~Paid In Full~

Garit

2010 Relay For Life

My son, Garit, and I went to our Relay for Life this weekend. The other kids were at a Planetarium show with their Grandparents. Garit decided to go support me and the cause instead. Our county 2010 Relay For Life Raised $293,000 (so far). Country wide Relays raisefunds to donate time, resources, and money to a cause that not only helps to fund cancer research but also goes to help cancer patients who may not have funds for treatment of cancer. This year's theme was "Peace, Love, and Relay" as the theme took on the 1960's theme. Polk County continues to be number one giver to Relay in the nation per capita. Literally thousands showed up for the relay this year. Here are some photos we took of the festivities.  One of the teams, full of Spirit!

Excuse my appearance it was HOT, HOT, HOT and raining!

Some of the entertainment...

One of the Teams decorations...

A two time survivor I met...

Garit and I were both impressed with this ROTC groups mobile kitchen and their enthusiasm!

Judgement

We usually form our opinions of others based upon our first impression or our first conversation. We even consider ridiculous things as clothing, vehicles, wealth, home, education and physical appearance. What makes a person a person? Things? Possessions? What kind of hair day it is? Another person’s misguided opinion? Silliness really.
When I was diagnosed with cancer in 2006 I had an epiphany. There is no possible way of understanding what another person is experiencing. Why do we get so impatient with people? Haven’t you needed compassion and a little leeway before? How critical we are effects all aspects of our lives.
When that old man in the car in front of you is dazing off after the light turns green, before you blare that horn in your rush to get somewhere 30 seconds faster just contemplate... What if.... If that was my father, grandfather, uncle... what if... he recently: lost his wife, was diagnosed with a fatal disease, sold his childhood home to pay for medical bills, learned that his child was dying. Really, we are clueless. But we all have been given compassion by our Father. Use it. Let it grow. Reach out in kindness, compassion and empathy. Love your neighbor. We are all human and frail. Let generosity and compassion start with our thoughts and spread to our actions.

Just Be Silly

Do something silly today. The simple act of letting go and having fun, even for a brief moment, can have a miraculous effect on your entire being. Just let go and have fun for just... 30 seconds! My good friend LaDonna and her family in this picture are a very,very good example! My heart just giggles every single time I see this photo!

I have six kids and they can tell you I can be quite silly. Just the simple act of singing, if you want to call it that, at the absolute top of your lungs can have a waving effect on the silliness level of the house. Silly games too! Simple! Just a little imagination and let it go.

I tend to have a dark, dry sense of humor but I am well known for my ability to make people laugh. I consider it a mission in life to try to make the unexpected person stop mid-track and think for a second. Usually their entire attitude changes and they LOL (laugh out loud).

So whether it is something as silly as a 42 year old mom of six skipping to the mailbox with her four year old in tow, an awkward mom playing hopscotch, or a quick hand slap challenge, it only takes a moment to have fun and I promise you that smile will definitely make you forget all of your woes for a moment at least!

So make a silly dinner tonight, watch a silly movie, play hide and seek, Capture the Flag (one of my favorites), have a scavenger hunt for the remote control or gaming controller, whatever it takes, just do it!

Miss Miranda

Kiki

Smile Grandpa!!!

Our Kuntry Girl

Go Carting

Kevin got a go cart (actually one that he already fixed up and two frames). Garit is totally WILD about it! He had a total blast. All the way up to the point when the chain broke and Garit wanted it going so bad he took the chain off of his bike to try to put on this!!! Awe..... We will get a new chain this week sometime! Garit is in heaven! Nathan hasn't had his chance yet. He was at the Grandparents house this weekend for his Birthday.

Our Current Homestead in the spring - 2