Tuesday Tidings: I Love Animals!

On Tuesdays you will find guest blogs by my daughters and many other people. Enjoy!!

Enjoy this post by George...

Do You Like Animals?

Monday Madness- It Finally Happened....

After 17 years.....it finally came to our home...

LICE.

Just saying it makes you quiver shake itch all over, doesn't it?

I always figured we never got head lice before now because of homeschooling. At least, I figured it was a nice little side benefit.

I want to start this out by saying that I promised the girls I would wait a good long time

 before posting this to avoid embarrassment. 

We are lice-free!

Anyways.......many moons ago....we found one bug...just one. But it was enough for a full investigation to happen at 10:30pm when I was ready to go to bed!

After we found the itchy nuisance, we thought and thought, trying to figure out where we could have picked up this offending little creature. The only thing we could think of was that one of the girls had bought a hat at Dollartree. She didn't think about washing it first and well...the rest was history.

Out came the computer and my fingers started typing away..."How To Get Rid Of Lice"....

Interestingly enough....did you know that over the counter stuff like RID doesn't work any more? That is what my mom used on me the fateful summer I got lice twice...But that's another traumatic story...

The most highly recommended procedure was to use essential oils. Well, hey! Being the "oily girl" that I am, this made me super happy! So I mixed up a concoction of rubbing alcohol, tea tree oil and lavender oil and we sprayed all us girls down. Only one of us was a for sure, but why not treat everyone?

The most essential oils suggested in order of strongest to weakest were:

• tea tree oil
• lavender oil
• neem oil
• clove oil
• eucalyptus oil
• aniseed oil
• cinnamon leaf oil
• red thyme oil
• peppermint oil
• nutmeg oil

I had never heard of neem, red thyme or nutmeg oils. Very interesting indeed.

So the recipe called for 15-20 drops of one of those oils in 4 ounces of rubbing alcohol. We did 30 drops of tea tree and lavender in a 16 ounce bottle. I fully believe in using lots of oil! The directions called for completely drenching the hair with the mixture and leaving it for 12 hours. Then comb, wash hair and drench in the mixture again. Continue doing this till the lice is eliminated. You can then use the mixture as a preventative over the next few weeks.

I have to say that I am really happy with how this went! It was very effective and worked wonderfully!

Have a blessed day and embrace the craziness in your life!

Heidi

Numbers 6:24-26

Scripture Sunday: Isaiah 41:10

Welcome To Scripture Sunday!

If you know me, then you know that I love the Bible and 

all the promises God has given us in it.

(Thank you Emily, for this scripture suggestion. It's one of my favorites as well!)

Midweek Minute: Well...That Hurt!

Welcome to the Midweek Minute

Where I talk about the here and now...

I went to the Dr this morning and wow....

Fostering Friday: Recovering From Surgery

Welcome to Fostering Fridays! Our hope is that you will be able to get a taste of what it's like to foster by reading our experiences and thoughts!

One thing fostering does for you is expand your life experiences.

Midweek Minute: Gymnastics

Welcome to the Midweek Minute

Where I talk about the here and now...

I never thought I would be here....

Blast From The Crazy Past- My Brother...

Welcome to memories...my memories....welcome to a Blast from my Crazy Past!

I only have one sibling...

Wordless Wednesday- February 22, 2017

Tuesday Tidings: I am from...

On Tuesdays you will find guest blogs by my daughters and many other people. Please enjoy this post from Mac.

I am from…….

Monday Madness: My Current "Fight" Songs...

Welcome to Monday Madness where I will talk about pretty much anything that comes to mind. From homeschooling to special needs to strange blog posts about silly objects to interviewing a family member...you never know what you might read on Monday Madness!

 Enjoy!

A couple weeks ago, I talked about apps I am currently using. One of the apps I mentioned was Spotify, which is what I use to listen to music at home and on the go. (Again, I am not being sponsored by Spotify, I just love their app!)

I decided that I would give you a list of some of my favorite songs right now. You can also follow me on Spotify if you have it. You will notice as you look at the groups that I have a very eclectic taste in music. Some you may or may not like, but they are songs that mean something to me. I am going through a personal battle right now, maybe more about that in the future. But for now, I call these my "fight songs". They are songs that give me encouragement and give me the strength to fight what is going on and remind me WHO is the WINNER of it all!

In no particular order:

The Rocks Shall Not Cry Out- Mercy's Well

All The People Said Amen- Matt Maher
Never Too Far Gone- Jordan Feliz

Born For This- Mandisa

You Brought Us Out- Gaither Vocal Band
Days Of Elijah- The Acapella Company
Hymns Mash-Up- Anthem Lights
Hymns Mash-up, Part 2- Anthem Lights
I Need Thee Every Hour- 
I Surrender All- Phillips, Craig and Dean
I'll Fly Away- Randy Travis
Cheer You On- Jordan Feliz
Victory In Jesus- Phillips, Craig and Dean
My Only Love- Matt Maher
You'll Never Be Alone- Capital Kings
It's Not Over Yet- For King And Country
Jesus Loves Me- Joey And Rory
When I'm With You- Citizen Way
Trust In You- Lauren Daigle
Beautiful Day- Jamie Grace
You're About To Climb- The Collingsworth Family
God Girl- Jamie Grace
He Is Jehovah- The Acapella Company
You're Not Alone- Owl City
Breathe- Jonny Diaz
You Put This Love In My Heart- Keith Green
Higher Ground- David Baroni
Your Great Hands- Jordan Feliz
It Is Well With My Soul- Kim Mitzo Thompson
I Love Living InLove With Jesus- The Collingsworth Family
He's A Personal Savior- Southern Gospel A Capella
When Fear Comes Knocking- Gaither Vocal Band
Better Than A Hallelujah- Amy Grant
My Lighthouse- Rend Collective
The River- Jordan Feliz
Jesus Loves Me- Chris Thomlin

If you get through all these songs and discover that you like enough of them to make a playlist, you might like this link, I made a playlist on Spotify called, ironically, It's Pretty Crazy In Here! 

I hope you enjoy and as always,

Have a blessed day and embrace the craziness in your life!

Heidi

Numbers 6:24-26

Fostering Friday: Is it fair?

                                                         Welcome to Fostering Fridays! 

Our hope is that you will be able to get a taste of what it's like to foster by reading 
our experiences and thoughts!
This week, I feel blessed to let you see into the heart and mind of my daughter
and her feelings about fostering...

Blast From The Crazy Past: Letter To My Grandma Henderson

Welcome to memories...my memories....welcome to a Blast from my Crazy Past!

Dear Grandma Henderson...

My memories of you start with visiting you on New Hope Road and seeing the HUGE lava lamps in your living room. I couldn't have been very old, but those lava lamps made a lasting impression.

If I skip ahead, I remember visiting you in the hospital. I remember seeing you in a huge bed and I was told you were really sick. Later, I found out that you had died.

My last memory is the gift I recieved from you after you died for an inheritance. A gift that has affected me until this day. You gave me the most beautiful Bible and $100. I remember it was a crisp $100 bill tucked into the inside cover of the Bible. The Bible is what made the biggest impact on my life. It was a beautiful Bible with large print, easy for a child to read. It had some of the most wonderful pictures throughout it and on the cover was a picture of Jesus guiding the little children over a broken bridge. 

Yes, the $100 helped start my very first savings account, an account I have to this day. However, the Bible helped me in the early years of my life and will impact me for eternity.

Grandma, I don't have many memories. You died young, from cancer and I was young, just a child. But the memories you gave me made a difference.

So thank you...thank you for loving your grandchildren enough to make sure they grew up to know Jesus. For giving us a gift that would help shape and mold the direction of our lives.

I can't wait to see you in Heven someday, grandma...

Love,

Heidi

Midweek Minute: It's Happening!

Welcome to the Midweek Minute

Where I talk about the here and now...

(Song currently playing on my Spotify: Gotta Get To Jesus by the Collingsworth Family)

Today marks the beginning of a new kind of post you can expect from me.

Not So Wordless Wednesday- February 15

The week of Valentine's seems appropriate to post a picture of my grandpa with T-Boss. He loved all his grandkids so much. He wasn't the kind to say, "I love you". However, his love was felt in every action. In this pic, he was tickled that T-Boss loved playing on this wooden horse. 

I miss you grandpa...see you in Heaven!

Tuesday Tidings: What Does It Mean To Me?

On Tuesdays you will find guest blogs by my daughters and many other people. 

This post is by Sis, I found it perfect for the ultimate Valentine's Day. I think you will see what I mean as you read!

Enjoy!!

                                                                                              

 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven.....

 Revelation 4:1

                                         

 And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne     

 was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.

Revelation 4:2

And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and sardine stone:

and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight 

like unto an emerald. Revelation 4:3

                                     

And round about the throne were four and twenty seats:

and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders 

sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they

had on their heads crowns of gold.

Revelation 4:4

And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings

and voices.....

 Revelation 4:5

I Hope You Enjoyed My Blog Post!

Monday Madness: Confessions of a Sugar Addict in a Sugar-Laden World

Welcome to Monday Madness where I will talk about pretty much anything that comes to mind. From homeschooling to special needs to strange blog posts about silly objects to interviewing a family member...you never know what you might read on Monday Madness! Enjoy!

Please watch this Ted Talk on Sugar addiction...it's real...

Surprise Saturday: Ramblings About Pets....

This post is dedicated to our pets, 
Crazy Olive and Oliver who passed away 
within a week of each other.
January 29th and February 7th, 2017

I don't know what your feelings are on having pets. I grew up with dogs and cats. Even had a bird for a few years before it sadly died of a heart attack. Despite the sadness of having a pet die, it was worth the joy of having them alive for however long it was.

Recently, one of my daughter's birds passed away with no real reason why. One day he was happily scurrying around the cage, the next minute he was gone on the floor of the cage. It was sad that one of our little animal friends was gone so swiftly.

Just last night, our sweet bunny that we have had for 3 years died. He died of a broken back and stroke. It wasn't expected and hurt to see him in pain before he died. 

When we got our bunny, little did I know that this sweet furry creature would help me through the sudden death of my grandpa. We had talked about getting a rabbit for some time. But why this one? Why get a bunny now? I knew a few weeks later why God sent him our way. Watching the joy of our bunny as he frolicked in the yard, binking about, made me smile when I thought the sun was gone. Seeing how he was so exuberant about the simple things made me start looking for joy in simple things again. He had a love for everything including getting his cage remodeled once in a while. You can read more about how the Lord used this sweet bunny to heal my heart after my grandpa died here.

When God created these little creatures, He must have had our delight and enjoyment in mind. We have had a sad week, but the happy memories have come back to comfort us and bring us joy during our sadness. 

I would love to hear your stories about the pets you have had in your life and how they have brought you joy!

Till next time...

Have a blessed day and embrace the craziness in your life!

Heidi

Numbers 6:24-26

Fostering Friday- The Two Choice Approach

Welcome to Fostering Fridays! 

Our hope is that you will be able to get a taste of what it's like to foster by reading our experiences and thoughts!

We all know them....the child who throws a fit because they don't get their way or they feel like they don't have a choice....the parent who mistakenly asks, "What do you want?"

It's so simple, but believe it or not, it took me a little while to adjust my brain to it. For one, with my typical, biological kiddos, they were usually content with my answers or decisions on things. They had been raised to know that mom and dad have the last say and that we would try to arrange some things so that they got some choice on things. They also knew that we had their best interests at heart. Thus, there were rarely meltdowns when they didn't get their way.

It's different with our foster kiddos that may also have some special needs. Typically, these kids come from very tough situations. They have no choices about anything in their lives. And frankly, they may not have had anyone in their life thus far that has had their best interest in mind when they decided things for them. As little as even a year old, they start letting their caregivers know that they want a choice in things, which can cause frustration.

It may happen this way:
Little Suzy is demanding. She wants her choice in her clothes. Foster mom really wants Suzy to wear something nice to go to school but she makes the mistake of asking Suzy what she wants to wear. She points at the closet and says, "Suzy what do you want to wear?" Suzy grabs her favorite stained shirt and sweatpants. Foster mom insists that she cannot wear that and the meltdown happens. Before too much time goes by, Little Suzy is screaming, foster mom is frustrated and the morning is off to a bad start.

Let's try this:
Little Suzy is still demanding and insistent on choosing her clothes. But this time foster mom says, "Suzy, do you want to wear the pink shirt or the blue shirt?" Instead of pointing at the closet, she has limited Suzy's choice to something she, foster mom, would be happy with either way. Suzy still gets a choice and is happy that she gets to choose.

We had one kiddo who would still pout about the choices once in a while. When this happened, we would say, "I will count to 10. If you cannot choose, I will choose for you." He did NOT want to miss out on choosing and would jump up and choose.

We have used this tool for time out even! One child would throw a fit about having some thinking time. We would say, "Would you like 5 minutes or 10 minutes?" He still got his time for thinking, but he got a choice about how long. We were fine with either one. One time he chose 10 minutes. Afterwards he said, "I'll do five minutes next time." I had to smile at that one!

This is a tool that can have some amazing benefits. Try it this week and see what you think and let me know!

Till next time...

Have a blessed day and embrace the craziness in your life!

Heidi

Blast Into The Crazy Past: How Fostering Changes Your Life...

Welcome to memories...my memories....welcome to a Blast from my Crazy Past!

It is interesting to see how things change in your life. I wrote this a year ago, in 2015 to read to a few close friends one night. I ran across it recently and decided I would share it here. It was hard to decide whether I should have it go out on Fostering Friday or today since it isn't current events. So I went with Blast Into The Crazy Past.....

Wordless Wednesday- February 9th

Tuesday Tidings: Me and The Little Stream...

Hi, this is Tuesday Tidings by Shells

Today I am going tell you a story about how I was supposed to play in the snow...but I fell in a little stream...

So..last month we got some a lot of snow. Our papa asked our mom if we could go to our grandma's house. And mom said, "Yes!" So we went.

We (Sierra and I) slid down a small hill or two. And we had a lot of fun!!! And here is the water part...

We were sliding down a hill close to a small stream.

Sierra was pulling me, and I was
riding.Sierra turned too fast accidentally and I went straight into the little stream!

So I guess you know what happened next....I went inside! Well... that was that.I stayed inside almost the rest of the afternoon. I went outside again towards time to leave.
But I sill had fun!

Well I think that is all...

goodbye for now!

p.s. Here are some pics.

Enjoy!!!

Monday Madness: Apps I Am Currently Using

Welcome to Monday Madness where I will talk about pretty much anything 

that comes to mind. 

From homeschooling to special needs to strange blog posts about silly objects to interviewing a family member...you never know what you might read on Monday Madness! Enjoy!

First of all, I suppose I should tell you that I have an Android phone...

Fostering Friday: Staying In The Lives Of Families Afterwards

Welcome to Fostering Fridays!

 Our hope is that you will be able to get a taste of what it's like to foster by reading 

our experiences and thoughts!

Last week, I talked about how to stay in touch with birth families while the child is in your care, offering them support and help.

Blast From The Crazy Past: When Did She Grow Up?

Welcome to memories...my memories....

Welcome to a Blast from my Crazy Past!

I don't know how this happened....but...she grew up!! 

Not So Wordless Wednesday- February 1

This little one's birthday is coming up this week!

Hard to believe she will 12 years old...