Fighting sickness naturally.....

I found this awesome blog recently that has so many wonderful tips on being healthy and raising your kids healthy! If you are fighting or have recently had strep throat or ear infection, a cold or flu, here are some wonderful ideas to fight it naturally!! So many that I didn't know about!

Here's the article I found!

Have a great weekend!!

~Julie

prayers, please...

If you follow me on facebook, you already know that we are all sick!! I ask you to pray for our family this week..I'll keep you posted!!!

Love,
Julie

another wild post....

Didn't get to go to church services today. Lily was sick. She's better now. I hate it when my kids are sick. I wish I could take their place every time. Poor babies. :(

Got my running shoes yesterday. Nikes. Silver & kind of a mauve purple. I will have to take a picture. I know a lot of people don't like Nikes for running but I do. These fit the best out of all the options I looked at. Also, I wore Nikes for 7 years playing basketball and they never really hurt my feet. Maybe I won't like them so much after I put some miles on them but for now, they are great!! :) Also, a GREAT price!! Charlie & I both got shoes for what I would have paid regular price for mine!! I LOVE a great deal!

Still haven't found the perfect computer. Still looking. I am such a tightwad. I also have to buy a new printer so I am just cringing at the prices. Laugh if you want. I am serious. This is why my computer is ancient and about to kick the bucket on me. I just hate to buy anything expensive. See above on running shoes. Haha. :)

So, it's a lazy Sunday. I am going to head out in a little bit and get Valentine's for the kids Valentine's party next week and stuff to make them a box.(SO excited about this!!!) I also need to get their Valentine's presents from Mama & Daddy and Charlie's gift. Also, I have to get final things for Claire's birthday party (her birthday is the 15th.) So, I have A LOT to do today!!

Going to do some baking and cleaning. Already did 6 loads of laundry and 2 loads of dishes. Cleaned our bathroom and dusted from the wood stove soot. Argh..... well, hey, it's heat and it's free!!! (we cut our own firewood off of our property)

So, now I am off to go running while the kids nap... I don't know how much I will be blogging this week. Kinda busy!! Lots to do and plan!! Family: I am mailing birthday invitations so you should get them sometime early this week. Sorry it's so late! But, that's how we roll around here. :)

Have a great week, everyone and remember, to keep up the Husband Encouragement Challenge!!! Also, the 31 Days of Praying for your husband are great, as well!! Do these along with the Love Dare and you will be knocking Satan out right and left!! :)

(If you need information on any of the challenges or the love dare just email me at mama2clairelilydrew (at) gmail (dot) com. using the symbols, of course, not the words! I will be SO glad to help you in any way!!)

Love,
Julie

*LOVE, LOVE this on the bottom of my shoes:

"I run like a girl; try to keep up" ;)

another round.....

*Drew is throwing up now. PLEASE PRAY!!!!!!

okay, so I won't be posting on James today and I probably won't make most of the things on my menu plan this week! No one is throwing up now but all 3 of my kids just got some other stomach problems (if you know what I mean) so.......

please pray. Drew has it too and is just miserable. I hope it doesn't last too long. I will have to make a dr.'s appointment. Please pray for all 3 that it will leave their systems quickly and that they will feel better SOON! I am SO tired of viruses!!!!!!!

Julie

updates with veggie princesses :-)

NO throwing up since 7 AM!!! Praying that IT is GONE!!!!! :)

just updating the family. we have some people who are worrying. :)

oh, also, anyone have any ideas on how to put together a Veggietales/Princess birthday party?! lol. Miss Claire has decided that is what she wants! Okay, yeah, I'll get right on that one! ;) Seriously, any ideas are welcome, Anyone?????

bug be gone....

went to bed at midnight. been up since 4 am. sick & claire is throwing up again. :( pray, pray that this bug goes AWAY!!!!!!

happenings...

still cleaning up puke. lily has it SO much worse than claire. poor baby is still throwing up and she is crying a lot. :( she has been asleep for about an hour now so i am checking up on my email and doing laundry and making cookies for charlie's lunch this week. they say that mom's are multitaskers extraordinarre and i believe it! :)

Hey, feeling bad about the economy? check this out!

please continue to send prayers our way!

love,
Julie

stomach bug..

well, we did not go to Jack's wedding. lily started puking before we could leave, just as we were getting ready to go. i packed up claire and got about 5 miles down the road and claire started puking. so claire was disappointed that she didn't get to wear her pretty dress and sit with kylie/laina. :)

pleae,please pray for us! !!!!! we've already went through this once and this just stinks!!!

thanks for praying... will update soon

Julie

Some resolutions...

I don't usually make New Year's Resolutions because I am not very good at keeping them. However, this year, I see MANY things I need to change and focus on desperately, so I am giving this another try. One of my resolutions is to read the Bible all the way through. I have not decided in which order to do this yet. If you want to find a schedule of different ways that you can achieve this goal, click here. They also have some great tips on reading and understanding the Bible.

Another major thing that I am working on this year is my ability to just "love" someone in any circumstance. I believe that this is VERY important as a follower of Christ. I learning about myself that I am not as good at forgiving as I thought I was. I am also not very good at reaching out to those whom I do love. I also need to work on loving myself. I am very hard, very critical, very demanding of myself. I need to spend my time just really trying harder to see the good in everyone and that has to start with me. Hopefully, reading the Bible through (again) will carry me along in this goal. I believe that it will.

I have many more resolutions that I want to share with you and some ways that I plan to go about these goals. I will share them throughout the month as I have time. My computer time is up for today so I must go....

update on kids:

everyone is some better although Claire is still coughing (hacking) and Drew is still stuffed up with snot. I will be glad when the dr. can rule out anything. I worry about ear infections and RSV. Although, I do have a cousin who is a RN who can tell me if they do. She says it's not RSV so I know that I shouldn't worry. :) But, I do. Being a mommy, I guess.

Keep us in your prayers, please.

Love you all,
Julie

update, update....

LONG night. Drew slept on my chest most of it when he wasn't crying because he was so mad at the snot! He screams when I give him the nose drops. It's hard on Drew-B and Mama, too! Still no fever, though! Thank God! :)

Claire was also up and down, up and down and Lily was having a hard time sleeping. They don't sleep very well when they can't breathe because of the mucus. Poor kids and Mama doesn't have much patience when I am half awake & sleep deprived!

Doctor's appointment isn't until Friday. Crazy huh? If it gets any worse, I will have to take them to the walk in clinic. Hopefully, it won't. Please keep praying, we really do appreciate your prayers.

Love,
Julie

update on kiddos...

Claire & Lily still runny noses & all around yuck. Good thing is that the slight fever has disappeared, Yay!!

Drew is still clogged up with snot. Suctioning it out and shooting saline drops down his nose every time he eats. He is eating great, though and sleeping a lot better, so I think he is going to be fine. Still going to the dr., though, just to make sure.

*Will keep you updated, thanks for praying!

Love,
Julie

Love....

Charlie & I have started the LOVE DARE book. Our church also bought a copy for every couple to work on together which I think is a great idea. Already, this book has changed me.

I am trying to apply these principles to my children as well as to my husband, where appropriate. For example, the first day's challenge is "to say nothing negative to your spouse". So, I will say nothing negative to my husband or my children. Have you ever tried to do this? Have you noticed how many negative things we say in just an hour's time?! Much less a whole day or even, heaven forbid, EVERY DAY?

So, today, I started noticing just how negative I am to those I love. I noticed and even admitted guilt when my day started off rotten and kept getting worse. Yes, there were things that were not my fault. But, my attitude stunk. Hence, the reason, it kept getting worse instead of better. I even yelled several times and that is one thing that I hate to do to my kids and to Charlie. I am definitely seeking forgiveness today.

After praying and telling the kids how Mama was wrong to act that way and why, I prayed with them for God to forgive us for being selfish and ugly. I don't know if they understand but I want them to know what to do and where to go when they mess up. Because we all do and that's what's so cool about GRACE.

Well, just thought I would share that with you today. If you can, would you pray for Drew? He is very stopped up and with the phlegm is having a hard time breathing/sleeping. I am keeping it down with saline nose drops, humidifier, some Vics baby rub, and the steamy bathroom when it gets bad but I would appreciate the prayers that it doesn't get any worse. We have a dr.'s appointment but not for a couple of days and Claire & Lily have some pretty sore throats and are running a little fever. So, prayers would be very appreciated! Thanks! Have a wonderful week!

Love,
Julie

update (again)...

We are all better, FINALLY!! Praise GOD!!! :) Hopefully, it continues! I thought I was going to die and I am not joking. The girls were (especially poor little Lily) SO very sick and needing their mama. Drew was a little sick (so far) which was such a HUGE blessing because he is such a wee little babe and most definitely DID NOT need to be sick and I needed all of the energy I could get for the other sickies and myself. Charlie was sick for 3 days off and on (mostly on) and he worked through it all (only stopping to throw up or you know..) I love my husband so much! :)

Then he came home for a relaxing weekend and ending up cleaning up vomit and taking care of kids while I took my sick turn. FUN times. Poor man, he really deserves many kudos!!! :)

Anyway, thank you so much for your prayers ,comments ,sweet emails and calls! LOVE you all !!

On another note, I had some unexpected and very unusual time by myself this morning while the kids slept (even after my quiet time) so I did some Christmas crafts and I wrote some posts and set them to publish throughout the week as I will be busy getting final things done for Christmas eve/Christmas day. So, I won't be on the computer much but you will still be getting my cookie recipes and other things. I know, aren't you so lucky? haha. :) Seriously, just some things that some people have asked me to post, so I am doing it this week. Hope you can use them, as well.

Merry Christmas ,everyone!!!

Julie & family

update on the sickies....

Please continue to pray for us. We have started round 2 of the stomach virus! Lily threw up about 7 times last night and I am feeling queasy and just waiting for it to start again with me. Please pray that it stays away from baby Drew and if he does get it that it is very mild.

Well, I am off to scrub the house with bleach and lysol and start on a gigantic pile of laundry. It is going to be a LONG weekend. :(

Please pray for my father-in-law who had a biopsy on his prostate yesterday. Pray for good results and if not, the strength for Dad to deal with what will come for him. Strength for the family.

Pray for the sweet little boy, Noah, and his family, that I have on my sidebar. Click on little Noah's adorable picture for more information about his terrible disease and what is going on with his treatment.

Okay, I have to go now and disinfect this house. Hopefully, the virus will be gone soon and I can get on with Christmas preperations. I have gotten so very little done with all of this sickness.

Love,
Julie

please pray....

STOMACH VIRUS...................................................................................................

'nuff said!

update on me:

. my bilirubin (sp?) levels are a little elevated (pancreatitis is acting up again)

. I have an infection in my body, hence, the abcess tooth. I have to take these high powered antibiotics to clear up the infection.

. My potassium level is low and it is making me feel even worse. Have to take potassium and eat a high potassium diet.

. tonight I am in my comfy pajamas, drinking hot chocolate and going to read books to Claire. Lily is tucked in tight and Drew is sleeping away until time for his next bottle, around 9:30. Then it's off to sleep for everyone.

Thank you so much for your prayers. I had planned on taking a blogging break and I still am going to be doing that. So, I will see you hopefully by the end of this week after I get some things straightened and worked out.

Ya'll have a great week!

Love,
Julie

Lily...

Please pray for Lily, she spent all last night throwing up! She is feeling VERY bad right now so I am thinking that maybe this thing they have is viral. Claire's fever broke Saturday night late and so we went to church yesterday but by the afternoon, she was feeling pretty tired and just not good. No fever but just worn out. She says her throat doesn't hurt anymore and I have NO idea what the white spots could be? Maybe yeast?

Anyway, so now Lily is feeling really awful. I will be on a blogging break the rest of this week. I just have to much going on right now and sick babies. So, after we get everyone well and spend some time at church camp, maybe I will get back on here to blog. Well, I know I will! :o)

Have a great week, everybody!!!

*I have to tell you; Lily took about 5-6 steps last night!!!! She was walking from here to there and then sitting down and laughing! She's SO funny!!!

Please pray for Claire...

A quick update on Claire: I believe she may very well have strep throat. She is not eating at all and I think I am seeing some white spots on the inside of her mouth. She is also running about 102 fever. She's napping right now but we may be heading to the emergency room if it gets any worse. Also, please pray that Lily and Charlie and most especially,I, because I am pregnant, do not get strep throat.

Please, pray, that my sweet Claire bear will feel SO much better soon! She is missing out on a lot today because of this and is really upset about that, too. :o(

Thanks, all of you, for any prayers you can give.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Love,
Julie

How sad....

I received this email from several friends today and I had to share this. There really are no words.

Jim Neugent is a coach in Childress , Texas .

Jim writes: My name is Jim Neugent. I wrote to ABC (on-line) concerning a program called 'THE PRACTICE.' In last nights episode, one of the lawyer's mothers decided she is gay and wanted her son to go to court and help her get a marriage license so she could marry her 'partner.' I sent the following letter to ABC yesterday and really did not expect a reply, but I did get one. My original message was: ABC is obsessed with the subject of homosexuality. I will no longer watch any of your attempts to convince the world that homosexuality is OK. ' THE PRACTICE' can be a fairly good show, but last night's program was so typical of your agenda. You picked the 'dufus' of the office to be the one who was against the idea of his mother being gay, and made him look like a whiner because he had convictions. This type of mentality calls people like me a 'gay basher.' Read the first chapter of Romans (that's in the Bible) and see what the apostle Paul had to say about it.... He, God and Jesus were all 'gay bashers'. What if she'd fallen in love with her cocker spaniel? Is that an alternative life style? (By the way, the Bible speaks against that, too.) --Jim Neugent

Here is ABC's reply from the ABC on-line webmaster: How about getting your nose out of the Bible (which is ONLY a book of stories compiled by MANY different writers hundreds of years ago) and read the declaration of independence (what our nation is built on), where it says 'All Men are Created equal,' and try treating them that way for a change! Or better yet, try thinking for yourself and stop using an archaic book of stories as your lame crutch for your existence. You are in the minority in this country, and your boycott will not affect us at ABC or our freedom of statement.

Jim Neugent's second response ! to ABC: Thanks for your reply. >From your harsh reply, evidently I hit a nerve. I will share it with all with whom I come in contact. Hopefully, all newspapers will include it in one of their columns and I will be praying for you. - -Jim Neugent- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Update on girls dr. appts & the baby's ultrasound

Well, the girls have an appointment for Wednesday morning at 10:15 and I had to reschedule the OB appt. for next Tuesday (he only sees OB patients on Tuesdays now) so it may be another week before we get to do the ultrasound and see the baby. UGH! (we have to schedule this ultrasound through the hospital and they like to schedule a week in advance after your OB appointment). whatever. Anyway, I am thankful that we all have appointments and maybe this will work out. Please pray that the girls continue to feel better. Lily is acting a little better and so is Claire but they are sick, I can tell. :o(

Just wanted to keep you updated. Thank you for praying!