All is well in preggo land

So far I am about 9 weeks, I think, and I am doing well. Normally I would be really sick and sometimes hospitalized at this point for dehydration. But for some reason I am holding my own. I am feeling ill all day, but no throwing up!!!! You have no idea how huge that is for me! I lose a lot of weight in the first few months, but not this time.

I have almost no cravings, and I despise chocolate. Soda and tea hurt my stomach. But water is a heavenly elixir, the weirdest symptom EVER for me, as with every other pregnancy water has been an instant vomit aid. I could not stomach water ever. But now I must have it all day.

I've also quit strangely been able to feel the baby bump around in my uterus. (not by hand, but inside of me) I've never felt on this early, but it is, indeed the baby.

So, everything so far is completely abnormal for both my boy and girl pregnancies. I'm starting to wonder......... could it be? Twins? Boy and girl cancelling each other's hormones out? Naw!

In the rest of the Qtpie Kingdom we've had a few changes.

Kaytlin moved out and is now living in a dorm at college. We are all ready for it, but there are some worries, like safety in the cities, but she rests in God's hands, and I have to give her up to Him. It will be fine.

Donnie has been contracting out for a year and a half, and just started a new contract job. We weren't really comfortable with it being only 3 months, but it was at least 3 months longer with income than not taking it, right? Well, it looks like it will easily turn into a permanent position, as he was HIGHLY recommended by one of their very respected employees. We'll wait out a bit of the 3 months before applying for a permanent position, though, because the contract agency provides insurance that will cover the pregnancy without considering it pre-existing, so the new company will have to cover the baby since we will have had insurance previously. God is good!

What else is new?

Cody will be starting high school. Devon starts his senior year. Nicole starts online public school, and Trinity goes to first grade homeschool. Sam is still a T.O.T. (Tornado of Terror for you newbies) And recently Drew, our oldest son, became an official Air Traffic Controller in the U.S. Air Force. We are super proud of him! It was tough, but he stuck with it!

Next up:

Devon's senior pictures are this week. Those should be amazing, we are going to some fun places!
We are hosting a Pirate murder mystery party with many of our close friends! That will be a blast!

I guess it's time to let the cat out of the bag....

Last night I was exhausted and fell asleep on the couch. Donnie sent me off to bed with Sam, who was not tired due to a nap fiasco. So I turned on some kid shows for him to calm down to while I slept. I was awoken to a glass bottle being knocked off my headboard onto my head. OUCH!!!

I decided that it was time for Sam to SLEEP, so I shut the TV off on him. Which set off the usual protesting while he rolls around the bed like he is in agony.

"Its dark, I can't see! I want TV! I hate you! I not like you anymore!"
And then came the strangest reason he has ever come up with to get the TV back on.

"I'm pregnant!!"

Umm, I guess I shouldn't use that as a reason to get my way around the house anymore, since he so obviously picked it up, lol. He is missing the whole baby in the belly part of "pregnant" but still, it was hilarious!

Yes, I am pregnant! Baby #8 is due in April!

The Shred Sled!

My kids were given the opportunity to try out the next-generation caster board through Team Mom and Shred Sled. Shred Sled is a 4-wheel inline, dual deck board. There is a flexible connector between the two decks that rotate vertically and horizontally for easier movements.

When you use this board you don't stand on one leg and push with the other, you need to use your hips, legs and arms to get the board moving. (great exercise!) The movements are a combination of snowboarding, surfing and skateboarding all in one. I love that the decks have a grip surface so it is hard to slip off, plus the decks are slightly concave for better foot control.

The wheels, which only move forward, are made of polyurethane ABEC-5 bearings, which are smoother and stronger than standard hardware, and rarely need to be replaced. The casters are made from aluminum, and are not prone to rusting like many boards' metal casters.

What did my kids think of the Shred Sled? Judging from the tracks being worn into my wood floors as the kids ride circles around my house, I am going to say that they LOVE it! And they concur. Cody gives it two thumbs up! Devon doesn't think it is very practical, as in using as a method to get somewhere, but he does enjoy riding it for fun.

It took all of them a couple of days to really be able to get up and get some good balance and to be able to propel for a good distance. They needed to hold onto something to be able to get on both decks. But now they can get on with relative ease. Cody is even riding it UP HILL!

The board is being used every day by at least 3 of the kids. They really enjoy it. In fact, they have decided my rugs all need to be moved out of THEIR way so they can just ride around my house.

The Shred Sled is available at retailers and online at Shredsled.com for around $59.99 and comes in three colors: red, blue and black. Remember to wear safety gear when riding the board!

Thank you, Team Mom and thank you Shred Sled, for this review opportunity! My kids are very pleased!

Trip to the candy store

Yesterday we made a stop at Minnesota's Largest Candy Store. It was fun, lots and lots of candy. Weird candy. We bought quite a few things to gross out the boys. Vampire repelling, garlic flavored mints, onion ring flavored mints, corn dog chap stick, lol. But there were two that really topped the gross factor chart.
Chum Bucket candy smells really bad, and no one was willing to taste it, of course. I mean, really, who wants to eat nasty long-dead flavored candy?

But there was a candy that made the chum bucket candy smell appetizing. I'm not even kidding.

Zombie Mints. Brain flavored mints. When I bought them I thought "Who knows, brains could taste good, and these could be really tasty, since who knows what brains actually taste like."

Umm, I couldn't have been more wrong. Seriously, I nearly barfed on my dining room floor. From the smell. Not one boy was brave enough to try them.

These make THIS taste delicious.

This just might end my joke purchases. It wasn't even funny. The skunk jelly beans were funny, but these, not funny. Seriously, I almost barfed at the SMELL.

Agony and Joy

I'm struggling deeply right now, and blogging is so hard. This is my diary and I am not free to write in it. Because even the truth is turned against me. Not that I have blogged any details of what is going on in our church struggles, but I just can't. That hurts me. I need to blog it. It is how I work things out.

Suffice it to say, my world has turned upside down. My "friends" have become my "enemy" and my trust turned into betrayal.

I am filled with joy that I have true friends who back me, love me, support me and fight for me! I truly found out that my close friends were really in it for thick and thin! Do you girls know how much I love you and how much you mean to me? I call you "friend" and God made us sisters!

Our son married a wonderful woman, our daughter became engaged to a fine Christian man, and we've found a passion for God's Word that was not strong enough in the past. There are joys in our life, too.

Agony. Joy. Agony. Joy. That is my life right now. Sleepless nights, joy-filled days. A conundrum of sorts!

I also praise God that some restoration has started taking place. The joy sifted to a bit of a higher status for a day there, lol. Then night came along.......... the night is when the darkness creeps in, through your house and into your thoughts. Chasing sleep with a maniacal laugh.

But then the sun comes up and you see new life! Light chases away the darkness! Does the tired body then get to rest? No. Maybe tonight the darkness won't come creeping with evil intents.

Question for you

When you are in conflict with Christians you are not supposed to tithe until you work it out, right?
What do you do when you have tried and tried and you CAN'T work it out? I am not the offender, so it isn't a matter of me humbling myself and just apologizing and making it right. I can't get the offenders to see the truth, and I am done with trying. But what do we do about tithing when the offense still stands?
For that matter, our former pastor preaches that you shouldn't have communion while someone has a problem with you, either. I can't find that Biblically, and the offenders don't have a problem with taking communion during this either.

Anyway, at what point do you start tithing again?