Lost In the Prairies.....Found by God

I have to admit that I haven't done anything this week in regards to the 40 Days in the Word.  Time change has really played havoc with my sleeping patterns and this is the first of the two birthdays of crazy birthday month.  I have decided to dedicate this week's randomness to crazy birthday month.  

March used to be the unbirthday month in my family.  It was typically Easter month and nothing else.  When I got married, my husband's sister had a birthday in March, but we rarely saw her.  The only other holiday was my in laws anniversary on the 17th.  They have the best date, if they were Irish.  Still March was a slow month.  Then another of my sister in laws delivered twin boys on the 8th and 9th respectively.  They were born so close to midnight.  However, we rarely saw them as well.  

This all changed in 2007 with I had Thomas on the 27th.  We now had a birthday.  The year I had Thomas, Easter was a week after his birth.  I have pictures of him in his bouncy chair all stickered up by his sister as she decorated him like an Easter Egg.  He started sleeping with one eye open after that escapade.  I didn't blame him.  I relished having my children's birthdays so far apart (Nicole's birthday is in June).  I could plan them both with relish and ease.  

March 2008 just before Thomas' birthday I found out I was pregnant again.  My due date was November 2008.  This was not to be as I miscarried.  I was understandably upset.  Two months later, I found out I was pregnant again.  I was elated.  Then I counted.  March 2009 was my due date.  I would have two birthdays in one month.  As my due date got closer, I started planning Thomas' 3rd birthday party.  I knew if I didn't, the poor boy wouldn't get one.  Luckily I had great friends who helped me in the execution.  Thomas wasn't too happy there was a baby in the house, so having a day with his friends and cake was a great thing for him.  

Since Sam was born, I've only had one friend with a little one the same age.  As a result, Sam has only had family parties with our family and very close friends.  This year Sam is having his first official birthday party with his friends.  I am having a Milk and Cookies party and at the writing of this blog (Thursday night) I am very disorganized and stressing.  I know though that everything will go well that it doesn't matter to the kids that the table looks amazing or that I used my cricut to cut out his name (hoping to get to that tomorrow morning).  I will be spending my morning blowing up balloons, baking some sugar cookies for decorating, decorating the table and keeping the house tidy until the guests arrive.  After that it's a free for all.  

Then it's on to the execution of the next party in two weeks.  Thomas has requested a Hotel Transylvania PJ Party.  I will be making the invitations this weekend and then next week working on the giveaways.    

In all the birthday planning and executions I thought I would share a gift with you.  My cupcake and chocolate icing recipes.  I hope you enjoy them.

Pour cream into large mixing bowl. 

Mix the sugar and the cocoa together, then sift them into the cream a little at a time, beating with an electric beater.  Continue beating until the frosting stands up in stiff peaks and is thick enough to spread.  Ice cupcakes when cooled.

I was trying to think of what to write about this week.  I know during a discussion with a friend that I had a great blog idea.  I didn't write it down.  Hopefully I will remember it one day.  So today you have pure random thoughts coming from my head (I'm going to put my King Julian cap on).   

While I write this I am sitting outside on my deck.  The breeze is whistling through the new leaves.  My little Sam is humming a song only he knows the words to.  It is a beautiful spring day.  Because that is what season it is, not summer.  The older kids still have school.  This is one of the last few quiet afternoons I will have for a while.  For anyone that knows me to actually admit that I am sitting down during the day is not like me.  I am usually doing something.  There is laundry that needs to be finished and put away.  There is vacuuming that needs to be done.  I could be prepping dinner and setting timers on my oven.  I could be washing the floor so I don't have to do it tomorrow.  But I am outside enjoying my Dr. Diet Pepper, watching Sam and typing.

I know I have blogged about doing the Good Morning Girls' study on Proverbs 31.  I am truly enjoying it.  I didn't think I would.  I have always thought of the Proverbs 31 woman as the 50s housewife - June Cleaver and Donna Reed all wrapped up into one woman.  It appears that she's not.  She is just a woman who is in-tuned to God and His will and ways.  That's a woman I can long to be.  I have been slowly working on trust and praying constantly.  I'm doing laundry, I'm praying.  Thanking God for my front loader.  Praying over my family as I fold their clothes.  Praying for friends who are struggling.  I'm cooking, I'm thanking God for the blessings He has given our family.  I'm studying the word and loving all the twists and turns it is leading me down.  Most of the time the things God is telling me through the study are not at all similar to the book by Courtenay - quite the opposite.  This is because I'm not Courtenay and never will be.  I am Me.  Messy, broken, searching me.  He knows exactly what He needs me to learn and what I need to hear. All who are seeking God and learning to know Him and follow His ways and commands are true Proverbs 31 wives (ok maybe not the men).

This week I tried a Prairie Woman recipe for Chicken Tortilla Soup.  I have tried a few of her recipes before.  Her meatball recipe is really good.  For the most part though I have not jumped on the Prairie Woman bandwagon as a lot of people I know have.  I have written that I'm not a 'wagon jumper.  One could get hurt.  As well, I don't want to be a lemming.  What if there's a cliff at the end?  I may fall and get hurt.  I'm scared of heights.  I mean really ....  Ok, I digress.  I just find that in the bloggy world there is so much gushing around things.  I mean if I like it I will tell you.  If I don't, accept that and be ok with it.  I think that is why I have a rule about following people.  Unless it is a truly exceptional blog (GMG, Time Warped Wife, etc..)  I won't follow.  I may drop in from time to time.  I try to encourage people who don't have a larger readership.  Sometimes it's not about being famous or popular but about what God is telling us.  

WOW did I really digress , anyway back to the soup it was yummy.  I will definitely be making it again during the summer.  Even though it is a warm soup, it has that summer feeling I like.  If you are going to make it be warned that it makes a lot.  I could have feed 6 to 8 people with that soup.  I think I will half it next time. 

I want to thank all the new followers and linkers (I hope that's a word).  I am so blessed that people are sharing and actually visiting the prairies.  Your stories and ideas are awesome and I have been truly blessed through them.  

I think that's all the randomness I have this week.  What's been on your mind?  What have you been making lately or thinking lately?  Come join into the mindful chaos this week. 

Today we are celebrating our little Tormentinator's 2nd Birthday.  He may torment me and my tea towel, but he is the cutest little boy.  He has a laugh that comes from deep within and laughs at everything.  He loves to cuddle.  He is just learning how to say Hi and Bye.  He loves his juice.  He is very inquisitive and loves exploring, which usually gets him into some type of trouble, but he continues to explore his world.  He likes to look at books and dance with his sister.  He plays chase with his brother while they both scream their heads off. 

The Tormentinator (aka the Toddler) and I are at war.  It will surprise you at what the battle is over.

Yes, that's right the tea towel over the oven handle.  This is where I want it.  This is where I like it.  Every time I put it up there and leave the kitchen when I come back it's on the floor.  I can do this at least 20 times a day.  You think I would give up and find a new place to put it, but no.  I fight the battle.  It is a battle I know I will win.

Introducing the enemy - the Tormentinator. 

I know, you think he's cute.  I can hear your thinking right now that he's just too innocent to do this.  How could someone that cute drive his mother crazy?  He's not as innocent as some are lead to believe.  I've watched him.  He waits.  He waits and stalks his prey.  When I put the tea towel back up and leave the room, he makes his play. 

I love Mondays. I look forward to picking out the songs that mean something to me at the time. There are times that I know weeks in advance what song I'm going to pick (like today) or I chose at the last minute because I liked the song we sang at church that week (All Who Are Thirsty) Thank you Shawntele for hosting this meme. I don't think you realize how much it means to all of us.
This coming Sunday, March 14, my baby turns one. I'm sad about how fast this has happened but can't wait to see the little man he will be. He is one of our joys and makes us smile. In fact, I'm smiling now just thinking about him, even though is just crawling around my chair. He is such a flirt (ask Andrea about that). Everybody who sees him just loves him. I'm not just saying that as his mom. Look at him:


I think I'm even more proud of him because of how he came to us. Two years ago, I found out I was pregnant. It was Easter weekend and I couldn't have been more excited. I had told everyone after Thomas, that I was DONE!!! However, I wasn't. We were all happy with the up coming baby. Two months later I had a miscarriage.

Our joy, turned to despair, hurt and sadness. We had to explain to our little girl, who was so looking forward to being a big sister again, that our baby had gone to heaven. At the time I cried out to God. I was angry. It wasn't fair. However, God reminded me that He would be with me through it all and He was.

Two months after my miscarriage, we received a surprise that people said was unlikely - we were expecting again. We were cautious to tell anyone this time, including our daughter. We didn't want to be disappointed again. At our 12 week ultrasound, we were gifted with pictures of our upcoming bundle. It was a beautiful site. He was perfect (we didn't know the sex at the time, because every time we had an ultrasound his legs were crossed).

A year ago, the baby was found to be breech. We found out three weeks before our due date. There was rush to get us booked for an c-section. The night before, Sam decided to spin around and at the hospital we found that he had turned. We were told that we would then have to be induced in case he turned again. My baby was born on March 14, 2009, shortly after midnight. This was our actual due date.

We were so happy. God had blessed us where we had thought we had lost. He had given us a gift that we thought we never would have. God is great!

At each of my older children's baptism's I chose a hymn I wanted to be applied to their life. However, I didn't get the opportunity with Sam. My other children's hymns both started with "B"(you'll have to wait until their birthdays to see what their hymns were). At the baptism the worship team played Be the Center. I reflected on the words and realized that just as God had given us Sam, he also gave Sam his hymn!

Be the Center
Michael Frye

Jesus be the center
Be my source be my light Jesus
Jesus be the center
Be my song Jesus

Be the fire in my heart
Be the wind in my sails
Be the reason that I live

Jesus Jesus
Jesus be my vision
Be my help
Be my guide Jesus