Hobby Lobby Makes a Stand Against Abortion

Wow, I'm so amazed by Hobby Lobby's stand.... you can read more here.

Even if you are not a Christian it is important to know what things are hiding in Obama Care. Everyone should read this! A Letter from Hobby Lobby Stores CEO By David Green, the founder and CEO of Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc.

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When my family and I started our company 40 years ago, we were working out of a garage on a $600 bank loan, assembling miniature picture frames. Our first retail store wasn't much bigger than most people's living rooms, but we had faith that we would succeed if we lived and worked according to God's word. From there,Hobby Lobby has become one of the nation's largest arts and crafts retailers, with more than 500 locations in 41 states. Our children grew up into fine business leaders, and today we run Hobby Lobby together, as a family.

We're Christians, and we run our business on Christian principles. I've always said that the first two goals of our business are (1) to run our business in harmony with God's laws, and (2) to focus on people more than money. And that's what we've tried to do. We close early so our employees can see their families at night. We keep our stores closed on Sundays, one of the week's biggest shopping days, so that our workers and their families can enjoy a day of rest. We believe that it is by God's grace that Hobby Lobby has endured, and he has blessed us and our employees. We've not only added jobs in a weak economy, we've raised wages for the past four years in a row. Our full-time employees start at 80% above minimum wage.

But now, our government threatens to change all of that. A new government health care mandate says that our family business MUST provide what I believe are abortion-causing drugs as part of our health insurance. Being Christians, we don't pay for drugs that might cause abortions, which means that we don't cover emergency contraception, the morning-after pill or the week- after pill. We believe doing so might end a life after the moment of conception, something that is contrary to our most important beliefs. It goes against the Biblical principles on which we have run this company since day one. If we refuse to comply, we could face $1.3 million PER DAY in government fines.

Our government threatens to fine job creators in a bad economy. Our government threatens to fine a company that's raised wages four years running. Our government threatens to fine a family for running its business according to its beliefs. It's not right. I know people will say we ought to follow the rules; that it's the same for everybody. But that's not true. The government has exempted thousands of companies from this mandate, for reasons of convenience or cost. But it won't exempt them for reasons of religious belief.

So, Hobby Lobby and my family are forced to make a choice. With great reluctance, we filed a lawsuit today, represented by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, asking a federal court to stop this mandate before it hurts our business. We don't like to go running into court, but we no longer have a choice. We believe people are more important than the bottom line and that honoring God is more important than turning a profit.

My family has lived the American dream. We want to continue growing our company and providing great jobs for thousands of employees, but the government is going to make that much more difficult. The government is forcing us to choose between following our faith and following the law. I say that's a choice no American and no American business should have to make.

The government cannot force you to follow laws that go against your fundamental religious belief. They have exempted thousands of companies but will not except Christian organizations including the Catholic church.

Sincerely,

David Green, CEO and Founder of Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc.

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Sooooo, on January 5th there was a call for families to go and support Hobby Lobby. We did!  We bought a sweet rocket and engine.  Its gonna be fun to launch it. 

We are so proud of you, Hobby Lobby, for making a stand against having to provide your employees the morning after pill.  Let God be true & every man a liar.

Traveling with Nine

On the way back from visiting my good friend we took a stop for a potty break.  My kids still try to convince me they don't need to potty. Yeah sure. We always make them go anyway because I know they'll ask ten minutes after we leave.  Especially when there is a lot of people in the family. Whether its the mall or a rest stop EVERYONE is going at the same time.  This stop is our favorite because of the view!  Sooooo pretty. Its a pretty popular stop so its fun to see all the different places people are coming from.

My friend is going through a huge change in her life and we hoped we could just give encouragement and lots of hugs.  Changes are not always easy and can be kind of a shock too. I know! 

Well, here are some great pics of the beautiful view!  ;)  Turns out we visited my friend during the coldest times they've had in awhile. I'm glad since half my kids have never seen snow.

Taking a Trip to See My Best Friend

My best friend recently moved away.  Now both my friends live far from me. IIIIIII couldn't take it anymore and asked my husband if we could take a trip out to see her and her kids.  I would do anything I could make it happen.  I'm kind of a last minute person so I asked my husband on Sunday night and we left Monday morning.  I got up early to go get an oil change and a spare tire put on van. I let my husband sleep while I did this because he was doing me a huge favor.  I packed everything for my whole family the night before. So.... here is our adventure!

We headed out Monday around noon.  Its super hard to pack for 9 people, get the oil changed and new tire for van, plus make sure all animals are cared for..... all last minute.  Whew!  By the time we headed out in the morning we didn't get to her place till 3pm.  It was snowing and we were FREEZING!

We hugged, she cried (I do inside because I'm embarrassed to show that emotion), and we got caught up on each other's news. We grabbed her and her kids out of her place and demanded she come have fun with us!

We took her to the store and purchased her a microwave as a housewarming gift.  That was Charles' idea since her status is now single .... :( ..... and she has 3 kids.  Then we took her and her kids out to a buffet and had so much fun ignoring our diets.... ahem.

We completely crammed her apartment that night but we stayed awake till we fell over from exhaustion.  Since it was New Years Eve we celebrated outside with fireworks extremely close.  It was great!  

Ahhhh.... I hope to see her again soon.  I guess I kinda have an excuse since we accidentally grabbed her storage room keys. I'd rather personally deliver it than mail it to her. ;)

Flu and Holiday Weekend

Awwww.... nothing like the holidays, pretty lights, presents, AND the flu. Phooey.  This has been medicine central as I have alllll of my medicines along with giving all the kids medicine for their fevers. It never gets all the kids at the same time. Its more like a domino effect.  Thankfully its been super relaxing the last few days and we've just had time to kill and heal.  Juliet so far has escaped any sickness and I pray it stays that way!  ;)

I lost four chickens and one bunny so far this winter. The kids are pretty sad about it. We are animal lovers and take it hard when even a silly chicken dies.  Even though we had a heating lamp it was still too cold for them. Thankfully Chickenbutt (name of our oldest egg laying hen) is big enough to create her own warmth.  We went ahead and moved our remaining bunnies and chickens inside. It also means we have to light more candles.  These are not good smelling animals.  Have you ever heard of a fragrance called Le Stablês?  Just kidding. 

Anyway, we are looking forward to the New Year. A little hesitant because of the president that is remaining but God is still on the throne!

Soft Hearts for Christ

Wow, we had a fantastic Christmas and I so hope you had one too! We always see Charles' family on Christmas Eve and my family on Christmas day. It works out awesome. Ryan was the star in the play at church and.... omgosh.... he was AMAZING. I always knew he was a good actor at home but he blew us away on the stage. They are putting together a DVD for me so I will show you when I get the chance.

We have this week off from homeschooling and I am so happy for the break. So, so happy. Its no piece of cake having to homeschool.  Along with homeschooling we have our daily Bible studies and sometimes I wonder if anything is getting through to them. However, at church I've been noticing how much they go to pray at the alter in response to the message.  Then my heart is glad. I know kids can be self conscious and tend to worry who is watching them. Picture shows Ashley (in pink) praying with other girls. The other picture is of Caleb. Then one of Chaz and Kyle (two little guys in blue) at the alter. So sweet!

Juliet is keeping me up most of the night.  The reason she has such bad sleeping habits is because her crib is in my room. I don't let her fuss because Charles has to get up early for work. Soooo now she is a super light sleeper. LOL.  I love that little stinker even though I'm more tired because of her. She is so worth it.

Growing Babies and Nerve Blocks

Juliet is all over the place. She started crawling just before 7 months and now that she is 7 months she's standing. That is wild! I have to lower her crib mattress today because she pulls herself up in her crib (like in pic).  I usually wake up each morning to her squeals and giggles while she's looking at me. She's such a sunshine. Anyhow, she's getting a saucer for Christmas.  Thank goodness!

Thank you so much for all your notes of well wishes!  My head hurts nonstop now and I just try to get used to it. It gets worse at night. I guess maybe I do need to get that nerve block done in my head but I'm just chicken about it. I met a lady today that has kind of the same issue and had it done too. She had it done several times and said it hurts. However,  it'll help. Blah ..... I don't really want to think about it.

My Meeting with a Neurologist

I'm so grateful I finally got to meet with a head specialist today. No more doctors just blowing me off telling me its all in my head (no pun intended).  The Neurologist knew exactly what was causing my pain.  He said its Occipital Neuralgia.  Treatment is medication for the nerves in my head, laying on a heating pad at night, and rest.  If that doesn't work I'll get a nerve block. Basically a shot given in my head several times. Ohhhhh, I hate even thinking about that. I'm supposed to rest yet I lay here at 2am with no way to lay my head that doesn't cause pain. I can't lay on my face so I'm just dealing with it. Ohhhh man.... just want the pain to be gone. I still have questions about my joint pain and thyroid issues but I need to just take one issue at a time. I want to be my old self again and active. These darn medicines make me tired all the time.

Anyway,  the good news is we are so excited for CHRISTmas!  Are you?  Don't forget to reach out to someone who is alone for the holidays. We picked someone this year who is about to get some goodies and a present. They have no family anywhere and I'll bet it'll bring cheer! 

Pictures: we borrow pets from our neighbors to cuddle and then send back at the end of the day. Tee hee.

Everyday Challenges and A Time for Giving

Each day certainly has their joys and their challenges.  We start our day off with Bible study.  As much as I wanted to discuss the subject of giving, we had to switch it to contention.  Even during the study, lately I've had to break up arguments in the middle of it. We've been studying Ephesians 4:29-32. Well, it feels like I'm getting nowhere with them although I really hope I am. I am trying to keep the Scriptures alive in my kids hearts throughout the day. "Lord, please tell me I am getting somewhere with these stinkers." 

Juliet is crawling!   She just turned seven months which has always been the month they crawl. Here is the hard part... Juliet no longer is happy to be in her safe playpen. She wants the freedom of the house. Well, with all these kids running around its not so safe. Although there is always someone watching out for her, there are still little things she can put in her mouth. This week I am buying her a walker.  All my kids loved them and they eventually learned how to easily glide around safely.  :)

Recently I had an MRI done of my brain and it came out totally clean.  Hmmmm.... well, the doctor I was discussing it with kept referring to the pain in my head as a regular headache. I kept correcting him that I'm not getting those kinds of headaches.  It kept really talking down to me and treating me like I was an idiot.  Oh my goodness. Just talking to him made my head start hurting and I wanted to just get out of there. He's not an expert of Neurology so I tried to just let it roll off my back. I tried to explain to him that it shouldn't be normal to have pain just brushing my hair or even just touching my head. It can't be normal that I can't lay on my side because it'll cause my temples to hurt. He just shrugged his shoulders at me. My goodness, it was frustrating.    Its frustrating just to talk about it. Onward ....

My brother-in-law was heading deep into Mexico to see his family. The poor here in America is rich in comparison to where his family lives.  I had been discussing with the kids last week about reaching out to the poor. Over and over in the Bible it talks about reaching out to them. Well, we just happened to have watched a Duggar episode on DVD about them going into El Salvador.  The kids were sad and shocked by the conditions there. That day my sister-in-law called me up last minute to tell me about her husband's trip and asked if I had any donations.  Did I? Sure!  We ran around the house with only an hour to find stuff to give away. Somehow we found enough children and adult clothes to fill up a huge black bag. I added a bag of cloth diapers and another couple of bags of toothpaste and other hygiene products.  Ohhhh, if only we had more time. I emptied half of my clothes closet and went through things as fast as I could. I know its a dangerous trip for Juan to make to his family.  He missed them greatly and doesn't get to make the far trip very often.  A couple of years ago his family was in a flood and it broke our hearts that the news didn't even bother to cover it. Anyway, I'm so happy he got to make a visit and bring a small U-Haul of basic necessities. 

Laundry Love and Baby Steps

My mom has been washing a lot of my laundry since I haven't been feeling well. One of the pictures shows my dad carrying my boys pants to his house to be washed.  Amazing!  That is such a blessing. At church our pastor prayed for me and I've really noticed an improvement.  I still get tired quick but I'm not in as much pain and my thyroid seems to have improved. It doesn't feel swollen.

I've gotten behind greatly on the house because its harder to keep up with less energy. I have to remind myself over and over (and over and over) that its about raising my kids.  Its not about a perfect house (its never perfect anyway) . Oh, the battles in my mind are constant and tiring.  I guess if I'm gonna be dealing with this stuff I'm gonna have to simplify my house even more to keep up.

The kids have been so cute. Juliet is barely starting to crawl. She talks.to her dad every morning while he's getting ready for work. They have their own conversations going and she gets so excited.  Yesterday she leaned over to give me a kiss.  Oh man, I'm the luckiest lady on the planet!

Taking My Herd and Tired Body to the Mall

December 5th was our 14th wedding anniversary.  It was a Wednesday. Not only was it a church night but we didn't have sitters anyway.  Charles brought home these beautiful flowers along with a present.  His card and words were amazing. He makes me feel cherished.  ;)

By Saturday I just felt worn down. All this up and down stuff with doctors, trying to keep up with the house and homeschool,  it was just harder than usual.  Usually I am just packed full if energy and rarely ever sit down. I have to stay busy and love to. Now, I'm wiped out pretty quick and have to take rests. It's okay, just different.  My mom has just been amazing. She has been picking up our dirty laundry and taking the kids places to let me rest. I know it's not easy for her and she is disrupting her routine for me.

By Saturday I just desperately needed to get out. Charles took us to the mall. We played games, rode a theatre roller coaster, ate at the food court with my dad, and walked around just having fun looking at everything.  At one point I couldn't take it anymore, found a corner, and just sat down on the floor. I was completely exhausted and couldn't do it anymore. Everyone waited till I got back up and then we had some more fun. ;)   It was such a wonderfully great night and much, much needed.

7 month old Juliet wearing a mask. :D

My dad came and hung out with us

Caleb holding my hand



Watching the coins spin around



Inside the "roller coaster theatre"



Destressing With 7 Kids

I hate to admit weakness. I hate writing about it. I lay here in the darkness listening to Juliet trying to soothe herself to sleep. She is overly tired and fighting to stay awake. I calmly from across the room tell her its okay, hoping it will settle her. I hear three year Caleb in the kitchen having a late night snack of Tortillini soup. I lay in the dark to destress as the doctor ordered me to.

Its next to impossible with a larger family and no older kids. I love this season of my life and never wish my kids older. Sigh. Why do I have to constantly take breaks and lay down? I try to ignore my head, hot flashes, and the lightheadedness I feel. I like to pretend I'm my normal active self. I try to ignore the fact that a string of tests given by a Neurologist is ahead of me. I don't want to pee in a jug for 24 hours and then lug it into a crowded office.  I just want to wake up each morning like I always did, have Bible study with the kids, homeschool and then do chores. I love to cook, find new meals to make, and enjoy running around and playing games with the kids. I don't want to have consequences from just taking care of my kids I adore.

No matter how hard my days can be at times, I love every minute and never wish anything away. Having so many kids makes my work load so much harder but I would never trade it for anything.  Yes, I deal with attitudes,  rebellion, arguing, and laziness.  I tell them every single day we will fight against these things and never give up. Its in all of us and I tell them "there go I but for the grace of God."

If I cry, get upset, or stressed, I feel blood rushing to my head. Its the weirdest thing but I don't know why it does that. I wish I could know sooner but it seems to take so long to get seen by a specialist. 

My friend holding Caleb

I've been really sad about a friend moving away. The doctor told me to avoid anything stressful. Well, she is in a very stressful situation and it kills me that all I can do is talk to her on the phone. I feel like my limitations were causing me to abandon her. Even talking about this makes my head feel tight again and my throat constrict. I feel like a bad friend right now having to only talk to her and pray.  I know prayer is a lot but I hope you know what I mean.

A Better Day Than Last

Yesterday was a great day!  I'm taking nerve pain medicine and so the pain has really gone down.  I woke up yesterday feeling fantastic.  I was excited to attack my house. Man, one day of not cleaning can make a house fall apart when you have a lot of kids. First we had Bible study with the kids. It was extra long because we were picking out a new character quality to study. I had one picked out that had to do with being content with what you have. That is until I looked up and saw all the kids arguing on the couch. Okaaaay, so I went ahead and picked Meekness vs. Anger. Yeah, that was more like it. We spent some time looking up scriptures and reading a story about dealing with anger. Then we read two chapters out of the book 90 minutes in Heaven. Wow, what an amazing book!  This guy had died for a whole 90 minutes.  Think about it. Its on record that he was dead for an hour and a half. The fact that he is fine and not a vegetable is a miracle in of itself.

The rest of the day we worked on our chores and then homeschooled. We are usually done by 3:30pm every day. Trust me, although we've been doing set chores for several years, it doesn't mean I don't have a battle. Especially when we are coming off the weekend where we are busy doing stuff. They get out of their routine quick and it can be a battle to stay consistent. Its completely worth it to fight for it every day. Laziness comes quickly and I have to battle it with my kids constantly.  Some people tell me they give up on their kids because its too much of a battle. Believe me, I know.  I've battled my kids for several years.  However, I can't let them get away with laziness because some day they will have to have jobs and/or their home to care for. It will do them an injustice to pave them an easy and lazy street. Laziness is in all of us, I was probably a true case a decade ago. I finally figured out that I was a grown woman and no one was gonna pick up after me. It was either sit down and wait for the house to clean itself or start pushing myself to be a better housekeeper. Back then I didn't have old enough kids to start helping with the chores. I'm glad I fought the battle long ago on myself so I could train my kids properly.  My poor mom, she tried so hard to get me to learn this but I was so stubborn.  Back then I guess I thought when I got married the house would come equipped with robots to clean.

 

Last night my neighbor asked if I could help her get her medicine.  We take the same kind. She also needed me to take her to Home Depot for some stuff she needs.  Yeah!  I love that store.  I prefer that place over going to the mall. While there I bought some plants for my backyard. The garden is my favorite area to go and always calms me down if I'm feeling any stress.
Well, today we are working with the kids to make a fire escape plan. Its about time we talk about what to do in case of a fire. I don't know why I took so long to do this, it just didn't occur to me before. So now is the time.  ;)
Pictures: Kyle and Juliet, Ivy put glasses on her baby sister