Preparing My Large Family for Possible Food Crisis

I'm NOT saying anything is gonna happen. But not even a job is guaranteed these days. We've been there where we were living high and my husband's whole career crashed under him. We were NOT prepared. Yeah, he wasn't lazy but the only jobs available were looooow paying. Four years of learning to be grateful we had each other and grateful he HAD A JOB. Those were good years and I'm glad he's back in his field. However, I don't want to be caught off guard again.

Lately I've been thinking a lot about how to take care of my family if there is any sort of food crisis. What if we need to live off basics? I know there are lots of easy foods out there and packaged stuff we just pull from the freezer. So, the last week I made myself (and enjoyed it) learn how to cook from the bare basics. I have chickens, which is so easy and awesome. I need to have at the minimum 18 chickens to have enough eggs each day for all of us. We lost a few chickens thru the heat of the summer. I would've met my goal. Now I only have 8.  :P I am buying 10 gallon buckets worth of flour, sugar, and Krusteaz mix. I have 10 gallons of powdered milk. The really, really good kind. So, I am building up my supply. Don't worry, we drink regular dairy milk every day. But what if milk became a scarcity?  So, I'm not trying to overreact about anything. I just feel it's wise not to live paycheck to paycheck thinking money is always guaranteed.

I did so much baking these last 2 weeks I gained 8lbs!  Agh! Yikes! Whyyyyyy? Man, I cooked killer good. Even made my own pasta and homemade sauce. I felt like I was going waaaaay back. Just need my own vegetable garden again and we'll be set!

My Forgotten Love

I kind of got caught up in life and forgot how much I love to bake. I mean, it truly is a love of mine. Back in the day I had plans to try and go into culinary school but got a little distracted. I had met a boy and lost focus on that. It's always been a desire and maybe someday I can fulfill that dream. For now, my husband and kids 100% have all my attention. Not too long ago a pastor came up to me that knew me from years ago and asked if I ever got to go. I told him no. He asked what happened and I replied that I got married! Ha. Now I'm earning the marriage and parenting degree. When I graduate somewhat I'll focus some elsewhere. Knowing me, my grandkids will be a huge part of my life. I hope!!

I don't really like cooking but more like baking. To me, cooking is kind of just putting together ingredients. Well, it's still a talent! However, I love baking because it feels like creating something from the very, very bare basics! That's fun! I could create all day but I have soooo many other responsibilities. While I'm baking in the kitchen, the rest of the house is falling apart. :P

Switching Out the Ugly Couch

Our living room couch has been seriously falling apart for some time now. I don't worship furniture so since it didn't hold up for our family then it was never good enough anyway. We have to be able to flip over and flop down without worrying it's gonna fall apart. So next time we'll have to pick our couches a little better. ;)

I absolutely don't want to go into debt for couches so I had been eyeing Charles' gameroom futon for some time. He was saying it's his, his, his. But I'm saying how much I despise the large falling apart couch and it's annoying to keep picking up the white stuff that falls out. So one day while he was at work I asked my big boys help me to make the switch. I just had to say how much I needed some really strong boys and they came running to help. Heh heh. That's the key, ladies. No nagging needed. Just point out the muscle factor. In no time we had it switched. Charles came home that night and was like, "Hey, that's my couch!" It's only temporary so he was cool with it after about a minute.  So much simpler this way for now. Eventually hoping to get a sectional. ;)

3 Things I've Learned In Our 3rd Year of Homeschooling

I feel like every year we are homeschooling the closer I've gotten to understanding how some of it works better. I know one thing is for sure.

1. IT'S A HUGE SACRIFICE FOR MOM.

Yeah, we don't have all day to clean, wash and do our hair, make phone calls. If anything, I ignore the calls and risk people being mad at me because we can't have the distraction. We wake up, watch a moral teaching video, have bible study and discussion, watch a history video, do homeschool, then chores. By then it's about time to do my chores and then get dinner started. Sometime around 9-10pm, after I've gotten everyone settled for bed, I take my quiet time. Yeah, it's quite a busy day. A lot different when I used to put my kids on the yellow bus and wave goodbye each morning.

2. CONSISTENCY IS KEY

If kids know they can talk mom out of work they will. I thought my kids were the only ones that thought they had it hard. Nope. I meet homeschooling moms all over and often they say the same thing. Every day they have to push their kids to do their work. I know there are those dream kids somewhere that happily wait sitting at the table for their work to be assigned. I just haven't met any yet. If you have one of those, please don't tell me. I would get a little jealous. Sigh.

3. NOT EVERYTHING PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHES IS IMPORTANT .

I used to force my kids to learn history from a textbook. Often I'd catch them nodding off trying to read about the Aztecs. Now, I find videos for them or we visit museums. Sometimes we skip over things that we really feel isn't necessary to cram into their brains. I call them Ramen Noodles. Keeps them stuffed full with a whole lotta nothing. No nutritional value. Just seems like a filler.

That's it for now! Maybe after I raise all my kids I can say I figured it all out. For now, ha! I take each day at a time. For now, I'm just happy they are mine and I get to keep them all day. Once I got past the poor me, I have hardly any time for myself, I started to really enjoy my time with them. Work or just play. They are blessings.

When Plans Are Interrupted

Sometimes I make plans I can't always carry out. I don't know, like organization. This whole week I was gonna go through each room and get rid of stuff. (where does it come from?) Instead I had an extra 5 kids over. So how do I mop with 10-12 kids over? At midnight! On days where I have extra kids over I tend to just clean, clean, clean. By the end of the week I'm completely exhausted from cleaning so much. Why do I throw out my rule of putting kids first during those times? Well, because the kids are all visiting each other and I'm not usually noticed unless someone is hungry. So yeah, either someone is hungry or I gotta prevent things from turning into a complete disaster. :D It's not a problem, just tiring. When a whole tribe is within the same walls, it's just best for me to hold down the fort. Not do anything extraordinary (like organization), just keep some clean dishes available and maybe keep food cooking. Ha. You know, as tough as that can be sometimes, life is short. Visitors are a good thing. Tough days make me appreciate my busy days. I always say if you can't handle it, suck it up, get well rested, and suck it up another day. Where do you think patience comes from? Definitely not from a fairy. It's earned through hard work. Haha.

Well, what's the difference between having seven kids and 12 kids? I thought you wanted a large family? Yeah, I was eeeeeaaased into it with only one new kid at a time. It took an adjustment each time until things worked smoothly. I feel for those quintuplet mamas. Holy cow!

Wild Rides and Night Out

Recently my friends and our children went to a fun park just for Frys employees. Wow! Way better atmosphere than there usual because it was closed to the public. I've rarely taken my kids because of what kind of atmosphere there usually is there. I used to work there when I was a teen and it was way more family friendly. Seeing it the way it was the other night reminded me of how it used to be. This is definitely gonna be a yearly event!

Man, I've become such a chicken. What's wrong with me? My friend and I were discussing this and wondering why some adults get more scared as we get older. I think I know why at least for me. There is so much more at stake if an injury would occur! I have seven kids.... We'll, that's about it. I'm a mommy! I don't like to take those crazy risks anymore because of it. I was on the really long and very high zip line. I've never been on such a high one. I CLOSED MY EYES. I was praying he tied my ropes right. Aaagh! 

Grace Unplugged Movie Review and Soundtrack Giveaway!!!

I went to screen the movie Grace Unplugged at a theater near me.  I don't see many Christian movies in the theater so I was curious and excited to see this movie.  In five words....

You will NOT be disappointed!!!!

This movie is a must see and I can completely relate with Grace Trey in the story.  She grew up in a Christian home.  As stated in the movie and the book, we can't live on a borrowed faith.  We need to own it.

GO SUPPORT THIS AMAZING CHRISTIAN MOVIE IN THE THEATERS!  You won't just be there to support it, you'll be loving it!

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The music is absolutely amazing in this movie and Grace Hill Media is giving away a soundtrack!!  All you have to do is leave a comment below with your name and email and I will select a name in a couple of weeks!

  

 

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Grace Unplugged

 

 

Studio:                                                 Lionsgate

Release Date:                                      October 4, 2013

 

Running Time:                                    118 minutes

Talent:                                                 AJ Michalka

                                                            James Denton

                                                            Kevin Pollack

Director:                                             Brad J. Silverman

Screenwriter:                                     Brad J. Silverman

                                                            James Killian

                                                            Brandon Rice

 

Website:                                              www.graceunplugged.com

 

Social Media:                                      Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/GraceUnplugged  

                                                            Twitter - https://twitter.com/GraceMovie

 

Official Trailer:                                     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0zIUGjIR1Q

 

Synopsis:

A talented young singer and aspiring songwriter’s Christian faith and family ties are tested when she defies her worship-pastor father and pursues pop-music stardom in GRACE UNPLUGGED, a moving and inspiring new film that explores the true meaning of success.

 

Grace Trey has just turned 18 and aspires to do more than sing in her church’s worship band, which is led by her father, Johnny Trey, a one-time pop star who gave up his life in secular music when he became a Christian. Grace longs to escape his shadow and make a name for herself singing songs about something other than God, but Johnny warns her that fame is not as glamorous as it looks and reminds her that serving and worshipping God with the talent she’s been given is a far more worthwhile goal.

 

When Johnny’s former manager, Frank “Mossy” Mostin shows up 20 years after the two parted ways to offer him another shot at the big time, Johnny declines the opportunity. But Grace takes it – without telling her parents. She records a cover version of her father’s old Top 10 hit, runs away to Los Angeles and, under Mossy’s guidance, begins to taste the kind of success she’s always dreamed of, landing on the charts herself, attracting the attention of the entertainment press, even dating a popular TV star.  But with each rung of the ladder she climbs, Grace feels pressure to compromise her Christian values, and her relationship with her parents gets further strained. Even as plans move forward for her to record a follow-up album, Grace learns not everyone who says they’re on her side really is. The one exception is Quentin, an intern at her record company and a fellow Christian who urges Grace to reassess her choices and put God first again in her life. Will everything she experiences lead her to reject her faith … or rediscover it?

 

 

Starring AJ Michalka, James Denton, Kevin Pollack, Shawnee Smith, Michael Welch, and Jamie Grace, GRACE UNPLUGGED arrives in theaters October 4 from Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions. Inspired by a true story, GRACE UNPLUGGED is directed by Brad J. Silverman and produced by Russ Rice, the team behind NO GREATER LOVE.