Dear Friends,

Today was another mile-stone for us.  We had our first OB appointment with the High Risk specialist.  The appointment was 3 hours long and quite eventful. 

We started out at the desk where we filled out the usual paperwork and back I went to run to the bathroom stop.  I went into a room on my own as the nurse (Karen) asked for information.  I am 35 now, and not considered a spring chicken anymore, so they asked right away for genetic testing and an Amnio.  I denied the tests and signed papers denying each genetic test.  While I'm sure they have their reasons for them, I find no cause for us to have them.  If God created this little Miracle and has since continued to care for him or her, I am faithfully trusting HE will know best and there is no reason to cause fear and discontentment.  God doesn't create trash and thus, our baby is wanted no matter the outcome.  While we pray our baby is healthy and happy, we also accept it's diversity if he or she has a genetic predisposition.  I find no good in this testing for me and actually put more trust that God knows what He is doing with the miracle He has created as our Great Physician.  Praise Be To God for such a miraculous creation!

My husband was brought in the room shortly after, where we discussed insulin questions and agreed to focus on getting the "pump" for insulin regulation.  We want to keep this baby safe and having regular "good" readings  through pump regulation will help lessen a WHOLE lot of stress.  So I'm doing the paperwork as we speak, will call the company on Monday who will get the ball rolling with our insurance company ((please pray Pomco doesn't give us any problems. The sooner I get on the insulin pump, the better and healthier it is for me AND the baby)).  If all goes well, in a month or two, I will be hospitalized for 2-3 days to place the cathetor and pump inlay.  I'm hospitalized because I'm pregnant and they MUST watch the baby.

After our questions were answered, I asked if they would give me a sonogram to date the baby and make sure our baby was doing well.  We got into the room, and the Dr. couldn't see anything or hear anything.  My heart skipped a beat...but I just kept praying that God would again provide a miracle to see the baby and hear his or her heartbeat so early.

He got up and asked to have a pelvic sonogram done to get a closer look.  While we waited, I had the basic checkup done, breast exam, paps, heart rate, etc.  Then was led to the room with the sono technician.

She too had a hard time seeing the baby and then had me put both hands under my back and lift my bum up.  Sure enough...there was our wee little one with a heart.  The heart monitor was flat and I began to pray again to ask God to help us hear the babys heartbeat.  Please God....Let us hear the babys heartbeat.  Bless us dear Father with Your presence.  Give us confirmation though many have said it's too early.  Sure enough......We heart the heart beating.  Praise God!  129 was the heart rate.  Not only was there a heartbeat, but a GOOD heart rate.  We prayed and God answered.

Shortly after, we found out we are 6w3d and are due February 23, though the Dr. is confident it will be earlier.  Would you believe our Wedding anniversary is February 9th?  What a blessed month in February....when most find winter to be a time of death and spring to be a rebirth, I have found nothing but LIFE in the winter.  God has been VERY good to us and my life is an absolute testimony to His grace, love, protection and mercy.  I do not deserve anything I have, yet I am blessed by His gifts and am content where we ARE.

Again, Praise Be To God.  My Cup Runneth Over!

I know, Summer just started, and I'm talking about Fall already! 

But, in order to have a Fall garden, some things should be done now- planning, ordering seed, planting seeds to transplant into the garden when it is time, adding compost or any other needed soil builders, etc.   

In my area, July 1 was the suggested date for planting tomato, pepper, and eggplant seed.  I'm a few days behind schedule, mainly because I'm trying to keep up with harvesting the tomatoes that are ripening like crazy right now!   

Most of the Fall planting for my area comes a little later, since July and  August are always HOT.   The bulk of  planting comes from September to November.  But, if I don't at least make a plan now and make sure I have seeds ready, I may miss my planting date when it arrives. 

Many of the same vegetables that grow in the Spring garden can be replanted for Fall, they like the cool weather and will do well if they have time to mature before a frost gets them.  You can probably get a list of what grows well in your area in the Fall either online, from a local nursery, or from your County Extension Agent. 

Here's a little chart to show when the first predicted Fall frost date is:

Zone 3 - Sept 1st - 30th
Zone 4 - Sept 1st - 30th
Zone 5 - Sept 30th - Oct 30th
Zone 6 - Sept 30th - Oct 30th
Zone 7 - Oct 15th - Nov 15th
Zone 8 - Oct 30th - Nov 30th
Zone 9 - Nov 30th - Dec 30th
Zone 10 - Nov 30th - Dec 30th
Zone 11 - Frost Free

If you aren't sure what zone you live in, here's a map that will show you.

With that information you can see how long it takes a particular crop to mature and then count backwards to get an estimated planting date.  Of course, it all depends on the weather, and it is good to give your plants at least a week or two of a head-start if your area often has early frosts.  I live in Zone 8, and sometimes we don't even have a frost until close to Thanksgiving.  Fall is a great time for growing here. 

Please share what you grow in your Fall garden and any tips you have.  Those of you who live in colder climates, please share your wisdom, as this Texas gardener has never had to garden where it really gets cold !

Hope you have a great holiday weekend, and maybe next week, spend some time planning (and perhaps planting) for the Fall garden!

Blessings,

Catherine

Tomorrow (Friday) at 1045am, we'll be going to the high risk OB for a checkup, to deal with the diabetes numbers as well as maybe fit in an ultrasound to date the baby. 

We could really use your continued prayers.  We're praying our little one is developing on target and HCG numbers are continuing to double.  I pray daily with thanksgiving for our little miracle and ask the Lord to strengthen my womb as the baby's home for 8 months and help give me an environment with less tension.

God is good and I know He created this miracle.  Seeing other women who have PCOS as I do and hearing their excitement tailed with skepticism is making me slightly anxious though.  I have had to take several steps back from mothering sites with women who deal with PCOS as I do.  I just find it hard to keep faith in Gods plan and not look to the "what if's". 

I'm early and sometimes I have wondered why I'm not feeling this way or that way.  But in the end, I know God is creating and developing this little miracle and I cannot RUSH Him, nor should I question or control His outcome.  I have gathered over the years that HE knows best and loves me SO much.  This waiting stuff has me out of my comfort zone.  I cannot control my surroundings, nor any outcome.  Isn't it just like God to say, "hey!  I created YOU, I know what I'm doing and you need to get your hands out of the control box and let ME do what I DO". 

I can hear His gentle voice reassuring me that all is well and think of how much I REALLY love my Heavenly Father.

At a time when everything is up in the air, HE is the only thing that is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.  I can ALWAYS count on Him and HE gives me peace in my spirit.

Even as I type this, I see my Title and think, what have I got to be anxious for?  God says, "Be anxious for nothing, but in EVERYTHING by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; -Philippians 4:6

Thanks for listening as I share my heart with you today.  I look forward to tomorrow with hopes that we will see our little one in the ultrasound and hear his or her heartbeat for the first time.  Oh Lord, Hear my prayer.....please grant me this desire to hear my babys heartbeat and for us both to see that he or she is doing well under YOUR great hands as The Great Physician.  Thank you for this gift Lord and thank you for the greatest gift of Salvation.  I pray our child/ren will grow up seeking YOU and be Godly young men and women.  To YOU be the Glory Father.  Praise be to God.  Amen!

We are leaving tomorrow to go to Ohio with a stop in horse country.  My in-laws live in Northern Ohio so we go to see them only twice a year (Thanksgiving week and 4th of July week).  We leave tomorrow morning and will stop in Lexington where my sister and her family are meeting us.  The kids love to stay in a hotel so they are anticipating that!  Then Saturday morning we will head up to Buckeye state.  I hope to have pictures and details of our travels after we return on the 11th.  Y'all take care! 

Happy Independence Day!!!!

***If you are on Facebook, feel free to join me on my travels because I have it loaded onto my phone.  If you're not my friend on there let me know and I'll add you.  You can find me under Farrah Cook Ginter.

Avocado Salsa
Yield: 4 Servings
Sort of a combination of salsa and guacamole, this dip is sure to please lovers of both. If you like your salsa hotter, add another jalapeno or a few drops of Tabasco sauce.

1 avocado, peeled and diced
1/2 c Tomato, Chopped
1/2 c Red Onion, Chopped
1/4 c Green Bell Peppers, Chopped
1 Jalapeño, Finely Chopped
1/2 t Garlic, Minced
2 T red wine vinegar
1 T olive oil

Combine the vegetables in a medium bowl. Mash the garlic with salt in a cup or small bowl. Add the vinegar and oil to the garlic. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss to combine the ingredients. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

When I read the following excerpt from Managing A Home by Crystal Miller in the Homestead Happenings newsletter this morning, I just had to e-mail her and ask permission to post it here on the Front Porch.  Some of our new bloggers may not be familiar with Crystal's newletter or her Country Store, and I don't want anyone to miss out on the blessing of what she has to offer!  The article spoke to my home-maker's heart and was both an encouragement and a reminder that I need to be diligent in caring for my home and family.  Hope you enjoy the article as much as I did.

Blessings,

Catherine

Home Management and Making a Home
By Crystal Miller

When I think of the word “Homemaking” I think of the word as “Making a Home”. Homemaking is all that goes into making my house a home. Due to my home being a priority to me and perhaps because I have a large family I feel like much of homemaking is good home management. I have felt that it takes a well functioning home to feel like a comfortable home. A home where your family enjoys the time spent and others like to come to your home for refreshment and encouragement. I personally feel like it is hard for me to nurture my family and reach out to others if my life and home are not functioning as they should.

In order to manage a home you have to have a plan. You have to have a basic daily plan on how to keep the home flowing and the work done. A plan consists of routines, good time management, chores maintained, systems of organization, and tools to help you keep it all in order and keep the wheels moving forward in your home. Remember that one of the most important aspects of being a homemaker is creating a loving and peaceful environment for your family.

The housekeeping plan you use needs to be one that works for you and your life. I have read lots of books and read many ideas and used different plans, but ultimately these plans and ideas were not the end in themselves, they were the means to creating my own plan. My home is unique and so is yours. I don’t believe we could follow someone else’s plan exactly and have it work for us. We will tweak it and modify and then find something else and say, “Oh that might work” and try it and tweak that, etc., until after a time what you have is “your” plan.

Obstacles to Planning

Our Attitude
There are obstacles that can make a home management plan difficult. One is our attitude about cleaning a house. Being a homemaker is hard work and it takes a positive attitude and a lot of energy and determination each day. The beauty of it all is that with the right attitude caring for our home can be one of those areas in life where we can learn to get into the rhythm of the tasks and learn to appreciate things like warm soapy dishwater on our cold winter-time hands, the soothing hum of a washing machine going, the smell of dinner wafting through the home, the beauty of a shiny clean kitchen floor, the peace that comes from a home where all is clean and in order.

Any woman can choose to believe that their job is drudgery or they can choose to view it as a service to Christ. I believe that being a homemaker is a ministry of service and love unto Christ to those the Lord has given me to love, nurture and care for. My husband and family are the ones that mean the most to me; they are the closest to my heart. They are the first and foremost ministry in my life. If I begin to think of other things I would rather be doing then laundry, cooking, cleaning, etc., I realize that I have neglected to view my role from God’s perspective and that is as His servant. There is something humbling about serving others, washing the feet of our loved ones in these tasks; something that can, if we allow it, help to put our heart and attitudes in the right place. It can change our view of the work we do each day. If Jesus walked into your home you would do everything possible to serve Him while He was in your home. Well ladies, He IS in your home and you are serving Him each day as you go about your task of raising up godly children and caring for and keeping a home for you husband and family (Matt. 25:40 And the King will answer and say to them, ”Assuredly, I say to you inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me”).

Busyness
Many years ago when I began my quest to manage my home better I evaluated all the busyness in my life and looked at what things might be preventing me from managing my home better. I decided that if I am not able to take care of my home in such a way that shows that I have control over my domain then I may need to lessen what I currently have going on and not add any more to my schedule.

I have always been a person who would bite off more than I could chew so to speak. I don’t think I am alone with this either, as I talk to other women who deal with the same issue. I would take on more projects than I could handle, I volunteered for more than I should have, and I made plans that were beyond my abilities or time. The end result was always the same; something would suffer.

When I am too busy the first thing to suffer is always my home. It becomes a mess, laundry backs up, and clutter is a big problem. Then my children are next; attitude problems, discipline issues not being handled well, little ones not getting enough mommy time. Of course meals suffer; boxed cereal, instant, expensive and typically unhealthy food is served. All for the sake of not having my home under control.

The dividing line for outside busyness and effectively managing a home will be drawn in a different place for each of us. I am not saying that all outside activity needs to stop, that would be unrealistic. But rather when life has too much going on, it is much more difficult to manage a home as it should be managed. I had to make very different choices in my life in order to achieve my goals.

Time Management
Problems in good home management can also come from our time not being used as efficiently as possible. I know that it can be somewhat depressing for someone to look around and see that they don’t have control over their home or don’t have as much control as they feel they should and think it is hopeless, I might as well just continue on because I can’t ever get it under control. But let me encourage you that my experience is that as I have worked to organize, deal with clutter, create and implement systems of operation in my home and learn to use my time wisely that my skill level in these areas has increased, my efficiency has increased and I am able to train my children to work along side me and eventually move beyond the basics and accomplish other things in my life.

The first thing to remember is that there are only 24 hours in a day. We can’t expect to find anymore time available than this! We need to sleep a certain amount of those hours; we need wake up time and unwinding time and personal time. That calculates into only so many available hours to do all the other things we would like. These available hours should be viewed as precious time to accomplish the work the Lord has given us!

Be realistic about what you can do with the hours you have. Know your limits, your strengths and your weaknesses. I remember planting a huge garden one year. That was great except for the fact that I was due to have my 5th baby at the beginning of September. The same time all my tomatoes were ripe and ready. I personally did not have the energy to go from birth to canning in the same week! I was still struggling to care for my new baby (which was the 3rd baby in less in than 3 years) and recover and regain some energy. I was not very realistic about what I could accomplish. I wanted to do it all and I physically could not.

Recognize the things in our life that rob time from us. Over commitment, the telephone, the computer, laziness, hobbies that need to put off until the house is in order. Once you have a good handle on time management you will find it much simpler to accomplish the basic priorities.

In Summary
Time spent making and managing a home for my family will be a value passed on not only to my children but to future generations too. I think of the legacy left to me by my hard working, home loving, dedicated grandmothers and I know I can leave this same legacy for my grandchildren.

Managing my home is a mission that the Lord has given me. I always want to remember that homemaking is not a job to be avoided but a job to embrace and live to its’ full potential. This is one major area that is so easy to run from. It can be hard work to run a well managed home. This is a challenge that we as homemakers can embrace and be successful. It requires a determination to succeed and a plan. I don’t mind hard work and I don’t mind working towards these goals when I know that my hard work and my goals are for the purpose of something worthy. And certainly raising a family in such a way as to honor Christ is a worthy purpose.

An excerpt from:
Managing a Home: Tips, Organizational Advice and Practical
How-To’s from a Mother of 8
A new eBook from The Family Homestead