Here We Go Again

It's off to the races, as my dad says.  My pajama project for Christmas has begun again.  I ordered my material, got it in, washed it, and set it out waiting to be cut and sewed into our annual Christmas jammies.  This year I am using the ping pong table to cut out the patterns. I think it is working nicely.  Such an ordeal.  Finally today I began really getting down to work.  I had really hoped to have gotten more done, as I am a bit behind, but we got a good start and with all the help from my girls, we'll get them done.  It is hard to find the time.

This year has been especially busy.  We have been trying to get Isabella in to the right therapies to help her.  I wish I could be enough but she is still not talking and needs lots of supervision.  I was blessed to have a friend recommend a wonderful Christian home school mom/physical therapist/natural path who has been where I am, with one of her own children.  She has been able to answer some of my questions, provide insight, and give helpful ideas.  Also, she recommended a speech therapy center.  This week we had our speech eval at this center and Isabella scored extremely low.  They had set us up with a speech therapist who offered great encouragement and told me her story about her own child.  It sounded so much like my story with Isabella.  Somedays I feel like we're the only ones going through such struggles but hearing other people with similar personal experiences, who are trying to help Isabella, brings such encouragement.  Next month we begin occupational therapy, have neurological testing, and meet with a geneticist.  It is like I want the answer to what is going on but am fearful of the answer they might give.  Then I find I have been having a hard time not getting offended by comments made by other people lately.  I look at my beautiful little girl, my heavenly Father gave us and I just want to wrap my arms around her and protect her from everything.   I know that God is with us and He is so much bigger than any of this.  I hope I can be an encouragement to someone out there.  God is never surprised.  He doesn't ever say, "Wow, I didn't see that one coming."  I find in my moments of despair, when I surrender and fall down at His feet, He is there to lift me up.  Rachel Wissmann wrote a song we sang in Bright Lights called "I am your Shield."  Sierra will sometimes play it for us on the piano.  It is a beautiful encouraging song and I recommend it.

Other than that we canned 24 quarts of apples, thank you Amy.  We also froze several bags of carrots from our garden and made a yummy carrot cake with some of our carrots.  Today we made carmel apples with apples we got from my Grandma's tree.  I posted that recipe in 2011 under recipes.  School has been going great.  Sierra, Danika, and Cassandra are in horse riding lessons, thank you Mom and Shana.  The girls are loving it and Cassie is quite fearless.  I'll have to get some picture of that but for now enjoy some other fun pictures.   Have a great day and remember God is always more than enough.

Alicia

my little "Belly Bear"

Aidric never shies from the camera and his sissies love taking his picture

Cassie loves matching Isabella

my big boy figuring out the mirror

Carrot Cake

2 eggs

1/4 cup butter milk

1 tsp vanilla 1 3/4 cup shredded carrots

1 1/3 cup sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

2 tsp ginger

mix 

combine and fold in...

2 cups flour 

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

bake 350 degrees.  Top with cream cheese icing.  Yum.