Wordless Wednesday - Spring is Here!

It's been too long since I posted or participated in a wordless Wednesday. I may be a bit rusty, please bare with me :) I take tons of photos on instagram so I'll just share one of my faves.

This was just a few weeks into spring and you can see the leaves weren't fully in yet. Here's my #4 man walking his tricycle up and down the street (he can do that for hours).



Spring,
love it or hate it?

I love the warmth but hate losing the view over the river we have running behind our house.
@ChristyHomeMom

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Life's about to get CRAZY!

Iam thinking about so much these days. This baby is just 3 months away eeeek!!!! I've dropped a lot of aspects of my blog. Homeschooling is rough, my kids are growing, and some days I feel like I just can't keep up. With all of that going on my kids are still smarter than me, I think that's my biggest obstacle. How can I teach them when I don't know. My blog is still impacting in a way I'm pretty proud of, I was featured today at WeGotKidz.com. Despite it all of this my baby is growing and kicking and will be here before I know it. Hubby's business is about to jump off the ground and soar, it's like a crazy pivotal moment for so many things and my first reaction is to fall down when I should be up and running.

Storm before the Storm source

Financially our world has been turned upside down this past year. Our one family car broke down forcing us to add on another payment (conveniently after we paid the first one off) and even though it's been a year it's like we're not catching up. I see these amazing posts by mommy bloggers who feed their families of 8 with a $100 monthly budget and I really need to head out and research these gals bc we're so there.

I read a really amazing verse today that spoke directly at my circumstance, “When we were at Mount Sinai, the LORD our God said to us, ‘You have stayed at this mountain long enough..'" http://bible.us/Deut1.6.NLT I'm following Joyce Meyer's Daily Devotional on YouVersion, it's amazing, seriously the only plan I've followed over 5days. The mountain that should have only taken 40 days took 40 years for the Israelites because they were mentally stuck in slavery still.

My oldest has asked me if we are poor and I really want to say yes but poor is a way of thinking and I don't want that. I don't want that for them, I'd love to hear them say when their older, "We were poor but we never knew it". We are on a serious budget but I don't see it lasting too much longer if I can just get up and move. I'll take 40days over 400 anytime. Anyone would, why make a hard journey more difficult.

The sun's up, Run! Source

So as I fix beans and rice for dinner again I'm thankful for a family to cook for. I'm grateful for the tool this blog has become to reach out to others and receive from so many awesome moms out there. I'm excited and scared to run a work from home business and do what we've always dreamed. Instead of the calm before the storm this is more like a storm before a storm and I'm ready.







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I Met UFC Fighter Jon Jones!!!

Pic Source: facebook.com/OfficialJonnyBonesJones

If you can imagine, having 4 kids doesn't allow for The Hubs and me to have many date nights. I can't say I have high hopes this will get any better with number five just 3months away. We're lucky if we get one every other night. So instead of going out together, locating a baby sitter (for four kids, really), and using gas to pick/drop them off  we stay in and have UFC Date Nights. Hubby gets home late from work and will sometimes bring me my favorite snack, CANDY or we may just have a glass of wine, sit on the couch, and watch our favorite sport, MMA Mixed Martial Arts.

Over the years of watching there are a handful of fighters that I really like and Mr. Jon "Bones" Jones is right there at the top.

So Wed. night when hubby got a text from his friend that Jon Jones was in town for a Xyience promotion event and a local fight we packed up the kids to run out and try to meet the reigning UFC Light Heavyweight Champ.

Wednesday morning we got up with good intentions of leaving the house early. I had several errands planned and as a multitasker I always want to get as much done in one day as I can. Getting 6 people packed into a car isn't a 15min task anymore, but for some reason I always think we can do it. I have to remember it takes 30-40min of finding shoes, diaper bags, and several potty breaks to make this happen.

We finally get in the car to go and are running behind. The whole way I was just hoping we'd get to see Jon leaving or getting into his car and could say I was in the same area. Taking turnpikes and paying tolls we made it with it by 2:50 but the line was long. We found out later he got there a little late and stayed later to accommodate those waiting. Glad to know we weren't the only ones :)

  The line was long but the kids did really well sitting in the basket.





I thought this was the best pic I was going to get...

You forget athletes, actors, and celebrities are just people. It's hard to see how normal they are with all the production that goes into making them look amazing on tv and in ads. He was happy and seemed to be enjoying making all the people smile as he took pics with them and shook hands. The Xyience crew helped to move things along by reminding the line to try to make it quick win taking pictures and talking so they could get through the entire line.


Hubby's coworker had an extra ticket to the Extreme Fight Night event that evening so the kids and I visited my mom while he watches some in person MMA action. LUCKY!!!

We were able to say a few words and take this picture.

This trip was sort of surreal. Once upon a time I had six-pack-abs, true story. More than just meeting Jon I got to visit the town I went to High School in, the trip brought back so many memories of me and my athletic days. Looking at this pic of me standing next to a serious athlete and my 4% body fat hubby I feel super huge. Granted I am 23wks pregnant and I shouldn't be so hard on myself. I know, I know this. Still it's motivating to know I'm on my way and this can serve as a great before picture.






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Oh Happy SITS Day!

Well hello there! Come on in, we're having a HOUSE Party today. I'm glad I didn't fully pack up all the party decorations from the blogiversary a few months back. Oldies and newbies alike, WELCOME to my Home! I've been scurrying around trying to clean up and make things more presentable.

Just for fun, I've got a question for you. Raise your mouse if you've ever hidden dirty dishes in the oven. You know when you've got company coming over and the dishes were the least of your worries? I knew it! I was hoping I wasn't the only one .)

Well that day is today, here you are and I'm so happy you're here. If you don't already know TheSitsGirls, they're a group of bloggy women who support and encourage each other. When I say group, I don't mean a small group knitting group that meets once a month, I mean a troop-group with over 9,000 women.

SITS stands for the Secret's in the Sauce, these women aren't afraid to share tips, tricks, and techniques to successful blogging. I have to give a much deserved shoutout to Miss Baby Makin(g) Machine for sending me in the right direction. If you have a blog I highly encourage you to go check them out like I did over a year ago. Last month I got an email from Mama Kat, one of the SITS rock stars, telling me my day had come. The email alone MADE my DAY! I love you Kat! Woot-woot!

Hi, I'm Christy!
So most people would show you their most flattering pictures? I guess that's what profile pics are for. Ya'll are like family now so I can show you my crazy side, right? It's crazy, silly, fun, and totally depicts a Mom who's not gotten enough sleep. This actually is the first picture taken specifically for the blog. Can you tell what sort of day I had when I wrote How's Your Day?

I started Home-Mom in it's current state because I really loved giveaways and wondered if I could do what so many other great blogs have done. Now, over a year later, I've found that I can. Talk about confidence boosters when big ol'companies will deal with little ol'me. I'll still host them occasionally but that's not all Home-Mom is about.

Meet the Family.
I never thought I was one of THOSE people. You know, the one who pulls out the photo albums of all their kids on the first visit. That's exactly who I'm going to be today. So sit back grab a mug of water (I'm not serving coffee, it makes me sleepy) and enjoy the reads. Here we Go!

In short I'm a... green attempting, home-birthing,


For more grown up pics visit my about me page re-birthed under the direct tutelage of my SITStahs.

R- pT born in the hospital 2004 L- pj born at home 2006	lil D born at home 2009	lil turkey born at home 2010

cloth diapering, homecookin',

Bluberry Muffins from Scratch in less than 30min.

and home-schooling, bloggy mom to 4 precious babies.

Here's How I Chose Our Grade Levels

I bet you can guess the million dollar question everyone asks next.

Will there be more? That's the one.

I'll answer it this way. If I can make and sell more items from momMADE, my online boutique, then I'd really be happy either way. We've made soap, deodorant, laundry and dish detergent, and hubby is a photographer. Multiple streams of income are way high up on our list right now.

The Hubs and I have known each other for over 10 years now and have been married almost 9. He was and still is my best friend. Looking back over the years it's hard to believe we've made this small sport's team. But hey, I always wanted a big family.

     

I'm praying even now for Godly                                   Our Wedding Day Feb 2003                                     at our church's                                              .

spouses for each one of my kids.                                                                                                                         Marriage Conference 2007                                 .

Together we're a Home-Family.
Home is where mom is, Home is where family is, Home is where love is... (sounds like a new tag line)

Any facebookers our there? Come and join me at Home-Mom on facebook. It's a place where I enjoy supporting and promoting moms who make and sell from home. My way of giving back for all the support I've received this past year.

Got a fan page? I've been writing tutorials just for you. Did you know you can customize your fb URL, create a welcome page, and add even more customized pages?

So stop in as we're just 154 fans away from a 2k FanFiesta Giveaway. Prizes are made or sold by moms who are working from home. Still accepting sponsors.


If you weren't already overloaded here are just a few more of my favorite posts to tip the scales:

• Speaking of scales, Lindsay Brin's moms into fitness review. Day1 and my Day30 results.
  
  (for daily updates follow @ChristyHomeMom and the hashtag #homemomif on twitter)
• Sharing our B.i.G. Vision and why we've chosen to homeschool.
• I'm going on a Date - HeyHeyHey and Halloween-The Date Aftermath
• I was featured at Simplicity with a a photo that I took. Love taking Pics, could you tell?

         

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Note to Self: Enjoy Life!

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I

s it just me? Or do other moms get so caught up in the grind of things called motherhood we forget to enjoy life? My brain never sleeps it seems, some sort of mental checklist is always ticking or clicking:

Breakfast, Laundry, Lunch, Dishes, Snack, (cloth) Diapers, (home) School, Dinner, Me Time - Maybe. Attitude - really?  

How am I really supposed to get everything done and still be happy about it? That's what I've been asking myself for the past 6 years. My kids range in age from 0-6, you already know it's not easy. So how am I supposed to keep my head on? Stay grateful! Everyday whether noses are snotty, tears are falling, screaming, yelling, arguing, fighting, always be grateful your babies are HERE. I can't imagine losing a child but the thing most people say is they wish they'd really stopped and enjoyed life! Make every moment count!

Happy V♥Day

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Lil Dreamy is 2!

It's so hard to believe he is already 2. He's started talking more and more in the past few months. I can definitely see a difference in boys and girls now. He does like to destroy things a little too much but at least he likes to clean up. I wanted to do so much more with this cake but with cars breaking down, over 20 inches of snow in less than a week we did with what we could. Plus I really know he won't think less of us later in life. I've just been watching far too much Cake Boss on Netflix and wanted to wow everyone.

Happy Bday Son!
 

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Happy Turkey Day!

Iam thankful for:
             My hubby!
                   My children!
                           My Home!
                                          My Framily! (Friends you've made into a Family)

...and My SANITY!

Count It All Joy! James 1:2

WISHING YOU A HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

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New Year - New Beginnings

Yes! the New year is Near! I've got some old goals resurfacing, what about you? Lose weight, eat right, stop yelling at my kids, I mean be a better mother/wife .) We've had some major changes in the last year.





Pros:
We got to pay off our car!
Hubby got drums.
Found out we were preg in feb
Finally had a water birth (story coming soon)
You can make a little bit of money blogging


Cons:
A water leak caused us to have to demolition a downstairs closet (not related to water birth).
Our homeschooling routine took a dive after but should pick back up now that "turkey" is here.
Oven has broken down 2x and our Home Warranty has proven itself to be worthless.


Goals:
Now that I'm a mommy of four I feel like this picture. How many more things can be added? There's always room for improvement right? This year we hope to get daddy working from home. Lil Dreamy will be joining in our homeschooling adventures, so our school planning year will change up a bit. It's past time to lose over 75lbs, and I want to do it in less than a year.

More simple goals include cooking 1-2 days for the week and meal planning. I know I'm a bit early on the resolution thing but I've only got now and I've been procrastinating on so many things.

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Welcome the newest member of our family!

Since I don't share real names on my blog I'll have to think of a nickname for this one...It's a Boy! Preg Story coming soon... you're gonna want to read this! I guess today marks the beginning of my vacation or hiatis from Home-Mom. I'll miss you guys and you'll still see me just hopefully not too frequently. Today has been a roller coaster I don't neccesarily want to ride again but would never not have gotten on.

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I'm turning 30, what's the big deal?

Three months away from turning 30 years old I've realized I've accomplished a lot this year. I've learned to sew, crochet, and manage my daughter's hair. I've taken a few photography classes and still I want to learn more. I see progress with my sewing projects, and have made almost ten hats. I sort of see progress in the photos I've taken but I'm such an impatient person it hinders my overall progress. I'll tend to get discouraged and stop then nothing gets done. Smart hugh? Dreamy and I were talking late one night and we both wanted to see so much more happen in our lives in the almost ten years we've known each other.

What to do now? Sew more! Learn more, do more, don't give up. One of my favorite verses reads we will win if we do not give up...

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest...

if we do not give up!

Galatians 6:9

Isn't that amazing, in good time, God's time if we stay steady and don't give up we will reap the harvest intended for us. I never would have put such an emphasis on turning the big 3-0 in the past until now I've seen all the time that has passed and I'm not so sure all I have adds up right. God will use me where I am and I'm so glad for that but I want to move forward.

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Monday Accomplishments!

Today has been different, buy why? How was I able to fold all the laundry that has been on the couch for the past 2 weeks, clean up the kitchen and wash the dishes immediately after breakfast, put the clothes up that I folded (well they're in their respected rooms)? Unfortunately once I was tired I sat down at my computer and lost track of time. Oh, and it's the dreaded Monday too. Monday's are always hard to get motivated. I believe the difference was I didn't sit at the computer right away this morning. Granted I'm a bit disappointed in myself for writing this now but because I've accomplished so much I thought I deserved a break.

How do you mommas stay motivated to get the things you have to do done so you can do the things you want later? What do you reward yourself with when a job is well done? Please share because I need help always and I'm sure some of the other moms reading this do to. Happy Monday to everyone and I hope you're feeling accomplished. If you want take this gold star to wear the rest of the day :)

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Prep Me, Stat!

How does one prepare for birth? You can read all the books you want, watch all the videos on youtube, or listen to other moms. At the end of the 9 months you just have to do it. Even though I'm on my 4th pregnancy I'm not a pro and will never be a pro. I'm sure the Duggar Momma wouldn't say she's a pro either. Each birth is different and exciting and nerve racking in their own ways aren't they?


My birth supplies are officially on their way and I have the sense that I'm running behind. I'm just now thinking about another little bundle laying around cooing and sleeping. Another person is about to 'Be' although the baby has 'been' a true live person for the past 8 months. My lil dreamy will be 2 in four months and I'm still learning about who he is. I don't see him as a BIG brother yet.

As you most of you know I'm planning my third homebirth. I've not written any of my birth stories and feel waaaaay behind in sharing that info with you but I plan to catch up soon. This birth has a twist, I'm getting a birthing pool and will use water and hope when the time comes to have my first water birth. 5 years ago when I started entertaining the idea of having a homebirth I researched and wanted to deliver in water. I'm thinking this go round my game plan is to try and let my body push the baby out. The midwife I had with my last 2 would let me push as soon as I wanted, I was not allowed to push with my oldest, and the counter force really helped with not feeling the contractions. I'm now wondering if it also makes thing take longer. Lil dreamy was posterior and hurt like heck, I couldn't even stand to hold him afterwards because I was in so much pain. I get extremely mad when in pain and that sweet baby on mom's chest immediately after birth did not happen between us. I didn't care that he was boy (we didn't know), I didn't care how much he weighed, I just wanted the pain to stop and it took a while.

I'm as ready as I'll ever be I think. I know what to expect and the excitement about using water really is keeping me on my toes. I can't wait to share my experience with you. How many of you are familiar with homebirth? I knew it existed but it seemed more by accident and not planned because who would plan that I thought. Now look at us ;)

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