Vacation

Even though we've had a good time in Myrtle Beach, I've definitely learned some things about vacationing with 4 kids!

1) We shouldn't call it a vacation!

2) It's harder to go on "vacation" than it is to stay home

3) Before you go on "vacation" you have to pack almost the entire house (especially if you have a 15 month old and a 3 month old, both of which require their own pack in play to sleep!)

4)Everyone sleeping in one room and sharing one bathroom (which also has one pack in play in it) is not all that exciting

5) Pools are way cleaner, easier, less sticky and less messy than the beach!

6) When you get back from "vacation" you need to spend 8 hours (without interruptions which

is completely impossible w/ 4 children) doing the dreaded laundry!

7) The kids LOVE vacationing! And seeing the smiles on their faces when they get to

experience new things makes points 1-6 worth the effort!

Homeschool

Well...WOW...is really the only word that describes the NCHE conference! It's amazing that a year ago I didn't even know I was going to homeschool or really even want to! The older two were registered at a private school. It's crazy how when I think I've got my plans figured out, God rearranges everything! How in the world, one year later, am I almost finished with K and 1st grade?

My Plan was:

Kids go to school while I stay home or work out or go have coffee or go shopping or hang out

friends! Doesn't my plan sound perfect?! I thought so. What happened?

Around the beginning of May last year, I was having issues with one of my children. We were "butting" heads constantly to say the least! If I'm being honest, I could not wait for school to start so I would be free of "battles" seven hours a day! I was wondering what was going on in our situation. One day in my quiet time I heard a still small voice all too familiar telling me I needed to homeschool! Of course, being the mature Christian I am, (LOL) I pretended I didn't hear anything! Other things started to confirm what I already knew! I didn't know how, why or any details about homeschooling but, I did know it was what God was calling me to! TRUST me! This was NOT my idea of a good time. I was totally against homeschooling! I thought people who did it were weird and wore long dresses with long hair. (Please forgive me if this describes you. I'm just being honest about my preconceived ideas of what someone who homeschools looks like.) I also the typical thoughts that people think such as:

They'll be un-socialized

They'll be sheltered

They won't be able to adjust to college

They stay at home all day

They are nerdy

The above are ALL untrue! I only know that now b/c I'm actually a homeschooling parent! I could give you examples of why each one is untrue but I'll save that for another blog! (If you can't wait till then, email me.)

Well, I listened to the Lord and bought my curriculum (My Father's World) last NCHE conference and have now been homeschooling for almost a year! I can't imagine not doing it! I do have bad days and sometimes get burnt out but I'm so thankful to be surrounded with other friends who share the same passion and desire and build me up when I'm feeling down! Also, I know when I'm feeling burnt out, I need to draw my strength from HIM!

I definitely know homeschooling is not for everyone! I mean hello, I never thought it would be for me! I even tell others if you don't feel called to it, don't do it b/c you'll be miserable! But, I'm so glad I listened! I've learned so many things over this year about each one of my children and things about myself. I don't know if this is God's plan for our family forever or for a season so, I guess I'll have to stay tuned to my own story =)

"Are you going to have more?"

This is the #1 question Jose and I are asked. Probably you have even been one to ask;-) The answer.......................We don't know. We were totally DONE having children after two. Actually, I had a friend who had a boy and a girl and was pregnant with her third and I actually asked her "Why?" since she already had a boy and girl. I mean, really, isn't that what having a family is? Having two children. Why would you need more? I thought people who had more than two children were C-R-A-Z-Y! After Abrianna, I wanted Jose to get "fixed" and he was like no way jose! No one was going to clip his private parts!

When Abrianna turned 3, it was like a spark went off! I was reading Psalm 127 and read:

³ Sons are a heritage from the LORD,
children a reward from him.

⁴ Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
are sons born in one's youth.

⁵ Blessed is the man
whose quiver is full of them.

That passage changed my thinking in a drastic way! Honestly, I'm pretty selfish. Here I was thinking, "Oh, good! My kids are 4 and 3! They are more independent! It's almost time for them to go to school! Now I can get back to my life and do what I want to do!" I saw my children more just there to complete our family! I was completely blinded to what blessings they were and how much God loves them and how he entrusted them to us! Then I started thinking, if children are gifts from God and a reward then why would I not want more?! Jose agreed! I realized I could never regret having more children but I could regret not having more! I have never met a parent who could say they regret that child coming into their life!

Is our life busy? Yes. Is it hard at times? Yes. Do I get tired? Yes. Do we have to be creative financially? Yes. Do I have a bazillion loads of laundry all the time? YES! Is it all worth it? Absolutely! Would I change anything? NO! Will there be more? I don't know but, I do know EVERY child is a gift and a blessing! I can't imagine our life without our 4 children!

Graduation Time

It's GRADUATION time! Actually my little brother, who's not so little anymore, is graduating from High School in 2 wks! That made me think of my HS graduation that was 10 YEARS ago! What have I been doing for the past 10 yrs? What has changed? How have I changed? Is my life better now than it was then? How are the next 10 years going to be? These are just a few of the questions that popped in my head that made me reflect on the last 10 years of my life. WOW! It has been a journey!

Warning: This is where it gets long and possibly boring so, if you don't want my life story of the last 10 yrs. no need to read on =)

In the fall of 1999, I started going to CSU.

After graduation....I had already decided to go to CSU for the fall semester of 1999. I had a great summer but during that time I realized something was missing from my life and started having questions about life in general and the meaning and purpose of life. So...at that point I guess you could say I was a "seeker". I had key people in my life trying to guide me and answer my questions. September came and I started school. (Side note: I had no clue what I wanted to do. Why do we push our kids to go to college immediately after high school if they don't know what they want to do so they can earn a degree in something and a year later decided that's not what they want to do and to have them go to college again after they finally decide what they really want to do? Sorry. I'm just saying.) It was soon after the start of school I had a transforming experience! Truth was revealed and I became a person who believed in Christ and realized that he died for me (and everyone else) to save me! To understand that there was nothing I could do to make Him love me more or nothing I could do to make Him love me less was WOW! It changed my life and the course of my future. I changed from night to day. October 1999 is when I met Jose. We became friends, and soon after I knew he was the man I was going to marry! I actually called my mom and said "Hey Mom, I met the guy I'm going to marry!" At the time, she thought I was crazy. (She LOVES Jose now just so ya know!) In December 1999, I decided school was not for me! Mom thought I was really crazy. (She knows I'm not now;-) )Then I told her that I was going with Jose, the guy I told her I was going to marry & who I just met a couple of months ago, to NYC Times Square for New Year's Eve. That probably about sent her over the edge! Fast forward and April 2000 I was engaged. (Long story there... but mom, along with other people, thought I joined a cult so when Jose went to ask her if he could marry me, he ended up inviting her to visit this so called cult (Seacoast Chuch)LOL! Anyways, she went and never stopped attending after that. (Side Note: If you live in Charleston and don't go to church, check out www.seacoast.org! It's an amazing church and definitely NOT a cult. My mom will attest to this! Whew! I know she was relieved!) I worked at Olive Garden (yummy) for a while and actually LOVED it! I had bad days of course but I really liked being a waitress. (I'm a nurse now it's like being a waitress except you get paid more.) Jose and I got married June 1, 2001. Can't believe it's been almost 8 yrs! Seven months later, I was pregnant with our first born (Elijah Angel Noy). I found out, right after I started working at Seacoast. While I worked there, you could bring your baby to work with you for the first 6 months. So, I did that and when the time was up I became a stay at home mom! When Elijah was 8 months old I was pregnant with Abrianna Elyse Noy! Well, I guess my life wasn't busy enough b/c the Nov. before Abi was here I really felt God calling me to be a nurse! WHAT! I thought! I don't like blood. I never saw an old person's body. A bazillion thoughts came to my head. But, I filled out the papers in Nov. and a week later got my acceptance letter and actually started going to school in January while I was still pregnant. I was to start the nursing program in exactly one year! Oh, I forgot to mention in the same November I felt like I was going to be a nurse, Jose felt led to start a business and that's when we started Communication & Surveillance Services aka CSS (www.comsurv.com). I started the nursing program and frankly at first I was traumatized! My first patient was in a nursing home (keep in mind before then I was never around any sick elderly people. NEVER) she had a colostomy and dentures. I had never seen anyone take out dentures and it really scared me! I was really upset. I could not believe I was actually doing this. Well, I finally got use to the things I was doing and managed to survive! ( I swear it's a MIRACLE!) In my last year of school, friends of ours told us they were planting a church in Charlotte, NC. Immediately, we were on board. So, 2 days after graduating nursing school, we made our home in Charlotte and started helping out with Mosaic Church. Moving forward...by the way we were DONE having kids after 2!!!! I was begging and pleading with Jose to get a vasectomy! He was anti-clipping (as I like to say)! When Abi turned 3 God really changed both of our hearts about children! (I'm writing another blog about that later) Immediately I got pregnant with Joseph Daniel Noy. Elijah started TK at a private school while I was pregnant. He was born February 15, 2008. Soon after is when it happened...Both the older kids were registered for private school for the fall...We paid all of our money and everything...and then...I felt the Lord lead me to homeschool! WHAT! Crazy! (I am a former ANTI-HOMESCHOOLing mom) Wow! Another miracle! (another blog on that story later as well;-) ) Oh, at that point we knew we wanted more children and we wanted them close like Abi and Elijah. Hello, we didn't know they would be that close! Moses Allen Noy was born 12 1/2 months after Joseph. So, here we are today. It has been a journey with many changes almost all for the better! I'm blessed beyond anything I could have dreamed or imagined. I can't wait to write the next 10yr story.

Goals

I've been thinking about setting goals.... Why???? Sometimes I feel like I go day to day just getting through, doing things on the schedule, but not really working toward anything! So...I decided to set some goals for my self so I can see where I'm going and how far I've come!

Here is what I've come up with...

Physical-Be healthy! How? By making healthy choices every day! It's really not about being a

certain weight or size. It's about living a healthy lifestyle so I can be around a LONG

time for my family. It's about being a good steward of the body I've been given and

taking care of my "temple".

Spiritual-Spend time in the Word daily! It's the bread of LIFE! Be in a small group at all times.

Relational-Date night at least every other week. Couch time at least 15 min. everyday Jose is in

town. Family game night once a week. Weekend get away 2 times before 2010.

Marriage Retreat before 2010.

School- Actually do it! LOL! I crack me up! Since Moses has been born I took 4 wks off and

since then I've done school 2-3 times a week. So...my goal is to finish up Elijah (1st grade) & Abi (K) by the end of summer. I'm actually doing Abrianna K again in the fall.

IMO I think 5 is too young for 1st grade (my 5 yr. old anyways).

Life- Volunteer once a month somewhere (still working the somewhere part out). Go on a

medical mission trip in 2010. Do 2 family outreaches before 2010.

These are my goals for now! Please feel free to hold me accountable! I won't lie to ya =)

What are you capable of??

We just completed a great marriage series at church! Get the podcast if you missed it. Pastor Naeem (www.mosaicchurch.tv), quoted Rick Warren (pastor and the author of The Purpose Driven Life) saying "Given the right circumstances I am capable of doing anything." That statement resonated with my heart! How many times have I looked into others lives and said "I would NEVER do that." or "I can't believe they did that to their wife (or husband)," not knowing their circumstances. Judging from the outside is super easy! We are ALL human and fall short and because of our sinful nature we are capable of making bad choices that could have everlasting consequences! I think the moment we think we are "above" the unthinkable we become vulnerable to just that thing. I pray the Lord daily reminds me of my "humanness"!

P90X update

So........last wk I was out of town at my Grandma's house. I would give myself 3 out of 4*. I ate chicken and rice one meal. Then I felt like crap! I was still able to keep my w/o routine. Both= success for me b/c usually when I go out of town everything goes out the window. I eat whatever and do not work out. So, right now I'm patting myself on the back=). Well, lets talk about when I came home =(....Friday, I did not work out or eat well. Saturday, crazy day including a graduation party which = bad eating and no work out. Sunday, mom's day! Can you say blooming onion, bread, and creamy potato soup!???! Oh, and no work out! Monday, new day...including great eating and great workout. Tuesday, puking my guts and feeling nauseated pretty much all day... No, it's NOT MORNING SICKNESS ;-) and no, I didn't work out. So, here I am and it's Wednesday! Feeling great and starting fresh with eating right and work out coming soon! It really is amazing how much better you feel when you eat right and exercise! The weekend without exercise left me feeling drained and dragging! Just because I had a bad few days does not mean I'm giving up! We all have crazy times and bad days. The important thing is not to get stuck there! So many times when people have a bad couple of days they let it turn into another bad couple days and then a week of bad days etc. We have to choose to make the next day new with better choices! Don't give up!

30 DAYS

Okay everyone, here they are! Moses is officially 2 months old today! How fitting my 30 day pics are today! First, I need to say sorry for the quality! Jose is out of town but I promised to get these up so this was the best I could do for now! I'll get him to take better ones on Friday!

DAY 1

130 lbs

waist 31

hips 39.5

DAY 30

124.5 lbs

waist 28

hips 37.5

I feel so much stronger in just 30 days! Can't wait to see what happens in the next 60 days! I still have a ways to go but I'm getting there! If I can do this, you can to! Make yourself and your health a priority!