My furry baby and the C word

I'm not even sure how to start this so I'm just going to dive into it!

Look at that sweet little face! (HATE that my 5 year old is going through this!)

Thursday, February 20th, all was normal around the Dean household. 2 kids happily running around the house and yelling and 2 tired as can be adults just trying to keep up! Mid morning, we didn't realize that things were about to change and our family was going to be faced with a harsh reality. Kota started throwing up JUST water, she was keeping down food but just water was coming up. We called the vet and he said to just keep an eye on her.

Background info on Kota, since day one of bringing her home, she has eaten so many random things. ALL of the corners of ALL of our window sills, plastic outlet plugs (the ones used for baby proofing)--which she actually had to have surgery to remove those from her intestines, which they were rotting from sitting in there so long. She liked to eat baby wipes, crayons, small plastic toys....we tried sooo hard to keep things picked up all the time and keep an eye on her! So anyways, her throwing up wasn't unnormal.

Friday morning was the last time she ate anything. We went ahead and called the vet back, they are amazing at Lewisville Animal Hospital and Dr. Bone is beyond words....he knows us and I'm sure through the years, we have paid for a couple cars for him! BILLS BILLS BILLS!! He got us right in and started doing xrays on her ab area. We were all CERTAIN that she had eaten something again and we were looking at surgery...at this point, I'd give anything for that to have been the case. He came back, showed us the xrays and saw nothing. He did blood work while they were back there with xrays. He left the room after telling us, lets see what the blood work says, I think she might just have a dog version of the stomach bug. Ok, we can deal with that. Less than 5 minutes later, he came back in with a serious face (so unlike the happy guy with the english accent), and said "We need to talk." I started crying! Literally lost it! Her calcium was through the roof along with another number (I forget the big long medical term), he told us that is usually cancer. WHAT?!

Dr. Bone....he is amazing and I can't speak more highly of him!

Where we spend a lot of time and $$$....A LOT OF $$$$$...did I say A LOT?

We had to leave her there all day to get IV fluid to dilute some of the calcium b/c it was so high, she could have had a heart attack at any point. Brought her home, still no eating. Took her back Saturday AM for more fluids to hold her over until we could get her into the oncologist on Monday morning. She didn't eat all weekend and just laid around looking and feeling miserable! We waited and dreaded Monday coming around. I wanted it to hurry but I never wanted it to get here either!

Monday at the oncologist, they did a chest xray and more blood work.

In the waiting room Monday morning. Getting ready to go back and find out what's in store for us. 

                Giving Kota kisses before we had to leave her there for the day. So heartbreaking!

These 2 are ridiculous together and I FREAKING LOVE IT!

Chest xray came back perfect! Calcium still through the roof (19 and normal is 8-12). Back on IV fluids. Oh, I forgot to mention that Sunday morning, Kota started peeing blood...rushed her to the Emergency Vet and luckily, it was just a bladder infection!    Back to Monday...sorry! The Dr. ruled out bone marrow cancer (what we originally thought-whew!) The Dr then did a sono on Kota's thyroid, there are 4 chambers on the thyroid (like ours) and if there was a tumor on one, that would explain the high calcium...surgery to remove it and done. We had to hang onto that hope! He really didn't think it was lymphoma b/c he didn't see anything out of the normal so check out the thyroid. Nope....nothing unusual there either. Randomly, he decided to sono her ab area and THERE IT WAS....a 4 cm mass (normal is 1cm). Final verdict.....lymphoma. Cancer of the lymph nodes. I got that phone call and was devastated.....I was so certain that if the Dr who is on purpose looking for cancer could not find it, it had to be the thyroid...guess he just wasn't looking the right place. They kept her there overnight and kept pumping fluids in her to hydrate her and lower her calcium levels...worried about Kidney failure too! They kept her there until Wednesday. It's a 45 minute-1 hr drive to this vet ( I don't even care) and we went to visit her on Tuesday, she looked sooooo much better!

Visiting Kota....Can you tell Kinsley loves her dogs?! So sweet!

I just want to kiss her and snuggle (spoon) with her! 

Like I said...these two! <3  Side note: Colson was with us but that kid doesn't hold still long enough for a picture! 

That was the morning of her first round of chemo....she FINALLY ate a little while we were there, for the first time since Friday morning. WOOHOO! We picked her up early Wednesday, Kinsley's birthday and we were all over the moon to have her back home, probably not as happy as she was!
Our Oncologist Office

Dr. Derek P. Burney-our amazing Oncologist. He's always so happy and you can tell he truly loves animals! 

Sorry for the lengthy story, I want everybody to know how QUICKLY this all happened. Kota never had any signs of this until Thursday and the Dr thinks this only started a couple weeks before she was showing signs of anything. There was nothing that we could have seen/done/noticed before we did. So helpless.
We were totally caught off guard!

Being a mom (yes, she is one of my kids and I have a responsibility to her like I do my own), and feeling so helpless and lost will bring out the fight in ya. I spent my nights til the wee hours in the AM (while Kota was at the vet still) researching lymphoma and dogs and everything that evolved into! I just had to know that I was doing EVERYTHING I could to help her so that if something did happen, I can say I tried everything, I did all that I could! RESEARCHING led to a lot of new discoveries....why you all are probably here!

Here is what I learned...(it might be kind of scattered but I'll do my best).

Since cancer cells thrive on the energy that carbohydrates give the body, you must include foods with fewer carbohydrates. Foods with higher fat content, contain lipids. Cancer cannot thrive in the presence of lipids; this allows more amino acids to replicate and aid in the fight against cancer. White rice, wheat and breads have extremely high amounts of carbohydrates, and should not be fed to a dog with cancer.  Cancer cells feed on sugar. We are attempting to starve those cells.

Protein is the most essential part of a cancer diet, since protein is responsible for tissue repair. Foods high in protein, like fish, beef, chicken, pork and eggs, are ideal for cancer sufferers. Not only does protein promote tissue repair, but it also aids in the prevention of cancer in dogs, since cancer cannot thrive on protein.

  We were feeding our dogs (we have an 8 yr old Boxer, Keeleigh, too) Purina Beneful, healthy weight...a food that our last vet recommended to us. 

Oh good....check out this list to see where your dogs' food ranks: Top 12 WORST dog foods

(this site even goes on to explain the ingredients and what they do.)

Being horrified at just that, I started doing more research. For dogs with cancer or breeds that are prone to cancer, they need a high protein diet that is grain free. Grains are carbs, carbs turn to sugar, cancer feeds off of sugar=CUT THE GRAIN! In order to make up for the lack of carbs, replace it with high protein and supplements. We switched the girls over to bluebuffalo wilderness-rocky-mountain-recipes-large-breed-red-meat 

Compare these two: http://www.bluebuffalo.com/dog-food-comparison/test-results

We also added in some of their canned wet food. BOTH girls LOVED it and lick their bowls clean for about 5 minutes after the food is gone. I guess this is the same as us preferring a steak dinner to ramen noodles. 

We traded out their old treats for these. Grain free, all natural. Turkey is high protein and lean, pomegranate is an anti-oxident and ginger helps calm a nauseous stomach (great to add for dogs going through chemo). 

I know this post is long but I'm so excited to share and the more I research, the more passion I'm getting about telling everybody! Hang in there with me....

This is the site I used as a starting point for research. EVERYTHING is explained, every ingredient and why it’s important. Also had links as to where you can find all of these, or the ones you choose to use. 

Homemade raw diet

I ENCOURAGE you to check out this diet and read all about the ingredients and why there are important. I picked out a few that I want to ask my vet about....here is my list: Ashwagandha, Astragalus, Bromelain, CoQ10, Echinacea, L-Arginine, Lipiderm, Melatonin, Reishi Mushroom, Resveratol, Tumeric Curcumin (this one could be a blood thinner too)

If you want to make your own dog food, it's totally do-able, it will of course take time but so worth it. Just know that you will have to add supplements to make sure it is balanced and ALWAYS check with your vet, just to make sure they are getting what they need. 

WARNING: High protein means LOTS of farts...smelly rotten egg farts! Anybody who's husband works out and drinks protein shakes...you KNOW what I'm talking about. You can't escape those kinds of fart....therefore, invest in some scentsy and keep the fans running! 

Simple Carbohydrates: Simple carbs (sugars) should be kept to a minimum. Note, however, that it doesn't mean you should not give veggies or fruits to your dog at all. Some veggies (e.g. broccoli, carrots, brussell sprouts) contain a lot of vitamins and minerals and are beneficial to dogs. 

Mixed Green Vegetables

Cancer dogs need antioxidant-rich vegetables to strengthen their immune system. Choose dark green vegetables.  I use a mix of broccoli, spinach, asparagus spears, cabbage, brussel sprouts, celery, collard greens, mustard greens and bok-choy.   These are great sources of many important vitamins and they are all very low carb.   I use a large steamer to cook them until they are mushy and then puree them in my food processor.  Make sure to puree the vegetables, since dogs do not possess the enzymes that break the layer outer cellulose layers in vegetables.  I also throw in about a teaspoon of ground up egg shells in the vegetable mixture for the calcium.  

Cottage Cheese and Flax seed oil

The Budwig Protocol of cottage cheese and flax seed oil found that tumors gradually receded, weakness and anemia disappeared and life energy was restored. Symptoms of cancer, liver dysfunction and diabetes were alleviated.

Pet Tab multi vitamin-I’d double check with your vet, if you are giving the premade foods above (not the homemade raw diet), just double check that it’s not too much! 

Vitamin C-It's great but be careful (and again, double check with your vet), it could be a blood thinner. So dogs that have bleeding tumors or other health issues involving bleeding, it could make it worse. Not trying to scare you but want you to know! 

Vitamin E- Evidence suggests that Vitamin E prevents cancer.  Vitamin E does stimulate immunity and may help counteract the side effects of chemotherapy.  

I know this seems ridiculous to so many people but like I said, I HAVE TO TRY! I have to give her the best fighting chance I can and giving her body what it needs to deal with chemo and hopefully fight off the cancer, I HAVE TO TRY! We are already spending anywhere from $300-$500 a week for chemo (each time). We want to go 'balls to wall' and just do everything for her! 

I recently have been a believer in essential oils, I have to be...it's another option and road we have to explore. It can't hurt so I have to try it! 

Here is my research on OILS: 

Currently, I’m using 1 drop of Frankincense to 1 tbsp Fractionated Coconut oil, twice a day. I rub it on the place where the tumor was found and then the next application, near her spine in between her shoulders and then rub that in. It’s STRONG smelling but here is an article explaining what it is. 

(side fact: Frankincense is an oil one of the wise men brought to Jesus's birth--it's biblical). 

Here is an article about Frankincense: Frankincense

Fennel (Sweet) Essential Oil Used for centuries for its many health benefits, Fennel essential oil has pronounced antioxidant properties and is considered a tonic. It is often used to relieve indigestion (supporting the healthy functions of the stomach), to aid in any kind of digestive issue and to support improvements to the lymphatic system. Fennel's sweet yet spicy aroma is balancing and has familiar licorice notes. Lavender Essential Oil Lavender has been cherished for its unmistakable aroma and its therapeutic properties for thousands of years. Lavender is widely used and accepted for its calming and relaxing qualities. For topical, aromatic, or dietary use. (I will be using this to put on Kota's paw before going to the vet, she gets so nervous and shakes sooo bad).  Immortelle:  Anxiety, Bleeding, Inflammation, Nerve Damage, Scarring, Tumors, Wound Care Lemon:   Anxiety, Electrolyte Balance, Immune Boost,  Infections, Lymph Function, Claw Strength Best: Lavender, Geranium, Basil, Bergamot, Roman Chamomile, Eucalyptus and Frankincense. Worst: Cassia, Oregano, Birch, Camphor and Wintergreen.

Keeleigh does not have cancer...although just to throw in a twist, the week we found out about Kota, we took Keeleigh into the vet that Monday, February 17th because Zach found a lump on her chest. Keeleigh being 8, we know tumors and cancer are likely in boxers, got her in quick. Dr. Bone stuck a needle in the mass and examined the cells, they turned out to be just healthy fatty cells in a clump. No biggie. He did some blood work b/c her weight is where it was when she was 2. This is like a 50 something yr old human weighing what he did when he was 14! Blood work came back perfect. We went in with Keeleigh thinking cancer and came out clean..went in with Kota thinking surgery for eating something and came out with cancer. 

We are switching Keeleigh over as a preventative measure, hoping that the high protein will help ward off cancer. Might be only in our heads but again, we have to HOPE and TRY!

So beyond A LOT of tears and prayers we have to hang onto hope that this new lifestyle change will help! We know God is in control but at this point, we have to also do everything we can to help while relying on HIM! 

                                             Those perfect little faces! Love them to pieces! 

pet foods ranked from great to disastrous

Abraham

Let me just say again, I am NOT at all even close to being an expert on anything. This is just stuff I have learned through my own research while trying to study the bible. I will try to keep it as organized as I can.

Abraham's (Abram) family line from Adam:

Adam and Eve had 2 sons, Cain and Abel. Cain killed Abel and Eve believed that Seth (her 3rd born son) was given to her by God as a replacement for Abel.

From Seth came 8 sons, the last being Noah. Noah had 3 sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth. Shem's line, down 8 generations, produced Terah, the father of Abraham.

How long did these people live?
Adam: 930 years
Seth: 912 years
Noah: 950 years
Shem: 600 years
Terah: 205 years
Abraham: 175 years

When Abraham was born, Noah was 892 years old and Shem was 390.
Abraham was 58 when Noah died and 110 when Shem died.

Abraham was born in the year 1813 BCE in the city of Ur in Babylonia.

Once a coastal city near the mouth of the Euphrates on the Persian Gulf, the coastline has shifted and Ur is now well inland, south of the Euphrates on its right bank (bottom right). 

Current day map, names have changed and many more added! From a historical & geographical stand point, this whole area, also known as Mesopotamia is a coveted area b/c of the water resources, the coast and the fact that the rivers can be used for transportation to and from the sea. I know this might seem like common knowledge but maybe something not many people think about, this land is VERY valuable not only b/c the water resources but b/c the soil surrounding these rivers is moist and able to support vegetation thus, food sources. The further out you go, the more desert you get into. This is also the site of many wars b/c of control of the waterways, fertile land and now, oil.

Let me put Ur into perspective regarding size. Don't laugh at the terrible art work I did! Ur was 2,600 feet from NE to SW, that is the same as .49 miles. The city, from NW to SE was 3,900 feet or .74 miles. SMALL place! (I know these measurements don't equal a perfect square but you get the idea!)

Now that you know where we are starting off and have a good visual going, here are some facts about Abraham's life.

Terah-Abraham's father believed in many gods (polytheistic). He had 3 sons, Abraham, Nahor and Haran. About 10 years after Abraham was born, Terah had a daughter, Sarai (Sarah),by his second wife, so she was the half sister to Abraham. Sarai and Abraham married. So Terah's daughter was also his daughter in law. Yeah, I know what you are thinking! However, this was not uncommon at the time, in fact, throughout much of history, especially with royalty, this was strongly encouraged. If you kept marriages within the family, the throne/kingdom would never leave the family. Make sense? 

Terah was an idol worshiper. Definition of idolatry: 

1:  the worship of a physical object as a god  2. immoderate attachment or devotion to something

He was also the chief officer to King Nimrod (haha...I know...the name!) Basically the right hand man. 

Getting a bit more scattered now...Who was Nimrod and where did he come from? 

Remember Noah's son Ham, Ham was definitely not the first 2 of the most important of the sons. Ham had a son named Cush and from Cush came Nimrod. So clearly, not the one that should have been king or been anywhere close. Nimrod's followers grew in numbers b/c he was strong, sly, tricky and a great hunter. He became the king of Babylon and later, expanded his empire greatly. 

As was to be expected, Nimrod did not feel very secure on his throne. He feared that one day there would appear a descendant of Noah's heir and successor,Shem and would claim the throne. He was determined to have no challenger. Some of Shem's descendants had already been forced to leave that land and build their own cities and empires. There was only one prominent member of the Semitic family left in his country. He was Terah, the son of Nahor. Terah was the eighth generation removed, in a direct line of descendants from Shem. But Nimrod had nothing to fear from Terah, his most loyal and trusted servant. Terah had long before betrayed his family, and had become a follower of Nimrod. All of his ancestors were still living, including Shem himself, but Terah left his ancestral home and became attached to Nimrod. Terah, who should have been the master and Nimrod his slave, became the slave of Nimrod. Like the other people in that country, Terah believed that Nimrod received his kingdom as a gift from the "gods," and was himself a "god." Terah was prepared to serve Nimrod with all his heart. Indeed, he proved himself a very loyal and useful servant. Nimrod entrusted into his hands the command of his armies and made Terah the highest minister in his land.

Terah was short of nothing but a wife. So he found himself a wife, whose name was Amathlai. They looked forward to raising a large family, but they were not blessed with any children. The years flew by, and Terah still had no son. His father was only twenty-nine years old when he, Terah, was born. But Terah was getting closer to seventy than to thirty, and yet there was no son! He prayed to Nimrod and to his idols to bless him with a son, but his prayers were not answered. Little did he know that Nimrod felt happy about Terah's misfortune. For although Nimrod had nothing to fear from Terah, he could not be sure if Terah's sons would be as loyal to him as their father. Therefore, he was inwardly very pleased that his servant Terah had no children, and probably would never have any. But he could not be, sure, and Nimrod was not taking chances. He ordered his stargazers and astrologers to watch the sky for any sign of the appearance of a possible rival.

One night the star-gazers noticed , a new star rising in the East. Every night it grew brighter. They informed Nimrod.

Nimrod called together his magicians and astrologers. They all agreed that it meant that a new baby was to be born who might challenge Nimrod's power. It was decided that in order to prevent this, all new-born baby-boys would have to die, starting from the king's own palace, down to the humblest slave's hut.

And who was to be put in charge of this important task? Why, Terah, of course, the king's most trusted servant.

Terah sent out his men to round up all expectant mothers. The king's palace was turned into a gigantic maternity ward. A lucky mother gave birth to a girl, and then they were both sent home, laden with gifts. But if the baby happened to be a boy, he was put to death without mercy.

One night, Nimrod's star-gazers watching that new star, saw it grow very bright and suddenly dart across the sky, first in one direction then in another, west, east, north and south, swallowing up all other stars in its path.

Nimrod was with his star-gazers on the roof of his palace, and saw the strange display in the sky with his own eyes. "What is the meaning of this?" he demanded.

"There can be only one explanation. A son was born tonight who would challenge the king's power, and the father is none other than Terah."

"Terah?!" Nimrod roared. "My own trusted servant?"

Nimrod had never given a thought to Terah as becoming a father at the age of seventy. However, if he did become a father, he would surely be glad to offer his first-born son to his king and god! Nimrod dispatched a messenger to Terah at once, ordering him to appear together with his newly born son.

That night Terah and his wife Amathlai had indeed become the happy parents of a baby boy, who brought a great light and radiance into their home. Terah had hoped it would be a girl, and he would have no terrible decision to make. Now he could not think of giving up this lovely baby, born to him at his old age after such longing. He had managed to keep his wife's expectancy a secret. None of his servants knew about the birth of his son. There was a secret passage leading from his palace to a cave in the field. He took the baby to that cave and left it there. As he was returning to the palace, past the servants' quarters, he suddenly heard the cry of a baby. What good fortune! Terah cried. It so happened that one of his servants had given birth to a boy about the same time as his own son was born. Terah took the baby and put him in silk swaddling and handed him to his wife to nurse. Just then the king's messenger arrived.

When Terah with the baby in his arms appeared before Nimrod, Terah declared: "I was just about to bring my son to you, when your messenger came."

Nimrod thought it was mighty loyal of Terah to give up his only son, born to him in his old age. Nimrod did not know that this was not Terah's son, but rather, that of a servant. 

For three years little Abraham remained in the cave, where he did not know day from night. Then he came out of the cave and saw the bright sun in the sky, and thought that it was God, who had created the heaven and the earth, and him, too. But in the evening the sun went down, and the moon rose in the sky, surrounded by myriads of stars. "This must be God," Abraham decided. But the moon, too, disappeared, and the sun reappeared, and Abraham decided that there must be a God Who rules over the sun and the moon and the stars, and the whole world.

And so, from the age of three years and on, Abraham knew that there was only one God, and he was resolved to pray to Him and worship Him alone. 

A little more insight into King Nimrod. His kingdom stretched to the city of Babel (otherwise known as Babylon. (Dead center to the left a bit) 

Because Nimrod believed in many gods, he was rebellious to THE God. The tower of Babel was built as a sign of this rebellion. The tower was meant to reach the heavens so they could be equal to God. God's punishment for that arrogance: Gen. 11

Genesis 11

The Tower of Babel

11 Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. 2 As people moved eastward,[a]they found a plain in Shinar[b] and settled there.

3 They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. 4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”
5 But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. 6 The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.”
8 So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. 9 That is why it was called Babel[c]—because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth.

Loved making that connection! Have I lost you yet? I hope not! 

Abraham lived in the cave until he was 10 years old. Then he went to live with Noah and Shem, where he studied and learned to serve God. Nimrod had long forgotten about the amazing appearance of the bright star and Terah was still by his side, helping him with his affairs and Nimrod knowing no difference. As Terah continued his worshiping of idols, Abraham continued to grow in his faith and tried to tell his father about God. Terah was hearing none of it. 

One day, Abram took an axe and destroyed all his father’s idols. Only the largest remained intact. When Terah saw his idols shattered and scattered all over the floor, he accused Abram. But Abram said that the largest of the idols had killed all the others in a fight over an offering brought to them. Terah exclaimed that such a thing was impossible, since idols could not quarrel or fight. Then he realized that his son tricked him into admitting that the idols made of stone and wood could not even move, and he became very angry. Forgetting that he had long ago deceived Nimrod by substituting another child for Abram, he went to the king and reported his son’s irreverence towards the gods.

Nimrod threw Abraham in prison and condemned him to death by fire. Abraham spoke out again the king and his idols and made known his faith in the Lord. As the son of Shem, Prince Shem, many people gathered to watch Abraham burn. He was tied up and thrown in a furnace. Because God was with him, nothing but the rope that bound him, burned. For 3 days and nights, Abraham walked among the flames with not a single hair burned. Nimrod allowed him to come out of the furnace and showered him with gifts and sent him home. Nimrod last many followers to Abraham after that event and Abraham preached to all his new followers about God. 

Abraham went on to marry Sarai (Her name later changed by God to Sarah). Name changes were common when a covenant was formed with God. Refresher: Sarai was Abraham's half sister. I guess getting her father's blessing wasn't an issue! ;) 

 covenant: conditional promises made to humanity by God

Abraham and Sarah lived with Terah until Nimrod sent for Abraham again, this time with plans to secretly kill him. Abraham found out before and escaped to Noah's home, where he had lived as a young child. 

Finishing up....stick with me! 

Together, Abraham, Terah, Sarah, and Terah's grandson Lot set out from Ur to go to the land of Canaan, But when they came to Haran, they settled there. Gen. 11:31 

Abraham's journey. 

 Current middle east map: the land of Canaan (top map) is present day Egypt, the Sinai peninsula to be exact and up through Israel, give or take a small piece of Lebanon.

Terah lived 205 years and died in Haran. 

Genesis 12:1-9

The Call of Abram

12 The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.

2 “I will make you into a great nation,
    and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
    and you will be a blessing.[a]
3 I will bless those who bless you,
    and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
    will be blessed through you.”[b]

4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years oldwhen he set out from Harran. 5 He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.

6 Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7 The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring[c] I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.
8 From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord.
9 Then Abram set out and continued toward the Negev.

Ok, so, that went.....interestingly! I truly hope that made sense and pieced together a few things. I will work on not being so scattered in the next one...and seriously...the next one is BY FAR my favorite! These were just pieces of info I have picked up through many sources that have helped me to make sense of what I'm reading. I overly check things to make sure I'm getting them as accurate as I possibly can. Please know that I'm learning this too and excited to share it all with anybody that wants to listen! 

Learning and Sharing!

So, I mentioned on my facebook awhile ago that I wanted to a bible study. I was hoping to reach out to my former kids, my girls to be exact but as time and life kept on going and I was tagging along trying to keep up, things have changed! So here is where everything is at:

1) I have NEVER been to a bible study so I have no idea what to do besides, study the bible! I'm actually attending my first one tonight and I couldn't be more excited! Did you know Jesus had a brother?! Cool right...had no idea! Planning to learn a lot!

2) I wanted to start this WAY before now but as I was figuring out what route I wanted to go with it, I kept getting confused. So, I stopped to pray about it and think about my God given skill and realized that I didn't want to do what most bible studies did (so I've heard), where everybody is assigned a book and then you analyze it and so on. I came to the conclusion that I'm a teacher...A history, geography and government teacher! That is what I'm good at, making sense of history, using maps and other visuals to make words come to life and I'm really good at researching...so, here is my God given talent!

3) I literally want to study the bible! I want to provide details and after that, everybody else fill in the spiritual part. Of course that is the most important but I want to provide the things that make the stories easy to remember, to give information to make everything make sense. Personally, it is so hard for me to read the bible b/c I get lost QUICK! Places are mentioned and I have no idea where they are located/were located, so I want to provide maps and comparisons to today with those maps. So many names are mentioned in the Bible and it is so hard to follow and keep them all straight, I want to provide background info on those main people; date of birth/death, occupation, spouse, children, etc...making them REAL! I also want to provide historical info about the times of these people, what events were taking place, what was 'common', were wars happening, etc...I truly want to make sense of the bible for people like me that need the visuals to follow along and to understand.

4) I'm NOT even close to being qualified to preach the contents of the Bible (I'm probably not even the best resource for teaching the details about the Bible but I know I can provide some info that will be useful!). So, I won't be preaching, I'll leave that to the ministers but at least when you hear certain names/places/etc, you'll have a foundation and that, is something I desperately NEED and I'm excited to share! I will give a forewarning, I DO NOT KNOW EVERYTHING and NOR WILL I ACT LIKE I DO! I will GUARANTEE that I will mess something up at some point or I will miss something...I'm also learning while doing this and I will be more than happy to accept corrections b/c that will help me grow too!

5) Ideally, I would love to do a post a week but after starting out with ABRAHAM and all the research it has taken, it might be 2 weeks but I will do my best. I'd rather have quality than quantity so if there is a huge gap in time without a post, please know that it is b/c I don't just want to put junk on here and something is in the works!

6) I won't always know the direction, person, event I'm going with so PLEASE send me topics or people you want me to discuss! Help me and let's do this together! I'm really excited about this and have taken the 'teacher' approach, "Here is the information but still there is reading to do on your part and we are all here to learn together!"

7) The first topic I will be posting this week is about ABRAHAM! It will be a 2 part-er (maybe 3). First part will be about who Abraham is, spouse, childhood, children, siblings, location...the foundation and basics.
The second part will make sense of the childhood Sunday school song, Father Abraham had many sons and many sons had father Abraham. I am one of them and so are you, so let's all praise the Lord. I plan to do a whole geneology tree of Abraham and how Islam and Christianity branched out from him.

Ranting about Ranters and enough about Motherhood!

I don't know what is prompting me to type this but here I am! Not the way I thought I would start off 2014 since my New Year's resolution was to make life more simple, which includes: getting rid of unnecessary scheduling, keeping to a minimum on my to-do list and just getting rid of the 'clutter' in my house and life...that includes frustrations that I can do nothing about (ie-politics, as much as I used to LOVE it). So...odd that day 3, I'm sitting here getting ready to do this!

READY! GO!  Can we all just stop posting mommy guilt trips all over the place! I'm so tired of getting on Facebook and clicking on an article/shared post/blog link that one of my friends' posted and it just lays so much guilt on everybody! I read one about putting down the cell phone b/c we're missing our kids' childhood. WHY ARE WE JUDGING? I'm not always on my phone but I am sometimes and sometimes, it MIGHT be at the mall while my kids are playing...Maybe these moms that are on their cell phones have no other time to be on them OR MAYBE, they are sending pictures of their kiddos to family members that don't live close. Why waste so much time writing something that is going to make moms (as amazing as we all are) feel like crap and like we should be watching over our shoulders or hiding our phones while out in public with our kids! WHATEVER! I realize it is my choice to read these articles or whatever they are and believe me, I'm DONE!

From day 1 of being pregnant and trying to be the best mom I could be by picking up a 'baby' magazine and reading everything I could get my hands on, everything has made me either scared or left feeling like a failure. Don't do this...don't do that...research shows...if you do this, this will happen...BLAH BLAH BLAH! Those were done really quick!

Here is my mommy confession and I don't care! Sometimes my kids go to bed late, sometimes they aren't on a schedule. Maybe I do feed them Mac and Cheese and we get take out while we are out running errands or I'm so tired that I can't even muster up the energy to get dressed, much less cook! Cereal and oatmeal are regulars for breakfast. If a marathon of Sofia or Doc McStuffins is on, I have no issue with Kinsley sitting there watching it. Pretty sure on Saturday mornings I would watch Rainbow Bright, Care Bears, GI Joe, Transformers, and Ninja Turtles....That's a good 2 1/2 hours, straight, in one day...take THAT magazines that tell me not to let my kids watch any TV! Sometimes thats the only way I get a shower (far and in between!) Gross but it's true! I'm sure I do a ton more things that are wrong but I don't care, I'm happy, my kids are as awesome as they can be, and my husband is happy! I hate that we, mothers, let this stuff get to us (I know I'm not the only one!) Pretty sure we are ALL amazing and all I can truly hope is that we all STOP reading those articles and just keep going about our lives and ENJOYING them!

Also....final note! I only breastfed my kids for 4 months or less....TAKE THAT! Guess they will die of allergies or something...IDK but I was fine being a formula baby that slept in a crib that was unsafe WITH bumpers, riding in the back seat of the car, above the seats UNBUCKLED, eating McDonald's. HA!

Just love you, your life and your kids!

DONE!!

Nope: P.S--I do Elf on a Shelf so I guess, according to one blogger, I'm tying my kid's behavior to gifts and letting them think that a creepy little elf is keeping on eye on them! And...I do more than 4 gifts at Christmas (Want, Need, Clothes, Book). I LIKE spoiling my kids and I'll just get even more honest...I RARELY walk out of Target without buying something for my kids...why? Not b/c I'm trying to buy their love, or whatever, it's b/c I want to and I like to and when they STOP being appreciative or taking care of their stuff, it will stop! AND....I do let them believe in Santa! (Yes, I have read posts about all of the above!).

NOW I'm DONE!

God is cracking me up!

I HAD to share this b/c for the last 24 hours, I have literally been laughing at the way God has been working!

For my son's 1st birthday, we asked that people to bring a donation for CASA of Denton instead of gifts for him. We are beyond blessed and lord knows we don't need any more 'made in China' plastic toys! We dropped off the donation on Monday and the ladies there were soooo sweet and appreciative and blown away that we did that for Colson's birthday. They took a picture of my kiddos with the donation (to my protest b/c even talking about it on here is not something I want to do but, for the sake of sharing how God is working, here I am talking about it!).

Before we left, I noticed their angel tree, which was FULL of kids that needed to be 'adopted' for Christmas needs/wants. We ended up picking 2 girls, sisters, age 1 and 4 (the exact age of my kiddos--figured it would be easy to know what they might like). Kinsley loves to shop, terrible news for daddy's wallet but great for this situation! I wanted to adopt ALL of the kids...if I was a millionaire or even a couple hundred thousand-aire....consider it DONE! However, I'm not even close! At home that night, right before bed, I prayed that God would help me to make more money between now and Christmas (through my Rodan + Fields sales) b/c I wanted to put that money towards the kids I adopted or adopting more kids!

Once again...God was answering me and my request in ways that I never would have imagined! I'm a member on quite a few FB Garage sale sites and the other night, I posted Kinsley's old tricycle on the site for sale. Immediately, it was claimed and I was in talks with this lady for quite a bit about the condition of the bike, etc. Bike was sold and ready for pick up! I got back onto the same site at about 11:30pm (I should have been sleeping), and she made a post about her daughter's skin condition and wanted to know if anbody used Rodan + Fields for that issue before. I popped up and made a comment about how I sell it, can I answer any questions, etc. I had quite a few people asking me more questions and messaging me about them. What an unexpected business opportunity that I wasn't even trying to find...literally fell into my lap. After I made my comments on there, I prayed again and basically just said, God, LETS DO THIS!! Wherever you take me, I'm there!

Yesterday, I received an email from one of my friends' sister, she said she wanted to get into selling R+F  with me! That is an instant, almost $200....$200 that will go directly to the adopted kids! I wasn't seeking her out either, she contacted me! God is truly working and I love that I'm able to see it and so quickly! Glory to HIM!

THEN today....I bundled up the kids and we headed to Once Upon a Child to find clothes for these little girls! I wanted to get the biggest bang for my buck and get them the most clothes I could find while still having money left over for the other items on the list! I thought it was perfect timing too b/c they were having a sale...(This was the ad/email I had about the sales)

Wednesday 

Nov. 27th  6am - 8am

'Minimize the Madness'  Sale

A very special pre-Black Friday sale for our 

Email customers ONLY!!

50% OFF on ALL gently used clothing and shoes.

(You must bring the attached e-ticket  with you or show it to us on your phone as your ticket to get in!!)

Thursday 

Nov. 28th  CLOSED

          Happy Thanksgiving!!

Friday 

Nov. 29th 6am - Noon

Morning Madness Sale!

50% Off -   6am -   8am

40% Off -   8am - 10am

30% Off -  10am - Noon

Discounts apply to ALL gently used clothing and shoes.

We missed the 6-8am sale b/c the kids actually slept in, for once! I wasn't going to argue with that one! I shopped like no other and we got a HUGE bag for clothes for each of the girls. We were at the check out counter, rang up, hangers off everything and I asked if it was still the 40% off time....all the ladies looked at me funny and said: "the 50% off ended an hour and half ago." Looking puzzled, I pulled up this ad on my phone and realized I mixed up my dates! I was thinking about Friday's sale on Wednesday! I about had a panic attack b/c I didn't want to put the clothes back and if I paid full price for them, I wouldn't have enough for all the other items on the list! I asked if they would hold them until Friday b/c I really wanted these for my Christmas Tree angels. The manager was on the phone next to the lady checking us out, she over heard me say that and told her to give me the 40% off anyways! WHHHHHAAAAATTT?! How amazing! Hour and half late, on the wrong day, with the wrong ad in mind....for a huge retail store, I would never have thought this would happen! Glory to HIM again!!! 

This is just the start of the Christmas for these little girls! I can't wait! 

Christmas Jammies....not on the list but felt it was necessary! Please send a prayer for these children, all of them! Christmas is so magical in EVERY aspect and I just want them all to have a happy day, if only one. 

Please pray that things will take off for me so I can keep buying for these kids and adopt more! 

Also, here is the link for CASA of Denton if you want to learn more about the organization or what to give this season! 

http://www.casadenton.org/

Please stop in their office and adopt a kiddo for Christmas!