Protect Your Children: Educate Yourself on the Parental Rights Issue

http://www.parentalrights.org

What's New...

Only four of our children got the virus. Amanda, Brandon, Bethany, Clint and I managed to escape it. It was really rough on those who had it though. It took four days to go through them, but they were each only sick from 12 hours to a little over 24 hours.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving even though Clint and Brandon were both called into work. We found out late Wednesday afternoon and had our meal together Wednesday evening. I usually cook the day before, so we were pretty much ready. I roasted two turkeys which I rubbed with a herbal mix. They received rave reviews!

That was the first time our family was not together at once on a holiday, but that's alright. There are soldiers who are away from their country every year. There are families not together this year because someone died. I can rejoice in what I do have rather than complain about what I don't have.

Since I need to be off my broken heel, Amanda canned the turkey stock this year. I had made the stock, cleaned the jars and was ready to can when my heel started having a weird pain. I asked her if she could take over. She readily agreed and did a fantastic job! We now have 30 quarts of gourmet turkey stock on our pantry shelves. Our family cooks from "scratch" a lot. We use so much stock; it is easier to make the volume we need after roasting turkeys. I save peelings from vegetables for a few months to put into our stock which gives it a higher nutritional content and a better flavor. What is leftover after the stock is drained off is greedily gobbled up by our dogs. Waste not; want not!

I made a very good start on organizing the front shed. The main job left now is for me to sort our huge library of books, decide which will stay and get them organized on the shelves. We have many, many, many books due to our wide range in ages, interests, reading levels and our homeschooling. I am hoping to reduce it by half.

My birthday was very good! I feel very loved and appreciated. Thank you to everyone who contributed to make it a special day!

Happy Thanksgiving from Our Gang to Yours!

I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.
Psalms 13:6

But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
I Corinthians 15:57

Shared Article: The war at home

This article is written about Debbie, whose family I asked for prayer for in an earlier post. If you are the victim of domestic violence, please get help immediately. The unimaginable CAN happen. ~Wendy

found at: http://hamptonroads.com/2011/11/war-home

By R. Paul Speece

Once again, the ugly head of domestic violence has shown its vicious face right here in our own backyard ("Man kills wife, self in Suffolk neighborhood," Hampton Roads, Nov. 9).

A deranged, destitute husband selfishly took the life of a beautiful, caring mother of their two children in order to satisfy misplaced anger and exert ultimate control - which he was quickly losing during slow judicial proceedings.

Her name was Deborah M. Wigg, formerly an audit manager with McPhillips, Roberts & Deans. She was a wife of 15 years, a mother, daughter and sister who, at the end of this tragedy, was left with a fatal gunshot wound to the head.

Her estranged husband ended his own agony with a self-inflicted gunshot.

How tragic it is that not only were two lives lost, but two young children are traumatized and left without the love, care and guidance of parents. They will be scarred for life.

It seems unfathomable that this horrific event is actually déjà vu for me.

Six years ago, my sister-in-law's life was senselessly ended at the hand of my brother, leaving two children devoid of the care of loving parents and a wake of bewilderment among family and friends.

I have lived nearly 57 years and have experienced the violent murders and self-inflicted deaths of four highly educated, successful professionals: my brother, a U.Va. graduate; his wife, a librarian; another, a dear friend, associate and a credentialed CPA; and her husband, a successful entrepreneur and former teacher.

I have lived through a period encompassing the violence of Vietnam, the Gulf Wars, Iraq and Afghanistan, and the only deaths I know personally stem from domestic violence.

In both of these unimaginable cases, I sensed where the violence was headed and was unable to stop it, resulting in the disruption of the lives of all who knew the victims. They were left shellshocked.

The perpetrators were in front of the courts where the judiciary knew that these angry husbands not only beat their wives but subsequently threatened them with guns. They were allowed to keep known weapons or could find new ones, even after being incarcerated and accountable to the law enforcement system. They failed to pay court-ordered child support, were dismissed by their hired attorneys, showed evidence of illegal drug use but were still allowed to roam the streets plotting their massacre, letting their anger percolate to a volatile crescendo, ultimately violating impotent protective orders.

Deborah Wigg's estranged husband failed to show up at court for the hearing dealing with the assault charge. The judge dismissed an unfounded counterclaim against her and continued the case against him to a later date. She would never have the chance to get to that hearing. Five days later she was killed by the freed ticking time bomb she once loved.

Where are the courts, which are fully aware of these issues, in protecting the innocent?

Where does common sense intercede to guide implementation of the law?

What we as a society are doing to stop the violence is anemic and ineffective, resulting in four tragic deaths within my microcosm.

As president of Samaritan House Inc., in Virginia Beach, the largest organization in the state dedicated to the causes of domestic violence and homelessness, I know what those dedicated workers in the trenches of this sordid business do daily to provide hope, healing and change to victims. They are effective in dealing with people at risk. They struggle to stop the violence and work toward prevention of future violence. I am extremely proud to be affiliated with them.

If you think you are immune to the atrocities of domestic violence, you are not. It is highly likely you know someone whose life is impacted by it, because it knows no boundaries.

Reach out to Samaritan House's victim-advocacy program; call the hotline at (757) 430-2120; get involved with prevention education; or advocate politically for stronger domestic violence legislation. Help stop the senseless ending of life at the hands of family members. You can make a difference.

A Virus Came to Visit

Emily (4) came down with a sudden severe headache and stomach ache Friday. It had us concerned because two different friends' children has similar symptoms and ended up in the hospital. Her fever shot up very quickly to 104.7 and stayed there for a few hours. She threw up 5-6 times, slept for a long time and woke up to her bouncy, cheerful self! The worst of it lasted about five hours. She ran a low grade temp for a while after but the vomiting had stopped.

Hannah (2) came down with it Friday night/early Saturday morning. She threw up every hour on the hour all night. Sometimes she threw up 20 minutes apart. It was a long night. I had to give her a hydrating enema with some anti-emetic in it. In the 12 hours Hannah was constantly vomiting, she did not complain once. All she wanted to do was sleep. She slept in my arms part of the night, Clint's for part and her own bed some. I was listening to the girls talk in their beds last night thinking how wonderful it was to hear them chatting and giggling again.

A rise in body temperature is the body's natural defense mechanism against germs. I believe this is why the virus was killed off so quickly in Emily's body, but has lasted longer in the others.

Joshua and Caleb have it now. They are very ready for this unwanted guest to leave as soon as possible. I am missing the boy sounds of wars, and crashes, and battles coming from their room.

Japanese & British Data Show Vaccines Cause Autism

http://childhealthsafety.wordpress.com/2009/06/03/japvaxautism/
article from 2009

Heavy Hearts

A friend of Clint's and mine from school was murdered last night by her estranged husband. The man then shot himself. I have known of this family since elementary school. Her brother was in my class from first grade to graduation and we are still in touch now and then. Clint met him at Forest Glen and also has stayed in touch through Facebook. I got to know her again through Facebook and found her to be a lovely person with a sweet spirit. It cuts our hearts to think of this family hurting.

I am asking you to lift up prayers for the Brown family. Please pray for her two boys who have woken up today to learn both of their parents are gone. Please pray for our many mutual friends who are struggling with the news.

Daddy is HOME!!!

This is our favorite part of every day!

Homeschool Boot Camp

Brandon: "I don't mean to offend you, Mom, but your homeschooling was like a boot camp compared to college. I not only received the highest grades in my classes, but I also had to help the teacher today. This stuff is easy compared to what you taught me!"

I am smiling!

Rough Days

When I look at fires, floods, sleepwalking, miscarriages, I have a pretty good idea of what constitutes as a BAD day. Yesterday wasn't technically bad, but it got to me...

I started the day with less than four hours sleep. That should have been my first clue.

The night before, I had resuscitated a puppy that had no signs of life. I mistakenly thought he had become pushed away from his litter and become too cold. After two hours, I had him breathing and moving only to realize he had fading puppy syndrome which would take his life in spite of my efforts. Clint put him down.

Then I got news about two friends' health that made me very, very sad. My heart is very burdened for them and their families.

Emily threw a cup and hit Hannah in the head. I am now convinced that wars begin by sisters. I also thanked the Lord I did not have a sister yesterday. :-)

Caleb learned a bad word from a movie. He experimented with it yesterday. I corrected him...

Homeschool after that was like beating your head against a wall. It is not very productive, is painful, but you can't stop yourself from trying.

I got a dirty letter for a bill I do not even owe.

I was summoned to jury duty for the same time Clint and I had planned to go away for my birthday.

I keep getting e-mails from people on the west coast asking me how to extract pot. I got another one yesterday. It makes me wonder if my name is circulating around some strange marijuana group!

This came two days after DEA agents flew low in a helicopter over our neighborhood for two days. LOL! They spent a good amount of time over our place. The locked driveway gate must make law officials concerned. They'd be right. I am trying to keep the FEDs from barrelling down my driveway and running over my children as they play; FEDEX that is.

Granted, I've had many days worse than yesterday, but yesterday had me frazzled. The hits kept coming. I am thankful for godly friends and a loving husband who don't give up on me during the days I want to give up. I am thankful for a God who keeps His promises.

You will also have days that challenge you. You will be stretched beyond your limit. Hold on, count on the Lord to keep His promises, and talk to the people you can count on. When we are stretched, we grow.

Ephesians 3:19-20 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.