Our Heartbreaking Week

Thanksgiving is a time when we celebrate blessings.  We were so glad to be able to share the holiday with both of our families.  It was a fantastic time of fellowship, eating, catching up, shopping (yes, some of us participate in the ridiculous black Friday event), and playing together.

I love the holidays, I always have.  This one, however, was particularly difficult for me.  You see, we found out Wednesday night that our suspicion earlier in the week had been accurate.  We had a miscarriage.  Crum Baby #4 will not be joining our family in July.

For those of you that have had a miscarriage, you know that it is both physically and emotionally challenging.  With 3 little boys, I felt extremely blessed that Mr. Crum was able to be home with me most of the week.  He took excellent care of our boys.  Friends rallied around in support of us.  Still, it was tough.

From the start of this pregnancy, the word God put on my mind for the baby was "peace."  We had decided that somehow "Shalom" would be part of the baby's name. Shalom is more then just simply peace; it is a complete peace. It is a feeling of contentment, completeness, wholeness, well being and harmony.

Again and again over the last week and a half, I have had to remember the peace of God.  Because the Spirit is in me, I HAVE his peace.  It does not come from me, or from the world around me.  The peace that I have in this heartbreaking time is from Him alone.

 Tonight I spoke with a friend who had heartbreaking news of her own.  My heart aches for her and her husband.  They seem to meet adversity everywhere they turn.  My friend, I wish I had answers about why a good God lets babies die before they are born.  I wish I could tell you why things are happening the way they are in your life.  The only thing I can tell you is that I find my peace in Him.  I know he is good even when the world doesn't make any sense.  Even when the justice system is unjust - he is fair.

Have you had a hard week?  How are you holding it together?  What do you rely on when times are tough?

Enjoy A Healthier and Happier Thanksgiving Meal - and a giveaway

I announced yesterday that we are expecting baby #4 this summer.  It's an exciting time, but as you may recall, I am diabetic - therefore it is not without challenges.  I have decided that this is going to be my healthiest pregnancy yet (and my doctor seems to think that's a good plan).  As I am working toward health, I've had the priveledge of partnering with GeoPalz once again to share an exciting & fun event! 

As I plan for our holiday season, here are a few tips that I plan to use in keeping our family moving toward health.  Make sure to read to the end so you can learn about a fantastic giveaway from GeoPalz!  (Don't forget to check out their website - they offer great games to help entice young people to exercise!)


1. Snack sparingly throughout the day, choose a healthy option if the kids have to snack. Opt for a full meal instead of high-calorie snacking. It’s difficult to monitor how much the kids are eating when they’re grazing the buffet. Click to Tweet!

2. Create colorful fruit salads and fruit-based desserts for a healthy way to satisfy your kid’s sweet tooth. Make an apple or peach pie using whole-wheat flour instead of white flour. Click to Tweet!

3. Fill your kid’s plate with half veggies, a quarter potatoes, and the rest with meat. Help your kids learn portion control by using normal or undersized portions. Encourage them to fill their plates with healthy and colorful food. Click to Tweet!

4. Have fun and play games together! Promote playtime with fun and physical activities. Play a game of touch football, Frisbee, or kickball together. With younger kids, play hopscotch, jump rope, or tag. Click to Tweet!





Make the most of your Thanksgiving holiday with the children’s pedometer, GeoPalz! To get you started, they’ve provided 12 tips for a healthier and happier Thanksgiving meal. Follow their tips and share them with friends to be entered into a Healthy Family Thanksgiving Giveaway!

At the end of the month, GeoPalz will pick one lucky parent who’s shared these tips via Twitter with a Thanksgiving prize pack including 4 GeoPalz pedometers for your kids and a $100 Target gift card for you!

Here’s how to enter:
1. Click the included link to tweet your favorite tip!
2. Follow GeoPalz on Twitter to find out if you’ve won.

For contest rules and regulations, please visit the GeoPalz blog.

***Disclaimer: I have received a product in exchange for this post.  All opinions expressed are my own.***

The Learning Tree

It started out as a tree of blessing and thanksgiving.  I painted it on the wall with the intention of writing scriptures of thanks and encouragement on it.  I have been attaching leaves with names pf blessings to it.  We like the tree.

Now it is a learning tree as well.  Currently it bears apples with numbers 1-10 (we have up to 100).  It holds apples with each letters of the boy's names (although mysteriously A and S have become missing).  It holds the boy's papers from church and Awana.  We are going over these pages regularly, and the numbers.  Mama mixes up the letters in their names and they are learning to spell them in order, left to right.  Manasseh's speed has really improved at spelling his name, both with paper and out loud, over the last couple of weeks.  The learning tree is a GREAT thing in our house right now!

How do you promote education in your house?  Do you have special centers, workbooks, activities that you use?