If vaccines are truly effective...

I read from the CDC website that there was an outbreak of measles among vaccinated students at a high school in Illinois in 1984.

This is a quote at the end of the article:

Editorial Note: This outbreak demonstrates that transmission of measles can occur within a school population with a documented immunization level of 100%. This level was validated during the outbreak investigation.


Again from the CDC, there was a chicken pox outbreak among vaccinated children in MI in 2003.


Then another Chicken Pox outbreak among vaccinated children in NE in 2004.

And recently in New York and New Jersey, an outbreak of mumps occurred.   The CDC reports, "Among the patients for whom vaccination status was reported, 88% had received at least 1 dose of mumps-containing vaccine, and 75% had received 2 doses."


What's interesting to me is their conclusion from the above facts:  "Although mumps vaccination alone was not sufficient to prevent this outbreak, maintaining high measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccination coverage remains the most effective way to prevent outbreaks and limit their size when they occur."


Jay Wile, textbook writer, wrote on his blog that it's people who don't understand the scientific process who would question vaccinations.  Well, I guess I will just have to plead ignorance but from what happened in New York, it would seem to me that vaccinations were NOT effective and it takes those who really understand science to be able to see that while they were not effective, they should be given.  Is that what science is about?  Sounds like circular reasoning.  It's effective because everyone needs to be vaccinated.  Is that about right?

It hardly takes propaganda from the anti-vaccination camp to come up with facts like these.  We can trust the CDC, can't we?

Baby's size

                                      Baby's size at 11 weeks

Baby is 11 weeks old

My uterus is easier than ever to find now.  These baby weeks seem to be going by pretty fast.  Noah is talking more about the new baby now.  A couple of friends are also with child!  I bet I will go first, though.  :)
I usually go a little early so maybe this baby will not make me wait so long as well.

The blessings of a church family

We belong to a very small church.  We do have regular visiting families, but the core consists of  7 families.  We have one church service a week.  That hardly prevents the families from getting together for prayer fellowships and every other kind of fellowship.

Chris can rest assured that the church is ministering to us while he is gone.  A family asked us over on my birthday.  They made time for us in the middle of the week and treated us royally.  My friend even gave me a massage!  I was so blessed.

Then the pastor had us over after church.  This is not the type of church where the pastor needs to rest from his flock.  :)

Another family asked me to have all the children go over to play so I can do whatever I needed to do without tending to my children for a day.

We didn't get this type of attention when we went to much bigger churches.  Some things are better smaller, I think.

I am so thankful that God put us in a church family where ministering to one another is something that is taught and modeled and embraced.

It doesn't matter how good the teaching of a church is if the people were too busy for each other.  But then again, maybe it's the teaching that allows that to happen.

If one is not loved in their church, there is something seriously wrong.  How can God's love be manifested if not through His people?

We don't have anything kind of programs going on in our church, but even the 4 year olds can recite memory verses.  We don't have a nursery even though there are plenty of little ones.  All that's needed is people who love God enough to love and be responsible for their families and want to minister to other families.

Baby is 10 weeks old

I am starting to show! Probably only my family sees it, but my belly's definitely not flat anymore. I still feel tired but not in a I-can't-do-another-thing-kind of tired.

I am so humbled that God is making me the mother to another little babe. I am so undeserving. So not the kind of mother that has it all together. Any yet, God uses the weak things...

Would we really embrace every new thing that is marketed?

I'm afraid so.  One thing I want to be able to teach our children well is to be  wise consumers.  I want them to be able to make sound decisions for everything they buy.  And eat.  And read.  And wear.  :)  Basically, everything that affects their bodies, affects who they are.

Microwave ovens haven't been around forever.  We didn't have one when I was growing up.  I think the reason the microwave oven is so indispensable in the American home is because we are an impatient society.  If something can  be  done quicker, by all means, let's get that gadget that makes our life so much better by not losing as much time.  But who are we trusting that the microwave oven really does make our lives better?  The fact that almost everyone uses one doesn't really mean much.  Many people just do what other people do.

Is there any information around that can cause the thoughtful person to reconsider their usage of the microwave oven?  Here is one article.  Probably a favorite microwaved food is popcorn.  There have been concerns about it since 1997, however.  Undoubtedly, the first reaction to a report about dangers is skepticism.  But why?  Why not err on the side of caution, especially when there are alternative ways of making popcorn? 

I want not only the best for my family, but I want my children to be able to discern what's best for themselves.  The first thing any of them do when we're interested in a food item at the grocery store is to read the label.  I hope they will continue to do that and not be willingly ignorant of what's not good for them.

I knew someone would take this angle on the dresses issue

I came across this article which makes perfect sense. And here, a man wants to know why women only wear dresses on Sundays to church.

Women have demanded their right to share the pants' wearing in the home.  She can be boss as well as her husband.  Women no longer need to stay in the home to care for the family.  She can even wear combat uniform while he stays home.  Our society is trying to play fair.  Or is it?  Would masculine men be accepted in mainstream America if they chose to wear skirts and dresses?  Would they ever want to?  Somehow I don't think so.

Thank you, dear husband, for insisting on keeping your role as provider and protector, all the while staying masculine.  Please remind me when my inside is wearing pants and femininity is only seen on the outside.  I know the heart is what matters the most.  I'm glad we both know that what is on the inside should be reflected on the outside.  And that's why we do dress up for church.  And why the girls and I choose to look distinctly feminine everyday of the week.  If we were the last ones on earth wearing skirts, I know you won't want us to alter our clothes just to match our culture.   I am grateful we don't have to try to make everything perfectly equal.  You wear the pants and I'll happily not.

It's good for me to be reminded that things are just temporal

While I was shopping at the grocery store today, my wallet was stolen from my purse in the shopping cart I was pushing.  I had taken my wallet out to look at my coupons and then set it back in my purse, but I didn't close my purse.  Then I turned away from the cart to look at what I wanted to buy.  And it was gone.  My wallet and nearly everything that is used to identify that I am who I am. 

The good that came about...

The manager of the store complimented me on being very calm.  We stayed in his little office, all 8 of us, for over and hour.  The children were not rowdy and I really didn't feel that badly about what happened. 

It really is comforting to know that my home is in heaven and this earth is just a stopping place. 

Baby is 9 weeks old

Look at those little fingers! 

I just bought some new vitamins, Garden of Life's Living Multi.  The suggested daily serving is 6-9 tablets!  I take maybe 3-4, throughout the day.  These vitamins don't make me feel nauseous so I like them already.

We went on a walk earlier.  Boy, am I out of shape.  I need to walk on a daily basis.  Pushing a stroller on steep roads is not fun, but I think it gives me a good workout.  I've gained a couple of pounds.  I'm not too concerned, even though I'm still so early, because the weight eventually comes off with nursing.  Or lack of sleep after the baby's born.  My weight has stayed pretty steady for a long time so it's too late to start blaming my pregnancy for a big weight gain.  Those half-priced frappes are making their mark, I'm afraid.  :)  I'm going to Starbuck's for my husband.  Or something like that.   

The day God gave me strawberries, books and a Bumbo to lift me up

I have been rather dispirited of late.  I was telling a friend that I know I need to be joyful, especially for the children's sake.  Then God gave us a day so beautiful and so full of blessings that it was obvious that He wanted me to know that I can always find joy in Him.  We went strawberry picking for the first time ever.  The strawberries were organically grown!  The children, including Max!, enjoyed the eating as much as the picking.  Then we went across the street to a tiny thrift store which was selling books for .10 each.  There were so many wonderful children's books that it seemed like a candy store, but far cheaper and better for us.  I would've been fully satisfied with our treasure of books but then I saw a bumbo for $5!  A new-looking green bumbo with a tray, even.  I'd wanted to get one when I was pregnant with Noble, but didn't want one badly enough to pay full price.  I did see one at a thrift store once.  It was pink.  I thought it was too risky and I'm glad my caution paid off.  It's nice that there are wonderfully neutral colors, like green and brown, that would go with either sex. 

It really doesn't take a fortune to have children.  Any number of children.  Not even a small fortune.  You'd be surprised how much food we have in the refrigerator and how little we've spent on it.  Well, if you have a large family, you probably wouldn't be surprised.  (A keeper at home can become quite adept at getting incredibe money-saving deals.)  God doesn't stop providing at a certain number of children.  At one time when a friend asked if I was going to have as many as 10 children, I thought that was such a great number of children and that we'd never have that many.  (I had just turned 30 at the time and felt my childbearing years were numbered.)  That was when we only had 4.  Now with baby #8 on his/her way, 10 doesn't seem that many at all.  We even have enough seats in our van for a family of 12.  If someone chooses not to be blessed with many children, it surely cannot be because God will not provide.  The God that we serve is greater than the limits we put on Him for our excuses.  I can have joy, even when my husband is gone.  I just need to believe in Psalm 43:4, "Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy..."  The mother who says she can't quit her job because there won't be enough money is right.  There won't ever be enough when we're trusting in our own strength.  But with God, all things are possible.  Let's take Him at His Word and we'll never ever be disappointed. 






It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23

Baby is 8 weeks old

I can feel my uterus now!  I feel tired all the time, but that's nothing new.  I felt a little light-headed a few times today.  The nausea I've been experiencing is brought about every time I feel a little hungry, I think.  I've gagged a few times but haven't thrown up.  Yea!  All in all, I feel pretty good.  Still kind of amazed that a little babe is growing within.  Good thing that amazement never ceases.  The baby looks cute already.  :) 

Alone

Technically I'm never alone. Our children usually are around, somewhere. And now, I'm really never without child. :)

But when half of myself is not with me, I feel alone. And lonely. I can't really dwell on it too much, otherwise it will be too much and I won't stop crying.

The kids are a comfort. They keep me busy, getting me to see this treasure or that.

Chris, you have a sad wife.