serious moms: brenda's blog

Random Facts About Me, Brenda, the Blogger, Serious Moms Creator, etc.!

Just in case you're curious, I guess....

I am a born again Christian and accepted Christ as the savior of my life when I was 8 years old, after my Grandpa Warren and Grandma Maisie told me about Jesus dying on the cross for me.
I didn't grow up in the church though (my family went a few times, to a few different churches, but we did not go regularly). I started going to church when I got my driver's license, in high school. So as I teach my children, I am learning the Old Testament Bible stories for the first time, and I am learning traditional Sunday School Songs that I never learned. (which is fun, but challenging at the same time, because I think, "I don't know how to teach this" and I wonder if I'm doing it correctly)
I've been married to my awesome husband, & handsome prince, Karry, for 6 1/2 years.
We've got 3 boys, currently ages 4, 3, and 2.
Our oldest son was born at 26 weeks gestation--a whopping 1 lb 12 oz (2 oz bigger than my sister's little guy who was born at 25 weeks gestation 2 years earlier!). Isaac (our son) spent 3 months in the hospital on oxygen & in an incubator.
Kaleb (born 13 months later) came only after a cervical cerclage and 4 months of bed rest (and several trips to the hospital, and shots of terbutaline to stop contractions). My mom came over just about every day to take care of Isaac and me (and ladies from church helped out when she couldn't). My husband was an amazing trooper & handled life without his help-meet able to do much at all! I took on planning activities and making flyers for our group at church and laid on the couch with a laptop during that time. :) (Serious Moms had not been born yet!)
Our 3rd son, Noah, is ours through adoption. He is half Hispanic, so people ask us what country we adopted him from, but really, he was from a town that was only 2 hours south of us! :) We finally got Noah when he was 14 1/2 months old (even though we knew about him when he was 2 weeks old & had been praying for him every day since then).
We plan to adopt more children, in God's good timing. :)
Isaac has had feeding "issues" his entire life, taking an hour to complete 1 single ounce from a bottle when he was a baby (and he was never able to nurse). When he was 2, he got a Nasogastric Feeding Tube (in his nose), and when he was 3, he had surgery to have a Gastrointestinal Tube put into his belly. He is now, at 4, eating much better than he used to, and trying many of the same foods we eat for dinner (finally!). We still give him supplemental formula and drip feedings through a pump all night long, and will continue to do so for probably several more months.
Isaac also has Retinopathy of Prematurity, has had 2 eye surgeries, and his retina is mostly detatched in his right eye (which means he is legally blind in that eye). We attempted patching his left eye to force his right eye to work, but that did not make any difference. He now wears glasses to protect his good eye, and his right eye wanders (especially when he is sleepy).
We live in the neat little town of Canby, Oregon.
I have a Bachelor's Degree in "Culture, Literature, and the Arts," from the University of Washington.
I homeschool my children, and my favorite subjects to teach are Literature and History.
I enjoy the old Little House on the Prairie episodes.
I have a very high pain tolerance. I handled 2 c-sections with little medication afterwards, and was walking around as soon as the numbness wore off.
I have strong senses. I have a really strong sense of smell, hearing, and taste. I'm probably also just paranoid. I am super picky about the plastic bags & plastic wrap I use on my food, because I can taste the flavor of the plastic on my food. Same with dishwashing detergents (I am now using Seventh Generation and feel sooo much better about it!). Cleaning chemicals can easily make me sick (I am also now using all "green" products for cleaning now--which I think are safer for my family!).
I'm obsessed with lotion. I can't stand dry hands. My favorites are Gold Bond (perfect thickness without being too greasy), and Bath & Body Works Freesia.
I'm allergic to peanuts, and noticed this allergy when I was 24 years old & attempting to eat a Butterfinger Blizzard. I felt like my throat was closing up & like my brain was not getting enough oxygen. Since that time, I have had several other occasions like it, and I have learned to just avoid all nuts as much as possible, which generally means no desserts at any potluck (which is good for me!), no candy bars, avoiding several types of ice cream, avoiding everything in the bakery and deli at WalMart Superstores, and absolutely no Thai food, ever!
I only know one other woman who designs websites, which can feel a little strange sometimes. Many of my good friends don't use the computer much and aren't even e-mailers. I sort of feel like a techno-geek, but I'm thankful that I've acquired this skill and have been able to reach so many women through this ministry!
I am a stay at home mom & value my children more than any career or potential income. I am also a homemaker, and helpmeet to my husband. Those three roles (homemaker, helpmeet, mom), I feel, could not be done WELL if I had a job. They could be done, but something would be lacking.
I can play guitar (a little) and I wish I could sing like Stephanie Chadwick. :)
I enjoy decorating, and lately (as our house is being built) that subject is on my mind a lot. I'd love to have our living room & dining room resemble a tea room (cute and feminine), and our kitchen & family room to look like a farmhouse/cabin (warm and cozy).
Speaking of the word feminine, I don't like the word "feminist" because the feminists tend to be anything but feminine.
Sin issues I am easily bothered by: abortion; proud, prideful & independent women; women who show off cleavage, bellies, or other unnecessary skin; men who look at bikini "sports" magazines and their wives who have no problem with it; Christians who spend more time watching TV than they do reading God's Word (our attitudes about everything we face in life are developed by what we choose to expose ourselves to); and women who find no value in staying home with their children & think it is perfectly ok to let somebody else raise them while they fulfill some "need," make more money for new cars, etc., or save for a good retirement at the sacrifice of their children.
But hey, as Christians, don't we judge too easily? Don't we show little grace and compassion for our fellow sinners? So here are some sin issues I struggle with: like Eve, submission--I'm good at delegating and leading, and I was the first born child, so this is really tough for me. Time management (notice my disclaimer at the bottom of the page?)--I like to accomplish a task before I move onto something else, but sometimes I start a task that should really be accomplished over several days, and I set unrealistic goals for myself. Anger when I am stressed. Worrying too much what people think (about me--as if that matters--isn't it what they think about God that matters?). :)
I believe that prayer is the most effective way to deal with sin issues in my own life, and in other's. Confronting a person who is in a serious sin situation is an important and Biblical step (ignoring them creates unbiblical dysfunction). I think the most important step, however, is prayer--before and after confrontation. I think many Christians are either 1. too quick to confront, showing little love or grace or 2. too quick to cover up sin, hoping for "peace" in the family. Number one turns unbelievers and those weak in their faith to abandon Christianity. Number two causes inevitable tension between people (and sometimes the person who is attempting to keep the "peace" is clueless about it).
Well, I guess that's all. If you have any other questions about me or the things I have said, feel free to e-mail me: brenda at seriousmoms.com