Homemade Christmas Snapshots

My present to the family :) I finally finished my blanket!

Teddy Bear Closet from Lydia to Elizabeth (with help from Elijah and Dad)

Breastplate from big brother!

Scrunchies form Mommy

Bean guns from Dad (they shoot far! outside toy!)

Marshmallow Guns

New Skirts 

String climbers. Dad put their photos on each :)

We had a wonderful Homemade Christmas (along with real stocking presents!) Thank you grandparents for the lovely gifts! It was very relaxing day enjoying our five precious blessings from the Lord.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. James 1:17

FREE Nursing Cover GIVEAWAY!! Ends Jan. 4th!!

I am so blessed to have a such precious girlfriend! She gave me one of her handmade nursing covers for my 5th baby and I have used it about every time I am out in public.  Of course before this wonderful gift, I tried to make my own.. and lets just say they were not this good!!! ;)  

So, here is your chance to win one for FREE!  Enter the giveaway even if you don't have use for one now, because for sure there would be Mommy that would love this special gift!

ADJUSTABLE STRAP
PRIVATE PEEK-A-BOOK NECK
WEIGHTS ON THE CORNERS (WINDY DAYS)
MADE 100% COTTON

Buy it @

Psalm 117

Win It!
Sorry, United States Only.

Mandatory Entry:

• Visit www.Psalm117.Etsy.com or at Pacasa (this site has great pictures!), then comment on my blog regarding one of her items you LOVE, (besides the beautiful nursing cover pictured! :)) 

Extra Entries (Please separate comment for each.):

• Like/Be a Fan of www.psalm117.Esty.com on Facebook 
• Follow my blog via GFC (Google Friend Connect)
• Comment on my blog: an encouraging word (not crass) for those planning a wedding or a soon to be Mommy. 

Please leave your email contact info. Winner will be randomly selected and notified on January 4th, 2011!

Lord bless your New Year!

Nehemiah Bible Study Chp 5

  Due to Christmas I am a little late posting our Bible Study Update. To the few that will read this, apologies :)!  I am blessed to see how God uses each time we meet. During this lesson we were able to open up a little more and share our struggles as mothers and were we need prayer.  If you have not been able to come yet, please don't hesitate to.. the encouragement in His word is so worth it!  As the Lord leads.. we don't need to fill up our calendars with one more thing ;)

Brick Upon Brick 

Memory Verse: 

"Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others as better than himself.  Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests others."  Philippians 2:3-4

This lesson was an eye opener. The memory verse alone speaks volumes to us Moms. Amen?!  Due to time. Here is a quick summary of the chapter I found when searching the internet.

Complain Against Usury
Then there rise a great outcry of the common people and their wives against certain of their fellow Jews. They tell Nehemiah that they are forced to pawn their sons and daughters and their fields, vineyards, and houses so that they may have food to eat. They tell Nehemiah that their own kinsmen have imposed great tax burden on them.

• We pondered the hopelessness and despair of these families. Many of us are in debt, but the thought of having to sell our own children into slavery is another thing! 

Upon hearing this Nehemiah becomes extremely angry. So he calls the nobles and magistrates and rebukes them severely for their deeds. He asks them to put an end to this usury and return to them their fields, their vineyards, their olive groves, and their houses, together with the interest on the money, the grain, the wine, and the oil that they have lent them. 

• We then covered Exodus 22:25 and Leviticus 25:35-41 to understand why he was so angry because they were violating Gods law.  
• On a more personal note we looked at Matthew 18:21-35, The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant. Hello! What a story! A good conversation came up about our attitude in giving. God has graciously provided so much for us, do we respond kindly to others?
• This section regarding Nehemiah's righteous anger really touched home.  We discussed the importance of controlling our anger. "After serious thought"(vs 7) he rebuked the nobles and magistrates.  What an example! How often we react, even with our children and regret it later.  Are there times when you need to separate yourself and just calm down? Be angry but do not sin ( Psalm 4:4) Or not let the sun go down on your wrath.. (Eph. 4:26)

Amazingly they all did just what he asked. They will return everything and exact nothing further from them. They swear an oath to do just what they promised before the priests. Nehemiah tells them that if anyone of them breaks his oath the LORD will shake from his home his fortune. Then the people do as they had promised.

• Nehemiah was a man of great influence. He had an ability to motivate others into action. Oh, how I want to be a good motivator for my children! Especially since we started a new schedule for our day. I have felt very weak in this area.
• Quoted from our study: "Statistics show that the average person will influence some ten thousand others in his or her lifetime. What do you want others to remember about your influence?"

I am positive much more came up from our discussion! It was a very intimate time and precious time. I know God is going to use Lesson 5.. and I have only read the first two paragraphs! :)

Blessings and Love,

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Daddy, Momma, 5 kids and counting

Our Christmas Newsletter...

Lets just say it is not easy to ponder all that God has done this past year. It reminds me of a scripture in Isaiah.

I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; 

And I will not remember your sins.  Put Me in remembrance; 

Let us contend together; 

State your case, that you may be acquitted.

Isaiah 43:25-26

Though it is difficult. It is healthy to be overwhelmed by the blessings God has bestowed upon us. May we remember Him and celebrate His gift of life this upcoming new year!

10 year anniversary in Kauai

To all of our Homies

After almost 11 years of marriage and 14 moves (or so, I lost count). We have settled once again! Lord willing, we will have chickens this spring and start our garden (Sean has already planted a cover crop!) Sean and I are doing wonderful.. FYI: I have the best husband in the world, second to Christ! :)  Our marriage is better with every year! To God be the glory!

With the arrival of our little Hadassah, God has changed a lot in our family. I have a renewed perspective on motherhood and childbearing (yes, we want more little blessings.) Sean himself has a passion to biblically lead our family, so we can grow closer to God with each other. We only have the kids in our care for such a short time and without further ado, here is a little snippet into their life...

Birthday Sleepover

Elijah Jo will be turning 10 next month! Ahh!! I am amazed. The first official child with a double digit. Mr. Jo had an eventful year. He celebrated his last birthday with his first sleepover, got over his fear of water, read the Lord of the Rings Trilogy!!!, took Basketball Basics class, and recently scored 2nd place in a 1k race. What a champ. I love this boy to pieces. He continues to politely correct me on my spelling and english. Especially with bible names! He is very aware God has given him an incredible gift of drawing. A day would not be complete without some form of art work. His drawing won a Holiday Contest in the Gazzette Times December 22! Good job Buddy!

New pens and paper from Dad

December Recital

My dear Lydia Joy. What a treasure! Yes, she is still cooking and baking. Often cereal will not do and she will make herself a hot breakfast: pancakes, eggs, toast, or latkas. This morning it was grilled cheese and yogurt. Only 9 months ago she started piano lessons and has found a love for music. She recently played at a Memory Care Home, Christmas Recital, and on the big stage a church for our Christmas Program. I almost cried during that one! Crafting daily is a must for this little girl (she just made a collection of ornaments for her room). She enjoys reading Park Pals, a series of Chapter books about little critters in Central Park New York. We were so blessed to see her and Elizabeth baptized shortly after their baby sister was born in August. What a beautiful young woman you are becoming Lydia!

Playing O' Little Town of Bethlehem with Daddy

Mary's Peak Camping Trip

Little Elizabee (Elizabeth Jane) my sweetheart. This little girl is all smiles!! But when she is sad she will let you know :) As does Lydia, Elizabeth LOVES her new baby sister Hadassah. She is so proud to hold her "all by myself" and delights in making her laugh.  Elizabeth likes cooking her own eggs, writing/receiving letters, and riding her bike. (Which she learned this past summer!) She quickly advanced to the same level of swimming has her older siblings this past fall. Oh, and how can I forget?? She had lovely 6th birthday party with three of her darling friends. Every morning and night she hugs and reminds me, "I love you my mommy." I love you too Bee!

Her beautiful 6th Birthday 

Oh Jason Jon my big boy, turned 4 in July! Jason is known to have two speeds. First: when he is awake. Second: when he is asleep. The house would just not be the same without his loud voice! It is very important one hears his entire conversation/story no matter how long it takes him to get it out!!  This year Jason learned how to ride a bike and dive underwater. We often say he has no fear. God protected him from loosing a tooth and hurting his head in three big accidents (maybe I will blog them later). We are happy he is safe! Jason is learning his alphabet, shapes and numbers. He is still my cuddle boy.. when I can slow him down :)

Doing what he does...

Almost lost a tooth picture.

All ready for The Nutcracker

Last but not least our Precious Hadassah Jean or my little "Dessie"is 5 months old. What a miracle baby. A special gift from God. (((Deep Breath))) She was born on July 29th, weighting 9lbs 2oz. She was my very first homebirth. I am amazed to see her little personality starting to shine! She is quiet (so far) and loves to smile at her family.  She also loves sucking on her hands and gets frustrated when playing with toys that won't fit. Soon, she will be crawling, then running, and making us all laugh in the process! yay!

With her favorite ducky

Much love to you all this Christmas,

The Buckout Family

Hadassah Jean's First Jeans

This little girl didn't get to try on jeans till she was 41/2 months old! Cozy pajamas are much more simple and easy for this mommy. I can't even remember what the occasion was last week (my mom brain!), but here is her debut! 

she had no clue what was happening! :)

big bummy from her cloth diaper (we use bumgenius)

Big Sisters! I am sure they will be dressing her up more than me! 

Nehemiah Bible Study Chp 3-4

Memory Verse:

"So we built the wall... for the people had a mind to work." Nehemiah 4:6

Last Friday night we had a bit smaller group due to the Civil War game, but God uses the time to the fullest ALWAYS!  I even had to leave in a rush because I got a text from Dad that said "Mad little baby.." Home first. Friends second.

Yet I am so thankful for you Mommas who have set aside time to study, read, and fellowship over Gods word with me. Thank you ladies!

So Nehemiah chapter 3. At first glance one would want to just skim over it, but L@@K again. It is so rich with insight. It looks like a ton of hard-to-understand names. Nehemiah was well prepared, organized and recorded who/where the people built. Here is a picture similar to the one we filled out...

 

I don't have time to cover all the details, but listen to some this descriptions of 'whom' was building the wall..

high priests

son's of

daughters of

leaders/governors

goldsmiths

men of the plain

keepers

merchants

and who was not: "nobles did not put their necks to the work" Neh 3:5

Our study touched on a few points, which made for great conversation! Neh 3: 10 says "Hedaiah the son of Harumph made repairs in front of his house." The study asked this question: "Think of the benefit to God's people if everyone acknowledged home as their first priority of service. (What about the benefits to the church and even beyond to the world?)" What a great question! It goes right along with 1 Timothy 3:4-5. Also it mention Baruch the son of Zabbal because he "carefully repaired" the section he was to work on.  God give us such a heart!

Something was also spoken of: where were the women? It mentioned daughters, but surely someone was feeding all of these men and caring for the home!  We also thought it was very commendable to see the children were working/learning right along with their fathers. 

Good points of our discussion:

• What do you want your work to reveal about you to others?
• What ever we do in word or deed are we doing it all for God's glory?
• Do you have a work for God? Ephesians 2:10
• What is your specific purpose? What is your response? Praise the Lord being a mother is a good work! 
• Are we trying to find our purpose in something other than what it is? 

Ok, on to Nehemiah 4 (this is why we ran out of time!)...Part of this section in our study was titled Building and Battling.  The enemy does not want to see the Lord's work progress. Those building the wall were mocked, questioned, and even threatened as they worked. Quoted from our study, " Dr. Alan Redpath said, 'the Jews in Nehemiah's day were successful in their work and in holding the enemy at bay because they had a mind to work (v.6) a heart to pray (v. 9), an eye to watch (v. 9), and an ear to hear (v.20).' This combination allowed them to be victorious. If the same holds true for us today, then we too will be victorious. But let's face it, sometimes it's possible for us to become our worst enemy! God warns every believer to be obedient in all things, lest Satan take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices (2 Cor 2:9-11). " (http://www.harvest.org/get_pdf.php/234.pdf page 5)

I cannot help to be reminded, I am a leader and teacher in my children's life. We are building a strong wall, a very important wall so to speak... or are we? Do our children see our diligence when following Christ? Here were some other questions discussed, before I got the text from my hubby ;)..

• Are we encouraging our children?
• Tearing them down or disciplining in love?
• The enemy wants us to be distracted from God purpose.. are we using our time wisely?

I want to see my children grow. I want to see them love the Lord will all their heart, mind, and strength. Am I willing to keep working hard even if it is a battle? Am I willing to be poured out for the Lord? I pray I have a mind to work... even if it means NOT seeing the fruit or reward immediately. 

Here is verse God encouraged me with this week. He is my strength!

"Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them for the LORD your God is the One who goes with you. He will not leave nor forsake you" Deuteronomy 31:6

Christmas Card 2010

I only ordered 5 free cards this year. They will be going out to some friends and family who do not have the internet. We don't feel it would be wise to spend the money this year, since many follow our blog. I do plan to a yearly blog update soon, like I did in 2009. Blessing to you all!! We send our love...

The Buckout Family

Family Wall Noir Christmas 5x7 folded card

Personalize your Christmas photo cards at Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

Couch to 5K: Update

Here's the update: I FINISHED the 5k Turkey Trot! (With the help of a Couch to 5k App and my friend Hiliary.)

This is a big accomplishment for a mommy of five! I did aerobics after baby #4, but due to time and money running has been a great option for exercise. (Note: you will definitely NOT seeing me running half marathon like many of my friends! But props to all you ladies!)  Running is a very spiritual process for many, myself included. Even today when I went running, I have to tell myself to keep going (out loud!) and not give up. Makes me think of pregnancy too! Spiritually though, there are times I want to quit and just be in heaven with my Savior. The New Living Translation quotes Phil 3:13,  "I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us."


So what is next? Signing up for a race can be a push/encouragement to keep me running. I am thinking about doing the Capital Mile and the Willamette Mission Trail Challenge 5K with my hubby. He has been already training himself.. Go Sean!

So if your are not a runner physically: Recently I found a blog called Keep Running.. its a great one to add to your list for Godly encouragement!

For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness 
is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, 
and of that which is to come. 1 Tim 4:8

giving it all I had left.

my babies and I 

Dad getting ready to run the 1K with the kids (photo by Lydia Joy)

Elijah got 3rd place! Way to go!!

Mama's Mission: Somewhat Accomplished..

~SOMEWHAT~
Last month I wanted to finish two of our incomplete lapbooks.
The first one was on Camping. Reality: the kids were no longer interested. It is not camping season! So we set that one aside. 
The second incomplete lapbook was My Rows and Piles of Coins. Did we finish it???.. yes! But I was bummed because the book got returned before we could review the story. I do recommend it though! Great education on saving money, along with Tanzania's culture and language.
Last, but not least, I did start (and finish!) a Thanksgiving Lapbook. I made up my own by visiting various website printing worksheets and psalms. I was a little smarter this time and pre-cut everything for the kids. We took the week before Thanksgiving and checked out all the Thanksgiving books we could find. I had to hunt for them on the shelves! They really enjoyed the break from workbooks. :) Mom was just blessed to be sitting at the table with all four.

Click on Button for explanation :)

What is my next mission? Well, we have decided as a family to have a "Homemade Christmas". I have one project I am working on as a gift for the entire family, but I am VERY challenged on what to do for the kids and Sean. Any ideas? My mission is to figure this out! And make 'em!

Blessings,

Big Brother Jason

Can you believe it is already December? Wow.

I am so blessed to see Jason and Hadassah (4 months!) playing these days.  It is very special to me because my own big brother Jason was 3 years older than me. She will survive ;) Here is a peek into their "first" playtimes..haha