Penny Pinching Peach

For the semi crunchy, homeschool friendly and totally frugal!

Category Archives: Living Life

Family, fun and randomness


by 3 Comments

My Cousin’s Fight

My cousin

My cousin

My cousin, Marquita, has been diagnosed with Stage 3 Cervical cancer. She is a hardworking, family oriented, sweetheart of a single mom of three beautiful children. With mounting expenses, another cousin started a fundraiser to help her. While I normally avoid using my blog for fundraising because there are so many needs out there that it could take over completely, I’m sharing for my cousin here in hopes of multiplying the prayers and goodwill sent up on her behalf and possibly inspire anyone who may want to donate any amount to help her and her children. Some people in my dad’s industry did a fundraiser for him to help offset her medical expenses, and I remember how much it meant to him monetarily and emotionally both. For more details, please click the link below. She is on the back left in the photo, pictured with her three children and her mom.

Thanks and God bless you all! http://www.gofundme.com/kkh8jg


by 16 Comments

National Sanctity of Human Life Day

Sanctity of Human Life and My Right to Choose- Pro life or Pro choice

Ordinarily I steer clear of topics I consider controversial, but this is a celebration I feel strongly about.

I never thought I’d have to think about the sanctity of an unborn life in personal terms, but I wound up having to really think about it at one point.

What choice I would make if it came down to a literal life or death decision? I’m writing this not to judge, but to share my heart about something I’ve not been able to bring myself to really talk about much with anyone at all. First, let me tell you how this particular day came about.

* (Quote) In one of his final actions as president, Bush declared January 18 to be “National Sanctity of Human Life Day.”

“All human life is a gift from our Creator that is sacred, unique, and worthy of protection,” the presidential proclamation read. (End Quote)

*Source of quote: http://www.lifenews.com/2009/01/15/nat-4748/

It is easy to say that you are pro life when you never have to face a situation where you are carrying a baby during a health crisis, will be alienated because of your pregnancy, etc.

It’s all RAH-RAH and warm fuzzies when you are not faced with a life or death decision or when you are terrified of the changes & consequences pregnancy means for you. That is when you truly find out how you feel about it. I have trouble judging anyone in extreme circumstances too harshly for the choices they make, although I am 1,000% for saving life whenever possible. For myself, I always had some empathy for the situations some people find themselves in, but having my own personal brush with possibly having to make an extraordinarily difficult decision has given me an even deeper understanding of the emotions and conflicts people can go through.

When I was pregnant with our second child, they found a grapefruit sized mass in my right ovary.

When they finally informed me about it, they had no idea whether it was cancerous or spreading or anything. They began to rush appointments to diagnose exactly what this mass was, stating that it was “almost too late for a choice if you require treatment”. To be translated, if they didn’t find out if I had cancer and needed immediate treatment pretty much right then, I would lose the window of time of being able to abort our baby.

I was floored and terrified.

I knew that delaying treatment if it were aggressive and cancerous could mean my daughter and unborn child could wind up being robbed of their mother. I lost my mom in a short two months after her diagnosis, so I had no illusions about what could happen to me. In that moment, I understood why women in that very situation sometimes do choose abortion. There was never a moment I was willing to kill my child- who was completely healthy and okay at that point in pregnancy- but I understood the gut wrenching conflict for life threatening situations in a way I never had before.

9 Days Old

9 Days Old

When they brought us in for my testing, they rushed the results. As I sat with my husband waiting for the news, I was shaking like a leaf and praying in silence that it would be good news. When they told us that it was a benign dermoid tumor- with no risk of cancer and the ability to delay surgery until our child’s birth- I bawled. They thought I was upset about the news they’d given, but I was just so relieved that I would not have to choose and that the odds were we would both be okay in the end. I didn’t want to choose to possibly die for my baby, but I’d already made that choice. Because of my experience with my mom, I believed that if it were cancer, my babies would very likely not have a mother to grow up with. I would never have allowed them to kill my baby to save myself, though, and was totally at peace with that decision, as horrifying was it was to me.

First Day Home & Meeting

First Day Home & Meeting

My pregnancy and delivery were far from easy.

The complications were pretty major, but it gave me such an appreciation for the gift of life and the sanctity of all human life, especially those who cannot protect or choose for themselves. The day we brought our son home from the NICU and were able to finally introduce him to his big sister is shown above, and that was an amazing feeling.

All of the above pictures, except the last photo, were taken by my sweet friend Ashley Bell with https://www.facebook.com/aBellPhotography/ and she did a wonderful job capturing the precious gift of our son’s life and homecoming (and managed to get a decent picture of him with his mommy who wasn’t doing or looking very well after all the trauma, which is amazing in itself).

Please join me in celebrating and acknowledging the beauty, joy, wonder and sanctity of all human life, no matter how small.

For the story about the miracle of my son, check out the post I published for his first birthday here: My Miracle Man‘s First Birthday/

“Penny Pinching Peach is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com”

For a statement your baby can wear about being prolife, go here: Inktastic Unisex Baby Pro-Life Pink And Blue Ribbon Infant Creeper


by 12 Comments

Happy Birthday, My Big Little Brother!

Brother & His Daughter A Few Years Ago

Brother & His Daughter A Few Years Ago

Today my big little brother turns 31.

Most of my childhood memories involve my brother one way or another.

I still remember him at 3, chasing our youngest uncle around practicing his ninja moves on him because someone thought it was a good idea to give him a karate costume. Watching that scene in my mind, it was pretty doggone cute and funny, but then I was just glad he was attacking our highly amused and much stronger than he was uncle rather than my scrawny little behind. 🙂

I recall my kid brother at 7, with that classic gap toothed grin, chattering up a storm at everyone who entered the pool hall and bouncing around the pool table whacking the balls in right and left, earning the nickname “Little Lightning” for both his prowess at the game of billiards and the fact he was always talking and moving at a rapid pace.

I can see in my mind’s eye my crazy 12 year old brother, soaring over fences, propane tanks and woodpiles he was jumping all over the farm with our Blue Heeler dog. He was all arms, legs, speed and energy…and guaranteed that dog would never make a good city pet.

Mom & Brother At a Family Reunion, 2005

Mom & Brother At a Family Reunion, 2005

I have memories of my bottomless pit of a growing brother at 16, sniffing around the kitchen to see where I hid the batch of cookies he smelled from all the way outside, then happily devouring all of them when he found the stash. That kid could (and still can, the brat! LOL) eat as much as he wanted and not gain an ounce.

I see my brother as a man, when he held his beautiful new daughter in his arms and beamed at her with pride and wonder. She opened a whole new part of his heart the moment he laid eyes on her, and it was amazing to watch.

My Brother Playing

My Brother Playing

I remember walking down the aisle to become my husband’s wife, to the sound of my talented brother strumming beautifully on his guitar exactly as I’d requested.

No matter the ups and downs life brings, I remember.

Life is a gift. Celebrate. Happy birthday, my one and only forever kid brother!


by 7 Comments

Merry Firefighter’s Family Christmas!

Santa at the fire department

Santa at the fire department

When you marry someone in public safety, one of the quickest thing you need to learn is flexibility.

Holidays, anniversaries and birthdays may be celebrated on completely different days than they actually fall on, because someone in public safety has shifts that fall when they fall, regardless of the special days they might fall upon, and their services are necessary 365 days a year. If you can’t handle that, don’t marry someone in that field of work. It is the least of my gripes with being married to someone in public safety, honestly, because I wasn’t raised with holidays being a big deal (we didn’t celebrate Christmas at all), but it’s a huge issue for a lot of families.

“Penny Pinching Peach is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com”

In my case, my husband is a firefighter paramedic. We often have ornaments like this Firefighters Courage Under Fire Christmas Ornament
on our tree, read our children this kind of book Firefighter’s Night Before Christmas, and you’re likely to get something like this Firemen to the Rescue Christmas Cards from us in the mail. He works 24 hour shifts, often pulling 48s between two different fire departments. This year he won’t be home from a 48 hour shift until probably 10am Christmas Eve, and has to be back early Christmas morning, so those days just don’t work for us to celebrate Christmas on. Our Christmas is officially December 26, when he actually can get home early enough to enjoy the sleepy eyed wonderment of our munchkins.

So….today is Christmas in this firefighter household. Merry Christmas and God bless from our family to yours, especially those who are also shifting those holidays around for similar reasons! Any other firefighter families out there?

Need gift ideas for your active guy? Look at my budget friendly gifts for active men!


by 7 Comments

Mom In Heaven

Mama and me

Mama and me

December 20th was the seventh anniversary of my mom’s passing. She was only 44 at the time. I had no idea how I was going to face life without my mom, because she was my best friend, mom and everything all rolled into one amazing woman. Life has gone on, but it will never be the same. I wrote a poem about her on the 20th, but was hesitant to share it here. It’s “off topic”, and not my best work. I decided to go ahead. Maybe it will touch someone else struggling with facing life and/or the holidays without a loved one they feel should be here to celebrate with them…

If you had asked when I was young

How long I thought my mom would live,

I’d have told you she’d outlive us all

And still have time to give.

If you had told me she’d be gone

When she was only 44,

I’d have called you crazy

And not listened anymore.

If I had known that she’d be gone

Before her time should be,

I’d have done all I could do

To keep her here with me

If I were given the chance

To see her once again,

I’d tell her how much I love her,.

Thank her for all she’d been.

She lived more in her short life

Than many who are old and gray

She was the best mom she could be,

And I miss her every day.

When she knew the end was nearing,

She had little left undone.

She just wished she’d see me married,

Get to hold the children of her daughter and son.

When I look at her grandbabies,

I see her sparkle and her smile,

I feel her love and laughter,

See her dancing silly and wild.

I know her love is with us,

And in our hearts, she’ll never die,

But that doesn’t mean I don’t miss her

Or in the darkness cry.

If I could give my mom a present

I’d fly all of us up to Heaven,

And spend a day with her in

The place she’s been for seven.

In Loving Memory of My Mom, Dorinda

Mom, Nana and me

Mom, Nana and me


by 13 Comments

Salt Dough Christmas Ornaments

Baked Ornaments

Mommy's Ornament

Mommy’s Ornament

One of my favorite traditions I’ve established with my little ones is to make new tree

Jingle Bell Ornament

Jingle Bell Ornament

ornaments each year and to make some sort of fun & yummy Christmas treat together every year. Last year we made Beaded Christmas Ornaments. This year I decided to try the classic salt dough ornaments, which was a first for both me and my five year old daughter. They are simple to make, and so much fun! If you choose to do these, allow for at least an hour to mix and knead the dough, cut the shapes and then let them bake for 30 minutes. You’ll need to allow them to cool, and if you won’t have time to paint then, just put them up to paint another day. I’ll share the link to the recipe I used at the end of the post.

First, we had fun measuring, mixing and kneading that dough.

Shaped ornaments

Shaped ornaments

“Penny Pinching Peach is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com”

Next, we enjoyed choosing the cookie cutters to use and pressing out all the fun shapes

Snowman and Stocking Ornaments

Snowman and Stocking Ornaments

we’d chosen.  This set gives a great variety to choose from Set of 6 Christmas Cookie Cutters
! I rolled a little ball and pressed it on the face of one snowman to see if it

Christmas stocking ornament

Christmas stocking ornament

would turn out okay as a nose, and it really did.

We wound up with so many shapes already, I molded some various fun figures with the leftover dough for a second batch to cook up. I also pressed each child’s hand into the dough and cut out the print, which is probably going to be one of my favorite keepsakes for the tree.

Once the ornaments were baked and cooled, I set out newspaper, paints and

bowls of water. I let my little missy paint hers however she pleased, as you can see from the various pictures. (Washable Kid’s Paint
is your friend!) I painted one with her, which made her really happy, too.

 

Painting ornaments

Painting ornaments

Once they were dry, I let her glue shiny shapes onto a couple of her ornaments, and she thought that was quite the fancy touch.

We were supposed to seal them, but I don’t have any sealant, so they are just going without for now. I want to get some Mod Podge Sealant
before we put them up so they will last.

I had some gold cord already in my craft stash, so I just cut lengths of that and knotted them, then let my little girly girl hang them on our tree. She was over the moon with the results. She also said making ornaments with Mommy was one of her favorite things she’d done in a long, lonnnnnng time! Good enough for me. 🙂

What shapes would you want to make your ornaments in? Here is the recipe we used:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Ornament-Dough/

Here is a fun little ebook about Christmas crafts for kids: Christmas Crafts for Kids: Easy Christmas Crafts Your Kids Will Love Making!

If you don’t have a Kindle, but want to be able to read e-books like the one above, here is a free app that will help you out: Amazon.com – Read eBooks using the FREE Kindle Reading App on Most Devices

 

Flower and Cowboy Hat Ornament

Flower and Cowboy Hat Ornament


by 25 Comments

The Guilt of a Fertile Myrtle

Tiebreaker!

Tiebreaker!

I always dreamed of being a mommy. By always, I mean from the time that I was able to tote around baby dolls and know what a mommy actually was. My other dreams came, went and changed with my interests, but that dream remained the same: I wanted to be a mommy more than anything in the world, and I wanted more than just two children. By my teens, I was somewhat scared I wouldn’t be able to conceive or carry a child, from watching others struggle with fertility and miscarriages.

When my time came to have my own baby, however, I got pregnant beyond quickly. The second time around, I was expecting within a couple of months of going off of birth control. The third time I conceived I was actually on birth control and went off of it when I realized I might be pregnant, but I sadly lost that baby. This time is my fourth pregnancy, and I was pregnant literally immediately. We joke that all my husband has to do is look at me when I’m not on birth control and I’m pregnant. It’s a blessing, but never stops surprising me, especially now, since they had to remove my right ovary during my son’s emergency c-section due to a huge dermoid cyst that apparently had taken over that ovary’s ability to function long before I was even expecting the first time. I am an unlikely Fertile Myrtle.

That being said, my awareness of the very real struggle and pain of infertility leaves me feeling guilty. I feel guilty that I become pregnant with no effort whatsoever, even though it’s pretty miraculous under the circumstances. I feel guilty that I am expecting my third child while many of my friends are still dreaming of being able to have even one precious child. When it comes time to make a happy announcement or share brags about my babies, I feel guilty and worry that it might hurt my friends who aren’t able to have children so easily. Maybe I shouldn’t, but I do feel guilty because of their sadness and my own joy.

Holding Hands On Our Wedding Day

Holding Hands On Our Wedding Day

But then I think…

I expected to marry at a very young age, due to the way I was raised, but I didn’t marry until I was 27. Our first daughter was born two days before my 28th birthday. I remember wondering if I’d ever find someone to share my life with, as I watched my friends find their special someone one by one. I recall hoping I’d be a mommy myself one day, as I saw them welcome their little ones into their lives through birth and adoption. Even now, as I see their mothers doting upon them and their children with such love and pride, I wish with all of my heart that my own mom could have been here to do just that with her grandbabies she’d also dreamed about, because even when she was dying she said missing out on them was her biggest regret.

Did it upset me for them to share the joy of their engagements, weddings and babies, even while wishing for those things for myself? Honestly, no. I was happy to be able to rejoice with them, and loved seeing the pictures and being part of their lives. Do I resent that these mothers and grandmothers are enjoying the next generation while my mom is missing it? Of course not! It sometimes makes me wistful, but I am glad to see that love. What would have been then- and would be now- a much sadder thing is to be left out of all of that happiness just because people didn’t or don’t want to make me feel sad or left out.

With this perspective, do I still feel guilty? Being for real here…yes! However, having that perspective makes me just continue to talk about my children, share their oh-so-adorable pictures, delight in the announcement of a new life and share it with everyone, including those who I so much wish could have these things for themselves, as well. Yep, I feel that twinge of guilt sometimes when I think about it, but I am going to love my little ones and share that joy with all of my friends and family just as if I didn’t feel it. 🙂

“Penny Pinching Peach is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com”

Do you ever feel guilt about something you can’t help because you fear it might hurt someone you care about?

This looks like a good book for those who are struggling with infertility, and for those who are wondering how to reach out to them: Infertility: a Silent Struggle and a God Who Hears

If you don’t have a Kindle, but want to be able to read e-books like the one above, here is a free app that will help you out: Amazon.com – Read eBooks using the FREE Kindle Reading App on Most Devices

To see the youngest member of our family, head on over to my special announcement!


by 5 Comments

Winter Blahs

Winter Blahs

Winter Blahs

I know I’ve been fairly quiet here lately, but the winter blahs have bitten me good! Between all day morning sickness, the wacky winter weather and life itself, my get up and go has gotten up and went!! This year has been quite the experience, and not one I would ever want to repeat, and I am pretty much weary to the bone with it all. I can’t even seem to think of anything worth blogging about, and writing is usually one of my favorite outlets. I just can’t think of much of anything good, inspiring or helpful to tippety tap out on my laptop here. Normally I try to keep things positive, but I’m just going to be real here. I am quite ready for 2014 to be over, and to have a fresh start in the new year. Here’s hoping that 2015 won’t be halfway as difficult as 2014 has been! 🙂

Has anyone else been bitten by the winter blues? Tell me I’m not alone here!

 


by 5 Comments

Just Because Cards

Just Because Card

Just Because Card

This week my daughter wanted to do something to surprise her daddy when he came home, so I helped her make a “just because” card. I like to let her tell me what to write in her cards, and for Father’s Day I just asked her what she thought of and wrote whatever she said as her inside messages on the cards I printed off the internet for her to color for them. Because she just wanted to make her daddy happy, I wrote on the front of her card “I Am Thankful For My Daddy Because…” and let her tell me the great things she was thankful for about him. It was very precious and heartfelt, and absolutely made his day.

You’ve already seen the front of the card, but below is what she had me write inside. The decorations are all her own. 🙂

Who would you make your thankful card on the cheap for?

What she's thankful for Daddy for

What she’s thankful for Daddy for


by 19 Comments

Another Thanksgiving Blessing!

One More Blessing to Count!

One More Blessing to Count!

Can you guess what that blessing is? Yep, you guessed it! We are expecting our third little pumpkin…errr…baby!!! 🙂

Tiebreaker!

Tiebreaker!

As you can see, blessings #1 and #2 are quite excited about the eventual arrival of another little cutie patootie! Now the competition starts…who will win the tiebreaker? 😉  Our five year old is rooting for a girl, if you couldn’t guess that. Our two and a half year old isn’t old enough to know to have a preference. He just wants a “baaaaby”. Mommy & Daddy are with him on that.

I am just hoping this pregnancy goes much smoother than either of my first two, and have lots of hope that it will. I may just have to post about that later, but I’m not ready to go there yet. For now, I’m just happy about the expected blessing and riding the waves of nausea and rollercoaster energy levels.

For help choosing a baby name, check out my post on my favorites! My Favorite Baby Name Sites and Books

To see this Thanksgiving themed pregnancy announcement featured on Parents.com, click Parents.com Thanksgiving Pregnancy Announcements!