Yet More Fiber

A couple weekends ago, my parents-in-love dropped off the last installment from my friend who passed her fiber arts collection to me.

A loom.

Not just a sweet simple little lap loom like I originally expected. Oh no.

This is a Loom.

A 4 shaft Mighty Wolf from Schacht. (the link shows a picture of a newer one- and it's an 8 shaft, but similar)

Originally, I thought I would set up a little fiber corner in the family room for me. It's where my sewing machine was; so I added some shelves, had hubby put my warping board on the wall, and got all ready.

But when the Loom arrived, I quickly realized that was not where I wanted it- because it's a big loom and it's a very expensive tool; and the family room is where the kids play crazy wrestling/Star Wars/ninja games. The Loom would seriously cramp their style.

So I spent the last 2 weeks moving my youngest out of his basement room into his oldest brothers room, rearranging (and repainting sections) the family/schoolroom.

The Loom has been in my new craft room for about a week. I confess I didn't touch it until yesterday because it intimidated me so much.

It's big.

Yesterday, however, we had an unusually peaceful Friday- and today was equally mellow. Totally odd around here, but I thought I should take advantage of it, and started trying to figure out the Loom.

I got to start the easy way, as there were some warp threads already measured and ready to be cut and put on the Loom included with all the supplies. So I didn't have to make the warp myself yet. That probably saved me an hour and a half of figuring, calculating, measuring, and wrapping. So I got out the book, and began.

 This is the very beginning of the process- called sleying the reed. Basically, it's just threading the yarn through the "beater" or reed. 288 threads. Took a while.

 Finally got them all in. It needed a picture. That was an accomplishment.

 Then, all 288 threads had to be individually threaded through tiny metal movable things called heddles. Which are attached to "shafts" which move up and down in the weaving process. Oh, and they must be threaded in the right order! That took about 2 hours all by itself.

 Finally. Reed sleyed and heddles threaded.

 Tying on. Attaching the warp threads to the back beam.

 Warping the beam. (wrapping the warp threads around the back beam to keep tension.)

 Tying to the front apron. 

All these fun new vocabulary words! Basically, now that most of the warp is on the back beam, you tie the front ends to the front beam so they are snug and evenly tensioned, so you can weave and wind the fabric onto the front beam.

 At last! Weaving! Cloth! This is my play-around, not actually making anything piece. Learning how the different shafts make patterns, and how hard to slam the beater (that is the fun part).

Then I put a stick through the warp to create a space and started trying to make something specific. In order to do that, I had to wind some bobbins. The one tool that I don't have (so blessed! Can't believe all these things were a gift!), is a bobbin winder. I could do it by hand, but I have no patience and sore arms. So I got to thinking....

 And got my power drill out, used a little pipe cleaner to make the end thick enough, and made an automatic bobbin winder.  It works really well! I wound both of those bobbins in less than 15 minutes. There's a lot of thread on those!

And now, I have cloth! Wound onto the front apron beam.I think I made 2 feet of cloth in less than 45 minutes. I already utterly love this. I have so many plans.....

Spinning Along

I have a new addiction.

 The little bitty skein is the first bit of yarn I ever spun on a wheel. The crazy colored skein that looks like something Captain Jack Sparrow would wear in his hair (according to my husband) is the first plied (plyed? I know plyed is spelled wrong, but somehow it makes more sense when talking about spinning) yarn I spun with the wheel. 2 strands together of wildly different colors. Pretty much just the first colors I got my hands on.

 This is my second plied (that spelling just looks so wrong!) skein. I like it. I think the colors work well together, and the bits of thick and thing make it a novelty yarn. Someday I'll learn to spin evenly. This one has 3 strands plied together. I plied a bit tightly, so the skein has some extra twist to it, but it's pretty anyway.

This is skein #3. 2 strands again. I think I prefer the 3 strand skein, but that's just me. This one really turned out well, no extra twist, fairly even for the most part. Showing improvement!

I am finding spinning to be an especially soothing activity. I have to focus on it more than I do on knitting, so I can't read while I spin (yes, I totally read while I knit. I am incapable of not having my eyes and mind as busy as my hands.), but I think that may be a good thing. I'm actually doing only one thing at a time when I spin--- well, okay, that's true if I'm alone. Otherwise, I'm chatting with family or answering kids' questions while spinning, but that's still less multi-tasking than usual. ;)

I have no idea what to do with the yarn I'm making, but right now, I don't care. I'm just having fun making it.

Mini-Vacation

Over last weekend, my youngest and I took a mini-vacation, just the two of us.

We went to my parents so Roo could have a well-earned time by himself with all of the animals. It was perfect timing. Grandma had 5 baby goats that required a lot of bottle feeding.

 Several older goats as well- Roo just loved feeding them their "lunch".  At once point, he was picking up some hay and found himself surrounded by goats. His comment? "Hoo-whee!!! That's a lot ub goats!!!".

 The cat wasn't in the best of moods, but Grandma  held her so Roo could pet her a little.

 Blowing bubbles is more fun when you get to blow them at the dogs....

Grandma provided him with treats for the dogs too. He just loves feeding the animals- and they rather enjoy it also. ;)

He had so much fun. That night I put him to bed, left him alone for 10 minutes, and came back to this:

He had such a great time!
I rather enjoyed myself as well. No dishes, no cooking, no 1,000 questions from 4 different directions- just hanging out watching my youngest enjoy himself, talking with my parents and friends, and even reading a little. It was needed.
Now to get back to the busy life....

The Other Fiber Arts

I love knitting. I have loved it since that day over 10 years ago that my dear friend Michelle introduced me to the knit stitch.

However, as my knowledge of knitting grew, so did my awareness of the Other Fiber Arts.
Crochet, Spinning, Weaving, Tatting...there are so many things to do with fiber! I have wanted for a long time to explore some of the other fiber arts, but for various reasons, knitting has been my focus.

I've played with crochet a little. My grandma taught me when I was a wiggly 6 year old. I learned all of 2 stitches, and made lots of odd clothing for my little toys. But I don't have the love for crochet I have for knitting. I've learned a little more since then- I can crochet flowers now- but crochet is my accent for knitting, not my art.

I've played with spinning a little. I got my husband to make me some drop spindles, got a little fiber and a book and played with it. But I never learned to love it with the drop spindle. I always wondered what would happen if I got a spinning wheel. It just seemed to me that with a wheel I could do so much more so much faster that it would be more fun. (I'm a product knitter not a process knitter, if you know what I mean, and getting a tiny result with a lot of effort encourages me to find a new way of doing it -or just a new thing to do.)  But a wheel is expensive and not a need, so spinning just sort of died out for me. I got rid of the spindles, fleece, and book during a move, but I always wondered- "what if".

Well, I get to find out!

This lovely little versatile spinning wheel entered my home to stay last Friday night!  Yesterday, I finally had an opportunity to sit down, watch a couple YouTube videos on how to card wool for spinning, and do some actual spinning on a wheel.

I love it.

I don't think spinning will ever replace knitting for me, I love knitting too much- and it is so much more portable (because I'm still on into the drop spindle, sorry.), but I can definitely enjoy this!

This is my second basket full of rolags (wool that has been hand-carded and rolled in preparation for spinning). I was having too much fun learning to remember to take pictures of my first batch. This is sitting next to the rocking chair behind the wheel just waiting for me to have some free time.

This is my first attempt at spinning on a wheel. It's obvious even in the photo that the wool is uneven, too tightly spun, thick and thin, and has a lot of issues- but it's my first attempt....It took me a while to figure out the tension for the bobbin and flyer (the thing the yarn is on, and the part with the hooks that spins the yarn onto the bobbin), and I still don't think it's quite right. I'll get it figured though! And I'll have even more yarn for my knitting!

This gorgeous wheel and a whole bunch of wool and fiber to practice and play with was a gift. I am blessed beyond words. Once again, I have been given the ability to pursue something I very much wanted to do but couldn't afford to start.

Thank you, dearest Lynn. You were right. I am having a blast.

Huh.

Random little things that have been making me go "huh" lately:

1) Cutting my littlest one's fingernails, I find myself realizing that I used to cut my other kids' nails too; and I don't even remember when that stopped. Nostalgia hits a mom at odd moments for odd reasons. I wouldn't want to cut all their fingernails now, but I miss doing it. Why do I miss doing it? It must have something to do with that whole, "they're getting too old too fast" thing.

2) I'm 4 days into doing "oil pulling".  It's this somewhat odd thing I discovered through friends' posts on Facebook (my husband teases me endlessly for what I learn on FB and Pinterest!).  Read this article on it for more information; but basically, it's just swishing coconut oil around in your mouth for as long as you can stand it (I don't think I've made it longer than 5 minutes yet- if I'm lucky). Supposedly, it's very healthy and a good way to detox your mouth.  Possibly even whiten your teeth. I don't know if it's whitening my teeth, but after the first day, I noticed my teeth felt incredibly clean- which is always a good feeling.
    I have to say, I totally disagree with the opinion of the author of the aforementioned article that oil pulling is divine and sensual.  3 out of the 4 days, I've gagged horribly as I spit out the coconut oil. It's hard enough to put it in my mouth (in its fairly solid state), get it liquid, and swish it for a long time. Now, I like coconut oil, but that much of it raw and alone in my mouth is pretty intense.  So healthy, yeah, I can see that (I use coconut oil for a great variety of things, it's amazing- see this article); divine and sensual? Not so much. Pretty raw, organic, granola, hippie, and all that kind of thing.  I'm definitely enjoying the clean mouth feeling. But then, hubby has been teasing me about being a hippie for a while now....

3) Every time I think I've gotten something figured out, I find out I'm wrong.
I've had a design in my mind for some yarn for a couple years (it had to wait, I was knitting some books), and finally sat down to turn it into reality.  I totally figured I'd be sailing through it, it's a nice basic design for a cabled tank-top.  Yeah, not so much. I've knit and frogged (rippit, rippit) it 4 times already. Huh. Guess I don't know as much as I thought I did....

4)  I am continually amazed at little "coincidences".
For example, this morning, my oldest son informed me that he was out of notebook paper for school ("I can't do that report after all, Mom."). So I dredged some up from somewhere ("Oh, yes you can!"), and gave it to him, making a note to purchase more on grocery day as we have absolutely no more.
  This afternoon, a friend comes to visit- on her way out the door, she says, "Oh, I have some school supplies my kids don't need, could you use them??"
Packages of notebook paper on my doorstep.
Coincidence? I've never believed in the word and I never will. Call it what it is: Providence. He is Jehovah Jireh after all....

5) Every now and then, I feel like I need a little bit of encouragement. Life is hard, you know? And always changing- just when you get used to one kind of "hard", everything changes and you run into a new kind of "hard". Last night, I found more than just a little bit of encouragement. I found a lot. Here. For moms of older kids. (so much for that thing called "coincidence" again...the timing is always just so perfect, you know?)
 Huh.
Suddenly, I find myself a mom of older kids.
I guess that's pretty much how this post started, isn't it?

 Huh....

Snow Days 2014

 Last Thursday, it started snowing.

The kids were thrilled.

We don't often get snow in this typically rather wet part of the Pacific Northwest.

Snowmen were built, bikes were tested for weather-worthiness, and fortresses were constructed.

Saturday, the freezing rain came, and the fortresses became almost indestructible (and in-constructable as well)

The novelty wore off as the city shut down. Classes were cancelled, churches were closed, and we settled in to enjoy each other in our wonderfully warm home.

Warm fires, good books, fun games, walks in the snow to return to hot chocolate, knitting- and the kids' first time watching "The Fellowship of the Rings".

Snow days are good days. :D

Oh! Hello There!

Ack. I can't believe it's been two and a half months since I posted! Craziness!  And to be honest- I wouldn't be posting now, but my awesome sister-in-love reminded me I have a blog....

So since my last book was published, I've been super busy with family life.

We had a most excellent Thanksgiving.  Lots and lots of people came to our house and laughed and talked and ate way too much and laughed some more. We are so blessed to live in such a wonderful big house where we have room to entertain everyone we want to. What an amazing time it was.

Christmas was just fun and crazy and overwhelming and the best time with family. We went to my parents for the Day and J's parents for a few days after so he could help with some home projects, and it was great. Until the Roo got super sick the last 18hrs we were there- but we made it home with no vomiting, and J's van held together until he pulled into the driveway, when it gave up.  We made it there and back safely, though! That was a big answer to prayer.

January- I'm just in shock. I can't believe the month is gone.

My sweet Bear turned 8. Eight! What?! He lost his two front teeth for the occasion, and got his own room complete with his drum set.  I think he is happy. I know we are.

Then, my Sweetheart turned 12. Twelve. Ok, stop. I'm so not ready.  Not that that matters. Here we are anyway.  She is beautiful and growing and learning- and teaching me. I'm so thankful for this amazing daughter.

Knitting during all this?  Well, I managed to knit one thing for each kid and sew one thing for each kid for Christmas, plus knitting for most of our extended family gifts. I didn't really do any designing though. After finishing the last sample knit for the big book last March, knitting kind of went out the window for a few months. It wasn't until August that I really had any desire to knit again. That book was  a lot of work!  Now, I'm knitting, but I'm having a great time following other people's patterns instead of coming up with my own.

I finished a huge project- that World Map Afghan. It took me 3 years (since I started just before I got the book contracts), but it's done! And on my Bear's bed. He loves it. I need to get a photo of it, but have been negligent.

I made myself a cowl and matching "gloves",

made my daughter a horse beanie,

made my nieces and nephew some awesome toys from Susan B. Anderson books (they rock. Super cute toys, and some of them can be knit in a day- talk about instant gratification in knitting!), made a whole bunch of knitting headbands for various family members...

and lots of other little accessory knits- as well as a sweater for my Dad's 70th birthday and a matching vest for my Mom's Christmas.

It's been tons of fun. Simple knitting- following patterns instead of making them. Just the break I've needed. I only have plans for 1 design in the coming months, and while that is subject to change, this break from the designing section is really relaxing.

Besides knitting, I'm having tons of fun making Natural health and beauty products. I just got stuff to try my hand at natural deodorant- now I just have to find the time to do it. ;)

When I'm not playing with string or tallow, I'm teaching my kids, taking Taekwondo classes, taking my kids to Akido, swim lessons, youth group (yes, she is that old.), and SkateChurch.  Oh yeah, and cleaning, cooking...... Sometimes I feel like the typical "Soccer Mom".  

Life is good. Crazy, but good. And I like it.

It's Done, It's Done, It's Done!!!!

3 years.

Sweat. (Dudes, you know you're committed when you knit with bulky weight 100% wool in Summer)

Tears. (Really, don't try to learn steeking on a design with donated wool that costs a lot of money. It's dumb. But thank God, it worked.)

And a LOT of frogging. 

I present 31 original Lobug Designs patterns in one book:

Knitting Your Family Together

Currently in e-book form. If you want a print copy, contact me and we'll talk. 

Just in time for Christmas! 

A Story

Last Christmas, my wonderful Polish sister-in-love gave me this great ebook. All these excellent DIY recipes for beauty from Mommypotamus.

I confess I was a little bit overwhelmed by it at first. I wasn't sure if or when I would use it. At the time, we  had just (2months before) started the GAPS diet, and I was crazy busy just dealing with food- I didn't have time to deal with other aspects of my life. But the ebook looked interesting, and I figured at some point I'd have time to look at it.

The time came. I thought I would try a couple things to see if I could eliminate some chemical use from my life. I think the first thing I tried was the toothpaste, and I was hooked. For the first time since my last pregnancy (3yrs before), I was able to brush my teeth without feeling like I needed to gag and throw-up 30 seconds into it. And my teeth felt cleaner than with the store-bought chemical gunk. I was hooked.

I tried some lotion and balm.  My daughter loved it. I thought it was okay, but wasn't totally sold on the lotions. The lip balm, however, was excellent. I quit using any other.

Then, I had some tallow that I had rendered myself to use for the GAPS diet, and found that it was part of the recipes for some of the lotions and balms in the ebook. (more on tallow and rendering it) I gave a jar to my sis-in-love, and she used it for a moisturizer.

She discovered though, that it was too hard to use by itself, so she added some oils. Then, she graciously shared some of the mix with me. She discovered that it was a fantastic facial cream and helped her skin immensely. I tried it, but preferred my plain coconut oil. It got me thinking, though. From the research I'd done working with the ebook from Mommypotamus, my history of study of essential oils and such in Massage School years ago, and the lotion my sis-in-love gave me, I started experimenting.

I played with the recipes from the book, did more research, added things to the lotion my sis-in-love made, and found some really great natural health and beauty aids. Partly because I have access to large amounts of tallow (way too much for  me to use just for cooking or for lotions for just my family), I decided to see if others would be interested...... I gave some lotions away, my Mom gave some away.... my Mom sold some for me.... I tried some new recipes.... and Natural Health and Beauty by LobugDesigns on Etsy happened.

Check it out. I'm still experimenting. Right now I've got an Eczema Balm being tested, and more ideas.  So check back occasionally. It's good stuff. I love it. I use it constantly, and so does my family. Natural is always better than Chemical....

Time

Same location, same people.

8 years.

How blessed I am.

New Stuff!

Just real quick as I dash by on a busy Saturday-

Lobug Designs is now on Etsy.com!

Surprisingly, no, not with knits.

Natural Health and Beauty Products.

The list is small right now, but there will be more in the near future!

Check it out here!

I'll post the story of how this all happened when I have more time.... ;) Check back soon.

I was Wrong

I was hoping the summer would slow down after we moved in to our new place.

I was so wrong.

The blog silence has not been because I have nothing to write about. The blog silence happened because I have been so incredibly busy with so much that I have absolutely no time to write.

In the interest of that time- and space- I'm going to try to briefly summarize the last 2 months....

1) After we got back from our family vacation, I had to move everything (not an exaggeration. The only things I didn't move were the piano- too heavy- and the washer and dryer- in the laundry room on vinyl flooring) back out of the basement because I was apparently allergic to the basement. It took us 2 weeks to discover the issue was the glue used for the carpet pad 2 months before we moved in, and the essential oils that spilled on a basement shelf many months earlier.  But praise God, we were able to find the culprits and take care of it and move back in. We are now fully settled and absolutely LOVING our new place. I could go into all the awesomeness of it, but that would be it's own separate and very long post.

2) I cannot believe how much time Little League requires. My Buddy played baseball for the 1st time this year, and I am so glad he was the only one doing it. I could barely juggle his schedule- I can't imagine doing it for more than one kid- especially if they are on different teams!  Our Little League season was long- Buddy made All-Stars!  Which meant practice 5 days a week and then a week of games. It went well. But we were a bit relieved when it was done and we could be at home on occasional evenings.
     Then Fall Ball started.... And Buddy spread the love of baseball to his big sister, so Sweetheart is playing too... Fortunately on the same team- and Fall Ball is much more relaxed than regular season.

3) J went to Canada again with SkateChurch in August. It was another amazing trip. What a blessing to be a part of that ministry!  The kids and I couldn't go, but spent a day at Grandma's with the animal in between Taekwondo classes.

4) Taekwondo has been great. Sweetheart and I are doing it together and loving it! We have managed to pass our first 2 promotions, and are trying to save up for a tournament in October.  Sweetheart is an absolute natural. I'm just trying to keep up with her. :)

5) We started school early this year because, after I got all the materials, I discovered that this is a long year. I want a good summer break next year, so we jumped right in the 3rd week of August, and have been going hard. It's intense. I always forget just how much work it is.  For some reason I think I'll be able to get everything done as well as school. I'm remembering now.... School and cooking. That's it. Cleaning can wait till the weekend- and so can anything else. If not, it'll have to wait until summer.  Or at least Christmas break....

6) A new book with one of my designs came out!!! I wanted to blog about it before, but, well, sometimes we can't do what we want.
Anyway, Unique Feet is from The Unique Sheep and Cooperative Press, and it is getting good reviews. If you like to knit socks, this is a good resource to have! My design is called Diamond Moss Boot socks. It is simple and classy. Check it out on Ravelry for more info.

7) I'm knitting again! It took me about 3-4 months after finishing the last pattern for my big book (look for it early next year) to have any desire to touch knitting needles again.  The desire did return, though I was concerned for a while that it might not. ;) I am doing some knitting on commission and recently finished another pattern for The Unique Sheep. It will appear early next year also.  Now I just have to find some time to knit all the Christmas gifts on my list in between teaching and cooking. (haha)

8) On weekends, I'm trying to fit some sewing in too. Just basic stuff- mending, nightgowns, re-doing some shirts I like but want to like more- but it's nice because it's so quick and provides that feeling of accomplishment that I can't get with cooking or teaching. I get to see the results with sewing, and that result won't be eaten in 5 minutes, so the feeling remains a bit longer.

9) I've also gotten into making some natural beauty products. I can't use most commercial stuff- neither can my daughter- as my skin is too sensitive to chemicals and my lungs too sensitive to smells.  So I've started making some, and not just for my personal use.  Currently I'm selling them in Eastern Oregon, but I hope to get an Etsy shop at some point. These products are amazing. Why it's so amazing that natural things work better than the chemical stuff that is so readily available, I don't know, but there you are. They do. And they are healing.  The chocolate mint lip balm is my current favorite, but I think I'm going to make some vanilla orange next time.  I'll let you know when they are readily available, but don't look for it soon, as I'm a teacher right now. Hopefully before Christmas, because these are the best kinds of gifts to give to that favorite lady in your life.  You might want to use them too....

So, yeah, it's been busy. I don't see that changing as the kids get older.  Once I thought it would but now I know better. Relaxation is a thing of the past. I was wrong. Life won't slow down, but I'll enjoy it anyway.

Catching Up

I feel like things just might start slowing down a little now. I certainly hope so. I'd like a relatively peaceful summer, spring has been a bit on the crazy side....

Ian did so well in his very first year of playing Little League. Incredibly well for never having played any organized sport, seen or played a baseball game. His coaches call him a sponge, and I really think he is where baseball is concerned. I just wish I could get him to pay that much attention at home! (Don't all moms feel that way about their kids' interests? ;) )  He played Minors all season, and made the All-Star team. The tournament starts this coming weekend. We've been doing baseball every day since June 15th. Well, almost every day. We've had to miss a couple practices....

Daisy has been busy with Taekwondo, and earned her first promotion the beginning of June! She did so well.

I got to have a bit of fun with my sewing machine. I took a couple of T-shirts that were much too big and turned them into "dresses". Not that I'll ever wear them without shorts, but I sure prefer them as tank-tops! This was my favorite:

Possibly because it's the Skatechurch shirt with the picture of my husband on it. I wore my old one to rags, so am happy to have this one now.

We learned the end of May that we had to move. Circumstances necessitated that our friends return to Portland, so they needed their house back. We are so excited to have them coming back- and so incredibly thankful for God's faithful provision! Within a week of knowing we needed to move, the Lord provided a great house not far away from the previous one with an amazing backyard and more than enough room for our busy family. So here we are! We've "been" here a week today. Although 4 of those days were spent on vacation, so we've really only lived here 3 days so far.

Our very first family vacation!

We had the most wonderful time. We went to Florence, OR where my sister has an apartment. She was gone for awhile, so we took over. We camped in a 2 bedroom apartment and just relaxed and enjoyed each other's company over the weekend of July 4th. It was so good. The timing was perfect. We needed to be together with no distractions, no work, and remember what it is to be family. It's been so wild lately. It was an oasis in insanity, and could not have come at a better time.

While there, we spent 2 afternoons at the beach. We found this fabulous little beach by the South Jetty, and had it all to ourselves. It wasn't really "on" the ocean, but it was a little slice of ocean, and all we needed. It was so windy right on the ocean beach, and this one was just sheltered enough by the dunes and the rocks that it was perfectly comfortable. Beautiful sunny days with just enough wind to keep it from being too hot, a beach to ourselves, and a comfy place with a kitchen to go back to for food and sleep. The perfect vacation.
The kids loved every minute. Milo never stopped smiling until he learned we were going home. What an incredible blessing. :)

 On the way to Florence, we went the long way. We even stopped in Lincoln City so Joel could skate the big park there. Not that he got in much actual skating with the kids around, but it was a nice break from traveling.

 For dinner, we stopped in Newport at the Rogue Nation  Pub where the kids played while waiting for dinner and then left with Frisbees for the beach. So fun.

 The only work Joel did all weekend- digging in the sand to bury wind-chilled kids. The funnest part was breaking out, of course.

 Frisbee!! Perfect beach game. Good thing they float....

The second day, Milo got brave enough to dance in the waves on the beach. The first day, he refused to get wet. But he LOVED the sand!!

So here we are! All of us and our stuff is in a new house. Now we are in the organize, unpack, set up phase. Looking forward to the slowing down of baseball and busy-ness so we can settle in and get ready for a new school year. Hopefully, I'll be able to catch up with the insanity this summer.....

The Most Common Miracle

Just because it's common doesn't make it any less of a miracle.

Have you ever been present at a birth- or given birth yourself? Then you probably know what I mean.

It happens every day, multiple times per day, but every single time it happens it is still a miracle. A beautiful incredible unbelievable miracle. The miracle of a new life coming into the world. This miracle takes a wife, a woman, and turns her into something more, a mother.

Motherhood is the direct result of a miracle. And motherhood itself is somewhat of a miracle.  It is constant change, constant learning, constant growing, constant forgiveness. Just as the new life that caused this thing called motherhood is constantly changing, learning, growing, and needing forgiveness.

Last week, I had the most amazing opportunity to witness the most common miracle. And I have to tell you, it did not seem the least bit common. It was just as beautiful, just as amazing, just as mind-blowing as the first time I witnessed it and as the first time I experienced it myself.

The result?

Definitely not common.  New, amazing, awe-inspiring, tiny beautiful little human.  Look at that perfectly formed face and try to tell me that is not a miracle. A unique and fascinating miracle.

I have to say, though, this miracle happens because of another miracle.

Have you ever thought of how babies happen? No, really. 2 cells. Tiny cells that are invisible without special tools.  Those 2 cells come together and make one cell, then they divide over and over again. And look at what you get from those 2 cells becoming one:

Miracles. Constantly changing miracles. And I argue that the miracle starts, not at the process of birth or even the completion of birth, but at the beginning; when 2 microscopic cells connect and become one cell that then becomes many many many cells.

I'm making such an issue of this because it's been on my mind so much lately. Hearing about the Gosnell trial and the numbers of aborted babies both in China and the U.S; then going in to witness such an awesome thing as the birth of a baby..... Oh, dear friends, what has happened to our world!? To us? That we can sit by and let other people be murdered? That we can allow the most amazing miracle to be destroyed? Just because the miracle has become so common to us we forget what is really happening?

Babies are being killed. They are! I know people who believe in "free choice" of the mother have so many reasons for it- and if that is you, please don't tune out just yet.  I've heard how horrible it would be for the mother to have a baby she can't take care of; or how can you expect a victim of rape to carry her baby to term and have to remember the horror she went through? And I know there are so many more "reasons", but let me ask you this:

Remember last Christmas season? Remember the horror of someone taking a gun and killing children at an elementary school? I do. I remember the outrage that poured out of the internet and the news at the thought that someone would kill children. I remember seeing comments like, "There should be a special place in Hell  for someone that would kill a child".

How is that any different that what is happening every day in hospitals and abortion clinics all over the world???? But there is no outrage. There is a continued outcry for "freedom of choice".

My heart is breaking even as I am rejoicing over the birth of my beautiful niece.

There are so many women without children, so many that would rejoice over the opportunity to love the children that are "unwanted" even those who have developmental issues likes Downs Syndrome, whose mothers would take the "freedom of choice".  If a mother doesn't want or feels that she can't care for her baby, so many more mothers are just waiting, praying, begging to do that for her! Adoption is a win/win alternative to abortion! And what about those that do make the choice to end their pregnancy by abortion? I have talked with some of them. They wish with all their hearts that they had not made that choice.  They know that a baby is a baby from the moment 2 cells become 1.  A woman that has felt a baby move within her knows deep in her heart that the fetus within her is a little baby, a living human. She may choose to ignore that truth, but that doesn't make it any less true.

I have 4 of the most amazing miracles. And I remember being pregnant with each one of them.  I remember feeling them move within me.  Each one did different things. Each child, from before birth expressed his/her personality.  My oldest would jump and kick- she still does. She loves Taekwondo; she asks over and over for things, just like when she was inside me and would kick the same place over and over again.  My 2nd child pushed on me, stretched out as much as possible, and played with my belly button constantly. He still pushes every limit, stretching it out as far as he can; and he still knows how to push my buttons.

I could go on and on about my kids. About how their personalities matched their movements before they were even born; about the incredible miracles they are. Have you ever watched a child grow? It is mind-boggling, even if you just break it down into scientific terms. Did you know an infant doesn't have a kneecap? Just a tiny piece of cartilage that grows and becomes a kneecap around the age of 2 or 3.  Why?? Well, think about how hard it is to crawl on your kneecaps. So amazing! Every detail falls into place at just the right time, and this

rapidly becomes this

or this

or those children that were killed in their school on December 14th, 2012.

I see no difference in the humanity of those elementary school children and the children that are killed daily while in the womb. Life is life. A child is a child, no matter how old. Conception is a miracle. Birth is a miracle. Just because it is "common" does not make it less of a miracle. We need to protect children, not destroy them.

Welcome to the world, Daria Agnieszka. I hope we can make it a safer place for others like you.