Homemade Toothpaste

Just mix 2/3 cup baking soda, filtered water to your liking, 1 tsp of sea salt (optional - our first batch with salt, Sean did not like), and 10-15 drops of peppermint essential oil (or orange or spearmint, etc.).  I put more like 30 drops of peppermint this time because we didn't think 15 drops was enough.  Super easy and not bad tasting and cost effective!  And we have both gotten comments on our pearly whites!!!!  :)  We still bought the kiddos Tom's toothpaste because I'm not sure they would like our homemade stuff.  Maybe I will give it a try with them some time though. 

Oakes Farm 2013

Anyone who knows me really well, knows how much I love fall.  On second thought, you don't have to know me really well to know this; I freely offer this fact!  Ahhhh, I love the beauty of the fall leaf change, pumpkin spice lattes, TN Fall Homecoming, cooler weather, and going to the farm for the pumpkin patch.  :)  I need to add The Creech Fall Party to my list of loves during my favorite season!  :)  And now is not the time to complain about how our leaves STILL haven't really changed.  Boo-hoo!  So we headed off to Oakes Farm in Corryton yesterday.  Actually, to be honest, I was not really looking forward to it at first because when we woke up yesterday morning it was 28 degrees.  However, the sun was out, we bundled up, and I think it reached about 60ish yesterday.  We got some hot chocolate and a box of fudge to end the day, which was fantastic!  http://www.oakesfarm.com/

HA!  Not too much was interrupted yesterday!!!!!!

Go Ryan Go!!!!  Totally unrelated, but Ryan finished his "Learn To Read In 100 Easy Lessons" book last night!!!  We are so humbly proud of him!!!!  I can't say too much about the book because Sean did it with him, but he is a beginner reader now and doing amazing!  There were many days where he was lazy and wanted to give up, but Sean pushed through with him and when he applied himself, he did great!  Some days, we couldn't even get one lesson done, and it certainly took longer than 100 straight days, but I am thrilled with the fact that he can read now!  We plan to take him to Krispy Kreme next Saturday to celebrate (at his request!)  http://www.homeschoolreviews.com/reviews/curriculum/reviews.aspx?id=3

Pet me, love me

Who dressed Hunter yesterday?  I think he could be on "What Not To Wear!!!"

Andrew LOVED riding on the tractor to get to the patch!  Actually, so did Hunter.  Sean and I were talking about it and if we recall correctly, he cried the whole time on it last year.

Just a "proving I'm here" picture

New Nursing Job!

As I mentioned in my last post, I got a new job!  First and foremost, my God given job and main responsibilities are my husband, our children and the home.  I wouldn't want it any other way!  Those things are the most important and my primary focus.  However, after much discussion and prayer, Sean and I decided that God wanted me to work just a teeny bit.  I spent a lot of time and energy on my education and I want to keep my skills up and God forbid, Sean and I want me to be prepared in case something ever happened to Sean.  It just makes sense to keep my license up.  So, I graduated with my Bachelors in Nursing in July and began my job search. 

After a few months, I was starting to get really discouraged.  For the most part, I heard no response!  I would spend a good hour or so weekly applying everywhere!  I had prayed that God only open the door of where I should be, so I knew I had to be patient.  Well, I finally over a two week time period got 3 interviews and another 2 phone calls. 

The interview at UT Medical Center was an easy decision!  I don't have the floor experience since I worked in psych before moving to TN, so they wanted me to work full-time for 2 years.  That is NOT a goal for our family or for me personally.  Remember, husband, children, home FIRST!  :) 

So, from this interview I redirected my focus and also gained some encouragement and contentment.  I realized that in order to work PRN (or as needed) I would most likely not get a nursing job on the floor since I lacked the experience.  I started searching heavily for psych again since I do have some experience there.  I also got an interview doing telephone triage nursing.  We thought this was going to be an ideal situation for us because there was the potential to work from home, but it ended up that I did not get that job.  However, I did get a job in behavioral health (psych).

It is actually really neat (so far).  It is about 40 minutes from here.  Out in the woods.  Literally.  I see deer everyday!   It is also on a lake.  It is a long-term residential facility for adolescents (ages 13-17).  They live in cabins.  Most of them are there anywhere from 6-9 months, even up to a year.  Most of them come from really rough backgrounds, so there are behavioral issues, substance abuse issues with some, trauma with most, and psychiatric issues commonly, as well. 

I am obviously an RN there.  I don't have much to say on this side of the job because I don't start my training in the nurses station until next week.  So far, I have worked for two weeks doing general training and then therapeutic crisis intervention training.  It has been a little more challenging working more these two weeks, but tomorrow is my last day of that.  Michaela has been such a blessing with coming over and taking such amazing care of our little guys while Sean and I are away and we are sooooooo grateful for her.  Ryan, this morning, was balling because I had to leave.  It was heartbreaking! 

Any way, I got to talk to the Director of Nursing today to get my normal PRN schedule and she is AWESOME!  She doesn't really care when I work or how often or whatever.  It is really up to me.  She treats all of her nurses this way.  She basically said as long as all her shifts are covered, she doesn't care how it happens, so long as it happens.  Very unconventional and I like it!  So, for example, next week I will work Thursday 11a-7p and Friday 645a-1130a because that's all that would work for us.  Then, she sent me home with the calendar for the month of November to just write in when I want to work and what times and discuss with hubby, Michaela, etc.  How helpful is that!!!?? 

So, yah, that's it.  I got a little job.  :) 

Knoxville Zoo Day

Friday we surprised the children and headed off to a half day at the zoo!!!!  Sean has been on fall break from school Thursday and Friday and I have been off work both days, as well.  YES, I did say work!  I got a job!  BUT that is a another story for another post.  :)  It was such a perfect day at the zoo.  The weather was in the 60s so the animals were neither too hot nor too cold, which meant they were OUT!  Some of the animals we had NEVER even seen during other zoo trips, so we were excited!  The boys had a blast!  They also bought stuffed animals.  Hunter's favorite animal is a zebra so that's what he got and Ryan's is an otter so that's what he got.  They have been carrying them around everywhere.  It's pretty cute!  OK, gotta cut this short.  We are starting to bake cookies for a fall party we are going to today.  AND I have the discipline Hunter for the umpteenth time.  Ever have one of those days at your house!!!????

Not a part of the zoo, but at the zoo.  Sean asked me to take a picture of it.  Not sure why; he hates spiders!!!!!

Tennessee Fall Homecoming

It's that time of year again!  We went to the 34th annual TN Fall Homecoming at the Museum of Appalachia.  We had gone last year when little Andrew was just a month old!  Gosh, how time flies!  This year, we had one free adult admission that we had won from Norris Day (as you may recall, we had also won our dinner cruise from there).  :)  We enjoyed ourselves and the weather was nice and sunshiney!  As y'all know, I LOVE fall and so this is just another perfect way to celebrate the season!!!!

This peacock had no fear of man and was actually quite the model (or she just wanted our kettle corn!!!!)

Me + 3 in FL

Back in January, me and Andrew had taken a long weekend trip to FL.  So I had wanted to do a me and Ryan trip to FL and then a me and Hunter trip.  Well, it didn't work out for just me and Ryan to go, so after much prayer and discussion, we decided that I would take all three boys to FL on the airplane.  I was a little nervous, but after seeking God's guidance felt at peace.  We left last Wednesday and returned this past Monday.  We had such a blessed time, although I was ready to get back home to my hubby after 5 days!!!!!  The boys did fantastic on the plane both there and back!!!  I was so grateful for that!  We stayed at my Dad's house and enjoyed spending time with him and seeing my grandma and my aunts and uncles.  I also got to see some of my good friends and do park play dates with them, lunch and dinner dates, and a trip to see a dear friend at her house for a couple of hours.  We also got to go to service at our old church, which was so nice.  It was a little too hot for me so we decided to take the boys to the beach in the evening, but it turned out that we had sort of run out of time, so we more took them in the dark!!!  lol  I think they still enjoyed it. It wasn't hot!!! It was also Andrew's first time on the beach. 

I am also grateful for the lessons that God taught me on this trip.  Sometimes I can get into wrong thinking, thinking that me plus 3 little ones and being pregnant is too much to handle when trying to go out and about and so I will avoid going places without Sean.  I learned that indeed I am still able to do it; it just takes a little bit more time, planning, and patience.  I also learned to let go of expectations.  When Sean comes home from school I can be in the frame of mind that I've had the kids all day and he hasn't so now it's his turn.  If he doesn't perform my unspoken requests (my expectations), then I feel disappointed, impatient, discouraged, and angry at times.  I really learned not to expect that he should be doing it all just because he was away and I was home.  I also learned to appreciate all the things he does do and how well we work together as a team after not having him around for five days!  Most importantly, I learned how much I really missed my husband!  I am so thankful to have him in my life and love him so much.  It was wonderful to see him again. 

It was a blessed trip!!!!!!

P.S. Yes, I only took ONE picture while on vacation!!!!

Proverbs 3:5-6

King James Version (KJV)

⁵ Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
⁶ In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Baby #4's anatomy ultrasound!

Sean and I had the pleasure of going to the anatomy ultrasound today for Baby Brewner.  :)  It was sort of like a date day!!!!!  :)  Praise God, baby looks great!!  We are just thrilled and delighted and counting our blessings.  God is so good!!!!  AND the OTHER  BIG news is someone knows the GENDER!!!!!!!!  Wanna know who!!!!????????  OK, I will tell you.  It isn't me.  I do not know.  I probably will not know until B-day.  It isn't my Mom.  Although, today is her birthday and so that would have been a sweet birthday present.  Nor is it my Dad.  And nope it isn't Sean's Mom.  Or Dad.  Not his sister.  Or his other sister.  Or his brother.  Oh yah, and it's not any of our friends.  Or relatives.  Give up?

Profile in picture one and crossed feet in picture two.  :) 


It's the baby's Daddy!!!  My hubby!!!!!  Yup, Sean knows!!!  And he's not telling ANYONE!  Even the one carrying the baby!  He is now in charge of the take home outfit (so I did suggest that towards the end he tell one of the girls at church what we're having so they can help him shop!!!)  :) 

Psalm 16:11

King James Version (KJV)

¹¹ Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.