What to blog about...

What are you supposed to blog about when there's nothing to blog? I guess just the usual happenings of the day, but even that gets old. So I'll just start typing...

Went to Mary's 10 day check-up today. Actually though she's 11 days. I knew she wasn't a midget!! She's not 19 3/4 inches long like the hospital measured. She's 21 inches long. I knew she looked as long as our other babies. Told ya so nurses! Really though, I think that when they're a day old they don't know how to straighten out and get measured. She's just under 10 pounds now which is normal. She should be back up to birth weight by Sunday, at 2 weeks.

I don't like to say bad stuff about my children on our blog, I wouldn't do it to anyone else, why do it to my children, BUT Ann and Hannah were very naughty at the Dr's. They were great all the way through the appointment, but when it came to Mary's lab work (the squeze the blood out of the foot test) they started to get very naughty. We had to wait a long time, but still they know better than to run around like animals in public and if they forgot, I kept reminding them! So when we stopped at Fred Meyer for milk and eggs afterwards, they did not get to get a cookie from the bakery. So THERE!

I got all of our Mother and Daughter Banquet invitations mailed out today. That took a couple hours of cutting, stuffing and addressing. It is exciting that this is our 4th one and that our ladies and girls look so forward to it! I can't believe I have 3 daughters now to bring!! I am outnumbered!! In June we will do our 2nd Annual Father and Son Feast. Last year was only attended by 15, but it was still worth it. Our sons and fathers need to have a special day too, even if there are much less than us ladies. Hopefully this year will increase in attendance since it is the second one.

Paul, along with a few other food agencies, went to our local food bank today and met with the Governor. I thought about going, since we usually go to these sort of things together, but I held firm that I am taking a full 2 weeks of "maternity leave" (I have to convince myself!). I need it to keep my head on straight!! Plus, I am STILL healing if you get the drift... Anyways, I hope it went well at the food bank with him. We have really felt the hurt of the community. There are all sorts of people that we assist and our food supply is needing repleshined faster than it ever has before. There are many over the last year who would never have dreamed that they themselves would be in need of a food box from us. There are a lot of hurting people out there who have a lot of needs and it's not for governement to fix!! (Afterall, they got us into this!)It's for Charities and God's Church.

The weather is beautiful today. A little cool, but nothing a sweater won't fix. The girls and I will spend some time in the backyard soon when Hannah and Mary wake up.

I'm getting used to cooking again after a week of being spoiled by having meals brought. We're focused on eating up our freezers because who knows if we're going to be moved or not. It's better to get a head start!

Our Little Twinkle Toes

Week One

Mary is one week old this morning. Now she's sleeping. Hannah is down here with me reading books. The other kids went to church this morning with Paul. He's running the show by himself. Good, good, good man. I will go to church next Sunday when I'm better rested and healed and Mary is somewhat predictable. Church is enjoyable... but it is still work, especially when there are so many children without parents there and the regular extra needy people ;)

Family life is adjusting back to normal (well the new normal!). I'm able to keep up with the housework now and feel more out of the fog after 5 straight nights of 1-2 hours of sleep. Now I know why the POW camps used sleep deprivation as a form of torture! Mary has slept the last 3 nights for atleast 4 hours straight. Amazing after such a terrible start. Of course, I still have a hard time sleeping because I am compelled to check and make sure she is still breathing. And I have to wake her up to nurse her. I think it's funny that now it's my turn to wake her up!

I'll start up some light Corps work next week. I have 3 main things to work on.... Women's Ministries Sunday, Mother and Daughter Banquet and Camp Invites/Parent Meeting. I'm so blessed to be able to bring my babies with me and love them up and get some stuff done at the same time. Train them up young! Our children should know how to be Officers like the back of their hand by the time they grow up! (ha!ha!)

Yesterday we went to look at the RVS at the Cherry Festival. It just so happened that while we were there looking, the Parade started and we got to watch the whole thing from the comfort of a $70,000 5th wheel toy hauler. It was great!! Then we went out to lunch at Big Jim's and spent the rest of the afternoon hanging out at home.

I couldn't believe when yet another church lady showed up with dinner last night! They have been so good to us. But I have to admit, I'm not always sure about being on the "receiving" end! It has been a blessing, but I hate to put anyone out! I'll tell ya... we have so much food!! They have cooked for us like we're an Army!

Baby Mary's First Photo Shoot- Sunday, April 19

Proud (and funny) Papa.

David holding Mary.

Elijah holding Mary.

Ann holding Mary.

Hannah holding Mary.

Baby Mary

Here she is! (thanks for the pics Stacie!)

Mary Ruth Chouinard

10lbs 2oz

Sunday April 19, 9:55am

Will post more pics soon!

Graphic Home League (Women's Ministries) Pictures

So... we're sitting in Home League, finishing up our Bible Study and moving on to our Program, and Paul comes in and says "Rachel- get out here now, Ladies, let's go... there is something you have to see out here.." Off we go, out the back door, where our Janitor's husband is waiting at the back of his truck to show us something. What we saw was way cool! Xxx had just shot a beautiful turkey and swung by to show his wife and us. Some ladies quickly excused themselves (understandably), some of us stayed and listened to the whole story. A couple of us pet it and fondled it. The feathers were so soft, the neck and face was a beautiful shade of blue and purple. I was also thinking about cranberry sauce and stuffing. Turkey dinner is my most favorite meal.

7 Toxic Emotions

My Cascade Divisional Women's Ministries Secretary sent this out and I really liked reading it, thought you would too...

"Biblical Prescriptions for 7 Toxic Emotions that Sap Your Energy

1. Worry
Although it is certainly tempting to worry in these tough economic times, the Bible specifically tells us not to do so. Not to worry about clothes or food or what might happen tomorrow. Yet Christians worry anyway, don't we? Matthew 6:27: Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
You have to believe that God is looking out for you.
People claim they don't have TIME to meditate on scripture.......but what is WORRY? It's meditating on your problems. Think about it: worry is nothing more than meditation--thinking about something over and over and over. The problem is you are meditating on your problems --which can do you no possible good. So take the SKILLS you have developed through years of WORRY--your ability to play the same record over and over again--and put it to good use.
The Bible says meditating on God's Word can literally bring healing to our bodies.
My son, pay attention to what I say;
listen closely to my words.
Do not let them out of your sight,
keep them within your heart;
for they are life to those who find them
and health to a man's whole body. Prov. 4:20-22
Why not let MEDITATION become one of your favorite MEDICATIONS? You can, at the very least, supplement your medication with meditation and I guarantee your medication will work much more effectively when taken with a dose of meditation.


2. Anxiety
In the book of Ecclesiastes, King Solomon points out that when you're anxious, you can't even sleep at night. How many of us lay awake, wracked with anxiety? What if this, what if that, what if the other thing. We get ourselves all worked up. You think that doesn't take a toll on your health? Think again!
Phil. 4:4-9 says:
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
The Hebrew word for Peace is Shalom, which means WHOLENESS. Total Well-being: maximum health in your spirit, soul and body. That's what God wants for his children. Ask of him and he will surely give you his peace. If the cure for worry is meditation, the cure for anxiety is prayer.


3. Fear
It's been aptly said that 90% of what we fear never happens. What a waste of time! The Bible commands us "Do not fear" 83 times. Fear is the opposite of trust--the command to TRUST occurs 87 times. Do not be afraid, instead, TRUST the Lord.
"Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned
For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you,
I will give men in exchange for you, and people in exchange for your life. Do not be afraid, for I am with you; Isaiah 43:1-5
Fear literally releases ADRENALINE into the body. Unfortunately, our body will only produce so much adrenaline before the adrenal glands are just wiped out. That's why Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome has been dubbed the Disease of the 21st Century. The Bible has the antidote for EVERY one of our destructive emotions. And the cure for fear is trust.


4. Anger
Go ahead and throw a good fit. Do it. See how it makes you feel?
My friend, Rachel, was struggling with anger toward her mother-in-law. When Rachel's husband died of an alcohol-overdose at the age of 37, his mother blamed Rachel. Which was ridiculous because Rachel was powerless to stop her husband's drinking. And few people suffered more from his drinking than Rachel and her three small children. Nevertheless, her mother-in-law hired attorneys to literally rob Rachel and her children of the inheritance that was due to them. She did everything in her power to make their lives more difficult. Almost every time I talked to Rachel, she would be angry and upset about the situation.
One day, as she was getting worked up about the latest rotten thing her mother in law had done, I said: "She sounds like she's in a lot of pain. She doesn't want to face the truth about her son. I think you should pray for her."
That was four years ago. Recently, Rachel told me that was the best advice anyone had ever given her. Praying really changed her heart toward her mother-in-law even though it didn't change her mother-in-law's behavior. The woman is now dying, so Rachel took the children to visit her. They were able to speak kindly to their grandmother, viewing her through their mother's eyes of compassion.....rather than anger. Most important, Rachel felt wonderful because she did not let this angry person turn her into an angry person.
The cure for anger is compassion--seeing the person who hurt you as a hurting person.


5. Self-Pity
This is the toughest one for me to address.....because I still struggle with this. But I'm not as bad as I used to be and I find some consolation in that. I was literally consumed with self-pity and it almost destroyed me. Poor, poor pitiful me. How the world had done me wrong. No one could get within a mile of me without hearing a litany of my woes. Yet I couldn't figure out why my phone never rang. I had one person in particular I liked to complain to, because she not only listened sympathetically, she would add little commentary that confirmed she knew the magnitude of my suffering. I'll call her Cindy. I figured it was good for Cindy to listen to my woes, since she always had a great big smile on her face and obviously had life "made in the shade." I mean , she never indicated having any problems of her own.
Then one day a mutual friend mentioned in passing that Cindy was dying. "Dying? As in dying dying? But she's only in her 40s. How is that possible?" It turns out that Cindy had contracted an incurable disease some five years ago and has been battling it ever since. She's been through several rounds of chemotherapy; but there's no cure. Cindy is dying. But Cindy is remarkably happy.
And do you know why??? Because Cindy REFUSES to feel sorry for herself. She REFUSES to wallow in self-pity. And she doesn't waste her time trying to solicit other people's pity. That's why she never once mentioned her terminal illness to me, in between my pitiful tales of burnt toast and fat thighs. Although she did share this sage advice with me one day, "You know, Donna, everybody has their own bag of rocks to carry."
And I started to think about that. Everyone has their own bag of rocks. Everyone has their own war stories. Their own heartaches. What right do I have to ask other people to carry my bag in addition to their own? What right did I have to burden down this dying woman with my never-ending self-pity trip?
No right at all. That's why Jesus told us to lay our burden's down at his feet, to make it easier for us to resist the temptation to lay them down at every one else's door. Cast all your cares upon him, because he cares for you. And he is the only one with the strength to carry your bag of rocks.
I believe Depression sometimes has a biochemical basis. In particular, I think post-partum depression, along with menopausal and PMS-related symptoms are very real--and may require medical attention. But a lot of depression is the direct result of wallowing in self-pity. You know, it is almost impossible to stay depressed without feeling sorry for yourself. If you're depressed, the best thing you can do is help someone else. If you are depressed because of a biochemical imbalance, reaching out won't hurt you....and it may just help by putting your problems into perspective. No matter how bad you think you've got it, there's always someone who's worse off.
The cure for self-pity is reaching out to HELP someone else.


6. Remorse
There's no point dwelling on the past. You can't change it anyway. Even if you've made mistakes, all you can do is ask the forgiveness of those involved, perhaps make some form of restitution...then move forward. Too many Christians waste their lives beating themselves up for past mistakes when God clearly says all is forgiven and forgotton:
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us. Psalm 103:11-12
My pastor always says, "The next time you are beating yourself up, watch the Passion of the Christ. Cue up to the scene where the Roman soldiers are beating Jesus. Then look him in the eye and call him a liar. Tell him, 'Jesus, you lied! You said you took the full punishment for my sin. You said it was finished and the debt was pain in full. But you lied--there is still more to pay for my sin. That's why I have to beat myself up. You weren't beaten badly enough."
Can you honestly say that?
The cure for remorse is throwing yourself at the foot of the cross.


7. Evil-Surmisings
Evil-Surmisings means assuming the worst about people and situations. Jumping to conclusions before you have all the information. The mind is very complex and it can play tricks on us. We can create problems out of thin air! Women are notorious for doing this to their husbands, especially when they have to work late at night! Don't allow your mind to spiral out of control, imagining various scenarios and offenses. Discipline your mind to focus, not on what "might" be true, but strictly on what you know to be true: God's Word. Life is filled with enough troubles without manufacturing more in your head. Let your mind be filled with the things of the Spirit, which brings life and peace. Choose to do what the Bible says, "Believe the best."


Hope this was helpful to you.
Blessings
Donna Partow "

10 years!

Happy 10th Birthday to our one and only David!

Resurrection Sunday! Our Happy Easter Pics

First we read from the Bible about the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus.

Then the kids can hunt for their Easter baskets. The Easter bunny comes during the night and hides a basket of goodies for the kids. In the morning they are eager to find their baskets!

Then mommy makes everyone take pictures before church.



Striking their best pose!



Later at Church...... "Normal" Chouinards



Not so normal (thanks a lot Paul!)



Paul gave a great sermon.

Foyer doors at the Corps (Church)

Platform, Holiness Table, Mercy Seats.

Our Chapel.

(I can't show our church body without individual photo legal release

forms from each person,

but trust me, we have a great church body!)

Front of the Fellowship Hall.

Easter Breakfast Centerpieces.

We made the lilies in Family First Sunday School last week, "Palm" Sunday.

We traced our hands to make the flowering part.

It was fun to see the great big hands, and so cute to see the littlest hands,

like the one month old's!

Fellowship Hall.

Yes, it is SMALL!! We are used to being packed in tight!

Good thing we like each other!

Fellowship Hall.


Easter Highlights:

• Everyone woke up early, excited for Easter. We listened to Daddy read the Scripture then went on a hunt for Easter baskets. Elijah was first to find his, then Hannah, then Ann, and last, poor David! Easter Bunny did a good job hiding his!
  
  
• At the Corps (church), we cooked a huge breakfast of sausage, eggs and pancakes, juice and coffee. David and Elijah cooked the pancakes... over 100. They did great and were so committed!
  
  
• "Capt. Rachel" (aka me!) did the Resurrection Eggs towards the end of breakfast. A tradition. 12 children got to help out and were so good at not opening their eggs until I called on them. I was so proud of them for practicing some self-control!

• Then we broke up for Sunday School classes.


• Church next.
  

• Then, thanks to Daddy, the Chouinards went through the drive-thru at McDonald's for icecream. Yes, before lunch. Yes, despite all the sweets at home. What a big surprise! "See how great Easter is kids!" "See how sweet Jesus' resurrection is kids!"

• At home, Ann was insistant that there was a baby chick in her hard-boiled egg that she got from her Sunday School teacher. She saw yellow (a yoke) in Hannah's. She said there were cracks in her egg that she didn't know how they got there. She said she thought she even heard it chirping. She was so excited to have her own chick and wrapped her egg up in blankets to keep the babe warm. Her brothers told her there was no chick. Ann cried for half an hour.

• At 3pm, David, Elijah, Ann and I went to the Veteran's Home to have church. They helped the residents turn their songbook pages and assisted me in doing the Resurrection Eggs, again, and passed out War Crys. Paul stayed at home so Hannah could finish her nap. Good thing too because the big fish that Hannah likes to watch at the Veteran's home was at the bottom of the tank, convulsing, and close to death.

• We came home and soon ate a feast of Ham, Mac-N-Cheese, Rolls, Salad, Cauliflower, and deviled eggs.

BED!

David's Birthday Party and Egg Coloring Pics

So...for us, we do a big birthday party every other year for each kid starting in Kindergarten. (We always do a family party). This year David was up to have his friends come and do a big one. He got to invite 13 friends. 10 showed up so there was a total of 12 boys, including David and Elijah, 2 little Ann and Hannah's, 1 Paul and 1 Rachel.

The party was great! David has made some really good choices in friends! They were all so well behaved and fun! I thought it was cool that there were 4 sets of brothers even. What a blessing to have good friends!

Above you'll see us at Pietro's Pizza in Hood River. Here we're waiting for pizza and the boys were hooked on the big screen tv that just so happened to be showing the World's Strongest Man competition. PERFECT! After we ate, Paul gave them a bunch of quarters to play in the arcade. You can win tickets there and turn them in for prizes.

Then we drove home for cake, icecream, presents, and playing.

Later this evening...

Here we are dying our Easter eggs. I'm realizing now that these pics are kind of out of order, so start at the bottom if you like order.

More happy faces. We just love Chouinard holiday traditions. My mom also always made sure that my brother and I always dyed eggs too. See how things just keep getting passed on from one generation to the next!

I had 4 little noses snooping around the dyes. I just wanted to get them to the table! Paul took this pic after he finished taping newspaper to the table for us.

I guess he thought we'd be messy... he was right!

Hannah and Ann "helping" me get the dye ready.

In A Whirlwind!

There are some weeks that just fly by and take my breath away! This was one of them! On top of the rotating, repetitive, redundant experiences of daily life the Chouinard family had plenty of extras this week. Some are postworthy, some are not (good old confidentiality!)

Here's a rundown

Monday:
At the Office in the morning doing Sunday Bulletins, AB minutes, Mother/Daughter Banquet prep, phone calls, "audit" meeting with OSU Rep (for our food classes), meeting with Youth Pastor to touch base on our youth, camp, and upcoming activities. All the while mommying the 4 kids who seem to be everywhere I am.
THEN....Ann's first Ballet lesson class. Mommy tried so hard not to cry and embarrass herself and everyone else. I just looked at her for 45 minutes straight and marveled in her beauty, innocence, and intent on mastering every little detail the teacher asked of her. I took pictures but to my horror, deleted them!!! I got fancy fingers on my digital camera the next day. I will take more and post next Monday. Hannah also watched and did her own little dances. The boys checked in on her once in a while, but were content to play in the play area with a new friend they made.
David's first Baseball game of the season. (He missed Opening Day due to his DI Tournament) Took pictures of that too, but they are just a faded memory...deleted. Anyone who knows David knows that he is more on the quiet and reserved side. A great wise soul inside a little kid's body. I get nervous when he plays baseball (his 5th year!) because he seems so harmless out on the field. BUT THEN WHAM.... he pulls out these plays that make the crowd go wild! Like at this game, he stole home base, slid in and just barely made it. The crowd went crazy clapping and cheering! He stands up, looks straight ahead and walks to the dugout. No big deal. He is also an excellent hitter. He also knows when to swing and when not to. And when he swings, he hits it.

Tuesday:
At the Office in the morning, this time ALONE! Whipped through a ton of stuff (and people for that matter).
Had a date with my Ann at KMart, went to the bathroom 3 times, twice for mommy (I'm pregnant!) Paul came home to watch the other kids. We bought some household goods and scoured the clothing racks. Picked out a beautiful blue dress for Hannah, a skirt for Ann (she wanted everything!), a pair of stretchy pants ($1.99!) and a sweater ($1.99!) for mommy.
Baked and cooked the night away to get ready for Home League.

Wednesday:
Hosted Home League in my home for a Spring Brunch. 15 ladies, lots of laughter, food, prayer, fun, and devotion. Ann was a little lady welcoming people as they knocked on the door. Hannah was either scoping out the food table or the newborn baby with her momma most of the time. Spent a LOT of time cleaning up after everyone left. Broke a tea cup.
Youth Activities which started with our usual discipleship lesson (Jr. Soldiers) and then we had a guest firefighter come and teach about fire safety, etc. He suited up in his entire uniform, oxygen and everything which was really cool, but his alarm kept going off and really irritating me. The kids were even screaming about it. I was worried about someone going deaf.
Parent/Teacher Conferences at the kids' school. They recieved top grades and were both cited by their teachers to be respectful, compassionate and helpful with others. Great... then we go to the part where one of my children, who shall remain nameless, is like the nutty professor. Very messy desk, very disorganized. Affecting some of his classwork!!
GRRRRR......... said mommy and daddy bear. This is a life skill issue that required major impact "catch your attention" discipline! Not so much as a spiritual or moral issue, but almost! Thing is, is that we've been working on this for a year or more, so it's no big surprise. But you know what, EVERYONE has their thing!! In fact, I have many that at 33, I'm STILL working on.

Thursday:
Promptly dropped an entire bowl (glass!) of chopped up fruit on the kitchen floor at 5:30am. Woke everyone up.
CBS Class in the morning. Obadiah and Nahum.
OB appointment. Had an ultrasound. The Dr. measured out the baby. Looks like it will be an 8 1/2 to 9 pound babe. Not bad. Bad part is the baby has quite a big head (but that's normal for our children). Is head down, but face up. Lovely. I was warned that I will be having back labor. Epirdural please! I have nothing to prove.
Set-Up and Decorating the Corps Fellowship Hall for Easter breakfast. Looks quite nice, I might add. It is such a small room though. When the whole church is in there, we're packed in like sardines, hold the mustard. But it is GOOD!
Massage Therapist appointment for my sciatic nerve. I am getting relief! But delivery will be the ultimate relief! Really though, I have no right to complain. My pregnancies have all been good and healthy with minor pain, nothing debilitating until my sciatic nerve starts acting up.
Book Fair at the kids' school. They each got to pick out a book, plus by one on their own with their allowance. Mommy LOVES books!! So they know that I am all for them LOVING books! There was an excellent selection and set up very nice.

And so now, the girls are in bed. Paul insisted I could stay home from baseball tonight to catch up on some stuff and get the girls to bed at a good time. (Thank you Paul!) We're also going to watch a movie tonight, "Doubt". I'm saving my apetite for popcorn.

When I was doing my Bible study the other day, I found this verse, or rather it found me.
About God, it says in Nahum verse 3 "His way is in the whirlwind and the storm". Sometimes it can seem that life is a whirlwind pulling thing out of us as it zips around. Or a storm that is unmanageable and unpredictable. God is IN IT. I also thought of Matthew 8, when the disciples and Jesus are in a boat, a storm comes up, Jesus is sleeping and they're freaking out. Jesus wakes up, not to coddle them and rub their backs and say "it'll be okay", but to ask them "what in the world are you so afraid of?" or "where in the world is your faith?". THEN he rebukes the storm and it all calms down. Sooo.... when life is seeming this way, I know that God is here, in control, and refining me to a deeper faith where even fear does not get hold, just HIS WAY.

Pictures!!

We got to go out to lunch at Denny's after church today.

I just love my digi cam!! It's always ready to capture a good moment!

Miss Hannah kickin' back after a meal of

chicken moon & stars and goldfish crackers.

Ann is full! She ate half a plate of mac-n-cheese!



One more shot with Mommy, pleeeeaaaase.

If my arm were longer, I wouldn't have cut off the top of Elijah's head.

At the bike races, downtown on Saturday evening.

Paul and David were still gone, that's why you don't see them.

*The cyclist on the left was warming up and Elijah challenged him to a race to the lightpole and back. You can see Elijah running, already headed back before the cyclist made his turnaround. What a nice guy to let the 7 year old win!

At the bike races. These are the women turning the corner. They were so fast!



Another view.

It would've been a better pic if I were quicker!! They went by before I could snap the pic.

I swear this one was not posed!

Although we had been posing,

Ann caught this "Kodak moment" all on her own!

(You can see her pinky in the top left corner)

Ann was doing "projects" underneath the table on Friday.

She drifted off to sleep...One minute she was like this...

The next minute she was like this... out cold for over half an hour.

One tired little girl after running errands, playing at the park, and helping momma at the Corps setting up for Sunday School and Church.

Of course, she'll never admit that she's tired!