Sarah, the Healthy Home Abortionist

As someone who is interested in natural health, I occasionally enjoy reading on the website of Sarah, "The Healthy Home Economist."

Therefore it was rather shocking for me to discover a post by Sarah titled "Natural Birth Control Using Herbs," dating back to October of last year. My shock was not rooted in the fact that she was entirely and utterly wrong on something, but that she was ignorant of the most basic of science underlying the issue of "birth control."

Lest any of my health-conscious friends and readers are deceived by her lingo, this post is intended to expose the abortifacient nature of the herbs Sarah is recommending, as well as her ignorance (or intentional deception) on this topic. Many of the comments on her original post expressed the same sentiments I am about to share, and yet Sarah has refused to take correction, so my goal is not to change her mind, as that is a lost cause. My goal is to show you the truth.

First off, the entire concept of "healthy infertility" is an oxymoron. Not being able to conceive children is the opposite of health, an indicator that things are not working as they in their most natural state should.

Nor does the fact that women have been using these methods for hundreds and thousands of years make them any more safe, healthy, or morally justifiable. Of course selfish mothers have been killing their own offspring since the beginning of time - duh! One need only crack open a Bible and read about heathen nations sacrificing their own children to false gods. 

Herbs and other "natural" substances are extremely potent drugs - just as their synthetic, big-pharma counterparts. Arsenic is a natural substance, too - but consumed in the right quantities, it will lead to quick (albeit very "naturally induced") death.

Sarah breaks her post into two main parts:

1) Sterility promoting herbs: Again, the entire concept of being healthy by disrupting the most basic and important aspect of human health - reproduction - is moronic to say the least. Infertility is ALWAYS a sign of less than ideal health in one aspect or another, whether that be age, weight, fibroids, diet, toxins, etc. - the list is endless. 

Sarah fails to explain just how these herbs cause infertility, sometimes even permanently. Which of the body's many intricate systems do they mess with to disrupt fertility, sometimes permanently? What is being poisoned to the point that the incredibly smart human body decides it is too hostile of an environment for new life? Besides Sarah's anecdotal usage suggestions, what studies prove the safety of these "natural" infertility-causing herbs?

2) Implantation preventers: This is the second, and much more grievous point that Sarah expounds upon. Before we delve into it, here is a basic lesson in reproduction for those who don't know:

Source

About midway through the monthly cycle, a woman's body will release an egg from the ovary (called ovulation). This egg then travels down the fallopian tube. About two more weeks later, if fertilization of the egg did not occur, this microscopic egg is shed along with the lining of the uterus - the monthly cycle. Women are born with two ovaries, one on each side, and they normally alternate each month on releasing an egg. If a woman for some reason loses an ovary, the other will often take over by releasing an egg every single month.

However, if seed from a man is present in the roughly 48 hours following ovulation, under normal, healthy circumstances this will lead to fertilization of the egg, also called "conception." Please take note of this because modern science is changing these terms in order to make early abortion more palatable. 

The fertilized egg, unlike its unfertilized counterpart, immediately begins the process of cell multiplication, even as it still travels down the fallopian tube. The newly conceived child has its own set of DNA, entirely different from his father or mother. This is an incredibly critical time, and an intrinsically hazardous journey.

If the rapidly growing egg were to get trapped by tissue in the fallopian tubes, or were to accidentally attach to the lining of the tube, it would lead to an "ectopic pregnancy," which almost universally leads to the loss of the still growing baby, as well as the likely rupture of the fallopian tube in the mother.

Sometime around 8 days after conception (fertilization of the egg), the developing baby has arrived in the mother's uterus, and burrows deep into the uterine lining where it attaches and later "taps into" mom via placenta and cord. Unlike the fallopian tube, the uterus is a muscle that has the capability to expand incredibly to support, protect, and nourish the child until it is ready to be born 9 months later. 

Some doctors and scientists (though the minority) are attempting to spin the medical terms by referring to this implantation of the baby in the uterus as "conception," because it is at this point that the child (which again, is unique in his DNA and very much different from either of his parents) arrives at a certain benchmark destination. By the same logic, one could refer to birth itself as "conception," since that is when the baby first makes his visible appearance in the parents' arms.

The Bible is clear that a woman "conceiving seed" is the same as her being "with child.", seed being the Bible term for a man's contribution to this matter. But even if we left the Bible out of this, science has proven over and over that by definition, life begins at the point of fertilization (i.e. conception), as that is when the egg starts multiplying and developing.

Please also note the following terminology: if the fertilized, growing egg were to implant someplace other than the uterus, this is called an ectopic pregnancy. By Sarah's logic, which she shares with Planned Parenthood and pro-abortion doctors, the mother is not even pregnant until the child arrives in the uterus. I guess she would call this an ectopic pre-pregnancy?

Source

So back to the "implantation preventers" - as even the name suggests, they are not to stop a woman from conceiving, they are simply designed to prohibit something from implanting that naturally is intended to implant. Notice, the unfertilized egg needs no such attention - it will never attempt to implant of its own accord. That's the difference between a living human being, bent on survival, and an unfertilized egg that is not a living organism.

All the herbs Sarah is suggesting are to be taken "until menstruation begins," or to "bring on menstruation if necessary" if "an 'oops' occurs and unprotected relations take place during the fertile time." Nice! In other words, you are making your own herbal concoction for "morning after" or early chemical abortion. The way they work is by poisoning and/or destroying the lining of the uterus, so that the newly conceived baby cannot implant deeply, and is shed with the onset of the monthly cycle. These herbs also induce shedding of the uterine lining even if the child is fully implanted, but defenseless and unable to "hold on." 

Furthermore, there is a real chance that this regimen is not going to be fully "successful" (for those defining success as the murder of their unborn), and will rather lead to a poorly implanted child which can bring about a host of issues down the road, such as placental abruption, low birth weight, etc.

Sarah is, in fact, sounding every bit as the founder of Planned Parenthood, and birth control pioneer Margaret Sanger, who made it clear many times that making sure menses would resume, "brought on" if necessary by the use of bleach and other similar methods, was the responsibility of every woman, and part of reproductive hygiene. 

Many, many comments on Sarah's post stated what I am writing here, and she listened to none of them. She repeatedly reiterated the greater importance of the mother's health, with the example of her gut flora. Dear Sarah, I am infinitely more concerned about my uterine flora, than my gut flora. But neither comes close to my concern with right and wrong, or what God thinks of all this.

Please beware of Sarah's scientifically inaccurate, anecdotal, unsafe, toxic, and morally reprehensible "natural" ways to kill your own babies. 

Mother's Day photos

Only a month late, here are the pictures we took on Mother's Day this year.

I was inspired by seeing many of my Facebook friends posting pictures of themselves with their mother. It dawned on me that while I have many photos of the kids, I do not know how many there are that just show one child at a time, with me. 

With that, a new yearly tradition was born. 

(Warning - picture bomb coming your way!)

 Solomon (11)

 Isaac (10)

  John (8)

 Miriam (6)

 Becky (typical)

 Becky (4)

 Anna (2)

 My sons (minus baby Stephen)

My daughters

 

Anna wasn't going to smile for any of the photos... sigh...

All the children (minus baby Stephen)

No picture of me and baby Stephen that day, as he was teething, crabby, and finally asleep. We weren't going to wake him just to have him crying in each photo.

Last but not least... Da Man and I - baby daddy to the above treasures

We may or may not repeat this process for Father's Day this Sunday. What special thing are you doing that day?

Arizona Home Educators Conference or Bust!

If you live in the area, and are going to the Arizona Home Educators Conference this Friday and Saturday, please be sure to stop by our booth, # 502.

We will be there with my husband's popular "Complete Church Piano Course," as well as having free gifts for all who stop by.

I am excited! It will be nice to have my husband there the whole time, with a booth as our "home base," which should make it a lot easier to spend 12+ hours there each day. 

Hope to see you there!

Summer project: new swim suits

A couple of years ago, I sewed Miriam and Becky beautiful yet modest swim suits. By now, they had grown too tall for them, and the fabric was showing some wear. It was time to sew new ones.

 

The girls and I went to the fabric store to pick out their favorite fabrics. From left to right, are Miriam's, Anna's, and Becky's choices. It only took them two hours and changing their minds fifteen times to settle on these... :)

If you live near a branch of "SAS Fabrics by the Pound," I highly recommend them for their wide selection of Lycra prints. Jo-Ann's etc. usually only carry solids. 

I sewed Miriam's swim suit first, because the two younger girls would be able to fit the older suits until I got around to sewing theirs. With summer break finally here, I was able to make Becky's last week, and Anna's this week. 

These are an adaptation of the Simply Modest Swimwear pattern. The changes I made were to join the leggings with the top/skirt part, making it a one-piece outfit. This required that a zipper be added in the back. I also made the skirt knee-length all around. 

Drunkards and Winebibbers

My husband preached an awesome sermon yesterday morning. If you get a chance, you should definitely watch it!

Things that make my day...

(... naturally, they are food related.)

Making Hungarian goulash in a kettle over the open fire

 Home-made waffles with syrup and whipped cream for breakfast

Well, yes - but in this case, I didn't even eat any. I was THRILLED because for the first time since buying it two years ago, I successfully used my Griswold cast-iron waffle maker. 

When I bought it (used on Craigslist), the castiron was in bad shape. It had no rust, but had been seasoned with vegetable oil, rendering it sticky and useless. Every time I tried to make waffles, the batter would stick, making it impossible to remove the waffle, and making a horrible mess in the process. Over time, from me scrubbing off burnt-in batter, and not seasoning it myself because I knew the cast-iron needed to be stripped and re-seasoned, it started becoming rusty.

Online, I tried to read up on how to get out the old, sticky grease. Putting the cast-iron in the oven didn't produce the necessary heat to rid it of the buildup. Neither did ammonia, and I never quite could get myself to spray it in (highly toxic) oven cleaner. So for the last year, the waffle maker has sat, rusting away. 

My last attempt was going to be to set the irons into some hot embers, since this would produce much higher temps than my oven ever could. Online recommendations were divided on this point - some sites suggested this could warp or crack the cast-iron, while others swore by it. 

So when the fire pit was nice and hot while cooking the goulash, I decided it was worth a try - all I had to lose was an increasingly rusty antique. However, I was so sceptical it would work, that I didn't even bother taking a "before" picture.

I didn't expect the metal to become glowing red, but it did. Scary! In fact, it became translucent from the extreme heat! Certain that I had permanently ruined the waffle maker, I fished it out, one piece at a time (there are 3 total) with a metal hook, ready to hose it off with cold water like a true blacksmith.

After being doused with cold water, the pieces were cold enough to handle - and lo and behold, the metal was dry and rough, not at all sticky. The terrible grease buildup was GONE!

The rust was still there, so at this point, I soaked the pieces in a tub with a 50/50 water/apple cider vinegar solution. Two hours later, the rust wiped off with relative ease. 

My waffle iron was now de-greased, rust-free, and ready to be re-seasoned correctly. I applied a coat of home-rendered lard (which, unlike plant oils, holds up well on cast-iron even if stored for months), and set it in the oven at a low temperature to season. I thought it would take several coasts to achieve a good non-stick finish, but to my utter surprise, that first coast seemed to do it. 

Somewhat apprehensively, I prepared the waffle batter, ready to have disappointed kids once again after another failed experiment at getting this waffle maker to work.


When I cautiously opened the waffle iron to check on the first waffle, I was ready to be let down. Instead, I saw this:

Clearly, not stuck! It plopped right off the top iron, too, and we soon had a big stack of fresh, crisp, delicious waffles waiting to be devoured. 

For me, this was VERY exciting. I love when I finally succeed at something I had failed at again and again, and given up on (like, say, gardening - still no success on that front).

Baby Stephen had his fair share, and then fell asleep in his high chair.

Finally, FINALLY, I can throw out my old waffle maker - the last "non-stick" teflon-coated equipment in my kitchen.

Summer reading

Our kids read a lot of books year-round, but I don't always have as much time to read as I would like to. Here is what we are reading this summer. 

Lots and lots of library books...

 

Wait, there's more...

 These are some of our library cards...

We are also re-visiting the 50 states we covered in great detail in the last two years with these little activity books. Perfect for silent time in the afternoon.

Organized, geographically, on one shelf. We have multiple copies of most of them.

And here is what I am reading. I know some of you may have questions about these books, and believe me, I'd love to do a detailed review on every single one of them. But - there's not enough time.

In brief:

• Trim Healthy Mama: It works well, is pretty easy to follow, and can be adapted to fit a whole foods lifestyle if you are willing to go the extra mile. I have lost 10 lbs in 4 weeks (still about 20 more I'd like to shed), Solomon has lost - hold on now - 15 lbs in that same time frame, pretty much painlessly. Which puts him in a healthy range for his height and weight, and he is now back to eating like the rest of the family.
• Cure Tooth Decay: highly recommend. Great nutritional advice.
• Escape from Camp 14: Wow. Do not start on a day that you hope to get anything else done. I read the whole thing in one single day.
• Hungarian vocab: I SO need to brush up on my Hungarian. The grammar comes easily to me, but I am lacking many words.

Wait, I forgot one - this is very informative and helpful. Lots of rave reviews on Amazon, too.

What are you reading this summer?

Summer doesn't just happen by accident

At least not a fun summer, in a busy and somewhat large family.

Our homeschool year is over, and we won't be starting again until the last of week of August or the first week in September.

This last school year has been - awesome! I now have 9 whole years of homeschooling experience under my belt, and I must say, each year keeps getting a little better, and a little smoother. So if you are new to homeschooling - take heart! Just like anything else, time is the best teacher, and you will find the journey more enjoyable with each passing year. (That's not to say it wasn't enjoyable in the early years - it was. It's just even better now.)

About a month before our school year drew to a close, I suddenly came to the realization that it had been several weeks since Solomon, now 11, had asked me for any help with his work. He just finished 7th grade in most subjects, 8th in some, and 9th grade in Math. For that last one, he used Saxon Algebra I, which by all standards is a very demanding curriculum. Yet, not even once, had he asked me for help in weeks, not even in figuring out how far he should be along in each subject at the end of each week (he simply checked my lesson plan for that). Even before that, for most of the school year, he had worked independently. Only at the very beginning of the school year, way back last fall when he was 10, did he need me to go over the day's assignments with him each morning. 

Somewhere along the road this year, my baby grew up. He is where we had hoped to guide him - on the road to lifelong, independent learning, as my years of labor in teaching him is now bearing fruit. Yes, it's exciting, but oh, it is also incredibly sad. I am so proud of Solomon, but a part of me is hurting from the continual severance that must take place as children grow into adults. When I talked to him about it, he was - naturally - thrilled. As was his Dad.

Being reminded yet again how fleeting this time is makes me ever more grateful for the little ones coming up in the ranks behind their older siblings. So yes, we are looking forward to starting again in the fall.

In the meantime, having a good summer requires planning if we are to make it enjoyable. Just the logistics of getting 7 kids out the door, on time ***laughs hysterically***, dressed, fed, clean, and with water and snacks that can withstand the extreme daytime temps is a task. Let alone coming home to something warm and nourishing for lunch or dinner, keeping up with the animal chores, laundry, dishes, and errands - whew! Remember, my goal is to feel refreshed, not ragged at the end of it all.

Which is where a cheapo little 10 cent paper binder comes in handy. In it, we hold the kids' reading program records, blank calendars for the next three months, notebook paper for ideas, and printouts of any fun events going on, as well as our own goals for this summer. Left on the kitchen counter, or in my purse, this lightweight binder is constantly by our side.

Each day's to-do list is on a sticky note on the front.

 Older kids' reading program on the left, blank calendar pages on the right

 More of the inside of the binder

Yes, riding public transit is considered an adventure around here. And no, it's not one I am willing to spend money on, seeing how they raised sales taxes just to pay for the crazy light rail that nobody wanted. 

Would you like to see the complete list? You will have to check back for a separate post on that :)

Naptime, the holy grail of parenting sanity, is the time for Miriam and older to be working on the above (minus the piano, obviously). Summertime is a great opportunity to work with the younger kids without distractions from the older ones, so Miriam and younger will keep doing school work daily (which they are begging to do). 

 Little kids' reading programs

Okay, we're off to today's fun outing. Enjoy your summer!

We don't need no stinkin' ObamaCare...

... our kids are smart enough to be their own surgeons.

 
I am not sure what Miriam's ailment was, or how the cure worked out for her. I do know they had lots of fun playing together. Isaac is a super big brother, always patient with the younger ones, and willing to pretend with them at their whim.

I also love how Becky almost always has a baby doll in her arms. Such a little Mommy!

What if you were going in for surgery, and this is who walked through the door and introduced herself as your doctor. Scary, no?? :)

I just love those leather cowboy gloves Isaac is wearing!

Siblings are a special blessing. Our kids are not just a source of joy to us, but also to each other.

Today at our house...

... we were all up bright and early, thanks to the sun coming up shortly after 5 am these days.

... we did more "summer-break-deep-cleaning-and-decluttering" all morning.

... the three oldest boys are now working on finishing the last of their school work up (this is our last week).

... the three little girls are napping - even Miriam, because she is not feeling well.

... baby Stephen is ripping everything off the bookshelf within his reach. *** Correction: I asked my husband, who was working at his office, to come pick baby up and take him off my hands, so I could have some peace. Being the ultimate sweetie that my husband is, he did just that. ***

... we are having a BBQ, fire pit, night swimming, roasting s'mores, and eating ice-cream in homemade waffle cones as soon as nap time is over.

... I have a biting, teething nursling - OUCH! I may be mom, but I am not a teething ring.

... we have wonderfully cool and cloudy weather for this time of year.

... there are tadpoles frolicking in a jar on our kitchen counter, growing, eating, entertaining, and providing free, hands-on education.

... I have this to brighten my kitchen because my husband just never goes to the grocery store for me without also picking up flowers for me.

... we have many more blessings that time would fail me to list.

Hope you have a wonderful day with friends and loved ones!

The Hebrew Roots Movement exposed

My husband preached a couple of great sermons on the increasingly popular "Hebrew Roots Movement."

Please watch them below.

P.S. My apologies for the long blogging absence. We are wrapping up the school year this month, while also taking extra time to have fun and enjoy the great outdoors this time of year. Blogging regularly shall resume soon, I hope. 

America's Mass Infanticide

The trial of abortionist Kermit Gosnell has once again shed light on the horrific and gruesome reality of infanticide as it happens every day in America's abortion clinics. The pro-murder crowd will scream and holler about how he was one of a kind, and not representative of abortionists everywhere. These videos by LiveAction.org tell a different story.

First, here is a clip of a debate on the Sean Hannity Show between Lila Rose of LiveAction.org, and abortion-supporter Tamara Holder, talking about the undercover investigations that Live Action had carried out at two late-term abortion clinics.




Ugh! Could Holder be any more loud, belligerent, and generally unbecoming in her behavior??? Why am I not shocked?

Shocking as they are, please take the time to watch the videos discussed above, in detail. Full footage of the investigations is available on the LiveAction.org website (linked in each of the headings below).

Investigation #1 - Bronx, NY

Obama's/Clinton's cute little quip of "Abortion should be safe, legal, and rare" is an oxymoron. For one, no abortion is safe for the baby. Secondly, if it is either safe, or legal, it will never be rare anymore. In order for abortion to be rare, it would either have to be illegal, or unsafe, in order to offer the necessary deterrent to make it rare. It would have been just as logical to say "abortion should be safe, legal, and always result in the birth of a living child." The first half of the sentence, and the second, will simply never add up. The easier and safer access to abortion is, the more commonplace it becomes.

And yes, I can only imagine what brought that girl into the clinic at 16 herself...

Investigation #2 - Washington, D.C.




This man is a monster. Words fail me to describe just how despicable of a human being he is. God has a place in the lowest hell reserved for him.

Basically, his method is to strangle the baby by severing the umbilical cord, which means he is cutting off the oxygen to the baby, and then delivering it in one piece - albeit dead. He compares this to denying care to a terminally ill cancer patient at the hospital.


Florida Planned Parenthood

During a hearing on a Florida state bill that would mandate that an abortion survivor be given emergency life-saving care, Planned Parenthood representative and lobbyist Alisa LaPolt Snow testified that her organization, Florida Alliance of Planned Parenthood Affiliates, endorses infanticide as a “decision … left up to the woman, her family, and the physician.”

Pennsylvania: Gosnell House of Horrors





Truly, God will judge our wicked nation for allowing the murder of these innocent babies. We MUST spread this information, so that those faced with a situation where they might consider abortion, will reconsider, in spite of being encouraged by society, school, death care providers, and everyone else to snuff out the life of their innocent child with the excuse of it being "legal." Everything that is legal is not right, and just because something is illegal, does not mean it really is wrong. God is the ultimate judge, and these wicked people will answer to Him one day.

The only thing the abortion crowd gets right is that there is zero difference between murdering a child inside the mother's womb, or outside. No difference whether you snip the spinal cord, strangle, dismember, and/or poison the child a few inches on either side of the mother's cervix. It's all murder. The conclusion ought not be that we might as well allow infanticide up to, and even past, the point of birth, but that rather all life should be protected from the moment it is created, which is conception.

Californians sign petition to implement Orwellian police state modeled after Nazi Germany

My cute little window washer

When Solomon was a baby and toddler, and probably until he was about 4 years old or so, he was deathly afraid of the windshield wipers. If it was raining while we were driving, and we turned the wipers on, he would cover his eyes, cry, and repeat "Solomon scared! Solomon scared!" while pointing at the windshield. Yeah, he's come a long way... :)

Stephen, on the other hand, absolutely loves playing with the wipers, turning them on, and squirting window cleaner at the windshield. I think he enjoys the feeling of power he must derive from orchestrating this marvelous chaos, all with the flip of a switch.

April recap

This has been a very busy month for us. Just in the last 8 days alone, we have gone on four (4) field trips. In case you are wondering, that is a lot. Somehow, it just happened to work out where many venues in the area chose this week for their homeschool days. "Exhausted" doesn't even begin to describe how I felt when it was all over! :)

Thankfully, today was a quieter day, and we are back in our regular routine. 

I don't remember when these pictures were taken (other than that it was before I put away the winter clothes), but the two little girls are just too precious not to share.  

Family Bike Ride - Saturday, April 6

Tempe is home to a wonderful web of designated bike trails along the canals. All 9 of us went on an 8-mile trip that evening, followed by a picnic at the park. (Solomon is holding my bike for the picture - he is NOT the one hauling all the kids!)

It didn't occur to me until we were 6 miles into the trip, and Miriam started saying that she was getting tired, that she had never before gone on such a long bike trip by herself. Considering the size of her little bike, we were extremely impressed with how well she did!

Wildlife World Zoo - Monday, April 8

Other homeschool families from our church

 Anna with her good friend from church. These girls are always playing together! 

This wallaby actually came close enough to allow Solomon to pet it! 

Isaac loved the birds, and the birds loved him. They must have known he is our "chicken man" at home, and great at taking care of his flock. 

Boyce Thompson Arboretum - Wednesday, April 10

We went on a guided tour talking about "Plants in the Bible" - great stuff! The weather was absolutely perfect, too.

Friday, April 12 - Maricopa County Fair

Check out my cool license plate - a birthday gift from my husband! (I know what you are thinking - "What are you going to do if you have another baby?" Well, I guess we can always change the number if need be when the time comes to renew the plates.) 

These girls are so sweet!

 Fresh mozzarella and tomatoes - always a favorite picnic food. 

Monday, April 15 - Musical Instrument Museum

Not sure what Anna was upset over - probably being interrupted in her water play?

Stephen LOVED the "Experience Gallery", where kids get to try out all sorts of instruments. He would just look from one sound to the next. Of course, his favorite were the rattles - pretty universal the world over, huh? :)

One of the favorite aspects of field trips for our kids is me packing them a sack/picnic lunch. Seriously! It's fun for me, too, though I certainly would not want to do that every day of the school year.

That's it for now! I'm thinking we will lay low on field trips for a while... ;)