Soaking Up Some Sunshine!

A few weeks ago we visited my family and got to spend some time in the sun with my siblings.

Jeremiah, Caleb, Justin, Matt and Katey trying to make a human pyramid

"Carry me like a princess!"

"Carry me too!"

Matt showing off his kicks

Kitty on the swings- I LOVED swings as a child.

My brothers are confused on the proper use of the swingset.

The adorable Caleb

Cutest goofball ever!

Little brother loves me!

Katey is a cool kid

Such a ham!

Hey look it's Katey!

Rockin' the Princess Elsa braid

We wrapped up the evening with a game of King of Tokyo! 

I know I am extremely lucky to have young siblings while a young adult. It's an experience many don't get and trust me it is awesome. 

Love, Rebecca

Pin It Now!

Why Sex Abuse Against Children IS a Big Deal- Despite What the Duggars Want You to Think.

I have gone back and forth about posting this but I feel like I should say something about the Duggar sex abuse scandal going on right now. 

If you are under 18 years of age please note that I will be discussing mature topics below. 

********************************************************************

The new police report continues to raise questions about why Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar failed to act in alerting authorities despite Josh’s repeated confessions of sexual molestation and why they didn’t do more to protect their daughters. Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar could have faced up to six years in prison for their actions and been charged with Permitting Abuse of a Minor (Arkansas Code 5-27-221).

The sheriff’s document also shows the extent of Josh’s abuse. “ Josh told James that this had occurred 4 to 5 times and had occurred as [sister] was sleeping on the couch.”

Josh Duggar confessed to his father Jim Bob Duggar on THREE separate occasions to multiple acts of sexual molestation against his sisters and a family friend, according to a new police report 

Duggars’ version of scandal contradicts 2006 official police report during Fox interview 

7 Crucial Facts about the Duggar Scandal they are trying to cover up

To put this into perspective the molestation began sometime in 2002 when Josh 14- his sisters were

 12,  10,  9,  8, 4 years of age at the time.

Jessa and Jill have officially said they were two of his victims. 

How sexual abuse affects children Children who were sexually victimized by other minors, including inter-sibling abuse, show largely the same problems as children victimized by adults, including anxiety disorders, depression, substance abuse, suicide, eating disorders, post traumatic stress disorder, sleep disorders and difficulty trusting peers in the context of relationships. The victim often has distorted beliefs about what happened to them, sometimes even thinking they were the initiator or that they went through the act voluntarily.

********************************************************************

As someone who had a family friend’s son touch me inappropriately several times when I was 4 and he was 6 or 7 I can tell you that this hits home for me. I dealt with unnecessary guilt for many years about what happened. Through the love of my family and husband I have finally found peace and healing. I know what happened to me is nowhere near the extent of what the Duggar girls went through  (to be honest it is fairly mild compared to this) but I know the emotional damage from the false guilt one can feel in these situations. 

I’ve never been a fan of the Duggars, never really cared one way or another. But now I care. Sharing this personal story was a difficult choice. But if I can save one child from the pain I went through it is all worth it.

While I do understand that Josh WAS a child when this first happened; the fact that he did it again and again AFTER he confessed the first time then it becomes extremely problematic. I believe that what Josh did was wrong, that he knew at the time it was wrong and that his parents failed to protect their daughters, failed to get the girls proper counseling, failed to get Josh REAL help and are failing now at focusing on the victims rather than the abuser. Jessa defending Josh shows just how deeply she has been abused and blindsided by her brother’s behavior and her parents obvious choice of choosing their son over their daughters. I believe in forgiveness but I don’t believe that the victims should EVER, justify,explain away, belittle or excuse the actions of their abuser.

Pin It Now!

Grandpa's Birthday / Update on my Grandpa! :D

On Monday we celebrated my Grandpa's 84th birthday!


Opening the cards


Katelyn showing off her reading skills!


Grandpa opening his gift


My family got him Filet Mignon! Mmmmmm!


Cake time!


Katelyn and Grandpa!



Happy 84th birthday Grandpa! We wish you many many more!


***********************************************************************

It's been about three months since my grandfather had two heart attacks, emergency open heart surgery and a quadruple bypass. He had congestive heart failure the following week. 

This photo was taken recently- you would never know that the past few months were so crazy for him- while we did have a rough patch a few weeks ago my grandpa is healing very well and his old cheery self again. He still has off days but on the whole he has been feeling well.

We are so happy that my grandpa is on the mend. He has been through a lot- he beat cancer, has had diabetes for as long as I can remember and started dialysis a while back. 

Thank you so so so much for all of your prayers. My family and I can not thank you all enough. 

Love, Rebecca

Pin It Now!

Matt Turns 13!

Yet another one of my little baby siblings has entered the teenage years. It's such an exciting moment to celebrate! 

Mom made Matthew an ice-cream cake

Matt blowing out the candles...

Opening awesome presents! 

************************************************************

Here is an old photo of dorky little me holding Matt when he was a newborn. Has it really been 13 years? 

It is so exciting to watch all my little siblings grow up and see how their personalities and talents blossom. 

Love a proud big sister, Rebecca

Pin It Now!

Thoughts on Motherhood II

With Mother's day having come and gone I've had a lot of mixed emotions.

I do feel a bit of sadness and envy.

 I am jealous of some couples' ability to start their family in an almost "care-free" manner- just a natural step in their relationship. The married couples I know are head-over-heels for each other and can't wait to share their overflowing love with all their precious little ones.  When I say "care-free" I'm referring to some couples' ability to get pregnant without much concern or troubles. 

 If you have been readers of my blog for a while now you know that I have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) and Hashimoto's disease. PCOS affects the ability to get pregnant and stay pregnant, while Hashimoto's brings increased risk of miscarriages to the table. Justin and I have not pursued starting a family yet, but with my new little niece or nephew arriving in December the topic has come up again for us. 

In August we will have been married for 4 years. I will be 27 next year. The thoughts of starting a family are becoming more prominent. 

BUT- I'm scared.

Trying to start a family is going to be an exhausting and emotional journey for us. It's kinda hard to go into that knowing that I will probably have trouble getting pregnant, and then have trouble staying pregnant. I honestly have no interest in spending years with the emotional distress of not being able to get pregnant, and then spend months of worry if my body will carry a pregnancy full-term if I was ever fortunate enough to get pregnant. I know miscarriage is a common thing, but if getting pregnant was such a hard thing to accomplish in the first place-imagine just how awful it would be to lose the baby afterwards. And with knowing full well that I do have an increased risk of miscarriage the guilt I would feel if I lost my baby would be guilt-ridden. A common thought I struggle with is "Can I truly pursue pregnancy knowing that my body could very well kill my child?" 

 I do know several women who have had troubles with pregnancy and they are a HUGE encouragement to me. I love them all. I grieved with them during their miscarriages, and rejoiced with them when they FINALLY brought home that precious little one.

If you were blessed with easy conceptions and good pregnancies take a moment and just thank the Lord- and say a little prayer for your sisters who aren't so fortunate.

 I know motherhood is a rough task and all of you ladies are AMAZING. I'm thankful for my mom, for my mother-in-law and all the other ladies in my life who have loved me in a motherly way. As the oldest child on 8 kids I have seen how demanding motherhood is and I have a great appreciation for the sacrifices so many people have made.

*************************************************************************

I absolutely do not think that fertility issues or miscarriage are shameful. I know some people think it should be hush-hush and not talked about. But honestly that is kind of dumb. I've been scolded by some ladies for talking about my health problems. I don't think I should be embarrassed- so I won't be. I have found so many amazing women because I've talked about my PCOS and Hashimoto's. 

If you are struggling with similiar problems- please know you aren't alone. 

Love, 

Rebecca

Pin It Now!

Sarah's Birthday!

Caleb being a ham...

Collin being Collin...

My mom made a delicious lunch for Sarah's birthday. She had tried a new lasagna recipe and it was amazing!

Sarah opening her gifts.

My brother Brandon and his girlfriend Maggie gave Sarah a gift card for a massage. Ooooooh!

Justin and I gave Sarah an 8x10 print from her wedding.

My mom and dad put together an album of all the wedding pictures.

Sarah's Cake

Blowing out the candles!


A great big Happy Birthday to Sarah! She is such a sweet girl and an awesome sister-in-law!

Love, Rebecca

\

Pin It Now!

Talent Shout-Out! Jeremiah

Today I wanted to give a shout-out to my little brother Jeremiah. He is 14, tall, very smart and has an impressive creative streak. 

This is one of my favorite digital art drawings he has done.

I also really love this one too. 

Jeremiah is also making comic strips with colored pencils and some are quite cute!

More of Jeremiah's art work can be found here

He has also been dabbling in animation and stop motion. Jeremiah has been using Lego to create short little stories. 

I love seeing all the little things his mind comes up with. I hope Jeremiah continues to pursue his creative talents and to blow us away with what he can do! 

Love, Rebecca

Pin It Now!