In Avila there's the Bob Jones Trail-Unofficial Start of the Trail - A parking area is available at the trail head. Exit US101 at Avila Beach and head west. Turn right on Ontario Rd (Avila Hot Springs). Go past the KOA campground and you will see a parking lot off to the right. The trail starts right across the street. Lock up your valuables. Unofficial End of the Trail – Parking in downtown Avila. Use these directions to get into Avila. The trail unofficially ends on the corner of Front St & San Miguel (The beach and Promande) The official trail end is just down San Miguel St and the cross walk on Avila Beach Dr. Make sure you push the button and watch out for cars as Avila Beach Dr is a major road and has a blind corner for traffic. This is really pretty and you can check out Avila-a quirky little beach town. My FIL pastors a church there. In SLO, I would check out the Mission. I LOVED going there as a kid. They have a gift shop and then a museum (all donations). Right next store to the mission is another museum lots of pictures and info about life in SLO from it's beginnings. The mission is in downtown SLO, lots of little shops and they have a great farmers market on Thursday nights. Also Madonna Mountain is a fun hike, easy enough for kids, great views. If you wanted you could also check out Madonna Inn very interesting. Don't forget to check out the men's bathroom:tongue_smilie:. Born and raised there, let me know if you have any other questions. I will try to think of more places and come back.

Hello, I've never hired a cleaner before but if there are agreed upon items/places she is supposed to clean and she hasn't than you have every right to call her and ask kindly(I'm sure you will:D) for her to come back and complete the tasks. You might also want to ask her to come alone in the future, as it sounds like maybe she was distracted or trying to hurry because her daughter was with her.

Okay, I might be the lone dissenter but I think prefolds and covers are annoying. And my DH won't use them, so out they go:) We have used Fuzzi Bunz for 3 DC over 4 years. They fit great (Mediums have lasted from about 6months-potty training). I have NEVER had a blowout and they are easy to use and wash. I use tide, no problems. Plus, if you watch for sales, they can be quite economical. I just got them for $10.95 a piece free shipping. Like others have said look at diaperswappers.com, lots of info(maybe too much:)

What a wonderful thing you and your daughter did:thumbup1:

What a timely post. I too went to the Dr recently for a list of things, one being major hair loss and upon my request was given a blood test to check for vitamin D levels. Mine were low, and I was given a prescription for vit D. I am to take mine once a week for 4 weeks than once a month for 5 more months then a recheck. The pharmacist said not to take it with anything and to sit upright for 30 min after taking it anyone know why? Also, how long before my hair grows back:D? Best wishes to all others who are dealing with this.

Yes, we've frozen them:)

Last year, I didn't put them on a tree. I strung some twine across the wall in a kind of tree shape and hung them on the twine with ornament clips.

I have NO ideas for this year either!:glare: Last year I scored big points when I got him an IPOD. Plus he didn't feel too bad about for us what was a big gift because I got it refurbished. Looking for some ideas:bigear: too.

Not sure if this is what you're looking for but it sounds like Jesse Tree ornaments. Here's a blog with some paper ones and a study for them http://www.aholyexperience.com/2010/11/free-jesse-tree-advent-devotional-book/ .

I just saw this and it is EXACTLY what I've been looking for, thank you!

Thanks for understanding with me ladies. My friend said she can't believe the things that happen to me, and that I should be writing them all down for a future book! As soon as some tests results come back I will be looking for another new doctor. I wish I could see my children's pediatrician, he's great!

:glare:I called our insurance company to find a new doctor that was closer to where we lived. I was given a number and made an appointment. They asked for me to come in at 10:45 to fill out paper work for an 11:00 appointment. No problem. I'm there on time fill out the paperwork in 5 minutes, at 11:30 I'm called back(by the way there is no one else in the waiting room). When the medical assistant(I assume, she didn't introduce herself and there is no title on her ID tag) hands me more paperwork it says that the person I'm seeing is a nurse practitioner, not a doctor, no one has mentioned this! 20 minutes later(50min past my appointment time) the nurse practitioner comes in, introduces herself, tells me I have 15 minutes and is timing it on her cell phone which she sets on the counter so I can hear it when it goes off!!! WTH!!! Then she says you seem anxious! I wasn't anxious I was really frustrated. A little bit later she wants a picture if my home life in her head so she asks me if I live with me husband and how many kids I have. She then asks if all the others are at school(I had the baby with me). I said no they are with my husband in between his shifts. She then says, what? none of them are school age. I say yes, but we homeschool. Then she says "OH!!! I always wanted to homeschool my kids, but I'm just not smart enough!" What???? She's not smart enough to homeschool but she's in charge of my healthcare??? I know there are some wonderful Doctors but I have been having horrible luck finding one close to me and this was just so frustrating, thanks for letting me vent:001_smile:

:iagree::iagree:I know I don't know you, not even on here:001_smile: but I often read your posts and feel your loveliness and authenticity. I have been praying for and will continue. Please, just take one hour at a time, repent if needed, accept grace and go into the next hour knowing that He is with you and will get you through that next hour. And as someone else has suggested please seek a qualified counselor.

I'm sorry but reading your posts have put up a lot of red flags for me. I would suggest you send nothing and maybe limit your emails for a little while and see how things go. While I was in high school a young man from Africa came to live with a very wealthy family from our church. I'm not exactly sure how they met but the family was sponsoring is stay in the US to attend seminary. He spoke Spanish and agreed to accompany our youth group on a trip to Mexico, which is where I met him. He became very interested in me and asked if I would help him with his English. I agreed. Over a few weeks tutoring, he told me that his family wasn't really Christian, that he wasn't planning on going to the seminary and then when he found out I was poor that he didn't need tutoring any longer. Things got out and he disappeared. I don't know what ever happened to him but many people were very hurt. He had been VERY convincing. Also, I've lived in Ukraine and have many friends who still do including Ukrainians and they would never attend Medical school in Ukraine and do not go to the Ukrainian doctors. Just be cautious and everything turns out good, great:001_smile:

I am responding before I've read through all the posts, but I have been thinking about this very topic only in a very different way! We (DH and I pre-kids) were briefly overseas as missionaries and just this weekend welcomed some friends into our home who are still currently at the same place. And their story is completely different!!! My friend was in tears because she has put off having kids because they cannot afford them! They just spent the last of their savings adding an indoor bathroom to their house and they largely went without meat this last winter! They have partnered very well with the community to help the people in their town, they have taught STD awareness classes, teach a Bible study and accountability class to former substance abusers, provided a monthly get together for the elderly and helped start a publishing company that has translated and distributed some amazing theological books to the entire country! But above and beyond they really truly love the people they serve and hope one day to leave the church in the hands of equipped national believers! The last few days I have been thinking what could I sell to raise money (because I don't have any extra to give) so that my friend can put in a kitchen and finish house repairs enough that she would feel comfortable enough to have the child she longs for. DH and I would love to go on the mission field again fulltime but I think raising support would be the most difficult part. I just don't understand how the church (universally) isn't giving more. Sorry this was so long but I just have been stewing on these thoughts and had to share.

It's perfectly normal! When we went in for our ultrasound on DS#3,I wanted it to be a girl soooo bad. When the tech said, "It's a boy". I told her no I'm having a girl. She looked at my DH like "Do I need to call for a psych consult here?" I think I am most closely bonded to DS#3, he is just a pure little piece of sunshine and I wouldn't trade him for a girl ever. Of course, we very expectantly got pregnant again and we got our girl. But there is something amazing about being the mommy of boys, definitely makes me feel like a queen. Congratulations on the baby!!!

:iagree::iagree::iagree: I also love the Romola version of Emma, very faithful adaptation.

I know how scary that can be. My DD is 7 months and at her six months check up she had gone from 50th to 5th%! She was born at 7'15 and at 6 months weighed 13'15. I was concerned because my boys never had weight issues as babies:tongue_smilie:! But my DD is tiny. She also doesn't bear any weight on her legs if I'm holding her and at the time she wasn't sitting up, she just now is barely sitting on her own for a minute or two. Our DR, whom I normally LOVE, said it was probably because I hadn't started solids so we did, however she will only eat yams and prunes and bananas. She gags bad on everything else we've tried. We go in at the beginning of Dec for a weight check and if she isn't appropriately gaining he'll run tests, but he didn't say what tests. :grouphug: I hope the tests are fine and your Dr calls back with good news!

Praying for you, may you find rest in His Hands and His love.

I'm so glad you posted this, I was wondering the same thing!

My kids are 6 and 4 and I let them play out front as long as I leave the door open, and I know I'm not going to be doing anything too distracting. I set up clear boundaries, they broke the rules once (I was watching at the window) and they lost the privilege for a few days, they learned their lesson fast:tongue_smilie:. I am normally a little on the paranoid side but they get "bored" out back and I too need them to go outside and wear themselves out. It's been good for all of us.

:iagree:

We are using MOH 1 this year and we all LOVE it! I think she's very clear and easy to understand while also giving a good basis for growth in our future run cycles. Her activities are fun, things I can do without a whole lot of planning or supplies and so we actually get things done. I also like how she ties in Biblical history.

She's beautiful!! Enjoy these first newborn days, oh how quickly they go. Little girls are wonderful! And three big brothers with their baby sister is a blessing to see:grouphug:

Just wanted to send you :grouphug:. I agree with what others are saying. DO NOT rely on LMP to date your pregnancy. My Dr have been wrong when basing my pregnancies on LMP, I happen to usually know when I ovulate or when I conceived and those dates have been right every time. You could have ovulated late, it could have taken your little one longer to travel and attach, there are variables to due dates. Also numbers have a range don't worry too much. And it's how they look over time. Doubling every 48 hours in the begining and then slowing down as the weeks progress. When I miscarried, my numbers dropped very fast. I also had one midwife in the practice who was very cold and rude, I refused to see her after that. I think you should get a new Dr who you feel comfortable with. Best wishes!