American Family Now has moved!

This site will no longer be updated. You can find us by clicking here, or visiting www.americanfamilynow.org. Posts written from June 2010 to April 2012 will remain available here indefinitely, but we would love for you to follow us on over to the new place where you will find additional resources, more recent family stories, and new ways to join a growing community. So hop on over here and click subscribe to start, or continue, receiving updates of new posts and join in the fun!

Almost There!

And thus ends my babymoon guest posts. Thank you so much to all those who shared their thoughts with us! I do hope you, our readers, found their stories thought-provoking, encouraging, and challenging. I know I have! If you missed out on any of them, here are quick links to their posts. You can also find them under “guest posts” in the Things We Do, Done, and Digg drop down list on the sidebar.

• Make Your Own Herbal Remedies ~ Nancy @ Nama’s Natural Remedies
• What is a catechism? ~ Chaz Reed
• How to create a backup plan for your family ~ Andrea @ Frugally Sustainable
• 4 important reasons to keep a pantry ~ Kim @ Homestead Acres
• Small space living, and lessons learned ~ Carolyn @ The Mobile Home Maker
• The freedom to make bad decisions ~ Ryan @ Total Survivalist Libertarian Rant Fest
• Why you should consider free-ranging your kids ~ Lenore @ Free Range Kids
• Banishing the stay-at-home blues ~ Sheila @ To Love, Honor, and Vacuum

Chickie is three weeks old tomorrow, and what a doll she is! I can’t wait to share about the last month and a half of our life, but at the same time I want to hold out a little longer because the space on this site for pictures is used up, and purchasing more doesn’t make sense when the new site will be open in just two weeks.

That’s right! The grand opening of our new website is scheduled for April 23^rd! On that date I will write a quick post here sharing the website link so you can find us. That will be the very last post on this blog.

Among the first posts at this new site, we will tell you (and show you!) all about our recent life on the homestead, including the recent addition to our family, our growing flock of hens, our more permanent solutions for grey water and humanure, the latest horseless carriage in our yard, and Papa’s greenhouse project, plus more!

It’s hard to believe that in less than one month we will have been living in our camper for a whole year. It has been a grand experience (one I intend to write more about this spring/summer), but we are ready to move forward and, as the previous paragraph suggested, take steps that will bring us yet closer to building a little off-grid cottage for our growing family.

With that said, please be patient with us for the next couple weeks while there are no new posts. The 23^rd will be a brand new start and I’m looking forward to sharing with you regularly again.

And a happy belated spring and Easter!

See you in April!

I can’t believe I’m already 38 weeks pregnant! But here we are, ready to meet our newest child anytime in the next 4 weeks or so. Our birth supplies are ready and our baby’s belongings are lovingly prepared. This weekend I will be celebrating with some women in my family at a Mother Blessing my mom is preparing for me, and then I’ll be ready to have this baby.

As I’m sure you can understand, I have absolutely no intention of blogging within the first few weeks of giving birth. So I have asked some friends to share on some very cool topics, every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, until I return. Please visit and support my guest writers. I’m very excited about what they have to share and I know it will bless you!

Papa will probably continue to share his thoughts as he is inspired, and we will post an announcement with a picture of Chickie or Chap from Papa’s phone after the birth. When I return I will come bearing our birth story, and will probably have a bunch of other news to share, as often happens when I don’t post for any length of time. We are still hoping to have our new website up and running in April as well!

Thank you all for your support, I look forward to chatting with you again next month!

New website to open in April!

We announced earlier this year that Papa and I have decided to start our own website to replace this free blog, but I also told you that we had no idea what we were doing or when such a website would actually come into existence.

I am VERY pleased to tell you that our new website, by the same name, will be open to the public when I return from my babymoon. I’m comin’ back with a bang!

I don’t have a specific date for you because I don’t want to say for sure when I’ll be ready to start blogging again, but I do know it will be sometime late April. Until then I have surprises to keep you visiting here (you’ll find out about that on Friday), and when I’m ready I’ll return and tell you where you can find us!

I want to give a big thank you to all our readers, you have been such an encouragement to us and we are thrilled to be supporting a growing community of like-minded families.

Get ready!

100 things you may not have known about us

Here’s a fun post to start off the new year. Read ahead to see what you already knew about our family, and perhaps a few things that might take you by surprise…

Papa

1. Is kynophobic (strongly dislikes wavy objects)
2. Homeschooled as a child
3. Was a member of the Civil Air Patrol
4. Attended flight school
5. Writes music
6. Designed a tool he named The Square Up, and was pursuing a patent at the same time a man from France patented the same tool. Papa’s notes record that he designed the tool well before the frenchman patented his.
7. Carpenter by trade
8. Has one brother
9. Passionate libertarian
10. Mathematical and logical thinker
11. Fascinated with survivalism since childhood
12. Traveled to Spain and Ireland
13. Prefers drinking from plastic cups over glass
14. Allergic to cedar
15. Built a 17 L.E.D. flashlight years before they appeared on the market
16. Always admired carnival rides and modeling them with Lego
17. Favorite food is Cheeze Its
18. Favorite car is “any piece of crap that runs”
19. Would like to change Christmas to February 7th
20. Always wanted to live in a camper

Mama

1. Grew up on an on-grid homestead complete with well and woodstove, gardens, pigs, sheep, rabbits, and other assorted animals
2. Also homeschooled as a child
3. Despized coffee until Girlie’s pregnancy
4. Took piano lessons as a child and still thoroughly enjoys piano music
5. Graduated top of her class at a private school
6. Swam approximately 1/2 a mile at 36 weeks of pregnancy
7. Has been a birth doula for nine years and aspires to be a homebirth midwife
8. Published a book
9. Was an office manager for three years
10. Traveled to Ireland
11. Has one brother, one sister, three step brothers, and one step sister
12. Has been friends with one penpal for 15 years
13. Volunteered at a local health institute for three years
14. LOVES the sound of rain at night
15. Big fan of chocolate
16. Took horse riding lessons in 4H
17. Enjoys creating beautiful things with simple materials
18. Feels most comfy in a pair of jeans and a pony tail
19. Not a picky eater, except when it comes to seafood. She even mixes leftovers together to make lunch for herself
20. Appreciates a peaceful home more than time alone

Buddy, age 5

1. People watcher
2. Became interested in trains as a result of his obsessiveness with order
3. Prefers classical music
4. Enjoys designing train engine parts
5. Favorite game is Angry Birds
6. Love language is time
7. Enjoys the outdoors, regardless of weather
8. Only one of our kids currently overcoming their extreme picking eating
9. Favorite shows: Thomas the train and Sid the Science Kid
10. Aspires to be a train engineer
11. Has 2 pet worms
12. Favorite books are the Little House on the Prairie series
13. Biggest city visited was NYC, as a baby
14. Night owl
15. Problem-solver
16. Didn’t talk fluently until age 3
17. Developed a friendship with an older neighbor as a toddler
18. Walked before he crawled
19. Gets tired of sweets quickly
20. Calls soccor “football”

Girlie, age 3

1. Adventureous, very little timidity
2. The youngest of our kids to enjoy solid food, at six months
3. Sensitive to temperature
4. Corrects her improper grammer herself
5. Wants to be a ballet dancer
6. Enjoys trying big words in context
7. (Obsessively) favorite color is pink
8. Is proud of her “long” hair
9. Builds Lego cars and houses
10. Excellent at observing and making comparisons
11. Overcoming her fear of dogs eating her
12. Loves and adores babies
13. Love language is touch
14. Favorite shows are Curious George and Kipper the Dog
15. Likes to sing her own songs
16. Enjoys stories about princesses
17. Draws a mean bicycle
18. Biggest city visited was Boston, at one year old
19. Prefers pen over pencil, just like her mama
20. Has gone through a stick of chapstick in less than two days

Pal, age 22 months

1. Enjoys mimicking Papa
2. Has a birth mark on his shin of a few perpendicular lines
3. Uses the word “hi” to express many things
4. Has feet as big as his sister’s
5. Straightens home on his own initiative, appreciates order
6. Thoroughly disappointed when he can’t help Mama bake
7. Opens his sandwiches to eat the inside first
8. Enjoys carring heavy things
9. The remote control capture more of his attention than the TV
10. Can’t help but boogie when he hears music
11. Favorite books feature animals
12. Has recently developed a fear of bath tubs
13. Favorite toys are real tools
14. Enjoys stacking and sorting
15. Great climber
16. Likes to make friends
17. First favorite food was steak
18. Will not leave his pacifier willingly
19. Once reprogrammed a walkie talkie to be voice-activated
20. Climbs into his high chair for dinner time

So did you learn anything new? interesting? crazy?

Making herbal teas

We have had far more rain recently then we could ever wish for. Because our camper sitting on top of an underground river, not only did we get our vehicles stuck in the field, but we also have to deal with moisture inside. Which is why I freaked out when my “dry” chamomile was damp.

So, on an already crazy evening, Papa and I did an emergency rescue of the dried herbs before they went bad. Thankfully I discovered that the paper bags were wicking moisture into the herbs before it was too late, and after a little baking of some of them we repackaged them into plastic bags to avoid that problem again before we can sell them.

I’m almost ready to finish my remedies, finally update our online herbal store, and start offering herbal parties to friends and family. I’m so excited to be sharing my new knowledge of herbal medicine with others and really hope it takes off! Stay tuned for the unveiling of our new store, probably late this month!

Taking a week off

The library has become a regular source of learning and entertainment, but I am only just beginning to recognize the benefits it offers me.

Last week I borrowed a book just for me, Blogging for Business by Shel Holtz and Ted Demopoulas. I now have a ton of ideas I want to try out to develop my blogs, American Family Now and Birth a Miracle Services. I want to make them even more useful, enjoyable, and easy to use, for current readers and new ones, and experiment in additional ways to support our family through these blogs.

If you have been following AFN for a while, you know my internet access is limited, and I have about 2.5 hours a week set aside for me to visit our local WiFi spot and post updates. This leaves me with zero time for blog development, or marketing development of my book, Inspired Birth. So I have decided to take off the week of September 4^th to give me a chance to try some new ideas. Long story short, you won’t see any posts here until September 9^th. In the meantime you can check out our old posts by looking through our categories, or using the search box.

Have a great week, see you soon!

Herbal Remedies and Christianity

This post was written Tuesday, May 17, 2011
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I’m so excited! This week I transplanted my comfrey and nettle plants from the old house to the new homestead. The chickens were just as excited, because as I dug the holes for the plants they found TONS of grubs and worms. The soil is rich and I think thinning them out like I did will probably help them to spread faster.

My list of remedies for this summer is nearly complete. Looking through my herbal books, I felt like a shopaholic perusing a catalog of the newest season’s line of clothes. There are so many useful remedies I could make from the herbs I’ve started this year! What to make? What to make? I finally narrowed my list down to about 12 recipes, most of which would be beneficial to my own family, but some others I’ve kept in mind for family members who might like them. Remember, I’m planning to start herbal parties to sell these remedies, in part to cover the cost of the remedies my family would use, and hopefully enough to make a little profit too!

So, are you curious to know what I’m making? Here goes…
• Itch-Relief Spritzer
• Baby Bum Salve (currently for sale from our Store)
• Women’s Tonic Tea
• Nourishing Body Cream
• Asthma Relief Tea
• Joint and Muscle Pain Salve
• Cold and Flu Syrup for Kids
• Cold and Flu Tea for Adults
• Nature’s First Aid Salve
• Heart Health Tea
• Digestive Aid Tincture
• Clear Mind Tincture
• Headache Relief Tincture

Like I said, I narrowed them down to this list! The final list of remedies available will of course depend on what the harvest looks like. If it doesn’t turn out so well this year, I may limit my recipes to those I know my family will personally use.

While I’m on the topic of herbs, I wanted to touch on a topic that has been on my back burner of post ideas for at least a year. That of Christianity vs. New Age beliefs and herbalism. If you’ve been following this blog for any length of time, you know our family is Christian. We hold the Bible to be the absolute truth and the gospel message of Jesus Christ to be our saving grace. On the other hand, we do not take for granted what “Christian” pastors preach. There are some really funky sermons out there, and many cultural beliefs held as truth by Christians that really make no sense.

Herbalism is one of them. When you ask a Christian about herbalism, you are very likely to hear that the practice of making and using herbs for medicine is a New Age practice, something used by people who worship the mother earth and talk about “body energy” “yin and yang”, and “chakras”. I have a serious problem with this belief. Saying that all herbalists are New-Agers is like saying all vegetarians are animal rights activists. It is a very assumptive judgement, which unfortunately leaves Christians who believe it, unable to receive the benefits of God’s herbal creations.

God made the world, and He made EVERYTHING in it. He designed every cell in this universe and gave each a specific function. Then humans sinned and twisted God’s creation to serve their own purpose. When a person takes something of God and tries to manipulate it, does that ruin God’s creation? Does it make utilizing God’s creation a sin? NO!

Herbs have been used since the beginning of time to promote health and wellbeing, and heal many illnesses. Prescription medicines are often derived from herbal sources. They are typically safe, usually effective, carry few side effects if any depending on the herb, and can be made at home for little expense.

Actually, many of the New Age values are based on God’s creation. Consider yin and yang, a term used in Chinese medicine to describe balance. Your body needs balance. It’s called homeostasis. Yin and yang is actually quite scientific and is used to identify areas of a person’s lifestyle (such as diet) that need to be adjusted to bring health. It’s not voodoo, it’s not satanic, it’s not even “earth worship”. For example, if a person has a fever, they should avoid “hot” foods like coffee, cinnamon and other spices. Instead they should eat fruits and other water veggies that are considered “cool” foods. I don’t personally turn to the yin and yang system to address my own health, but it is much like yoga. You can use the physical aspects to your benefit (using God’s creation and inspiration to maintain health) without worshiping some inner god.

To bring herbalism back into the picture, I am concerned for people who think herbs are dangerous to ones’ health, either because they are unregulated by the federal government, or because of a superstition that all herbalists are anti-God. That is taking for granted God’s wonderful creation, and they not only miss out on personal benefits of using herbs, but they are buying into a false belief that they pass on to other Christians who trust what the general Christian consensus is.

“Behold – I have given you every herb bearing seed which is upon the face of the Earth.” ~ God speaks in Genesis 1:29.

Check out www.bibleherbs.net to learn about all the herbs specifically mentioned in the Bible as used to maintain health and heal sickness.

Why the New Look?

If you’re one of our faithful readers, you have already noticed the design change of our blog. The big question is, why did we do it? Were we simply bored with the old look or needing something to do? Not at all! The primary reason was to design the blog around our goals for American Family Now. Making the blog more intentional will hopefully make it easier for you, our readers, to understand what we’re doing.

In action, American Family Now will not appear much different. Posts I write will still be eclectic in feel, a combination of topics ranging from family life to survivalism, because I enjoy writing about them and I enjoy reading more ecclectic blogs myself.

At the same time, making this blog more intentional means we will be more focused. I like to rant and ramble, and while such posts may be interesting to read, we both hope this blog will become more of a resource to families who find themselves in a similar financial situation, and those families who want to start a homestead.

I’m excited to announce this blog will now truly be a joint effort between Glen and me! Because we are pressed for time, but want to share our journey with you, I’ve recruited Glen to do some writing as well. His perspective on the projects we’re doing and preparations for homesteading will be a valuable resource. Please support his efforts with your comments, writing is not really his thing!

Another big change you’ll see is our names. Our real names are not a secret (otherwise we’d have to change all the old posts), but from now on you will know us as Papa (Glen), Mama (Naomi), Buddy (Nemo), Girlie (Daphney), and Pal (Atlas).

And now to explain some of the new features you’ll find here. At the top of the page we still have the Who We Are page, the Store, and our Favorite Internet Reads, but we’ll soon be adding another page for questions and answers. Here we will try to answer some of the questions we would expect to hear about why we are moving and so forth. If you have a question you don’t see answered already, feel free to leave it in a comment at the bottom of that page. At some point, we also hope to have a page to share our sponsers with you.

You will also notice that we have moved our widgets to the left sidebar instead of having them at the bottom of the page. This is for your convenience in finding more resources. On the sidebar you can find links to the posts our readers view the most (automatically updated once a day), topics of posts we write so you can look up subjects you’re interested in, a subscription button so you can stay updated on our goings on, and access to other places you can find Papa or Mama on the web.

Welcome to the new American Family Now! Please subscribe if you haven’t already, suport us by visiting our store, and make sure to let us know what you think of the new look! Thanks for stopping by!