Cottage Capers

Disclaimer

2012-01-18T19:30:00.000-08:00

Due to some comments I got on FB about my article I thought I might need to make a few clarifications! First, it has never offended me for people to tell me to enjoy my kids. I know they are right...and I DO. I love parenting and I love each one of my precious children. My appreciation for this article was her point that it's OK to admit that it's tough. And not every single second is always joy inducing in the moment. I know down the road I will look back and see how fast it all went by. In fact there are moments when I feel that way now. (Maybe some of those "Kairos" moments?) But for me it was refreshing to think that I don't have to feel guilty for not always loving every single second. And just because you feel like it's tough doesn't mean you don't enjoy being a parent. I still love my children and am so grateful for the privilege of being a parent. And I'm thankful for the tough times too.
Anyway, hope no one takes this the wrong way.

Sharing a thought

2012-01-18T12:29:00.000-08:00

A friend posted this article on FB the other day, and it resonated with me, so I thought I would share it. (You can go to the original article here. I always like to link back to the source.)

Don't Carpe Diem

Every time I'm out with my kids -- this seems to happen:

An older woman stops us, puts her hand over her heart and says something like, "Oh, Enjoy every moment. This time goes by so fast."

Everywhere I go, someone is telling me to seize the moment, raise my awareness, be happy, enjoy every second, etc, etc, etc.

I know that this message is right and good. But, I have finally allowed myself to admit that it just doesn't work for me. It bugs me. This CARPE DIEM message makes me paranoid and panicky. Especially during this phase of my life - while I'm raising young kids. Being told, in a million different ways to CARPE DIEM makes me worry that if I'm not in a constant state of intense gratitude and ecstasy, I'm doing something wrong.

I think parenting young children (and old ones, I've heard) is a little like climbing Mount Everest. Brave, adventurous souls try it because they've heard there's magic in the climb. They try because they believe that finishing, or even attempting the climb are impressive accomplishments. They try because during the climb, if they allow themselves to pause and lift their eyes and minds from the pain and drudgery, the views are breathtaking. They try because even though it hurts and it's hard, there are moments that make it worth the hard. These moments are so intense and unique that many people who reach the top start planning, almost immediately, to climb again. Even though any climber will tell you that most of the climb is treacherous, exhausting, killer. That they literally cried most of the way up.

And so I think that if there were people stationed, say, every thirty feet along Mount Everest yelling to the climbers -- "ARE YOU ENJOYING YOURSELF!? IF NOT, YOU SHOULD BE! ONE DAY YOU'LL BE SORRY YOU DIDN'T!" TRUST US!! IT'LL BE OVER TOO SOON! CARPE DIEM!" -- those well-meaning, nostalgic cheerleaders might be physically thrown from the mountain.

Now. I'm not suggesting that the sweet old ladies who tell me to ENJOY MYSELF be thrown from a mountain. These are wonderful ladies. Monkees, probably. But last week, a woman approached me in the Target line and said the following: "Sugar, I hope you are enjoying this. I loved every single second of parenting my two girls. Every single moment. These days go by so fast."
At that particular moment, Amma had arranged one of the new bras I was buying on top of her sweater and was sucking a lollipop that she must have found on the ground. She also had three shop-lifted clip-on neon feathers stuck in her hair. She looked exactly like a contestant from Toddlers and Tiaras. I couldn't find Chase anywhere, and Tish was grabbing the pen on the credit card swiper thing WHILE the woman in front of me was trying to use it. And so I just looked at the woman, smiled and said, "Thank you. Yes. Me too. I am enjoying every single moment. Especially this one. Yes. Thank you."

That's not exactly what I wanted to say, though.

There was a famous writer who, when asked if he loved writing, replied, "No. but I love having written." What I wanted to say to this sweet woman was, "Are you sure? Are you sure you don't mean you love having parented?"

I love having written. And I love having parented. My favorite part of each day is when the kids are put to sleep (to bed) and Craig and I sink into the couch to watch some quality TV,[ ], and congratulate each other on a job well done. Or a job done, at least.

Every time I write a post like this, I get emails suggesting that I'm being negative. I have received this particular message four or five times -- G, if you can't handle the three you have, why do you want a fourth?
That one always stings, and I don't think it's quite fair. Parenting is hard. Just like lots of important jobs are hard. Why is it that the second a mother admits that it's hard, people feel the need to suggest that maybe she's not doing it right? Or that she certainly shouldn't add more to her load. Maybe the fact that it's so hard means she IS doing it right...in her own way...and she happens to be honest.

Craig is a software salesman. It's a hard job in this economy. And he comes home each day and talks a little bit about how hard it is. And I don't ever feel the need to suggest that he's not doing it right, or that he's negative for noticing that it's hard, or that maybe he shouldn't even consider taking on more responsibility. And I doubt anybody comes by his office to make sure he's ENJOYING HIMSELF. I doubt his boss peeks in his office and says: "This career stuff...it goes by so fast...ARE YOU ENJOYING EVERY MOMENT IN THERE, CRAIG???? CARPE DIEM, CRAIG!"
My point is this. I used to worry that not only was I failing to do a good enough job at parenting, but that I wasn't enjoying it enough. Double failure. I felt guilty because I wasn't in parental ecstasy every hour of every day and I wasn't MAKING THE MOST OF EVERY MOMENT like the mamas in the parenting magazines seemed to be doing. I felt guilty because honestly, I was tired and cranky and ready for the day to be over quite often. And because I knew that one day, I'd wake up and the kids would be gone, and I'd be the old lady in the grocery store with my hand over my heart. Would I be able to say I enjoyed every moment? No.

But the fact remains that I will be that nostalgic lady. I just hope to be one with a clear memory. And here's what I hope to say to the younger mama gritting her teeth in line:

"It's [] hard, isn't it? You're a good mom, I can tell. And I like your kids, especially that one peeing in the corner. She's my favorite. Carry on, warrior. Six hours till bedtime." And hopefully, every once in a while, I'll add -- "Let me pick up that grocery bill for ya, sister. Go put those kids in the van and pull on up -- I'll have them bring your groceries out."
Anyway. Clearly, Carpe Diem doesn't work for me. I can't even carpe fifteen minutes in a row, so a whole diem is out of the question.

Here's what does work for me:

There are two different types of time. Chronos time is what we live in. It's regular time, it's one minute at a time, it's staring down the clock till bedtime time, it's ten excruciating minutes in the Target line time, it's four screaming minutes in time out time, it's two hours till daddy gets home time. Chronos is the hard, slow passing time we parents often live in.

Then there's Kairos time. Kairos is God's time. It's time outside of time. It's metaphysical time. It's those magical moments in which time stands still. I have a few of those moments each day. And I cherish them.

Like when I actually stop what I'm doing and really look at Tish. I notice how perfectly smooth and brownish her skin is. I notice the perfect curves of her teeny elf mouth and her asianish brown eyes, and I breathe in her soft Tishy smell. In these moments, I see that her mouth is moving but I can't hear her because all I can think is -- This is the first time I've really seen Tish all day, and {}-- she is so beautiful. Kairos.

Like when I'm stuck in chronos time in the grocery line and I'm haggard and annoyed and angry at the slow check-out clerk. And then I look at my cart and I'm transported out of chronos. And suddenly I notice the piles and piles of healthy food I'll feed my children to grow their bodies and minds and I remember that most of the world's mamas would kill for this opportunity. This chance to stand in a grocery line with enough money to pay. And I just stare at my cart. At the abundance. The bounty. Thank you, God. Kairos.

Or when I curl up in my cozy bed with Theo asleep at my feet and Craig asleep by my side and I listen to them both breathing. And for a moment, I think- how did a girl like me get so lucky? To go to bed each night surrounded by this breath, this love, this peace, this warmth? Kairos.

These kairos moments leave as fast as they come- but I mark them. I say the word kairos in my head each time I leave chronos. And at the end of the day, I don't remember exactly what my kairos moments were, but I remember I had them. And that makes the pain of the daily parenting climb worth it.

If I had a couple Kairos moments during the day, I call it a success.

Carpe a couple of Kairoses a day.

Good enough for me.

'Til next time!

Ponderings for 2012

2012-01-15T20:08:00.000-08:00

In trying to compose my post for the New Year, I've had several conflicting ideas about how to do so. One)...just dive in, give an update what's going on with us and continue from there, or... Two), take a more serious turn and wax eloquent on the meaning of life, etc. etc.
Well, I still haven't decided which I'm going to do yet, but maybe by the end of this post I'll know. How's that?
On my mind at the moment is a discussion we were just having after Sunday dinner. (We often have family over and our discussions can range from politics to health to philosophy...you get the picture.) Today we were discussing perspectives on the Christian life. Mostly how easy it is to get caught up in just "doing things" that we lose sight of Christ and how focusing on Him is our only hope for accomplishing anything of value. That led me to another introspective consideration of my own struggle for perfection in my life and home. I think that as Christian's we all probably struggle with this to some degree or another, but for me this is what it might look like.
I want my home to be organized and scheduled. I want to have meals on time and the kids performing their duties quickly and well (a.k.a. : perfectly). And I want to have this image of togetherness, while still being honest and real. And that's just the outside. I want to be perfectly in control of my emotions, responding at all times with patience and wisdom to every question, disaster, or situation that is thrust upon me. And I want to ALWAYS have that spiritual awareness and application that we are to "strive for" as Christians. But then I realize that is all backwards, because then my focus is on doing and being all these things. I don't want my focus to be on my strivings or goals, but instead on Christ. For me, that is taking the time to get quiet first thing in the morning and give Him my day. No, not a formula. Not reading my Bible and praying (that I can easily do and check off my list), but taking time to "be still". To get quiet and let HIM speak to me. And then go on with my day. Do I do that? Sometimes. Do I want to make it a habit to do that? Yes. But only inasmuch as it doesn't become an item on the "to do list". Don't get me wrong, I absolutely think that we have to keep a steady diet of God's Word whether it's routine or completely absorbed. But my point is, that in itself is not enough to prepare my heart. The heart preparation comes from acknowledging my own insufficiency and His Grace! When I have done this, I am always amazed at how my day sort of takes care of itself. Am I perfect that day? No. Do my kids behave perfectly that day? No. BUT I have peace...and we have a mostly peaceful day. But then, I need to do it all again the next morning. And odds are, I will still be trying to run in the strength of that one day for a week or more.
So...all of that to say, that's my application of what Paul meant when he said "What I would, I do not, and what I would not, that I do...."(and so on).
Anyone who knows us ( meaning anyone who lives close enough to see us regularly) knows that most of my "wants" aren't actually a reality. My attempts to get there are what is. Most days I'm ok with that, but being in my last trimester means I not ok with anything (most of the time). Ask me in the morning and I'll say...things are going great! Ask me in the evening...and I'll tell you that life is terrible, I'm an awful Mom, a complete failure, nothing got done today,....yeah, you get the picture. =)
Soooooo, what exactly are my "New Year's Resolutions"? Hmmmm. Good question.
I'll tell you one thing....I plan to have a baby soon. Like hopefully 9.5 weeks from now. After that I might be able to tell you what some other things I want to get done are. Well, ok, I guess it's not as soon as I would like and I do have stuff to do in the mean time. Like teach my kids, and get ready for said baby. Yeah, guess that would be a good idea. (Sigh.) Some people...just have to be practical and all .

Well, I never blog in the car, but I happened to bring my laptop this time as we are on our way back to church. I was kind of on a roll there and with my mind being the unreliable thing that it is lately I figured I might want to finish writing my post now or it wouldn't get done until maybe the end of Jan. 'Cause one act of procrastination always leads to another dontcha know. (smile)
Anyway, now you know what this post was...you tell me. I know there were no real updates, but seriously...just flip through some old posts and you pretty much know what happened. Have to save that for another time and day. =)
Catch y'all later!

Some Christmas Snapshots

2012-01-05T20:33:00.000-08:00

I just got a CD from my Aunt Carol today (who delighted us by flying in from Houston to spend Christmas with us here) with her pictures of Christmas. I thought I would share some of my favs here for whoever is interested. I believe all of these were taken at our Family (siblings) Christmas Party. All of us (who live here in town) got to be there except for Josh who had to work at the last minute. Of course, Pete and Holly in Virginia, and Mom, Dad, Janell and Rose in Mozambique were sadly missed!!!! Thank you again Aunt Carol!

Just wanted to share...

2012-01-04T10:33:00.000-08:00

No, they aren't mine, but aren't they beautiful! A very close, sweet friend of mine, Britney Harper, had this precious pair last night. Weighing in at 6lbs 4 oz and 6 lbs 9oz and 19 inches, Brett and Baylee Harper are perfectly healthy! In answer to much prayer, the labor was completely complication free and Mommy is doing great too! The only sad part is I can't get there to love on these babies (they live in Florida). But hopefully soon I'll get to see them. Thought some of ya'll might want to know! =)

I'll be posting again soon.....

Post-Christmas doings

2011-12-28T22:37:00.000-08:00

Hello all! Hope your Christmas was as wonderful as ours.
As you can see...I have already begun some of the updates to my blog. Today actually was mostly spent doing just that. I tried working on my own computer and finally had to resort to borrowing Ed's (bless him) as mine is just too slow. =( Now I don't want to go back to mine. hehehe.
Anyway, hope you all like the improvements as much as I do. I have lots more pics I plan to upload and hope to continue working on my "pages".
I did manage to clean both my refrigerators top to bottom and do some laundry as well today, so I don't feel quite so guilty about spending all this time on the computer. It has actually been a nice, relaxing, lazy time since Christmas.
We celebrated a day early (as in on Saturday) as Ed had to go to work Christmas Day, but none of us minded a bit. I had planned to have the kids matching p.j.s ready for Friday evening so they could wear them "Christmas" morning, but ended up sewing on them into the wee hours of the morning as they were my very last project to get done. It was fine...I just lined them up on the couch for the kids to put on when they woke up. I think I told some of you how I found this cute set of king size flannel sheets at Hudson's for $10 and knew immediately it was destined to be pajamas for the kids. I just made them all matching bottoms and picked up some solid tops from Old Navy on sale. They really did look adorable and the kids have LOVED them to death. Stockings and then the gifts. All of which were wonderful hits with each child. Then we had Aunt Carol, Josh, Rachel, and Anna Laurie for Christmas dinner that evening. I made turkey, dressing, broccolli casserole, corn and mini apple pies, fruit salad and cheesecake for dessert.
The rest of the week since then has been spent in large part just recovering from the sleep deprivation (for me), and letting the kids enjoy their new toys.
We are headed to Wiggins tomorrow for one last Christmas party and then hopefully soon I can get our Christmas pictures uploaded from all our festivities.

Well, it's way late and I must say "Good-night". Later all!

If I could have posted this....

2011-12-20T18:27:00.000-08:00

Hi All! I just came across this (definitely of the LORD) and wanted to share...because she says what I feel all the time. Really appreciated the reminder too. Anyway, here's the link. Please check it out.

Just had to post really quick

2011-12-13T17:17:00.000-08:00

As it happened... yesterday, I spent a lot of time on the computer (basically re-charging after a hectic weekend) and ran across some blogs I had forgotten about. Didn't really have time to pursue the links as much as I wanted to then, but this afternoon I've been looking again....drooling and getting lots of ideas, etc. So many great projects...Agh. Love it!
Anyway, the point I'm leading up to is that I'm really, REALLY, hoping/praying/planning to refresh my blog come January. I know I don't share near the amount of pictures or things from our lives that I want to, so I'm hoping to change that. (We will at least begin with an update and go from there. =)
Just wanted to give you all a little something to look for (and possibly remind me of, if necessary).
Have a great week!

Now she's ready for bed.

2011-12-09T08:47:00.000-08:00

A few pics of our doings

2011-12-08T17:21:00.000-08:00

Homemade hot cocoa, topped with whipped cream and stirred with a candy cane!

Kiss Pies! Pretty Yummy!

Kids Christmas Calendar...in each pocket is a tag.

Ed's Christmas Calendar. Something special on every card!

So much muchiness....

2011-12-08T17:14:00.000-08:00

I have been thinking several times lately of stuff I needed to post/blog about, or a project I want to share or some other tidbit that maybe only I would find interesting....but we've been so busy living life I haven't had time to write about it.
Asher just had his second birthday (sigh..my baby), and it was a simple little family affair. Also Lyssa's was the week before that (complete with hot dog roast outside in freezing weather) and she is now 9. (sigh again) My babies just keep growing up!
Anyhoo...besides keeping us in stitches and on our toes, Asher loves to play with our kitty, Smidge. In case I haven't mentioned her, we found her in a box beside our truck one Sunday morning after church. She was so tiny and newborn she barely had her eyes open, and we had to dropper feed her for a couple of weeks until she could eat on her own. (Oh yeah, just what we needed. lol.) She is quite healthy now and lurks about attacking unsuspecting persons. I'm going to try to upload a video clip of her and Asher right after this if my computer will let me. =)
So, I do happen to have a couple of projects I've done that I can share with everyone... they are Christmas Countdown Calendars. I made one for the kids and then a different one for Ed. It was alot of fun. Basically you have a card for each day from Dec 1 - 24th and each one says something different. For the kids it is an activity, for Ed a compliment or something fun we can do together. (And on days Ed has to work, I will text him his card.)
Besides all the Christmas projects, we have also been getting ready for the kids Joseph play at church. As in, Joseph-who-was-sold-into-Egypt. It's a cute little play and we have been working on it for some time now. Well, I got the "privilege" of doing all the costumes...I had volunteered to help, and wound up with the whole job. It wasn't as bad as it could have been since they are pretty minimal. Mostly just headpieces to represent different characters, but figuring them all out took some time. Still, I was pretty pleased that I had 90% of the materials I needed on hand. The play is coming off Sunday night so I will try to take pics of those too. =)
Add in Gingerbread house attempts ( we have made it to the dough stage) and all the other goodies of the season...and yep... it's been crazy..I mean fun!

OK...so in the middle of me trying to post the above, I got a surprise visit from my niece Abby (a baby sitter was needed for a few hours). I settled her and Asher with toys and attempted to get back on my laptop but then proceeded to spend the next little while chasing them and bringing them back where I could see them. It's just too dangerous letting Asher out of sight.
In just a bit I realize I need to start supper, and forgetting that all the older kids are outside, I head for the kitchen. I've not been gone 5 min. (literally 5 minutes, no more) and Asher comes in the kitchen to get in the fridge and I see bright blue Sharpie marks ALL over his arm and shirt and lips. I have the only markers left in the house up on a shelf, well out of reach (or so I thought). Nope. He had climbed up (don't ask me how) to the bookcase and got the pencil holder down and proceeded to decorate the table, himself, a book, the floor, Abby....and anything else he saw. Oh and Abby meanwhile had emptied the contents of the wipe package. I suppose it was her attempt to clean up the mess? Anyway, I confiscated the Sharpies again, placed them both in separate chairs, IN VIEW, and went back to fixing supper. The clean-up would have to wait. Then I go to call the big kids in and to my utter dismay I find that Isaac and Alyssa thought it would be brilliant to start a mudfight. On Lela. Joy. And I thought the babies were bad.
Dire threats being issued and mud dis-allowed inside, I head for the washer. I know there is no way we will escape with out washing all the coats. (And, yes, the weather is freezing right now). While I'm dealing with the mud mess, the babies have gotten down from their chairs and are trying to escape to join the fun outside. Oh yeah...and so the evening went.
I finally managed to get the babies fed, Aaron pitched in and helped pull things back together, Lela took a bath. And Alyssa and Isaac are still cleaning the bathroom, as the mud fight was their idea.
Whew!
As a result I have no idea what I was saying or what I was planning to tell you about next, but I'm pretty sure this wasn't it... but hey, that's my life. =) And once the chaos calms, I can smile and say it's a pretty good one!

Well, I'm out of time, but thanks for stopping by. Until next time....

Just a little note

2011-11-11T19:56:00.000-08:00

I've been so busy crafting away on my Christmas projects and taking care of my little munchkins that I haven't taken time to update...but I wanted to take a second to say Hi again.
I'm excited about the progress I've been able to make, and, I promise, I'm taking tons of pics. Some days I do feel like I'm all crafted out, but then the next day I'll have an inspiration and it just touches everything.
The kiddoes are really getting into the spirit of things and in between bouts of school and chores (and book reading) they are each planning their own gifts for whose-ever name they have drawn.
In continual search of more and improved ideas for my gifts I have actually run across quite a few new blogs, but one in particular stood out to me tonight and I added it to my blogroll. It's for keeping your marriage full of creative and fresh ideas. I'm all over that. So I'll let you know what new ideas I've come up with, after the fact, for my man. (Gotta keep him surprised ya know. )
Anyway....gotta run for now. Hugs.

Lela's bag (her first sewing project)

2011-11-02T09:03:00.000-07:00

The pictures pretty much tell the story. I was right there helping and coaching, but I thought she did a wonderful job. We got it all done in around 2 hours. She is thrilled and says its going to be her main purse now. lol.

Lela's birthday

2011-11-01T20:28:00.000-07:00

Inspiration...=)

2011-10-17T17:04:00.000-07:00

I have been putting off blogging for a number of reasons....most of them centered around the fact that, with Baby 8 on the way, I've just not been getting everything done. I've also been hoping inspiration would strike and I could impress you all with my eloquence. Sadly, the times that I have felt remotely inspired I was nowhere near my computer...and you know pregnancy brain, I can never remember much of anything. That is probably the thing that bothers me the most during pregnancy, being tired is no fun but being scatterbrained is way worse for me. (Still can't complain though...my pregnancy's are good compared to alot of women...and we are so excited.)
Anyway.....all that to say, I finally just decided to write or Christmas and New Year's will be here, and I will have nothing recorded about the process.
I have been taking the past several days to 1.) prep for Duds for Doodlebugs again 2.) clean out and sort stuff, and 3.) plan for a homemade Christmas.
I'm excited to say I have tons of ideas, and my cleaning out has been enough to also unclutter my creativity. I"m not going to post all my ideas as I'm not sure who all will be reading this ( I'll try to do an after Christmas post to let you know what all got done) and I don't want to ruin any surprises. For the kids, I would like to make pocket pillow shams and a set of new pj's around. The idea being that it will help them keep track of the pj's, so I'm not washing clean ones nor are they wearing dirty ones. =) So that will be a big undertaking. Then, I have tons of other smaller ideas for stocking stuffers, more for girls than boys, but I'm still doing some research. Stuff like braided headbands and clothes. I can't go into detail about my other inspirations yet, but soon.
Any ideas anyone wants to offer will be gladly received too.
I'm also hoping to get some basic fall sewing done...so as you can see, my schedule is jam packed.
Well, I gotta scoot for now. Stay tuned. =)

Ky getting her ears pierced

2011-09-30T13:00:00.000-07:00

Ed's Mom sent Ky a gift certificate to get her ears pierced for her birthday, and it just came in last night. She has been begging for awhile to get them done, so I wanted to not put it off any longer. Ed happened to be off yesterday so all of us girls ran off to the mall when it came in and got it done for her. And since the pictures tell the story pretty well....I will let them. =)

Household tip #50

2011-08-15T23:26:00.000-07:00

Never give the pot with cream of wheat remnants to your young son and tell him to scrape it into the dog bowl. It will mysteriously disappear for about 3 days, then, when you see it again you won't recognize it, and lastly, cleaning it will take the better part of the next 2 days because you have to soak it so many times.
Whew, glad to have that off my chest.

So, in case I haven't mentioned, after much prep and organization we started school again last Mon. It was a good solid start, but in spite of my best efforts stuff just kept happening to derail us. By the time Thurs came around, I just quit for the week....
First, Ed went back to work a day early (on Tues. instead of Wed.) So I was sort of disappointed to not have just the moral support of his being home a whole extra day. Then Asher started running a really high fever about halfway through the day. He wouldn't eat and just wanted to be held, and I was afraid it might be strep so I started dosing him with all my usual home remedies. Well, he slept with me that night so needless to day I didn't get much sleep. I think we finally both fell into a good sleep somewhere around 4 am so I was exhausted the next morning. I let Aaron fix breakfast while I caught a little more sleep, but then I did get up and we got another good day of school in. I had already decided I wasn't going to church with Asher running fever when Lela started feeling sick too. Long story short...every single one of the kids except for Aaron came down with the same thing over the last week/weekend. It's called hand, foot and mouth disease... a common virus in kids, with fever and little blisters on the hands feet and mouth, and it basically has to run it's course. Well, I felt better about it not being strep, and found that peppermint oil at the base of the neck was a great pain reliever/fever reducer. They all got over it pretty quickly, but with it being highly contagious I still couldn't go to church Sunday ( I guess that was yesterday).
Oh yeah, AND ( I almost forgot) ...Thurs morning when I was still going to try to do some school I had a run-in with the neighbor over our dog, first thing. Maddie is a half Shepherd/half Boxer mix that we got over a year ago as a puppy. She was adorable, but as she has gotten older she has gotten bigger and more hyper. I have not had the time to work with her so she is mostly lovable but untrained, and she learned to jump the fence. So, we put her on a run and she broke the cable, then, we put her on a stake and she pulled up the stake and broke the cable, then, we got a bigger cable which she had succeeded in breaking Thurs. morning and jumping the fence. Again. Aaron has just caught her and was bringing her back in the yard when the neighbor lady(whom I had never met) came marching over to speak to me. She informed me that this was the 2nd time my dog had bothered her dog who was in a fence and she was highly irritated. And obviously something was wrong with our fence and if we didn't do something about our dog she was going to take pictures and go to the law, etc. I apologized as best I could explaining what all had happened but there was no appeasing her. Sooooo...I had to tie Maddie up with a leash (praying it would hold) while I loaded up all my sick kids and went to Petsmart to get a new cable, before I could even start the day. Then I called Angie to see if she and John wanted a dog. Thankfully they did, so at least I didn't have to call Animal Control. The kids were almost in tears thinking about it (I was in tears), but I knew there was no way we could risk a lawsuit. Anyway, it has all worked out...we got the dog delivered today and hopefully she will behave a little better over there....maybe.
So here I am...the beginning of a new week... and we haven't made a whole lot of progress on the school thing. But I hope to try again tomorrow. =)

So Blessed

2011-08-05T17:49:00.000-07:00

Ever once in a while, I will look at someone else's life and feel the teensiest bit jealous. It seems they have it all together. Dream home, perfect schedule...etc. And then I look at my 7 blessings and am so ashamed that I'm not content with what we have. The Lord has blessed me beyond measure...and all the material things in the world could not take their place. We do have a cozy home...far more than many other people have. We actually have indoor plumbing and electricity. We have more than enough food to eat. We are healthy. And we have each other. ( I don't mean just our immediate family either, but all our extended family, and friends who are like family, and our church family...) Like I said...soooo blessed!
Granted, I would not turn down a big old house (with more than one bathroom =) if it was given to us. lol. But truly, that is not what makes you happy. That comes from being thankful, and knowing you are right where you are supposed to be!!
Even as I type I have seven wiggly little bodies all squeezing on my bed, with their newest library books, each one wrestling for the best position... and I can't help but smile.

Kids at BAM

2011-08-02T18:55:00.000-07:00

Jessica at the BAM

2011-08-02T18:53:00.000-07:00

Asher singing

2011-07-31T20:42:00.000-07:00

Not creative enough for a title right now....

2011-07-29T11:07:00.000-07:00

But I figured it was time for an update anyway. I think I mentioned we got back from vacay about 2 weeks ago now...

My time since then has just flown! I've been trying to get my house clean, been waging all out war on ants ( those industrious little critters are driving me crazy), been trying to get organized for school, and in random moments I've been learning about digital scrapbooking.

As would be expected, it took me several days to unpack and and do some basic straightening, but then I had to get down and do some deep cleaning. I think it must something with the weather but ants have besieged us lately. And although, yes, we have our fair share of crumbs, (7 kids will do that), it is only recently that the ants started coming inside. So I'm going through every room and every cabinet and drawer and wiping and spraying peppermint and mopping... Apparently all to no avail because they JUST KEEP COMING. And I've even gotten super vigilant with the crumbs. Don't get me wrong, I do clean regularly (and repeatedly)but I've found it useless (need I add, unhealthy) to obsess about all the dirt and mess kids can make. But I'm afraid lately I've been obsessing about every crumb. Not that that helps anything. =) I may have to find some kind of poison....but anyway. Lest I bore you, I'll move on.

Schoolwise I've been trying to take advantage of the back to school sales and I've stocked up on glue and pencils and notebooks, etc. The kids always enjoy this part too. I let them pick out their favorite notebooks and folders (in the $1 section=). I hadn't planned to start back so soon but we have alot of catching up to do. Mostly in Math, so that's our focus for now, but I'll be adding in the other subjects soon.

Then, I've been learning about digital scrapbooking, which ... honestly, has surprised me. I love the hands-on, creative aspect of scrapbooking and have avoided digital for a long time because it seemed remote and impersonal. But, thanks to my sister-in-law, Rachel, I've been finding out that: 1. there's tons of free stuff out there so no money is spent; 2. it's not messy so all I have to do is close my laptop when I'm done; 3. my pictures are already here, I don't have to print them off; and 4. it really is fun. I still prefer the other, but I don't have the time or space to do it at all right now, so with all that, digital is a pretty good substitute. And I'm getting my pictures scrapbooked. At some point I can either print the pages or make a photo book, but for now it's a great free option. I would love to share some of my creations but I haven't figured out how to do that yet. Still learning!

Well, I gotta run now! TTYL

Quickie update

2011-07-18T08:32:00.000-07:00

Since we just got back from a week's vacation I'm surrounded by "stuff" and "junk", and lots of to-do's....so I can't write long now. But I did want to put a little quickie up-date on here with the promise of more later.

I did have the honor of being featured on a friend's blog this past week so if any of you want to check it out you can go here.

And I'm also hoping to share a few little projects I've made recently.

All that to come...hopefully!

32

2011-07-06T23:22:00.000-07:00

Yep, that's my old....as Levi would say. =)

It has been a truly happy birthday, full of fun surprises and treats along the way. It started with Aaron fixing me a birthday tray (per Ed's instructions, as he was at work) of coffee and cinnamon toast. Then the kids and I got ready and went to Gulfport for a visit with my best friend from high school...a.k.a. Rachel Freret Shoener. I had seen Rachel last year, but I haven't been down there to the Freret's house since I graduated 13 years ago. It was a great visit, reminiscing and catching up. When I got home I had a package waiting from Holly...it was a Willow Tree figurine that I have been admiring for awhile!!! Then this evening Josh,Rachel, Anna Laurie, Priscilla, and Cody all come over to wish me a happy birthday. Priscilla had even made me a cheesecake. Yum-my!

And all my facebook friends sent so many sweet and thoughtful wishes my way. And last, but by no means least, my sweet children had made me little handmade cards and crafty gifts that are the stuff of keepsakes. And to finish out the day (or start the morning, however you want to look at that)...I just got to talk to my sweet family in Mozambique and they sent their happy wishes too!

All in all, a great day...the only missing element was my sweet man had to be at work. But he got me my present early last week and a good one it was too. He knows how much I love to organize so he got me some cubbies and storage units. Bless him!

So, many thanks to each of you who wished me a "Happy Birthday", and came by or called. You have each made my day so sweet. Thank you Lord, for blessings with out number!

More produce pics

2011-06-30T07:56:00.001-07:00

Our trip to Charlie's-U-Pik

2011-06-30T07:34:00.001-07:00

Musings from a (sometimes-panicking) homeschool Mom

2011-06-24T12:38:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I feel like I'm standing at the edge of a cliff with a hang-glider strapped on my back and I'm staring down at the canyon way below...and I'm considering all the implications (and probabilities) of my falling. And I have this whole crowd of people behind me saying "Isn't this so exciting, you're going to fly! what an amazing opportunity...etc". My mind is screaming, "No you don't understand, I don't know how to do this," and all I can think of is that my feet are being edged closer and closer to the edge and there is nothing I can do to stop it. All I can do is just hang on and hope I fly.

Well, today is that day....I'm looking into re-ordering school books and I'm realizing what grades and materials we will be needing to cover (Aaron will be going into 6th grade! and Levi is starting Kindergarten), and then I'm also considering how much I need to get done over the summer, what my school schedule SHOULD look like versus what it ACTUALLY looks like......

Yeah , I'm panicked. I don't know how to multiply myself. The older ones are needing more attention and the younger ones are needing more attention and the middle ones need more attention too!

So I'm here...blogging... telling myself to breathe... and pray. Especially to pray... and not cry. (Ok, maybe cry.) Ultimately I know the Lord is in control of my life, but I also know I have a huge responsibility... and I feel so close to failing. But you can't fall until you've jumped off the cliff you know... so maybe, with God's grace, I could fly. Maybe it could be the ride of a lifetime. I don't actually know how we've gotten where we are except by God's grace already. I need to be spending more time focusing on God's possibilities, instead of my own insecurities. I need to be speaking to myself Truth! " I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles..." More promises than I can record.

Ok. Deep breaths and pray.

Celebrating the three Father's in my life

2011-06-18T19:36:00.000-07:00

My Husband, the father of my children and the love of my life.

My Daddy, the man who gave me life and taught me about Life Eternal.

My other Dad, the man who gave me the love of my life.

Happy Father's Day to each of you. I love you all 3!

One night (almost) with the frogs

2011-06-14T20:46:00.000-07:00

We get in from VBS tonight, and I'm collapsed on the couch and I keep hearing unusual bursts of laughter from the girls room. No talking, just random shrieks. So I go in to tell them to pipe down and I see Alyssa picking a little frog up off the floor. Both girls are giggling fit to kill...then Lela says, "Mine is in the doll house, we have beds for them." ????? Seriously? Yep, they both brought home little baby toads from church and were hiding them out in their room. Well, as much as I can sympathize with loving to catch frogs, I draw the line at bringing them inside. I'm more germ-conscious now than I was at their age. lol.

Day 1 Oral Baptist VBS

2011-06-13T18:16:00.000-07:00

Oral Baptist VBS

2011-06-13T18:06:00.000-07:00

P.S.

2011-05-31T14:45:00.000-07:00

Thought these pics of an impromptu sign language lesson were cute. It has surprised me how much this poster on the fridge has gotten used, especially by the little ones.

And this is the boys sporting their new cool cuts!

Summer haircuts and other stuff

2011-05-31T14:10:00.000-07:00

Well, I almost posted that without a thing being written. I had Janell and Julia over last night for one last sleepover before they left and we stayed up until 1:30 talking. lol. Now my brain isn't fully recovered.

We got the house clean last night before bedtime so I was going to focus on other things today, namely haircuts and school. I'm still trying to get a little bit of school done every day, but the kids are having a hard time focusing on spelling when the pool is calling their name. (We had some really sweet people pass us on a nice kid-size pool a week ago and the kids have enjoyed it so much!) I let them take a popsicle break...I needed one...and then realized I just as soon cut hair outside too. No sweeping afterward. It was fast and (almost) painless. Or would have been if I hadn't had the head pop off the clippers when I was cleaning some hair out. So I took out the screws to fit it all back together and Asher helped me out by losing one of them. In the grass. So I had to crawl around hunting through the grass with poor little Levi's haircut half done, trying to find the thing. I was praying by the third sweep under the picnic table, and thankfully I did finally find it just as I was giving up. So Levi didn't have to go around with half a haircut and the other boys got theirs too. lol

Asher is such a little busy body he is constantly finding some new thing to get into. Besides losing my screws, he kept grabbing the phone and giving it to me (after he punched all the buttons) "Heya Mama". And he also dumped half the bottle of baby powder all over everything. And he had fun using the spray bottle. It would have been frustrating if he wasn't so cute!

Then we came back in for lunch (that Lela and Alyssa fixed) and naps for the babies. And maybe I'll take one too as soon as I'm done blogging. =)

You may have noticed I finally got my slideshow posted. I have to confess I'm really disappointed in the final quality but my old computer can't handle anything else. So I guess it's better than nothing.

Well, I really need to make sure the kids finish their spelling so I'm gonna scoot for now.

TTYL.

School Program, (part 2)

2011-05-31T13:52:00.000-07:00

I have tried uploading this several times with no success..thanks to my hubby I finally got it to work. These are the pictures from our school program. Hope you enjoy them. Thanks for visiting!

About Jessica

2011-05-25T11:32:00.001-07:00

My wife is the best in the whole wide world. I love you babe.

School Program (part 1)

2011-05-22T20:07:00.000-07:00

It has been a non-stop blur of random events, many of which involved helping Pete and Holly wrap things up moving-wise; and commissioning services and get-togethers, and then finally our very own, very FIRST, end-of-the-year school program.

While, I still have school work that I'm hoping to wrap up before we are actually out for the summer, I decided to take advantage of the little window of time the whole family was still together. Tons of family showed up in support of our little effort, the kids did amazing,

and I'm really, really glad I finally did it.

I have to admit, I came so close to canceling several times before Friday.

Homeschooling is always a challenge for me... Not so much the actual doing of it (although that is sometimes too), but the attempting to juggle time and priorities and interruptions along with the homeschool. Therefore, every time I thought about doing this program, I would feel like a hypocrite, because I have never felt like we have accomplished even a fraction of what my goals were (are)! But the thing that kept me forging ahead was the fact that the kids were so excited about it. They were each working on memorizing poems, and writing a short biography report, and the chance to

show off what they know was a huge motivator for them. So in the end, doing the program was a learning experience in and of itself. The kids enjoyed it and really benefitted from the performance and the input of others (besides me). I enjoyed it and needed to hear and see that the kids are progressing. And the family enjoyed it and got to see what the kids are doing/learning.

Now, this week I plan to clean my house top to bottom, and assess what we still need to wrap up our year for real and get everyone ready for their next grade come Sept! I got 3 rooms done yesterday...the girls bedroom, the bathroom, and the porch. (Admittedly, the porch is not a room but it still counts.) So I still have 5 rooms to go. And, if I still have time, I want to sew.

Hi, I'm back...

2011-05-14T09:01:00.000-07:00

And it's not even been a month. =)

No, life has not slowed down any, but I guess it helps when I have my computer open on my desk and it's easy to just sit and type a minute. (Helps to have a clean desk too.)

It's been a week of proud, sad, and busy moments for the whole family. Got to go visit my newly married sister this week for the first time! It was so fun, and I just loved getting to see her cute little house and wedding gifts, etc. It's funny how, when something you've thought about and talked about for a long time finally happens, you experience this weird mix of emotions. On the one hand, it feels perfectly normal, and on the other you almost can't quite wrap your mind around it.

It's been the same with Pete and Holly. Pete commissioned as 2nd Lt. and graduated with his Master's in political science this week and we've also been helping them pack up their apt. for their move next week. It all seems so surreal! They've been here since before Levi was born and it has seemed we would always live just 2 min away from each other. But now, here they are getting ready to move to another state. I've been trying not to think about what that is going to mean. =(

On a more mundane note...I'm trying to spend today cleaning and doing laundry. (Can't you tell. =) As hectic as it has been this week, my laundry is a thing of nightmares. So much to do; so little time! Tomorrow is Sunday and I need to have some desserts made for Pete and Holly's farewell party after evening church, besides the usual preparations a Sunday requires. And then Mon. is Isaac's 7th birthday.

Plus!...I am hoping to have the kids end of school program on Friday. Although it will be purely symbolic as we will probably need to continue working through the summer. haha. We lost a lot of time this year here and there, and most recently with the wedding, but I have never had one and the kids are so excited! They have memorized poems, and the older ones are writing papers on a historical character of their choice, etc. Ought to be interesting at least! =)

Anyway, as I said before, I have tons to do, so I guess I had better stop blogging and start working. Have a great week end!

It's been a MONTH

2011-05-03T12:38:00.000-07:00

I keep telling myself I'm going to blog as soon as I have a minute, but that never happens so I'm going to blog when I don't have a minute. I should be....fixing lunch ( and supper), and doing laundry, and correcting my crazy kids in the next room who should be doing school but instead are competing to see who can jump, climb, or dance better, or....any number of other things. But, instead I decided to come say "Hi" to all of you out there. Provided there are any people left who haven't given up on my ever writing again. lol.

It's surprisingly cool weather today but I'm loving it...the heat will be here all too soon with no let-up. I finally have felt this week like I might be getting back to normal since the wedding. We followed that up with a trip to Houma to see Ed's family so as much as I wanted to get back to school last week it didn't happen. I cleaned house and went grocery shopping last week. By the by, are ya'll noticing the prices? Yikes! It's scary!

With things being calmer this week I am wanting to sew again like crazy. I have several little summer projects and crafty things that are in the back of my mind and i'm forcing myself to not drag my machine out again right now. Speaking of sewing though..I decided I have to clean out my sewing closet because it would be the safest place for us to hide in case of a tornado. (Like all the ones we've been hearing about lately.) And it's so full we couldn't fit if we had to so I'm going to have to find a solution for that. Hmmm.

Anyway,...the minute I didn't have is gone so I gotta run. Hopefully I will be back before another month is up, but....I make no promises! =) TTYL.

"A Time To Talk" by Robert Frost

2011-05-03T12:15:00.000-07:00

When a friend calls to me from the road

And slows his horse to a meaning walk

I don't stand still and look around on all the rows I haven't hoed,

And shout from where I am "What is it?"

No, not as there is a time to talk.

I thrust my hoe in the mellow ground,

Blade-end up and five feet tall,

And plod; I go up to the stone wall

For a friendly visit.

Lessons on learning....(for me)

2011-04-06T09:08:00.000-07:00

I read a homeschooling article several years back titled "the baby is the lesson" and it was such a blessing to me. I was tempted to make that my title this morning but I would be stealing someone else's idea. However...this morning the Lord was reminding me of that lesson.

I've been sharing about our ladies Bible study and what a blessing it has been, but the last week I haven't been able to be consistent with studying. There has been so much going on getting ready for Priscilla's wedding and I've allowed myself to be derailed (because no matter the circumstances, we always choose what will be our priorities...right or wrong). So, this morning I got up with the determination to have my quiet time. I managed to get up before the kids were very much awake. I told the 1 or 2 I saw to stay in bed and I would call them later. Well, one thing and another kept popping up and I kept getting interrupted. Asher woke up and was especially demanding. I finally told Aaron to bring him to sit on my bed and so he starts crawling all over grabbing and touching and I keep having to correct him about this or that. Then Ky joins us and starts bouncing on the bed. And this whole time I'm studying about quieting our souls before the Lord, and dealing with anger, and how the Lord wants us to respond to situations beyond our control, etc. All especially timely with all that has been going on...and yet I found myself being a bit exasperated because I couldn't "focus" on my Bible study properly and give it the attention I wanted. And about the time Asher launched himself right up in the middle of my lap, I sort of felt God telling me "the baby is the lesson". It doesn't matter whether I get it from reading this amazing Bible study, or listening to an eloquent speaker... the lesson is the how are you going to deal with the issues that face you every day (every moment). Are you going to read about having a calm quiet spirit and yet get angry because you can "focus" on your Bible study. Or are you going to realize that this IS the lesson?

And AS I type these words, I have yet another confession. I had let Aaron start fixing breakfast, and I hear him in the kitchen yelling at Lela about something and it's disrupting my concentration yet again, so I call him in here and on finding out that he didn't follow instructions (again) I chew him out and send him back to do the job right. (sigh) Yep, learned that lesson real good.

Not that he didn't need correction, but I didn't need to get angry about it!

Anyway, confession hour is up and I gotta run. In the meantime...maybe you can remember better than me..."the baby is the lesson".

Time for an update

2011-03-26T22:39:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm down to 3 more working days before my folks arrive (yay!), and I have enough "to-dos" to fill a month. Lord willing, Monday morning I will finally be rid of this ear infection and be back to my normal self. It has really slowed me down this past week. But I'm thankful for the chance to feel what my babies feel. I don't remember having one before but they are officially miserable and I'm so dosing them up with Tylenol next time. I have taken more Advil this week than in all our married life put together. I NEVER take pain meds, but with being neither pregnant or nursing, Ed convinced me there was no virtue in suffering just because. ( Don't worry it actually only ended up being maybe 5 pills total all week, but for me that's a record. =) Just FYI, onion is the best for treating it. I tried everything!!!!

Well, enough about me....

The past month has been a nice break. It's still been busy but between the gorgeous weather, and enjoying my new picnic table, and watching the kids revel in the sunshine, and watching Ed work in his shop it's felt relaxing and non-hurried. I know the next few months are going to more than make up for that but that's ok.

I have so many things I could share that the Lord's been teaching me through this new Bible study. Or maybe just reminding me of...either way, it's been a blessing. And I'm truly trying to apply the "speaking truth to myself". I'm not "there" yet, but I've been noticing when I don't and that helps.

Anyway, it's late and I need to wrap up. I probably would have had more time if I hadn't taken so long admiring all the newborns on the various blogs I follow. Sweet cheeks and soft hair. Love it.

Bible Study

2011-03-07T11:08:00.000-08:00

I just updated my Bible study page if you want to step over and take a look. I hope you will be as blessed as I am by this study. Thanks for looking!

Levi's perspective

2011-02-15T11:27:00.000-08:00

The kids are sitting at the table coloring and singing and levi is really belting it out" It's not about me Lord, it's all about YOU..." Then he pipes up " Hey kidth, I have a pwiviledge...you can sing the rest with me!"

My verse for the week

2011-02-13T22:30:00.000-08:00

"And God is able to make all grace abound toward you: that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work." 2 Corinthians 9:8

Busy week (for a change)

2011-02-12T10:34:00.000-08:00

I've been telling myself for the past week or so that I needed to post again and I just haven't gotten around to it. I've been trying for the past few weeks to get de-cluttered and organized (yet again) and we finally finished up the last of that last week. I had originally planned a yard sale but with everything that has happened and as cold as it has stayed we just decided to donate it all to Goodwill. I don't really have a place to store it, and the whole point of de-cluttering is to get it OUT of the house. I am enjoying having a home for everything and even an overflow place in the shed. I can actually turn around out there and find stuff. I mean I have tubs with labels on them. How cool is that?

Inside the house we have unmixed the kids rooms and given the girls and boys back their rooms. Asher has joined the boys now and it's strange not having a baby bed in my room.

We had planned all of this before the miscarriage, to make more space, but it is working out in any case, because with Mom and Daddy coming home for Scilla's wedding, I will have lots more floor space for air mattresses and pallets.

Speaking of wedding....that has been a fun item on the to do list. Holly and I have been helping her with little details Stateside that she can't take care of herself. And having a ball doing it! I do still have some dresses to finish (Ok.. to be honest I've barely started the first one) before the wedding. In fact, I had a stress dream the other night that it was an hour before the wedding and I suddenly realized that I hadn't made any of the dresses and everyone was looking at me wondering where they were. I woke up so panicked it took awhile for Ed to calm me down. lol.

I have the best husband ever... he has helped me so much. I wouldn't have gotten any of the de-cluttering done without his help. And he has started wood working again and is making me furniture. !!!!!! So excited about that. The swing set for the kids for Christmas sort of got him started again and he is enjoying it so much. The boys are loving it too... they get to help. So far he has made the swing set, a picnic table, and a toybox for the boys. He has so many projects on his to do list though...that's just the beginning. =)

Well, I would write more but I have a dress fitting this after noon and I want to make sure the living room looks decent.

2011-01-31T15:24:00.000-08:00

Trying out my new signature. =)

Sharing

2011-01-31T08:40:00.000-08:00

Yes, it is January 31, 2010. The last day of the first month of the New Year....and I'm only just now getting on here to update my blog. I have been putting it off because there is so much that has been going on; some of which I wasn't sure how (or even if) to share.

I don't really know how or where to start, so I'm just going to sort of jump in in the middle and hope it doesn't sound too jumbled. I'm normally a very private person and have a hard time sharing the things that are closest to my heart or that I feel strongly about, but the Lord sort of gave me a push last week when he sent two sermons back to back that spoke to me personally about this very thing. One of these was specifically on how God uses hard times in your life and ways we can waste those experiences. (And one of those ways is by not sharing what He has been doing.)

Soooo...having said that let me start back in December or maybe even a little further back than that. (I was just realizing my last post was in Nov. =)

You may remember (or not=) in one of my last couple posts I mentioned coming down with the flu. This was back in Oct. and I had actually just found out that we were going to have another little Blakeman come join our family. We chose ...or maybe I should say, I chose...to not share this with more than just a couple people until I was further along and all danger of miscarriage was past. This coming from my dread of later having to deal with all the comments and/or expressions of sympathy on top of my own emotions.

Well, life, of course, continues to keep us on it's merry-go-round and while pregnancy wise I was feeling great, about two weeks later I start breaking out in this strange itchy rash that just kept spreading. Turns out my "flu" was a virus called pityriases rosea. Apparently it starts like flu and then develops a rash that lasts anywhere from 6 weeks to 3 months. (It's been 3 months and it's not completely gone yet.) It's not contagious, so I could continue my life pretty much as usual but with the added annoyance of constant itching and an embarrassing rash everywhere. It's not supposed to be dangerous to pregnancy, but I still had my qualms especially with my past history. Still... life keeps spinning and us with it. The holidays came and preparations for them kept me pretty busy. Then 2 days before Christmas I started cramping and bleeding, very much out of the blue. If you've ever had a miscarriage you know that unmistakeable feeling. You just KNOW...it's over.

I spent the rest of that day in bed...ironically, Ed was at work but due home the next day. It was very "deja vue". We talked together and both of us had peace that whatever happened it was in God's hands. When I woke the next morning I felt fine...no cramping, and with Christmas a day away I still had alot to do to get ready...so I decided I wasn't going to sit around waiting for something to happen. I wasn't going to be stupid, but I would try to function as normally as possible and do what I could to finish getting ready. We hadn't even told the kids about the pregnancy so I wanted Christmas to be normal if at all possible. And it was. It was a super special day with just our family. (I keep saying Christmas although it was actually Christmas Eve as Ed had to go to work Christmas Day.) By Sat. morning even my bleeding had stopped and I found myself wondering "is God performing a miracle here?". We had already scheduled to go spend the next week with my great-aunt in Texas and so we went ahead with that and I spent the weekend packing and cleaning besides the normal busy Sunday routine. We were leaving early Monday morning as we wanted to stop in Houma on our way to Tx to see Ed's family for just a little bit. By the time we left, I was bleeding again...heavily. Even as we were pulling out Ed offered staying home, but I felt peace to go ahead with our plans. We ended up having a really good visit all the way around and I'm soooo glad we went. I wouldn't have traded that for anything. On our way home home we stopped and saw first Lauryn and then Aunt Bonise and then came on home.

All of this going on in our little family while at the same time I knew other parts of our family were struggling too. My Daddy has been in awful pain for months with his back...spending most of his time in a chair or in bed. And then there was Uncle Mike's family...and all that they have gone (and were going) through. And Peepaw and Meemaw. Those of you who know us, know what has been going on so I won't elaborate, but I trust you will understand when I say, by comparison, my own little trials seemed small and I hated to even mention them.

A week after we got back from Texas (that would make it 3 weeks ago) I lost our precious baby girls. It did end up being twins. I am always amazed anew at God's miraculous handiwork... I was 14.5 weeks, and yet, while one of the twins had not developed, the other one was a fully formed little human. The preciousness of life, from conception on, can never be fully expressed.

I have struggled with how, and even why, I should share this. I don't know why. I don't know how the Lord will use any of this. I just hope it will bring Him honor and glory. I have grieved privately for these sweet little ones that I have never gotten to meet. I know that someday, when I get to heaven, I now have 5 precious little ones I will get to meet. And, while I rejoice to know that I WILL get to see them some day...it also makes me sad that I can't know them now. I wish I could understand the why behind God's working, but it is enough for me that He loves me and is in control of every part of our lives. And He truly is so good to us. I can't get over all He has done and how He continually blesses us beyond measure.

Also in thinking of trials and how God uses them...Br Johnny was referencing his father, who has been diagnosed with Lymphoma, and it made me think of Uncle Mike and his family. I have grieved with and for all of them, and I was thinking how Uncle Mike didn't allow his trial to be wasted. (Actually, I have to say that it has been characteristic of God's working in ALL of my family's lives. I just initially thought of Uncle Mike because of the lymphoma.) In thinking of others' sufferings I have debated what to say...and I have ended with still not knowing what to say. We can only offer our love and then turn to our Eternal Comforter who has Words enough for us all.

Over the next little bit I will try to stay more updated and add more about our everyday happenings. Trust me, there are just as many as ever. =) But for now I'm out of words. I hope God can use this, even if I never find out how.

Talespin Studio

2010-11-11T22:28:00.000-08:00

In case you can't guess, that is going to be the name of my pottery studio (and possibly anything else I decide to design and sell). Ed has been working on my pottery wheel lately and I'm closer than ever to starting my dream of making pottery. Of course I really only want to make it for fun and personal use, but hey, if it turns out that I can make money on it in the long run, I'm certainly not opposed to the idea. =)

The name started with me needing to open an Etsy account this evening. And they tell you that your username will be your shop name if you ever decide to sell something. So I figured, why not make it a good one. Ed helped me brainstorm for a little bit and this was what we came up with: Talespin Studio. The idea being that there will be a story behind everything I create...sewing or spinning pottery... and also the little fact that I have 7 little loves that sometimes put me in a tailspin. AND ....we created my logo...which I have always thought was extremely important even if I never sell my stuff. I want it marked with my own logo. I'll try to scan a copy of our drawing, but it's a flying book with "Talespin Studio" cutely arranged underneath. Can you tell I'm excited? My husband is so awesome! I tell him that all the time.

Socks

2010-11-11T12:53:00.001-08:00

I have this love/hate relationship with socks. In the winter, there is nothing better than cuddling up with a fresh pair of cozy pair of socks on when your feet are cold. [If you can find a match.] And the selection in the stores.... I love it! The cute colors and styles. Fluffy ones, fuzzy ones, stripey and polka dot ones, ones with toes. Too cute!

But here's the deal see... socks seem to disappear when it's time to go anywhere. Me: "Go get your socks and shoes on." Someone: (wailing) "I don't have any socks!" So I run to the dryer where I know I just washed an entire load of (I'm positive) nothing but socks and I can't find one single matching pair! Once I have spread the entire load all over my bed, I finally manage to scrape together enough socks to get us out the door. (So much for spontaneity.)

Awhile back, I got tired of looking through 15 drawers to find socks so I designated ONE drawer for all the kids socks. They usually all get put in the drawer unmatched and at some point it's someone's job to match them all.{ Not Isaac though, until he learns how it's supposed to work. I had him do it a couple weeks back and at first glance they seemed ok, if not somewhat lumpy. But on closer inspection, like when I went to smooth them out, I found 3 or 4 different socks all stuffed into one. And not one single one matched any of the others. I had to laugh at that one.} Theoretically, it works like a charm....realistically, we rarely have matched pairs of socks. So those who are less fashion conscious ( and have somehow escaped Mom's scrutiny) wind up with two beautifully mis-matched socks.

Then, there is the finding of dirty socks under every piece of furniture in the entire house. (Yep, pretty sure they didn't miss even one.) And at least 1 out of every 3 of these have some sort of little toy or toys stuffed into each one. Who ever came up with that one must have thought they hit on a brilliant idea. "Hey, I know, let me see how many match box cars I can stuff in this one...then the others will never find my secret stash! I'll even hang it from this hook on the back of the door so that even if they do see it they can't reach it. Awesome!"

Sometimes I laugh and sometimes I growl. =)

On the upside, when I ever do open the drawer and find it full of folded matched socks it's inspirational and exciting. Yeah, I know, I lead a boring life.

So that's how it goes...but, honestly, as frustrating as it is sometimes....I wouldn't trade it for the world. It means I have a houseful of little feet running around that bring lots of joy and quite a few laughs.

Where has the time gone?

2010-10-29T15:20:00.000-07:00

I was looking at the date on my last post and realized with a shock how long it has been. I think the last couple months have blown by in a flurry of fall leaves. =)

We saw Mom and Dad and the girls off to Mozambique (for 6 months until Priscilla's wedding), and then I immediately dived into prepping all my Duds for Doodlebugs stuff. While doing that I caught the sewing bug and decided I could save alot of money if I made/repurposed a whole bunch of the kids clothes. That produced a whole lot of mess and great results. (I am hoping to post pics of it all.) We squeezed in a weekend trip to Ed's folks and I also got to spend an awesome couple of days with one of my best friends shopping and sewing. ( Hoping to post pics of that too.) I have attempted to do a certain amount of schooling and while we have had a few good solid weeks , I hate to confess that, alot of the time, the demands of the moment have over-ruled my attempts. I try not to let it overwhelm me when I consider how much of the year we have left and how much of it will be spent NOT doing school.

Maybe one day I will get it all figured out.....

Monday, we had a joint birthday party for the girls--complete with outdoor hotdog roast. The weather was absolutely perfect for it. Then the last couple days, when everything was finally slowing down and I was going to get back on that wagon.... I get sick. Flu I guess, I just know I felt miserable. I'm hoping that I'm on the mend now. I think the Lord lets me get sick ever once in a while just to keep me empathetic with my babies when they are sick. Otherwise I'm saying "suck it up and quit whining". =) (Maybe I'm exaggerating just a bit, but that does happen to be a tendency. Especially when everyone is crying. =)

What next?

Well, I'm planning on catching up with a cousin I haven't seen in forever on Monday. Seriously, probably 10 years. Soooo excited about that. And after that, we have a couple school field trips planned for next Friday.

So what has the Lord been teaching me lately?

Well, I think He is always trying to teach me many things but I'm such a slow learner. Seems I keep making the same mistakes over and over again. Like forgetting to prioritize and letting my whims dictate what happens at any given time.

But a couple of verses the Lord has brought to my attention lately are in 1Peter where I'm attempting to continue to memorize.

1 Peter 4:9 &10 " Use hospitality one to another without grudging. As every man hath recieved the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God."

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE company and doing for others, but occasionally I get frustrated when some of my carefully laid plans get "rearranged". And this was a good reminder to, even in my heart, be thankful and gracious with every bump that comes along.

The good, the bad, and the muddy

2010-09-04T23:04:00.000-07:00

The Good: On a whim I ran to Goodwill today to see if I could find Ed some much needed jeans. And what do you know...I found 4 pairs of like new jeans for $5 each. 2 Lees, 1 Levis and 1 Perry Ellis. Soooo happy!

The Bad: I went to the Lil Butcher Shoppe (also on a whim..I guess I was having a whimsical day. lol) to buy meat today. BIG mistake. I got home and started cooking the ground meat, about 5 lbs. worth, and it smelled so bad. But I went ahead and seasoned it and thought it would be fine. I had planned taco salad for lunch and lasagna for tomorrow. I took one bite of my salad and almost gagged. It was awful!!!! Everyone else thought it tasted ok (as in, palatable), but I truly couldn't handle it, and I'm NOT a picky eater. I finally figured out they must have ground up liver with that batch. Ugh, gross! Won't make that mistake again. So I had to go buy some more ground meat at IGA before it closed this evening. I ended up freezing the other stuff for Ed to take to work. His idea, not mine...I was going to give it to the dog. =/

The Muddy: When I got home from shopping this afternoon, I see 4 little mud bugs in the back yard having a hey day. They had turned on the hose and had a small pond going on. Match box cars and mudpies. I was fine with it all except Alyssa was playing in her nicer clothes. (sigh) Thankfully it all came out in the wash and we are good to go again. =)

So that was my day... and a rather nice one if I do say so myself. And the very best part of it is my honey is home from work again and will be off for 4 whole days. Summer overtime has come to an end and I'm so happy. It was a blessing while it lasted, but I sure have missed having my husband around. =)

Updates on the kiddoes

2010-08-23T16:16:00.000-07:00

I decided it was time to post some school pics and just a quick update on what each of the kids is doing.

Aaron just turned 10 in July and he is my scientist, brainiac, let-me-tell-you-about-my-latest-idea, child. He loves to invent, and when he isn't inventing he's reading. He is getting to be quite responsible and is such a help around the house and with Asher. He is such a good big brother...he will take him and change him and play with him. His job is cleaning the bathroom and taking out the trash, and laundry.
Lela is about to be 9 in Oct. And I have really been noticing lately how fast she is growing up. Of course, she has always been my responsible one (even before Aaron ever was) but has gotten more so. I have to always remind myself to not put too much on her and Aaron and to spread the responsibilities to the little ones too. Her job is keeping the beds made and room clean in the bedroom. And laundry. She too loves to read and has recently discovered the prequels to the Little House books..."The Caroline Years"...and is really enjoying them. She loves to design clothes and can't wait for school to start. (We were waiting until Sept. so we actually have about a week left.)

Alyssa is my third, and quite possibly my biggest, book worm. If you can't find her she is on her bed with her nose in a book. Or she is cutting out paper dolls. This child loves to cut stuff out...and it makes the biggest mess, but her attention to detail is pretty amazing. She will turn 8 right after Lela turns 9. Though there is only 13 months between them sometimes I think it seems like a couple years. Ironically, Alyssa has just gone through a growth spurt and has passed Lela up in height, but she is still very much younger in her actions. She is such a contradiction of noticing every little detail and yet being completely oblivious to obvious things. She is very thorough in her work but does tend to take forever....but we are working on that. Her job is to unload the dishwasher and put all the dishes away as well as help with laundry. (EVERYBODY has to help with laundry.=) She is anxious to start school too.

Isaac is 6 and he will be starting first grade. He is so excited. Although he can read basic 3 letter words and is good with knowing his phonics he hasn't had a whole lot of practice reading bigger words and books so we will be focusing on that alot. He can memorize ANYTHING and quotes it at any given time. Sometimes to my great embarrassment, if it happens to be lines from movies. He enjoys jokes and pretending to be cartoon characters. He is learning responsibility with feeding the dog and cleaning off the table.
Levi is 4 now, and in this picture looks so innocent. But he is really a little rascal. haha. He keeps us in stitches with his antics and comments! Everything from sword fighting and a fake british accent to pretending he is Buzz Lightyear or Woody. =) He is so ready to be in "thchool" that I'm going to let him be in pre-school this year. We'll see how much we get done. hmmm.
Ky is about to turn 3 in two weeks. She thinks she was born grown and tries to boss or "mommy" all the others. her jobs involve helping put away laundry and picking up the toys and shoes and books with Levi, as well as other random errands. She is extremely helpful and good at getting what she is sent for, but I have my hands full trying to keep track of where she is and what she is doing. Lots of training going on here. She thinks she is a beautician because she gives herself a haircut about every 6 months or so. I finally had it long enough to all go back in her pony tail when she snipped it again. So I gave her a little chin bob. Here is the picture with her hair cut.

I think it looks pretty cute and is staying out of her face (and food) much better. =)

And HERE is Asher. He is 9 months on Sun. and he just spent the last several weeks cutting 4 teeth. He is our little doll man and is getting so mobile. He pull up on everything now and is all over the place if I ever let him out of the playpen. He is still such a jolly baby and loves to jabber and imitate sounds and faces. He has learned how to clap his hands too and says "yay, yay".

About a week ago, Pete called me up out of the blue and offered to keep the kids if Ed and I wanted to go out somewhere. Well, we had been trying to plan one but were having a hard time trying to figure when we could get a babysitter. ( I'm pretty picky about who I leave them with and I hate to ask family too much...) So anyway, needless to say we took him up on the offer. (He is such a sweet brother... Holly would have helped but she was at work.) I decided to take Asher along as I didn't want to rush back and I figured he would be hungry if I didn't ( he is eating some solid foods now but still nurses pretty often). So he came with us and it was still fun. He is just one child and he isn't running around yet. =) Well, we took our time and enjoyed ourselves, and the minute we walked in the door Asher starts bouncing up and down and squealing and laughing like he hadn't seen the kids in forever! I couldn't believe it. Then we realized he has probably never been alone with us with out the kids that he can remember. It was adorable! He was soooo excited to see his brothers and sisters again. =)

Anyway...I have tons more to tell but that will have to wait. This was just about the kids!

FREE, Please Take....It's Works!

2010-08-03T10:02:00.000-07:00

This was the sign attached to my most recent answer to prayer.

We have been needing a second refrigerator for some time now and have looked for a good second hand one off and on in the paper. But as is many times the case, when we had the money we couldn't find one, and when we found one we didn't have the money. I finally just decided to pray about it and leave it with the Lord. (Why am I so slow to think of doing that FIRST?)

Well Saturday afternoon we pulled out of the drive to go over to Mom's and a few houses down we see this huge fridge sitting on the side of the road with that sign taped to it. So Ed backed up, got out and we started rolling it across the street to our house. In a few minutes the man who put it there came out and he got his dolly and helped Ed put it under the carport. It all happened so fast that it took a few minutes to sink in, but I was getting goose bumps when I realized the Lord had answered my prayer in a way I had never imagined!!!

I spent alot of the day yesterday getting it all clean and Ed and Aaron made me a nice platform for it to sit on. While I was working on the fridge, I was composing my blog post in my head....How I would tell the story, what the title would be, etc. Then when I was thinking about the title, I thought of the sign taped to the front... and that was when it hit me. You know, that is the sign God has taped to His help all the time. "FREE, Please take. It Works." Ed preached Sunday night and his message was taken from Psalm 121 and was on how God is our Helper. On the fact that He is always there to take care of every need we have or will ever have and how he should be the first One we go to for help, etc. ( I can't preach it as good as he did. =) So, anyway, I already had all that in the back of my mind too. But it is sooo humbling when you realize that the God of the Universe cares enough about you and your problems and needs and wants to personally take care of them...and then to leave you a note to let you know it was HIM and HE loves you!

I'm crying now so I have to quit typing, but I'm still Praising HIM!

Mondays

2010-07-26T22:38:00.000-07:00

Mondays are always busy, and today was no exception. On days like these I go for a quick and painless breakfast like milkshake. Blend, pour, drink, done. EXCEPT for.....when I get up to answer the door and Levi spills his entire cup all over the table. That was all I had made so I give him my cup and start to mop up the mess, and what does he do but spill that one all over the floor. Seriously?

It took an entire roll of paper towels to get it up and then I still had to mop and wipe it down with a rag. (I don't own enough towels to try to clean it with a regular ones. haha) Forget milkshake for Levi, he got a glass of milk and a peanut butter sandwich. ( He did manage to not spill the milk.)

Then on to my Bible study with Scilla. I'm loving it more all the time.

Follow that up with some very fast cleaning. Cause I had gotten a call from a very special friend that they would be stopping by for a visit! Super excited! The kids did a good job helping with clean-up...as long as I kept them away from the books. hahaha. They were excited to see their friends too.

Then I got to kick back and just visit. It's funny...Brit and I were talking about how different things are in the real life of everyday compared to the false impressions we give off when we are at church or when company comes over. At those times we are the smiling patient Mommy who sits and cuddles her babies and has a spotless house and clean, well-dressed children, with food ready to serve at a moments notice. When we all know the "real" scenario looks more like..."Isaac, you pick that up right now and if everything is done you sit on the couch and DON'T MOVE". "Everybody, we are eating our leftover pizza in the kitchen so we don't mess anything up...and Kyla, is that your third or fourth clean outfit today?"

Yep...'fraid so. =)

Anyway, all in all it was a great day!!! Thank you, Ben, Brit and babies for coming to see us!

Gotta scoot and go change my bed from where Ky wet it in nap...yeah that was probably the fifth change.

Morning devotions (and evening meditations)

2010-07-17T08:41:00.000-07:00

I know that by starting out with this it will seem that I am always consistent in having my morning devotions. I also realize that I only post ever once in a while so people aren't getting the whole picture. In reality, this is the first morning in a while that I 've gotten up early enough to read and blog before the day starts.

Be that as it may, it was such a blessing (as always) that I wanted to share a bit. I'm reading in Psalms, Ch 25 - 28 today, and I'm so blessed by the constant reminder of the Lord's willingness to hear us and bless us and guide us. The older I get the more I can identify with David, his desire to serve the Lord and have the Lord's leading, his failing, his love for the Lord in spite of inconsistencies, his fears and triumphs. He records the whole scope of human emotion in the Psalms. And it speaks to my heart so much because it echoes my heart cry.

Ps. 28: 6,7

" Blessed be the Lord, because He hath heard the voice of my supplications. The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise Him."

The reminder, you know, of how much He does help me and answers my prayers...and also the question...How much have I praised Him publicly for all that He does for me? My children hear my prayers for help....do they also see the evidence of Him working in my life, do they hear the praise for answered prayer?

This is once again my prayer...Instead of voicing my frustrations with some unmet goal, let me praise the Lord for what has been done. My heart has been helped, now let my mouth give testimony to that.

Before I close I have to tell something about last night that is a little testimony ...

We had Julia's 15 th birthday party last night and had a houseful, even Peepaw and Meemaw and Aunt Sha got to come for it. Most of the crowd had left by 9:30, but as usual, we had some guests until after 11 and of course by then my kids are tired and hyper. I had been telling them to clean up and get p.j.s on while I was still chatting, but I hadn't taken any steps to enforce that other than repeating myself. (Probably a mistake, but it is so disruptive to a conversation to run in the other room and spank 6 kids and come back and try to remember what I was saying.=)) Anyway, after I waved the last people off, I went back in and some of them were still running and jumping off the bunkbeds, etc. And there was abundant evidence in the other room that it was not picked up and many things had been played with besides toys. ( This has been a trend lately anyway, any time we have company. Definitely not a first offense, and we have already discussed this many times.) Needless to say, it got to me. So I lined everyone up and "gave them their due". (Trust me, everyone was guilty.) And sent them to bed. I usually follow all this up with a guilt-inducing lecture on "obeying right away, not wrecking the house, yada, yada, yada..." And I was on the verge of doing it again but ( I know it was the Lord) I just felt that little nudge that it wasn't the right thing to do. I had corrected the problem, now move on. Try to restore fellowship instead of letting them go to sleep thinking I'm still mad. So instead, we had prayer together, and after I hugged and kissed each one, instead of a parting reminder, I suggested "Hank the Cowdog". Can you hear the screams of delight? One chapter of that and it was lights out. Of course they begged for more, but it had done it's job. Fellowship restored.

All that to say, the Lord cares about even the little things and I'm so thankful for His guidance and "reminders".

Ok, I gotta scoot. Ya'll have a good day!

So thankful

2010-07-10T23:07:00.000-07:00

I'm just laying here (yes, I'm aware of the time) waiting to skype with Ed before I go to sleep, and I'm just counting my blessings. Usually I tend to lay here and obsess about everything I didn't get done today, but "in everything give thanks", so I'm trying to start a new habit.

I was just thinking about the Bible study Priscilla and I have every Monday and what a blessing it has been. We've been reading through the book of 1 Samuel and then just discussing the things that we notice (or even at times other topics ;-), and we've also been memorizing the 1 ch of 1 Peter. We have about 5 verses left to finish the chapter, and even though we are always lamenting that we don't work on it as consistently as we intend to, we are doing more than we would otherwise. So that's very exciting and one of the reasons I'm thankful. I'm also very thankful for my sis...we've become very close over the past couple years and she is such a blessing to me. (This does not in anyway exclude any other family member(s), but she is just the one I was thinking of right now.) Love ya Scilla!

I was able to get some laundry this evening...I'm trying not to focus on what I didn't get done only what I did... 2 of the beds have cleans sheets and the bathroom and kitchen are mostly clean.

Oh, oh,...just remembered a huge happy. Asher now has a play yard and has been playing happily in it all day. We were able to get it on sale at Walmart last night (while I was on a hot date with my hubby;-) and I'm so thankful for it. He has gotten so mobile that I just wasn't feeling safe with him in the floor anymore. And it rolls...very convenient.

The aforementioned date was alot of fun. I always value uninterrupted time alone with Ed. (It's my best thing, as the kids would say.)

Also looking forward to tomorrow's services. You know, now that I'm writing it I realize that most of the time I don't take the time to "look forward" to the services until I'm actually in church and enjoying it. It's usually such a marathon of...washing hair, and bathing kids, and laying out clothes, and "oh, does everyone have clean underwear?" and " WHERE did that other shoe go?", etc. Speaking of which, I'm also thankful that everyone does have clean underwear and I did actually manage to find matches for everyone's shoes for tomorrow. Don't laugh, that is not to be underestimated!

Anyway, I need to get off here for now. I got me some skyping to do! (thankful for that too!)

Yep, it's 31

2010-07-06T13:00:00.000-07:00

I can hardly believe that I'm writing this. Last year was scary turning 30, but I could deal with it because I told myself that it' s just past 29. But now... now I'm "in my 30's"! How did that happen? I had to go put on makeup this morning to convince myself that I don't look a day over 20 (Ok, at least 25?).

So maybe I'm being a bit melodramatic... but it is surprising how time sneaks up on you.

My baby. MY oldest child turned 10 on Saturday. I can remember when he was newborn sitting and rocking him and thinking, "I wonder what he will be like at 10?" and then thinking, well I know it will go by fast but I'm just going to enjoy this moment. Well, it has gone fast. I don't feel a day older than I did then, unless you count that I now need naps more often. lol.

I'm so thankful for all the blessings the Lord has showered on me. I have been truly blessed by having the most patient and understanding and loving man ever as my husband; the 7 sweetest, most ornery, most creative, most imaginative, most loving, most forgiving children; and the greatest family and friends I could ever ask for. (Ok now I'm reminding myself of Miss America..." I want to thank my family and friends....") Seriously though, it makes me so much more aware of my responsibilities. I have so many things I would love to see happen in this next year of mine. Top of the list being that I grow closer to my Lord.

I won't lie, it's been a bit of a tough year this past year...for personal reasons. But I trust I can learn from some of the stuff I've gone through. Reading that, I realize that it sounds worse than I mean for it to. But you know how it is, you go through growing pains as a Christian even after you are all done with them as an individual. And the Lord has been showing me areas in my life that I need to improve on and take control of better.

Well, enough introspection for now...

But now you know how to pray for me in this next year if you should happen to wonder. Pray that I am more yielded to the Lord and His working. More sensitive to the Holy Spirit, and more of a testimony of His love and AMAZING GRACE!

Roughin' it

2010-06-12T20:36:00.000-07:00

Dirt, sweat, bugs, wild berries, smoky fire, more dirt, more sweat....yep that was us for about 24 hours or more.

We finally ended up getting off Thurs. afternoon and heading to our camping spot. We got there and realized it was far from any running water (otherwise know as a stream, or lake, or pond, or even a mud puddle). So we had drinking water but no "getting clean" water. Anyway, Ed set up the tent while the kids (including Anna Laurie who was along on this trip) all gathered sticks and pinecones. This was after I sprayed everyone down with bug spray. It was a natural one I found and it worked wonderful. I don't think the mosquitoes bothered us at all. We finally got our fire started and from there went about getting supper. Our menu:

- hot dogs, chips, and s'mores for supper

- bacon, scrambled eggs, bagels, cream cheese and fresh berries for breakfast.

Aside from the bacon, everything was cooked over the fire, and the berries we found there. The kids picked them before breakfast and they tasted sooooo good. I guess being outside makes everything taste so much better but that was some good eatin'!

After supper was done I went about trying to remove some of the dirt before the kids went to sleep but I think I pretty much wasted my time. I felt like I was just smearing the dirt around. And I couldn't see very well by that time, it was dark and we just had the oil lamps. It didn't seem to faze them though. They fell right into their sleeping bags and slept hard. Myself, on the other hand....I wish I could say the same, but once my back stopped hurting, and I finally stopped sweating, I still kept feeling all the dirt in the bed. And let me just say it was a freshly inflated air mattress and clean sheets. =} I guess I did fall asleep because Asher woke up at some unearthly hour of the morning (it was still dark in the tent) and wanted to eat. And kept wanting to eat about every hour or so after that. Then Aaron woke up at the crack of dawn and wanted to start "doing things". First he gathered more pinecones, then he rummaged around in the camp gear for something or other until Ed told him to go sit on the log (we are all still trying to get some sleep), then he shot his BB gun for awhile ( I could hear it pinging off the trees and kept hoping he wouldn't accidentally hit the tent), then when he got tired of that he came to the window and started making faces at Asher and trying to get him to laugh. It was a long morning, I'm not sure what time Ed finally got up but I think I slept a little bit more after that and then finally just gave up and got on up. After the kinks shook loose and I had a cup of coffee, I was good to go again.

It took us the rest of the morning to make and eat breakfast and then starting breaking camp. We got everything cleaned up and packed by around noon (I think...neither of us had a watch so it was hard to tell until we got in the van).

When we got home I sent the kids to the back yard to hose off and I got a shower. I'm not sure which felt better, the air conditioning or the shower, but it was soooooo nice to be clean again. I bathed Asher and Ky, sat down to feed my once again clean baby and took a nap on the couch.

We went to Cracker Barrel with Josh and Rachel for supper, then I slept (quite well) in my own bed again.

Call me crazy, but I would do it all again...just give me a couple of weeks.

Life according to Nemo

2010-05-17T20:55:00.000-07:00

" When life gets you down ya know what ya gotta do. I'll tell ya what ya gotta do. Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming, swimming, swimming..."--- Dory

I know that sounds funny but it sort of describes our life this past week or so.

Starting with Mother's day...

Sat evening I went to the Mother/daughter banquet at Central with Mom, my girls, and my sisters, and we had plans for Sunday. After church, we were going to drive down to Houma to see Ed's Mom. Well, early Sunday morning Ed gets a text that his grandfather is in the hospital and they don't expect him to last much longer. Even though he was 91 yrs old, I think it was still a real shock in a way. He had been stable and, subconsciously, you just always expect your grandfather to be there. We had also been planning for awhile to go and see him but it just hadn't happened.

After a bit of discussion in which I was attempting to pack for any and all contingencies, we went ahead down to Houma and stayed until Monday evening. We found out around 2 Mon. afternoon that Papa was in heaven. Came on home for Ed to be at work Tues. morning but we knew we would be headed right back down there as soon as the funeral arrangements were made. (Papa had been living in Tennessee, but was going to be buried in Houma, LA.) Even though Ed was supposed to work until 6 Thursday morning, when we found out the funeral was to be Thurs. morning, he got off Wed evening and had someone cover the rest of his shift. We took off about 10 that evening getting in around 1:oo am. Then up again about 6:30 as the wake started at 8:00 am. It was a long day, but on the up-side, all of Ed's brothers and sister got to be together for the first time in about 10 years. Since everyone was there, he took one more day off work and we stayed until late Friday evening and then got in about 2:00 am Sat morning. And he had to be to work for 6:00 am. I was bone weary and I know Ed was the same way. At least his job isn't so demanding and he can rest to a degree. It was an overtime shift so he was back home about 7:30 that evening and then we had to run out and go birthday shopping for Isaac whose birthday was Sun. And, yes, we were having his party Sun afternoon because Ed was/is scheduled to work most of this week.

All I can say is, thank the Lord for Mondays! I guess they are for me like Friday is for most other people. I feel like I can breathe again. (Or at least I can grab a gulp of air before we go under again. lol)

I kind of feel like Marlin in "Finding Nemo"....like we've been swimming all over the ocean running into one thing after another. Forgive me if that's a little corny. The kids just saw it again at Ed's folks and I always enjoy watching it with them. It just seemed to fit. =)

I realize most of this has just been technical details but I feel so inadequate to even attempt to put into words all the things you think and feel at times like this. Thank you, to you who have prayed and expressed sympathy. We appreciate it so much.

I should...

2010-05-06T22:09:00.000-07:00

I should be in bed...or at least in the bath getting ready for bed but I haven't been on here all week so I wanted to get a quick post in.

It's been an eventful week...between Asher teething, another round of allergy induced runny noses, and school (Yes, we got some done. More on that in a minute) my house looks like a train ran though it. Or maybe just 6 kids. We tried to clean some this evening, but even with all that the only place that looks decent is the bathroom. Hey, that's something anyway! I have been getting naps every day (planned and unplanned.lol) because last night was the first time since last Friday that Asher slept more than a couple hours. Bless his little heart, he has been miserable, but, thank the Lord, I think the worst is over.

So back to why we got school done this week. haha. I know that sounds funny but it's true. Ed had promised Aaron that he would take him canoeing this Friday, but since he still getting his school done I told him if it wasn't done in time he couldn't go. Closely following that he got an invitation to a birthday party at Laser Mania for next week, also conditional on him completing his school goals. Let me tell you I have NEVER seen a child more motivated. In a day and a half he has completed an entire week's worth of work and started on next week's. Letter perfect. Not one time have I heard "Mom, I just don't get this!" You can't imagine my delight. Now I'm just trying to figure out how to get it to happen again. =) Maybe this will help him realize that if he gets his goals done he will have lots of free time. I sure hope so. As it is we have to keep working through the summer (boo.=() But I'm really hoping it won't be as daunting as I'm expecting it to be. I had soooo hoped to have the summer off, but we just haven't been able to get it done.

Well, I gotta scoot and go get my bath...in case you are wondering why I'm taking one at 12:30 at night it's so I can get completely clean, wash my hair, and shave both my legs at the same time.

Goodnight!

Follow Up

2010-04-28T09:43:00.001-07:00

Okay so just had another thought that sort of follows what I just posted and I had to write it down. It's about grace. Does God only give us grace when we are perfectly able to receive it? Because this isn't the first time for me to ask for grace for the day. Does he wait until we have done certain things to give it?

I was thinking about this and a comparison came to me. I always like to look at things like this from the parent/child relationship perspective.

What do I do when my kids ask me for something? I have this picture in my head of pouring Goldfish into their hands. We show them how to hold their hands just so, but if they are in a hurry it's going to spill. They aren't going to get all that they could have gotten if thy had taken time to "prepare" to receive the Goldfish. (i.e. get a cup, or hold their hands closer together, etc.). They will still get some, but will probably get hungry sooner.

Same with us and getting the things from the Lord that we ask of Him. He is constantly pouring His grace and mercy out on us, but if we never take the time to properly receive it...if we just grab some on the go...we are never going to quite have enough to satisfy. But if we take the time to hold out our hands and arrange them to best carry what He is giving, AND to keep coming back for more...we will have all that we need and then some.

The box of Goldfish (Grace) is going to still be sitting there waiting for the next pair of outstretched hands.

My Quiet Hour

2010-04-28T08:13:00.000-07:00

I have now adopted the hour from 9:00 am to 10:00 am as "my hour". I am to be undisturbed for this hour so can spend some time reading my Bible and praying and preparing for the day.

I don't know why it took my so long to come back to this...tyranny of the urgent I guess...but we (Ed and I) both just realized that I really need this to be able to function. Not just properly but at all.

It came about last week (Thursday night, to be specific) when I was just at the end of my rope. I was literally ready to quit. Period. I had had it with attitudes and unfinished schoolwork, on top of everything else that is part of just living from day to day and taking care of the babies. I have never been so close to quitting homeschooling before. So before bed, I was sharing all of this with Ed over Skype (he was at work) and he tried to encourage me...get some rest, take my vitamins, he would deal with the attitudes when he got home...and then he reminded me of some verses from Matt. "Ask and it shall be given you...". I did. I asked and He gave. He reminded that "without me ye can do nothing" and I knew that I had to start seeking Him every morning.

I know all this sounds like I'm just now learning that I need a quiet time or even that I haven't prayed or read my Bible in 10 years. This is all stuff I've known since I was very young...theoretically anyway. Before I started having babies I had a regular quiet time every day. Then Life happened. I would still read my Bible but it wasn't a consistent thing. And I do talk to the Lord all the time. That truly is a life habit. But there wasn't that quiet uninterrupted time of reading and prayer and preparing myself for the day. Usually the day would just start and I would wake up running from the time my feet hit the floor. ( Or at least dragging. lol) And too, I'm NOT a morning person. It usually takes me forever to wake up. But since Friday morning I have had the most unusual grace to be able to just get right up and not feel like I'm prying my eyes open. I have been taking my vitamins more, but I know it's more than that. It's the Lord. And you can't imagine how wonderful it is to feel "able" to cope with everything my day is going to throw at me, and not feel like I'm barely hanging on.

It's all HIM and my daily prayer is for strength and grace and that I keep coming back for it. I can't get tomorrow's grace today. It's a daily thing.

So now, I get up at 9:00 and have my quiet time. And if the kids wake up before I'm done, they know they have to stay in bed and lay quietly or they can turn on the iPod and play Scriptures until we come tell them it's time to get up.

"Ministry Moments"

2010-04-26T07:55:00.001-07:00

First let me say that I'm stealing most of these thought from Br Johnny's sermon last night although I"m drastically paraphrasing here. But it was such a blessing that it's much on mymind today and I had to share.

Have you ever thought that ministry is not a 4 step plan or a carefully made out list? It's doesn't happen in convenient little time slots and is not wrapped up in neat packages. As Jesus is our example in all things, look at His example in Mark 5: 21-43. He was ministering to a large crowd when Jairus comes running up and begs Him to come with him. he doesn't rebuke him or tell him to wait but immediately gets up and follows...(In other words, what He was already doing was not more important in His mind than Jairus' need). Then on His way to Jairus' house a woman with an issue of blood who has been sick 12 years touches His clothes and is healed. He stops in the middle of this chaotic throng to speak and minister to this woman...and then continues on His way to be met by scoffers and unbelievers. And yet He still ministers to each of these as is needed...He encourages those that don't have faith and gets rid of the mockers and scoffers, and then raises the little girl.

As I said before, I am very much paraphrasing the message and I'm sure not communicating it nearly as well, but this one thought keeps hanging with me.... Do I only minister where and when it's convenient or do I minister in the moment. Can I lay aside my preconceived notions of what my day was "supposed" to be like long enough to see the reals needs of my children or others. Ministry by it's nature is "in the moment", yet I so often tend to think I can minister best by "having a plan". But the best plan is to trust the Holy Spirit's leading on a moment by moment basis. Thank the Lord for His goodness and grace! my prayer is to see and capture all my "ministry moments".

Good-byes

2010-04-15T14:23:00.001-07:00

We got to go down to Wiggins last night to hear Uncle Phil preach for the last time before they all head back to Chile. It was a bittersweet occasion, as all such occasions are. The message was such a blessing (it was actually Ed's first time to get to hear him preach) and it was wonderful to get to see all the kinfolk, as always. But later that evening there were many tears on all sides as we sent them off with prayer and lots of hugs. I know Aaron is going to especially miss Bryson, but hopefully they will get to email back and forth and keep in touch that way.

Daddy also dropped a surprise on us when he announced that they believe the Lord wants them back in Mozambique. They will be going back on tourist visas and just take it one step at a time but he's looking at leaving within a few months time. So driving home last night my head was sort of spinning trying to take it all in. I have gotten used the idea of them being here for awhile..living just down road and all of us (brothers and sisters) living close by. I know we've all said "let's enjoy this while we can because it won't last forever" but I guess in my mind I was still thinking it would last for quite awhile longer. And while I'm thrilled that they are doing the Lord's work I know I'm going to miss them so much! (Here I am crying again just thinking about it.)

Anyway...as Priscilla pointed out, we have had 1 year and a half already so I am very thankful for that. And the Lord holds the future for us all. Isn't that a blessed thought? We have Him to hold our hands every step of the way.

Bible study

2010-04-12T15:30:00.001-07:00

Today my sis and I started our Bible study! I'm really excited about this as I have been wanting to start one for awhile now. We are going to be memorizing 1 Peter and then going through 1 Sam. one chapter at a time. I know I need the accountability when it comes to Bible study but it is hard to make it to church or group Bible studies because of work schedules, etc. So this is great for me!

I think I will make another page on my blog that will relate to this and try to keep updates on there for future weeks. I'm looking forward to seeing what the Lord has for us in this!

Levi's "big boy" haircut

2010-04-05T20:03:00.000-07:00

We just gave Levi his first "Big boy" haircut. Up until now I've just used scissors on him and left the top long enough to comb but Ed said it was time to give him a buzz like the other boys. I was a little sad but afterwards I thought it looked really cute. Here are the before and after pictures.

The Measure of Success

2010-04-02T11:25:00.000-07:00

Ed and I were talking about this subject the other day. What is success in our terms...how does the world view it...our friends and family? I realized that everyone tends to view it differently.

Personally, I find myself struggling (constantly) with feeling like I never quite measure up. That, as a Mom, it's always there dangling just out of reach. Some days I can see it closer, I can even smell it, but it's never really mine. It's always barely out of my grasp no matter how hard I try.

Lately especially....I've struggled and cried and prayed. What does God consider success? For me. Sometimes I find the line between what the Bible says and what everyone else expects (or at least what I perceive other's expectations to be) to be sort of blurry. Where do I draw the line? How do I find balance? I think sometimes that maybe the world at large puts pressure on us as Mom's to be more than is humanly possible.

We've all seen the commercials: Mom works a full time job, yet somehow she waltzes in to a pristine house, fixes a delicious meal in a perfect kitchen in a matter of minutes and the whole family is happily eating and chatting at this perfect table.... you get the picture.

Reality is: I stay home full time, my house is never pristine even if I work for a week solid, meals are never on time, it takes me forever to get them ready, and then we sit down to eat half the time urging everyone to eat fast and stop talking so much so we can "__________".

Now the perfectionist in me is always reminding me of that picture. It doesn't matter that I tell myself that it doesn't happen that way, that it' s not real, etc. Even if I can convince myself that that is not a fair standard there is always the picture of some other homeschooling mom with the perfect schedule and "successful" kids that I find always there to mock me when I screw up yet again.

So I sit and ask myself....what does God really expect? How do I find a way to be content with where I am at and still continue to grow? when will I feel like I have succeeded?

Please don't mistake this for a pity party. I'm not trying to scrounge up some "Oh you poor thing" comments. But this subject has been on my mind lately and this is just my attempt at being honest. I am always having people tell me "How do you do it? You make it look so easy?". I don't know what they are seeing because all I can see is all the places I messed up. And then I wonder...does everyone struggle with this? Do the people I'm viewing as having "IT" all together live just like I do?

I know the Bible says that comparing ourselves to each other isn't wise. So then the true standard is not each other but the Bible. And I KNOW this. So then I'm up against the Proverbs 31 woman...but my question still is, "Am I successful only when I measure up in full to this standard?" I think my downfall is that I excuse not measuring up to the Bible because no one of us can be that perfect until we get to Heaven...but if I see another person (human like me) that is closer to the standard than I am, then I think "well if they can do it why can't I". And maybe that's not the point.

Maybe the Lord is saying the standard for success is not in how much I do or you do but in how much we let HIM do.

I know that when it comes to my children, I don't expect the same things from each one of them. Not because I love one more than another or that my standards for each are different, but because each one is at a different level of maturity or capability. They have different strengths and weaknesses. So then...maybe the Lord sees me the same way. Maybe I'm focusing too much on the external issues that we all see instead of just letting the standard be the attitude of my heart on any given day.

"And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:" 2 Cor. 9:8

I know I will continue to struggle with this issue as time goes by, but my prayer is that I keep looking to the Lord for answers and grace.

Aaron's sleepover

2010-03-25T21:26:00.000-07:00

Meemaw just sent me these pics and I thought they were hilarious. Apparently when everyone was watching Facing the Giants the other night Aaron and Bryson thought it would be fun to "suit up" for the occasion. I'm not sure what the padding was but it sure is funny. Aaron had a ball and I'm so glad he got to go and spend some time with his cousin. Wish we lived closer so they could get together all the time! He is still telling us about everything they did... From what I can gather it involved some Wii, some wrestling, "Pendragon" ( a movie he thought was way cool), and a whole bunch of talking. =)

P.S. There were a couple other shots but I can't get them to upload right now.

Not really sure

2010-03-24T19:12:00.000-07:00

It's been so long since I posted more than one thing at a time I'm kind of rusty, but here's hoping this won't be totally boring.

I've been trying to update just a bit the past few days and I may even change my background again pretty soon. I get my layouts from Shabbyblogs.com and they are free. I've linked to her in my sidebar if you want to check it out.

I also want to add more pictures. I just found out that I can add pages to my blog so I'm over the moon happy about the possibilities there. One of them I'm thinking will be for the kids to tell about (or me to tell for them... however) their cooking experiences. Another may be for books I plan to read or have read. One is already labeled projects and as I have so many of those on my to do list I'm hoping I can start filling it up.=) I may even post one to record my workouts...when I ever get around to doing them. Maybe that will help motivate me. Or what is that word I'm looking for? I'm plenty motivated...all I have to do is look in the mirror or see an older picture or pull out an outfit I can no longer wear and I'm "there". (You know where "there" is..it's that big red spot that follows you around. Yeah, that one.) Maybe I just need to prioritize my time better. Anyway, you get the point.

I always get inspired to blog when I read other people's. So maybe that's what got me going.

Anyway...that's all my time for now but I'll hopefully be checking back in soon.

In case you ever wondered...

2010-03-21T15:28:00.001-07:00

I have been wanting to update my blog for some time now but I guess I've just been too busy living life to write about it.

What do I do that could keep me that busy you ask? Hmmm, let me see... let's go back to the last week of Feb.

The plans are to leave for TX on Wed (before the wedding on Sat.) so we will have time to visit Aunt Carol first. On Mon. morning I get Janell to come and stay with the kids so I can go work on my dress some more. And I needed to find shoes and various other things for the wedding. So I took a couple hours to do some running, and ,thank the LORD, I was able to get everything taken care of in a short amount of time. (An absolute miracle.) Than I headed to Mom's to try to finish up my dress. ( I had planned to sew at my own house but my machine chose the week before to die on me, so I had to end up doing it all at Mom's. Gotta say I love her serger!) I was there until late again but I got all the machine work done, thanks to Mom's wonderful help. Then I headed home. Tues. I spent all day cleaning and doing laundry. I was going to pack but since all (and I do mean ALL) our clothes were dirty I had to get them clean first. =) Wed. morning finds me exhausted, half-packed and with 2 kids running fever. yay. Ed got home that morning so we decided to just see how the kids did and go ahead and finish the packing. I finally got all the packing done by late afternoon and Lela was the only one still running fever. But we got the van all packed and decided to just load up the kids and take off and pray that Lela's fever would be gone by the time we got to TX. We didn't really have a choice as it's an 8 hour trip and we had to be in Beaumont for Friday morning. The longer you wait once you are packed the more time you give for something else to go wrong...=) So 7:30 pm we head out. We had to make a couple of stops for Ed to nap, but we finally made it in to Aunt Carol's about 5:30 am Thurs morning. ( Oh, and Lela's fever was gone...praise the Lord!) we all crashed for about 3 0r 4 hrs. and then we were up again. We had a great visit, although it was way too short. We spent the day just chatting and the kids played games and watched movies. Then Friday morning we headed to Beaumont. Needless to say everything after that was just a blur...bridesmaids luncheon, rehearsal, misc. running, getting ready, and wedding time. The wedding was gorgeous and it was so much fun getting to meet new people. It was good to head for home though. We packed up Sun. morning hoping to be back for the evening services but after a dozen potty breaks it's safe to say we didn't make it.

Ed had to be right back to work Mon. morning and the kids and I slept in. I took me the next whole week to recoup (i.e. unpack, clean, do laundry, and sleep) and then I had to start in on school of course and getting my consignment stuff ready for the sale. I won't bore you with the details of all that but suffice it to say it takes up waaayyyy more time and space than you would think. I usually spend all my time thinking "is this really worth it?". But when I get the check afterwards it always is.

We finally have our new math curriculum in and the kids ( and myself too) are really liking it. We've done a decent amount of school since we got home so I can't complain too much there. I think we will be working off and on over the summer though. We just lost too much time last year. Oh well...it will keep us in practice at least.

Last Sat. was Peepaw's 86th birthday so we went down to Wiggins with Mom and Daddy for the day. I took a bunch of pictures and a video clip so I will try to post them as well. When we stopped at the Walmart down there we saw bunch of baby bunnies for sale and ended up coming home with one. He was the cutest little thing and Aaron named him Twitch. The kids, of course, loved him to death and surprisingly he wasn't scared of all the commotion. After the first day I let him out around the house a bit. Mon evening Ed set up the tent so the kids could sleep in it and unfortunately one of them thought it would be a good idea to take Bunny outside to sleep too. Problem was they had already been told not to... our puppy ended scared the bunny so much it jumped out of their hands and escaped out the back fence. The kids came running in crying their little hearts out to tell us about it and we looked for him over an hour but never found him. I think I felt as bad as they did about it. I'm hoping we can get another one (or maybe two) really soon. It's a hard way to learn a lesson but maybe it did more good than all the sermons I could preach.

Anyway,...I hope I haven't bored you with too many details...in so many ways my life literally does consist of dishes, laundry, school, diapers, and other mundane things...but on the other hand it's so much more. I'm seeing my children grow and learn and change. I'm still learning how to deal with attitudes and the challenges unique to each child. We've decided that Aaron is too old for spankings so we need to find other ways of disciplining him when necessary...he just got to go on his first sleepover this past weekend with his cousin. Lela swings between being a normal 8 yr old who is a bit bossy..to being an unbelievably mature little girl who can clean the kitchen and get her little brothers in bed when I have a migraine. For Alyssa, the challenge is to see that she faces reality while not smothering her spontaneity and imagination. She has an amazing memory and almost outstrips Aaron and Lela in reading and spelling. She and Lela are both taking quilting lessons from Mom and are learning to use the sewing machine. The love it and are learning fast!

Isaac is so loving and goes around singing most of the time. He charges through life with reckless abandon. It occurred to us the other day that he needs more responsibility now so his chore list has grown. And we have to constantly remind both him and Levi to not be so rough. They go from being best friends to best enemies and back again. It's certainly never quiet when they are around. Levi is our charmer... 150% BOY. He usually has a sparkle in his eyes because he's trying to pull a prank or he thinks someone's corny comments are hysterical. He is a perfectionist and has to have each article of clothing on just so (compared to Isaac who honestly wouldn't care if he didn't have any on =). He's enamoured with "army guys" and keeps saying " I love you, Mama. Know what, I would like a BB gun and a bow and arrow foy my buthday".

Kyla is a little busy body. She thinks she is grown and runs around taking care of whatever "project" she deems important. She loves to help clean, to "mother" Asher to death, and to change her clothes 5 times a day. Don't laugh, but I finally had to find a long ribbon that I tied from her beltloop to mine just so I could keep track of her. Asher is just growing fat and happy. He weighs over 17 lbs now and has found his voice. He squeals, coos, babbles and blows spit bubbles. He does not like being alone at all, but for the most part is a very content little guy.

Ed is as amazing as ever. I think I mentioned that he photographed Lauryn's wedding, and, may I say, they are fantastic pictures. He manages to juggle work, photography, being a daddy/husband, and all the other things people call on him for with seemingly no effort at all.

He keeps me balanced out. =)

Me, well, I'm still trying to get my ducks in a row. haha. Don't think they ever will cooperate but I still try. I'm hoping to start working out any day now and maybe even find a spare minute for scrapbooking.

I do apologize for the book. =) If I haven't totally scared you off by now, I'll see you next time!

My new diet

2010-02-20T21:16:00.000-08:00

I am on a stress-free diet.

Absolutely No:

- Quandries

- Crises

- Hitches

- Glitches

- Snafus

- Predicaments

Not even a little pickle.....

But I can have all the chocolate I want! =)

"At least we are dancing"

2010-02-20T21:02:00.000-08:00

The other day I was picking up the toyroom/dressing room for the millionth time, and I made the comment to Ed (who was helping me) that so many times it seems like life is 2 steps forward 3 steps back and I absolutely loved his answer. He just smiled and replied "At least we are dancing".

The more I thought about it the more I realized how much truth there was in that. I don't know too much about dancing but I do know that it takes two people and alot of work but can be so much fun. Just like a marriage or a family. It IS a lot of work, but it's alot of fun too and I'm so thankful for my man who constantly makes me see the bright side of everything.

I found a quote not too long ago that I just loved and I scrapbooked it into a frame to remind myself:

"Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, it's learning to dance in the rain". Ed's a fantastic "dancer" and he is teaching me to be too.

Random facts about me

2010-02-02T11:51:00.000-08:00

My family probably knows some of these since they grew up with me.

1. I once played a chinhead in a skit at youth camp.

2. I also once stole a pair of polka dot boxers from the boys dorm and ran them up the flag pole ( I was a counselor that time and I had help =)

3. I am not a huge fan of sports (I could honestly care less who wins the Super Bowl;-), but I like soccer.

4. I love to climb trees (yes, even now).

5. I would live on a farm if I could.

6. I don't like assumptions.

7. I think processing deer into sausage is unbelievably disgusting, and I helped.

8. I like doing things myself and hate having to ask for help.

9. I am very "greener is better" but just because it's healthier, not because I think we are killing the ozone.

10. I have a hard time reconciling my sentimental side with my practical side.

11. I love cleaning, organizing, and interior design.

12. I love to read....in fact, I'm useless if I ever really get into a good book, until it is finished.

13. I am afraid of heights, spiders, and snakes.

14. I love airports and airplanes.

15. I am super non-confrontational.

16. I am a huge fan of independent thinking.

17. My favorite Scripture passages are Psalm 91, Phil. 1:6, and 1 Cor. 13.

18. I am addicted to coffee and dark chocolate.

19. I find it easier to communicate on paper than in person.

20. I think being married to my best friend, and raising our children and following the LORD together, is the best life there is.

21. Oh yeah, and I have never ridden on a roller coaster but I would like to sometime (I think).

Kyla

2010-01-30T13:58:00.000-08:00

Kyla loves to sing and one of her favs right now is "o be careful little eyes what you see". Except her version goes "foy da Fader uppa sairs is looking downa sairs, o be ca-ful litta feet whe you go". It cracks me up every time I hear her. =)

housewise

2010-01-29T20:19:00.000-08:00

I've been meaning to post about this too:

I know I mentioned in an earlier post that I wanted to get a grip on my house again as it just seemed out of control. Well, right after that, Ed and I were talking and the Lord just brought to mind a good way to accomplish that.

I don't know if I've said before but our house is pretty small (3 bedroom,1 bath) and as much as we love it, I sometimes feel like we are about to push the walls out. We do have a huge back yard which I'm soooo thankful for, but anyway...back to what I was talking about. We discussed it and decided it would be a good idea to put all the kids in one of the rooms (using a couple sets of bunkbeds) and put all the clothes and toys in the other room, instead of having your traditional boys room/girls room. We were spending so much time just on clean-up and rewashing clean laundry that never made it to the drawers. I desperately need to be efficient if I'm ever going to make any progress and we figured this would be a good way to accomplish that. Sooo, first week of January we were busy rearranging our entire house. As of last week sometime I finally got it all sorted out and I have to say I LOVE it. The washer and dryer were already in the boys room so we made that the dressing room/toy room, and the other room is the sleeping room. I allow nothing in there except the beds and blankets and an occasional book. It has made a huge difference in my laundry already. I can stand there and fold and put away everything within just a few steps. And it has made the kids toys available again but they can only pull out a couple things at a time. I already feel so much more organized because it sort of consolidated alot of miscellaneous stuff too. For example, I now have a drawer for all the girl's hair stuff and jewelry. Another drawer for hats, gloves, and backpack/purses. Just little things like that. They don't seem like a big deal in themselves but it all adds up. =)

Ed and I still have our own stuff in our room and Asher's stuff is in the hall on the changing table. It is already helping and I'm looking for the day when I can see the bottom of my laundry baskets. hahaha. Yeah, I know I'm dreaming on that one.

Anyway,... so far I've made a decent start on some of my goals for this year.

Feeling very thankful!

Miracles still happen...

2010-01-29T19:59:00.000-08:00

It's true...I know, because this week we have gotten school done EVERY day. Don't laugh. I'm sure that for most of you that wouldn't qualify as a miracle but for me it sho' nuff is. =)

We started back doing school the 2nd week of January and it has actually been going pretty good. I'm really enjoying our curriculum for a couple of reasons. 1) it's easy to use, 2) it reinforces natural ways of learning and is classical in style, and 3) I'm seeing improvement in my kids.

We still haven't settled on a Math curriculum though...we ruled out Saxon for now as it was just way too much for me to handle, but are looking for a good alternative that will be user friendly as well as something that will move the kids forward quickly. I'm terrible at Math so it needs to be fairly self-explanatory. =) A friend just recommended Math-U-See so I want to check that out.

I was talking to Mom last night and we were discussing the possibilities of an end-of-school production the kids can put on. Somewhere around the first of June. I do realize that is still down the road a ways but I have to start planning for it now. =)I think it would be alot of fun as well as encouraging to them to see how far they have come and get to show off some of what they have learned. I'm hoping and praying we can finish our goals in time to have the summer off. So far we've never had that, but as I said...miracles still happen. =)

Looking Forward...and back

2009-12-30T10:34:00.000-08:00

I know I have said this before, but I just love New Year's. Not because we do anything in particular to celebrate, but because it is a new beginning. It's kind of like Mondays only way bigger. To me it sort of symbolizes a chance to try again and get more things right this year than last...to grow more and learn more and maybe even have some new adventures.

I have several goals for myself this year:

- I want to get on track with homeschooling (as I had expected we lost alot of time with the baby and off and on throughout the pregnancy).

- I want to start working out again as soon as it is safe.

- I want to get a grip on my house again. ( I'm kind of feeling like everything is out of control..clutter, etc.)

- I want to have specific times once a week for scrapbooking and blogging.

- I especially want to be more consistent in a daily quiet time, which I know will help me in accomplishing my other goals.

- And I have several specific prayer requests that I would like to see answered. ( I will share them as they happen, ok. )

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Then in looking back over the past year I realize how many blessings we have had.

The most recent, of course, being our little Asher. He is such a joy and we all love him to no end.

The salvation of 2 more of my children right before Asher was born and Alyssa's baptism back in Jan. ( I actually had to check back through my archives to see if that was this year or not. lol. Sure glad I have this blog. )

Ed's photography business seems to be picking up a bit. He hopes to see that take off more in this new year as well.

I have so enjoyed having my family here in the States again and living close by.

We have had a jam packed year of stuff that I would be hard put to record all of it. There's been lots of fun and good times but there's been tough times and tears too.

Last Christmas I miscarried our twin boys and more recently we lost my Grandfather on my Mom's side. We typically think of these things as only bad but in alot of ways they can be blessings because of what they teach us. It's taught me to value the people in my life more and not to take things for granted as much. It's teaching me to trust the Lord more.

There have been the frustrations any normal Mom faces of trying to be all that you need to be and not always succeeding...and there have been the joys of my children's hugs and "I love you's". The challenges of how to deal with one more mess when the day has already been a disaster, and the sweetness of getting a brownie and hot chocolate as your breakfast in bed. The feeling of, "will I ever get this Math concept through their heads?" and the delight when they excitedly tell you the newest thing they learned in History. The despair of ever getting your son to think before he says whatever is on his mind and the emotion when he shares his burden for lost souls.

It's everything in our lives...the good and the bad..that works together to make us into a people that can bring glory to the God who made us and saved us.

Looking forward to what this new year brings!

My top 10 favorite things about Christmas!

2009-12-25T18:35:00.001-08:00

10. Getting the Pottery barn Christmas magazines. =)

9. Decorating the house.

8. Listening to "Alvin and the Chipmunks" or "Bing Crosby".

7. Helping the kids draw names with each other.

6. Shopping for presents.

5. Baking and decorating our gingerbread houses and cookies.

4. A beautifully wrapped present.

3. Going Christmas caroling with our church.

2. Stuffing the stockings.

1. Spending time with all my family!

I know I have probably surprised many of you by not mentioning the "Christmas story", or various other typical Christian aspects of Christmas as being favorite things. But isn't Christ our reason for rejoicing at any time of year? His coming to earth is the reason we have eternal life and I have always thought that we should celebrate Christ's birth all year long. So please forgive me if I don't automatically think of Christmas as Jesus birthday. For me, it's a special time for giving gifts and spending time with family and rejoicing in our blessings. Everything we have or enjoy is because of Christ.

Now, having said that, Luke Ch 2 definitely has special meaning to me and I have recently found myself identifying (in a small way) with what Mary must have been going through when she traveled pregnant on a donkey to a strange city to have her firstborn baby in a cold drafty barn delivered by a man who was probably still somewhat of a stranger to her, even though they were married. I was asked to be Mary in our Christmas play this year and since I was pregnant up until 2 weeks before the play, it has really been on my mind alot. I don't pretend at all that my situation is the same as hers, but it has made me wonder....what was she thinking? what was Joseph thinking? She was a real person, and Jesus was a real baby. I can only imagine that she was as overwhelmed as I always am every time I look into the face of my baby, or nurse him, or feel his tiny wight in my arms and know that I'm responsible for raising him. Except that must have been magnified many times over for her, by knowing that she was holding the Saviour of the world. Is it possible to comprehend something like that? Of was that just something she came to understand the full meaning of as she raised Him and watched Him grow and then watched Him crucified?

I don't know, but I do know this...no matter the season, no matter the time of year...I want my life to celebrate my living Saviour in every way, no matter what we are doing.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Pics to come soon!

2009-12-13T23:38:00.000-08:00

Well my sweet hubby got me the most awesome camera for Christmas...so now I can take pics myself again. Fair warning...they may not be his quality, although at some point I hope to be a second shooter for his business, but I have to learn first. I'm so excited about it! I'll be posting more pics on my blog now hopefully!

We had a great time with the Christmas play tonight and I thought my little angels and shepherds looked completely adorable. They sang really well too. Of course Isaac would not be still and kept using his shepherds staff as a gun. lol. That ought to make some great film footage.

Good thing I was playing Mary or I might have been a little more stressed about it, as it was I didn't find out until afterward and by that point I could laugh.

Well, Asher is hungry and it's late so I've gotta scoot. Looking forward to a great week...hope you are too!

! week old

2009-12-06T21:25:00.000-08:00

Asher is 1 wk old today and he just found his thumb. Soooo sweet! I love it. Ed says it's cause we homeschool that he's so smart. Lol.

My baby and me (oh and Asher too ;-)

2009-12-01T16:22:00.000-08:00

Hello to all! I'm sure you have heard the good news by now and seen pics of my new dolly. I just have to say I have the most amazing husband ever! How many guys do you know can deliver their own babies and handle it like it's no big deal....even when you know otherwise. That's my man!

In spite of (or perhaps because of) the couple weeks of start and stop pre-labor, when it actually came time everything went really well. I went to bed Sat night hoping so much that I would be in labor in the morning but not really believing it would happen. (Mon. was my due date and Ed had to go back in to work that morning, so I was feeling antsy about it all.) Lo and behold I woke up feeling contractions around 7:30ish. I waited just a bit to see if they would continue and then let Ed know I would probably just be staying home. In spite of ctx. (contractions) being good and strong when I had one, I was still able to get around and do stuff in between times and felt very normal.lol. So we got up and started getting the kids ready for church and Ed called Pete and Holly to see if they could come and take them in the van. After we got them off, it was a nice quiet morning ...we ate and then went for a walk around the block, and then started doing a bit of cleaning when we got back. Labor continued nicely with me having to stop and breathe through ctx. but still able to keep working in between. It was so nice to have the house quiet and to ourselves for those few hours. I was able to just relax and let things happen. After church we called Mom and let her know what was going on and she and Priscilla got here about 2:00pm. Labor was just starting to get harder at this point so it was good timing. (I think Ed checked me and I was at 8). Ctx. were coming closer together now and Mom rubbed my feet and Ed would keep counter pressure on my back. (Can I just say he somehow knew what I needed when with out me having to say a word.) Time seemed to sort of slow down for me at this point as I knew I was close to pushing but wanted to take it slowly and not risk tearing or anything, especially as this wasn't a water birth. It was sort of crazy but all at once I wanted to be all the way up on the bed instead of on the edge so everyone had to do a quick scramble to get into position again. (Did I mention Holly came over too at some point in here? It was the most people I have had at a birth but it was so nice to have all the extra hands and I had talked about the possibility with each one beforehand too.) I was so glad to have the extra support at my back and within a few minutes I was pushing....harder than I have ever pushed in my life. His head was huge! (we measured later and it was almost 15" around) then a quick rest before the shoulders and rest of him came out. Usually we wait for the next contraction but Ed was calmly encouraging me to go ahead and try to push the rest of him out so I did, and with him came about 20 gal of water (as Mom put it =). It totally soaked Ed and the bed and everything else . lol . When I opened my eyes I realized why Ed was wanting me to get him out...he had the cord wrapped twice around his neck and was looking a little blue. But Ed got him untangled right away and he started crying and he pinked up before too long. Even with all that is was/is such a calm baby. He hardly cries at all. Anyway, everything was fine and we are just thanking the Lord for another wonderful blessing. He weighed 10 lbs and 8 oz and measured 21" length. Needless to say, I feel soooo much lighter. lol.

The kids all got to come home and meet their Asher after church that night (in fact the whole family got to come meet him), and already love him to death. Ky would make him her personal doll if we let her and everyone wants to hold him all the time. I have let them a couple times but don't want to wear him out...in a family this big it can happen fast.=) Besides I really am hoping to keep him well if at all possible.

So I am just thanking the Lord for all His blessings...a wonderful husband( you are my hero), my 7 precious babies (I 'm so proud to be your Mommy), that this labor and delivery was safe and healthy for both of us, I'm recovering great from all that, and for all the rest of my family and friends who are there anytime I need them. I'm so thankful for all of you!

Asher Edward Blakeman

2009-12-01T07:35:00.000-08:00

Jessica will probably have a post for today but I wanted to post a few pictures for those of you that are not on facebook and have not seen pictures of the new Blakeman. Asher was born at 4:21 on Nov 29. He weighed 10lb 8oz. He is doing great and mom is as well. Getting that much needed rest and sleeping on her belly for the first time in a few months. Any way here are the pics.

Birth announcements

2009-11-20T22:33:00.000-08:00

Announcing the birth of Lela Anne Blakeman and Isaac Daniel Blakeman into the Family of God today sometime around 2:30 pm. It was amidst many tears of joy and all their siblings were present! Yes, I am rejoicing!

Ok, so I'm not trying to fake anybody out...lol...but I thought it highly appropriate since we are awaiting the birth of one baby and get blessed with 2 of our children being born again.

It started as the most mundane day ever. Breakfast, chores, then I herd everyone to my room for some quick scripture reading while I trim nails for everyone. (Yeah, I know you totally wanted to know that. We have our mani/pedi's en masse around here. =) I had the oldest take turns reading and then we moved on to folding clothes when Isaac started asking me questions about dying...what happens, etc. (He's been doing that alot lately.) So it led to talking about salvation and what salvation means and how you get saved and why. We have never wanted to push any of our children into a false profession or anything. As much as we desire their salvation, we wanted it to come from their own recognition of their need. So I guess you could say I was expecting the conversation to be over when he asked if we could pray before we do any more laundry. It took me by surprise and I asked him " Do you mean you want to pray to be saved?" and he said "Yes, ma'am". So of course I said yes, and then Lela immediately spoke up and said "I want to be saved too", and that just completely did me in. I have really been burdened about her for some time. I knew she understood and she is always talking about salvation like she had already been saved and loves to read her Bible but she had never come and spoken to us about it if she had. So I have been praying specifically for her recently and for wisdom to know if or when to approach her about it. So, needless to say, I was just overwhelmed to have 2 such blessings heaped on me at one time. By this time, we were all crying, so we joined hands and Lela prayed first and then I prayed and then Isaac prayed. Even Aaron and Alyssa were crying their eyes out. Levi and Ky were the only 2 that weren't and they couldn't quite figure out what was going on. lol. Apparently Aaron and Alyssa have really been pushing Lela about salvation themselves recently and she would keep putting them off saying she wanted to wait until "Papa was home" or something like that. Well, she told me later that, today she didn't want to wait anymore, she figured she could call Papa later but she want to be saved NOW.

I let them call Ed right away and tell him the good news and he, of course, was as overjoyed as the rest of us and wanted to hear all the details. He told Lela that "his eyes were leaking too". =)

Did I mention that I have sooooo much to be thankful for! How can we find enough words to express what all God has done for us! My 4 oldest children are now all saved. How great is our GOD!!!!

Thanksgiving Time

2009-11-18T23:24:00.000-08:00

Here it is Thanksgiving time, one of my favorite times of the year, and all I've been thinking about it how miserable I am feeling right now. I am truly ashamed of myself...

Since I try to keep my blog honest (as well as providing news) I guess I'm going to have to share.

I'm to that point in my pregnancy where I wake up every morning hoping that the baby will surely make an appearance today and it keeps putting me in a bad mood when every day I'm still huge, and achy, and clumsy, and miserable. I'm so distracted I can hardly focus on getting school done, and my feet swell when I'm on them for any length of time cleaning. I've done everything I can think of to get ready for baby (many times over) and now it's just a waiting game. The most frustrating part is that I feel like my life is on hold while I helplessly wait for whatever is coming....long labor, short labor, hard, easy, soon or a week from now?

Now that is probably all just hormones talking but it is very real for me. I guess the best medicine when you are feeling like nothing can go right and you are counting all the "wrongs" in your life, is to read about someone who has had it worse and been through more. Then suddenly things don't look quite as bad as they did.

That is what has happened to me.

I've been reading this other blog this evening (that I will be adding to my blogroll) about a mom w/4 kids, and she was telling how her last son was diagnosed with heart failure early in the pregnancy. Anyway, I'll let you follow up on that story later if you want. The link is here http://www.mycharmingkids.net/ and I've really enjoyed it. I agree with her perspective on soooo many things, but what moved me most was her son's story. It made me stop and realize how much I take for granted that I should be consciously and consistently thanking the Lord for. We all have rough times in our lives, but instead of dwelling on the bad and letting the devil drag us down into defeat, we should be counting our blessings.

So I want to end this with listing some of mine:

-I'm thankful for my Lord Jesus Christ, without Whom I would have nothing

-I'm thankful for my wonderful husband, words can't describe what he is to me

-I'm thankful for my 6 sweet, healthy, active, beautiful children...who keep my life full and interesting and love me unconditionally

-I'm thankful for the little one who will be making an appearance soon...I can't wait to meet you

-I'm thankful this has been a healthy pregnancy

- I'm thankful for loving, supportive family and friends who are always ready to help and encourage

- I'm thankful for the wonderful church the Lord has put us in and the blessing it always is

--I'm thankful for my home and health and food and clothing...

and all the other material and spiritual blessing that my Heavenly Father showers me with each and every day. I have a framed print on my wall that reminds me "In Everything Give Thanks". Now I need to remember to do just that.

Check out this link

2009-11-18T21:41:00.000-08:00

I have been busy this evening doing some blog surfing and my husband put me on to this website, and in consequence I found this particular post. Because this speaks to a topic that is very near to my heart (and, might I add, one I needed some reminders on just now!) I wanted to post it here for you to enjoy as well. Hope it is as much of an encouragement and blessing to you as it was to me.

http://www.mycharmingkids.net/2008/12/submission-is-not-four-letter-word.html

A peek through my window

2009-11-11T21:55:00.001-08:00

Thought some of you might like to see this shot Ed just took of our living room. I thought it came out pretty good as long as you ignore me in the corner. =)

Trust

2009-11-04T21:55:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I keep starting posts and then not getting to finish them and they end up in drafts and my blog is still not updated....

This is just some thoughts running through my head lately....reflections on my own life as well as stuff shared from others, conversations, etc. ( Are you scared yet? Run while you still can. =)

But it's just about trusting the Lord and the ways He teaches us these lessons. I hope I can express what I'm thinking here without coming across the wrong way. I know, for many people, the way we live is hard to understand. We have a large family, don't really practice birth control, we homeschool, have our babies at home unassisted, and try to live as naturally and self-sufficiently as we can. In a large part, I guess you could say that it's because we are trusting the Lord, but, for me, in some of these cases it's something that I just feel comfortable with doing things this way. Particularly unassisted homebirth. I don't guess I've discussed this on here much, if at all, but I guess now is as good a time as any to share my thoughts and perspective on this issue. With my due date getting closer and closer (and my belly getting bigger and bigger=) this is on my mind alot.....but, let me go back to the beginning.

I first got interested in homebirth before I ever met my husband. We were attending a missions workshop in a little town in TX and while there, one of the ladies we knew had her baby. Ok so not AT the workshop literally, but they had a trailer and she had it at home and her husband delivered. I remember thinking it was the coolest thing I had ever heard of and hoped that one day maybe my husband could do the same thing. (No offense to anyone, but I'm not a huge fan of Dr.'s or hospitals. =p) Anyway, fast forward a couple years, I'm just married and pregnant with Aaron. We knew right away we wanted a home birth and started doing tons of research. I read every book the library had on birth, pregnancy, etc....medical or otherwise. And I researched online too. We wanted to know what we were talking about. AND I got hooked. I absolutely love reading about and studying birth. To me it is one of the most miraculous/exciting/emotional/lifechanging experiences there is. The more I read the more excited I became and the more convinced that I wanted to have this baby at home with just Ed to deliver. Well, the Lord had other plans, Ed had gone on a quick mission trip and was going to be home before my due date, but I ended up going into labor before he got home. Thank the Lord, Mom was there and (as we had already agreed on if this did happen) took me to the hospital. It was a quick, fast, natural labor and delivery, but I did have to fight for it(or rather Mom did for me). Long story short, I know the Lord worked things out like that for His own reasons and I have no regrets, but it definitely reinforced the idea that homebirth was best. I believe that birth is a natural process that our bodies were uniquely designed for and (in most cases) it's not a medical emergency. Just as you wouldn't go to the Dr every time you ate to make sure your food was digesting properly or just in case you choke, neither is it necessary for a healthy pregnancy and birth. Well, 15 months later we had our first homebirth. A waterbirth. And I could go on for each one... We've had a total of 5 unassisted homebirths and 1 unassisted (late) miscarriage.

Every pregnancy and birth has been unique, but they have all been relatively healthy and each one a learning experience. I don't ever want to get to the point where I think I have learned it all and don't need to study anymore. I try to research more every pregnancy and see what I've missed with other ones, more health, nutrition, exercise tips. Whatever. I want to keep learning.

Now, I said all that to say, having our babies at home is not a responsiblity we take lightly, nor do we object to medical care if it's needed. (My husband is an EMT after all=) But we feel this is the direction the Lord has led us in, and let me add, it's not for everyone. The Lord leads each of us differently, and we all have different circumstances so please don't get the idea that I'm preaching everyone should do things the way we do. Not at all. My whole point here is about trust. Do we trust the Lord with our lives and all of the little details? This is something I have to keep asking myself. Why do I/we do this....or anything...the way we do? Is it because it makes us feel better, to prove a point, or because we believe it's God's will for our lives. Hopefully it's the latter. But it's a good thing to keep asking. And I think that God brings things to our attention to remind us to refocus on Him.

I love to talk about birth and enjoy sharing my own experiences, but I know that not everyone shares my passion so I hope this wasn't too boring. I purposely kept the details out as I know they might not be universally enjoyed.

Anyway, as always I like feedback, so give me your thoughts.

In memory of my Grandfather Gerrell Dale Behringer

2009-10-18T21:27:00.000-07:00

Lovin' me some cool weather!

2009-10-18T20:27:00.001-07:00

Happy fall everyone! I know it has been awhile since I updated and I was ready for some new scenery anyway. Hope you like the new look as much as I do. I'm really going to try harder to post more pics. You know the wife of the photographer...... it's crazy that I don't have more pics on here.

To catch you up... school is going great! I'm very happy with our progress. The kids are enjoying it and we are always finding ways to streamline our way of doing it. Aaron, Lela, and Alyssa are confirmed bookworms and I have to say I'm so proud of them! They go through several books a week. I occasionally will get frustrated when I find them reading during chore time but it's always tempered with memories of myself doing the same thing as a kid and I can't help but smile (behind their backs, of course)! Isaac is on the verge of reading... I had to find a book no one had been through because he had already memorized everything else, and naturally assumed he could already read. =) Levi and Ky both beg for " 'cool work" too so I try to keep color pages handy for them.

I'm eagerly looking forward to getting to shop the fall DFD sale on Tues! I can't wait to see what I'll find this time. With this cool front that has come through, my girls are especially needing some long sleeves now.

Besides school and sale prep, I have been having fun getting baby stuff ready. Ed and I are both thinking this will be a boy ( no reason really...just because) so I initially only washed up the baby boy stuff. The kids have enjoyed it as much as I have, cooing and oohing over the tiny little clothes. Which led to Alyssa asking how big she was when she was born. It made me realize that I hadn't gotten out the albums in awhile so I drug them out and we had alot of fun looking at how tiny they were. Which also led to a couple other reminders....1) it made me wash the girls clothes too because the newborn pics of Alyssa were in boy onesies and blankets (apparently we thought she would be a boy too), and 2) it showed me again just how quickly time goes by. It still seems as though Aaron and Lela and Alyssa should be the babies, and now they are 9 and almost 8 and 7. The other thing I noticed is, that I don't have near enough pages scrapbooked of the youngest ones. We have tons of pics but I haven't had the time to scrapbook a fraction of them.

So I've been busy making mental notes of all the things I want to remind myself about! Guess I should get some of those down on paper where I can be reminded, huh?

Anyway, I could go on but it's getting late and I'm hoping my banana bread will be out of the oven soon.

Until next time.....

Money talks

2009-09-26T12:17:00.000-07:00

I have been spending the last week doing my consignment prep and wardrobe inventory to see who needs what, so I guess this subject is kind of on the brain right now.

I would love to hear from all of you who care to participate in regards to how much you spend per child per year on clothing. I'm talking all seasons, shoes, undies, pjs, coats,.....everything.

I'm going to be brave and tell you all how much we end up spending here. Let me first say that without the Lord's help we definitely could not make it. We do get given a good amount of clothing, some of which we can use some we can't, but I have also begun to consign clothing. A couple years ago I stumbled across a consignment sale that is held here locally twice a year called Duds for Doodlebugs (once in the spring and once in the fall). It it owned by a stay-at-home Mom who also homeschools, and it's run by volunteers. Us basically. Anyone who volunteers gets a larger % of the sales, plus first pick of the merchandise. At first, I just shopped there and was so happy with all the nice quality and good prices, but then I realized that if I consigned I could make some money as well. Even if it just went back into the clothing that I needed to buy, it would still be helping us to save money in the long run. So that got me started.

Up to this point I had been saving my kids clothes for a couple seasons to a couple years ahead from things that were given to us, or things the older ones had outgrown, etc. But with 6 kids it was getting really hard to store that much stuff, much less keep it organized and accessible. So I started going through all my boxes and tubs and consigning stuff from that primarily. It has really paid off.

For this sale coming up, I went through the "last" of the stuff I had stored (not counting a starter set of boy/girl baby clothes for the new baby). It is so nice to have the extra storage room as well as the extra money to shop for the kids. I know that by the spring sale I will have more clothes to put in again.

I primarily shop the consignment sale for the kids because, not only do you get good prices, you also get name brand clothing. If I happen to run across a really good sale elsewhere (for birthdays) I will buy something new. And, of course, all undies/socks are new. So, all that being said, I estimated our expense for all 6 of our kids to be in the ball park of $600. That breaks down to about $100 per kid per year. Now, let me say, that with what I make at the sales, we only end up with maybe a little over a $100 worth of out-of-pocket expenses.

Again, I know that without the Lord's help, none of this would be possible. But, I am very excited about the fact that I can dress my kids well in name brand clothing (which to me translates "quality" not "prestige") for cheaper than if I bought everything new from Walmart. I will add that it IS alot of work, but the benefits are worth it to me. And isn't that part of our Mommy job anyway?

As a side note, I will occasionally do some sewing too, and I did factor that cost in, but, for the most part, I have found that the time involved is not always cost effective. I have been doing some sewing lately, but it's projects that have been on the back burner for a long time and it's high time I got them finished. Stuff like a couple pillowcase dresses for Kyla (which are very popular right now), some skirts for the girls (which is one of the harder things to find that actually fit them). They are tall and have tiny little waists so finding something that I don't have to alter after I get it is hard to do. Anyway, all that to say, I rarely have time to sew anymore, and I feel I get better results for my time and money if I just shop consignment. But I do enjoy it and if I feel the result is worth the effort then I will make time.

Sooooo, now that I've told you all my secrets, I would love to hear some of yours.

P.S. I wanted to clarify what I said about name brands. I'm not too proud to wear something from Walmart at all (and we do), but I have found that the quality of name brand clothes is better. And considering the hard wear they are going to get, I like to buy stuff that is going to look good the entire time my kids wear it, not just the first 2 times.

Moldy Worms

2009-09-26T11:42:00.000-07:00

Did you know that box turtles really cannot eat a quarter of a watermelon at one time? Huh? who'da guessed. We know because one of the kids tried to feed that much to Cleo. It just sat there and collected flies.

Oh, yes, the adventures we have had with our kids and the box turtle...not always humorous at the time...but, hey, I guess they make for good blog material.

In case I haven't mentioned it before, the kids found a box turtle in our yard several months back. (Actually, it was 2 turtles, and the other one's name was Tony, but he got away somehow. The kids were sad.) So, we, thinking what a good science experiment it would be (Ha! little did we know, WE would be the ones doing the learning) let the kids keep her. We made a terrarium out of a large plastic storage container filled with dirt, some monkey grass, and a little water "pond". Then we researched what kinds of things box turtles eat. Apparently they like bugs, worms, fruit, some greens, mushrooms, etc. All stuff we could find in the yard or from leftovers we ourselves eat. Of course they only eat small portions at a time, but we forgot to specify (or the kids forgot to hear) that part. Hence, we have had to do some major cleaning of poor Cleo's box more times than I care to count. Whole containers of strawberry tops, half a bag of soggy spinach, 8 melon rinds...these are just some of the injustices she has suffered. She seems to maintain a good attitude though and always comes crawling out when we go visit her.

The other thing with these turtles is they need to be misted when you feed them. So we got a special nozzle for our hose that lets you adjust the pressure. It's actually pretty cute to see her enjoying the mist. Did you know turtles wipe their eyes with their feet? Yep, they do. The kids love to see her.

Us, being responsible parents, and wanting to teach our children the same, appointed Aaron or Lela the care of the Cleo. At first, it was so much fun...everyone competing. Who can catch the most doodle bugs or worms, who can find the most mushrooms (yes, we told them not to touch them but instead to use a stick and to wash their hands after), and best of all who gets to drown her with a deluge of water. Oops! I mean who gets to mist her. The thing is, Cleo only got the initial force of the blast. The other children lingering nearby, the porch, front yard and anything else in the vicinity got the rest of it. Yeah, they must have forgotten to hear the part about adjusting the pressure too. Or the part about NOT hosing everyone else down.

We had gotten some turtle food to supplement what the kids found but I think the box got hosed a couple times so we lost about half of that. Then a few weeks ago Ed ordered some worms off the internet. I didn't know you could order worms in a can, but apparently you can.

After the first feeding or two of worms one of the kids confused "the top of the fridge" with "inside the freezer". Imagine my delight when I open the freezer to find a frozen can of worms. Yummy! Dinner anyone. I wasn't sure if it would ruin them or not but we saved them anyway and let them thaw. Guess what? It ruined them.

Lela was going to give some more to Cleo, but when she opened the can she told me "It stinks!". No kidding, worms stink? sure enough...they had molded.

I'm not sure how much longer we plan to keep her, but any talk of letting her go is met with laments and moans of disappointment. =)

I think I would rather let her go before we kill her with our tender loving care.

Toy Patrol

2009-09-15T14:06:00.000-07:00

We are so overwhelmed with toys here that I had to come up with a good solution. I had been rotating out about half of them 2 or 3 times a year but that still left so many out all the time that they didn't really enjoy but just had to pick up all the time. Not to mention Ed and I both got tired of tripping over toys every time we turned around.

It came to me the other day when I was cleaning out the shed what my solution could be. We went to home depot and got two large garage storage shelves and I set them up in the shed. Then I took ALL the kids toys out there with only the exception of a special doll or stuffed animal each. By grouping them into boxes or baskets everything fit. Now what we do is every week the kids each get to take their toy baskets and pick a few each from the general stash.

We just got in from "toy shopping" a few minutes ago and you would think Christmas had come again. It is certainly keeping down the clutter inside and I think they will enjoy what they play with more.

Works for me!

Musings

2009-09-14T21:51:00.000-07:00

It just occurred to me this afternoon that, for the first time in 9 years, I don't have a single baby in diapers. That's pretty amazing considering it has always been an accomplishment to just have one instead of 2 or 3 in diapers. Of course it's not for long...and I can't wait for this new little one to get here. I'm trying to just focus on school and the everyday things I have to do until it's time to start washing up the baby clothes. Can't wait!!! This pregnancy has seemed like it has taken forever but I know it's just a normal one. Thank the Lord, it has been healthy.

For those who don't know, my due date is Nov. 3o. I can't help hoping it could come earlier ...provided everything is ready and healthy of course. The older kids are all excited. And I know Kyla is going to love it. She already coos at any and all "babies" she sees, even ones older than herself. hahaha. I'll just have to watch her to make sure she doesn't try to be the Mommy.

It's hard to believe it has been 2 years since she was born. It has gone by so fast. We just had her birthday party on Sat. combined with Anna Laurie's (my niece) who just turned 5. They had a lot of fun. I'll have to post pics tomorrow as Ed has all the pictures and he has been at work the last two days.

We will be celebrating our 10th honeymoon in a couple weeks. It has been a great 10 years and I feel so blessed to be married to this man.

Hey, Go'geous!

2009-08-31T13:47:00.000-07:00

Kyla has become the biggest ham...she keeps us in stitches (or rolling our eyes) all the time.

Last night she snuggled up beside Ed on the couch and said"hey, go'geous man". She says "Go'geous" with such a southern accent too. It's funny to me because neither of us really have one at all. Between her and Levi though, they can turn your average one-syllable word into about 4 or 5 syllables.

I'm so glad she isn't going to stay the baby... she is already so spoiled from all the attention...hopefully having a younger one will help her realize that it's not all about her. You can only say "stop laughing at her" so many times. If it's not the kids it's other adults too. =}

I don't mean to imply that I don't enjoy her antics...I DO! Maybe too much. She really is a cutie, I just don't want her to be ruined. Guess it's another good reminder to pray without ceasing.

Be careful what you say

2009-08-02T22:12:00.000-07:00

Last night, I was doing some last minute cleaning before bed and tried to include a quick fix project that I have been needing to do. Our toilet paper holder gets alot of abuse and it has been missing the holder itself plus one screw for awhile now. I finally got the holder replacement and found a screw I thought would work, so I was trying to fix it really quick last night. First I tried to just put the screw in but it pulled right out of the wall, then I tried to loosen the bottom screw but it refused to budge( in spite of being used as a swing or handlebar several times a day). After working with it for a while I finally called to Ed in the other room that " I need help I can't get this stupid screw loose!". To my dismay, I immediately hear below me "Soopid, soopid" and I look down to see Kyla wielding a pencil in place of a screwdriver in perfect immitation of what I had just done....

Of course I had to tell her "You don't say that", but it was a very humbling reminder that our children hear every thing. Even the stuff we don't want them too.

Chores and Change

2009-07-28T12:51:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure if I have figured out the "right" way to do chores or not, but I did just put together a chart ( I use the term loosely) that I 'm hoping will prove workable for us. It just dawned on me today while I was mopping that I really have alot of preconceived ideas about things that aren't really the right way to look at them. I guess I keep wishing I could figure out the magic formula for making things fall into place. Like if I figure out the perfect schedule or way of doing things, then it will make everything easier. I have come to realize though that there is no such thing as the "perfect" way of doing things. You have to find out what works for you right now, and then when that doesn't work anymore, find a new way.

As people, we are constantly changing... our children are constantly changing... and it is foolish to think that we can find only one way of doing things and never change it. And I'm not talking about our convictions or Biblical principles, but just practical ways of doing things.

It has been hard to finally admit this to myself, because I keep wishing there was a magic formula. But the only formula is to keep looking to the Lord for wisdom every day. And that is where I fall short. To continue to admit every day, "Lord I need your help, I can't do this alone." When I do stop fretting and take it to the Him, my day is so much better... but I can't go on yesterday's strength anymore than I can go on yesterday's food. It's a daily thing.

So... for those who are curious... this is what I worked out for us this week. And next week we will just change who does what.

CHORES:

Aaron (9)---make breakfast and unload dishwasher (it's usually oatmeal or something else simple)

Lela(7)---load dishwasher and feed pets

Alyssa(6)---one complete load of laundry and sweep D.R. floor (usually a load of towels or underthings)

Isaac(5)---Clean off table and take out trash

Levi(3)--- pick up/sort dirty clothes

Kyla(22 mths.)---pick up shoes

They are still learning, and, of course, I have to remind them, especially the little ones, but all things considered they do pretty good.

Levi

2009-07-26T20:27:00.000-07:00

Levi has been quite the character lately...I'm not sure what stage he is going through but it's a combination of bossy/hyper/whiny. Which, all combined, can be a handful, but it's not without it's humor.

He just got passed down a little red trike from Anna Laurie a couple days ago and I have let him keep it in the house (so far anyway). He has LIVED on that thing. Literally. He rides it everywhere, and even if he has to sit on something else he will pull it up and at least prop his feet on it. I found him lounging half on and half off my rocking chair the other day with his fingers in his mouth (it was close to nap time), but his feet were propped on the trike. =) I had to take it away from him today and put it in my room (the special place where all repo'd toys go) because he wouldn't quit screaming every time someone else touched it. So this evening he kept bringing me other toys ..."here Mama you can put this in your room... can I get my bithycle now?" I think he was trying to trade.

I love to hear him talk though... he has the funniest way of saying things. Like when he heard my new alarm clock ticking loudly on my night stand, he put his ear right up to it and then whispered loudly to me, "I sink it hears me."

Or, when he thinks Kyla is doing something she shouldn't..."KY KY that is a NO NO. Stop dat wight NOW!"

A crummy night's sleep

2009-03-31T10:35:00.000-07:00

We have just recently gotten the boys a set of (much needed) bunkbeds and dresser. They are absolutely loving it. It's everyone's favorite toy now. But my story goes back about a week before we got the bunkbeds....

I got up one morning, a little later than I had planned, and was getting the older 3 started on school when I suddenly realized that I hadn't seen Isaac yet that morning. So I head into the bedroom to wake him up, but I can't find him anywhere. I'm looking everywhere...on the floor, under the bed....still nothing. (Let me pause to explain that the boys were still sleeping on a sofa bed at this point.)I'm starting to get worried when it occurs to me to check up under the head of the bed. (Inside the couch, if you will.) Sure enough, there he was curled up with his pillow and blanket. He has this thing about sleeping on the floor. I have no idea why, but he loves it. He was fine so I just let him sleep until he woke up. Well, I was telling Ed about it on the phone that night (he was at work) and he thought it was so funny. He wanted me to ask Isaac if it was fun sleeping under the couch, so I relayed the message and Isaac replied, " Um, no ma'am it was kwummy". It tickled us so much to realize he meant that literally. Crumby. Little boy's room...under the couch. Yep, definitely crumby.

We're still family...

2009-03-31T10:10:00.000-07:00

This past week/weekend we have gotten to spend time with Aunt Sarah's family who came down for a visit. It has been so much fun reconnecting again. Talking 90 to nothin and everyone trying to make themselves heard over the 10 different conversations that are going on. =) The thing that I love is that no matter how much times passes between family reunions, once you are together, it's as though you are picking up where you left off. I felt the same thing when I went to Wyoming for Phoebe's wedding. It's always so refreshing to catch up with what's going on, and fun to play the "do you remember?" game. I feel so blessed to be a part of such a large, yet close-knit family. Especially knowing we have the added bond of being family in the Lord too. So many people don't have that, and the older I get the more I realize what a blessing and privilege we have.

I know all of you have been wondering when I was going to write again....well, I have plenty of excuses...I just can't think of them all right now.

One thing is, John and Angie have moved up their wedding date to May 1st. While we are excited for them, it has definitely upped the busyness factor. We ( as in my little family) have 4 people currently in the wedding. Ed is a groomsman, Lela and Lyssa are flower girls, and as of last week, I am a bridesmaid. Lots of sewing to do! Not to mention I still haven't gotten the girl's easter outfits completed.

Oh and besides the family reunion last week, was a local biannual kids consignment sale that I have started helping with. It's alot of work but it really pays off because it helps me keep my kids in clothes. Nice clothes too. I have only known about it since last year and this was my second time to consign (my first time to volunteer). This time I was able to sell as much as I spent on new spring clothes. Yay! I'm so thankful, it was a real answer to prayer. I'm really excited to have found out about this because it has really helped me be able to shop wisely for the kids. I can find nice name brand clothing at garage sale prices. And the sales are held at the beginning of spring and the beginning of fall.

Anyway,.... that's just a little bit of what is going on here.

I know it's not as much of an update as you would like but I'm out of time and I really need to start school.

More later.....=)

Quips and quotes

2009-02-24T18:49:00.000-08:00

Lyssa asked at lunch today....."Mama, does 'cowcium' come from cows?" =)

Well, she was on the right track anyway. I told her it came from milk and milk came from cows, but it's pronounced CALcium.

Meanwhile Isaac asked Levi to scratch his back... (let me detour to say, Aaron started this trend awhile back with constantly asking everyone to scratch his back and then he returns the favor; he especially loves it at night. Anyway, Isaac picked up on it)... so Levi, after a second of rubbing with his hand, grabs a fork.

Yeah, you can guess the rest...Isaac was sitting there with a grimace on his face and we were laughing so hard we could barely tell Levi to stop.

If I could get down even half the stuff that the kids come up with it would be hysterical. It's always something.

Oh, another one of their latest pranks is they figured out that butter knives make a really cool sound when you use them in a pretend sword fight. I had to nix that one fast....I could never find a knife when I wanted to butter anything but I mysteriously found them in the laundry, under the couch, in the girl's room, and in the boys belt loops... basically anywhere they weren't supposed to be. Not to mention, (for me anyway) it didn't seem safe, I think mostly just because the word knife is part of the name. Ed thought it was funny, and wasn't overly alarmed. Guess it must be a guy thing. "Let them be boys."

And the girls?

Well, they are busy being girls...attitudes and all. I think I have had to deal with attitudes more than any other one thing lately. They can be best friends one second and best enemies the next. And of course the tone of voice, the body language...you would think they were grown or something. I shouldn't be dealing with this yet! They are too little! Right?

I used to think that once you were grown you knew everything....I laugh to remember that now. I think once you're grown you realize how much you don't know. Raising children being the most thing that you don't know how to do. =)

Every day is an adventure, and if I can just remember to see it as one and to laugh more.... Hmmm, maybe I would make some progress.