Small Wonders

Family Reunion

2012-01-23T22:00:00.000-08:00

Noah and Erik

Actually it was my nephew, Noah, who declared that we were having a family reunion. I really wanted the opportunity for Mikaela to see her cousins and Aunts while she was here. So I asked my mom to host a gathering of Sean and his sisters! She lives in the middle of all of us so it was a central location. That, and she is a very gracious host. Oh, and she has a fabulous sledding hill in the back yard!
When we planned the menu she told me she had it all under control and I didn't have to prepare anything, or bring anything. How's that for planning a get-together on my part?

Princess Cousins: Ruby and Sarah

I was concerned that we would not be able to continue with our plans due to the crazy snow and freezing rain. Mikaela's last day here turned out to be fairly decent as far as travel was concerned.
Mikaela has not seen her Aunts since Karina's baby shower, and Loden is now 2!

Taylor and Aunt Karina
This was our first get together since Nicole was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer in February 2011. Nicole's amazing attitude and beauty radiate through her gorgeous smile! It was so nice to spend some time together and watch the cousins play.
Erik was so gentle with the baby and played for hours on the sleds with Noah. His compassion warmed this mama's heart.

Aunt Nicole and Mikaela

Aaron had Loden with him most of the time. Loden loved riding on Aaron's shoulders. Plus Aaron is kinda like a big puppy dog as far as fun is concerned. Loden practiced all of our names and was quite good and communicating who and what he wanted. He is the sweetest little boy. He has a great smile and gentle disposition.

Ruby, Sarah, Geaba, Uncle Moo, Kimberly

My brother, AKA Uncle Moo, had just gotten out of the hospital and had a few major surgeries, he felt well enough to join us but lamented the fact that he could only eat a couple bites of lasagna before he felt full. I completely agree with his statement that, "I really like to eat and want to enjoy more than a taste of my food before I'm too full to eat more." Unfortunately for me I was able to eat 3 helpings of lasagna before I felt full. (wonder if that's my problem?)

Ian and Karina

Don't you see the family resemblance here?
Ian is my sweetie! He loves playing with the girls (Ruby, Sarah, and Libby), he has it figured out: he gets to be the hero and the conqueror, and the dad. Whatever the coveted role is, when he is playing with the girls, he gets that role. Smart boy!

Karina and Nicole

I couldn't have gotten better sisters in law if I had hand picked them myself. They lavish my children with genuine attention. I love how they love them.

Sweet Loden

It took Karina 15 minutes to get Loden ready to go outside and play in the snow. 5 minutes later it was time to come in for cake and presents. We like to lump the celebrations around here. Noah will be 9 on Jan 26th, so we had dessert in his honor. Apparently Noah didn't like our singing. Really, though he didn't want us to see his wet bum from sledding in the snow. Don't know why covering your ears helps cover your bum, but whatever works!

After brownies, we gave some belated Christmas gifts, and Noah's birthday gifts. My favorite quote was from Noah, while Loden was opening his gift,"That looks amazingly like a toddler toy."

Backyard snow fun

Riding a Ski Do down the hill, pushing cousins in the wagon down the hill, hitting snowballs with a bat up the hill sounds like a recipe for disaster. Fortunately, it was the perfect ingredients for a perfect day of memory making with family.

Loden and Mikaela

That's Loden's angry face! He was not impressed that we told him he couldn't take home the first gun he ever played with. Makes me laugh that boys (even ones who have no experience with guns) will change anything into a gun, and know exactly what to do with it!
I am so very thankful for the time we have and for the people God has given to us. It was hard to share the time we had with Mikaela, but I know how important it is to let people know they matter and are important to you while you can.

Anticipation!

2012-01-12T08:24:00.000-08:00

I know Libby doesn't look like she is excited, but she has been the number one counter-downer of when Mikaela will get here.

We are gearing up for a busy few days!

We have history today, after about a 2 month break. All of us are super excited and waiting for a day of learning and friends!

This afternoon, Mikaela flies in from San Diego. She will be here for 10 days. We can't wait to spend some time with her. Time with family, sledding, bowling, and just being together. It's good to have my family all in one place.

Roman Feast

2012-01-09T23:16:00.000-08:00

Shelly and her children are studying Rome to the Reformation as part of their school this year. I love that they are a year ahead of us and we can call them with questions whenever we get stuck in our school.

Sean

They invited our family to their Roman Feast. But first we had to figure out when it was. Our invitations were written with Roman Numerals.

Ian, Cael, and Liberty

We got some strange looks driving our BRV (Big Red Van) down the road on a Friday afternoon with children and adults in Togas. When we arrived at the Feast we were greeted, and the 'slave' washed our hands then we were invited to recline at the banquet. What nobody noticed here was that Liberty took the entire bowl of Caesar Salad and ate it all ~ right out of the serving bowl.

Aaron

It was very cool to eat a meal without utensils. I confess, it was the first time I have ever eaten an omelet with my fingers. It was the best omelet, well I may have had 3 or 4, ever! It was made with honey and walnuts! Liberty took the reclining seriously, she laid on her back with the drumstick held above her head and her mouth wide open.

A Sample of Roman books and activities.

I will spare you the photos of the boys with their big hunks of chicken on the bone. They were disappointed that they didn't get to be authentic and throw the bones on the floor for the servants to clean up.

We had the opportunity to look through the work that the children completed so far this year. We also heard some of the verses and poems that they have memorized. As well as shared some of our own.

Aiden and Erik

Shelly is a brave woman! She let the children drink grape juice from wine glasses while laying on cushions in her living room! I was the only one to spill, oops!

We had olives, Fig Newtons (figs), omeletts, chicken, roasted almonds, pickles, grapes, and Caesar Salad.

I love seeing what our friends are doing and enjoying a great afternoon with friends.

All the guests at the Triclinium

We learned some Roman games that Aiden, Ellie, and Cael made. I can't think of a better way to spend a Friday afternoon, eating with friends, learning about what they have been studying, and holding baby Gracie!
Plus, we took home one of their roosters with the hope that it will keep the rats from stealing our eggs!
Thank you Mrs. B, Aiden, Ellie, Cael and Gracie for The Roman Feast!

Yippee Libby's Three!

2012-01-07T15:52:00.000-08:00

I remember 3 short years ago, Sean and I went for a walk on New Year's Eve. This baby was due Dec 23 and the doctor wanted to induce me on Dec 11. I canceled my appointment and just didn't make another one until after the new year. I was feeling huge and uncomfortable and my mom was still at our house from Christmas because we all kept thinking the baby was going to be born any day.

Finally on New Year's eve we were about a mile and a half from the van and my water broke! My water has never broke at the onset of labor so we were quite surprised. I am talking like gallons of water! Not just a small trickle, but big gush. Sean offered to run back and get the van but I was feeling fine and did not relish the thought of sitting on the side of the road soaking wet freezing cold while all the people out to celebrate the new year were driving by.

We walked back to the van and a couple times I had to stop a puke. One time Sean missed it because he was watching the custom Harley's drive by. It's OK, I don't really need an audience to puke anyway.

Just before I got back in the van my water gushed even more!

I went home and took a shower and did my hair and makeup. Hey, you never know how long it's gonna be till you get to do that again. (with Ian it was 5 days!)

I called my friend Jess and told her that I wasn't really in labor but we were going to the hospital anyway. She met us there about 9:00 p.m.While being admitted they told me that they couldn't get a reading on my amniotic fluid so they didn't think that it had broke yet, and it didn't look like I was in labor so they might send me home. Ummm, this is my 7th baby and I'm a Childbirth Educator and Doula, I know that my water broke. Plus, I was 41 +1 weeks pregnant I had to tell them that it was time to have the baby.

I walked around a bit and the nurse said that I looked a little flushed so maybe she should check my progress. When she checked I was at 9 1/2 cm! I yelled, "Praise God!" It has never been this easy before. Jess was in shock and said, "no wonder you have so many babies, you make this look easy."

I mean really, I was hardly sweating, my makeup was still perfect and I was almost there!

Alas, that is where the joy stopped. We all thought she would be born 12/31/08. That's when the real contractions hit! I felt like I was in transition the whole rest of the time. The doctor offered to break my water to help things along. I agreed because my water had already broken and it couldn't hurt. They were flummoxed when they couldn't find any bag to break. Duh. I tried taking a bath, doing deep knee bends, getting on my hands and knees, I even tried pushing a few times (even though I had no urge). I can honestly say that is the worst feeling I have ever had! I thought maybe I could push past that 1/2cm. I think that is when I got mean. I cried and said I couldn't do it anymore (the first time I have ever felt that way). Sean was shocked. Plus when I got out of the tub I did not want to get dressed again so I labored hard completely naked for the next few hours. I was pretty disgusted with everyone when they all cheered "Happy New Year!" Then I was encouraged with the promise of having the first baby of the year (who doesn't want a years worth of free diapers?)

I could see the doctor trying to decided what to do. Obviously the baby was malpositioned and nothing I had done had changed that. Because of my genetic bleeding disorder C Section was a last resort option and an epidural is not an option at all. Finally at 2:15 a.m. I crawled into bed completely exhausted and out of ideas. Jess encouraged me to try Fentanyl. I have never had it, and have seen women use it plenty of times. I did not really want to be in a intoxicated state when I had the baby but since it seemed to be my only option, I decided to give it a whirl. Liberty was born at 2:24, just 4 minutes after the Fentanyl. I have cursed myself many times wondering if she would have been born 5 hours earlier if I had just swallowed my stubbornness and taken the stuff. She was born with her fist right by her ear ~ Ouch.

She has grown so much! It's hard to imagine that we don't have a baby in the house anymore. She constantly reminds us that she isn't a baby, but a big girl. She wants to do everything herself and is every one's number one helper!

Syndi made Liberty this awesome Tea Pot Cake. I think Libby has a special bond with Syndi and could pretty much get whatever she wanted! Libby loves tea parties and before the last drop of tea is finished she is already planing the next party.

Libby wanted, Isobel, Ben, and Syndi at her party. Because we do things involving the whole family Abigail got to come along and I was able to get some good baby cuddle.

Liberty wore her new dress from Grandma, and enjoyed her cake with her own special Tea Cup from Syndi, she also got a tea set to have tea with her babies. She loved her puzzles that Ruby wanted to 'organize' for her, Super cute purple Keen's, a baby stroller, carrier and high chair! I guess if we don't have any real babies we still have plenty of baby gear for the girls' dolls.

Happy Birthday my sweet, independent, cuddly, funny girl. I love you!

Polar Bear Plunge

2012-01-04T17:11:00.000-08:00

We began our New Year's Celebration with a Fondue Dinner. I figured that if Sean were going to Plunge into Birch Bay, We could Plunge our food into some delicious dips. I loved the Emmental, Comte, and Gruyere Cheese! However I think my family would have been much more satisfied with Velveeta.

We dipped honey pretzels, breadsticks, yellow and red peppers, sirloin steak, Bratwurst and broccoli. I was delighted with how little meat was required when I cubed it really small!

We were in no way going to let the children stay up late and eat too much so they were off to bed at the normal time and I kissed Sean goodnight about 10:30!

After a delicious breakfast we had every intention of doing Home Church but did not get moving fast enough, so we headed out to Birch Bay.

I thought that perhaps some of the boys might join Sean as they have in years past. Evidently they only wanted to do it if some of their friends were there to watch. I promised I would blog it so that their friends could see it, but I guess that wasn't good enough.

Liberty has loved having her Papa home for the past couple of weeks! She "No Yikes Mama To Put Me To Bed!" I am quickly getting used to the idea that someone else can carry her.

Every year Sean tries to talk me into taking the Plunge with him. He is on the left side of the picture, just about to go under. I have no interest whatsoever! Sometimes I feel like I should go just to make him happy. I REALLY don't like to be cold, so I have never gone. Guess I will have to think about that...

Sean says that it is refreshing and a fabulous way to start the year! It was great to run into our old neighbors and know that we are missed.
I am glad that we are doing something that Sean enjoys and we can all cheer him on. As far as New Years Resolutions, we didn't make any yet. I always feel like it is a good time to reevaluate what we are doing and how we want to get where we are going.
Last Year I wanted to read through the entire Bible, something I have never done before, I did not make it, but should be done by the end of January. I decided to come up with my new plan when I completed the last one. I ran my first half marathon and if I can lose the weight I want to I will begin training for a full marathon. I plan to run a couple more half marathons this year as well. I have also been trying very hard to come up with a schedule for school that I think will make our days run smoother. However, I have realized that my lack of discipline factors in greatly to making and following a schedule. My other personal goal is to complete a triathlon. Something I have always wanted to do.
Making plans for our goals for the children is daunting. We know where we want to head with them but are still unclear as to the best path to take to reach those goals.
We hope to be in our own home this year and find a Church home as well. Big decisions.

Keeping Christ the Center of Christmas

2011-12-21T21:47:00.000-08:00

We were so blessed to be invited to Celebrate Christ with fellow believers. I love, love, love, keeping Christ at the center of everything we do. That is so much easier to do when you are with other families who have the same goal in mind.

Cael playing his violin for all of us, with his beautiful mama Shelly,
and baby sister, Gracie holding his music for him.

We already had plans to play with friends on Tuesday during the day so it was a huge relief to me to know that I didn't have to try and make a good impression and get everyone dressed in their best. We were fine to come just as we are. I did make sure the boys had jeans with no rips but other than that we were good to go!

Ethan, Ian, and Cael

I also really enjoy eating and good food so it is just so much more relaxing and enjoyable when you are with a group of people who don't even look twice when you go back for thirds. I mean really, who don't want to try everything? Nate made some amazing dip with sun dried tomatoes, feta, and other amazing ingredients then he took that and added bacon or sausage (doesn't really matter I love pork) and put in in a perfectly flaky roll. I shamelessly ate the remains of one that got stuck in the pan.
We all brought a soup to share so we had some great choices, Taco Soup with Sweet Potatoes, Chili with Roast, and Ravioli Soup.

Don't let Ava and Ruby fool you, their was no chance they were going to fall asleep.

We sang Christmas Carols and Ava and her little brother Justus, did interpretative dance. One of the best things about homeschoolers is that there is very little the older children do that the youngers don't just learn by osmosis. At this rate I might not have to teach Liberty anything she will just absorb it all. Justus had quite the dance moves for a 2 year old.

Justus, Taylor, Ellie, Aiden, and Ruby (in front) listening to directions for the gift exchange.

It always cracks me up, in a not so funny kind of way, when someone recommends something for my family and says, "It's great! Totally cheap, only $8 a person!" I'm sorry but anything that costs my family $64 is not cheap. I was delighted when Amy suggested a consumable gift exchange of less than $2 a person. I'm pretty sure the mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups exceeded the $2 rule, but I'm not complaining. I'm just trying how to get some of those without him noticing!
For less than $12 all the children got to participate in the gift exchange and go home with something that we will eat on Friday at Watermania. I don't have to store it, or manage it, or repair it, we get it eat it and it's gone! Fabulous idea.

Taylor, Ellie, Aiden, Aaron, Luke, and Libby.
Can you guess what they are singing?

In between Carols the children had the opportunity to present something that they had been working on, we were blessed with the violin, the piano, and vocal talents by our children. Complete with prayer and discussion of why we are doing what we are doing it was a fabulous memory made with fabulous people! Thank you to Mike and Amy for hosting and including our family ~ We were blessed.

Intentional Parenting

2011-12-19T09:29:00.000-08:00

It has been awhile since our last Pajama Ride. Pajama Ride is when we put the children to bed, then wait a bit and bang on some pots and pans and yell "Pajama Ride! Pajama Ride!"

The children then race to get coats and shoes on and get in the car to get treats.

The last thing I wanted to do last night was get the kids out of bed once they were settled down. It has been a particularly rough week with attitudes and work ethic. We decided that this was one of the best ways we can teach our children about grace, giving them something they don't deserve, didn't earn, and will bless them.

Liberty was eagerly anticipating the ice cream but severely disappointed that her shoes wouldn't fit over her footed PJ's. No need to worry we have many hands willing to carry her to the van.

As with everything, if we don't intentionally make something happen, it just won't. I have been cracking down on the children who don't do a portion of their school work because they don't like it, don't want to do it, or, are too lazy to make the effort. I intentionally decided that we were going to take a Christmas Break this year (something we have not done before). I needed time to regroup and they needed something to look forward to and work toward.
Two weeks ago I gave them all the work I expected to be completed by Wednesday of this week. Whoever is done will get to go to Watermania, if they aren't done they will stay home and finish. This is a problem because I REALLY want to be done and they require A LOT of me to finish their work. It is also going to be very difficult to leave a few kids at home because I don't want them to miss out, but it looks like a few of them are going to miss out. I just hope I'm wrong on that one.

Buckled in the van and ready to go! For $11.52 we were able to get everyone treats, Kid Cones for the little girls, Small cones for the bigger kids, a mini Georgia Mud Fudge blizzard for me, and a hot fudge sundae for Sean. I think I would have rather had a salted carmel hot chocolate from Starbucks but we didn't need to make things more difficult.

We explained to the children that we were showing them Grace, just like Jesus shows us grace. We teach our children and pray that they will take to heart all that they have learned. We are currently going through the book of Proverbs using Kevin Swanson's study to teach our children about wisdom.
Be intentional in the things you teach and activities you participate in with your children.

Happy 14th Birthday Taylor!

2011-12-14T07:55:00.000-08:00

One of our Birthday Traditions is that the Birthday girl, or boy, gets to choose all the meals for the day.

Taylor had high standards for breakfast and dinner, but lunch was a breeze.

For breakfast she chose Swedish pancakes, in our home they are known as roll-up pancakes. It took me over an hour of actual cooking time and 2 dozen eggs, 10 cups of milk and 8 cups of flour!

I know she is really happy to not be eating gluten free right now.

Taylor reading her new book from Grandma Chris to Liberty

Lunch was super easy and I applauded her choice for dinner ~ Sean's homemade calzones. This was the first party that I didn't make the meal. I loved being able to visit and take care of other small details. I think it was a bit stressful for Sean, calzones for 15 people.
other than the food, we don't have regular traditions or parties for our children. Some years we go all out, like here, other times we go more simple. We almost always combine the boys party.

Sean and Mark finally getting to enjoy some delicious Calzones.

Our good friends, Mark and Christine and their children recently moved back to the area. We couldn't be more thrilled! Taylor didn't want a big friend party she only wanted to have the Landis' come over, eat calzones, and play in the woods then play 'ghost in the graveyard' which is hide and go seek in the dark outside. I'm still trying to come up with a better name for it than that, any suggestions?!

All the party guests! My mom and niece, Kimberly, the Landis' and my children.

I cherish the fact that at 14 Taylor was equally thrilled with the books and clothes that she received and promised to share the Playmobile that Ruby, Liberty, and Ian gave her. A toy that entertains both the 2 year old and the 14 year old and everyone in-between is priceless!

This is one example of why I don't have any family photos!

I can hardly believe this was almost a month ago, Aaron is now officially taller than I am, and Taylor has been taller for almost a year.
Taylor is growing into a lovely young lady. She is learning to run a house quite efficiently. She is still the leader in the home and all the other children will happily oblige and play whatever she has in store for them. The other children wait for their turn to have a game with Taylor. She is very cleaver when it comes to using that time as a reward.
Taylor is my #1 kitchen and bathroom cleaner. I am thrilled with the work ethic I have seen develop this past year. I give her her work list for the week and she will work diligently to complete everything on her list. She will even be responsible enough to pass up something fun because she needs to do her work. I am looking for a way to clone that gene!
It is amazing to watch how God is molding her and shaping her into a young woman that is more beautiful on the inside than she is on the outside. I am excited to watch her mature over the next year and see her become more responsible. She is a joy and I am so blessed to participate in the molding and shaping and teaching and training of her life.

Recap

2011-12-05T21:49:00.000-08:00

Liberty is always the comedian

I have 7 children, I should be able to manage who is where pretty easily. Today was a challenge and certainly not for the faint of heart.
1st step: Load Ruby, Aaron, Erik & Ian in the car, leave Taylor and Liberty at home
2nd step: Pick up Hezekiah for Scouts
3rd step: Drop them all off with Tami so I could go test drive a car
4th step: Pick up Aaron, Erik, Ian, Hezekiah, and Everett, leave Ruby to play with Isobel
5th step: Dana drop her daughter Bree, at Scouts for me to watch.
6th step: Take Bree, Aaron, Erik, Ian, Everett, and Hezekiah to Cash & Carry with me
7th step: Meet Chuck so he can take Ian and Hezzy to his house
8th step: Drop Everett at his house, pick up Ruby, Meet Dana so she can get Bree back
9th step: Collect Aaron, Erik, Ruby and reunite with Liberty and Taylor
10th step: Ask Sean to pick up Ian on his way home.

We made it safely through our day and thankfully are all home together. I'm grateful that I knew who I was supposed to have at all times and did not forget anyone anywhere.

There You Go

2011-12-05T07:47:00.000-08:00

Sean took these lovely pictures of me last night and said he didn't think they would ever appear on the blog. Here they are. I Typically don't like my picture taken and immediately delete the bad ones.
I was preparing for our Cub Scout meeting and burned two of my fingers on the hot glue gun. Instantly I put my fingers in my mouth to cool the burn and glue got stuck on my lip. As I am typing this I feel like an idiot, but also it is pretty funny. Now I have a beautiful blister on my upper lip and it hurts bad!

Sean was feeding the bull yesterday and cutting up the apples for him, he loves apples! We realized that when he came in bleeding all over the place we were inadequately stocked for first aid supplies. The funny thing is that last week Aaron was working on some requirements for Boy Scouts and I have a First Aid supply list on my fridge that I need to purchase. When Aaron made the list I thought, "We have never had those things in our house, why do I need to buy them?" It would have been really helpful to have some 3X3's! Sean has to go in today to see if he needs stitches, The cut is pretty bad, and won't quit bleeding.

I ran 2.6 miles on the treadmill this morning and need to get my children's assignment sheets ready for them, then we are off to scouts and purchasing the last few supplies for a batch cook tomorrow.
Happy Monday! I hope you feel as ambitious as I do, only slow down and be careful!

Abigail Lael's Birth

2011-11-28T23:16:00.000-08:00

Abigail is My Father's Joy

Lael is Of God

Exactly 24 hours after my last birth I received a call from Tami that her water broke. I immediately praised God that I got a full 12 hours sleep the night before and that it was clear that Tami was in labor.

One of my concerns for Tami's labor was that we would not know when it was time to go.

Abigail Lael

Tami had to previous C Sections and really wanted to try for a vaginal birth. Unfortunately, the closest hospital willing to take the 1% risk of uterine rupture was UW Hospital in Seattle. Tami is one of my 'Core' friends and she is not usually the one who has really strong opinions. She is very tender and the kind of woman who you want to take under your wing and protect. However, concerning her TOLAC (Trial of Labor After a Cesarean) she had very strong feelings and was completely committed to every aspect and sacrifice it would involve.
I attended one of her prenatal visits and was blown away by the knowledge and care that she received. Her doctor spent a full hour answering MY questions!
I called Rene, our friend and birth photographer, to come and pick me up so that we could carpool together to Seattle. I had to laugh that we first made a stop to drop stuff off at Goodwill, get gas, and do a drive thru dinner for me.
When we got to the hospital it was about 9 p.m. on Wednesday evening. Tami was already admitted and had a room, I really wanted an excuse to take a bath in the tub! It was deep, had jets, and was really warm! Her labor started slow but continued all night long. Fortunately at first they were committed to performing minimal exams to check progress. The nice thing about a teaching hospital is they are willing to let you try for a VBAC after 2. The bad thing is that it is a teaching hospital so you have someone learning on you.
The nurse we got for day shift was amazing and completely on Tami's side. She helped fight for what Tami wanted and for what was best. After about 12 hours of hard labor Tami was still at a 1cm dilation. Needless to say that was very discouraging. The doctors wanted to hurry things along due to the fact that her water had been broken for so long. There is a risk of infection but that risk is reduced if you have a high leak, like Tami had, and minimize the number of exams.
I pleaded for a Foley Bulb Induction, which manually dilates the cervix. The resident wanted to go that route as well, unfortunately we were not the ones getting to make the final decision. The attending wanted to do an IUPC (Intra Uterine Pressure Catheter). I argued against that for reasons of increased risk of infection. In the end we were told that they were going to do the IUPC because they wanted to. Sometimes I want to stomp my foot and throw a fit because the Doctors tell you that it is your birth and you get to make the decisions but Ultimately your hands are tied with different rules.
Through all this Tami was amazing and kept her eyes focused on the goal of a vaginal birth and a healthy baby. I helped keep the doctors at bay. Sometimes they told us they were going to come back to check on us at a certain time, I would then make sure to get Tami in the tub or for a walk in the halls just before they were going to be there. This bought us a lot of time.
Tami's husband Ian was phenomenal during her birth. His genuine love and concern for her was touching to witness. He had the most encouraging and positive words for her even when he was feeling anxious.
Ian knew that all Tami worked so hard to get was just out of reach and he supported her through it all and help boost her to where she needed to be.
Because she wasn't progressing much the decided to give her Pitocin to increase the strength of her contractions. Not long after that while in the bath Tami decided that she wanted the Epidural Right Now! This was probably up there with one of the most stressful moments of my life. Tami was angry that it hurt, mad that the anesthesiologist was taking so long, and she wanted me to fix it. I am not one to be offended or take things personally in the delivery room but I was genuinely worried that this was going to make her hate me forever! I did my best to encourage her and help her. I was on my knees in the bathroom with the full weight of her resting on my arms. My arms were shaking and my knees felt like I was on rocks but I could only think of all that Tami was facing and that my discomfort was nothing compared to hers.
I talked her through the contractions and by the time we got her cleaned up they were ready for her epidural.

Abigail, right where she belongs, in her Mama's arms.

VBAC, I wanted her to get the birth she wanted, I wanted her to know how proud I was of her and I wanted her to feel proud of all that she had accomplished. I cried out to God, "God you promise to give us the desires of our heart if they are honoring to You! How can this desire not be honoring to You? Please let her do this. Please God."

The next exam seemed to take forever and we were all waiting to hear the magic number of 1 again. Miraculously, she was at 7cm! Praise God for His faithfulness!

We were still thinking that the baby was going to have a birthday of 11/11/11. That came and went and I knew the baby would be born on 11/12/11. She progressed the last 3 cm in about 3 hours. The doctor wanted her to start pushing because her membranes had been ruptured for so long. I was able to convince them to hold off until they turned the epidural off so that she could feel how to push. Again, I don't think Tami liked hearing me tell them to turn it off, but she trusted me. She only pushed for a little over an hour. When we started to see the top of the baby's head and Tami reached down to feel it we all started sobbing! The joy and pure bliss on her face made every second of the last 30 hours worth it. I felt awe at Tami's strength and pride in her resolve.

Because the baby had passed Meconium and Tami had a fever during labor they clamped the cord (I got to cut it!) and took the baby to the respiratory therapists to make sure she was fine.

Tami got her baby back we were all thrilled to see it was a girl! She nursed like it was something she had been doing forever and we all laid down on whatever flat surface we could find for a much deserved nap. About an hour later we woke up and I had the privilege of giving Abigail her first bath. We did weights and measures. She was 6 lbs 14oz and 21"! For more of her story check out Tami's blog, or to see some amazing birth photography click on Rene's link above.

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-26T21:41:00.000-08:00

Mama and Liberty making Pistachio Pie

I wasn't sure until a few days before if we were even going to have guests for Thanksgiving. It was such a pleasant surprise when everyone we invited said Yes! I was thrilled to have my Mother In Law, Grandma Chris, come up a few days before to help with preparations.

Grandma Chris and Liberty Making Pumpkin Pie

Liberty conveniently found herself a stool and some counter space to help in the kitchen. She has quite a little sweet tooth and has discovered that by helping she can also taste.

Taylor making Pumpkin Pie and Crescent Rolls

To my amazement Taylor wanted to help and did a fabulous job. Maybe it is just me, and my micromanagement of the kitchen but I practically have to beg her to try cooking. This time she willingly helped and made crescent rolls equal to my Mother In Law's!

Clockwise from front:Ian, Papa, Ruby, Delores, Gene, Ryan,Loden, Karina,Chris,Taylor, Aaron

I feel so blessed when I see the faces around my table and the bounty of food we prepared. The best part is being able to eat on the leftovers all weekend! Ruby usually eats like a bird and talks like a parrot! This meal was quite different, she kept wanting to eat more but was extremely worried that she would not have enough room for the Pistachio Pie! She sighed great big and had such a dilemma over whether to take another helping of Brussel sprouts and cranberry relish and risk being too full for pie!

Clockwise from front Right: Ryan, Loden, Karina, Chris,Taylor, Aaron, Mama, Ian, Papa,Liberty, Erik, Ruby, Gene

Aaron was thrilled with the abundance and with all the delicious food. He exclaimed, "This is my best meal ever!" When I asked, "Why?" He replied, "Because we have family and friends to share it with!"
I love that boy. Sometimes he melts my heart.
I love surrounding myself with people and feed on the energy and enthusiasm. After Chris and I were almost done with preparations Sean walked in and said, "Everyone is going to be here soon. This is going to be a lot of work."
It made me stop and realize that what energizes me, and makes me happy is a lot of work for him. I am so Thankful that he was willing to host and took the effort to create some wonderful memories for the family.

Delores, a friend from our Church in Blaine, brought the most delicious coconut chocolate torte! She also made Brussel Sprouts that even I liked! They were actually good. No really, they were good!

Gene and the boys playing Guess Who

I appreciated the help cleaning up. The saying of many hands make light work is true! We all did a little and then were able to fellowship, play music, paint toenails, talk, laugh, play games, drink coffee, and eat dessert!
We really missed having Mikaela with us, but it was wonderful to hear her voice and comforting to know she was served a turkey dinner at work! Wish I could have sent her some fresh from the oven sweet potato casserole.

Liberty finally found Aunt Karina willing to paint her nails.

The best part of Thanksgiving is hearing from my children that they are most thankful for their family. God has blessed us richly in that department and it is easy to selfishly want to do what I want, when I want. When I stop to reflect on all that I have learned being a mom to many I am humbled to realize that He is molding me and shaping me into His Image. To be more like my Savior I have to lay down my selfishness and put others before myself. When I do that I am much more content and more satisfied.

Welcome Jade Rachel

2011-11-22T22:00:00.000-08:00

Me & Jade

I love being a Doula! It is incredibly rewarding. It is also extremely stressful at times. On Sunday November 6th I received a call from one of my clients, thinking she might be in labor. After hanging up with her I got a call from another client thinking she might be in labor too!
I think it is important to be available for my clients and I promise to be on call for 2 weeks prior to their due date up to 2 weeks after their due date, if needed. I don't have a back up because I believe that they hire me, not just my services. I got down on my knees and prayed. One of my best friends, Tami, was one of the calls. I also did not want to abandon my client who was depending on me. Fortunately, neither of them progressed and I got a good night sleep.

Jade Rachel

Sean and I were looking at a house on Tuesday afternoon when I got another call from Gina. I hurried home, gave instructions for finishing dinner, grabbed my bag and headed to their house.
I could tell labor was progressing, but she was still in early stages. Dave offered to make us a delicious spaghetti dinner and Gina made some of her family's famous garlic bread. Definitely better than the Tuna casserole my family was having!
We had a long night of laboring at home with massage, baths, sifting, chugging, position change, relaxation, and walking. I finally started to see a pattern and when her contractions were 3-4 minutes apart for 2 hours and were much more intense we decided to head to the hospital. It was a very cold morning so Dave went and started both of our vehicles to warm them up! What a gentleman!
We were shocked when we arrived at the hospital and she was only 1cm! We decided to stay in triage and have her get some IV fluids because she had been vomiting so much. We all were able to sleep for a few minutes. I fell asleep sitting on a stool, with my head rested on her bed. I only woke up because I was snoring and drooling! That was a first for me, falling asleep.
I guess that was just what she needed was to completely relax for a bit, because when she woke up they did an exam and she was at 4cm!
The doctor agreed that she was in labor and admitted her to the hospital.
Gina had the kind of labor and birth I have always dreamed of. She was allowed to labor without intervention. She had an amazing doctor and the best nurse I have ever worked with. They really honored Gina's birth plan, did minimal exams, completely supported my role and even offered to help me!

The Happy Family!

Gina only pushed for an hour and a half, and the doctor let the Dave deliver the baby. It was one of the coolest things I have ever seen! They delayed cord clamping for a full 8 minutes, then Daddy got to cut the cord. Baby Jade wiggled her way to the breast and began nursing like a pro!

This was the most natural, unobstructed hospital birth I have ever witnessed. It gave me renewed hope and faith in the medical profession. I was home reading to my children within 24 hours!

Truly it is a honor to witness the miracle of birth.

Congratulations Dave and Gina! Thank you for sharing your miracle with me.

Gift Of Time

2011-11-16T22:49:00.000-08:00

My blog has been particularly quiet lately. I have been busy. Busy with births, with spending time with family and cherished friends, and celebrating life.

A small sample of goodies on the Honey Table

My dear friend Kelly, invited me to her Gift of Time Celebration this year. It is a Gift to her friends to have time to complete projects, start Christmas cards, and catch up with friends. Kelly does everything with elegance and grace. She wrote a personal, meaningful card to each guest. Words of encouragement are like food for my soul.
When I have the opportunity to spend time with Kelly we talk as fast as we can, so we can fit it all in in the limited time that we have. Kelly passes out Goal sheets when we arrive and we receive beautiful gifts for each goal we complete. When I first began attending the Gift Of Time I had very lofty goals, like completing a scrapbook album, or making Christmas gifts. You must realize that I am very goal oriented and I like to check off lists. I have since lowered my goals; eating dessert, having a cup of coffee, and I usually throw in a 'real' goal or two like planning the next scout meeting, and making some new chore cards. Kelly's generosity blessed both me and my family. We ate gingerbread pancakes from a mix she made for us, berry oat muffins again from a mix she made.
I came home renewed and refreshed with some wonderful baked goodies, candles, a new coffee cup and some other wonderful treats. Kelly always provides a 'Honey Box" for the women to fill with desserts to bring home to our Honey.
I am so thankful that God has provided me with friends who support and encourage me as a Godly woman, wife, and mother. These are the women who will hold me accountable and build me up.
Thank you Kelly for providing that time and friendship for me.

Failed Science & Meal Plans

2011-11-01T08:46:00.000-07:00

I love science! There are so many things to learn. I have a slight obsession with science books.

The thing is I detest doing things over. We get one shot to get it right around here. I think that is why I don't knit or crochet because often, one must remove stitches then put them back in ~ really not my kinda thing.

We are studying about ancient Egypt and how they preserved mummies. So, we tried one of the experiments where you take three pieces of toast and burn one, put antiseptic cream on another, then leave one alone and see what happens. Then unfortunate thing is we left it for 3 weeks and only the antiseptic one showed a slight bit of mold.

How scary is that!? Our regular bread did not mold. Why won't it mold when you 'need' it to, but when you really just need to make some sandwiches the whole loaf has specks of mold throughout?

Learning about the Pyramids we discovered that there are pyramid shaped crystals throughout nature and that they are the most stable structure around. We had a 'fail-proof' way to make crystals. We managed to fail to make them. This is not the first time we have tried to make crystals and it's not the first time we failed. Not sure we will try again, unless it shows up somewhere in our studies again, OR if someone really does know how to make them.

On another note, I am completely sold on planning meals and shopping accordingly. It just seems so daunting to take the time to plan and equally daunting to not have a plan.

I had not been grocery shopping for over 3 weeks because I had no plan, and did not want to go and buy food and still have nothing to prepare. So Here is what I currently have planned:

Layered Tuna Casserole

Ravioli Soup

Sloppy Joe's

Coq Au Vin

Bacon and Cheese Chicken

Spaghetti and Garlic Bread

Mozzarella Meatballs

Orange Chicken and Rice

Home made Pizza

Beef Barley Soup

Pad Thai

I feel pretty good that I have some yummy recipe choices and everything to make the main meal, with the exception of the fresh veggies I need for meals that are not this week.

Hope the ideas help and you are inspired to make your life easier by planning a bit ahead.

Chili Cook-Off

2011-10-30T21:57:00.000-07:00

Our Friends, Brad and Dana held their 1st Annual Chili Cook -Off and Pumpkin Carving Contest.

The little girls liked the whole idea of carving pumpkins but they did not like getting their hands slimy. Taylor was especially excited because this was the first year that she carved her pumpkin all by herself! I desperately tried to get Sean to bring his jigsaw to carve the pumpkins I even offered to clean it later but he did not think it was a good idea.

Really, photos of people eating are just not all that great to look at so I chose to use the 'other' pictures instead. We had Dixie cups filled with each type of chili and a voting sheet to choose which chili was the crowd pleaser.

I made Chocolate Chipotle Chili

1 pound ground beef

1 cup diced onion

1 cup chopped red pepper

6 cloves garlic, minced

3 Tbsp Brown Sugar

2 Tbsp Chili powder

1 Tbsp Cocoa powder

1 tsp cumin

salt and pepper to taste

2 cans kidney beans

1 can black beans

2 cans dice tomatoes

1 can chicken broth

1/2 cup roasted chipotle salsa

bacon

1 cup chocolate chips

Brown ground beef, onion, garlic, and bell pepper. Add seasoning and cooked bacon. Cook on low heat in the crock pot to enhance flavors. 1/2 hour before serving turn off heat and add 1 cup chocolate chips. Stir in chocolate chips and garnish with sour cream, or chives if desired.

I won the "That's Not Chili" award, even though it was the favorite among the women and children.
The best Chili award went to Dana for her White Chicken Chili.
I don't really like chili all that much but I am never one to turn down a competition.

Funny thing is the girls did not want to stick their hands in the pumpkins but they did not seem to mind dipping their hands in the bird bath then the sandbox getting the sand to stick.

Libby told everyone that her mama bought her some new jeggings. Gotta love that girl and her sense of style.

Ruby had to micro manage the carving of her pumpkin. We grew all of our pumpkins in our garden this year, I know very impressive. I'm thinking maybe a Charlie Brown Pumpkin Patch next fall!

We were hoping some of our friends with older children were going to be there but I think Taylor and Aaron loved being included with the adults and helping judge the chili, plus they made the coolest pumpkin, with the exception of Erik who had a significant amount of help carving 'his' pumpkin. I forgot to take pictures of the completed pumpkins ~ I will have to try to remember to do that before they rot.

I love the smells of fall and the beautiful colors of all the leaves when the sun reflects off the trees. We had a beautiful drive home and enjoyed a bowl of Frosted Mini Wheats before reading and sending the children off to bed!

4 Days With My Daughter

2011-10-26T21:14:00.000-07:00

My first born turned 21 last month. She has been living on her own for 2 years already. I can assure you that 18 or 19 years is not nearly enough time to have your children under your roof.

I was so fortunate to be able to take a direct flight to San Diego for a long weekend together to celebrate her and to see where she lives. She moved to San Diego a year ago and has only been home a couple of times. It was my first time to San Diego. Mikaela doesn't have a car right now so we rented a car. I am always one to save a few dollars so I rented a cheap economy 2 door.

When I got to the rental agency to pick up my car they offered me a 2012 Convertible Mustang for $5 more per day. I decided I could have one less coffee each day and it would be worth it. It really was worth it! I used the entire tank of gas! It really is too bad you can't seat 8 in one of these!

She showed me all her favorite beaches, Pacific Beach, Ocean Beach and another one I can't remember the name of! It was pure bliss to eat out for every meal and have coffee and chocolate! I brought my running shoes with every intention of keeping up on my running but Alas, they never even left my suitcase.

I debated about buying her a drink, after all I did not want to condone a certain lifestyle. But I figured it is a rite of passage and would be fun to have a froofy drink at an upscale restaurant on the beach. I almost choked at the cost of drink and was way beyond my frugality for her to only drink 1/3 of it!

I managed to enjoy my raspberry iced tea and then we finished our afternoon by laying in the sun on the beach in October!
Our time went way to quickly! I was surprised that I got all teary eyed leaving her.
I am further committed to diligently praying for my children every single day and trusting God to cover all my inadequacies as their mother.

Joys Of Homeschooling

2011-10-11T09:36:00.000-07:00

Liberty and Erik in Ruby's bed reading some biographies

Recently, I had someone asking me questions about homeschooling. She was thinking about homeschooling her children. She asked, "Wouldn't it be much easier to send them to public school?"

Of Course it would be easier! We are not called to do what is easy.

I would be home with Liberty, who takes a 2 1/2 hour nap every day.

I would miss seeing what they are learning,

I would have 5 children in 4 different schools (that does not sound easier),

I would still have to help with homework and make sure the work got done,

I would not get to take a field trip whenever we wanted,

I would not get to snuggle in front of the fire with my 5 year old and watch as she is learning how to read,

I would not get to listen to the creative play and sibling relationships that are so endearing.

Guess, I just needed to convince myself that it IS worth it. I know it is, and I know I am not called to do what is easy, rather what is Right.

Cuneiform Cookies

2011-10-06T10:20:00.000-07:00

Our Study this year runs from Creation to the Greeks. We were learning about the first alphabet after Noah's Flood, which used shapes and pictures to record information.

Syndi watched the kids for me earlier in the week and made the cookie dough with the little girls. The cookie dough sat in the fridge for a couple of days and I could not stop eating it!

We had to make the cookies or soon we would not have any dough left!

After practicing writing their names and memory verse for the week using Cuneiform we 'engraved' our cookies with our initials. Sadly, there was only enough dough for each child to have 2 cookies with 1 leftover for Papa.

Vanilla Sugar Cookies

1 Cup Butter

2/3 Cup Sugar

1 Egg

1 Tbsp Vanilla

2 1/2 Cups Flour

1/2 tsp. salt

Combine first 4 ingredients.. Add flour and salt mix well. Chill for 2 hours (or 2 days and eat some of the dough).

Roll and cut out cookies. Bake at 350 for 8 - 10 minutes

Bit Of A Letdown

2011-10-03T11:36:00.000-07:00

Liberty Enjoying Some Delicious Ice Cream

My half marathon is over and due to injuries I am not able to run right now. I feel like I worked so hard and achieved a goal and now, it's over. I am planning on doing another one in November and January but for now I just need to get better.
School started off with enthusiasm and now I am dealing with attitudes and poor work ethic. Frustrating and disappointing to say the least.
Organizing the day to day logistics, relationships, and requirements is not nearly as fun as going to the beach, delivering babies, eating ice cream and training for a half marathon. I am feeling a bit let down.

I Finished!

2011-09-26T22:35:00.000-07:00

This weekend I completed my first Half Marathon. I signed up for the Bellingham Bay Half Marathon. I used to be a runner but had not been running for a long time. My good friend and Chiropractor, Dana, challenged me to train for it.

Syndi met us at the starting line and was our number one fan all the way through the whole race! She taught her son exactly what a woman wants as far as encouragement and support go.

I have never been part of a race this big. I was surprised when I went to pick up my race packet how many people and vendors were there.

The longest I have run during our training was 12 miles. Dana is the perfect partner for me because during one of our long training runs she directed us to turn down a specific street. I asked why we needed to go that way and she sheepishly replied, "Because there is a garage sale." We paused our training and did a little shopping.

I am used to running with my iPhone and it tells me distance and time but I did not want to wear it during my run because the arm band chafes. It was really difficult for me, not knowing how far we were or what our pace was. Eventually (mile 5) we figured out where the mile markers were and compared that to how long we had been running. I was pleased to discover that we averaged a 10.5 minute mile! Faster than any of our training and without any pauses for garage sales.

The children made us signs, I really wish I would have gotten a picture of them with the signs. I loved Aaron's it read: "Go Carolynn! Run, Run, Run, Love, Your Son!"

The last mile was by far the hardest. When I rounded the last turn and saw how far away the finish line was I almost cried. I had great visions of finishing strong and sprinting across the finish. I really wanted to quit or cry but all the people cheering us and Dana telling me I could do it, I did!

It felt like the finish just kept getting farther away and I was never going to get there.

Despite the massive wind and adrenaline rush from the night before with no sleep and not having actually run 13.1 miles before I did it!

It was super fun to have my family, my mom and Kimberly, Dana's family and lots of people I knew along the way cheering for us. Several times I heard people cheering for me and Dana would ask how I knew that person, every time it was because I had been their Doula. It was pretty amazing to me how many of them were there.

I got hugs and congrats from my children. They were especially impressed with my Medal. They want me to wear it everyday, which I happily oblige. Although Erik prayed that I would get first, or second, maybe even third I was thankful that I completed it.

Random Quotes

2011-09-21T08:46:00.000-07:00

The other day when Taylor and I were shopping I commented that I needed to look for a new waffle iron. She replied, "Why would you want to iron your waffles?"

We were at the checkout at the grocery store and Ruby looked like she was hula-hooping with an imaginary hula hoop. She turned to Ian and said, "I like to keep moving that way people know the world is still spinning."

I enjoy seeing how their minds work and I LOVE being able to witness when they make the connection between what we have learned and the world around them.

Science With Noah

2011-09-19T20:54:00.000-07:00

Last week we read about Noah and the Flood. Did you know it took Noah 120 years to build the Ark? The Ark was built in the middle of a desert, and it had never rained on Earth before.

Prior to the flood, the earth was watered with a mist and from the deep. We converted cubits to feet and then went out in the field to measure 450 feet, the length of the Ark.

The weather has turned from our beautiful Indian Summer to a crisp fall. I admit I was not looking forward to leaving the warmth and cozy feeling inside, but once we went out it felt wonderful. The fresh air and imminent feeling of a storm brewing was just what my soul needed.

See the little white fence in the background? It is 450 feet from where I am standing. Hard to imagine what it must have been like for Noah to build something so huge in the middle of the desert. I think about the ridicule he must have had to endure and the faith he had in God to continue with such an outrageous request. And I was relieved that we didn't have to climb under any barbed wire or electric fences!

Often it is difficult for me to make the extra effort to actually go and do these types of projects because they don't seem worth it. I can see that it brings to life the things we are studying and is good for all of us.

A Lotta Things We Don't Do

2011-09-15T09:21:00.000-07:00

This Summer seemed to be full of a lot of things we just don't do.

We don't send our kids to camp. This summer I co-led a group of 12 cub scouts for a week long twilight camp. Twilight camp is day camp in the evening. After the first 10 minutes I wanted out!

Erik with his 'Target' from BB Shooting

We stuck it out because of the commitment I made to lead. I gave my children the option of not going but earning the BB Shooting and Archery belt loops and sports pins were very important to them. Aaron helped out in the kitchen and enjoyed getting to eat.

I realized it was not just my own personal hell but that I could bless these other children and my children made a good impression on others.

However, at the end of camp one of the other leaders said that she hopes to see me next year. I said we would NEVER be back, but that it was nice to meet her.

We also don't send our children to camp. Aaron and Sean went to Camp Pigott with Aaron's Boy Scout Troop of a week this summer. Thankfully, This camp was 1,000 times better than twilight camp.

The boys were with their patrol the entire time and learned a lot of useful skills. That is definitely something we will do again.

I also never take 3 births a month and this summer I had 3 births every month! Each one was a blessing and a miracle and I feel privileged to participate. It was a lot of time away from my family and both physically and mentally exhausting!

We had an amazing summer! Some are things we want to do again, others we will just skip.

Under My Belt

2011-09-13T20:30:00.000-07:00

Huge sigh of relief, We have the first week of school under our belt! I was really struggling with the decision of whether or not to finish what we did not complete last year (due to the move) or start fresh and begin our new curiculum.

I am happy to say we started with our new material. I did not want to be bogged down trying to finish.

We are doing My Father's World Creation To The Greeks.

I like to celebrate the beginning of the year with something special that we can look forward to. Last year, Syndi and I took the children to Starbucks and Haggen for donuts. Ruby puked everywhere and it was rather spendy. We opted to invite Ben and Syndi over and have a fabulous morning of donuts, hot cocoa, bacon, eggs, and of course, coffee for the adults.

It was extra special for Erik and Taylor since I allowed them to eat the donuts even though they are gluten-free. Sacrifices must be made for the sake of memories. I daresay they were all happy campers.

They were even more excited that they were able to play after and work on their forts in the woods.

Our studies this year include God and the History of Art. Lesson 1 was a Lesson in Frustration. Ruby and Erik were in tears and Taylor was pretty close to it. Liberty, Ian and Aaron loved the challenge of drawing a butterfly using only their teeth.

I participated as well, but I must confess that putting the pencil in my mouth made me gag, and my butterfly was not nearly as good as the children's.

We will also be Celebrating Biblical Feasts so much of our first week included preparation for Celebrating the Sabbath. The meal was amazing! We made Challa Bread and Golden Yoich Soup and enjoyed it with wine and grape juice.

The meal has a very sacred feel to it complete with silver candlesticks, white candles, fine linen, and our good dishes.

My favorite part of the meal was the youngest son, Ian, washing everyone's hands and Sean placing his hands on the children and praying a blessing for them.

He also prayed Proverbs 31 for me.

The book we used, Celebrating Biblical Feasts by Martha Zimmerman provided us with the meaning of all the elements, recipes, prayers and crafts. I highly recommend it. We will be celebrating the Sabbath again along with some other feasts.

All of the children worked on a covering for the Challa Bread but Taylor is the only one to complete hers! She stitched the entire thing in a few short days! This, from my daughter who says she isn't crafty (don't tell her that is a craft!)

We also enjoyed 2 wonderful days at our beach. Once by ourselves and the next with lots of friends! Click over to Rene's blog to see some photos!

We had company for dinner one night and went to our friends The Hollister's for an amazing party based on the book, The Great Horn Spoon by Sid Fleishman. We panned for gold, had a treasure hunt, threw pick axes, hit pinatas that looked like bags of gold, had the most amazing food!! I love potlucks! enjoyed rootbeer floats, made new friends and saw longtime friends. It was my perfect kind of day.

I would say we had a pretty productive first week of school. Let's keep up the momentum.

Open House

2011-08-11T15:28:00.000-07:00

Welcome to our home.

I thought I would give you a small peek into our home right now.

I am currently listening to Taylor washing dishes and loading the dishwasher.

Erik cleaned the boys' room and made all their beds. Aaron and Ian were so grateful and they are all happily playing Lego's together. Usually the living room has Ruby's array of Playmobile set up all over the room. I had her pick it up so I could vacuum. Erik loves it when I vacuum the living room because of all the lines in the carpet. He likes to draw in the carpet and play tic tac toe and make rooms for the Playmobile.

I love our dining room. The space all the way around the table is such a huge blessings. In our old house I had to squeeze around the table and turn it at an angle to all fit. Plus there is no longer any carpet to contend with.

You can see how much floor there is, I have always used a Swiffer Wet and loved it! Now, it takes 3 or 4 pads to clean the floors and could always use more. Does anyone have any ideas for a great mop or an efficient way to clean a lot of floors?

My little girls are napping peacefully. Ruby is the only one of the children who is not completely thrilled with the move. I think it's because she lost her best friend, Ian. Ian still loves to play with her, but is torn between being outside climbing hay bales and conquering the land or playing dress up with Ruby.

This is our new school room, I love having all the books, pencils, work boxes, adhesive, stickers and paper in one place!! Probably my favorite part of the house is that I don't have to find a place for all of our stuff to fit.

The family room is right off of the school room and next to the boy's room. I have been tempted to look for a couch (I think it would be cozy in the winter in front of the wood stove) but this is such a perfect place for everyone to roll around, wrestle, play games and stretch out. When it gets cold I will probably start searching Craigslist.

I have lots more to show but for now, I need to utilize my time to finish my menu planning. I have 12 days of Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner, Grocery shopping planned, School and Chore charts started, garden weeded and chickens to combine. Plus I have two clients that are due this week. I can't wait to show you the rest!

Birth and More

2011-08-07T22:27:00.000-07:00

I am so incredibly behind. I am currently waiting for 2 more babies, training for a half marathon, planning school, unpacking (still) and managing 5 chickens (soon to be 11), a gi-normous garden, scouts, dental visits, birthday parties, BBQ's, Hunter Ed courses, and whatever other pressing needs.

Last week while I was at a birth I texted Syndi (who graciously loved my children in my absence) and asked how things were going. She replied: Great! Lib's napping, playing charades, Thumbelina (our rabbit)had her babies, ate most of them.

I almost fell over laughing. I was floored that the rabbit was even pregnant. The children have been trying to mate her since we moved, guess it finally worked.

I did not know rabbits ate their young or even how to prevent it. I also wondered how Syndi handled this completely unexpected and tragic event.

The children rescued one baby (I think it is called a kit) and talked Sean into purchasing $17 formula (The things that occur in my absence, I never even spent close to $17 on all 3 bunnies and their hutches.) and they fed him through an eye dropper.

Unfortunately he died from cold after 3 days. Come to think of it I need to ask what they did with all those kits....

Home Sweet Home

2011-07-11T22:30:00.000-07:00

I am back!! The move to our new home has been so incredibly busy! I really had no idea how much work it was going to be to move. I continue to be amazed at the many ways that God provides for my every need.

We still had absolutely no idea where we were going 6 days prior to closing on the sale of our Birch Bay home. A friend remembered this place and gave us the information and we had to wait for the landlords to come back from Europe! We were able to move some of our stuff in the garage while this house was being cleaned so that I could clean our other house in time.

God has given us more than we could ask for in our little piece of heaven. We have more than doubled our living space and have 25 Acres to explore and conquer! The children have already made at least 4 forts! We were able to acquire 5 laying hens and are getting about 3 eggs every day! Sean is looking into buying 25 more!

Our landlord is the most gracious patient man I have ever met. He gives the children rides on the hay wagon and the tractor, he has taught them how to bottle feed the 5 calf's born since we have been here, He prepared our gigantic garden for us to plant, and fixes anything I ask on the day I ask for it!

It brings me joy to see my children so content (except Erik's obsession with obtaining a Quad).

We still want to buy our own home and when we went to look at something the other day the children, and Sean were all lamenting the fact that they did not want to leave where we live. Erik says he wants to live here till he dies! We have discussed buying this place, and it seems to be an option.

We so appreciated all the prayers and the many ways God used people to give us exactly what we needed when we needed it and not before.

I am so happy to be back, to have Internet and finally catch up on what others have been up to, and catch you up on our new adventure!

Found It!

2011-05-15T12:02:00.000-07:00

We finally found a place to live. It is a 2,800 square foot old farmhouse on 25acres just 10 minutes from town. We were able to negotiate for a month to month rental and can even bring our bees, bunnies and cats!

Ruby and Paisley

I met this amazing woman named Janet a few months ago. Our paths have crossed numerous time without even knowing we shared many of the same friends. Our daughters hit it off wonderfully and her boys share many common interests with my boys! Janet remembered I was moving and called me to come get all her In-Law's boxes, they just moved here. That ended my scavenger hunt for boxes!

Then she remembered that I was looking for a rental and getting desperate. She heard of a place that was for rent and had not even been advertised yet. We were able to meet up with the landlords, sign a lease make a deposit and get keys! Just 6 days to spare.

Yesterday we decided to get a moving truck and move what we could. I was anxious and overwhelmed when I got a call from a friend that I probably have not talked to in a year (only because life gets busy).

Karen called to ask a question about bees and I was crying so hard I could hardly talk. When she found out what was wrong she arranged for some massive man power, then brought dinner as well.

I am so humbled how God chooses to provide for us and care for us. I don't deserve all I have and yet He continues to give me more.

I know He will give me the strength I need to make it through the next 5 days.

Stayin' Afloat

2011-05-09T09:17:00.000-07:00

Recently, Erik purchased a raft and oars at Goodwill for $4. I was not sure if it would even float, so I assured him that we could try it out and return it within the 7 day period if it was defective.

That put a bit of pressure on me to get to the pond and try it out. I knew he would hold me to it and that we better hurry up and try it or I would never hear the end of it. We chose a decent day and he blew up the raft and carried it the whole way!

I was very proud of his determination to figure out how to row, and his willingness to share with his siblings. They were not allowed to go to the island in the middle of the pond because there was a mama duck and her ducklings.

I have realized through this house hunting business that my children are learning a lot! Most of the time it is really trying for me. They ask all sorts of questions and feel that it is entirely reasonable that they get to make a choice on where we live. Their enthusiasm might be contagious if I weren't so stressed. Every house we look at is the perfect one - according to the children. Aaron wants to know if it is in our budget. Taylor wants to make sure we can bring the bunnies and cats. Erik finds every nook and cranny and wants to sleep in a crawl space, ride his skateboard on a curved roof, or jump from one house to the neighboring roof. Ian and Ruby just want to play hide and seek, and Liberty has to try out every potty.

I am having a hard time packing not knowing where we are going or what we will need. I am overwhelmed by the amount of stuff we have accumulated and need to move or get rid of. Is it really worth storing a picnic table? It is a huge struggle to manage school, relationships, sick children, and a imminent move.

Please pray for peace in our home and for me to offer the grace I would like to have in return.

The Perfect Day

2011-05-04T08:48:00.000-07:00

Our friends Brad and Dana invited us to go snowshoeing with them. They have all the gear and know what they are doing!

We planned the trip about 6 weeks ago, it was the only day that both of us had free at the same time.

The week started with sick kids and a lot of stress about selling and moving. I just kept praying that we would get to go.

Shelly and Cara divided up the children and were happy to give us a day to enjoy ourselves and each other!

Shelly calls it Marriage Insurance. She is wise.

Sean always has been one to shoot for the finish line. He was up front and would ascend the hill, then wait for all of us to catch up. Brad brought up the rear and made sure that we were all safe. Once we were doing some switch backs on a pretty steep hill and I got a little nervous and in the one move Brad said I went from being a novice snowshoer to intermediate.

We shoed up to Artist Point, enjoyed lunch and each other then headed back down the mountain.

We couldn't resist a snowball fight and a little shove here and there.

Lunch Break

Dana and Brad with the Mt. Shuksan in the background.

We could not have asked for a better day.

We felt truly blessed that God provided such amazing weather and great friends right in the midst of chaos and stress. It was especially reassuring that the children were being loved on and cared for by some wonderful people.

We're Off!!

2011-04-28T13:12:00.000-07:00

We are heading out for The Christian Heritage Homeschool Conference this weekend! We have been every year and it is a wonderful time to fellowship with other homeschoolers, be inspired, encouraged, and challenged in our mission.

Libby practicing her driving skills in the driveway.

This year's speaker is Kevin Swanson. He is an amazing Godly man that has no problem engaging the children, they love to watch him and listen to his message.

In the midst of all this we had an appraisal done today, I have gone and looked at several rental all of which won't work for one reason or another, and packing and purging.

I hope your weekend is filled with as much fun as mine!

I Have Not Fallen Off The Face Of The Earth ~ Yet

2011-04-25T09:03:00.000-07:00

I know it has been awhile since I have updated my blog. That does not mean anything is wrong, quite the opposite it means life is moving at break neck speed!

Geaba and Erik

Since my last post we have celebrated 3 boys birthdays my mom's birthday, my niece's birthday, Sean's sister had surgery and began chemo treatment, acquired 2 more bunnies, gone snowshoeing, and sold our home!

The selling of our home has opened a whole new can of worms. We have to be out in 25 days and we currently have no where to go. It is extremely difficult to find an affordable decent place to go temporarily with our family size and dynamics.

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord,

plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

This is the verse I have been meditating on lately. I know that God will not leave me or forsake my family He will provide a place for us. The waiting and trusting is not easy. It is not easy to leave our home and our neighbors or our good friends. We are not called to do the easy we are called to trust. I say that more for my benefit but it can't hurt to be reminded.

It's A Girl!

2011-04-06T07:29:00.000-07:00

Most of the time I would say I am pretty reasonable. I generally don't give in to my children's whims, or fleeting desires.

This time, Erik's birthday wish was to have his very own bunny. I like animals but I do not go out of my way for them. Sure I will swerve to miss hitting them if possible, I feed them, and will even pat them occasionally.

Erik on the other hand LOVES animal and wants all animals to have a good life.

Since it is not easy to wrap a rabbit we 'blindfolded' Erik and lead him around the yard till he stopped in front of the hutch. He was shocked!

My friend Shelly found this bunny with hutch and food on Craigslist and I was sold!

Her name is Thumblina but Erik has called her Stellaluna, Leapster, and Erika. Hopefully he will settle on a name soon.

We don't know much about rabbit care. He is taking a rabbit class at the Youth Fair so we should get a better picture of what is involved. He loves to hold the bunny and is trying to make friends but he is a little gun shy and afraid.

He said he never thought in a million years he would get a bunny. I think we won some cool parent points!

The really funny part is that Taylor thought we were crazy and should not let Erik get a bunny. She did not want on in her yard, not on a train, not in the rain, She did not want a bunny! Now she is saving up her money and wants to buy her own bunny.

My New Right Hand

2011-04-03T20:43:00.000-07:00

I am a list maker for sure. I like to touch paper and feel paper and check things off. The problem is that often the papers get misplaced and my 'helpers' check things off before they are completed. With my newest toy, Oops I mean tool, Everything is in one place.

I was eligible for an upgrade a few months ago but I did not want to leave Verizon and I wanted the iPhone really bad. Where we live Verizon has the best service and rarely kicks me into Roaming in Canada. Finally Verizon started carrying the iPhone Sean generously gave me his upgrade credit and I was able to get one!

I am not a technology junkie and I hardly ever get the latest and greatest of anything. I drive a paid for '02 stock vehicle, use a dinosaur desktop computer and my children occasionally play Sean's original Atari! This was a splurge but has simplified things greatly for me. I love my new ESV Bible App! All I have to do is have my iPhone with me and I can look up any passage in the Bible with one finger! I also now have an App with all my grocery lists in one convenient place, no more are they lost or forgotten. All my appointments and commitments are in One Handy Place that I always have with me!

What are some Apps you have that I really should get? Can anyone Please tell me how to use the hands free feature?

Impromptu Eats

2011-03-28T22:33:00.000-07:00

Saturday we had a showing at our house. They wanted to view the house sometime between 5 and 6.

That left me with the dilemma of cleaning the house getting out of here by 4:30 just to be safe, and feeding my family.

We miraculously got the house clean and the yard spruced up a bit and headed to the beach for a BBQ dinner. We had hamburgers and chips.

Mostly, we enjoyed the drift wood, tide pools, sea life and the beauty of God's creation.

Taylor and Ruby put the snails in small families ranging in size from a mama and papa and baby to families of 17 or more.

Liberty was a hungry girl, she had to help Papa cook and be assured of the very first hamburger. She ate the entire thing all by herself and wanted more!

The boys and I made it about a half mile down the beach without touching any rocks. We jumped from log to log! They also showed me a trap that they set on a Giant piece of driftwood. Unfortunately, the trap was sprung and all the rocks came tumbling down on my bare toes!

We were treated to a beautiful sunset and only a few drizzles.

Ian and Ruby always have some game of house or Star Wars going on and Liberty is not one to be left out (even though it looks like she is).

We arrived home well after dark with children tired from all the fresh air. We were able to enjoy the clean quiet house with children sleeping soundly.

We heard from the realtor that the people loved the house and want to come back for a second look this week! Please keep us in your prayers.

Never Too Young

2011-03-22T12:59:00.000-07:00

Liberty was born old. She is the first to say, "Me Too!" She wants to put Tabasco on anything that anyone else is.

Regularly Liberty raises her hand to answer a question (we home school, this isn't necessary.)

Honestly I don't think she knows she is only 2.

(check out the cute new piggy tails)

After dinner, without being asked she began to clear the table. She had to ask someone to open the dishwasher for her.

She put all the bowls in the correct place, went back for spoons and put them in correctly. She has never been taught this. She learns most of what she does by watching her siblings.

Liberty even remembered to push in the trays before she closed the dishwasher.

I have learned that the earlier you teach them to work and include them with what you are doing the less resistance you get from requiring work later. Liberty and Ruby are two of my best helpers in the kitchen. Yes, it does take longer and is messier but the reward is worth it!

Locks of LOVE

2011-03-20T21:48:00.000-07:00

Taylor has donated her hair twice before. This is the first time she has done it in honor of someone special.

Sean's little sister Nicole was recently diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer and Taylor wanted to pay Tribute to her and her upcoming battle against cancer.

Taylor and her new 'do' with Geaba

Monday Nicole goes in for surgery. Please keep her in your prayers. Especially pray for my precious nephew Noah as his mom won't be her usual self for awhile. I petition you to pray for complete healing, little if any side effects, peace for the family free from any of the anxious thoughts they might be tempted to entertain. Most importantly for God's provision to be evident through her recovery.

Taylor said it felt like a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders as soon as her hair was cut. She also commented how for her it was a choice and she still has a lot of hair left but for those dealing with Cancer it is not a choice and they don't have any hair left. I admire her sensitivity, and her generosity.

Often, I try to remember that we have no idea what things people are experiencing or dealing with in their lives. I remind myself to offer someone a little extra grace, a smile, or an encouraging word.

Try to be that person this week in honor of Nicole.

Caution:

2011-03-18T20:57:00.000-07:00

Erik recently purchased this amazing remote control boat from his friend Ben.

He has been begging for weeks for me to take him to the beach so he can use his boat. He begs his siblings to leave their bath water in the tub so he can use his boat.

I told him if it got to 70 degrees I would take him to the beach. Alas, when we were invited to a birthday party at a pool I let him bring the coveted boat and finally drive it somewhere larger than our bathtub.

Have you ever read those crazy warning labels? Most of the time they are ridiculously obvious. Things like do not touch the hot fire, or warning: small marbles may be a choking hazard. The boat has one that said be aware of rotating propeller. Do Not Touch. It does not however say to keep away from your sister's waist length hair.

He 'accidently' drove the boat too close to Taylor and proceeded in winding up a good chunk of her hair until it was about 6" long. It took me a good 30 minutes to unwind her hair. It took all of my self control not to destroy the boat in the process. When I got most of the hair out I just ripped the rest. We added the Caution: Do not drive near hair.

I'm Home

2011-03-13T22:32:00.000-07:00

I just got back from a refreshing, encouraging, fabulously fun weekend with friends. It was the opportunity to spend coveted time with long time friends in my 'core' and make some new genuine friendships that I can't wait to see where they will lead.

This was my third time at an Above Rubies retreat. The biggest encouragement to me was walking away with the renewed knowlege that I am doing a great work! What I do on a day to day basis investing in the lives of my children has eternal value. Some days are really hard, some are full of discouragement and some I feel like the luckiest woman alive! I know that the hard days are days that God is using to mold and shape me. Usually they are hard because of my own selfish desires or expectations.

I confess, one of my absolute favorite parts of the retreat is being with people who share a similar vision. People who I can count on, people who love me despite my inadequacies. It was so fun to really talk, have a complete conversation and encourage one another and pray for each other and laugh toghere.

It was great to come home and wrap my children in my arms and kiss them and tuck them in bed. I am so thankful that my husband embraced the time with our boys camping and that my mom so eagerly steps in to care for and love our daughters. Thank you both so much!

My prayer for all of us who were at the retreat this weekend:

Lord, I know that you are faithful. I know you provided this time to renew us, to encourage us and to strengthen our walk with you. I pray that you will allow us a week of peace in our homes. A start to our week that is filled with glimpses of your faithfulness and your provision. Please sustain us and help us cling to you Father. Amen

A Cut Above

2011-03-09T21:26:00.000-08:00

I am surprised that I passed First Grade. My cutting skills are lacking. If it were not for my paper trimmer I don't think I ever would have gotten into scrap booking.

In the name of saving money we have been cutting the boys' hair for quite some time. However, Sean has been extremely busy and does not cut it as often as I like. I decided that it was time to take matters into my own hands and learn to cut their hair. I watched some You Tube videos and then attempted to give them something other than buzz cuts.

Ian really isn't mad this is his attempt at an angry face, pretty scary.

The first time I did their hair it looked pretty good. This time however, I had to have Sean clean up my blunders. Erik's hair is Short! Ian's looks fair except for the places you can see the scissor marks. Aaron's looks fantastic! Aaron's looks especially good because Sean did most of it.

Since my skills lie in other areas I decided to teach Taylor how to cut hair. It is more like the blind leading the blind but pretty soon I think we will have some good economical haircuts on some handsome young men.

Capitol Tour

2011-03-05T10:22:00.000-08:00

It is always fun to spend time with special friends. They have been incredibly busy with Jason's schedule, taking time to spend a few days together was a huge treat!

Justice, Honor and Liberty

Paisley is about the happiest baby around. She is so content and lights up when anyone looks at her, which is all the time!

Jess called the Capitol to find out about getting a tour, she was told that they usually schedule the tours a year in advance! Since we are friends and family of our State Representative and homeschooling families in the district we were able to get our own private guided tour.

In the Rotunda is this beautiful chandelier, a VW Beetle fits inside the chandelier! The names of all the counties are in their proper location around the ceiling. We found Whatcom County on the North West corner!

We visited on National Guard day and had the amazing opportunity to hear the band play "My Country Tis Of Thee" I had goose bumps it was very powerful. The Rotunda is made almost entirely of Marble (the marble is split in half and identical on both sides of the room) and the acoustics are something even I appreciated.

In the center of the Rotunda on the floor is the official Washington State Seal.

Ian got to sit behind the desk of Representative Overstreet.

We had the privilege of going on the floor of the House of Representatives. I paid attention to what my children were wearing, clean nice shirts and pants with no holes unfortunately I did not make them take off their coats! There is a strict dress code on the Floor about wearing suits and ties. Even our Tour Guide had not been on the floor with out much thought and planning.

The official photographer came and took our picture with the Seal of Washington. He even asked the Speaker of the House to move out of our picture! I was wearing a sweater (that I could not take off) and carrying Liberty and Justice and was wet from walking through the rain and sweaty, not really feeling my best.

The curtains have real gold thread in them!

The highlight for the boys was holding the guns the National Guard had on display.

Aaron had to help Ian hold this gun, I think it weighed more than Ian! The men we spoke with were Snipers! It was pretty interesting and fascinating to hear about their experiences and why they decided to serve our Country.

We began our day at the Capitol with Ruby puking in the car and me puking while I was cleaning up her mess. Later in the Visitor shop I walked by a display that Libby grabbed hold of and pulled the whole thing down. Then Ian purchased a Native American coloring book with his own money only to find out later that the book was not appropriate for a boy!

Real adventures bring history and learning alive!

Get Out!

2011-03-01T15:21:00.000-08:00

I really can't believe another month has flown by. We went for a small hike and beach combing excursion almost a month ago.

Before all our cold weather hit we had a rare sunny day with not much planned, except an impromptu field trip.

Not surprising we had the beach to ourselves and saw some major erosion right after it occurred.

Ruby is very happy to bring her babies along where ever we go.

Erik must find something to take dominion over. This just happened to be a tree hanging over the frigid waters of the Puget Sound.

February in the Northwest, I guess we take our Vitamin D however we can get it!

Top to Bottom: Erik, Ian, Aaron, Taylor, Ben, Everett, Isobel, Ruby, Liberty

One of the many reasons we choose to home school is so that we have the choice of who are children will be influenced by.
Proverbs 13:20 says He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed.
1 Corinthians 15:33 Do not be misled: Bad Company Corrupts Good character.
We firmly believe that we should be a witness to others about our faith it is with the direct supervision of us as their parents so that we can help them to "be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:15).
I feel so incredibly blessed that I have found 'wise' people to surround myself and my children with.

Guten Tag - Good Day

2011-02-23T22:16:00.000-08:00

Guten Tag Frau Barker!

That is how my children greeted Mrs.Barker when she came to our house to teach us all about Germany.

This year we are using My Father's World and learning about Countries and Cultures. For the past couple of weeks we have been 'in' Germany. What better way to learn than by someone who has lived there?

We began by enjoying a German feast. We had bratwurst, fries, buns with Nutella, a German apple drink, Ketchup and Mayo from Germany, Cucumber Salad, and Milchreis for dessert. We made a dairy free version and a regular version and both were fabulous!

Anything centered around food is a huge hit with my children. I think we all are looking for anything to put the Nutella on, it's good stuff.

Mrs. Barker told about growing up in Germany. We learned about their culture, customs, religion, and family life. She also shared her photo album of her life in Germany. Little Samuel was born in Germany. Unfortunately she mentioned about religious practices involving levitation and Erik thought that might be pretty cool. He got 'stuck' and could talk of little else, even knowing that it was using witch craft and evil spirits. He thought it might be like using the 'Force' from Star Wars.

Children in Germany make lanterns and then take them outside for the festival of St. Martin. We made the lanterns and I let the children take them out to our play set with real candles. I did not want to take the little girls out for a parade because the wind chill was so cold.

The lanterns were really time consuming and the Milchriest was even more time consuming but both were worth every second we put into it.

The children were all thrilled with their projects (which does not usually happen). The candles in the lantern show through the transparent paper and look really pretty. Aaron made his more authentic by finding a stick and attaching his lantern to the stick using wire. They were all sorely disappointed that I would not let them take the lanterns to bed.

Danke Schon Frau Barker for all your time, effort, energy, enthusiasm and knowledge!

Valentine's Day

2011-02-21T23:14:00.000-08:00

I love to look for ways for my children to serve others. I am very uncomfortable in nursing homes and I want them to understand that we do things for others even if we don't really like it ourselves.

We decided to make Valentines and goodies to pass out to the residents at a local nursing home. My friend Shelly, regularly takes her children to play music for the residents.

We visited with them and gave them our valentines. Ruby loved talking with the ladies. She chose the woman with the perfect hair and pretty lipstick and 'let' her hold her baby doll.

Ellie played the piano, Amy and her children sang a beautiful hymn and we recited Psalm 1. After passing out snacks we headed to Amy's house for a Valentine Party of our own.

Luke's face pretty much sums up how much fun we all had! We passed out our own cards to each other, ate way too much candy and played hard. It was bitterly cold outside with huge wind gusts that knocked the little kiddos over. Only the bigger kids got to play outside on the trampoline. Ruby found a friend her age and they were like two peas in a pod playing dress up. The boys loved wrestling and sword fighting and the babies played kitchen, with Libby serving Justus everything he did not want. It was wonderful to have Taylor hang out with the women and fit in nicely.

Give Me A Break!

2011-02-20T22:52:00.000-08:00

Give Me A Break.

Ian's ankle is healing quite nicely and not much keeps him down. Erik can hardly stand the sling and tolerates wearing it as long as he can still ride his bike and play Legos. Taylor was out jumping on the trampoline Saturday and her and Aaron collided mid air, and she couldn't walk. We decided to wait until Sunday and take her to urgent care. We waited as long as the ER but a little more cost effective. Her Xrays were inconclusive and they think it is either a hairline fracture or a really bad sprain. We were off to Goodwill to buy some crutches and we wrapped and splinted her ankle.

We enjoyed some time together and she kept herself occupied while I had coffee with some friends. Then, on our way home we were chatting happily and I looked over at something and when I looked back there was a deer standing in the middle of the road! I hit the poor thing and drug it about 200 yards. It did not get up and run away, but it wasn't dead either. We called 911 and they came to deal with the problem. Now I have kids with 2 bum ankles and bad shoulder and a van in need of a new grill and radiator. I sure hope next week is better.

2 Boys + 2 Injuries = 4 Hours in the ER

2011-02-18T19:12:00.000-08:00

I Declared Thursday a no school day. We were planning on cleaning and playing games. We were going to have Ben and Syndi over for games and lunch.

big kids cleaning upper cabinets

Wednesday evening Ian was jumping on the trampoline and landed wrong on his ankle. Ian often falls and is a bit dramatic so I decided to wait and see if he would forget about it. He didn't.

little kids cleaning lower cabinets

I feel like regular cleaning of things that often get neglected is essential to not losing control. I also think it is vital for all the children to be involved and invested in the cleaning (even if I could do it faster and better with out them). The added bonus is that when they are working they are not messing up what was already done, or getting into trouble. OK so that isn't an added bonus that IS the bonus.

Liberty always wants to help. When she couldn't find a free space in the kitchen she got her rag out of the bathroom and went to clean the table.

There, Libby found a spot to help clean the kitchen.

When I got down on my hands and knees to scrub the floor I noticed lots of dust bunnies collected on the feet of the fridge. I pulled the fridge out from the wall and Erik spotted some long lost walkie talkies. He proceeded to dive through the dust to be the first to lay claim on the coveted toy. In the process he dislocated his shoulder on the fridge.

Erik, Ian and I on our way to the ER

Fortunately, Syndi was already at my house (it is a true friend that you let see behind your fridge). I took Erik to the Doctor and they told me the severity of the injury required and X-ray and a trip to the ER. I took him home, packed lunches, Ipod, coloring books, and books. Then I cancelled Ian's appointment to have his foot Xrayed later in the day and took him with.

trying to keep the patients comfortable.

The ER doc was very good with the children and was relatively quick for the Emergency Room. Erik did not need an X ray after all, his shoulder went back in on it's own, which 'Almost Never' happens. They told him to let it rest for a few days then he should be good as new. I wonder if climbing the play set, riding your bike one handed while talking on said walkie talkies and rolling your stiff shoulders around counts as 'letting it rest'?

Ian had his foot X rayed and they were surprised that it was not fractured but they could see swollen, stretched tendons and ligaments. They said to immobilize it and gave him a pathetic brace 5 sizes too big. I ended up wrapping it with an Ace bandage. I declined the crutches that were offered figuring that they would cause him to fall and/or become a weapon. Ian is jumping or crawling wherever he wants to go and I figure that we will all be better by Monday.

So there you have it, a sprained ankle on the trampoline, and a dislocated shoulder on the fridge.

An Arrow for Aaron

2011-02-17T18:49:00.000-08:00

Last Friday Aaron earned his Arrow of Light award.

Arrow of Light is the highest award that a boy can earn in Cub Scouts. All of boys in Aaron's Webelos Den earned the Arrow of Light.

I was unaware of the Super Achiever Award in which the boys earn every badge in the Webelos Book. I was sorely disappointed that I did not know about that. Aaron earned every badge except one! Oh well, we still have 2 boys to go.

Sean and I made the Arrow for Aaron and he is very proud of his achievement.

This is about a much of a smile as we get these days. Trust me, he was both nervous and excited and especially honored that Geaba came to the Ceremony along with his whole family.

We are very proud of him!

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday

2011-02-14T21:58:00.000-08:00

Delicious Homemade Granola

Not too long ago we ate Oatmeal for Breakfast almost every day. I am a firm believer in meal planning and I also need to feed my children economically. Breakfast was one of those areas where I would fall drastically behind if I tried to make pancakes, or something else, it just took too long.

I have 2 children who are gluten, dairy and egg free which makes our choices somewhat limited unless I want to make two different meals. I tell you that just doesn't happen. I have considered making our whole family eat that way but again it just is not economical. I will choose recipes as I can that we can all eat. Hence my adaptation of a Delicious Granola Recipe.

Ingredients:

16 cups Oatmeal (not quick cooking)

1 3/4 Cups Brown Sugar

1 - 2 Cups Flax

2 Cups Toasted Coconut

2 cups Slivered Almonds

2 cups Sunflower Seeds

1 Cup Raisins

1 Cup Oil

1 1/2 Cups Honey

4 tsp Vanilla

I begin by toasting the coconut (Usually I will buy it in bulk and toast a whole bunch then let it cool and store it in freezer bags to save time later).

Next, I mix the oatmeal, brown sugar, flax, almonds, and sunflower seeds in a large bowl.

In a saucepan combine oil, honey and vanilla until bubbling. Pour Liquid over dry ingredients. Spread loosely in a greased pan (I like the Pampered Chef 9X13 and the Deep lid). Bake at 325 for 24-32 minutes stirring every 8 minutes.

After the oat mixture is cooked add the coconut and raisins. I continue to stir while the mixture cools or you will end up with a hard clump.

This recipe usually lasts my family 2 or 3 days. We enjoy it with yogurt, coconut milk or cows milk.

You could easily half this recipe or substitute wheat germ instead of flax.

Legacy

2011-02-08T16:50:00.000-08:00

Today, Sean and I are celebrating our 14th Wedding Anniversary.

We are diligently praying that we are leaving a legacy that our children will want to emulate. We try to honor God in all areas of our lives. Our relationship looks very different now, than when we were first married. We have been blessed abundantly and with each blessing comes more responsibility. We have been molded into a new creation, we have become one. The shaping has been painful and yet beautiful.

My desire is that we become more like our savior, more united and stronger in our faith. I hope that we are leaving a legacy of love, honor, and a spirit of forgiveness and grace.

Be Prepared

2011-02-01T21:53:00.000-08:00

Ian (from Simply Made)is not sure where Ruby is going to land.

Life can take you by surprise if you aren't prepared.

I feel like this has been the theme of my week.

I have blogged before about Teri Maxwell's Managers Series, then I fell off the bandwagon. I have spent time preparing for our school, meals, activities, then I just quit. I know the things I should do and I know the results when I don't do it.

Needless to say, this week has been tough spiritually, emotionally, and physically. I am reading posts here, and here, and dedicated myself to spending some time preparing for the direction our family is trying to achieve. I have been spending time in God's word praying for goals for each one of our children, for our family, and for myself. I know I will be called to "be prepared to make a defence to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect." 1 Peter 3:16 and "Be self controlled and sober minded for the sake of your prayers. Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins." 1 Peter 4:7-8

I am thankful that I have a savior who will forgive all my transgressions and allow me to start over. I pray that my children will love God and serve Him with their whole being despite my deficiencies.

I would love to pray for you, will you pray for me?

Overflowing..

2011-01-30T22:10:00.000-08:00

We woke up to a very wet surprise. Our ice maker decided to quit freezing the water and instead fill the entire tray, freezer, kitchen, dining room, and part of the living room and entry way with water.

I shudder to imagine the water bill. Think: one of your children turning the water on full power, plugging the sink and then going to bed.

Round One: gather every towel in the entire house and blot the water using foot power.

Round Two: Dry towels in the dryer then blot using children power.

Round Three: Try sucking out as much water as possible using a Shop Vac and discover that it is futile.

Round Four: Rent a High Powered Fan from the Hardware Store and run it on High for 24 Hours

Round Five: Call the Carpet Cleaner guy down the road and pay him to use his high powered Shop Vac to extract as much water as possible.

I can't say we won this round but our carpet is clean and dry and the children had a lot of fun experimenting with wind energy. They made Lego cars, helicopters, and boats to be driven across the floor by the air. Liberty summited Everest with her efforts at moving against air.

One plus was that all the children's hair dried very quickly after their baths, and since we did not have any clean towels we just air dried! Just kidding but it isn't a bad idea.

2011-01-26T09:37:00.000-08:00

We were supposed to go to Olympia with Ben and Syndi to spend a few days with friends. One of our friends got really sick, strep throat and scarlet fever! We had some very disappointed

children and a whole day with no school plans.

Syndi and I came up with the idea to do a giant scavenger hunt with the children. Syndi brought over breakfast then deciphered the first clue which led them to the fire station.

We received an impromptu tour of the station and saw them working on some of the engines, we got to hold the Rammer tool which was quite heavy and used to Ram heavy objects (such as cars) out of the fireman's way.

Liberty loved the outside of the engines, and she was brave enough to go into the truck but not brave enough to stay there.

The children all received stickers, bracelets, fire safety rulers and their next clue.

This clue led the children to a local bakery located inside a historic red caboose. We were really excited to try some of their food (the bacon smelled wonderful)!

The man who worked there was quite shocked at the number of people we had and bluntly told us there was not enough room in his restaurant for us.

We skipped the bacon and skipped off to our next destination. Well, we did not really skip we ran, except Ruby who hops.

The children had to run stairs at the Plaza. Erik was done in supersonic speed, unfortunately we did not hand out lap markers. The rest of the children had a blast before running, jumping, swinging, and spitting before we wandered over to our next destination.

They had to locate a particular book (Ruby decided to color instead). The book was the clue to the next destination. We went to a country store and found the clue inside a vest pocket. This clue told them to travel near the Woods. When they are Outdoors they must be prepared. Their feet will take them where they need to be, make sure that they are warm and toasty.

Dave's Outdoor Sports Shop is located near Woods Coffee and was the place our next clue was hidden inside a pair of warm socks. They looked near the fireplace, inside boots and by fire starters before locating the clue.

Of course, while we were there they had to hold some knives and guns. Their challenge here was to get their photo taken with one of the many mounts hung on the wall.

Second Chance Thrift store was the location of our next challenge. The children had to find an item and tell me three different ways that item could be used. Aaron's spatula won the contest. He said it could be used to flip pancakes, spank children, and if you had two of them you could use them as arms on your snowman.

Our final stop was a treasure hunt following clues through Safeway to get our lunch. Syndi bought us a latte from Starbucks and the barista made mini smoothies for the children, even soy ones for Taylor and Erik! It was the perfect ending for a memorable day.

I can definitely see with a little more planning that this could become a regular event.

Sunday Fun

2011-01-23T21:11:00.000-08:00

I have come to realize that unless something is planned, nothing seems to happen.

It gives meaning to the adage,"If you fail to plan, to plan to fail"

We have been studying geography this year and this activity seemed to fit right in with our lessons, I love that!

Aaron got a GPS a couple of years ago and loves to use it on car trips, bike rides, and around the house. We decided to try Geocache with it.

I chose one that was close to home in a cemetery with clear boundaries. I thought I knew where the cemetery was located and that proved to be one of the most difficult aspects of of the cache. The Tom Tom did not have the cemetery listed by name and we were not very familiar with the coordinates, as well as not having an address.

Once we arrived it looked like there were 3 caches in the cemetery but Erik found the only one we could locate.

We read about the history of the cemetery and located the first people who were buried there, as well as the grave of the local fallen soldier Aaron Aamot. Aaron's mother was the woman who led our tour of Pioneer Park in Ferndale last spring.

We tried to find the other cache that looked like it was located outside the cemetery but after a bit of a stroll we realized that we were way off base.

Reviews that I read about Geocaching with a Tom Tom relate it to driving a nail with a monkey wrench, not pretty but it gets the job done. I think that pretty well sums up our experience.

One Reason Why We Homeschool

2011-01-20T08:34:00.000-08:00

Because sometimes you need to do your math wearing a full face respirator.

All In A Days' Work

2011-01-18T21:26:00.000-08:00

Some days life goes exactly as planned, other days not so much. One of my biggest challenges is doing projects that pertain to what we are learning, are challenging enough for the big kids and easy enough for the little kids.

These super cute, bees wax candles fit the bill! They were easy enough for the little kids to have a relative amount of success, and challenging enough for the big kids to make look good.

Of course, if you are going to make candles you simply must try them out. If you are going to try them out why not outside where it is darker? The big challenge here was keeping the candles lit due to extreme wind conditions.

Ben discovered that the wax created a really cool pattern on the driveway when it hit the freezing rain. I had to put a stop to the children who were headed in the back yard to try the candle out while jumping on trampoline. I know, I ruin all the fun.

He only looks innocent. He blew out his candle when it was time, but quickly re lit it with an ember he had created.

When one invites a friend over for dinner it just tastes better in a tent that they created.

Even Sean did not seem to mind eating on the living room floor. I think he appreciated the fact that I used battery operated candles for lighting instead of our bees wax candles.

Guess Who's Two

2011-01-01T22:52:00.000-08:00

It seems impossible that 2 years have passed since this sweet little girl has entered our lives. 2 years since my water broke a mile and a half from the van on New Year's Eve, 2 years since I had my last baby, 2 years...

One Of These Is Not Like The Other

2010-12-29T23:14:00.000-08:00

My husband and I have always brushed our children's teeth. We feel that it is important to establish good oral hygiene early and we view it as insurance against problems later.
Sean has had this whole week off and therefore we have seen more of each other's brushing techniques and habits. We have a dilemma. One of us feels it is necessary to use an exorbitant amount of toothpaste on each child's toothbrush while the other is much more frugal and is of the mindset that a little bit goes a long way.
The poor children they put toothpaste on their toothbrushes and bring them to a parent. Said parent inevitably sends them back for more toothpaste or they get reprimanded for using too much, it is a no win situation.
What do you suggest? What is the proper amount of paste? When are they capable of brushing properly?

Necessity is the Mother of Invention

2010-12-21T22:41:00.000-08:00

Necessity is the Mother of Invention. I live 35 minutes away from any real stores. That, coupled with the fact that we are on a mission revamping our budget and therefore trying to save money on gas led to the Works for Me Wednesday.

Sweet Baby Paisley taking a snooze.

Jess suggested taking a couple sets of kids one Wednesday then having the next two Wednesdays to accomplish our 'to do' lists. I took the first Wednesday and had 13 children for 4 1/2 hours!

Five 2 and unders

We started the morning with a pancake breakfast complete with bacon and peaches. We decided it was mandatory for each person to bring their own highchairs.

I set up my gate in the kitchen and let the toddlers take turns in the sandbox. All my children love the sandbox and I love it even more when I figured out to put it inside the swimming pool to better contain the sand.

God provided a bit of sunshine and we went for a walk. We had a double stroller, a wagon with 3 two year olds, an Ergo, and at least 5 scooters. Then it was back home for yet another round of UNO.

Before lunch we had water play which ended up filling the pool and by the time the mom's came to pick up their children all the toddlers were only in diapers. We had several rounds of "Rosie", along with a toddler version of Soak Em' (somehow my snow angel's nose was broken off)

Aiden and Taylor

I wasn't sure how it was going to go or if I would even consider doing it again but we had a fabulous time! The time went very quickly and everyone was happy, well behaved, good manners and extremely helpful. Now, if I could harness that every day!

I am looking forward to my day tomorrow. I will start with a Starbucks Cinnamon Dolce Latte, time with a friend and the added bonus of getting to take Paisley with me! I can't wait.

Life

2010-12-16T21:19:00.000-08:00

The sanctity of life is very important to me. Too often I forget to pray for the warriors out there on the front lines making a difference, exposing the lies and falsehoods that our society has come to embrace as truth. I have friends who are working tirelessly with the Whatcom County Pregnancy Center, other friends who support the clinic financially, and still others who fight for the clinic's rights in Olympia.
What can we do? We can begin by praying. Pray for our Country, Our Leaders, The Integrity of Our Men, Pray for The Truth to be proclaimed.
If you have any doubts about the power our enemy uses check out this episode:
http://www.facinglife.tv/episode/season_5/episode_5/episode_505.html
Former abortion clinic owners, abortion providers, and planned parenthood managers speak out about the atrocities used in the abortion business.

The Nativity Story Star Wars Style

2010-12-15T22:14:00.000-08:00

Several years ago I purchased a Fisher Price Nativity Set. I love little people, yes I love how my children ALL play with them, but I enjoy them as well. I collect the different sets and love the creativity and imagination that my children use while playing with them.
I only pull this particular set out during Christmas time and my children are super excited to see it each year. In the past I have heard someone yelling "Jesus" and when I went to reprimand them, I discovered they were only playing with the 'Jesus Set'.
Yesterday, Ian and Ruby were happily playing with the Nativity Set when I overheard them say that Jesus was just like Yoda, He is the Master Jedi and uses the force. Then Ian informed Ruby that Joseph, even though he is Jesus' father, does not have the power that Jesus has. God, after all, is Jesus' real father. Therefore Joseph is just a Jedi in training. Ruby went on as she does and said, "There is only one God. He is in 3 persons: The Father, The Son, And The Holy Spirit. Mary is Jesus' mom and she has to be a Jedi because she had to train Jesus and must have the force."
The game continued with Ian saying that Mary is a girl and can't have the force. I wish I had the force.
I am not into Star Wars AT ALL. In fact, they are only allowed to watch it when I am gone because I can't stand it.
I think The Nativity Story Star Wars Style was quite enlightening. Maybe not the reverence we strive for, but funny.

What Fun He's One

2010-12-12T22:53:00.000-08:00

Look at this cutie pie! This is my one year old nephew Loden. His birthday was 3 weeks ago! I know I have been slacking on the blog a bit lately but I guess my excuse is that we are living life, not blogging it.

We had a super busy November with a birth, birthdays, birthday parties, and snow. Our family was really looking forward to our trip south to Celebrate Loden's First Year.

I am extremely jealous that my Sister In Law, Nicole gets her hands on Loden on a regular basis. Because they are in such close proximity, and Noah thinks of Loden as his brother, Noah was given the honors of making a toast to the Birthday boy. Noah is very articulate and extremely funny. Noah said that he thought Loden was very cute as a baby but as he is getting older his is becoming less cute ~ Thus the reaction from Karina above.

We don't see family near enough but it is always fabulous to see them. Ruby was especially taken with Aunt Shelby because she listened to Ruby's stream of consciousness speak.

Taylor, Aunt Karina, Grandma

I was hoping for a photo of all the girls together but was pleased with the one I was able to get. We were all disappointed that Aunt Nicole was not able to make the party due to illness, and would covet any prayers for miraculous healing.

Aaron is my most tenderhearted child. He loves to hold babies and is always good for getting a smile. Loden was completely thrilled with Aaron and offered up not only smiles but contagious belly laughs as well.

Sean, Ian, Aaron, Grandpa Ivan, Erik

I am not sure even a professional can get a good group shot with my boys. This was about the only picture where Ian's fingers are not in someone else's nose, mouth or ears!

All the cousin's on Sean's side are in this photo except for Mikaela
Again, I challenge a professional photographer to capture 5 boys and 3 girls for a frame worthy picture.

Happy First Birthday you cute little man!

Candle Making

2010-12-06T23:25:00.000-08:00

Taylor recently joined Girls' Club. It is the answer to our prayers for friends for Taylor who share similar interests and values. We were especially excited when we learned that they were using the Keepers at Home books for their projects and Bible Studies! We have used these in the past and Love them, it just isn't as much fun without someone to work on a project with.

I volunteered to teach the girls candle making. It has been several years (read: I had to dust off the wax and rid the box of spiders) since I have made candles. I decided to brush up on my skills and watched this wonderful video on different candle making techniques.

We have learned (the hard way) that in order to successfully teach a craft you should have at least attempted it once before. We made these candles at home with just the supplies I had on hand. The ones we made at Girls' Club were beautiful! We made light blue candles and red candles with pressed flowers.

My boys wanted to make candles as much as the girls did. I do see the allure of hot was and a delicious vanilla-cinnamon smell. This was one of those times where I really wanted to get the project done without all the 'little distractions' that slow things down. I had to stop and remind myself that it is an honor to have my children want to be with me, that we enjoy each other and most importantly we are learning together. Had I been in such a hurry I would have missed seeing the delight in their eyes, hearing their cheerful chatter, and spending time together. Remember to slow down and enjoy those who bring you the most joy.

Delightful

2010-12-01T22:40:00.000-08:00

Liberty is a delight! We are so very blessed.

Liberty is extremely persistent and fairly easy to please. She loves to play with her baby and to read and be read to. She honestly does not know that she is not one of the big kids. Her favorite thing to say is ME! with her hand raised high in the air. What she is means is me too! Don't forget me! and I'll do it.

Libby is my little helper. She is the first to unload the dishwasher, set the table, and fold and put away laundry. In my perfectionist mind it is difficult to allow her to do those things to the best of her ability. I know she wants to do meaningful work and teaching her to be delightful while she is working is a great reminder to me of how my attitude needs to be.
.

She is such a sweetie pie. All her siblings clamour over who gets to get her up from her naps. They are first in line to help her, give her whatever her little heart desires (even whipping cream from a can, directly into her mouth). She knows how to open the freezer and we are often irritated by the little wet spots of melting ice that we step in on an hourly basis.

I love how she loves each sibling in their own way. She knows that Taylor is second in command all day long and that Taylor will provide comfort, and security. Aaron is our comedian and loves to get a laugh out of Libby, she will be coy and make him work for it. She also knows that Aaron is comfortable in the kitchen and if she wants food, or drink she will ask him for it. Erik is always on the go. Liberty knows that I am constantly trying to keep track of him and she will randomly go and find him and tell Erik to go see mama! She knows that he loves kisses and hugs and gives him more kisses than anyone else. Ian is our gentle spirit and Liberty knows she can trust him. She loves for him to give her horsey rides, piggy backs, and will play chiropractor with him (he pretends to give her an adjustment). Ian is fun enough to be entertaining but gentle enough not to accidentally hurt her. Ruby loves her little sister and wants to teach her all things girl! Ruby has shown Libby where we keep the nail polish and that anytime is a good time to get your nails painted. Ruby also has a special blanket named "Two-y" and it makes everything better so Libby now has a "two-y" for her baby doll. Libby also knows that Mikaela is on the phone. She picks up the phone and talks to Lala. She even asks to call her. Mikaela will talk to Libby for as long as she wants.

Lord, I pray that you use Liberty's joy and delightful spirit for your glory. I ask you Father to equip her with your grace and your forgiveness. Help me to be a Godly example of a woman who delights in you and in her calling to be a wife and mother. Amen

Thankful Thanksgiving

2010-11-29T22:12:00.000-08:00

Look at this super cute banner that Taylor made! I was super excited that she wanted to make it. Often I come up with craft ideas that she is just not interested in. We found the pattern here and it took just a short time for spectacular results.

We were so blessed to be invited to spend Thanksgiving with Syndiluhu and her family at her in laws house. You might remember Peggy's hospitality at the Historical Harvest Party, or Taylor's Victorian Tea Party , Peggy out did herself with the beautifully set table, coordinating dishes and service, and fellowship.

I was busy and did not think to take photos of all the people but had to grab my camera and capture Sean playing 'Rosie" with the little girls. Ever since Liberty learned to play Ring Around the Rosie she can't get enough of it! The adults and the girls all stayed warm and cozy in the house, while the boys enjoyed the abundance of snowfall and the steep driveway to sled head first down the hill! I had to draw the line at crossing the road and seeing how close they could get to the mostly frozen pond. Eventually Taylor joined them for a few runs~in her velvet dress sans coat.

We read about the history of "Come Ye Thankful People Come" and sang the Hymn together. I found a really wordy passage about how Thanksgiving became a National Holiday and had Aaron and Ben read it. We were all amazed at how far our Country has fallen since George Washington declared Thanksgiving as a time for Americans to to Thank God for His provisions, and remember how He has provided for us.

The women shared the cooking and the cleaning and fellowship together. Not one of us felt like we did enough for the amount of food we enjoyed!
Our menu included:
Turkey
Ham
Homemade stuffing
My Grandmother's recipe for Cranberry Relish
Homemade crescent rolls
Gluten free rolls
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Gravy
Sweet Potato Casserole
Green Beans
Brussel Sprouts (Aaron went back for thirds!)
Pumpkin Pie
Apple Pie
Pistachio Pie
Cranberry Lemon Bars
Whipping Cream
Cookies
I am sure I forgot something but it makes me want it all again, Everything was amazing! What is your favorite Thanksgiving food?
I think the memory that stands out the most on this Thanksgiving is the laughter, it is good for the soul.
I am blessed beyond measure!

Two Broken Noses

2010-11-28T16:53:00.000-08:00

What are the chances of having two children with broken noses in as many weeks?
I did not take a picture of Libby's nose right after it happened, there was just too much blood! Her nose swelled, turned purple, then yellow now there is just a faint scratch.
How does a 21 month old break her nose? We walked with some friends to the library, then visited the skate park located right behind the library. I thought I had it all together, I had 3 2 year olds, a 4, 6, 8, 9, and 2 ten year olds by myself while my friend was in the library with the baby and Taylor. Everything was going great when was helping one of the little ones put shoes on, someone pushed Libby off of the 4 foot high ramp straight down to the concrete!
There was so much blood and we had to walk all the way back to my friends house. I was worried about a concussion so I took her to the doctor who confirmed the broken nose and no other injuries. Praise God!

The following week Ian was outside in all the snow and ice with all the children ice skating and he tripped and fell on the edge of the ice. Fortunately there was not much blood but he succeeded in doing a fabulous job breaking his nose. We are two for two, hopefully bad things don't come in threes.

UGH

2010-11-23T22:00:00.000-08:00

I have a great post, Really I do.
It is saved because I cannot upload any photos.
It says server rejected.
What is up with that?
I'll try again in a bit.

Babies, Babies, Birthdays and More

2010-11-19T21:38:00.000-08:00

I have not slept more than and hour and a half since Wednesday. I had the blessing of being able to help a friend get some coveted time alone with her husband. As a result I had 11 children at my house ALL day Thursday. We had a blast and will post about that soon.
When I went to drop the children at another friends house I got a call for a baby!
The Labor was beautiful and I will share about that soon but for now please lift baby Sophie up in prayer. She is not breathing unassisted and had to be transported to Children's. Mom is anxious to recover enough to go be with her baby and hold that precious little girl.
I came across this verse today:

You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions;
stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you.
Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.
Go out to face them tomorrow and the Lord will be with you.
2 Chronicles 20:17

I stopped on my way home and got what I needed to have a birthday party for my 13 year old Taylor. We had 13 girls here for games, jewelry making, dinner and ice cream sundaes!

Tomorrow We will be attending a reunion for some very dear friends and the sponsors of my Birth By Design Classes. After that we are headed to my nephew Loden's First Birthday Party then to Children's to visit baby Sophie and to Grandma's house for another Celebration of Taylor!

I am humbled by the blessings God has bestowed upon me. I am unworthy of all His provision and faithfulness. Praise God.

Third Annual Historical Harvest Party

2010-11-17T20:32:00.000-08:00

Sunday evening brought our much anticipated Historical Harvest Party. In years past we have included a larger audience. This year however, was much more intimate. We had just 4 families and were treated to amazing hospitality by Ben's grandparents. They welcomed us with this amazing banner that included all the children's names.

It was amazing how much better the presentations were this year. Is it because the children are older, or was the home setting more comfortable for them?
Jake did a super job informing all of us about George Washington.

Ben and Aaron stuck with our Civil War history theme and were opposing Generals, with Ben on the Union side representing Ulysses S. Grant and Aaron with Virginian blood in his veins, General Robert E. Lee. I think Ben really liked it when Aaron had to surrender.

All three boys were proud of their dress swords. Ben scrimped and saved and purchased his own sword, Aaron's was a treasure from my father, and Jake borrowed his dad's NRA sword.

Savannah did a super job informing us about Katherina Von Bora, who was an amazing help meet for Martin Luther. Savannah's presentation showed how much she has matured over the last year. This year she was articulate and made eye contact and was engaging.

When Taylor found this dress at Goodwill she knew exactly who she wanted to be for the Harvest Party ~ Martha Washington. I learned that Martha did not support George in is Candidacy for President of the newly formed United States, but she played the role of First Lady with dignity and honor. She served her country in the trenches (literally) and raised two of her grandchildren. Also, Aaron's character, Robert E. Lee married the granddaughter of Martha Washington.

Martha and George Washington

Jake and Taylor discovered each other's characters shortly before the party and were surprised. I think most 10 year old boys would be horrified, but Jake humored us and even posed for a picture with his 'wife'.

Everett did a Karate demonstration complete with the history and meaning of Karate! Have I ever told you how amazing Everett's mom is? I told her I think I need to call her Saint Tami. She not only found the jacket I was looking for for Aaron's costume but made it as well! Yes, in all her free time homeschooling, being an amazing wife and mother (training a puppy) and serving wherever needs served she took a HUGE serving off my plate and made Aaron's costume! Thank you doesn't seem sufficient.

We were also treated to glimpses in the life of Laura Ingalls Wilder by Ruby, and Egyptian Princess by Isobel, and Daniel Boon by Erik. Probably my favorite was Ian's presentation of George Mueller. George was a 'naughty boy' when he was young and most people were unfamiliar with his life, so they were entertained by Ian's little voice telling about this swindler who later grew up to be The Guardian of Bristol's Orphans. If you have not read his story get this book.

As parents of homeschoolers we don't have many opportunities to see our children perform. We were all proud of our children and their hard work getting ready. Thank you so much to Syndi for planning this annual event, and for Ray and Peggy for sharing your beautiful home with us!

After the presentations we enjoyed way too many delicious desserts. My mom and Kimberly even brought a special gluten, dairy and egg free dessert for Taylor and Erik. Their gift and their presence were a blessing.

Of course, no event could be complete without the clashing of swords, at least not for these boys.

My Boys

2010-11-09T12:09:00.000-08:00

Sean and the boys are all incredibly enthusiastic about everything associated with Scouts. They took the opportunity a few weeks ago to to camping and fishing with a local scout troop.

Word has it that these boys were quite the anglers. Lots of fishermen were at the lake and catching very few fish ~ Not these boys, they caught their limit in less than an hour!

I still don't see the draw of standing out in the cold getting wet and slimy and sleeping in an open Adirondacks in the cold. If they truly love it and it offers them man time I am all over it. Plus it means the girls and I can paint our nails, eat pizza and ice cream and watch movies.

Loving Learning

2010-11-05T22:43:00.000-07:00

We are Loving our curriculum this year. I have been wanting to try My Father's World for quite some time but have always been put off by the financial investment. I know homeschooling is an investment and I expect that but I really do not like to spend money on something that doesn't work for us. Think of my 17 3rd grade spelling programs that I own.

Through the generosity of a wonderful friend we were able to borrow most of the books needed to do My Father's World. One of our favorite books is from Answers in Genesis called "Properties of Ecosystems". We have done some fabulous experiments and this week we learned how the Xylem in trees help transport the water and nutrients from the roots to the rest of the tree. We removed the Xylem from one piece of celery and left in in the other. We added food coloring to see how the water travels and within hours we could see the celery without Xylem was still green and went limp from lack of water. While the intact celery was still crisp and the leaves had turned red, we also discovered that when we cut the celery the Xylem in the celery was red. There is nothing like real life learning to bring the lessons home.

House Ball

2010-11-03T12:15:00.001-07:00

My children love to play house so when Aaron suggested they play house ball, I assumed that it was just part of playing house.

It did not occur to me that house ball involved our house. They use a little soccer ball from the dollar store and tennis rackets. Some of the children are in the back yard while others are in the front and they play tennis over the house.

Just one more advantage of a small house.

More Better

2010-11-01T20:43:00.001-07:00

Not a flattering photo of me but it is a pretty accurate depiction of how I felt out there shooting guns! I almost think I was more giddy than the boys. However I saw Sean's fabulous smile on his face the whole time we were out there. I love that smile, I wish we saw it all the time. He frequently says he is smiling ~ inside. Sorry but that doesn't count.

Aaron loved how the M4 obliterated the pumpkins.

I wouldn't want to run into Syndi if she were brandishing an assault rifle in a dark alley. That girl can shoot with amazing accuracy. Thank you so much for infecting me with the bug.

There is something pretty cool about a mom using her son's .22.

I could try to blame my poor vision, or the fact that it was my first experience shooting an M4, but in reality I can't tell you how much of the pumpkins I actually hit. I was having far too much fun with the power and speed of gun to really pay too much attention to the minor detail of where the bullets were going.

Tim is an excellent marksman and offered great pointers. He even patiently taught me how to properly hold the pistol. I really appreciate his respect for guns and safety including instruction about the proper use of firearms.

Erik could use a magazine of bullets in seconds. His aim left a little to be desired but we cut him some slack as I think the rifle was nearly as long as he is tall.

He was much more accurate when resting the gun on the table. This boy can be the most trying and most rewarding child at the same time. This time he was pure joy!

This is a tradition I highly recommend, especially when rotten pumpkins are involved.

Something Better

2010-10-31T22:53:00.000-07:00

It has always been our philosophy that if we are not going to deny our children something without offering them something better. We have not 'celebrated' Halloween for several years now. We do not want to get caught up in something that is so blatantly pagan and has no God honoring qualities. This year Tami gave me the best idea ever, go shoot pumpkins. The puny pumpkins on the left of the photo are ones from our garden the other ones we managed to procure from the local grocery store. I texted Syndi this morning and asked if they wanted to go shoot some pumpkins?

Just a few of the guns used to obliterate the pumpkins. We stopped at the store and asked for the produce manager and after a few attempts we finally got to talk to him. We convinced him that the pumpkins were old and that we really needed them. He asked what we wanted them for, and we told him we were going to shoot them, so he offered us as many as we could carry because he would have to dispose of them tomorrow. We were happy to help him out.

Have you ever shot an assault rifle? It is REALLY fun, especially to watch the pieces of pumpkin fly ~ some even flew all the way back to where we were standing.

I really liked the .22 with the great sight (it was Syndi's birthday present). I have only shot guns a few times before but I know what I want for Christmas!

Not a bad grouping for a beginner. The pumpkins on the left and the top of mine were shot with a 12 gauge and a M4 which were really satisfying to shoot.

Aaron tried out all the guns and liked Ben's .22 rifle the best.

This is way easier and much more fun than carving pumpkins.

We did not even have to scrape out the seeds. The design goes all the way through. Aaron had the satisfaction of knocking the top pumpkin off.

Tim was so encouraging! When Erik shot he missed the pumpkin and Tim told him that he made the dirt fly! Erik loved that. I just realized that I don't have the picture of Erik in here and I don't know how to add a photo in the middle so I will post it tomorrow.

We cleaned up, came home ate dinner and got our PJ's on and started watching "Robin Hood" with Errol Flynn. At intermission we made ice cream sundaes. My children love ice cream and Ruby was pleased as punch to get to help dish up. We had Strawberry, Praline Pecan, Chocolate Coffee Crunch, and for the non dairy eaters we had vanilla and chocolate soy ice cream complete with non dairy whipped topping (what is it?) and chocolate sauce and sprinkles.

Liberty got right in there with everyone else when I asked if anyone wanted more whipped cream.

What better way to get more whipped cream than directly into the mouth?

At bed time Aaron said, "I am sure glad we don't celebrate Halloween! Today was the Best!"

Exactly.

Give Me Some Chocolate!

2010-10-26T20:52:00.000-07:00

Last month my momm, aka Geaba, arranged a trip for us to visit a chocolate factory. We went to Boehm's Chalet located in Issaquah.

The tour information promised chocolate tasting. I was in from the moment I learned that! We learned so much more than I anticipated. We learned that Julius Boehm was an accomplished Olympic Athlete, he was also a mountaineer and utilized those skills to escape the Hitler regime.

We toured the original house where The Boehm's lived and listened to his original Victrola. I tried to take a photograph of the recipes located on the counter but the lighting did not quite cooperate. There was ample art, which offended my children. It is difficult to explain the difference between art and porn. We just looked away and admired the decor that was appropriate.

As promised we were offered 4 pieces of chocolate to taste. I wanted to taste all the different types! Liberty loved that part and I was not able to snatch her pieces for myself. Never fear my mom came to the rescue and bought the children each their own piece and us several of the amazing hand dipped truffles.

The tour was over in 58.23 minutes, so we headed to a wonderful park and enjoyed our chocolate and some Starbucks we picked up on the way! My mom knows how to speak my language!

After I was able to take her car (complete with heated seats) and Kimberly and I enjoyed some rare time alone together. We stopped at a used homeschool bookstore, the grocery store and on to her house for a wonderful dinner.

19 and counting 20,21...

2010-10-25T13:49:00.000-07:00

Really, I have not fallen off the face of the earth, I promise. Sometimes it seems that gravity is the only thing keeping me grounded.

We are currently dealing with a lot of 'issues'. One example is that we had to spend 45 minutes walking around the store this morning practicing how to walk. It seems that a majority of my children have forgotten the stay together, look with your eyes not your hands, and keep your hands to yourself rules. Erik is amazing on his Rip Stick, he has the ab muscles to prove it.

Last week I had the opportunity to visit someone I met this summer at the Christian Heritage picnic. She lives an hour and 20 minutes away. I went with another friend of mine and between us we have 19 children. Not all the children were there but one is pregnant with twins #'s 8 and 9! so including the ones in utero there were 19 children.

I was so inspired that she is clean and organized in a small house with lots of little ones. She has implemented what I have been dreaming of for awhile, a family closet! They have a whole room with all the laundry in one place. Think wash, dry, fold or hang up and put away all in one location.

I was renewed by the fellowship with like minded women and so very pleased with the new friendships that Taylor was able to make.
I came home ready to re do my schedule and with the knowledge and tools I need to make circle time run like a well oiled machine.

Snippets

2010-10-10T15:08:00.000-07:00

In September we went sailing with the big kids (Taylor, Aaron, Erik, Ian) and a wonderful couple from church. The children had a fabulous time and were amazing at steering the boat.

Erik especially liked the head, I think it was figuring out how to flush. Taylor was able to navigate us from about a mile out right into the marina.

Gene printed us out a chart of where we went and marked off where we were when each of the children took their turn at the helm. The most jagged line was where I took a turn!

Not related to the sailing trip at all, I wanted to share some snippets of conversation around our house. Bill Gates is often a topic of conversation at the breakfast table. I am not sure why, only that they know he has a lot of money and lives in Washington. The other morning Erik asked me how many children Bill Gates had. I replied that I knew he had one child but thought perhaps he has two. To which Erik exclaimed, "I am sure glad I am not one of his children. It is obvious that he values money more than he values life!"

Recently we were discussing things on earth that give us a glimpse of the joy we will experience when we get to heaven. Taylor said finding Nudibranchs at the beach, Erik said newborn babies, Aaron thought that a sunset brought great joy, and Ruby said the greatest joy she feels is when she gets a new pair of shoes.

She's Off

2010-09-29T17:29:00.000-07:00

Last night we had dinner with Mikaela for the last time before she moves. She is off to an exciting adventure in California with her cousin, best friend and boyfriend.
They are all moving, getting jobs and going to different schools. It is a difficult transition for me. I will miss being able to see her whenever I want to. Independence is good, right?! Please add her to your prayers for wisdom, discernment, growth, and for good Christian Friends.
One of the strangest parts for me is not being here to see her off, she is leaving Friday and I am leaving today. I get to go to Milwaukee, Wisconsin for recertification for my Doula and Childbirth Educator Training.
I get to spend a few extra days with a good friend that moved away 4 years ago!

We would appreciate prayers for safe travel, health and peace at home, and a time of renewal and refreshment. ~ See You Next Week~

Fossil Dig

2010-09-26T14:28:00.000-07:00

We had the amazing opportunity to go on a Fossil Dig right here in our own county. The guy who ran the dig, Russ McGlenn is a creation scientist with Twin Cities Creation Science Association.

We went to Church Mountain, which is located right at the base of Mt. Baker. We were about 4,000 feet above sea level and found literally hundreds of fossils. The coolest ones we found were a completely fossilized cephalopod (remember marine biology), and hundreds of bivalves (clam shells on top of a mountain).

We found out about the event through a homeschool email loop, which was so much fun to spend the day with other homeschoolers. There were 3 other 12-15 passenger vans.

The boys loved climbing up the creek and did not even have to try to find the fossils, they practically jumped into our hands.

Aaron especially liked using the hammer to break apart the rocks. That was not at all necessary but really fun.

Good thing I brought extra clothes for Ruby. She had a blast climbing, running through the water, and throwing rocks and sticks.We would have had a terrible ride home if she did not have something clean, warm and dry to wear.

Liberty did great in the Ergo and even goes with the flow when I have to roll up my jeans. I have to admit that a few times I slipped when climbing the loose rocks and was more protective of my camera than the jewel on my back.

Libby's first pig tails! Aren't they the cutest things ever?

When The Boys are Away

2010-09-21T15:14:00.000-07:00

When the Boys are Away the Girls will play. The boys went to an overnight at Silver Lake with Scouts and that left me and the girls home alone! We celebrated by staying up late and watching The Quiet Man. Ruby was anything but quiet. We painted our toenails and small fingernails. Ruby and Taylor had a sleep over on the hide a bed (I much prefer my bed). Then we had our favorite roll-up pancakes for breakfast. Usually I have to make a septuple recipe and stand at the stove for an hour to make enough to accommodate the boys' bellies. We were satisfied with a double batch for us.
Roll -Up Pancakes
3 eggs lightly whipped
1 cup flour
1 1/4 cup milk
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
whip together and let rest for 15 minutes. Use 1/4 cup batter for each crepe and cook ~ 3 minutes on the first side and ~1 minute after you have flipped the crepe over. We put butter and powdered sugar in ours, roll them up, then top with fresh berries and whipped cream.

I was still fighting a Migraine so we made a personal visit to my chiropractor's house. Then headed out in our dresses to go shopping and out to lunch.
I am thankful that my girls want to shop at thrift stores and find the thrill as exciting as I do. We hit a couple of thrift/consignment stores then ate lunch at Dutch Mother's in Lynden. I know the girls loved it and the patron's all loved their dresses and several times they were asked if they were in a wedding. I brought my camera but the only thing I really wanted was a Vicoden.
I know it's bad when I turned down chocolate at the Bakery later.
We did some window shopping and went visit our good friends. She gave me some headache medicine, closed the curtains and made everyone whisper. When I knew I could make it home we hit the Mc Donald's drive thru and made it home in time to put the little girls to bed.
I was disappointed that I couldn't enjoy our time together uninhibited. Never the less, we made memories and for that I am grateful.

In Jesus' Arms

2010-09-19T22:34:00.000-07:00

I have the most amazing job in the whole world. I get the honor and privilege to witness one of God's greatest miracles every time I attend a birth. I have been to countless births with both strangers and best friends. I have attended multiple births for people and become involved in their lives far surpassing the birth of their baby. I can tell you every detail of every birth. None has affected me as profoundly as the one I attended Friday.

I feel I must share their story because God is so faithful in every detail that He puts into place. Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord,

plans for welfare and not for evil,

to give you a future and a hope.

I got a call Friday morning to come to the hospital to be with a client who had just given birth to their 3rd child, a baby girl. They discovered when they went in to have the baby that there was no heartbeat. They had been counseled during the pregnancy to have an abortion because of some minor physical deformities and a possible genetic abnormality. They stood strong, declaring to all the 'professionals' that God is the Author of Life. They continued to make plans to welcome a baby girl into their home with 2 little boys. Even through it all they still know that God is in control and He knows what is best. They said that they could use this experience and become bitter or they could use it to Glorify God and they were going to choose daily to use it for His Glory.
When I arrived at the hospital I hugged and cried with the grandparents in the waiting room, then went back to be with the couple. I was scared. I did not want to say or do the wrong thing. I know that God gave me wisdom.

Psalm 18:35

You have given me the shield of your salvation,

and your right hand supported me,

and your gentleness made me great.

You gave a wide place for my steps under me

and my feet did not slip.

Sharing this experience was the hardest thing I have ever done, it was also the greatest gift to witness their faith and their ability to acknowledge God's sovereignty.

I prayed words that were not mine but a gift from God. I cried from the depths of my soul for the change of hopes and dreams for this family, for their witness to the hospital staff, for their love for each other. There are many things I experienced that are too personal to share, too close to my heart.

I held the father as he shared with me and I with him about God's faithfulness. I marveled that the world could go on, that people don't stop, they don't know what just happened. I was reminded that I need to slow down and offer people grace because I have no idea what trials they are facing.

The dad said to me that he knows his daughter is in Jesus' arms and for that he rejoices, but he longs to hold his baby girl in his arms and teach her about Jesus.

Camp Grandma ~ Part 1

2010-09-15T12:56:00.000-07:00

One of our days at Camp Grandma we went to the Central Washington Fair. We were able to get tickets and attend the Ellensburg Rodeo Extreme Bull Riding Event. It was humbling to see a stadium full of people showing honor to Our God. The event began with a prayer! EVERYONE took off their hats, and bowed their heads. Some of the cowboys kneeled for the prayer.

The caliber of the bulls was amazing! They got the best bulls from the US and Canada. This was the final round on the bull riding before the Championship. It took a very long time to get enough athletes from the elimination round to the finals. When a cowboy completed the 8 second ride he was met with much crowd enthusiasm and fireworks.

The Bull Riding went very long and I was convinced that the vendors walking around with cold water, pop and cotton candy would have met with much fortune had they been selling Snuggies and Starbucks.

Frontier Village at the fair was a huge hit with the family. Of course, Ian loved the one room school house. It was complete with the wood stove in the back, a rule book for teachers (containing morals, conduct, and dress) I am grateful that I don't have to live by those rules.

They even had some of the same McGuffy Readers that we use!

Apparently my children cannot get enough of the Gold Panning. They were thrilled with each nugget they discovered. Even Mikaela's boyfriend, Duane got in on the quest to strike it rich and he was instantly addicted.

I loved the General Store! Choosing the penny candy was a highlight for all. The candies are not all created equal. Rootbeer was amazing! Butterscotch was good, strawberry was find-a-garbage-can-and-spit-it-out-as-fast-as-possible-gross.

Mikaela was the big spender and enjoyed her $0.50 pickle.

We were even able to participate in a tractor pull for the children. All three boys and one other girl were the only ones to make it to the finals! Ruby missed it by 1/2". Their athletic ability was quite surprising.

Aaron took fiddle lessons for $0.05, and learned to play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star in a few short minutes. Later, at Grandma's house she taught him a few things on her violin. Once again, I marvel at their innate talent. I know I need to figure out how to foster their interests and abilities.

No activity is complete for our family without someone throwing up. Ruby filled the bill right after the boys rode the mechanical bull and just before Grandma took her home. We had a fabulous day with many sweet memories.

Twenty

2010-09-14T07:27:00.000-07:00

My first born turned 20 this month. My youngest turned 20 months this month.
I have always heard that they grow up way too fast, I am not sure I believed it but now the reality is here that they do grow up way too fast. I noticed it when Mikaela was in high school and we had about 10 minutes a day of influence on her. That was when I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that we would be homeschooling all the way through for the rest of them! There was not enough time to teach her all the things God laid on my heart for this beautiful girl.

My heart was filled with Joy that we were all able to celebrate the birth of Mikaela together. Mikaela and her boyfriend drove over to Yakima and we went to the fair then took the family (minus the little girls &Ian) to the Extreme Bull Riding. Then my mom and niece, Kimberly came over for a party. It seems more and more difficult to have everyone together with how busy everyone is. When it does happen it is fabulous.

I know I have not always made the best choices and that I have fallen short many many times but I am so thankful that I chose to give this young woman life. I was 18 when I discovered I was pregnant. I was alone in the emergency room with an ovarian cyst that was about to rupture. I had recently broken up with my high school sweetheart and was on a date when I got really sick and the guy dropped me off in the turn around of my dorm. The ER nurse came in and said, "Taught you a thing or two about birth control."

It was really scary and there was pressure to "take care of the problem". It would have been simple to justify it. I hoped that when the cyst ruptured that the baby would go with it.

But I always knew that life was a gift from God and it is His to give and His to take away. There was no way that I was going to question God.

My journey has not been easy. I Praise God for His faithfulness, His provision, and His providence. I am humbled and know that I am not worthy of all His Blessings, especially the privilege of raising Mikaela, of praying for her to have an undeniable love for her Saviour and waiting for Him to capture her heart.

Disposable Income

2010-09-12T19:26:00.000-07:00

I had to break the Sabbath and go shopping today because we were out of all disposables and the coupons ended today. After spending $136 at Costco for potty related and other disposable items I met Tami at Cash & Carry. We split the cost of several items. The funny thing was that we divided up the chicken right there in the parking lot. I happened to have the Ziploc bags and Tami had the measuring cup.
Tami noticed all my non food purchases and commented that I really do have disposable income. I love the perspective.

Open House

2010-09-02T15:08:00.000-07:00

My wonderful mom came and picked up my children yesterday so that I could have some time! Time to spend an uninterrupted evening with my husband, time to do some projects, time to myself! We have lived in our house for 8 years and I am trying to remember a time when I have been alone in our house, I honestly cannot think of once! I have been home with a baby or with Sean but not all alone.

I have been cleaning and throwing stuff away, and cleaning more. We are going out of town to Camp Grandma (my favorite, not Grandma but time) and our Realtor is having a open house while we are away.

It will be very difficult to leave this house which we built with blood, sweat and tears while I was pregnant with Erik but we have added 3 more children and a whole slew of homeschool supplies.

We are looking for either property that we can build on or an older home on land. We want to have a hobby farm for the lifestyle that it can provide for our growing family.

I have been able to get completely done with the laundry, clean everything and have it stay that way and even do some projects that I have wanted to do for a very long time.

I hemmed the boys' curtains.

I made the curtains in the master bath! (look what I can do).

and I made a throw pillow for our bed! I feel so accomplished. I plan to go outside and spruce up the yard a bit more, then head off to the library, post office and if I have time get my toe nails painted (I love that). Then I will meet Sean and we will pick up the children and spend some time with Grandma!

Praying for God's will with our home.