Homeschool Mother's Journal to Wrap it Up

I've decided to take a little different route for our weekly wrap ups this summer. While we are doing a little home schooling, I thought it would be fun to warp it all up in a different way this summer;)

In my life this week...
We enjoyed our weekend "get away" at my parents:) Seeing the tall ships! The cousins together which doesn't happen enough!

These two are the cousin-twins:) They are a year apart but almost the same size. Hannah is WAY more verbal than Nate... but he keeps up with her in a lot of ways;)

And even Brian made a new little friend:) His name is Clifford, my sister's little friendly dog.


Also did some schooling... history, reading, math facts... yippeeee:) Cleaned out some of the kitchen cupboards, like weeding out all the REALLY old spices (like ones that we loved with and haven't used in years... YUCK).

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share…
Try it!!!

In talking to a mom just starting the "formal" years of home schooling all the possible curriculum choices can be overwhelming! You just have to try what you believe will fit your family and students best and then stick with it or adjust:)

BTW... this week Brian and I wanted to watch our annual Pride & Prejudice watching;) On a whim we thought we'd let the kids watch a little with us to see if they liked it.... we "tried it"!

They LOVED it:) We have sweet memories of Anna on the couch all (exhausted because it was WAY PAST her bedtime) excited because Mr Darcy was about to propose;) Or Chris saying out-of-the-blue that Mr Bingley's sisters were speaking poorly of Elizabeth Bennett because "they are jealous of her"! LOL... they understood and liked it. I guess there will be a few more joining us in our annual tradition;)

I am inspired by…
Sally Clarkson. Between her blog posts and many books... I am challenged to be a mom who loves the Lord and desires (and prays/teaches/models) that her children love the Lord as well. These two posts encouraged me the most this week ... "do unto others" a mother's momentary choice and 5 Principles of building strong friendships with your children.

My favorite thing this week…
While heading to the see the ships we went over a bridge and down in the river saw a barge. Chris was excited and quickly relayed to us that there was a barge on the river and that it was probably carrying coal since it was a dark, sandy-like material. Then he started sharing about what it was like to be a child who worked in the coal mines and that he wouldn't want that job.


This was awesome because earlier in the week he had learned to read the word "barge" but didn't know what one was. So we got on the computer, read a bit and looked at pictures. It was a quick, totally unplanned "lesson" but one that obviously stuck with him.We also had a history unit about the inventions of the steam engine (which used coal) and the cotton gin. While talking about the steam engines we had taken "a rabbit trail" to talk about coal mining. That stuck with Chris as well.

And then he takes these two little side lessons and applies them to looking at a barge floating down the river :) A proud home school momma moment:)


What’s working/not working for us…
Xtramath.org! The kids have a love/hate thing going on with this program! But I have seen an improvement in their math facts already. We're also working on having positive attitudes while we practice! So it's working but some days it's not just math facts we're working on :/

Things I’m working on…
First, being content in these last days before the move. And contentment begins with being thankful (thanks Ann!)

Second, not getting overwhelmed! There is a lot that needs to be done in the next few days/weeks. And I have a slight tendency to get overwhelmed.... LOL!! Not so slight!! It's just hard to think about getting one house ready to move into and another house ready to be moved OUT of.... besides the normal, everyday cleaning, cooking and child-rearing:) Thankfully, we're moving close... just to a neighboring town, not even 20 miles away!

Third, correcting the children as soon as they disobey or don't follow through with a task. Seems like we all do better when we know that there are some consequences the first time.... not the eighth when steam is coming from Momma's ears;)

We're reading…
Lydia and Chris both enjoyed reading me Good Hunting, Blue Sky this week! Lydia has also been enjoyed some Little Bear books and Chris checked out and read some Curious George books;)

Anna has been reading books from the Boxcar Children series. She really likes these books. I've been trying to get her to read some of the "living" books off some lists I have found... we'll see she's picky about her free reading selections, oh, and she's 8 :)

We are reading The Story of Eli Whitney aloud. This has been a very great man to learn about, we all think of Eli Whitney as the cotton gin inventor but it wasn't that simple... is it ever? His story is definitely one about hard work and determination!

I am reading a book I swiped from Brian's pastoral library called Great Women of the Christian Faith by Edith Deen. I have been surprised how much I have liked these short stories of some of the most ordinary and extraordinary women. I should have swiped it earlier:)

Oh, and I've also started working my way through my World Religions textbook that I'll be instructing online in the fall. Yikes... August is fast approaching.

I’m cooking…
Whatever I can find on sale:) And lots of cookies!!

Just hoping our cookie sheets find a very accessible new place at the new house!! They don't stay idle very long around here:)

I’m grateful for…
My husband!!

We hit the 10 year mark this week:) 10 Years!! It just doesn't seem possible that we've been married that long! He is a great, honorable, hard-working man who loves his family and provides everything we need and then some;) He adores his kiddos and is always willing to eat leftovers for lunch:)

This photo is such a fun moment!! The kids and I had been watching some educational videos on You Tube and then they asked for a "silly cat" video. They were laughing soo hard:)

When Brian came home they wanted to show him the video:) It was precious to see them all laughing at the videos together;) Silly, but it's soo fun and important to laugh together;)

I’m praying for…
Patience! And soft, kind, gentle words and spirit when correcting.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share…
Gotta love summer... a little schooling outside

 and reading Popsicle jokes!!

Linking up to Homeschool Mother's Journal , Moments to Remember and Weekly Wrap-Up.

The Transition : His New Location

I've shared some about the ups and downs of house hunting and I'm really praying that will be coming to an end soon (because we'll finally have plans!). That in itself has been a huge part of our schedule the last 2 months!! And I have NOT been as patient or willing to relax and trust like I should be.... just not having definite "plans" is starting to "eat" at me.

But there are a lot of  "transitions" that we are still making since Brian started working full-time job at the college.

The hardest thus far has been his schedule and location change!! I'll share about the location first...

Since we moved to our parsonage, Brian has worked either at home or just feet behind the parsonage in the church office housed in our fellowship hall. We often giggled about the "tough" morning commute... stepping over the baby gate in the doorway to the home office or walking a few feet to the covered walkway in front of the fellowship hall.

In fact during the earlier days I kind of disliked that Brian was soo close. I felt guilty when I was invited to picnic at the park with friends. Or I felt stressed at lunch to have a full meal ready for him (and the kids). I felt like I needed to have the house in order throughout the day since he could have walked through at anytime. And there were times when he'd be on an important call and I'd be trying my hardest to quiet the fussy babies or loud toddlers.

But Anna commented the other day to me, "Mommy, I really miss sharing the school room with Daddy. He always could see what we were learning!"  How did we get blessed with such sweet kids??

She was right though. With Brian gone all day, it does feel different in our house. We do feel like we are missing him... even the little things like when we set the lunch table for only 5.

Anyway, Anna's comment also made me feel guilty over not enjoying the years of having Brian soo close...  him reading a little bit during lunch with us, or watching kids ride bikes as I put final touches on lunch. Or him being that extra set of hands as I nursed Lydia with a toddling, mischievous Christopher running around. Calling Brian and having him help me buckle little bodies into the van for an outing ...so nice to have help when loading up!!

Those days are gone.... at least during the normal week! And I do regret, I didn't enjoy them more!

Our decision to look locally for a home, versus farther near the bigger city, stemmed from some of this, too! Having Brian's job location closer means that he is closer to us and we are closer to him. He has a smaller commute to work and we can stop by before a picnic or run him lunch... which Brian really likes because

he misses us, too!!



310. a very hard working husband
311. reading about Helen Keller as a family
312. meeting up with Grandma & Granddaddy.... TWICE this week!!!!
313. indoor playground at McD's
314. Nate's delight going through the playground and down the slide "alone"
315. a little "h-whoa" when we enter into a room
316. giggling at the rodeo
317. little cowboy boot steps heard running across the floor
318. some new tunes
319. watching my children participate during a church service
320. cookies!!!
321. learning to be patient... even when it's tough
322. seeing love like 1 Corinthians 13 lived out
323. reciting memorized Scripture with my kids
324. weekends with Daddy

1000 gifts & getting ready for the Wedding;)

We are back at Grammie and Pey's:)

Uncle Eric is getting married this evening;)
I am sitting by the pool.
My Dad has energy and is busy straightening the house.
Nate is napping.
The older ones have on floaties and are swimming, jumping and playing.
Life seems soo perfect.....

last night was a totally different situation!! LOL!!

Chris had been complaining about not feeling well. An hour before we left home we checked his temperature and sure enough he was running a fever !!! Normally this would have been a slight problem, but with my Dad's health we worry about each germ!! Unfortunately we gave him infants Tylenol (only thing we had) and stuck him in the van.... we had NO other options.

Besides my recent constant headache, the 2 hour van ride was peaceful... Peter Pan on CD, kiddos napping and a little prayer time for those concerns on my heart right now!

After drive the 2+ hours to get to the wedding rehearsal, I found out I was NOT on time... I was a half hour late. Those who know me, know I usually run late, but this time I thought I was doing well.... after packing 4 kids and myself for a wedding, attending worship, making a very quick simple lunch and driving 2 hours.... I was late... again :(

The rehearsal was a wedding rehearsal... the little flower girls intimidated. A wedding coordinator giving orders. Bridemaids standing in lines;) Groomsmen chilling:) And parents of small children chasing down the children... there was only one of them... me :/

Then we headed to my parents!!! Dinner pool/party with 60 "strangers" (at least that is what my kids thought of them!)

4 kids and I = a super busy Momma! A VERY super busy Momma! Let's just say....

we provided PLENTY of entertainment for everyone.

Not sure how many times I was asked/told, "have you eaten, yet?" or "4 keeps you busy!" or "sit down and rest a moment"... LOL!!! Chris asked to get into bed at 7:30ish and then at 10, I made a run to the grocery store to get him some medicine.

Our sleeping situation wasn't too bad...all of is in one room. Chris in bed with me. Chris waking every hour or so. Nate up a few times looking for his paci. One of the girls snoring;)

So to SIT at the pool and watch the kids play for a few minutes while I blog and check my email is a nice break....

of course, I've still gotten up 10x to get snacks or drinks!! And definitely been interrupted to watch great leaps off the diving board;)

Even in the midst of the crazy wedding rehearsal and dinner....
it was easy to look around find plenty of things to be thankful for...


233. the beginning of a new family
234. a young couple full of dreams

235. friends ready to celebrate
236. garden seating
237. cut flowers from the yard

238. neighbors coming to help with guests
239. flower girls holding hands
240. chocolate cake... the baker is definitely gifted:)
241. fresh summer fruit
242. pool full of friends
243. family and friends sharing memories
244. faithful encouragements
245. wisdom imparted
246. kids' bedtime :)


I am soo excited to be able to be here to celebrate my brother's wedding with our family and friends!! I look forward to Brian coming to help with the crew so I can get some pictures of this great day:)

What Do you Say?

Brian and I are celebrating our 9th Anniversary (it's actually on the 15th, but we have a date in the works for next week.... so it will be a week of anniversary-ing!!).


In thinking about blogging what 9 years of marriage has been like or how blessed I am to married to Brian, I didn't have words...

What do you say about the man who....

holds you up (physically and in prayer) when you are broken?

loves your children unconditionally?

sees every good (and bad) moment of your life?

works hard to provide for you?

has witnessed you birth his 4 children?

laughs at your really DUMB attempts at a joke?

fixes meals (or heats up leftovers) when you are sick
or headed out to Bible study?

uses the coupons you give him when he grocery shops?
Or makes the extra stop so you can shop?

overlooks your flaws?

supports you in your endeavors?

listens and guides through your thoughts/challenges?

eats the new food allergy-friendly dishes you attempt?
(as long as they don't have chocolate)

and yes.... will change that stinky cloth diaper when you're really, really busy?? LOL!!!

You thank God for blessing you with such a loving, supportive and God-honoring husband... and then you pick up his sweaty running clothes from the bathroom floor:)

Not every day is perfect but that's life in a marriage of two very imperfect people learning how to better love and serve one another while loving, serving and providing for many little munchkins who kinda look like them;)

Happy Anniversary, Brian!!
I am blessed and soo very thankful for you:)

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts.
Use them well to serve one another.
1 Peter 4:8,10

Southern - fied

I didn't grow up in the South!!

For biscuits we popped them out of a can. Mac-n-Cheese was made with a blue box:) And sweet iced tea could only be found at our neighbor's house whose husband was from the south:)

But I married a Southern boy! I married into a family that regularly bakes biscuits and serves sweet tea with their meals;)

After fixing a meal this week I realized I have been "southern-fied"!!



Oatmeal Fried Chicken Sandwich
Boneless chicken breast cut into "tenders" and pieces
Flour
Ground Oatmeal
Salt
Pepper
Soymilk

Dip the chicken in soymilk. Then dip it into the dry ingredients mixed in another bowl. Place in skillet with melted butter, Crisco or vegetable oil (yes, really healthy.... or you could bake in the oven, a healthier option!)

Potato Chunk Fries
Potatos, diced
Salt
Pepper
tiny bit of oil

Put the diced potatoes into bowl with oil, salt and pepper, mix it up. Put onto a lined cookie sheet (might want to spray it to be sure they don't stick). Bake at 400 for 45-60 minutes!

Yummy Sweet Carrots
1 lb of carrots
salt
pepper
1-2 Tbs light butter (ours is dairy free)
1-2 Tbs brown sugar

Put cut-up carrots and all ingredients into pan with a 1/4 cup of water. Cook on stove top until they are tender, about 7-10 minutes. Just watch that the water doesn't boil out.

And our tea was Peach tea... yummy! I used 2 sized family tea bags plus 3 peach-flavored Celestial tea and too much sugar! I think the peach flavor is already sweet, so I'd keep the sugar to about 1 cup...

but sweeten as you like, I cook for a Southern boy:)

**And if you're wondering why my ingredients are soo simple... the reason is food allergies and sensitivities!! Our kids have allergies to milk, peanuts and eggs. And my husband is also allergic to milk and have recently developed a sensitivity to garlic... yes, even minuet amounts of garlic powder in seasonings.... I tried to sneak some by.... and he reacted!

Linking up to:
Tuesdays at the Table
Tasty Tuesday

Happy Birthday to my Hubby:)

Yesterda Brian's BIG day;)

His birthday!!!

How OLD is he??? Let's just say in less than half a decade, I'll be married to a 40 year old... that sounds soo old right now!! But it's not really:) And he definitely doesn't ACT like he is older... he's got the kids convinced that I am older one of the two of us!!!

In a effort to honor him and share a little bit about him at the same time... I am going to use the "i like" model from the i Like book (I'm giving one away on SIMPLE that ends tonight!!) So here goes...


I like that Brian is a man of integrity. You live what you believes and are VERY intentional in your words and actions.

I like that you takes time out of your busy evenings to jump on the trampoline with the kids or read them books at bedtime.
I like that you support us homeschooling 100%... helping with running errands, collecting library books and "quizzing" the kids at lunch:) And encouraging me through it !!

I really like that you'll clean up the kitchen after dinner if I am busy tending to kids or housework.

I like that you leave just as much as me laying around the house:) LOL!!

I like that you support my picture taking!!! And are a willing "model"!!


I like that you are a VERY hardworking and complete every task to your VERY best ability!!

I like that you are a good teacher and pastor and I sometimes get to listen to you teach from God's Word... I really do learn, when I can hear over squirmy kiddos.

I like (well sometimes NOT at first) that you confront me when my heart, action and/or attitude is/are wrong.... phew, he'll tell you that can be dangerous... LOL!!... but he does it because he LOVES me.

I like that you can be soo silly sometimes... whether hamming it up for the camera, chuckling at Readers Digest jokes, shooting Chris' NERF gun at us or trying to make the us laugh.

I like that you are very compassionate!!!

I like that you listen.... a girl has got to get in all her words each day:)

I like that we share the same BIG goals for our future... while the details are still in debate;)

I like that we are so alike in our parenting on the things that matter MOST... yes, I'm still going to shutter when you play rough with the kids... I'm the mom, it's my job:)

I have MANY more "i like"s.... but I'll just share my favorite:)

I like YOU because you are mine!! Remember.... you made vows :)
I couldn't imagine traveling down this crazy parenting and Life road without YOU!!!

I hope you a had a great day with us as we ventured out with the whole family,
My sweet husband, lover, best friend and great father to our crazy bunch of kiddos!

Lotza Updates

Hmmm, where to start???

Our BIG Project: I posted this week about where the project stood. But it's just amazing where we are right now.... sooo much has been done:

1. Bathroom mirrors have been put up
2. Living room carpet was put back around the new staircase
3. All the trim, closets & doors upstairs has been primed and painted
4. Bathroom vinyl flooring has been put in
5. Hall closet door was scraped, sanded, primed & painted
6. The plastic in the hall is GONE!!!
7. Living room totally painted and furniture put back:)

They really have been busy! BUT I am soo thankful it seems like most of our originial living space is now back to "normal"! And as soon as everything is dry and rehung, the carpet is in upstairs and the plumbers finish up.... we'll be totally done;)

Lydia's doctor's appt: Lydia was ready to fuss as she dressed the morning of the doctor's appt. I'm not sure why my kids are scared of the doctor. I really don't like going either.... so maybe they get it from me???

Anyway, she was fine until the doctor came in. She didn't even TRY to obey him... she shut her eyes and looked away when he tried to see in her eyes. I had to hold her when he listened to her heart/lungs!

The doctor finally got to check her eyes and she was "mad" that the doctor had gotten what he needed and so she buried her head into my chest..... the doctor saw the opportunity!! While she had her head turned and her arm "exposed" he quickly gave her the ONE shot she needed!!!

Right after she looked at me with this "what was that?" expression, but didn't fuss until she saw the doctor trying to get a band-aid on her. For my non-sticker kid, she wasn't too happy with a band-aid so we skipped that! She was 33 pounds and 38.5 inches... like 70% and 60%!!

Lydia and I had gone alone for the appts! And so she went with into my OB appt:) Since it was just a check-up we were in and out sooooo quickly!! Even soo Lydia did a great job letting the nurses and midwife talk to me.

Again, like my alone time with Chris last week, I was glad to have a couple of hours with just Lydia. It was a sweet time.... like just her and I getting to talk in the car or over lunch! She even got to play at a playground.... she played alone or followed a couple of other kids, but came sooo quickly when I called... she was soo sweet:)

My doctor's appt: I already did a quick update.... but everything looks good. I did measure 3 weeks bigger again... so I am 38 weeks but measuring at 41:) And that was with NO weight gain this week??

Next week, we'll have to decide whether we will plan to induce Nate at 39 weeks or wait for him. The main concern is how BIG he could get if we don't induce or he doesn't come soon;) Anyway, I hoping to see them at the hospital before my scheduled appt.... although we have a BUSY week next week;)

Date Afternoon: Brian and I got a special treat Thursday afternoon! We had a sweet friend come to watch/play with the kids while Brian and I headed into town for lunch and a movie!! With me trying to get our delivery details and being WAY preggo and Brian very busy with painting/housework on top of his normal schedule......

we needed some time together and away!!

It was nice!! We did see Alice in Wonderland... it's not one of my favorite stories! But it was nice going to a movie geared more toward kids. BUT it was definitely NOT for MY kids..... first it's a weird story. Then it's directed by Tim Burton... so that makes it even more strange. I know it's a classic children's book, but I was glad we decided to see it without the kids!!

*** Sorry I don't have any pics!!!! I'll definitely get some of the house when we can!

Off to get my feet UP.... only helps to have them higher than my heart!!! They will just swell to balloons at night.... some nights I can't even bend my toes b/c they are soo swollen.... a yucky feeling!!! you definitely DON't want a PIC of these:) LOL!!

The Last Items in the Hospital Bag

The countdown is on and we finally have our hospital bag PACKED:) It's actually been slowly packed piece by piece since our last big trip.... Everything is packed on our bag.... extra clothes, new toothbrushes, hair ties, baby clothes, etc!!

But this weekend on his way home Brian picked up one of the final items for me.... it was the ONE reason for me to travel to this bigger city... this ONE item....

A sleeping nursing bra!!

I really wanted to get one to labor in under the hospital gown. And then to use for support since we'll be nursing every night for the next few months;)

My BRAVE husband walked into a maternity store with three tired kids and a small note I had made to help him and the clerk make a decision about what size I needed. He said he glanced at the note BEFORE he went in :) In the note was two bras I own.... the size and their brands. One brand being another maternity/nursing bra and then the other being my favorite brand called Barely There......

So my sweet husband reads through the note and is determined that he shouldn't pull out the note with the clerk there because he doesn't want to know that one of the bras "barely fits" his wife (he didn't realize that was the BRAND and NOT how it fit)!!! LOL!!!!!

He did finally pull out the note and call me! And I did get the bra I had been hoping for and I can finally put it into the bag (or wear it to the hospital!!!)


The LAST item was a DVD.... yes, my husband is a movie buff but don't usually buy DVDS. We DID recently purchased one of our FAVORITE movies, Pride and Prejudice. And now it's packed to watch during that 24 hours after Nate is born and before we are sent home!!! We'll see how much we get to see.... but it's something we both can look forward to....


LOL.... just thinking... maybe as I'm laboring I can focus on how "comfortable" I'll be after labor holding my baby watching one of my favorite movies....

sounds like a delightful hospital stay doesn't it.... after labor, of course;)

For those interested: I had a regular maternity checkup Wednesday!! Nothing new except I am measuring 41 now and I hadn't gained ANY weight!!!! My midwife didn't try to guess his weight today.... it sounds like at our next appointment we will see if my body getting ready for labor and make a "plan"......

Honestly, I'd rather just see my midwife at the hospital this weekend:)

I love him MORE!

Today is fun day for Brian and I as we remember our "history".

I've blogged our engagement story before, you can read it HERE! And HERE are some pictures from that day:) Here is the song mentioned on that blog:) We loved how they "fell in love" in autumn and that their engagement also happens on a mountain:)

If you know our story (or just read it) you'll know that I was quite surprised when Brian proposed... we'd only known each other for about 4 months!! And looking back there was MUCH I didn't know about him or he knew about me...

But there is no doubt that we were paired together perfectedly (as much as two imperfect people can be paired). We have weathered our share of "storms" and joys throught our 7.5 years of marriage and each has brought us closer.

As I was listening to the Bebo Norman song this morning, I was reminded that marriage is HARD but it is through God's grace and the grace, service and compassion that we extend to each other that allow us to enjoy and grow in our marriage:)

I KNOW I loved Brian that day on the mountain, but I know that I love him WAY, WAY more now!!!

Happy Engagement Day, Brian!!!
and
Happy New Year's to Everyone Else:)

WW: No he didn't...

Christopher has acquired some plastic bugs that are very, very realistic. By far my least favorite is the roach.... it's huge and just looks soo real to me, especially when I find it under toys or furniture at the end of the day.

For the last week, the roach has become a little "game" between Brian and I!!!

It all started when Brian was picking up random toys, out of the corner oF my eye I saw him pick up the roach. Minutes later I was sorting through the random clothes on Lydia's dresser and found the roach under a dress.

They all saw me jump and do a double take. And the game began....

*Under my pillow
*Under the comforter on top of the sheets on his side
*On my side of the bed (LOL and I slept on top of it b/c I didn't see it!!)
*In his underwear drawer

Then he got me.... This morning, during the rush to do some schoolwork, pack lunch and get to Library Reading Time..... he got me!!
He knows how to get me!!!

I totally wasn't expecting the roach to be under my hairdryer:) I jumped back AGAIN and then realized it was Brian!

So.... where do I "hide" it for him next???

You check out some real Wordless Wednesday at Wordless Wednesday, 5 Minutes for Mom and Go Graham Go!!! LOL

Seven Years Ago Today.....

Many nights, even after a "dysfunctional day", I am amazed at how perfectly we are paired. Sure we have disagreements and we are still learning about one another all the time... but we geniunely love one another and enjoy each other's company. And we are working daily alongside one another!!

I am soo thankful to the Lord to be Brian's wife. Brian is a very good and honorable man. He loves the Lord and desires to know Him and serve Him to the best of his abilities. Brian is a very, very diligent and hard worker both at church and around the house (helping me, playing with the kids and doing jobs around the house).

One of my favorite things about Brian is when he gets silly... while he normally has a very dry sense of humor, he will on occassion not be able to speak because he is laughing soo hard... everyone listening to him just smiles and laughs to just watching Brian's laughter. I look forward to some typical brother/dad humor during our upcoming vacation... I wonder if their goofy Darth Vadar joke will come out again...

One of the most touching things about Brian (besides how much I know he loves the Lord and me) is his LOVE and devotion to our kids!!! One of his struggles while working on his PhD was the time he was missing with the kid due to studying... but it's not uncommon to find him sitting on the floor in the bathroom reading books with Chris on the potty, or jumping on the trampoline with the kids, or teaching them some sports outside, or encouraging them in their learning. It always makes me smile to see them having fun together... they have a great Daddy!

And I have a GREAT Husband!!

Happy 7th Anniversary, Brian!!
I love you more and more each day!!

here is our engagement story. if you're interested!

A Special Gift

About Saturday my sweet hubby started talking about my Mother's Day gift.

It wasn't wrapped in in a box, or assembled in the backyard....

It wasn't a card or a handful of chocolates.....

or any of those things that would have been sweet or I could have been expecting:)

Instead he asked me to book a hotel room, pack up the kids on Sunday morning, fix a quick lunch .....

He brought me to the BEACH, to spend time with our family and to see MY MOTHER!!



Thank you Brian for our quick trip!! It was a little crazy:) But such a sweet treat to see my mom and be with her for a few moments on Mother's Day and Monday:)

I have PLENTY to share about our trip... LOL... if was very "normal" but crazy at the same time:) And I was able to get some beach pictures of my very preggo sister... they were fun to take, especially with my mom helping!!!

I can't wait to share all I have, but I need REST:)

Marrying

Anna says, "Come on, Chris, lets' get married!"

You can see his response by the look on his face....LOL

It's always soo funny when they talk about marrying each other. I'm glad they like each other company enough to think about "marrying" them... even though they really don't know much about marrying except Mommy and Daddy are married.

I'll have some more Easter pics to show soon!!!

Just wrestling with Picasa again... it's a love/hate relationship most days with Picasa:)

C'Mon R we that Confusing????

This was apart of our lunch time conversation this afternoon:)

Kelly asks(trying to make plans to go to the triple coupon event), "Are you going to 'town' with me?"

Brian asks, "When are you going?"

Kelly says,"Whenever you'll go with me?" (I meant to add "or when you'll keep at least two of the kids")

Brian smiles and then replies, "This is why women confuse men."

Kelly asks, "WHY?"

Then Brian moans!

LOL

Light Out - 1st Sleep Over and NO Distractions

Here is our view as we left my parent's house and headed down the highway.... ahh the BIG city.... when I see this I can't wait to get HOME to my little one-stop light (literally) town:)


Looking at the sky reminded me of the messy day we had had and that the power might still be OFF at my HOME!

About halfway on our journey home, Daddy called and asked how far we were and suggested we turn back!!!! Well the weather was fine where I was so we pressed on:) Our dinner together! EVen though the kids were exhausted and I was nervous about the road.. we had a nice dinner together:)

Although the roads we littered with branches from trees and the gusts of wind were very strong we headed to home SLOWLY...

At home the light were off. Brian had every candle he could find lit:) The kids weren't too happy with no lights but they settled down with some banana bread and then Pjs.

Since our kids like their "night lights" we decided to lett hem sleep in the living room with the candles (and us)!! Brian read a chapter and some in Farmer Boy (by Laura Ingalls Wilder) and the kids (and almost MOmmy) we OUT for the night:)

Our 1st Sleep Over:)


After the kids fell asleep Brian and I sat on the couch and talked. Usually at night, he'll pull out some work and I'll get on the computer for a little while. Then we'll watch a movie and head off to bed.

But last night we sat ont he couch a talked about our days.... it was nice! I wasn't that we neglect talking. We talk... it just usually happens in the midst of blogging, reading, cleaning, movies or folding laundry! Last night we had NO distractions. After we chatted, Brian looked through some of our pictures and he ate a cold leftover dinner, we crashed in the living room with the kids!

About 12:30am the lights, TV, microwave...everything came on!! It was kind-of funny to have the house "awake" while we were sleeping....

I must be getting "old" but by the time the lights came back on, the floor wasn't feeling soo comfortable either:) So Brian carried the kiddies back to their beds and we crashed in our own cozy bed:)

***I'll try to get some pictures of our fun day on the blog tonight or tomorrow:)

Finally some Picture of our New Years Eve in 2001

I finally took some pictures of our New Year's Eve engagement pictures..... ahhh, sweet memories!

Music Added..... a very special day!!!

Well many of you might be surprised by the music you might be hearing from my blog today:)

It's a special day!! Let me take a second to tell you why.....

The LAST weekend of August 2001, I found myself at my new pastor's house at the Singles Bible Study. I was NEW to the singles group, new to the church, new to the school, new to the area and new to the state!!

So at this Bible Study I noticed a guy and the rest of the story is "fast forwarded" to New Years Eve day....

I'm visiting at this guy's home preparing to spend the day hiking with him UP Blood Mountain, GA!! I love the outdoors, but I really liked the guy.... I mean FREEZing cold and many, many layers:)

We finally get to the top (he jokes that he almost had to carry me to the top.... probably would have to now... LOL) and he tries to find us a spot to "rest". Well I thought we were going to rest some.... but I was with the "man with a plan"!!

He told me that he had something for me but I needed to close my eyes!! Hmmm, what could it be... a snack... haa haaah haaa.... while I was sitting there on the ground with my eyes closed my sweet guy was positioning himself to ask me to marry him and show me the ring!!!

Foolish child I was, I had no clue and was totally surprised when I opened my eyes and he "popped the question"! We still laugh at my initial response!! I said something like, "Wait.... I need to think about this!" LOL

After just minutes of chatting, comparing my list of why I wanted to marry him (yes, we had it with us... good thing LOL) and finding out he had contacted BOTH my mom & stepdad and my dad!! Which meant the world to me, especially my mother's response because she knows me the best and cares for me beyond words (like all mother's do).

So it was an obvious and overwhelming "YES!" WOW!! And then it started to snow..... SNOW!! I love snow:) What great timing for this "man with a plan"!! And I told you it was COLD:)

Happy New Year's Eve Honey!!

I love you and am sooo GLAD I said "YES!!!"

** The song is by Bebo Norman and is called "A Page is Turned". When my suitemate, sweet Stephanie, heard our engagement story she immediately made me listen to this song. While it doesn't totally fit us, the man does propose on a mountain!!! We used the song at our reception during our "slideshow" and ever since it's been such a sweet song that reminds me of my now amazing and thoughtful husband and his plan when he proposed:)

** We do have pics from our engagement hike... maybe I could do a pic of a pic in the morning:)

A Loving Spouse

As we begin to make preparations for our evening out... I'm reminded of my wonderful spouse!!! We met while attending seminary and almost immediately started to spend time together. While I had NO idea he was making long-term plans for us, I did have a deep feeling that Brian would be apart of my life for a long time... ha hahaa



The value of a like-minded, loving and devoted spouse is HUGE!!

I am soo thankful that my husband shares the same desires to grow in his faith and that we share the same faith. While I think some couple manage fine, I am soo grateful that we have our faith in common and that my husband loves learning more about his faith and is willing to share with me:)And that we worship together and our faith unites us in life and parenting:)

I'm thankful that my husband loves me! He frequently looks out for my best interests as well as our family's! He encourages my hobbies and pushes me to better use my abilities. And he shows appreciatation for the special things I attempt to pull-off for him and the kids(new meals, organizing and activities with the kids) and in serving the church!!

Maybe I'm sensitive about my husband's relationship with our kids because of my relationship with my biological dad. But it makes my heart warm and my love stronger when I see my husband playing and loving on our kids!! I love it when he comes home from the offfice and the little terrorists become sweet angels running into their Daddy's arms:) I love that their love for him is reciprocated by him!!

Lord God, Thank you for giving me Brian. Thank you for our relationship! While not perfect, thank you for allowing our faithfulness, friendship and love for one another to grow stronger!

Let them do IT

This is kind of in response to my friend Erica's post about what do with our sometimes "stubborn" husbands:) Hhahhaaa.... My official response is that we have to let them be stubborn!! And sometimes they'll learn from it ..... :)

Last night we had a snack of cupcakes after the kiddies went to sleep. The cupcakes were made egg-free with egg replacer and so they were very moist and a little crumbly. As I contemplated about how to frost them I decided to warm up some chilled frosting in the microwave for seconds making it easier to spread.

My better- half said that he didn't like his frosting warm, so he was just going to spread it. And in his usual late-night, dry humor joked me about having HOT frosting that would just melt off my cupcake:)

I finished frosting mine in seconds.... worked beautifully and NOTHING dripped off:) But poor Brian tried to spread a lump of frosting over his crumbly cupcake.... well you can see the results..... what can I say???? STUBBORN :)

So after he saw the picture I had taken of him, he said I didn't get the cupcakes "good enough"! He decided to sit the cupcakes on the counter and asked for the camera.... I must have hesitated because he quickly added, "It's my camera too" aha haaaa..... we're like the kids after they've been put to bed:) He has always been the one to take better pictures than I but lately I've had a LOT more PRACTICE....

so here are our pictures... his on the left mine on the right:)










*** And the only reason I can laugh about him and his stubbornness is that I'm JUST as bad as he is, sometimes worse. And he just lets me be stubborn (usually)!!

Reminder

In our Sunday School class yesterday we had a great reminder of how we should be practically living our lives, specifically taking an assessment of whether we are truely living by the Spirit as believers in Christ.

Here was the statement that caused me to stop, ponder and assess (paraphrased to talk to me):

"What occupies my mind, how do I spend my time and energy, what do I give myself
to - all are determined by whether I am a person living in the flesh or living
in the Spirit." (paraphrased from Jere Phillips in Life Words, Lifeway Press, fall 2008)

Are my thoughts, actions and energies spent on growing closer to the Lord? Serving my family with a cheerful spirit? Being an encouraging wife**? A loving, available and creative Mom?Attempting to serve the Lord outside my home? Or am I distracted?

I praise You God for this reminder and time of reflection for me. Thank You that it came in moments of stillness and not in the midst of tears or crisis. I praise You for the creative outlets you have given me, but allow me to have the right balance and the right priorities. I praise You for giving me Your Spirit to guide me to be more like You!

**If you are not a regular girltalker.... you've missed something these last few weeks. They've been on the subject "Doing your Husband Good"... check it out this week as some of the reader post creative ideas to "do you husband good"!! I've really been encouraged by their recent posts on homemaking and having home as a priority!