Ten For The Road

Cookies at Grandma's...

2012-01-24T19:21:00.000-05:00

The kids went to Grandma's one evening in December and they decided to make some gingerbread people. A whole family full. OUR FAMILY, as a matter of fact.

Can't help but love this SWEET family!!!!

Advent...

2012-01-24T19:08:00.000-05:00

Lighting a candle...

Sitting in the quietness of the evening...

Looking around the table at the ones I hold closest...

Listening as Daddy shares the miraculous story...again...never too many times.

Jared's November Birthday...

2012-01-24T18:57:00.000-05:00

Jared loves all things "Cars."

So, for his 9th birthday, his day was all about cars!

He spent his WHOLE day watching "Cars" and "Cars 2."

Well....except for the part of the day he stopped long enough to eat cake and ice cream! Happy Birthday my sweet sweet boy.

The Last Day of our Trip...

2012-01-20T11:25:00.000-05:00

On our way home from NYC, we decided to take a detour through Amish country. We took a quick jaunt through some of the Ohio area farms several months ago, but hadn't been in Pennsylvania since John Wesley was a tiny baby. We went then with Mom and Dad when we were on our way to New York. This time, we found the same restaurant where we ate 16 years ago.

Ham loaf, chicken, freshly-made sausage, and all the fixins one would expect at an Amish meal.

This quilt caught my eye. For a mere $1,000.00 it could've been mine.

If our family were Amish, this is the buggy we'd have to have.

We found Thomas meandering along the Strassburg Railroad.

We had ridden the Strassburg RR when we went with Mom & Dad, so it was neat to see it again and get these pictures of Thomas to bring home to Jared.

The thing I most love to do when we go to Amish country is to just drive around and see the sights and take in all the beauty and simplicity.

Scooters.

Gorgeous farms.

A slow buggy ride.

A really long clothesline.

Girls day out, Amish style.

Farm work.

And more farm work.

Sweeping green fields, dotted with beautiful farms.

More farm work.

New York City: Day 2, Part 2

2012-01-10T22:19:00.000-05:00

The second part of our city tour was on this boat.

We sailed under the Brooklyn Bridge,

took in numerous views of the beautiful NYC skyline,

heard lots of stories about the city and its buildings,

and learned many interesting historical tidbits.

We saw the Staten Island Ferry and the Statue of Liberty.

Then we disembarked, re-boarded the tour bus, and headed to Wall Street.

In the photo below, you can see the baricades set up for the Occupy Wall Street protestors.

Here is Harold in front of one of the entrances to Trinity Church.

Then we headed to Ground Zero. The center of the photo (between the two outside tallest buildings) is where the Twin Towers stood. It was pretty intense to stand there and imagine what took place on 9/11.

That was the end of the tour. We headed back to our hotel via the subway.

There is incredible talent among the people who perform on the streets and in the subways. This man was playing an awesome drum solo on 5 gallon buckets! He had quite a crowd (most of the crowd was to the right of this picture) and I loved that there were about 3 or 4 people, like the man below, who randomly stepped out of the audience to dance along to the beat--their own little impromptu performance.

I love my country life, but I can really see myself living in the city--or at least spending lots of time there if my life were different. I always thought I would live in NYC one day. Who knows? It is a far cry from my little house here in the woods!

New York City: Day 2, Part 1

2011-12-31T17:39:00.000-05:00

On Day 2 of our NYC experience, we took a city tour. There are several companies that offer these, we chose On Board Tours. It was awesome. We got to see so much of the city! Here we are on the bus ready to see the sights.

Our first stop was Central Park, where we visited "Strawberry Fields," the area dedicated to the memory of John Lennon, who had been killed nearby. At most of the stops, we all (about 25 of us all together) got off the bus with our tour guide and walked to the various places of interest.

Central Park is such a beautiful place. It's nice that there is this oasis of grass and trees inside the huge maze of concrete, steel, and blacktop that makes up New York City.

It's a great place for some peaceful reading,

Or for a scenic pedicab ride,

or a romantic horse and carriage ride.

This man sleeping along the sidewalk was pretty hard for me to see. I knew I would encounter homelessness, and poverty, but when it is in such close proximity to the wealth just across the street, it is quite hard to stomach.

Yoko Ono lives in this building (just across the street from the Lennon memorial). The tour guide told us how much an apartment in this building would sell for, and I can't remember exactly, but I know it was several million.

I loved to stop whenever we encountered street performers. I'm always fascinated by them.

The architecture of the old buildings and churches was amazing!

We visited Rockefeller Plaza.

I'd love to see the view from the top of the Rockefeller!

They were in the process of putting up the famed Christmas tree. It was several stories tall and there was special scaffolding built around the front of the building to allow workers to decorate the tree.

I love this shot of Harold with our tour guide (in the red cap) in front of the NBC studio!

The Flatiron building.

The Empire State Building!

The Occupy Wall Street protesters were in NYC during the time we were there.

Here are a few of the signs we spotted.

We actually passed Zuccotti Park the day after it had been cleared out. There were so many police men, but no more protesters.

We also passed through China Town, which was pretty neat. I guess it never occurred to me that China Town is actually mostly inhabited by people who are Chinese. (I know, big duh, right?) But it really was just like stepping into a little town in China.

After buzzing through China Town, we headed down to the South Sea Port for the boat ride portion of our tour. I'll write about that next time.

New York City: Day 1...

2011-12-18T07:25:00.001-05:00

A couple months before we knew we would be going to NYC, Harold had the idea to check into how we could get in to see the taping of the Late Show with David Letterman. He got online, made a couple of phone calls, and left the appropriate messages with the folks who get you in, and then we were to wait to hear back from them.

It got to be the week before we were leaving and we still hadn't heard anything, so we decided that it just wasn't meant to be. No biggie, we knew there would be plenty to do in NYC, so we weren't worried. But about three days before we were to leave, we got the phone call saying we had seats and giving us directions.

Basically, the directions were, be there by 1:00, wait in line forever, go through security, wait in another line, go spend an hour or two doing something else while you wait, then come back and stand in another line, do security again, then hurry into your seat (ours was in the balcony behind the sound booth, so it was hard to see), then enjoy the show. No pictures allowed. Boo. Seeing the Late Show was fun, but it was disappointing to have to spend the WHOLE day in order to get to see it. We were there the night that Dave interviewed Regis Philbin. It was the night before Regis was to retire, so it was kind of a "big" night, so that was nice.

One of the things we did while we were waiting was scope out "Rupert's Hello Deli" which is featured occasionally on the Late Show. It's just around the corner from the Ed Sullivan Theater. We could see Rupert through the window.

It rained off and on all day, which made us thankful for our umbrellas while we were waiting in line outside the theater (all 50 hours!!!).

After the Late Show was over, we walked to Times Square, bought something to drink at Starbucks, and spent some time enjoying the atmosphere. I could sit right there and just absorb all the sights and sounds for days.

There are so many things that we got to see in person that we had seen on TV a million times, but to see them live was fun. It was neat to be able to put the New Year's Eve ball dropping that I'd seen forever on TV into perspective.

I think that might be an "Occupy" sign on the back of that bike. We were in NYC during the time the 99%-ers were there. In fact, on one of the days, there was a huge ordeal with the protesters clogging up the subway traffic and the news was broadcasting lots of warnings about delays and the possibility of things turning ugly if things got out of hand.

Fortunately, we didn't run into any trouble. In fact, overall, NYC was much cleaner and friendlier than I had anticipated! Of course, we were in the "tourist-y" areas for the most part, but still, I expected it to be much grittier. I'm not sure why I thought that, but I was pleasantly surprised!

It was so much fun for just the two of us to spend time together. We LOVE LOVE LOVE our kids, but we also LOVE LOVE LOVE each other, and this mini-vacation for just us was a lot of fun! Here we are enjoying the NYC night life in Times Square.

A Visit to the Cake Boss!

2011-11-25T09:59:00.001-05:00

Harold had to go to New Jersey for some meetings related to his work. Since I had always wanted to go to New York City, we planned for me to meet him after his meetings were over and we would go to the city for a couple afternoons of sightseeing.

As we made plans for the trip, we realized how close we would be to Carlo's Bakery in Hoboken, NJ, and decided we couldn't pass up the opportunity to stop in and sample his wares.

When we arrived, we were given a number--I had 17. The announcements were still on 80-something, so it had to go all the way to 100 then up to 17 from 1. (Obviously this picture was taken after folks had cleared out a bit.) It was shoulder-to-shoulder people when we first got there. Thankfully several folks left, and as they did, they would pass their numbers to those of us still waiting. We finally ended up with the number 10.

We had plenty of time to peruse the shelves, deciding how we were going to narrow down our purchase to just a few items. I'll tell you, that was a tough job! There were so many delicious-looking confections to choose from!

Cupcakes, cookies, cannolis...

Tarts, truffles, and tortes. Not to mention all the beautifully decorated cakes.

At one point, Buddy's sister and nephew (or cousin?) came from upstairs to take care of some bit of business and were nice enough to say hello to all of the customers, and let us take a few pictures.

I took this picture (below) because you can see the stairs in the back that the workers on the show are always trying to navigate without dropping the cakes.

After we left Carlo's, we wandered around on Washington Street for a bit. Hoboken has a very cute downtown area. We decided to stop at this little health food store that had a great salad and hot bar with a cute little cafe area upstairs to eat our lunch.

Delish!

And for dessert, of course, we had to sample our wares from Carlo's!

A cannoli!

We shared it. I'd love to describe it, but I would probably fail miserably. I loved it, but Harold wasn't very impressed. The shell is crispy, and the filling is devine. I think it's actually a sweet ricotta cheese mixture of some kind with chocolate chips sprinkled throughout. Here, take a closer look, but don't drool.

Hibachi Birthday To You....

2011-11-10T18:54:00.000-05:00

This is me. I turned 40 in October. Wow! I'm finally "growing up."

Harold took mom and me out for a Hibachi dinner for our birthdays. Mom turned 70 the day after my 40th birthday!

This was our chef. He was a cutie.

I wasn't quick enough with my camera finger to catch the egg in the picture as he used his spatula to bounce it around and finally up into his hat.

The onion volcano, complete with sound effects.

The kids had their own chef and their own onion volcano.

I love John Wesley's and Jared's expressions in this picture! The chef was popping shrimp at them to catch in their mouths. I think Jared was waiting for his piece!

The ladies came out and sang us a birthday song and gave mom and me a birthday treat! What a fun and delicious day we had.

Fall Family Fun...

2011-11-08T06:17:00.000-05:00

A Few of My Favorite Things...

2011-11-04T21:30:00.000-04:00

A big brother giving sisters (and doggy) a ride.

Boys full of joy.

Silly girls sportin' a 'tude.

Drummer boys.

Bunnies in dresses.

Siblings deep in conversation.

Brothers and sisters just hangin' out.

Sweet girls with baby bunnies.

Wet noses on sweet puppy dogs.

An inquisitive mind all wrapped up in a body always in motion.

Girls with curls.

Fluffy soft kittens with bright shining eyes.

And loyal friends, canine or otherwise.

MaKenzie and Lena On Their Birthday!

2011-11-01T10:46:00.000-04:00

MaKenzie and Lena both have birthdays in September. One day apart. So we always celebrate their birthdays (cake and ice cream) together. But they still have their own special days.

On Lena's 10th birthday morning, she chose waffles.

And she got a DSi for a gift.

MaKenzie chose pancakes for her 9th birthday breakfast!

And she received a camera for her gift. She's always begging to use all of our cameras and phones to take pictures, so now she carries hers around the house capturing all the photo ops that happen every day around here!

Grandma made her special chocolate chip chocolate cake at Lena's request. Each of the girls had their own side of cake with their own number of candles to blow out. I hope they made beautiful wishes and that they all come true!

Jonas Had A Birthday!

2011-10-31T12:35:00.000-04:00

Back in June, Jonas turned 12! For several weeks before his birthday, he schemed and planned about what he wanted to do for his big day. Lucky for him, his big day coincided with some appointments we had for Jared and MaKenzie in Cincinnati. So, he got to tag along with us and stay in the hotel with the swimming pool!

He turned in his "day out with Dad" card from his Christmas coupon booklet and redeemed it for a Legend's game. (Look how TALL this young man has gotten!)

He and Jared both got game balls to take home, courtesy of a couple of gentlemen who sat down on the foul line.

For his birthday dinner, he chose Skyline Chili! What else would we expect???? It's his all-time favorite!

(Here he is, shovelin' it in!) Surprisingly he wasn't able to quite get it all in.

For weeks, we'd all been excited about the new Cars movie coming out. My sweet young man was excited because he knew how much Jared would enjoy the movie, so he asked if he could redeem his "Day out with Mom" coupon to take them to see Cars II. We all enjoyed it!

For his actual birthday cake once we were back home, he asked me to make a chocolate mayonnaise cake with powdered sugar on top. His favorite part of that celebration was having his cousins there to help him celebrate!

Happy Birthday my sweet, generous boy--even if you ARE taller than your momma!

Just Stuff...

2011-08-09T23:56:00.001-04:00

This week's been filled with the random "stuff" that makes up everyday life. A snake found and brought home, eventually let go in the woods.

Multiple late night feedings of little piglets. Sometimes the littlest one needed to be bottle fed, cause he wasn't quite done when his siblings were.

Here's a picture of an unlikely family. The ewe and her lamb have been "adopted" by the miniature donkey. He stays right with them and is very protective of both of them. So sweet.

Fruit bowl fun, just because we're fruity like that.

And, of course, more piglet feedings. Feels like we have new babies around here, only not as sweet-smelling as the human kind.

Presenting Precious Potbelly Piglets

2011-08-03T22:03:00.000-04:00

Today, the long awaited blessed event came to pass.

Wilburta had her piglets.

It was an all-day "thing."

We pulled up our chairs and enjoyed the show, just like good rednecks should.

Let me tell you this...I know for a fact I shall never cease to be amazed by God's perfect, creative, miraculous design for LIFE. See those piglet toenails? They have this wet rubbery texture so that they don't break through the sac while they're inside their momma. Isn't that amazing?

Furthermore, they can literally find the teat for nursing within less than 2 minutes of being born. Wilburta knew what to do. The piglets knew what to do. The instincts they are equipped with are amazing.

Now, keeping them all alive once they're born and beginning to thrive is another matter. Wilburta had 6 piglets altogether. One died shortly after it was born and the other was born dead. And then a couple hours after they were born, Wilburta laid on one, suffocating it. So we have 3 little pigs. A black one and 2 pinks. They are stinkin' adorable! (Hmmm...I'm thinking "stinkin'" is an appropriate adjective for a piglet!)

The plan, since Wilburta is not a princess (seeing as she can't feel the piglets under her when she lays down), is that we will keep the piglets separate from her, except for feeding times every couple hours. For feedings, we'll deliver them to her and wait for them to finish, then take them back to their cozy little spot where no one will lay on them. I have a feeling we will be tired soon. And we will look for another way to keep these little cuties alive. But for now, we don't know what other options there are. We will read and research and ask around. Until then, we'll be tired...and tied to the house and pigyard. So much for our orthodontist appointment tomorrow in Lexington. I can hear my conversation with the receptionist now. "Hello? Yes, I need to reschedule my sons' appointments. Yeah, we just had piglets. Can you schedule us for, oh, about 6 weeks from now, when they're weaned?"

What Happened to July?

2011-08-02T19:00:00.000-04:00

What Happened to JULY??? Oh, I remember...

We spent it cuddling kittens,

growing a garden,

taking smiling boys and girls to a MULTITUDE of doctors' appointments,

fostering sibling love,

catching pigs that figured out how to escape their pens,

waiting for baby bunnies to be born,

playing with best friends,

pampering pregnant piggies,

(and the piggy baby daddy),

finding new kitten dens,

watching baby chicks hatch,

admiring handsome drakes,

looking for the 100th time at the cute kittens,

helping Wilburta decide if a water-birth is for her,

watching baby ducklings turn into teen-age ducklings,

hatching MORE ducklings,

nursing poor Patches' broken leg,

keeping chicks warm and fed,

keeping pigs' mud holes filled,

and just generally enjoying farm life. But, now it's August, time for our family to settle back into a school-time routine. While I love the laid-back pace of summer time, I'm also the first to admit that I love the routine even more.

Hot Summer Days...

2011-07-03T23:42:00.016-04:00

You know it's hot outside when your pig is doing this...

Here's the momma and her ducklings! She's so protective. We've seen her take on the peacock and one of the dogs, as well as a few of the chickens. It's fun to watch her walking them across the yard from one spot to another. Kind of reminds me of what it was like taking all the kids shopping with me when they were all little. Well, minus the predatory peacocks.

Cats napping on the porch in the warm sunny spots...

My girl reading in the garden...yes I realize the grass around the raised beds is growing nearly as high as the corn! I'm working on convincing my guys to weedeat!

Our Day--In Pictures!

2011-06-21T21:45:00.000-04:00

This afternoon, we discovered this bunch of cuties out taking a stroll discovering the world for the very first time.

That's one momma who has all her ducks in a row! I wanna be just like her when I grow up.

Is that a handful of cuteness or what?

I spent most of my day off and on, doing this. Of course I had my "muscles" (a.k.a. "sons") move all the furniture for me!

John Wesley made manicotti for us all for dinner. That boy's gonna make a fine husband some day! Of course, he's had a fine example!

While John Wesley was cooking and the other boys and I were doctoring the rug, it was storming outside. Jared was sitting near his window in his bedroom, playing with his cars. He started yelling, "Mommy!! Mommy!!" So, I went to his room and he said, "I just saw a whole tree fall down!" Indeed he did!

And thankfully none of my precious people (or any of our menagerie) were in the way when it fell! 'Cause it was evidently a pretty heavy tree. It made quite a wrinkle in our van!

Winston and Wilburta are checking out the damage to their digs. Wilburta's cute pregnant tummy is getting BIG!

Thankfully, Checkers, Cody's cat was still willing to give me a nuzzle, even though she's been kicked out of the house for bad behavior. (Thus the Rug Doctor.)

Farm-y News...

2011-06-21T09:52:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, Harold took John Wesley to an ENT appointment while I took MaKenzie to a physical therapy appointment. After our appointment, I got groceries. After their appointment, they got a new goat. She's pretty, but she doesn't have a name yet. "Spot" is too obvious, and we can't all quite come to an agreement about anything else yet.

The garden is coming along nicely. Much better than last year already. Hopefully our heirloom tomatoes will take off and we'll have enough that I can can some. We'll see...

The corn's coming up. We haven't grown corn in YEARS. I didn't remember how fast it shoots up!

John Wesley did most of the planning and planting this year. He does his research about what kinds of plants he wants to get and which he wants to grow from seed. This year he's done a lot of reading about soil composition and what to add to make it just right. (This was "for pleasure" reading. Nothing to do with his school work. I think I might have a farmer on my hands.)

Broccoli coming in.

I had to take this picture because the fresh green color was too pretty to pass up.

As we walked through the garden this morning, I found myself humming the old hymn, "I come to the garden alone (although I really wasn't alone) while the dew is still on the roses (well, technically, in our garden, it's still on the broccoli and strawberries instead) but you get the point.

We have new ducklings. They hatched yesterday. The momma made her nest under a big old woodpile, so it's dark under there, but I lightened the picture a bit and you can just make out the duckling's little face if you look at the point of the arrow. We're not sure how many there are yet.

In other, unrelated news, something DIED under our house or in our ductwork or in one of our closets or SOMEWHERE in the vicinity of our living room. It's not pleasant, and we can't find the source. I guess we'll have to wait until it's done stinking. I wonder how long that takes? Will home owner's insurance pay for a hotel room until whatever it is quits smelling up my house? Maybe we'll move into the camper.

Summer Flowers...

2011-06-14T14:07:00.001-04:00

Flowers

cut for me by my eldest son

just because

he knows they'll make me smile.

Little Lamb...

2011-06-12T22:47:00.000-04:00

We woke up this morning to a new lamb. We've been expecting that our Painted Desert ewe would give birth anytime for the past week or so. She's been talking to her backside and acting out of sorts.

Today, she's much more herself. Her new baby is tiny and adorable. And...she's a girl. At least so says John Wesley after his initial examination.

Garden Friends and Foes...

2011-06-12T14:49:00.002-04:00

Cody and this cute little guy on his hat are definitely garden friends.

I'm not feeling the love for this not-so-little, nearly-transparent, grub-like creature I found in my broccoli, though.

I'm also not feeling so kindly toward these little green worms I found ON my broccoli.

Clever of them to be EXACTLY the same shade of green as their food, isn't it?

The "Very Hungry Caterpillar" has nothing on my little green friends. Well, really they're not my friends. I flicked them off my plants into never-never land. I'm sure they'll be back. I'll be waiting.

Look at these itty-bitty bugs that were making lace of my eggplant leaves! They are so tiny! The holes they make are bigger than they are! I'm not pleased with these guys either.

I'm no garden guru. This is the first time I've ever even considered what might be competing with me for my food. I think it's all going to come down to who's hungrier--me or them. I'm fairly certain they might win. We shall see. For now I'm gonna do some research about organic pesticides.

Chicks Everywhere!!

2011-06-11T14:41:00.000-04:00

Last week, we could hear the tell-tale "cheep-cheeping" coming from the incubator letting us know that we would soon have a gaggle of chicks emerging from their tight little shells into the big, wide world--our first set to hatch for this year.

We got to watch a few break out of their eggs. It's actually quite hard work. They're visibly tired when they finally are free of the shell, and not very attractive.

These two hens also had a clutch of eggs they'd been sitting on for a while. They hatched a few days after our incubated bunch.

We eventually put them all together out in the shed. You can see the different breeds here. We've got Black Copper Marans, Golden Laced Wyandottes, and Golden Laced Polish chicks. We've also got a Muscovy duck hen sitting on a clutch under the wood pile which should hatch before long.

Here's a clutch of Golden Laced Polish eggs waiting for the momma to decide whether she's gonna set or not.

I love our little farm! Who needs science books when you've got real life science happening all around you every day? (FYI we DO have and use "real" science books, but real life application is so much more engaging!)

Good News / Bad News...

2011-06-03T20:02:00.000-04:00

It's been a good news / bad news couple of days. I'm going to go ahead and assume that you're like me and want the bad news first so you can get it behind you (really I know it's just so you can gloat and laugh at me). Anyway, here goes...

Bad News: I came home from town to find my Mother's Day flowers in this condition today. At least they had the decency to leave the roots and dirt alone. Perhaps by the end of summer I may see flowers again. Boo hoo. I hope they were yummy. (To see the "before" picture of my Mother's Day flowers, scroll to the bottom of my last post.)

Good News: Yesterday, MaKenzie had an appointment and afterwards, Harold took us to eat Chinese. Not that I could taste it or really even smell it, but MaKenzie enjoyed it. Anyway, this was my fortune out of my fortune cookie! I loved it! It couldn't be MORE true! (Of course if the numbers at the bottom were, "4-8-15-16-23-42" we would have to call it bad news no matter what the words said.)

Thankful...

2011-06-02T11:22:00.000-04:00

Having been sick since last Friday, I've spent a lot of time sitting in the recliner, or laying on my bed thinking the thoughts that every mother thinks when she sits idle for more than a minute...

"I really need to be...putting away that stuff...washing that load of clothes...cooking dinner...doing those dishes...or whatever---ANYTHING besides just sitting/laying here doing nothing!"

But with a fever of around 102, I just didn't feel like it. So for the most part...I didn't. And in the "not doing," there were so many blessings that made me thankful.

I'm thankful for a husband that is humble enough to change his plans and to change our kids' diapers and cook a meal (or 5) when "life" happens. Keeping our crew clean and fed is nothing to sneeze at (I should know, right?)--and he does it well, and more importantly he does it willingly and with a sweet spirit.

I'm thankful for a Momma and Daddy living next door, who will step in to watch a couple (or 8) kids and do LOTS of laundry and drive me to the doctor and and and and......the list goes on!

I'm thankful for kids who will carry on with life and "do the next thing" even without me standing over them "cracking the whip."

I'm thankful for a beautiful daughter named Lena, who helped do a multitude of seemingly little errands a million times a day, just so I didn't have to get up.

I'm thankful for a son named Jonas, who saw me standing over the sink of dishes and sidled close, putting his hand on my back, and said, "Momma, you want me to finish those for you?"

I'm thankful for a son named William, who made a delicious birthday cake (from scratch, even) for his brother, cause he knew his momma wasn't up to it.

I'm thankful for a son named Cody, who, walking in from outside, came close to my chair and sweetly asked, "How you feeling, Momma?" And I could see the concern in his face.

I'm thankful for a son named John Wesley, who put in my herb garden completely un-asked and supervised the putting-in of most of our veggie garden this past week, while still doing all the rest of his "jobs."

The word "thankful" doesn't seem adequate to express how full my heart feels when I consider the blessings in my life! Today the thing I'm so very thankful for is ANTIBIOTICS and that because of them, I'm feeling BETTER! But I'm not gonna forget that there are blessings to be found in "not doing." There's a reason the Word tells us to BE STILL and know that He is God.

Matthew Turns Eight!

2011-06-01T23:12:00.000-04:00

Matthew enjoyed pizza for his birthday dinner.

And it just so happened that his birthday cards from Aunt Robyn and Uncle Dale...

and from Mammaw and Pappaw came in the mail TODAY!!! Yay for the USPS!

Cute! I love how he's attending to the cards and seems really to enjoy them!

Daddy helped him read them all.

Then Matthew got to open presents from Grandma and Grandpa...

Hmmm...whose present is this anyway????

Matthew was lovin' the presents and cards! He was really getting into opening up stuff!!!

Now for the cake made for him by big brother William! No candles. Just a HUGE strawberry which Daddy promptly let him plop into his mouth (the WHOLE thing) after we sang "Happy Birthday."

Sharing with sister. Well, really the truth was that he was hoping sister would share with him, but you wouldn't know that if I didn't tell you and it sounds nicer to say he was doing the sharing...

Enjoying his OWN chunk of birthday cake!

Begging off John Wesley...as if he hadn't had enough of his OWN cake and ice cream!

Grandpa and Grandma helping him figure out all the buttons.

John Wesley and Jared full of cake and ice cream relaxing in the living room.

Silly sisters. And a big brother who is reminiscing about "back in the day" when he had a toy like this one...

Through Our Garden's Gate...

2011-05-31T20:19:00.000-04:00

Through our garden's gate, you'll find...

A Daddy with his boys sweating over little green leaves newly planted.

On the other side of the fence, you'll find a goat...

and some guineas...just waiting for the moment they find that gate open so they can get in and have a feast.

They'll eat up my herb garden John Wesley planted for me. Do goats like rosemary?

They'll eat up all our lettuce and cabbages and peppers and squashes.

And they'd probably eat up all our strawberries.

That would be a lot of hard work wasted, so we're trying to be really careful about the garden gate. But we're also preparing our collective heart for the moment we find it open and see our critters eating their fill on all the hard work. Cause, you know...it's as likely as not to happen with all the coming and going.

Lena's baby rabbits have grown and are nearly ready to leave the momma's nest. They're adorable.

MaKenzie is supervising the garden work, while Anna enjoys a cool place to rest out of the sun.

Lena's learning to ride the four wheeler.

And believe it or not, my Mother's Day flowers have SURVIVED!!!! They did NOT become gourmet goat food. I hope the same can be said of our garden in the coming weeks!

Bees Aren't Boring...

2011-05-21T12:08:00.000-04:00

That is...unless they're Boring Bees...which the ones living on (in) my deck actually are.

See this perfectly shaped hole? No, my boys have not been borrowing their daddy's drill...

I actually watched a bee drill out this beginning of a hole this morning.

The audacity! Look at the wood shavings he left on my chair!

Yes, he certainly better hide!

I guess my deck roofing is now a hotel for bees! Too bad these aren't honey bees. I might actually accept that as payment...

Can you see the bee in this hole? I lightened it up and you can see the wing! Where's the bug spray?

Counter-Top Farming...

2011-05-15T17:56:00.000-04:00

So, help me out and tell me I'm not the only momma with worm eggs and polliwogs in jars on her countertop. Granted the polliwogs were my own addition. Who says I'm not a farmer?

Today...

2011-05-13T23:02:00.001-04:00

Today I...

considered the ant...

stopped to smell the roses...

tried to bloom where I am planted...

and met an amazingly cute pig.

Happy Mother's Day to MEEE!!!

2011-05-07T18:39:00.000-04:00

This afternoon, Harold went to "run some errands." He took all the littles with him. When they came home, Jared was bearing a bouquet of my favorites--DAISIES! And Lena, MaKenzie, Matthew and Jared brought me a gorgeous hanging basket that they had picked out for me!

I probably wasn't as grateful as I should've been. As soon as they pulled it out of the vehicle and I saw it, I exclaimed, "Are you all CRAZY??? The goats will eat that!" I guess that's okay. The goats will appreciate some gourmet grub!

A Tea Party...

2011-05-06T13:24:00.000-04:00

The girls decided to have a tea party out under the trees. They put on their jewelry and fancy skirts; and MaKenzie wore her shoes in the style of the newest fashion--on the wrong feet! (Oh, you didn't know that was fashionable? Indeed!)

They invited all their dearest friends, including the friendly potbelly pig, Wilburta.

The menu consisted of nature tea and tiny cakes. Oh, my! It wouldn't do to get any on Mrs. Bear.

Or on the beautiful Miss MaKenzie! We must use our best company manners.

Sisters spending time playing, talking, listening, and pretending. Priceless memories for them--and for their momma!

Eeyore...

2011-05-02T20:08:00.000-04:00

Eeyore is our new mini donkey. Isn't he adorable?

He was originally brought to the Hope Valley Farm via a four way multi-share acquisition by the Underwood Brothers.

Some of the original shareholders sold off their interests and now Eeyore is co-owned by only two of the Underwood Brothers, John Wesley and William.

But really, Eeyore is a friendly sort and likes to make us all think he's "ours."

Even though Jared has feet of questionable odor, still Eeyore is a faithful friend.

Don't you wish you were as lucky as Eeyore to have a boy look at you with such open admiration?

What a happy boy my Jared is! Who could resist that grin? Not Eeyore!

A Trip to Amish Country...

2011-04-28T09:21:00.002-04:00

We took a group from our church (including John Wesley) to the airport in Columbus to catch a flight to HAITI for a mission trip. Harold and I decided to take the opportunity to make it into a roadtrip--just the two of us, after we dropped the group off at the airport!!! (Thanks to Mom and Dad for watching the kids for us! You are such a blessing to us!) The first thing we did was stop off at the rental company and rented a car.

Then we were off to Lehman's! I've been wanting to go for a while now and I wasn't disappointed! The sheer amount of STUFF was almost overwhelming, but it was all so interesting. I actually didn't buy much at all. Just a couple clearance kitchen things and a few things for the kids. Oh...and a book with lots of goat's milk recipes! Hopefully that will get lots of use in a few weeks after the kids are weaned and/or sold!

We loved seeing all the buggies parked everywhere.

And the bicycles...

The Amish farms are so beautiful and well-kept, almost manicured.

Being spring, everything was so green and fresh and pretty!

It was interesting to see these milk cans at the end of several driveways.

I took the next picture through the windshield. We were amazed that these young girls, probably the age of Lena or a little younger, were riding this little buggy, pulled by a tiny Shetland pony, down one of the main roads of this community. See the hills? Imagine if a car or truck came up over the hill too quickly and they couldn't see the buggy until too late? Ugh.

The Amish have their own schools and in order to support them (pay the teachers, buy textbooks, pay for up-keep on the school house, etc) they have auctions. I'd have loved to had the opportunity to go to one!

Amish boys, around 12 and 14 years old, delivering milk jugs.

It's interesting to me, as someone who doesn't trust horses, to see how apparently well-behaved and well-trained all the horses were.

Another view of the same boys delivering their milk.

We made a pit stop at this bakery! That was probably a mistake. They had samples of EVERY thing available. By the time we left we had probably had our daily allotment of calories!

Daily allotment, notwithstanding...we headed across the street to this cheese factory. We got to see cheese actually being made. They also had samples of EVERY kind of cheese (probably around 100 kinds). Their tagline is, "Where the Cheese is Made." Harold threatened to go in and ask the workers, "Who CUTS the cheese?" I threatened him severely enough that he did not do that!

Some of the buggies were closed like the ones above and some were open like this one. I'm sure it has to do with differences in the Amish orders. I assume there are several separate communities within this area.

Harold and I stopped and spent a while looking around in an antique mall.

Then we needed to start back toward Columbus. It was a gorgeous drive, so peaceful.

On our way back to Columbus to get our bus, we passed the Longaberger headquarters. I had always heard about the basket-shaped building. Sure enough, there is was.

The perfect ending to a perfect outing...P.F. Changs! Yum!

After our late dinner, we tried to find a hotel. No luck for the first two hours or so. I'm not sure what was going on in the area, but we had a terrible time finding a room. When we finally did, we were so thankful. We had been up, by that point, for just a few hours short of 48 hours. That's a long time for us old folks!

Another Birthday to Celebrate!

2011-04-23T08:00:00.002-04:00

Happy 17th Birthday, Katy Lu! Your much-too-short life continues to teach us, to impact ours in ways it might never have if you had stayed. I have missed you in every family picture we have ever taken, but in your absence, you have made our family what it is. Because of you, our family is full of faces that would not have been here if you had not changed our hearts. In so many ways you ARE here...in my every day, my every thought...a part of who I am and who we are as a family. Thank you for coming, for imparting in your too-short stay what it takes a long lifetime for many to accomplish. Our lives are so much richer, so much fuller because of the time we were blessed to share with you.

Trade Days 2011...

2011-04-22T08:05:00.001-04:00

A couple weekends ago, we packed up the camper and headed out to Trade Days! We always have lots of fun going to spend the weekend together exploring all the booths in search of treasure. The real treasure we come home with at the end of each Trade Days weekend is the time we spent together and the memories made along the way.

This was the first year we actually brought animals to sell. We brought several roosters, a few hens, a couple of breeding pairs and a trio. We were happy to see that our animals all appeared cleaner and better cared for than many of the others being sold, which would account for why they sold so quickly. Unfortunately, several of the vendors there were selling animals that had very clearly not been cared for. They were pitiful. Anyway...ours all sold within the first day, most were gone by early afternoon.

Part of what I love about Trade Days is just watching everyone. Trade Days is a combination of flea market, carnival (minus the rides), livestock sale, and yard sale. The things found for sale vary as widely as the people who come to look. I could find an out-of-the-way seat and just watch everyone all weekend.

Folks sell EVERYTHING. We've seen bear cubs, HUGE turtles, coyote babies, wolf cubs, snakes, and then of course there's the more mundane hunting dogs, pet puppies, and run of the mill farm animals.

We found a couple more pigs to raise. My freezer is just about empty of pork from our last crew.

John Wesley and I had been admiring (online) the blue-laced red variety of Wyandotte chickens, and had been talking about how we'd like to find a nice pair. Lo and behold, one of the men selling chickens close by us had this beautiful pair for sale. He had some really gorgeous chickens. (You didn't know chickens could be gorgeous, did you? Indeed.)

And of course, here's Romeo. We bought him at LAST year's Trade Days. He's just a young punk, but he's starting to strut around, trying to impress everyone on the place, not just Juliet, his peahen, but also some of the chickens--I don't think they're buying it, though! Peacocks don't develop the "eyes" on their feathers until they're about 3 or 4 years old, so it'll be a couple more years before he's truly impressive, but for now, he's sure funny to watch fanning out his imaginary feathers and wiggling his fuzzy hind quarters! We got to see the lady we bought them from again this year and Harold took a minute to stop and do an impromptu commercial for her telling one of the customers checking out her birds how happy we are that we bought from her and how knowledgable and helpful she has been to us. Hmmm, seems he should've gotten a commission from that sale!

Pass It On...

2011-04-20T07:35:00.003-04:00

What a wondrous time is spring

When all the trees are budding

The birds begin to sing,
The flowers start their blooming

That's how it is with God's love

Once you've experienced it.

You want to sing, it's fresh like spring

You want to pass it on.

A Drive Down the Dirt Road...

2011-04-19T21:45:00.001-04:00

Barnyard...

2011-04-19T07:03:00.001-04:00

I love our barnyard in the spring! What could be more adorable than this little face?

Except for maybe two of them!

Okay, technically, there are FIVE of them...and they're all so cute!

I think she's even cuter!

Wilburta and Winston are happy that spring has arrived...

So are Charlie and Apache!

She's happy the water doesn't stay frozen nowadays and she can swim and bob 'til her heart's content. We really need a pond!

Apache is just cute. No two ways about it!

Make way for ducklings!

Romeo is enjoying being loose in the yard now, after a winter of being cooped up.

I'm a little worried for the ducklings, though. It looks like a scene out of a scary movie!

Just ignore whatever it is that Charlie's doing. He can't help himself!

Belated Birthday Dinner...

2011-04-18T08:01:00.000-04:00

William's birthday was back at the beginning of the month. When each of the kids has a birthday, part of the celebration is that they get to pick what we have for their special dinner.

William wanted lobster. We were going to take just him to Red Lobster, but we just decided it would be more fun to make it at home. Not to mention that it was taking forever for us to figure out a time when we could go, since it's about 2 hours to the closest one.

So, we went to the grocery store and he picked out two that he thought looked good and we brought the stinky things home and cooked them. I gladly let William do the honors of getting the lobsters in the pan! They were still alive and uh...kicking when we took them out of the bag.

Since they were pretty expensive, there was no way I was getting a lobster for each of us, so the boys thought it would be a good substitute to get a mess of crayfish. To me they look like overgrown grasshoppers!

John Wesley took care of the crawfish. And of course, what's a seafood dinner without some shrimp to dip?

Grandma & Grandpa came and she brought buttered, parsleyed potatoes.

Jonas baked some chicken nuggets for those of us who don't care for seafood.

And I fixed some garlic cheese biscuits, corn on the cob, and some butter sauce for dipping.

Then we ate it all up. I have to admit it probably wasn't as good as Red Lobster, but it was way more fun to cook this meal in my kitchen with everybody contributing and doing the kitchen dance (trying to stay out of each others' way and dodge hot stuff as it comes out of the oven or off the stove) than to sit at a table waiting.

Matthew got a little tired of Daddy bugging him with the claw.

Jared wanted me to take his picture with the little claw on his nose, only the claw didn't really fit on his nose. We pretended it did.

Then MaKenzie wanted me to do it to her.

This is all that was left of poor Bob the Lobster. He's just a shell of a man...er...fish...crustacean... whatever.

Peace dude!

I think maybe she's told a few too many lies.

Brothers and Bratwurst

2011-04-14T11:43:00.002-04:00

William asked for (and received) a meat grinder for his birthday. He decided to put it to good use shortly thereafter, and John Wesley wanted in on the fun. They spent time online looking for bratwurst recipes and finally decided on one that sounded good.

They donned aprons (don't tell anyone, though) and cut up an 11 pound pork roast into pieces that would fit through the grinder.

They ground the meat and seasoned it, then put it back through to stuff it into the casings.

John Wesley fired up the grill.

And finally...after all that work, they got to enjoy the finished product.

Mmmm, the sweet (well, in this case, it's more savory) taste of success.

I see a restaurant in their future. They can call it "Brothers and Bratwurst."

Many Hands Make Light Work...

2011-04-13T11:43:00.001-04:00

Seems that winter time left quite a mess around here, so we spent the better part of our weekend two weekends ago to start cleaning up and rearranging around the farm--a job that really is never done.

Everybody pitched in and we accomplished quite a bit. Many hands do, indeed, make light work. We got the compost mixed up really well and added quite a bit to it as we cleaned out the winter accumulation of straw (and other goodies) from the animal stalls and hutches.

Most of the animals' cages got a good thorough cleaning-out and got fresh new bedding.

Boys worked with Daddy to move a coop to make room for more gardening. Some of the fences were taken down and others put up and still others reinforced or repaired.

And when the work was done (done for awhile, anyway), we just enjoyed the day. I love that here on our little farm the kids are able to sit someplace quiet and just enjoy the animals.

I love that they have the space to think their own thoughts and listen to the sounds of God's creation, and hear their own inner voice.

Where better to see and hear God's creation than on a farm in the spring time? I can't think of anyplace better.

A Hoosier Cabinet!

2011-04-11T15:54:00.002-04:00

Harold and the kids brought this hoosier cabinet home yesterday to surprise me! What a wonderful way to make a momma feel loved!

Perfect Imperfection...

2011-04-07T13:57:00.000-04:00

This is the sign that hangs above my stove. It's a reminder that truly, outside of my relationship with the Lord, my relationship with my family, those individuals with whom I spend all my days, is the only thing that will make a lasting impact.

Things like dresser drawers, broken from the strain of too many clothes and too much use by boys always in a hurry.

Dishes (always) piled high either clean and waiting to be put away, or dirty and waiting to be washed, but always asking for my attention (whether I choose to take care of it myself or delegate, then inspect).

A key on the piano they got me for my birthday a few years ago, broken by small hands playing happily, but a bit (or maybe a lot) too rough.

Permanent marker on my (gorgeous, and much-loved because it was given to me by Mom & Dad AND because it draws us all close at every meal) table.

The tine on one of my forks that is part of the set we received as a wedding gift, bent by brothers working on a project together and needing "just the right tool."

A nice greasy smudge on my front door, courtesy of a curious, albeit messy, little one .

Baskets and bins of homeschooling materials, in my living room, in my kitchen, under my piano bench...just about everywhere.

Laundry, like the dishes, always piled high either wanting to be washed or folded or put away. Usually taking up either my kitchen floor or my kitchen table.

All of these represent choices for me. I can remember that these things, while potentially frustrating, are truly only temporal. None of these things will matter in the long run. Remembering that *in the moment* is the challenge, though.

I can get angry that the dresser drawer was broken, or I can be thankful for all those clothes that my busy boys hurriedly put away because they were so eager to get on to their next adventure.

I can get frustrated that those dishes never stop calling my name, or I can choose to be thankful that those dishes represent many meals, mostly eaten together with my family.

I can get mad about that broken piano key, or I can choose to remember the happy "music" that was played by a child eager to create and to learn.

I can throw a fit because there is a permanent mark on the table I love, or I can remember that I love the person who (accidentally) wrote on it infinitely more and cherish the time he spent in our family.

I can be disappointed that the fork tine is bent, or I can purposely try to put that particular fork at my place every time I set the table just so I can remember how precious it is to me that my children find projects to do and work together to make their ideas work.

I can be irritated about the smudged window, or so very thankful that it was made by a little boy who never used to care about his environment at all, and is now curious and engaged.

I can complain that there are books everywhere, or I can be grateful for the fact that I have been blessed to be able to spend my days homeschooling my children, learning right along with them from all those books.

I can gripe about the clothes that never seem to stay in their closets and drawers, or I can thank the Lord for the family members who wear the clothes and thank God for His provision. (I almost never have to buy clothes at full price.)

Do I always make the right choice? HA! Not a chance! But always in hindsight, I know the blessings that all of the imperfections represent, so I am thankful for them. If my life were "perfect," imagine how much I would be missing out on! Today, I choose to thank God for my perfectly imperfect life!

My brand-new(est) TEENager!

2011-04-05T20:02:00.000-04:00

William's present, waiting on the table for him when he woke up the day he turned 13, wrapped in his comic papers.

I've never met a 13 year old who requested a meat grinder for his birthday. A foodie he is.

He's much beloved by his faithful companions, Anna and Izzi. If he spends the night away from home, they don't know what to do with themselves.

This is his usual pose. He hates for me to take his picture.

I don't know why--he is so handsome!!! Of course, I'm a bit biased.

He picked an ice cream cake, which was almost a no-brainer, considering his addiction and all...

I think Anna's a great judge of character. She knows that William is "good people." I love his sweet, honest, tender heart and I pray it stays that way always. How blessed I am to be William's momma--and how SHORT he makes me feel! He's already a head taller than I. Could we just slow this growing thing down a bit????

The abundant life...

2011-04-02T22:11:00.001-04:00

At the end of an already long, but good and blessed day, I'm getting ready for another.

I'm putting together a lasagna for tomorrow's after-church Haiti mission trip benefit dinner. In true multi-tasking momma fashion, I'm also simultaneously (while browning the meat) blogging AND putting the finishing touches on my 1st - 3rd grader's Sunday School class lesson for tomorrow morning.

Multi-tasking is the one ability God seems to grant to each woman as she becomes a mother...sort of a right-of-passage, I'd say.

I'm also waiting for a certain 12 year old to fall asleep so I can wrap his birthday present without his nosey (inquisitive) presence! I can't believe this is the last night I will look at his sweet face before he wakes up as a teenager. Where DOES the time go?

Life is abundant and it is good--but it's flying by at warp speed!!! And I better get...I've got (a few)miles to go before I sleep.

Rabbit Babies????

2011-03-23T15:39:00.001-04:00

This is Bella, Lena's Dutch girl. She has her own apartment, but sometimes we let her husband, Buddy, visit her. We have let them visit several times. But we didn't think they had really "visited" -- if you get my drift.

Evidently they did, indeed, "visit." Lena came running into the house this afternoon yelling, "Bella had babies!!! Bella had babies!!!"

We had had a bit of a clue that she *MIGHT* be expecting just a few days ago because she had been pulling her belly hairs making a nest. But we also read that often rabbits do this when they're experiencing a false pregnancy, so we weren't sure...until today.

This is Buddy, the proud papa. He's evidently a stealthy "visitor." So...anybody interested in a pure bred Dutch baby rabbit in a few weeks? We'll be selling them at Trade Days if not...

Mario & Luigi: On Parenting...

2011-03-22T14:27:00.002-04:00

Several weeks ago, we (ahem, rather--someone who shall remain nameless) misplaced our BRAND NEW Super Mario Bros. for Wii game that we had only played a couple of times.

Today, in looking for our "Unreached People Groups" DVD for our Bible/Missions reading unit during school, we came across the game! It had been put in a DVD case for a completely different movie.

During lunch, we got out the Wii and I took a shot at it. Oh.My.Goodness!!! To say I stink at the game would be a gross understatement. It was laughable. The kids (including Lena) were trying to talk me through the moves I should make, telling me which direction to go, which buttons to push, which characters and areas to avoid.

I just COULD NOT make Mario do what I wanted him to do. No matter how well they coached me. No matter how great and spot on their instructions were.

They huffed and puffed. They told me I was pitiful (which I knew--so it didn't hurt my feelings.) They hollered. Finally, at one point, William walked outside, unable to watch anymore. Lena offered to just do it for me to get me through the level.

And it occurred to me...they were getting a glimpse of what it is to be a parent.

We know how to navigate the things they are dealing with. We see the pitfalls and the traps, and the shady characters that are lying in wait to do them harm. We tell them, plead with them, to avoid all of those things. But they won't/can't just let us "do this level" for them...they have to do it on their own. And that's as it should be.

Like them, I sometimes have to huff and puff and holler as I see them getting ready to run into obstacles; sometimes even cover my eyes 'cause it's just too doggone painful to watch them make mistakes I KNOW are coming up.

In the end, I know...it's only this process of learning (mostly by experience...sometimes by listening and observing) where the "bad guys" are waiting and which features of the game (opportunities in real life) they can use for their advantage that will teach them and prepare them to someday slay the dragon and conquer the castle. And that will be a day that will make me so proud. (and relieved....)

Morning On The Farm...

2011-03-20T19:46:00.000-04:00

Last Saturday morning, we just KNEW that Flip was going to finally have her kids. Alas...we spent about 4 hours outside and no kids... However, we did get to enjoy the absolutely FABULOUS spring weather! So, all was not lost. Here are a few snippets of our morning.

Baby goats doing what all babies do...wallering their momma to death!

Quack quack!

Don't all 9 year old girls nap on their 4-wheeler while waiting for their goat to give birth????

Are you scared yet?

You should be now!

I'm just sharing this one cause I love the pattern of this chicken's feathers. Her name is "Party."

Guineas are strange-looking creatures aren't they?

Yes, as a matter of fact, those sunglasses ARE pink. You gotta problem with that? I didn't think so!

Sharing...

NOT sharing... This little chick got her first juicy worm today. YUM!

Takin' her babies out for a stroll...

Matthew lovin' on the new baby...

They call him eagle eye...

The guys...

Jared not squeezing the chick to death!

Kenzie (and the chicken) visiting the new momma...

What a handsome dude!

My sweet little farm girl.

My sweet farm BOY helping his sister across the boards to see the goats.

So...as it turns out...this WAS the day Flip had her kid. Only one. But she waited until we were all engrossed in other activities. I was on the phone when one of the kids ran in and told us all to come quick. Sure enough. We all got settled in to our chairs outside the goat pen (and some of us INSIDE the goat pen) just in time to tune into our favorite channel, Farm TV. Today's special was a documentary on "birthing kids." It doesn't get much more educational than that! That'll be the next post...maybe.

"G" is for Grain...

2011-03-10T21:10:00.000-05:00

School with Jared and MaKenzie is so much fun! Homeschooling my kids, in general, has always been fun for me, but, with Jared and MaKenzie it's a bit different than it has been with the others. With the other kids, because they are mostly "typical" learners (at least close enough within the realm to be called so), I have been able to buy curricula ready-made that will work for them in each subject area. Not so with Jared and MaKenzie.

With Jared and MaKenzie, I get to make up the lessons in large part. Certainly, I have curricula that I use with them, but if I used it as intended (followed the lesson plans as prescribed), it would be much too fast-paced for them. The curriculum covers a letter every day or so. My kids need at least a week or so between letters. So, I "fill-in" using my own ideas, or with ideas I find online or from the suggestions of therapists.

The pictures on this post are from a fill-in day. On this day, as I was thinking about what we could do, I was looking over the Bible story we were going to read. It happened to be about Joseph and his job helping to collect, store, and distribute food (grain) during the years of feast and famine in Egypt. The top picture is of Jared's coloring page. See the bags of grain? They reminded me of the buckets of grain I have in my pantry. That sparked the idea to create a worksheet with the letter "G" and let the kids use glue to stick wheat berries (grain) to the glue in the shape of the letter to form a "G."

Besides reviewing the letter "G" for the millionth day (not really, it only seems that way...) we also practiced writing (pre-writing/tracing/air-writing), counted items, played a letter matching game, reviewed all of our other letters by finger-tracing our sand paper letters, talked about the color blue (colors are still a little iffy on some days for them), and, of course, we read the story about Joseph distributing the "GRAIN" and being reunited with his family. I think Jared only interrupted me about 15 times to ask about the pictures today! Seriously, though, what a privilege for me! I'm so thankful for the opportunity to spend these times with my kids. It's definitely a huge responsibility--one that keeps me on my knees--but that's a good thing, right?

Gumption--and LOTS of it!

2011-03-06T18:41:00.001-05:00

If you know my MaKenzie, then you know what a social creature she is! It is her nature to be "WITH" others. To be close to them, to engage them in conversation, to touch or hug, to involve herself in what they are doing. She is not a spectator--she wants to be part of the action! That includes the various mundane goings on here around the house, too.

When I hand out a list of chores to be done, if I don't give her a job, she will invariably ask, "Mommy, what can I do?" She ALWAYS comes when I am doing dishes. When I get to the silverware, she faithfully reminds me to leave them after I wash them for her to rinse and put in the drainer. And she does a beautiful job of putting those silverware in the drainer, too!

She also loves to fold my washcloths and dishcloths. She is AWESOME at this job. Just look at how she uses BOTH hands--she uses "righty" to get those corners matched up just right! Not only are these jobs therapeutic for her, they get to the heart of what she really craves--she is useful; she's a needed part of our family and household; she's involved in a REAL way.

Today, when MaKenzie heard me say I needed hangers, she said, "I can't reach the top, can I get the ones on the bottom?" Why, of course you can girlie! I heard her fall no less than 4 times trying to get those hangers back out to me. I asked her if she was okay, and she always said she was. If it was me and I fell 4 times trying to get a silly job done, you better bet I'd be calling in the reinforcements! Not her! She's so determined! (Not to mention CUTE in her little dress made just for her by our friend LIZ!!!)

What a shame it is when we overlook the members of our communities who have special needs and fail to involve them in useful ways. Special needs does not equal DIS-abled. It just means DIFFERENTLY-abled! In our family, we are trying to find successes rather than assuming failure for our kids who are differently-abled, and we are finding so MANY things they are GREAT at doing! (Primarily they are super great at keeping us laughing--they are REALLY funny!!!)

"Life" is cool...

2011-03-04T09:14:00.001-05:00

This morning, John Wesley woke up earlier than all the rest of us and headed out to check on the animals, as usual. When, just a minute later, we heard his quick steps coming up the ramp to the porch, Harold said, "The goats!"

And, indeed, it was Stripe with her newest set of twins, just minutes old when John Wesley found them! Can you imagine two kids looking any more different than these two? We woke everyone up and spent the next hour and a half out there just watching them "come to life" before our very eyes. Life is so cool.

Wilburta has a new friend...

2011-01-23T14:04:00.000-05:00

Remember this pretty little piggie, our dear Wilbur-ta? She showed up, a little unexpectedly, back at the end of the summer. She's been lots of fun, but she's the only little pig on the place. She thinks the dogs are okay for friends and the chickens visit her sometimes, but really...she needed someone who understood her like only another pig could understand. So, the boys had been looking out for the perfect friend for her.

A couple weeks ago we found the perfect pig for her! Meet Sir Winston Churchill. His friends just call him Winston. And since he's pretty friendly with everybody, you can call him Winston, too.

Now, Winston had led a pretty cushy life (for a pig, anyway) up until he moved in with us. He had a great place to live and a nice family, and he even had his own pillow and blankie, along with a few toys.

Best of all, he got to stay inside most of the time! In fact, his favorite spot at his other house was a nice warm rug in front of the fire. Now, that's the life! Knowing this, we decided since it was really cold the week he came home, to let him sleep inside for the first few nights.

But, he did great outside during the days, (I suspect it had something to do with the pretty Wilbur-ta who was also outside) so within just a few days, he was able to be outside full time. They're getting along famously and I've even overheard them making plans for a family! I'll keep everyone posted!

Our School Day In Pictures...

2011-01-19T17:00:00.007-05:00

If you know me, you know that I'm not a black and white kind of girl. That means that a strict schedule doesn't suit my way of doing things. That's not to say that I'm overly lax, though, either. I like to think that it's more of an easy-going, roll-with-the-flow kind of routine that we have going on. What we do is more of a routine than a schedule, the difference being that each day we know that certain things WILL happen in a relatively orderly way, and about the same way each day. But that also means that some days things come up and we do it a little differently for that day, depending on the needs of our family that day.

One of the benefits of homeschooling is that we can do several of our subjects together, regardless of grade level. Unfortunately "together" no longer includes John Wesley. Now that he's in high school, he does all of his work independently, and he has made the camper his classroom. He comes in a couple times a day to ask a question or two and, of course, to eat lunch, but most of his schoolwork is done in the camper. It is much quieter there and much more conducive to the concentration required to do his algebra and other subjects which require a lot of reading. I do lots of reading aloud to the rest of the kids. Cody, William, Jonas, Lena and I study Bible, geography, history, science, and literature together. I read to the kids for about 1-2 hours each day from several texts--the Bible, at least 2 separate novels (usually biographies and historical/cultural works), a poetry book, a book about unreached people groups and a science text, plus others depending on the day.

It's an extremely informal time. The kids listen as I read, and ask questions as they come up, we pray together, and we all discuss what we've learned (because I'm definitely learning right along with them). Jared, MaKenzie, and Matthew usually spend this time going back and forth between sitting in to listen (and snuggle) and playing in their room, depending on their moods.

After we're done with the "together" part of our day, it's usually time for lunch (although some days I switch things up and do the together part of the day after lunch, depending on what else I need to accomplish that day.) Meals are Matthew's favorite parts of the day! Eating lunch (or breakfast or dinner) by himself is very much a learning experience for him and definitely part of his "schooling." His goals include appropriate interaction with others, beginning communication, eating skills, and overall learning to interact appropriately with his environment. Remember, this is a boy who wouldn't make eye contact with us and detested having food in his mouth. How far he has come! He's getting it! Praise the Lord!

After lunch (or sometimes before school depending on what I need done), we usually take a few minutes to have everyone pick up and do their "areas." Everybody has a job to do to help keep the house picked up.

Then it's on to the subjects they do independently, which are Math, English, independent reading, and part of their science. Of course, "independently" means they have their own level and they don't do it together. I still need to be available. For example, today, I worked through Lena and Jonas' English assignments with them and helped clarify instructions for various math assignments, as well as checking through a few past assignments to be sure one of the kids was ready to move on to the next concept.

While the big kids do their independent work, I work with Jared and MaKenzie on their school work. I do about 45 minutes to an hour of intentional "bookwork" type instruction with them. I find that's about all they can absorb before crayons begin to stray, eyes start wandering to the ceiling, and answers to my questions become extremely random. Letters are finally starting to stick for them. I've tried letter recognition off and on with them for the past two or three years, but the next day they wouldn't have a clue, so I just kept on with the other readiness activities. But they seem to be starting to remember a bit from day to day, so I'm keeping at it. Slowly, but surely. There's no hurry, and no "rest of the class" to keep up with, so we're taking our time.

Besides their "formal" curriculum (which is an early preschool level), we do about an hour or so of physical therapy several days a week which William usually does with them and I use lots of everyday activities with them, like educational videos, toys that they don't realize are "learning toys," and games that reinforce colors, counting, shapes, taking turns, categorization, and other important concepts.

Somebody asked me the other day if homeschooling was hard, and that was a difficult question for me to answer. It's not physically hard. It's not un-enjoyable, in fact I LOVE it. It's not boring or brain-taxing (to me--the kids may have a different opinion). I think, for me, the thing that makes homeschooling "hard" is just the burden of it. I don't mean burden as in "drudgery." I mean burden as in "this is all MY responsibility--these kids have to learn and it's all on me." If *I* don't choose the right curriculum...If *I* don't take time to be sure they get this particular concept...If *I* don't make sure to cover this specific subject...they might not become successful people. This thought, erroneous though it may be, weighs on me often, but I try to take comfort in Isaiah 54:13, "And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children." In reality nothing about my children's lives is dependent upon me or on anything I do, it's all in God's hands. My job is to be faithful day to day in what is before me, not to worry about what we might be missing. They're HIS children. He has entrusted them to me and He will give me what I need to care for and teach them, if I remember to depend on Him.

Chinese Dumplings...

2011-01-18T18:42:00.000-05:00

John Wesley and William decided they needed a Chinese dumpling fix...

And since making them wasn't on my agenda, they did it themselves...

All the mixing, all the chopping, the rolling...

The folding...

The boiling...

And the eating... I have to admit--they WERE pretty good.

Perhaps I need to turn them loose in the kitchen at the dinner hour a few nights a week!

Happy Post-Holidays from the Underwood Pets...

2011-01-08T18:27:00.000-05:00

Looking back through the pictures I took over the holidays, I found a few featuring the cats and Anna that I wanted to preserve. And how better to preserve them than to share them here?

From her perch atop the router, which I can only assume she likes because it's nice and warm, Tippy, our anti-social (or sociopathic, depending on the day) cat observes the oft-chaotic goings-on of our home.

She enjoyed the wrapping paper and ribbon from the Christmas presents, but Anna (below) isn't sure how she feels about being blanketed with the wrapping paper from John Wesley's birthday present (okay, I know in a previous life it was just comics--I up-cycled it to the very prestigious job of birthday present wrapping).

I think Checkers (below), our new epileptic kitty, might have been trying to escape the bedlam as well!

Even dogs need a break from all the holiday hubbub!

Day Out With Cody...

2011-01-04T10:09:00.000-05:00

For Christmas, I gave the kids "coupon books." One of the coupons was for a day out with Mom to do whatever they want--shop, movie, go to the park, fishing, out to eat...whatever. (Going somewhere alone with me is nothing new, but usually they are accompanying ME on MY errands. This day is all about what THEY want to do.) Cody redeemed his yesterday. But first...we had to stop at the post office to pick up his iPod that he had ordered with his birthday and Christmas money. He was just a little bit excited about that!

After that, we were off to the "big city" about an hour and a half away. Cody had decided he wanted to see the 3-D movie "Yogi Bear." Secretly, I was pleased with his choice...since seeing the previews when we were at the Narnia movie, I had thought this movie looked like it would be cute.

The kids had come up with the idea that we have to take a picture of the coupons being used. So, I had my camera with me at the movie theater. Cody was quite worried that we were going to get in trouble for taking pictures in there. But I finally convinced him it would be okay. Too bad I couldn't tell it was blurry because of the glasses!!! Shhh....don't tell the kids that those coupons for a day out with Mom are really more of a present to ME!!! I love getting to spend fun one-on-one time with my blessings.

George...

2010-12-30T21:15:00.001-05:00

George and George.
My beautiful boy all snuggled up ready for dreams.

Happy 15th Birthday!

2010-12-26T21:24:00.000-05:00

I can scarcely believe this eldest son of mine is already 15 years old. But sometimes, I have a hard time believing that he's ONLY 15. Some of the things he says teach *me* and I'm supposed to be the one teaching him.

A generous heart.

A concern for the poor.

A heart for Haiti.

A love for his brothers and sisters (well...you know, MOST of the time).

Concern for his environment.

Knowledge of and love for his animals.

Respect for those who are different.

A helpful spirit.

The ability to argue pursuasively. (I'm counting this as a good thing...God CAN use it.) :)

I am beyond blessed to be this ~~boy's~~ young man's Momma. I can't wait to see what God does with his life. Happy Birthday, John Wesley!

Cookie-Makin' Cousins...

2010-12-20T15:24:00.000-05:00

I love these pictures.

I love these kids.

I love these cookies.

My Helper Girl...

2010-12-20T11:35:00.000-05:00

MaKenzie: Mommy, you know what I wanna be when I get big?
Me: What's that baby?
MaKenzie: Your helper girl.

You already are, sweet girl!

More Cousin Fun...

2010-12-18T20:02:00.000-05:00

Cousins making snow cream.

Don't ask what we found in the snow.

At least we found it BEFORE we made the snow cream.

And that's a very good thing.

For the record, I didn't collect the snow.

For the rest of the record...I should have.

Cousins playing games.

Partners in pizza:

Jonas and Jake

Cody and Lauren

John Wesley and William--because I had ONE whole wheat pizza crust and they were the only ones who wanted it, besides me...

Trenton and Lena

It was funny that they all REALLY RESPECTED that center line I created. Nobody breached the line. Thus the river of greasy cheese in the middle!

MaKenzie made a pizza for Jared, Matthew, and herself. They're not very adventurous.

Only a couple pieces left over. So it must've been good. By the time I oversaw the making of all of them, pizza didn't even seem appetizing to me. Well, that and I was full of Chex Mix.

Cousins Sledding...

2010-12-18T12:56:00.000-05:00

The kids are having a blast sledding.

I have to not watch, except, of course, to take pictures.

Then I go inside and tell Harold he's in charge.

As if he didn't know...

Happy Birthday, Cody...

2010-12-14T16:45:00.050-05:00

Is it possible that you are REALLY fourteen years old? Have I truly already loved you so long? It seems like yesterday you were that chubby baby boy that I loved with all my heart even without the 9 months of preparation. You've had my heart since the first minute I held you. You have grown into such a sweet young man, and I am so proud of you.

Today was supposed to be Harold's Christmas dinner for work. Mom and I were going to be cooking for everyone and I had planned to pick up cake and ice cream while we were in town. That plan fell through when we discovered we wouldn't be going in town because of the weather.

Since we wouldn't be getting cake and ice cream from town, Cody decided he wanted me to make my chocolate mayonnaise cake with powdered sugar instead of icing and some snow cream. Cody decided to color the snow cream blue and yellow. (I guess he's never heard the warning about not eating yellow snow!) Mom and Dad came over and we had a sweet simple birthday party celebrating the privilege of living life with this boy we all love so much.

In the Spirit of Christmas...

2010-12-12T13:28:00.000-05:00

Thursday, we got up bright and early to drive 3 hours to attend Harold's Christmas Party for work. It was just Harold and I and the two girls. As we were driving, we were listening to KLove radio, and they were talking about the new Narnia movie schedule to open that night. We had intended to take the kids to see it, and had talked about it several weeks earlier.

We Googled show times and found that one was opening an hour and a half from our house at midnight (well, 12:01 to be exact). But that hour and a half was the other direction. First we would have to drive the 3 hours home after the party and pick up all the boys who had stayed with Mom and Dad.

Later, while we were still driving to the party, Harold remembered he had had a message from Aunt Robyn the day before inviting us to come up to see the Christmas light display that was in her town, which happened to be the same town where we would be seeing the movie.

We Googled the city website to find out information about the light display and found out they were having "Pizza and Karaoke with Santa" as well as a trolley ride through the light display that evening--for FREE!

Robyn had obligations at church, but Uncle Dale met us a the train depot where we were to see Santa and go on the trolley ride. MaKenzie was especially excited to get to see Uncle Dale!

This first part of the evening was a little less than exciting for the 4 oldest boys. They were good with having free pizza, but didn't want anything to do with getting pictures with Santa. That's okay. We never have really "done" Santa, and I certainly don't intend to now, but it sure was fun for MaKenzie and Jared to sing with him. (Lena enjoyed it too, but it wasn't quite as magical for her.)

Jared and Santa sang "Jingle Bells" and MaKenzie and Lena joined in to sing "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer."

For a second, we thought MaKenzie was going to break out into a dance and everything! She was singing and wiggling all over the place!

Finally, MaKenzie decided that she should share the mic with Lena. Before long it was time to board the trolley. We were the last trolley trip for the night, so we didn't have very many others on board with us.

This display was my favorite of all of them. "Peace on Earth." Of course it made me think of Haiti and all the unrest over the elections--and reminded me that TRUE Peace on Earth won't be known until Christ's return.

John Wesley (and his mom and dad) were having a hard time stomaching the money spent on these displays. Each LED light bulb in every display costs $1.05. So, in this next picture, you can see John Wesley counting the lights just in the letter "H" on this display. Approximately 60 bulbs. So, 60 X $1.05 means that JUST HE LETTER "H" cost over 60 DOLLARS. Imagine the cost of the whole "Peace on Earth" display--not to mention that this was just one of about 100 more very similar and most were much more complex than this one.

In fact, there was one display that had been vandalized last season and to repair it cost $8,000.00 EIGHT THOUSAND dollars for a light display--just ONE light display.

As the man who led the tour talked about each display and how much money had been donated by the people and businesses of the community for it, I had to just keep reminding myself that we had come to ENJOY this light show--not to think of how these THOUSANDS of dollars (and the tidy sum we spent later on the movie--which truly IS a rare treat for us) could be used to help people who have no money for food, who are living in tents, who have no money to send their children to school--or a COUNTRY who hasn't enough money to treat the thousands who are suffering from cholera and so many other PREVENTABLE diseases every day. I kept telling myself, "Just enjoy it for what it is." And for the most part--probably because for all my life I HAVE, so I'm good at it--I did. But like they say, once you see and KNOW about the needs, it's hard to ever think the same again about the things we take for granted every day here in the land of plenty.

After the light show, we went to Robyn and Dale's church where they were having practice for their "Living Christmas Tree" program. We got to visit with Robyn and Ari and Ray a bit. Then we went to Taco Bell, cause we still had about 2 hours before we needed to be at the movie.

We were all already SO TIRED. But we were in hopes that we could stay awake through the movie. We all did great through the previews and the first 30 minutes of the movie, but pretty soon, William elbowed me, rousing me from my own story line going on in my dreams. I stayed awake with the help of popcorn and coke for the next little while, then dozed off and on for the next bit, waking at one point to see that William was asleep now, too. So, without his disapproving jabs in my arm to shame me, I promptly fell asleep and continued to sleep until the ending scene of the movie. Harold and MaKenzie were also dozing in and out, but everyone else, including Ari (who had to get up early for a full day of school the next morning), was able to stay awake for the whole thing.

We drove Ari home, and then headed for home ourselves. By the time we got home a little after 4:00 am, everyone except Harold, me and Jonas was asleep. The next morning, a very tired Harold made me promise to remind him never to go to a midnight movie again. Are you kidding??? This is one of my favorite memories already!

A Simple Girl With Simple Wishes...

2010-12-04T21:53:00.002-05:00

A day or two ago, William asked MaKenzie what she wanted for Christmas. Luckily, she's a simple girl with simple tastes. All she wanted was a laptop, a cell phone, a Mustang (as in the car!), and a puppy. Good thing she doesn't ask for much...

Earlier this week, we had our first dusting of snow for the season. Even though it didn't amount to much and disappeared nearly as quickly as it fell, we were all excited and used the snow as a great reason to put school on a delay for the morning. It doesn't take much for us to find a reason to celebrate around here!

This day, MaKenzie was eager to try out her new boots. We had finally found a pair of boots that were actually made to fit over her braces, allowing her, for the first time, to join in the fun outside and still have the support of her braces! I think I see a job as a footwear model in her future!

I just love this picture of her reaching out to grab the snowflakes as they fell. Just like her, reaching out to embrace life with such a joyful enthusiasm like I have never seen in anyone else. MaKenzie is the most postive person I know!

I loved watching her walk across the yard with Cody. She is getting so great at getting around, I didn't figure she'd need much help, if any, but I wanted Cody to be there for her if she needed him, and he didn't mind. In fact, I think he enjoyed this little victory of hers as much as anyone else! He played outside with her for quite a while, helping her make snowballs and just doing NORMAL stuff. There are lots of things that MaKenzie can't do because of her CP, and she never complains, never pouts or feels sorry for herself--but I know she is aware of the times that she isn't able to do what everyone else is doing. So, it makes me SO happy when she CAN do what the rest of the kids are doing. Makes me just wanna holler, "You GO girl!!!"

Jared is EIGHT!!!!

2010-11-30T09:08:00.000-05:00

I can hardly believe that Jared has turned eight years old! I know I say that about every birthday for every child, but it just seems like the world just moves so fast! Before I know it, they're all going to be grown! I'm so thankful to get to celebrate all their milestones and birthdays--so thankful they are healthy and happy. I just wish it didn't all go so fast! Anyway...Jared's birthday was a couple days ago and he was so excited about it! This was the first year that he comprehended what it meant to have a birthday coming up, so that was a HUGE milestone in itself--the fact that he UNDERSTOOD that "birthday" meant he could expect presents, a cake, and all that hoopla is a BIG DEAL! YAY Jared!!!

When I got ready to wrap Jared's presents I realized I'd forgotten to buy wrapping paper. So we improvised. I had the kids cut up brown paper bags and gave them the orange duct tape. I love it and of course, Jared could care less what everything is wrapped in--he just wants to know WHAT'S INSIDE!

Jared was very happy to find that he actually HAD presents! The night before his birthday, he was so afraid that I had forgotten to buy him presents. As he was saying goodnight to John Wesley, he said "John Lesley (that's how he says John Wesley's name), my birfday's amorrow. Mommy got me no pwesents." We all tried to assure him that mommy and daddy always get presents for birthdays, but he wasn't convinced. Needless to say, he was excited as he opened his gifts!

John Wesley wrapped this present a little too tightly...he might have a little of his Grandpa Smith in him. (wink, wink) William made it easier on him and used only a little tape!

Lena and Jared. Love their smiles!

I think it's hilarious how Matthew is looking around John Wesley to see what's going on! His eyes are looking a little mischievous, as if he has a plan...he just might.

Jared played with his trains for the rest of the day! No kidding, when he gets interested in something, he doesn't quit!

I made the laziest cake ever! I bought a cake at the grocery store and put a couple pieces of track on top, then put one of his trains on the tracks. Add some sparkler candles, and Voila'...a festive cake! Festive and EASY for me since I hadn't been feeling the greatest for a few days.

One of Grandma and Grandpa's gifts to Jared was the Misty Island Rescue movie that Jared had been anxious to see (and we've watched it now about a hundred times)! That's actually another milestone. Jared had been at Grandma and Grandpa's house and seen the commercials for "Misty Island Rescue" toys and actually said he wanted them. He's listening and understanding so much more nowadays. He hears the commercial and understands that perhaps HE can have that toy/see that movie/whatever. It's not just something on TV anymore, he can relate it to himself. That's progress!

Anyway...back to the birthday! Usually Jared's the one who starts the "Happy Birthday" song when folks around here have a birthday, so without him singing we were a little slow getting the song started, but he enjoyed it nonetheless. Jonas helped him blow out his sparkler candles. He kept getting his face right down in the fire! I was afraid he was going to burn his cute little nose off!

Jared sure enjoyed his day--and we all enjoyed celebrating him! What better reason to celebrate than his precious eight years--even more precious when I remember what could've been had God not allowed him to survive and heal! He is EIGHT years old. What a blessing he is to this family--especially this momma! Happy Birthday my sweet boy! May you have many many more!

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-11-28T10:26:00.001-05:00

This year's Thanksgiving was so relaxed. There wasn't the time-crunched feeling that I have experienced in the past with the Thanksgiving meal cooking and preparations. As Mom and I were talking about it, I realized why. Harold deep-fried the turkeys this year. That freed up my oven for the other things that needed to be baked and freed up my mind so I didn't have to do all the math required to figure out how long to cook a turkey that weighed X pounds then try to figure out how to fit in getting the rolls and stuff done. (I often have used my stand alone roaster, but prefer the oven.)

I think this picture of Harold is so funny. I had taken like 3 pictures and he either turned away or hid his face, finally I said, "Would you please just stand there and smile?" So he did--I love it. Even though it's a very sarcastic smile, it makes me laugh.

So here is one of the turkeys after it was finished. Man, were those turkeys GOOD! And I was surprised at how little time they take to cook! This one looks a little charred on the bottom part and under the wings, but it was amazing how moist and tender the meat was--and so flavorful! This is definitely how we'll be doing turkey from now on!

William and Cody are delivering the finished turkeys to Grandma & Grandpa's house, where we'll carve them and EAT!!!

Mom and I split up the cooking, so she made a few dishes and I made a few. It was all so good! By the time we all went through and ate what we wanted, there was still about 2/3 left in all the dishes. I think we got about two more meals each out of all of this. This picture doesn't show the salads and desserts.

The kids waited patiently while Harold cut up the turkey and Mom & I put last minute things together.

Of course, I didn't pick up the camera again until a few hours later when we were ready for dessert. Nobody could even think of dessert until quite a while after we ate because we were so stuffed.

Mom's pretty pies.

This picture is a perfect example of one of the things I'm thankful for this year and always. Notice that there are about 4 different ornaments on that one branch! That's because my children (mostly the younger ones) decorated my tree. And I'm so thankful for my children! Yes, sometimes things are imperfect; sometimes my house is messy and there is mud on my carpet; sometimes things are noisy and hectic--but ALWAYS there is LOVE. When I think about WHY things are imperfect, messy, hectic, noisy--I wouldn't change a thing. When my children grow up and move away (some of them anyway--some of my children will likely always be here), my life will be more leisurely and my house will be cleaner and my tree can have all the ornaments perfectly spaced. But you know what? I bet I'll be wishing things were exactly the way they were "back in the winter of 2010." When that time comes, I may just have to put several ornaments on the same branch just for old times' sake.

Our Thankful Tree...

2010-11-19T21:25:00.000-05:00

Last year was the first year we had ever put up our Christmas tree before Thanksgiving. I loved having it up during Thanksgiving as a reminder of Christ's birth and how very THANKFUL I am for God sending us His son. So with Thanksgiving quickly approaching, I wanted to get the tree up, so we had our traditional Christmas-tree-putting-up-party, which includes loud Christmas music and all of our favorite snack foods while we decorate the tree.

I love this picture of Jared! He was so proud that he had helped decorate the tree! John Wesley had toe surgery this morning, so he didn't take charge like he normally would. William's allergies always bother him a lot when we get the Christmas tree out (because of the dust from storage, I suppose), so he guarded the snack table.

Since John Wesley was out of commission, Jonas took charge of organizing the whole shindig. I think John Wesley, Cody, and William were still eating all the snacky food--little smokies, cheeseball, chex mix, bagel pizzas--fun foods that we don't have every day.

Lena (in her orange tutu) brought the right pieces at the right time, then helped Jonas fluff out all the branches.

MaKenzie and Matthew helped unload the bins, too. Matthew threw the tree topper across the room! It will be interesting to see how long it takes him to dismantle the tree this year...

With so many helpers, the tree went up in a jiffy! It seems like the ornaments flew onto the tree! I turned around 5 minutes after the tree was up and they were all on!

Perfection! At least for me anyway. I love all the handmade ornaments. Every year I love taking them out and marveling at the tiny handprints and the child-like coloring on the ornaments that the kids have made. I also have an ornament with a picture of Katy Lu on it, as well as a few ornaments that friends have given me over the years. My little box of sentimental and construction paper ornaments is precious to me! They remind me of even more reasons I am so thankful this season!

It's TWINS!

2010-11-18T18:25:00.001-05:00

This picture just doesn't do justice to this huge, turquoise americauna egg! John Wesley came in from gathering the eggs yesterday as I was reading with the other kids. He thrust this gigantic egg at me and we all couldn't help but marvel at the sheer size of it. It's about twice the size of a regular egg. In fact, the egg next to it is one of our larger eggs from our light brown leghorn. (Also notice the dark, olive green egg on the bottom right--I love the colors!)

Tonight when we cracked it, we found out it was twins! Wonder if this chicken will always give us double-yolkers? This farm stuff is so much fun.

Lena's New Do...

2010-11-17T10:32:00.001-05:00

Lena decided she was ready for a change! She had been talking about getting her hair cut for a few weeks. We finally got around to it last week. I love that she is able to be more independent in doing her hair now! She loves that it's not in tangles in the mornings! We both love that Locks of Love can use it to make a new "do" for someone who needs it!

Birthday Blessings...

2010-10-26T17:25:00.000-04:00

If this was the ONLY recognition of my birthday, I'd have been one happy Momma! Is there any better sentence an adoptive Momma could hear? Oh.my.goodness. I don't deserve my crew--yet God chose to bless me with them. I'll never understand His generosity nor comprehend His grace. Yet there it is--expressed through the pencils and crayons of my little one.

Trade Days and Some of our New (and not-so-new) Additions...

2010-10-11T16:28:00.000-04:00

Our family had a blast again at Trade Days. We camped there from Friday till Sunday. The kids all found something interesting to their own individuality. John Wesley and Cody spent time combing booths looking for old, collectible Hot Wheels cars. They found a FEW!!! William found some old comic books, Jonas found old game system paraphernalia, and Lena found.....can you guess???? .....cotton candy. :)

I found a pair of India Blue peafowl. We were going to wait till next year to bring a pair home, but we found a great deal and since they were from a breeder I've been watching the past few years we've gone to Trade Days, I felt good about getting them. They are only about 4 months old, so the peacock isn't nearly fully colored. It's going to be an exercise in patience for me. He won't be fully colored and feathered until he's about 3 years old!!! His face, neck, and all of his chest will be that brilliant blue that you see a little hint of now.

This is our new flock of pearl guineas. Come spring, we won't have a tick on the place--I hope... We didn't get these at Trade Days. They came from a fellow animal lover/hobby farming family who lives not-too-far from us. We got these and the Muscovy ducks below from them.

In the cage with the Muscovies, are a couple Pekin ducks (the white ones). We DID get those from Trade Days. The Muscovies are very quiet ducks, and while we love their quirky fun looks, we needed a little quackiness in our farmyard. The Pekins are just the right thing to take care of that.

Here's Chewy. He's cute, so I thought I'd include him!

Here are Stripe and Charlie. They are kind of the bosses of the goat herd. Charlie's a wether, but I'm not sure he realizes that. He likes to think he's "The Man." We let him think so. But the new Nubian billy we got a few weeks ago might not let him think so for long.

This is the king of the coop. He's a great rooster. Protective and territorial--always alert. But don't cross him! Just ask Lena. It's molting time in our coop. In the summer, this guy had a gorgeous set of full tail feathers.

Here is Apache. He's just the cutest little guy ever. He's Cody's pygmy. He's only a couple months old and he's the friendliest little billy I've ever met! He came from the same family where we got the guineas. You can't tell from this picture, but he's only about 18 inches tall, from his head to the ground! About the size of a puppy.

Here's our new Black Copper Maran rooster. He's got two girlfriends around the coop somewhere. In a few months (or maybe even weeks--but probably not till spring, now) they'll give us some very dark brown eggs! We got the young trio of Marans along with a trio of young Welsummers from our new friend with the guineas.

Buff Orpingtons.

Here, John Wesley's hand feeding the Buckeyes we got at Trade Days. I don't know if all Buckeyes are this friendly, but these are super nice. They'll look much better in a couple weeks. Seems like when we buy from Trade Days, the animals are always a bit stressed-looking from the traveling and the handling. Then once we get them home and they settle in, they look so much better.

Black Auracauna--should give us some nice turquoise eggs in a while. We also got a buff colored one--both from Trade Days.

Us...being entertained by our chickens. Doesn't take much to make us happy. Simple.

Another picture of Apache just because he's SO darn cute.

A Very Useful Engine...

2010-09-26T18:27:00.000-04:00

Jared's current obsession is Thomas the Train. He L-O-V-E-S Thomas!!! Would watch him 24/7 if I'd let him!

So, when we found out Thomas would be in the Cincinnati area the same weekend we were going to be there, it was a no-brainer. We booked tickets for Harold, Jared, and MaKenzie to ride on THOMAS! I don't know who was more excited, Jared and MaKenzie or Harold and me.

When we arrived, there were several activities. A VERY TALL juggler,

A hay bale maze,

Tatoos,

And a photo op with Sir Topham Hat!

Then it was time to board the train! ALL ABOARD!!!

The excited passengers said their last goodbyes from the train windows

then settled into their seats for the ride of a lifetime!

The rest of us, who were left behind, waved a final farewell,

then high-tailed it over to the ice cream joint we spied as they were boarding. We had to hurry, we only had 25 minutes before they'd be back!!!

If this wasn't a post about Jared, MaKenzie, and Thomas, I'd tell you the funny story about why Jonas is standing by the cow. It involves a double dip cone toppled on the ground during the first bite. It's all good though. They replaced it free of charge!

The train passengers returned safe and sound just as we were finishing up our cones. They had a blast and were stocked with conversation material for the rest of the weekend! They never wearied of telling us all about how tired Thomas got and how they had to cheer him on to encourage him to make it the rest of the way back to the station! Phew! I'm so glad Thomas made it back! What would I do without my 2 little sweeties and all their stories???