Best Laid Plans...

So, I THOUGHT this summer would be predictable, routine, lazy....and I was looking forward to it!  I was anticipating lots of swimming and lazy summer afternoons reading to the kids or getting into one project or another that we have put off until a more opportune time.  This summer was going to be that opportune time.  The girls and I were going to finish the doll quilts we started a year and a half ago.  Benjamin and I were going to do some science experiments.  We were going to craft and create and enjoy playing together.  And I was going to re-read the Narnia series to them.  Well, I guess I should have known better than to anticipate my idea of peace and quiet.  So far THIS is how our summer has gone...

1.  We started packing up our house and re-painting, cleaning, etc. to prepare to sell it.
2.  We put it on the market.
3.  Four days later, we had a contract on it!  I was out of town visiting my parents.
4.  Came home, signed all the contracts, packed more boxes.
5.  Started house hunting.
6.  Kept packing boxes and house hunting.
7.  Found a house to buy.  Put a contract on it.  Contract accepted.
8.  Found out my Grandpa was ill.  Went back to my parents for a visit.  Ryan packed up the furniture and put it in storage while I was gone.
9.  Drove to San Angelo to see the other set of grandparents.
10.  Drove home to continue packing.  All the furniture is now gone except my rocking chair and bed.  Thank goodness Ryan remembered how hard it is for a pregnant woman to get up and down off the floor!
11.  Drove back to my parents for Grandpa's funeral.
12.  Doctor's appointment while in Fredericksburg.  Baby #5 is well!
13.  Home for....you guessed it.....more packing and cleaning!

We are supposed to close on our house the first of August and our new house the fifth.  We are putting everything in storage and staying a friend's house for the time in between.  I do have some questions though...what about things like crayons and pictures and inside plants?  Do I lug them around with me like children?  What about food from the fridge?  Take it or toss it?  What about the cat?  What about laundry?  Do I pack enough clothing for everyone for the whole week or just enough to get by and make everyone be super careful and re-wear everything?  I mean, we are talking lots of clothing here.  Six days worth of clothes times six people is a whole lot of underwear!!

Random Thoughts

1.  I love how Benjamin chooses to say things.  For instance, last night instead of saying, "Mom, I'm really tired."  He said, "Mom.  That shower just used up the very last of my energy!"

2.  I love to see Ryan and the boys doing things together....like walking down the driveway taking out the trash or walking through the back pasture trying to find the deer trails.  They are so sweet.

3.  I am so glad to be finished with school for the summer.  We haven't taken a "summer break" in several years and we are really looking forward to this summer.  Of course, I have to have some kind of plan or we will all be going stir crazy in a matter of an day or two.  The plan?  I ordered each of them a recorder and music book and an art "curriculum".  That along with some book reading, baking, game playing and swimming should keep us pretty busy until August.   I still love to read aloud to the children so we have several books planned for the summer that we didn't get to during the school year.

4.  All three of the kids are really into the "Boxcar Children" books right now.  Thank you Brown Family for contributing to our addiction with your give-aways!  I love to hear the children discussing the mysteries with one another.

5.  Our house is about half-way packed up and Ryan has completed all of his "to-do" list.  The house officially went on the market today.  Now all we need is a buyer!  We don't really have a plan beyond today.    It will be interesting to see how God leads and provides.

6.  Our chickens are keeping us well provided for eggs.  Maya has even sold a couple dozen to some friends from church.  We also trade with our friend Michelle.  She gives us fresh-caught bass and we give her eggs---we all agree that this is a good trade!

Vacation

We are getting so excited about our trip to the beach in a week.  We decided it was high time we started taking some family vacations but wanted them to be as simple and stress free as possible.  Another priority Ryan and I set for our family vacations was that they be about seeing things God created and called "good", not things man has created and called "good".   We figured, we live in a desert.  There are plenty of things that our children read about that they have never seen or experienced for themselves.....like the ocean....a beach, the tides, sea shells, sand castles, salt water, fresh sea food.....how can you really understand "ocean" until you have been there?  Some other things we hope to take them to see and experience in the next few years are:  mountains, snow, waterfalls, canyons, forests.....you get the idea.  Since it takes us at least a twelve hour drive to get anywhere with much of a different landscape or climate, we figured we would just do low-key, simple vacations where the attraction is the location.   Of course, someday, I hope we do get to do a Colonial American/ Washington D.C. trip and I would love for them to be able to travel overseas as well but for now, we will just enjoy seeing things that, up to this point, we have only read about!

The View From Where I'm Standing II

Today, I have time to write.  Today, I have the desire to write.  Today, I can't think of one thing to write about!  Seriously.  I know, that is kind of like me saying I can't think of anything to SAY which would cause some of you to wonder if Alzheimer's is setting in early.  I could do another, "The view from where I'm standing" post.....hmmmm....okay....here goes......

The View From Where I'm Standing II

The day is beautiful-- 70 something in the sun and 60 something in the shade.  A perfect day really.  I would feel bad for all you "winter" people but then again, I guess we get our own with day after day of 100 plus weather in the summer.   The three "big kids" are set up outside under the one tree in the yard.  It is barren of leaves this time of year but does offer scant amounts of shade here and there.   They have pulled out our old blue-jean camping quilt-- the one Ryan and I received for a wedding gift 13 1/2 years ago with a tag that said, "The next time I see this quilt I want it to be ragged and well-worn!"  There are three pair of boots scattered here and there and three sets of bare feet peek out from under a HUGE umbrella.  Wait, the dolls don't have shoes on either so I guess that makes it five sets of bare feet.  They are talking and playing, something about getting their swim suits on to go to Sea World and Ben defending the tent from the lions lurking about.  Benjamin jumps up and, stick in hand, whacks at the air.   I'm assuming the lion was dutifully destroyed as Ben nonchalantly plunks back down between the girls.   Now they are off, stuffing their feet into their boots and running to the next adventure... some other adventure that is faceless to me but they are clearly facing together.

The View From Where I Am Standing

There's nothing I enjoy more than sitting back and watching my little lambs laugh and play together.  And when their Daddy is in on the fun too-- well that is a little taste of heaven on earth!  The view from where I am standing:

The children and Ryan are crowded around the dining room table playing "Farkle".  Boden is standing on Maya's chair in his new feety pajamas he just got for Christmas.  He is eating dry Cheerios with a serving spoon and occasionally leaning over to rub his sister's back with it.  Maya is leaning on the table swinging her legs back and forth being the commentator of the game in her silly "Southern Belle" accent.  "Way to go Da-aday!"  Ryan grins and giggles as she says his name with at least three syllables.  Ryan is at the head of the table.  I can see the laugh lines around his eyes as he teases and goads the children.  He is still the master of fun and funny-- the exact reasons I married him!  Sarah is next, leaning in as close as she can to her dad without irritating him by leaning over his shoulder.  She is the one who is keeping everyone in line-- making sure no one is taking a turn before it is their time or adding their score incorrectly.  She laughs too but you can tell the real success of the game in her mind depends on whether or not it is being played right.  Benjamin is sitting on the table with his feet in his chair.  Since it is not his turn, he is currently sticking Boden's Cheerios to his head where his eyebrows would be if they were in the middle of his forehead.  After 45 minutes of play, Benjamin just now got on the board-- scoring the amount of points needed to actually start keeping score.  But, does this phase him?  Not at all.  He is laughing and having a great time calling "FARKLE" as loudly on himself as on the other players! 

I think God must enjoy us in this way too.   The joy and delight He must derive from watching His beloved delight and take joy in Him and His creation.   In each other.  In the things He has made.  In the small moments of life He gives us to remind us of what is important.   And I can't wait to see the view from where He is standing!

Something to Celebrate!

It was anything but a typical Christmas.  Even this morning, as we all awoke under the lights of the Christmas tree after our big "Christmas Eve Campout", it still didn't "feel" like Christmas.  Maybe because Daddy wasn't here.  Maybe because I actually was so organized and prepared this year!  I have had the gifts waiting in the closet of my bedroom since August!

First thing this morning we turned on "The Nativity Story".  Such a sweet story.  Although it differs from the original text somewhat, I still feel it exemplifies the human-ness of the people and times.  Joseph is so humble, Mary so submissive.  And of course, I love the historical accuracy-- the costumes, the buildings, the scenery and references to events and people right out of history.  Ryan came home early....about 6:45 and surprised us!  Yay for surprises like that!

The gifts came next.....each of the children had wrapped every other person in the family a gift for under the tree and hand-written every other person in the family a note for in their stocking.  I love our tradition of notes in the stockings.  Each member of the family has to write a note to every other member of the family.  The kids were so creative this year!  Ryan and I both received poetry (!) and coupons and home-made envelopes and old fashioned, hand-written expressions of love.  This is my absolute favorite part of the gift-giving tradition in our home.  The children had also come up with gifts to give each other...all without spending a dime.  Maya gave Sarah a book of hers that Sarah loves and has read four times and Sarah gave Maya a t-shirt of hers that Maya loves.  Benjamin wrapped each of the girls an item he knew they loved just so they would have something from him to open!  Sarah made Benjamin the cutest bird cage with a red bird inside and everyone had something for Boden...from balls to dinosaurs to stuffed animals!  He opened each thing with a delight and excitement reserved for toddlers and it was such a joy to see everyone enjoying the gifts they had put thought and time into!  What a blessing to see our children take such joy in the giving of gifts!

After this the children each opened their gift from us.  They each received one present.  I have known for months what they were each getting and they were thrilled with their gifts!  Sarah received a camera, Maya a "Molly" doll from American Girls, Benjamin a marble mania maze (huge maze with a motor and everything that he gets to build!), and Boden got a tunnel and tent from Discovery Kids.  They were so thankful for their gift and we played dolls and took pictures of the boys crawling through the tunnel all day long!

Ryan and I each exchanged gifts too!  I really wasn't expecting anything this year and boy did I get a HUGE surprise!  My honey really spoils me way too much but of course....I love it!

After the gifts we had breakfast and hot chocolate and then sent Daddy off to bed to dream of sugar plums and probably chili.  The children and I puttered around the rest of the day.  We played and read some and finished "The Nativity Story". 
 Later in the day we fixed a ham and mashed potatoes, green beans and fruit salad for dinner.  We set the table with the red tablecloth and  when Daddy woke up we had soft Christmas music playing, candles burning and a nice dinner set out on the table.  He even got to carve a ham! 
He loved it of course.  He has told me that when we are all sitting around the table together with a fine meal before us, it really does feel as if all is well in the world.

We sent him off to work again.  After the children played a rousing game of chase me  around the tent and  I brushed out the girls hair and braided it for bed, we are settled down again for another night as Christmas day comes to a close. 

My biggest concern is that my life is being lived for Jesus.  I want the children to love Him and long to draw near and linger in His presence.   Am I making the most of daily opportunities to turn their eyes and hearts to Him?  Am I turning my heart continually to Him?    Christmas is a special day but not for any of the reasons the world says it is special.   And although I will take any opportunity to celebrate my Savior, if I am only "remembering the reason for the season" once a year, it is not enough.  Christ was born and I celebrate that because without His birth there could be no death and without His death there would be no hope, no promise of a heavenly eternity.   And that is something to celebrate every day.

An Ordinary Life of Extraordinary Things

The girls are in the kitchen busily whipping up a batch of sugar cookies.  They came to me and asked if they could make some cookies to decorate.  I told them the kitchen had to be cleaned up from breakfast first.  I expected some hesitation but they joyfully had that chore finished in record time.  They got out their recipe book and began gathering their ingredients.  It wasn't long before they realized there was one vital ingredient missing.
"Mom, we don't have any eggs."
"How many do you need?"
"Just one."
"Well, why don't you go ask your chickens to give you one,"  I offered.
So, they called their loyal brother in and asked him to go out to the pens and check the chickens nests to see if there were any eggs.  At this point I was hopeful but doubtful.  We check the nest each evening and didn't figure any of the "girls" would have laid anything yet this morning.  Later, Benjamin told us he was doubtful too so he prayed and asked God to tell the chickens to lay an egg for the cookies his sisters were making in the house.  Well, of course there WAS an egg!  Benjamin ran to me proudly holding the treasure and shouting, "Look Mommy!  God did a miracle!"

So, as I sit here in my cozy living room listening to my daughters chatter together happily as they busily roll out their "miracle cookies", and as I watch Benjamin and his Daddy tackling a project on the floor of my bedroom above my head, I am humbly filled with praise and joy for the wonderful life God has given us.  A life filled with  simple sweet moments like these.  An ordinary life of extraordinary little things.

Ten on Friday

1.  We are rolling right along with school.  I am trying to decide if I want a new math curriculum for my little "can't sit still" boy.  I love Math-U-See but I feel like it is unnecessary torture for the six-year-old in the house!

2.  When I came in from walking this morning, all my little bike-riding companions were sitting at the table working on their school work!  Wow!  What a blessing!

3.  Ryan is gone for ten days on a detail to the Valley.  Things are so quiet with him gone....but OH I LOVE THE ROUTINE!  So far, we have had four days that actually kept to a schedule (well mostly anyway)!  And, I love that the kids love to eat like me....our dinners have consisted of:  yogourt and granola, creamed rice and broccoli, and boiled eggs and toast...love it!

4.  But, in leu of #3, I do miss Ryan and can't wait until he comes home again!

5.  One of our hens is "broody" so we may be having some baby chicks in about 16 days! 

6.  The kids started an art class this week that they absolutely loved!  It is geared toward homeschoolers so it is from 2-4 in the afternoons...which is perfect for us!  I was a bit worried about how Benjamin would do in a classroom-like setting with a "real" teacher, but he did great!

7.  Boden had a blow out diaper while we were getting ice cream after the art class and guess who had forgotten the diapers?   Who decides what to do in these situations?

  8.  Tomorrow we are celebrating Sarah's 10th birthday with our family!  10!!  I can't believe it.  She has been so laid back about this birthday, only reminding me about a thousand times that she is "almost 10, Mom."  Wow!  I am planning on taking her on a Mommy and Me night out somewhere.  I was thinking to a nice hotel somewhere special but she wants to go camping!  That's my girl!  So, maybe to the state park where there are some awesome bike trails.....I think she would love that!  
 
9.  Maya has already planned her 10 year trip with me too.  She wants to go shopping or to Hawaii.  She says I can decide which.  uhhhhh.....Hawaii!!! 
 
10.  Our cat went on a walk with us yesterday which I just find rather hilarious!  :)

Update

Well, we had to postpone our trip again. We are hoping for Saturday. The B & B is out for this trip....maybe this summer. We are just hoping to get to Fredericksburg to be able to visit a little with my parents, take Maya out to lunch for her birthday, and do some shopping (poor girl hasn't even gotten a birthday lunch or present yet!)

On the upside, we are all feeling much better and Bo has a new tooth! Yup...in the midst of all that flu-stuff, he popped out the top left tooth! (funny thing is at first, I thought all the fever and diarrhia WAS from teething)

He has also taken his first few steps! He kinda pivots on one leg while the other one does the "walking". He also climbed up to the fourth stair yesterday! He is our little explorer! There is no way he is going to be left behind anymore! On the really nice days we have had, I have begun leaving my dining room door open onto the patio. The first time we couldn't find Bo anywhere in the house we panicked...now we know just to go look out on the front porch! He is usually out there exploring to his little heart's content! (I just try to keep the porch swept off really well so no roly-polies, dirt, rocks, etc. end up in his little mouth!)

It has been interesting to have Ryan off all week and not have any plans per say. We have done small odd jobs around the house, went grocery shopping all together, taken some very productive naps (!) and just really enjoyed being together at home. It has been very slow-paced and VERY nice! You would think that with me being at home ALL the time with the kids I might really look forward to time away and although I do enjoy brief times away, I have really enjoyed just enjoying our family at home!

I guess all in all, you could say God has been giving us a crash-course in trusting Him with our days. We can make plans but ultimately HE is in charge! How do I react when MY plans don't work out? Am I able to rejoice that God's plans for me are best and trust Him when things don't go my way?

I am thankful for the rest we have all been given this week! To think that Ryan had a whole week off ready and waiting for him to be able to rest up after being so terribly sick! Wow! God is amazing!

Oh, and the children decided to name the puppy "Arrow". Amazingly he did live (I honestly thought he was a goner). They said they would name him Arrow so they could always remember his life points straight to God who made him well again.

Singing the Blues

OHHHHH....I don't think I have ever been this sick before! We just got over a bugger bear of a flu around here. We have all had it except Sarah. MISERABLE! I literally slept for 2 days straight (well, except for nursing the baby) Thankfully, we seem to be on the mend and hopefully we will be able to go on our planned trip only delaying it by a day.

Ryan had taken leave this week so he and I (and Boden) could go to a bed and breakfast in Fredericksburg while my mom watched the other three kiddoes. The B & B was a gift we got for Christmas a year ago and we have been looking forward to time alone for a long time (Isn't funny how when you have four children, only having one with you means "time alone"--I think our last "date" was October a year ago!) Our reservations are for Sunday and Monday nights so hopefully we will feel up to a road trip by Sunday morning...we were planning on leaving on Saturday (which is also Mai-Mai's birthday) but none of us are up to being away from a toilet yet!

Did you know?

1. Did you know rain is pretty cold on bare feet this time of year? We got stuck out in the rain while walking...which was wonderful except it was SO cold! Poor Boden wasn't dressed for the occasion but I did manage to pull down the rain guard on the stroller before he melted away...

2. Did you know chicks can be put into "time-out"? The kids made a chicken city in the chicken coop for their chicks. It is so cute! They made a whole village outlined with rocks and sticks and have a play area and different houses and buildings...and the chicks have to go to time-out when they don't mind! (at least they haven't tried to spank them yet!)

3. Did you know egg, banana, cereal, and sweet potatoes actually taste pretty good mixed together?

4. Did you know giraffes only need a maximum of 2 hours of sleep per 24 hour period? They must be great moms and get lots done! We actually got to see a video of a live giraffe birth on youtube too! Whatever did they do before computers? We spent the day researching animals after reading the Genesis account of the flood...Maya chose the giraffe, Sarah chose the red fox and Benjamin chose the jaguar. Boden was just interested in the mammary glands...(OMG...did I just say that out loud?)

5. Did you know life is always a lot more fun after Dad gets home for the day :)

Five plus Four on Friday

I know some of you have done this before-- clever things like Five on Friday or Six on Saturday or Wordless Wednesday or whatever-- I'm going with my friend Beverly's method of assigning random numbers to random days so here's to Five plus Four on Friday...(I just couldn't help myself! :)

1. What a wake-up call I had the other night! Boden, who was nursing beside me as I lay peacefully sleeping, apparently was having some kind of dream in which he was a dog and I was a bone....or something to that manner...I have been sore for over a week now and literally fight back tears every time he nurses on my right side...owwww!

2. What a precious help my children are to me. I put out the directions for breakfast in the evenings and my Sarah starts breakfast around 7:00 every morning! When I come downstairs, the oatmeal is simmering away or the toast is buttered and bananas cut up or whatever...what a blessing!

3. Benjamin comes up with the funniest things to say...he was explaining to his dad about his robot he wants to build:
"...and Dad, I'm gonna make it 50 leopard power."
"Leopard power? is that like horse power?" asked Ryan.
"Yeah, only lots faster!"

and another one:

Ryan and Benjamin were talking about getting to heaven and seeing God.
"So, Benjamin, what will you say when God asks you WHY he should let you in heaven?"
(after a really long pause)"Do you think He will give us time to think about it?"

4. My Maya is such a precious jewel. She is kind and super funny. She is always doing silly things to keep us laughing. She is also the self-appointed "brother's keeper". "Ben say thank you, Ben pull your pants up, Ben--you're smacking again."
What's so funny is that he never objects...just does whatever his "little mama" tells him to do.

5. We just got our new order of Sonlight so we are about to start another school year (uh...yes I know it's MARCH...but that's one of the perks of homeschooling right?) This is one of the most exciting events of the year for all of us...I can't wait to dig into all those new yummy books!

6. We currently have 21 baby chicks we've taken under our "wings". Did you know you can order them and they will come right to the post office?

7. We also have a crawdad Maya caught and named, "Mr. Shelley". The Mr. is in case he's a boy and the Shelley is in case she's a girl. (Cause Momma can't tell crawdad boys from crawdad girls--crawdads and crawmoms?)

8. We are about to attempt to start our garden. We have all these small plants on our kitchen table that we started from seeds about 3 weeks ago and they are begging for a new home.

9. and last but not least...Ryan gets a three day weekend and we are actually going to stay home and get stuff done around here!!! yay!!!

Remodeling

I have taken some pictures of our new house but then I keep forgetting the camera so, pictures will have to wait a little longer but .... here's the short version of what's been going on in our world:

My dad (who is doing all our remodeling for us) got here Tuesday morning early and demolition began! At first, we were thinking we needed a staircase put in. The house has a loft with a tiny banister railing across the second story (which looks over into the living room/kitchen area) and only a spiral staircase to get to it. Our idea was to put in a real set of stairs and a wall in place of the banister and to make the upstairs our "master bedroom". My dad, who has been in construction/carpentry/architect for probably 40 years, just couldn't figure out a feasible way to get the stairs in without tearing up too much of the rest of the house. It would have been a MAJOR ordeal and very costly. So, R and I decided against the stairs for now (in the future if we see we just can't live with the staircase I guess we will have to bite the bullet and do it anyway or buy a new house) So, for now, the upstairs will be the kid's room and Ryan and I will take one of the downstairs smaller bedrooms. For obvious reasons, I didn't want to be climbing steep, winding stairs all the time. I guess the kids and I will have to work out a new bedtime routine or something-- I don't know how it will work out but, we will make it work. Anyway, so we tore out the banister railing completely, a closet, and a bathroom (there were two upstairs--weird!) And plan on putting in a wall where the banister was and a new closet where the bathroom was. (I know this makes no sense until you see pictures...)

So right now, we have this open second floor-- completely open to the bottom. They have been throwing all the trash over the edge and onto the living room floor-- what a mess! The good thing is, this means I get all new carpet! The bad thing is-- what a mess! We have decided the upstairs project and new flooring and paint are our first priorities and then we will see how far money and time will go after that before deciding on what small projects to tackle.

It has been a lot of fun working on this together. The kids have been pitching in and carrying out trash, picking up nails, pulling out nails, and being generally helpful. The people who lived there before us left the yard a mess so we have been picking up trash out there in our spare time. They love going to the new house and Benjamin yells out, "We're home!" every morning as we pull through the gate! They have even fixed up their own club house with things they have found around-- some old chairs, pots, and even a piece of a grill they turned into a couch. They even tied up some old antlers to one of the outside walls for a "decorative entry!"

On a more serious note...please pray for our safety and especially for Benjamin. He was sitting on a six foot scaffolding and somehow fell off backwards, landing on his back and back of his head. I wasn't there and didn't see it, so I don't know what happened exactly but that is what we have figured out happened as he tells us. He was fine-- immediately jumping up and screaming for his dad. There was no cut, no bruising, no bump. We have watched him now for two days-- I even got him up three times during the night, just to make sure, and he seems fine. He has been a little more whiny than usual and has complained of a headache at the front of his head. He will go off and play and then come back and want to lay around a little but other than that, he seems pretty normal. Please just pray that R and I would have wisdom to know if something serious is going on that we can't see-- I have heard that swelling of the brain can happen even days after a head injury.

I hope to have pictures up soon-- no promises though!

Our weekend plus a kid funny

Just an update on our past few days plus a kid funny thrown in for good measure:

My brother and sister-in-law (Cody and Megan) came down for the weekend and we had a great time! It was pretty relaxing as I hadn't planned a thing. I was just wanting them to tell me what they wanted to do-- I didn't even really plan meals except breakfast. On Saturday we ended up taking the 1 1/2 drive to see our other brother, sister-in-law, and their two boys for a few hours (Randy, Danielle, Max and Luke). We took the tour route and stopped at a couple of canyons and had a picnic lunch on the way there. We were able to see where the Rio Grand and Pecos Rivers merge and the mountains of Mexico. It was extremely windy so lunch was everyone hunkering down behind a stone pillar to eat as quickly as possible but it was fun anyway!

Once we got to my brother's house, we climbed the hill behind his house-- you can't beat having your own hill! Actually, the kids and Cody climbed the hill, I made it about half way up and then "pootered out." I enjoyed being out though and watching them scurry up like ants. They made it all the way to the cave at the top and had a great time exploring. Climbing or hiking in our area is like trying to tiptoe barefoot across a pin cushion. Everything is covered in plants or bushes that are knee high and they all have thorns on them. It is an adventure of its very own!
After dinner, we headed back home for baths and bed.

Today we went to church this morning, had lunch at Chili's, and then went for another hike along the lake. The water and weather was beautiful! Then we got to go show off our new house to Cody and Megan. They had some great ideas of things we can do to modernize and make it ours. I don't know if I have mentioned it before or not but we have quite a bit of work to do on it before we can move in. I will show some "before" pictures soon. Looking at it empty seemed overwhelming at first because there is going to be so much cleaning up to do! But, having Cody and Megan there helped because they have great ideas and helped me visualize what it can be with a little elbow grease and a few new things here and there.
We had a wonderful time with them and hope they come back soon (hint, hint!)
.................................................................................
Now for the kid funny:
Ryan, Megan, and I were standing together talking and Maya comes up, throws her arms around her Daddy, and says, "Thank You Daddy!"
"For what?" he asks.
"For my new brother or sister!"
"Were you just overcome with joy, Maya?" I ask.
"Well, Daddy's the one, " she says.
"Uh, the one for what?" I ask.
" You know, the one who was broody," she says.
(Don't forget we have chickens.)
"Oh! That's a hen, Maya. Hen's get broody when they want to lay on their eggs."
"Well, he's the one with....you know....oh what's it called? What's it called Daddy?"
"Uh, I don't know what you are trying to say Maya, but I'll just let you figure it out," Ryan says.
(So Maya thinks for about 5 minutes as we continue on with our conversation-- thankful she seems to be content to let it go at that...)
"Fertilizer!" Maya yells out.
"What?" Ryan says.
"Fertilizer. You're the one with the fertilizer for the eggs!"

Of course we can barely speak by now we are laughing so hard. It is so funny how they put all this together. They know about roosters and chickens and cows and bulls and fish and so obviously, it must be something like that right?

Maybe we need a small amount of sex ed thrown in with our geography lessons?

Little Bitty Ditty

Here we go to close on our house,
Close on our house,
Close on our house,
Here we go to close on our house,
On this sunny Friday morning....

Is this MY body?

I think packing and moving is going to be a little more physically challenging than I had first anticipated! The kids and I worked on toys, games, and books today and I am POOPED with a capital POO! I guess it is a good thing my hubby encouraged me to go ahead and start so I can do this a little at a time...gotta go put my feet up....

Marshmallows

The kids and I got back from a walk the other evening and Ryan was up from his nap (he's working midnights right now). He had the fire pit all ready to go complete with chairs and firewood waiting. We were so excited-- it has been awhile since we have sat out under the stars by a fire. I was super excited when I realized I even had marshmallows in the house! So, as Benjamin and his Dad did the manly duty of starting the fire and the girls gathered the puppies to join in the fun, I went on a marshmallow hunt-- looking for the bag I knew I had put somewhere in the pantry several months ago (intending to make rice krispy treats but never actually getting around to it-- I'm sure you understand! :) Well, it wasn't long before I located the bag and pulled it out of its hiding place with an exclamation of joy at my own cleverness! My "exclamation of joy" soon turned into an exclamation of woe as I realized they were MINIATURE marshmallows stashed away in the back of my pantry! "Oh no," I groaned, imagining the disappointed looks on the faces of my family. (I admit I was also groaning at my own lack of cleverness now!) Then I remembered that marshmallows, even tiny ones, are pretty sticky! Before taking the bag outside to those waiting, I experimented with squashing up a handful of the tiny mallows to see how well they would form a ball-- not perfect but pretty good I decided. As I presented the bag of marshmallows to the kids and explained to them how THIS marshmallow roast was supposed to work they laughed and squished with glee! And just so you know, they do melt off the stick pretty quickly so you have to be fast, but after all, a roasted marshmallow IS a roasted marshmallow, miniature or not!

Update

* I had a baby appointment today-- I am 22 weeks. The Dr. moved my "due date" up to July 4th! How cool would that be? Anyway, I prefer to think of it as a "due week" rather than a due date-- it helps me to be more patient if I go past my "due date." I have gained 10 lbs total and would love to post a picture of this adorable tummy I am sporting :) but realized today I HAVEN'T TAKEN ANY YET!!! Where does the time go?

* We have put a contract on a house. It is a small house but is on five acres-- which is something we have really been hoping for. We are supposed to close on March 17th. It is about 8 miles out of the big town we live close to, which will give R about a 20-30 minute commute everyday. I worry about the house but R just says, "Hey, if it gets too crowded inside, just send them each to their own acre!" :) I keep reminding myself that God knows we have left the size of our family up to Him, and God knows we homeschool (since He is the one who told us to!) so I am sure He will help me organize this home well...right?

* We also have two new additions to our family-- two 6 week old black lab puppies we have named "Jack" and "Bill". They are supposed to help with security and safety (ie. snake patrol) on "the ranch". Maybe in a few years?

Luke Justice

I have a new nephew! Luke Justice was born this morning at 9:47 A.M. He is my brother Randy and his wife Dandy's second son...Max is a big brother!!! I would post pics but I haven't gotten to see him yet-- I can't wait to get my hands on the precious little thing! :) The kids are VERY excited about their new cousin.

Date Night!

Ryan and I got to go on a real live date on Friday night! We had a babysitter and everything! The kids have never really stayed with a "babysitter" and they loved it! Taylor is a 15 year old girl we met at church (also the daughter of the sheep family!) First thing Friday morning the kids got up and made Taylor a thank you for keeping us card. I could hear them in their bedroom raiding their piggy bank and when they came out they had the card and $1.07 they had agreed on paying her for her efforts! It was so sweet! I can't believe they even thought about paying her!

Ryan and I went to dinner and a Frank Sinatra tribute. It was nice. It was the first time we have done anything in like that in our new town so we enjoyed the experience of new places!