Happy Birthday Seth

Happy Birthday Seth

Today our oldest son, Seth, turns 8 years old. He is such a joy to be around and is the sweetest big brother to his younger siblings. Although he loves all things "boy", he's pretty laid back and very easy going. And quite a gentleman!

We love you, Sethman! You are such a blessing to our family and we are thankful for you! Happy Birthday, big guy!

Revamping the Chore Chart

As our family continues to grow, it's been necessary to revamp the chore chart every so often. Whether due to a new home or kids getting older and more capable, it seems like I am revisiting this subject often.

This is a chart I made about three years ago. At the time, the youngest child on the chart was Sophia, who was three. As you can see, she only had the job of Toy Pick Up. I'm sure there were odd jobs we would ask her to do here and there, but this was the only official job she had. As our younger ones have gotten older, we've added them to the chart, but usually still beginning with one or two jobs at the age of three.

Our goal is to teach our children team work, service, and responsibility. Little ones love to be given jobs and their little faces just light up when you've encouraged them in their job. And I think the earlier we instill these attributes into our children, working together as a family becomes "the norm".

Here are their current ages: Chey 16, Celeste 14, Seth 7 (almost 8), Sophia 6, Chloe 4, Ethan 3. (Genevieve is 17 mos, so not officially on the chart yet. And of course, baby Jonathan is a newborn.) The most recent Chore Chart:

As you can see, due to number of "helpers" in the house, we all have very little to do day to day. I also have a separate Saturday chart with jobs like mowing, cleaning bathrooms, dusting, etc.

So what are some of the jobs your little ones are doing? And at what age do you begin actively training your little ones to do specific chores?

Funny Conversation

A Funny Conversation with the Sonic Lady

So I hit Sonic for my much needed large Diet Coke. I pull up to the window where I'm greeted by a woman who "knows" me well. She knew I had been expecting a baby and always asked "how much longer" every time I pulled up. So, today she kindly asks how much longer I have until baby. I reply, "Oh, I had a boy three weeks ago!" Without hesitation, she then exclaims, "And you're driving ALREADY?"

Ummm......okay......perhaps she thought I said three DAYS. Though I'm sure I've probably driven three days after a baby!

So I say a bit louder, "I had him three WEEKS ago", expecting her to say "OHHHH". But no....she continues to be in utter disbelief that I was out driving a mere three weeks after a baby. Confused, I asked her what the big deal was, and she said she did NOTHING for forty days after having a baby. FORTY DAYS? No driving, no sweeping, no HOLDING THE BABY (SAY WHAT???), no nothing! She then proceeds to tell me that they (whomever "they" is) wrapped up her abdomen and chest tightly for two weeks to help the belly go back down. Interesting! Of course, now I'm dying to know how one nurses if the chest is wrapped up. So I ask! She said she didn't nurse!

So by now lots of questions are running through my mind such as.........if you don't hold the baby, how do you care for the baby and BOND? Part of the joy of a new baby is the time spent holding and cuddling this sweet creation. Not to mention.......who's doing all the work when she's on this forty day rest bit? But I refrained from asking.

The funny thing about this conversation, aside from taking place in the drive-thru, was.......I'm thinking how very strange all of this sounded.....but from her reaction, I'm sure she was thinking *I* was the strange one, especially upon hearing that I have eight children. I mean, as much as I'd love to relax for a time after having a baby, there is just too much to be done for me to sit around for too long. Plus, I usually feel great within a few days of giving birth and am ready to get back to my routine.

It was clear this was probably a cultural practice. She was a very nice lady and it was quite interesting to hear a polar opposite mentality than mine. It was just funny how we each reacted surprised over the differences, but especially over the "driving already?" comment.

To each his own, right? ;-)

Happy Birthday Celeste

We're so grateful for fourteen wonderful years with our sweet Celeste! It's been a privilege to watch her blossom into a mature young woman. She's bright, funny, caring, responsible, beautiful, and most importantly, she loves the Lord. She can cook up a storm in the kitchen, and makes the BEST brownies in the world. She can care for all of her younger siblings and manage the household, on her own. Did I mention she's amazing?

She's an incredible big sister......always willing to help. She's witnessed the births of her last six siblings, and is always ready for more babies.

We love you, sweet girl! You are special and a blessing to our lives! Happy birthday, Celeste, for you were fearfully and wonderfully made, indeed!

Ethan and His Sword

Always Prepared for Battle


Do you think he's dreaming of warding off fierce, fire breathing dragons?

Boys are so much fun! :-)

Two Weeks

Two Weeks

It's a Boy!

IT'S A BOY!!!

Jonathan Charles arrived June 3, 2009 at 4:16pm. He weighed in at 8 pounds 2 ounces and was 20 inches long. We are so happy to welcome our third son to our family.

What a handsome little guy!

It's time to go home!

Welcome home, sweet Jonathan. You are such a gift and we love you!

Happy Birthday Ethan

Happy Birthday Ethan

Today our little boy turns three. He is the child that keeps us on our toes and keeps us humble as far as parenting goes! LOL! We have learned a lot through raising him and he has blessed our lives more than we can say! His smile and his eyes melt our hearts. And his sweet kisses are glimpses beyond that mischievous boy exterior.

This particular day, as I was walking past the pantry, I heard little noises coming from inside. I opened the door to find Ethan happily sitting on the floor enjoying a bag of cookies. CAUGHT!

Happy Birthday Ethan. We love you and thank our Heavenly Father for creating you, for you were fearfully and wonderfully made! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!

Poem

Sweet Poem

I've come across lots of poems like these pertaining to the child you're about to have. This one is called, Seventh, but I changed it to Eighth to fit our family. Thought it was cute and can be changed to any number.

Eighth by: Jennifer Wilson

I know I'm number eight,
but the fact you can't deny
is that God, Almighty Giver,
is the Author of my life.

My soul is no less special,
and my spirit no less great
than those that came before me--
be they one, or six, or eight!

So many eyes are blinded
by the whispers of this world--
to them, there is no miracle
in a human life unfurled.

A baby's just a plaything,
a burden, or a chore,
and we must proceed with caution
to prevent too many more!

Only a fool would trust the Lord
to give as He desires
and live a life of trust in Him...
whatever that requires.

A new car may be exciting;
a new house may be a prize,
but my new life is better
than any thing that money buys.

So all the world may roll their eyes
when eight now they see--
But I can't wait until I meet
the "fools" who welcome me.

Poll: Boy or Girl

Since guessing is so much fun, I thought I'd post a little poll so that you can place your bets....I mean guesses...as to whether I'm having a boy or girl. I'll give you some facts/wives tales that may or may not be good clues, but will make a potentially boring poll more fun. Oh, and throw in your guesses for weight, height, and date of birth too.

See? It's already more fun now, isn't it?

By the way, we do not know the sex of the baby, nor have we ever found out in the past. Here we go:

Facts:
*We have 5 girls and 2 boys
*Our pattern has been 2 girls, boy, 2 girls, boy, girl
*I get bigger in the belly with boys
*I am shaped more like a bullet (pointy) with boys
*I'm shaped more rounded with girls
*I've been pregnant sick longer with the boys (20 weeks)
*With the girls, I'm usually feeling better about 16 weeks
*With the exception of my first girl.....deathly sick until 28-30 weeks
*If I don't take my remedy, I am still sick at 34 weeks of this pregnancy
*Amazingly, I've had all but one baby on or very close to my due date
*My "wheel" due date is June 7th
*My personal EDD is June 16th
*My girls have been in the 6 to 7 pound range
*My boys have been high 8 to 9 pounds
*Photo above taken at 32 weeks

Wives' Tales:
*At my last appt., heart rate was fast
*I'm carrying low
*I crave more salty/savory things over sweet
*My husband hasn't gained an ounce, let alone a pound
*Upon doing the pendant trick, it swung back and forth

Time to guess!  Gender, Due Date, Weight, Height! Have fun!

An UNinvited Guest

So there I was, relaxing on the couch reading, minding my own business, when I suddenly heard tapping on the sliding glass door. I looked up and was shocked to see this peeping Tom-snake staring at me!

So what did I do next?

Why......I jumped up and grabbed the camera, of course.

A little homestead background for those who haven't been to our house. Although we live in a traditional neighborhood, we are backed up to nature trails and fields, so it is quite country-ish, too. Logically, we knew there were probably snakes around, but after nearly a year of living here, we had yet to see one....let alone on our back porch. The back of our house is about 8-9 feet up from the yard because we're situated on a slope......so this guy slithered his way up the concrete onto the porch.

Fortunately, I grew up with snakes as pets, so I can't say I was afraid...mostly just surprised. And not remembering what the body of a Rattle snake looked like, my first priority was to take a gander at its tail. So I stepped out onto the porch...broom in hand...and finally caught a glimpse of the tail.....no rattle.....so probably harmless.

After playing with (okay slightly antagonizing) the snake a little, it finally slithered back down the porch and went on its merry way.....very quickly! I didn't even see where it went.

Upon hearing the news of our snake and seeing the pictures, seven year old Seth wasted no time getting outside to try to find it! No such luck though. Maybe next time!

By the way.....we're hosting a backyard BBQ......want to come?

Good Story

Too Good NOT to Pass On.....

"Fellow members of the congregation where we attend were told that their unborn grandchild had no brain. The parents were urged to abort. They were assured there was no brain, and this child would die once born anyway.They decided that since their doctors' best advice ended with the same heartbreaking scenario no matter what they chose- they were going to be the parents of a dead child- they would prefer to at least have the chance to hold her gently before she left them rather than dismember her, and they continued the pregnancy.Their baby was born on Sunday. She has a clean bill of health, including a full neurological exam and battery of tests which revealed a healthy, normal baby."

God is good!

ht: Kim C.

Cool Puzzle

Last Cool Gift Idea


Okay...last gift to share with you.....I promise! ;-) This was yet another awesome Christmas present we received from my mom. I'm sure it's not new to most of you, but it was to me. I'd never seen this before......not that I didn't think it could be done......just hadn't seen it before.

My mom gathered tons of family pics and made them into a collage using a particular computer program.....probably photo shop or something. I'm sure this wasn't easy; lots of scanning, looking, finding, placing, sorting, and any other "ing" you can think of! Then she uploaded them to this company, and the result? This super cool, memory-filled puzzle. Isn't this the best? How fun is this idea? Mom took years of memories and put them into a fun, family activity! We had a great time talking and reminiscing about all the photos as we put the puzzle together. Do you see me as a little girl? In my red and blue summer outfit? Wasn't I cute? (Say "yes"!)

Once again, Mom, thank you SO much for putting so much time and effort into this gift.....we LOVE it and will treasure it for years to come!

Now, go and make your own family puzzle and send it to someone you love! (You can click on the image for a larger view.)

Special Gift

Another Great Gift

The photo above is another special gift I received this past Christmas that I'd like to share because I think it also makes for a wonderful gift idea. It is a photo of all 16 grandchildren, plus a photo of each family (just the kids) represented. My mom is the one who put all the work into this, but I couldn't help but think what a great gift this would have been for HER.....the grandmother of all these precious kids.

Several months in advance, my mom sent each child a special T-shirt with the number/order in which they were born. Each shirt reads, "I'm # (?) gift to my Grandma and Grandpa. Romans 8:16. Then, our assignment was to take a picture of each kid wearing their shirt, and email it to Mom. It was quite a chore getting all of us to do this in a timely manner, but lo and behold, we got it done, and this was the result.

What makes this so special is that we all live in different states and don't get to watch all the nieces and nephews grow up, so this gift is truly a treasure.

Mom.....you're amazing and I thank you for blessing US with such a meaningful gift. We love and miss you!

Stay tuned for one more awesome gift idea......another from my sweet mom!

My Babies

My Favorite Gift



This past Christmas I was blessed with several VERY special gifts. Most of them were family related, which always make for special gifts. But my favorite was what you see above. My very sweet older two girls, Cheyenne and Celeste, went to great lengths to accomplish this one.

The girls knew I didn't have any recent photos of all the kids......and prior to this.....they had seen that some friends did something similar for their parents. SO......they enlisted the help of several of their friends to make these photos extra special. First, they let Dad in on the surprise by asking him to take me out on a date. While we were out, CJ and Bethany came over to do hair and makeup. Then, Bethany took all the photos......individuals, group shots, everything! They said wind was a problem that day, but the pics turned out beautifully! Then, Chey asked her friend Amy to order all the photos so that I would have NO WAY of knowing what they were up to. Needless to say.....as I opened each individual framed picture.....I was overwhelmed and amazed. They had even framed an ultrasound picture for our baby coming in June. I couldn't believe they did all of this without me knowing a thing. I think the most incredible aspect was that none of the younger ones spilled the beans about the surprise, though the girls said there were a few close calls.

Knowing the girls went to such lengths made this mom feel so loved. My children are such blessings......their thoughtfulness and sweet spirits never cease to amaze me! Thank you girls, for the love and effort you put into this gift. And thank you CJ, Beth, and Amy for your friendship and willingness to help my girls. You're the BEST!

There are a few other gifts I received that were special to me, but would also serve as great gift ideas for anyone. Coming soon......so stay tuned! ;-)

Mama'a Leaving

Mama's Leavin'

Just for the weekend that is. I'm heading to the Dallas/Fort Worth area for the WholeHearted Mother Conference. There's much to do before leaving on a trip, even if it's just the weekend. Besides packing for myself and the baby, there are a number if things I do for my family so that things will run more smoothly while I'm gone. My husband will be taking care of five of the kids while I'm away. I'll be taking the baby, of course, but also my 16 yr old daughter, who will be one of the group sitters. Between my very capable husband and my 13 yr old daughter, taking care of five kids won't be too difficult. Nonetheless, I feel better about leaving when I know I've made things as easy as possible for the ones left behind, especially when four of the five are young and require "all hands (and eyes) on deck". So, these are the things I've done in preparation for leaving.

Meals: Both my husband and 13 yr old daughter are wonderful cooks, but again, I want them to be able to focus on the little ones instead of preparing meals all weekend. So, I made three special dinners and put them in the freezer. All they have to do is remember to take them out to thaw and throw them in the oven. I bought bagged salads and breads to easily complete the meals. Lunches are simple too, one of which will be a picnic. Greg is the breakfast man, so he'll make things like oatmeal and pancakes. But there's also plenty of cereal as a back-up. The Friday morning they drop me off, they'll be making a doughnut run for breakfast. Meals will be no-brainers this weekend with little work involved.

Laundry: We usually do 1-2 loads a day. But since I will be gone, I don't want them to have to worry about keeping up with laundry, the girls and I have finished all of the laundry. Everything is put away and ready to go.

Itinerary: Don't laugh at this one! Every time I go out of town, I write out an itinerary for Greg and the kids. We talk about the things they'd like to do and I put it all together for them. It's filled with fun activities and outings. This weekend, they'll be going bowling, picnicing in the park, seeing a movie, going out for ice cream, and having an in-house sleepover complete with a movie and popcorn. They can't WAIT for me to leave. And that's the way I like it! They'll have so much fun, they'll hardly miss me. Knowing that their weekend will be just as special helps me to fully enjoy mine, even IF my husband makes fun of my "schedule" (lovingly, of course). He does appreciate it.....he just giggles whenever I mention an "itinerary". ;-)

So, all that's left to do is pack for myself and the baby. I'm looking forward to a wonderful weekend of fellowship, refreshment, and fun! And doing these few things before I leave ensures that my family is well taken care of and everyone will have a great time! ;-)

Valentine's Day

Be My Valentine

Happy Valentine's Day from our home to yours!

Cheese Grating, Large Family Style

This is a 5 lb. block of cheese cut length wise in half. It's so nice having a wide-mouth tube feeder and cheese grater attachment on our food processor. It takes us all of 10 seconds to grate 5 lbs. of cheese.

After you grate your cheese, store in an air tight container so it's ready to use!

Nice!

Blog Fog

I'm In A Blog Fog

What is that exactly? Well, you know.......you think of something to post, but once you sit down to compose the post, what you thought was a full brain of great thoughts are now but a mere fog! Can you hear my virtual scream??? Yes, my lack of new posts is mainly due to a very foggy (and pregnant) brain. Ohhhh, how I love to blame my plight on pregnancy. It's really my only excuse, you know!

Throughout my day, ideas will fly into my brain and I think, "Cool! I'll blog about this!" But by the time I HAVE the time to sit down and actually blog about it, not only does it not seem as exciting anymore, but I can't even write well enough to MAKE it exciting. Or important. Or funny. You get the picture.

So for now, I may have to rely on old pictures or other people's posts just to keep this blog alive until the dense fog lifts. So, until then......

Ya see? I can't even think of a closing line!

I couldn't have said it better myself........thanks Jess!

Questions to Consider

Have you ever wondered...

*what life would have been like during your growing up years if 1/5th of the population hadn't been aborted?

*if one of those aborted people would have been your best friend? A co-worker? A pastor in the church down the road? A plumber in your community? The Mayor? A special-ed teacher?

*if our economy would be stronger now with 20% more people contributing ideas, work, taxes, and energy, had they not been aborted?

*how the average Nazi lived with the knowledge that millions were dying in their midst, and then stopped to realize that we're no different?

*if we might end up like the aborted nations of Russia and almost every European nation, with dwindling populations and the death of our culture and nation around the corner?

What would happen if every Christian...

*committed to love and serve pregnant women and their children, no matter the circumstance?

*gave sacrificially of their time and money to support crisis pregnancy clinics and stand as a silent protester and potential counselor for those women walking into baby killing centers?

*publicly loved and welcomed even "the least of these" (those deemed less desirable because of handicaps, learning difficulties, or family situation)?

Everyone knows it's a baby. Just like the Germans who could smell the smoke near the killing centers in WWII, the murder of our brothers and sisters is unthinkable and yet undeniable.

As I type this, my ten-month old son is grizzling as he falls asleep... and I can't help but weep as I think of those babies who will never exercise their lungs with a good healthy cry. Those who have their skin seared by salt solution, administered by a doctor who swore to protect life. Those who have their limbs ripped from their tender bodies in the one place they ought to be completely safe and protected. Those who could have grown up to be your friends, or mine... those who could have grown up.

As I type this, I think of my friends who have had abortions... and I hurt for them. I don't want to increase their pain, but even more, I want to stop other women from ever feeling the pain of having had an abortion, if it is at all within my power.

As I type this, I want to cry out, "Oh, Christian women, be a light in your community! Find ways to ACT on behalf of the unborn among us!"

And merciful Father, give each of us a burning passion to see your glory reflected in each and every individual created by Your wise and sovereign hand. Give us a desire to love the unborn and their mothers with the love that You have... love that bears all things, is kind, shares the truth, and never fails. Help us to rejoice over life, in every shape and form!

Oh, that we would view each birth and new life with the joy that John Powell describes as he for the first time witnessed a baby being delivered:

It was as if my mind were saying, 'Cannot compute! Cannot compute!" What I was witnessing was too big, too beautiful, too sacred to fit easily into my mind...

God had waited from all eternity for that moment of birth. And now, He would show His little boy the adoring face of the mother that had carried him so lovingly. He would show that little boy the magnificent stars He had strung in the sky. He would introduce him to the music of lullabies and the softness of his mother's arms, the gentleness of his father's hands. The "I" of God had been saying to the "Thou" of that small baby: "With an everlasting love I have loved you. This is why with lovingkindness I created you" (from the prophecy of Jeremiah, 31:3).

Cannot compute. Cannot compute. The miracle of life.

HT: Jennifer