New Trampoline

It's A Hit

After many years of contemplating a trampoline for the kids, we finally did it. My parents graciously sent us Christmas money for the kids which helped us make the purchase. The kids have had a blast almost every day on it. Maybe once I have the baby, I'll give it a go too. :-)

Here's the little ones having their turn.....



And here are the "older" little ones (Ethan is missing)....



And even Greg has had his share of fun on it. The kids LOVE when he bounces on it and makes them fly up into the air....


We're so glad to have a trampoline. I'm sure I'll still worry about injuries, but we'll just pray everyone stays safe. It's been a great way to expend energy and get daily exercise. Thanks Mom and Dad for helping us to finally get a trampoline.

Genevieve is Three

Genevieve is Three!

Happy Birthday to our sweet and sassy...and a little mischievous baby girl. It's hard to believe it's been three years since she was born. She was my first home birth baby and loves talk about how she was born in the bath tub. She has a unique personality that we love and we are so thankful for her.

Happy Birthday, Genevieve! We love you!

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas

"For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government shall be upon His shoulders, and His Name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace."

A few more photos of family happenings. Our church recently held our first Children's Choir and Hand Bells performance. It was a sweet time and all the children and teens did very well.

Here's a close up of Seth and Sophia singing...

Celeste playing her bell...

A quick smile for mom and dad....

This year we had fun building craft foam gingerbread houses. A neighborhood friend gave them to us as an early Christmas present. They were a little challenging for the younger kids, but everyone enjoyed doing this.

Here's the finished product....cute, huh?

The following week we made our annual grahm cracker gingerbread houses. We'll post pics of that day soon.

Have a wonderful Christmas Day....for unto us and child was given......

Catching Up: Photos and More

We've had a lot going on around here...but I just couldn't find the time to sit down and journal our everything, so I thought I'd combine a few posts into one and just share some highlights.

Early this month we decorated our tree and home. We always have a great time doing this as a family. Here's a pic of all the kids after we finished the tree.



December 11th, Chey played in her second Christmas Recital with the Castle Hills Conservatory. Cheyenne played O Holy Night and did a beautiful job...as did the rest of the pianists.



Our church recently held our Second Annual Progressive Dinner. It's a night with just the adults and the church teens provide childcare. We begin with appetizers at the Blair's home. The dinner portion is in our home, and dessert is at the Smith's. It works really well because we all live off of the same main road, so it's easy to get to each home in a timely manner.

Here are some pics of the dinner portion. We transform our living room into a restaurant type setting.
We served the food on this red table cloth below...this pass thru makes for a great buffet.

The opposite view...



As you can see, we pull out all the stops. Linens, china, stemware, and centerpieces make it a very special evening. We had a wonderful night...the food was amazing and the fellowship was sweet. Already can't wait until next year!


And finally, here is Sophia baking. She has become pretty comfortable in the kitchen and shows great interest in learning how to cook and bake. She recently made a batch of Sugar Cookies by herself for a gathering we had with some friends.

I hope to do another post soon of some other fun things happening around here, but until then, hope you've enjoyed these! :-)

Weary Mommy...Again

This original post was from Dec of 2007. I was pregnant with Genevieve and feeling quite weary.

Well, here I am again....two pregnancies later, identifying with all that I wrote three years ago.

Circumstances are different, trials are different, even the fatigue and hormonal shifts are different.

But one thing remains the same....a Lord who renews our strength and is faithful to give us just what we need minute by minute. I needed to read this again to be reminded of this truth...and be encouraged. :-)




God is so good to always be molding and shaping us into His image. He allows us to go through many trials, whether big or small, to teach us, to grow us, and to remind us that we can do nothing apart from Him.

Well, my trials over the past month or so have been small compared to many I know, but nonetheless, have taught me that our reliance upon the Lord isn't simply day by day, or even hour by hour, but rather, minute by minute!

This pregnancy has been my most difficult, hormonally speaking. I've never experienced such drastic hormonal shifts, and ups and downs as I have this time. I'm also the most tired I have ever been in my life.

I'm irritable, snappy, and grumpy most of the time!

As it is, life with six kids (two of whom are fairly needy) and being nine months pregnant with number seven, certainly comes with a few challenges. But, throw in there some unpredictable hormones and voila!....you've got ME!

While all of these very things bring me great joy, hard days are just to be expected.  And....for all of this...I rejoice!  I thank God for allowing me to be in a place where I am calling out to Him, and being reminded that I cannot get through the day, or even the next minute, without Him!

I am also being reminded of what it means to love unconditionally through the love of my husband. Greg has shown such mercy, love, and patience with me during my not-so-pleasant mood swings. He amazes me by always displaying a heart of Christ. I have a lot to learn and he has always been a great teacher to me.

This post happens to be my 100th post, which took more than a year to get to. Traditionally, I guess you're supposed to list 100 things about yourself, but rather than do that, I thought I'd post a few things about me that show a little transparency, a little vulnerability, a little humility and a lot of praise for my precious Lord, apart from Whom I can do nothing.

God is good ALL THE TIME...even at our weariest moments.

A Handy Link

While reading another blog, I came across a very cool site and thought it would be a good idea to post it here.

It's called Fixya.com.

If you're experiencing any type of "fix it" problem, simply enter in a description of the problem and it will give you the solution to fix it. Their tag line is: 3,068,299 Solutions to Everyday Product Problems

So, if you're washing machine won't drain or your calculator is not working, go to Fixya.com and find out how to fix it yourself....and save a bundle!

ht: Smockity

Sophia is 8

Happy 8th Birthday, Sophia!

On her way to tea...


Soph with big sister Chey...

Happy Birthday to our sweet and spunky Sophia. We love you, Beauty! We're so thankful God created you and allowed us to be your parents! You are a joy! Have a fun-filled and wonderful day!

Dirty Kids

Rag-A-Muffins I love it when kids play hard. On this particular day, the kids played outside while we big folks did the yard work. They had fun digging in the dirt and using their pretty wild imaginations!

Seth, however, did help with the yard work. He loves to mow!

Genevieve definitely won the "Dirtiest Kid Award". Bath time was a lot fun that day! ;-)

She's 18

Who Said She Could Turn EIGHTEEN!

We knew it would happen someday...but someday came too soon! Our first born child, our precious Chey is 18 years old today!

The above picture is from when she was just 18 months. And in a blink....she is 18 YEARS! We knew she was a special young girl...after all, she made us parents for the first time.

There are many wonderful things I can say about this magnificent young woman. I think the most important thing is that she loves the Lord and lives out her faith daily. God has given her a spirit of love for her family and those around her, a spirit to serve, a spirit to work hard, and a spirit to be an example to her younger brothers and sisters..as well as the world around her.

She's the leader of the SaboKid pack. We couldn't have asked for a more caring and responsible daughter to be the oldest of all these kids!

And...she has found love. We are so grateful to God for the love that Chey and Nathan share. Just like her parents, grandparents, and great grandparents, God has revealed "the one" early in her life. We look forward to their life ahead.

Happy Birthday, Cheyenne Marie! We love you and are thankful beyond measure that God chose us to be your parents. You are a treasure and a joy! But....who said you could turn 18???

19th Anniversary

19 Years
And many more......Happy Anniversary, My Love!

Chloe Turns Six

Chloe Turns Six

Chloe is a joy! She was my easiest (natural) birth. She's a sweet girl with big eyes and eye lashes a mile long. She's spunky and funny and loves anything princess. When she grows up, she said she wants to be a mommy, a princess, or a farm girl! :-)

We love you, Bunny! Happy Birthday!

Cravings

Cravings

You'd think after eight pregnancies, cravings would be old hat. The strange thing is, I really never had cravings per se during my other pregnancies. I've always been so sick that I struggled just to think of something that sounded good. I'm sure there was a time or two when something sounded good, but definitely not like now. I've already sent Greg on two craving runs and Chey on one.

Last night, at 9:00 pm, I had a strong craving for crunchy tacos. First of all, I DON'T eat at 9:00 at night, period. I tried to fight the urge, but finally gave in and asked Greg to make me a couple of tacos...we had leftover taco fixings from a previous dinner. But, when he went to fry the shells, to my dismay, we were out of corn tortillas. Oh man! I was all geared up for these tacos. But never fear, my sweet Greg got in the car and headed to Taco Cabana. Craving satisfied.

So my next craving was completely shameless. Why, you ask? Well, we were in the middle of worship today when I just HAD to have a Quiznos sandwich. I was beginning to feel a bit more queasy and knew I needed to eat something. Upon telling Cheyenne (my 17 year old driver) of my plight, she offered to go and get me a sandwich. How shameless is that??? Sending your daughter in the middle of service to get a sandwich. That's the low of all lows. It sure was good though! But next Sunday, I'll be more prepared by bringing a snack from home to tide me over. I promise Pastor Dirk! ;-)

Well, this afternoon, it hit again! At about 3:30, I was suddenly struck with a desperate need for fried chicken. I usually only eat fried chicken about once a year.....but I had to have it. So off my sweet husband went.....and boy was it good. The kids were happy too! ;-)

I don't know whether to be glad or irritated about these cravings. On one hand, I'm so thankful to actually crave something for a change, as opposed to being so sick that nothing sounds good. On the other hand, we certainly can't afford to be satisfying my every whim...this will surely get expensive. Not to mention, I certainly don't need all those extra calories.

My only solution is to exercise a bit of self control. No fun, I know....but I can do it. I can do it. I can do it! Ohhhhh lemonade.....I wonder if Greg's up to going to the store......

And so it begins...

Where's Genevieve?

So, Friday night we were at a function that was fairly crowded. As we were leaving, we were making sure all the kids were right beside us as to not get lost in the crowd. As I take a quick glance around, I don't see Genevieve. In a panic, I say to Greg and the older girls, "Where's Genevieve?" They looked at me in disbelief and let me know that she was right "there". Right where? I was HOLDING HER HAND!

Sheesh!

Meatball Stroganoff

A Quick and Easy Dinner Recipe

We've just recenlty stumbled upon this recipe and have enjoyed it several times. Our menus consist of a variety of meals ranging in difficulty level. This is by far one of the easiest meals and the whole family loves it. Give it a try!

Meatball Stroganoff

2 cans Cream of Mushroom soup
1 cup Sour Cream
2 cups mushrooms (optional), sliced and sauted in butter
40 Meatballs (we buy a 6 lb bag, fully cooked, from Sams: Casa Di Bertacchi)
Egg Noodles

In pot or large saucepan, mix together soup and sour cream. Stir in mushrooms (we've even just dumped in a can or jar of mushrooms when we didn't have fresh on hand and it tasted fine) and meatballs. Simmer until meatballs are heated through. Serve over hot egg noodles or rice, tossed with butter and parsley if desired. Serves 8-10.

We usually serve this with a salad. Hope you like it....and that it saves you a little time in the kitchen. :-)

California Trip

Snippets of Our Trip to CA

Celeste, Jonathan, and I took a week's long trip to CA. I wish the whole family could have gone, but we had a good time, anyway. It was so special getting to spend time with my grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, and my brother and his sweet family. It was especially exciting for Celeste since she was able to experience her first airplane ride. Here she is with Jonathan just before boarding the plane.

Since our camera has been out of commission, Celeste was our vacation photographer. She really captured some terrific shots. Below is Half Dome, my favorite mountain in the world. Perhaps it is because it's so unique, or just plain breathtaking, or maybe climbing it when I was fifteen has something to do with it. Whatever the draw, I just love it and never tire of seeing it!

We drove up to Glacier Point in Yosemite National Park (one of my favorite places on earth). We made it there just in time to watch the sun set. Breathtaking. This photo below is the Diving Board (left) and Yosemite Falls in the distance. You may have seen a couple of famous photos of the Diving Board involving people. In the old days, people would do handstands on this outcropping; DO NOT ATTEMPT SUCH FOOLHARDY STUNTS! YOU WILL DIE! As a matter of fact, people have died, whether on accident or on purpose.....it's a 3000 ft plunge to the Valley Floor from Glacier Point. OUCH!

We're the handful of family who made the trip. My Aunt Julia is taking the photo. The back row begins with my sweet sister, Angel, and my wonderful dad. In the front, we have little ol' me, my beautiful Celeste, and my awesome Uncle Andy. If you look real hard, you can see the top of Jonathan's head at the bottom. ;-)

Okay, so I know this is hardly an adequate number of photos to come out of a family reunion vacation, but I still need to go through all of them and label them, etc., etc., etc. I'll try to get to that soon since I have loads of free time with nothing to do. ;-)

Seth Turns Nine

Happy Birthday, Sethman!



Yes! Another birthday post. May began our first string of birthdays, and today we are celebrating Seth, now 9 years old.


We were so excited the night he was born to find that we had had a BOY! Having only two girls, it was hard to imagine actually having a boy. But there he was...all 8 lbs 11 oz of him (my biggest baby at that time).


Seth has really been the dream son. I mean, I was a little afraid of having a boy, but Seth was a very easy boy, as far as boys go. He's mild natured, very caring, a superb big brother to the five under him, and loves to help.


But at the same time, he's also very active. He loves the outdoors, baseball, basketball, and building stuff. He likes to tinker around and fix things. He's smart and thoughtful.


He also likes to draw and paint. He's interested in many different things which makes him a lot of fun. Seth is just a neat boy.


We love you big guy and hope that you have a memorable day today! We praise God for you and are humbled and honored by the young man you've become!

Celeste Turns 15

Happy Birthday Celeste

A night out to see Wicked (above)...

Celeste is an amazing young lady. With a loving nature and a sweet spirit, she's always putting others first. She loves to serve and meets needs before asked. With her quick wit, she keeps us laughing. And with her deep, genuine love, she makes this world a better place. We love you, Celeste, and we're humbled and thankful to be your parents. You are a blessing! We hope you enjoy this day...and enjoy this year of being fifteen!

She's not afraid to have fun being silly...in public...at the zoo..


She's been my faithful week day running partner.....


She ran the 8 Miler with Blair and me.....and beat us.


Having fun fishing with Grandpa....
Happy Birthday, Sweet Girl. You are loved and cherished more than you know!

Jonathan is One

Happy First Birthday, Jonathan!



I can't believe we're here at a year already. It seems like with each baby I have, time just moves faster and faster, causing me to pause and savor every moment. Jonathan has been such joy with his sweet disposition and heart-warming smile. He has six teeth at this point, and began walking just before 11 months. He can say Mama, Da Da, and say "Hi" while waving. Such a big boy!


We celebrated his birthday a few days ago with his bestest pals, Ian and Fiona. It was a cute little party in which we also celebrated Ian and Fiona turning one since they were all born within two weeks of each other.


Happy birthday, Jonathan. You are a precious gift and we love you! Don't grow up too fast on us, okay? :-)

Ethan is FOUR!

It's been four quick years since this energetic little boy was born. Ethan has taught us much about parenting and how unique each child truly is. Greg and I often joke that Ethan is the one who keeps us humble as parents. He's ALL boy ALL the time. He's super smart and has a "Hollywood" smile. We trust that God has a specific purpose for this bundle of strong will and energy. :-)










We love you Ethan Edward Sabo. You are truly a joy and we're SO glad to be your parents! Happy Birthday Lovey!