Shades of Mercy

It Never Ends

2011-05-05T15:39:00.008-05:00

The growing up of our munchkins never ends.

Here's proof:
C-Man got a cell phone a couple weeks ago.

Little I is learning to swim.

Miss B is looking older by the hour, I think.

NoBo recently had his first dentist appointment. It was a NIGHTMARE, but it's over!!! Here he is playing in the waiting area before the appointment.

Remodel--Days 1 & 2

2011-05-04T18:55:00.010-05:00

We're remodeling!!! Nothing major, though. We're adding a room into the garage to become our laundry room. Our current laundry room will become a 5th bedroom! We're so excited!

Day 1:
Notice the direction the attic ladder comes down. That will be reversed so that the attic will open into our laundry room. Just behind the ladder you can see our entry door from the garage. That will be removed. Do you see that lovely dark green door? That will be removed, repainted, and will be moved to a new spot. It will become our entry door from the garage.

You can see below where our wall will be built.

Day 2:
You can see in this first picture where the other wall will be built. You can also see the current hot water heater closet. That closet will be opened up to the rest of the room. We will install a tankless hot water system and the washer and dryer will be in that area.

In this next picture you can see where the dark green door was removed. This spot is now ready for a wall to be built there. You can't tell in the pictures, but we're also getting ready to build a new floor, which will be at the same level as the rest of our house.

Here's an outside view of where the door used to be. It's just waiting on me to buy some paint and paint it! I know it's not beautiful, but NOBODY sees this side of our house, except our neighbor, sometimes, and the meter readers, and our kids' friends. Oh, forget it! FEW people see this side of our house.

Oh, do you know the reason we're jumping into this project? Actually, there are 2 very adorable reasons.

These 2 cuties are our newest family members. They moved in with us 2 weeks ago. We don't know how long they'll be with us, but we're excited to get to love on them. He is 2 1/2 and she is 9 months.

Yes, we now have an even half-dozen!

Thankful Thursday

2011-02-17T23:06:00.003-06:00

I haven't done a Thankful Thursday post in SO long.

Come to think of it, I've hardly even blogged in the last several months.

Today I'm thankful for...

1. Cowboy's new cholesterol number: 186!!! I'm SO proud of him for bringing it down from it's all-time high of 270.

2. New life insurance policies that are worth more, but costing the same (thanks to that lower cholesterol level).

3. 5 meals in the freezer for my family to enjoy while I'm in Uganda.

4. NoBo waking up without a fever for the first time since Saturday.

5. My father-in-law's nice recovery from knee replacement surgery 1 month ago.

6. Coke Zero

7. C-Man's sweet spirit. It really shines as he helps Cowboy coach Little I's basketball team.

8. My Algebra students. They make me smile.

9. Miss B's good friendships. When I asked her tonight if she truly had friends that she could be spiritually accountable to, without hesitation, her answer was yes. (All my friends were Christians when I was 13, but I don't think I could've answered that question with a yes at that age).

10. The lessons learned (through Beth Moore & many sweet friends) at my homeschool co-op mom's retreat a couple weeks ago.

My Head is Spinning

2011-02-10T15:06:00.003-06:00

4 weeks from today I'll be in Africa.

I really can't believe it's getting so close! I've dreamed of going to that distant continent for most of my adult life.

My head is spinning with things that need to be accomplished. Packing, getting donations for the orphans we'll be visiting, scheduling my kids' days and their caretakers while I'm gone, making sure my family knows how to do the laundry, finishing my vaccinations, visiting the doctor to get my malaria prescription, creating a display at church with the orphans' pictures so that they can be prayed over by our church family, preparing my students' work, putting together some freezer meals

Can I just say that 2 full weeks is a long time to leave my sweet family?

I'm working on multiple mental checklists right now.

Today I made my first freezer meal for them. I'm hoping to make the time over the next few weeks to make 5 or 6 more. I figure if I leave them with 3-4 meals a week, they'll be happy. If not, at least they now have 1!!!

6570 Nights

2011-01-08T17:51:00.003-06:00

18 years ago today Cowboy & I got married.

In these 18 years we've spent 6570 nights studying, cramming, working on class projects, preparing our resumes, crying through the ups and downs of infertility, tending to the needs of new babies, wondering how we were going to pay bills, taking care of sick kiddos, praying for wisdom on how we raise these munchkins God's blessed us with, and we've had SO much fun!

Can't wait for the next 6570 nights!

Thankful Thursday

2010-12-09T13:12:00.002-06:00

Here's my list of things i'm thankful for this week in random order, because my life is full of random order:

1. The Godly company that employs Cowboy. The owners are SUCH an amazing family! Their goal is for the company to be more successful so that they can give more money away to promote the Kingdom of God worldwide.

2. Our family's homeschool co-op. I've said this so many times, but we are so blessed to be a part of this group of families.

3. The time our family has been spending in God's Word as we celebrate the Advent season. We're doing the Christmas reading plan from youversion. Each day has been challenging and has made us think outside of ourselves.

4. My friends. I'm at a point in life where I have a few different small circles of friends. Each circle of friends is encouraging and fun and I'm SO grateful!

5. NoBo eating corn for the first time this past week! Each new food is SO exciting!

6. An opportunity this week to help a neighbor in need.

7. Laundry! I'm choosing to be thankful today that I have a wonderful husband & 4 kids who are healthy enough to get out each day & dirty some clothes! I'm also thankful for the provision from God of these clothes.

8. Christmas shopping that is hopefully near finished.

9. Little I enjoying all the Christmas books I've been reading to him.

10. C-Man giving SACRIFICIALLY to a family in need. (One of those moments that made me cry when he said how much of his own money he was willing to give away).

Great Things He Has Done

2010-12-01T00:07:00.005-06:00

Last fall during a Bible Study I was convicted about journaling. One of the reasons it's important for me to journal is that I have NO memory!

Lately I have FLOPPED at journaling! Sometimes blogging is my version of journaling and clearly I haven't done much of that lately.

So today I'm journaling an answered prayer.

For years now Cowboy & I have been praying together for a specific physical healing in one of our kids. This child has been in tears many times over this situation. We've been in tears for this child. Without going into detail, let me just assure you that it's been a long, hard struggle!

God has healed this child! There's been no symptom of this ailment for over 2 weeks now! As parents, we've each spoken to our child and reminded this child that this healing has come from God alone.

TO GOD BE THE GLORY GREAT THINGS HE HAS DONE!!!

You Nork

2010-11-13T21:07:00.003-06:00

I just told Little I that he needs lotion on his skin a few times each day because he has brown skin. I explained that his older brother and sister don't need lotion on their skin because they're vanilla.

He said, "Yeah. They're not chocolate anymore."

I tried to explain that they never were chocolate. They've always been vanilla because they were born from my tummy and I'm vanilla. I reminded him that he came from another lady's tummy.

He said the reason they're vanilla is because they're from You Nork.

There's a peak into a 5-year old's mind as to how we learn race. It really means NOTHING!!!

Thankful Thursday

2010-10-14T08:13:00.004-05:00

I have been so busy with all my blessings that I have failed to do a Thankful Thursday post recently.

Today I'm thankful for...

1. NoBo turning 3 today!!! We praise God for his sweet little life. We're totally blessed that God chose us to be his family. He's learning more every single day.

2. My munchkins' ability to learn God's Word.

3. Miss B's ability to sign. This is her third year to take sign language at our homeschool co-op & we are totally impressed by all she knows. Last night Cowboy played song after song for her to sign. SO much fun!!!

4. Laughter!!! In the midst of having sick kids in the house, laughter is GOOD medicine.

5. The first quarter of the school year finished & the kids did well.

6. Our washer & dryer. And dishwasher. And other modern appliances in our home. They make my life so much simpler.

7. My foster parent support group.

8. Awesome students this year!!!

9. Bunco. Need I say more?

10. Dinner out with Cowboy & only 1 child this week. What a great time to talk and reconnect in the middle of the week. This hardly ever happens and it was such a treat!

Grapeful

2010-10-13T18:18:00.003-05:00

Today NoBo did something AMAZING!

After visiting a child psychologist weekly for several months for his food aversions, being diagnosed with failure-to-thrive, working with different specialists to help introduce new foods to him, today he ATE A GRAPE!!! (Actually, he ate 3.)

What a HUGE praise to God on the day before he turns 3!!!

I wanted SO badly to take a picture, but when he actually eats foods we want him to we can't change anything about the environment in our home at that very moment. So...I sat here beside him quietly rejoicing over reaching this milestone.

Our House

2010-09-29T14:53:00.004-05:00

Yesterday in one of Little I's classes at our homeschool co-op, he and his friends were making pictures of their houses. Then, the sweet teacher wrote down what the children said about the things that go on in their houses.

Here's what Little I said:

I like to play games at my house. I like to play with my brother and sister. I love them. I like to play with NoBo. My mom and dad like to go into their room and play. I also like to play by myself. I also like to eat candy.

Hopefully you got a good laugh out of that. I know I did.

Creativity Required

2010-09-24T09:47:00.006-05:00

Clearly there are challenges in parenting a child with developmental delays. Our most recent challenge has taken a lot of creativity on our part to overcome.

Although NoBo is almost 3, developmentally is about 15 months old. Because we are unable to reason with him at this point, keeping him in bed has become quite a chore.

He started climbing out of his crib, so we put him in the Pack 'n Play, because he couldn't climb out of it. Because his adoption is not complete yet, he is still in the custody of DHS, who doesn't approve of a child sleeping in a Pack 'n Play.

So, we borrowed a crib tent from a friend. It worked great for a time, then he put a hole in the netting. I sewed the netting back together, but then he just spent his time in bed trying to put the hole back in it.

So...back to the Pack 'n Play, until I walked in on morning #3 to catch him as he was diving, head-first, out of it. The only thing we could think to do was to cover his Pack 'n Play with the crib mattress. It worked, but Cowboy was a nervous wreck about NoBo somehow having the strength to move the mattress so that it would fall on him.

After much thought, my sweet husband came up with this

I sewed a piece of fabric to fit nicely over the top of the crib. Then, I sewed button holes all around the outside of it. Next, I attached velcro to ribbons. Finally, I put the ribbons through the button holes and looped them around the slats of the crib.

What's so great about it?

1. NoBo would have to remove 6-7 consecutive ribbons in order to free himself from his crib.

2. NoBo can't stand in his crib, which has actually helped him go to sleep faster.

3. The video monitor can get a much better shot of him than it could with the netting from the crib tent.

4. The crib nicely fits under Little I's top bunk. Eventually, when he's developmentally ready for a big bed, we will remove the crib and place the bottom bunk there again.

Thankful Thursday

2010-09-02T10:04:00.004-05:00

It's been ages since I've done a Thankful Thursday post. It's not that I haven't been thankful. It's that I've been overwhelmed!!! So...in random order (because my life is full of random order)...this week I am thankful for...

1. My crockpot. She has served me well everyday this week. (Monday=beans, Tuesday=baked potatoes, Wednesday=pork chops, today=chicken for tacos)

2. Lost things found. Specifically, C-Man's math book found last night. We haven't even started on math this school year because we couldn't find it. Lucky kid, he's doing math today!

3. A confirmed mission trip to Uganda over Spring Break for me. I will be sharing Christ's love with some beautiful orphans.

4. The life of George Mueller. WOW! Everywhere I turn his story is there. What an amazing example of truly relying on God for EVERYTHING!

5. LOTS of laundry detergent purchased with coupons for very little out-of-pocket! I'm guessing it will be Christmas or so before I need more laundry detergent.

6. Wonderful students in my classes for this school year.

7. The anticipation of having Cowboy to myself in 2 weeks! No children, just us. In Washington, DC. CANNOT wait!

8. Cowboy never being a babysitter. I heard on a talk radio show the other day how some moms say, "My husband is babysitting the kids tonight." Wow!!! What a foreign thought to me. I'm so grateful that we are a partnership in this whole parenting thing.

9. God's mercy as he cleans out the crud in my life and I become more aware of my need to completely rely on Him.

10. The adoption that is in the works for some of our dear friends. This will mean when we get together for 4th of July & New Year's Eve, we won't have the youngest kids by far. (Nor will we be the only family that is colorful).

Counting my blessings today,
Jenn

I Failed 4 Times

2010-08-30T00:13:00.004-05:00

I decided that 4 kids was PLENTY for me. I decided that if DHS called with a child, I would tell them our home is full (I've actually already done that before). I decided that my quiver is full (see Psalm 127:3-5 if you don't understand that).

Then I began not only to read Radical by David Platt, but I began to go through a Radical study with Cowboy & 3 other couples.

During the first week of our study, God very plainly spoke to my heart about my decision that our family was complete. He let me know that He alone would decide when He was finished adding blessings to mine & Cowboy's life.

So, I have been teasing Cowboy that after I go to Uganda this next year, I'm sure God will call us to adopt from Africa. I really have not heard that from God, but it's fun to tease.

Then, during the next week of our study, I began to feel YUCK! I started thinking back to the last time that I knew for sure I wasn't pregnant. In the busy-ness (& infertileness that has been our lives over the last several years), I hadn't a clue when that was.

A couple days later Cowboy brought home a gift for me, a pregnancy test. Failed. Because I had failed pregnancy tests with both of my previous pregnancies, we weren't putting a lot of stock into those results.

So after a few more days, I bought a double-pack of pregnancy tests. I took one. Failed.

Then I decided I was SICK of not knowing for sure. I scheduled an appointment with my doctor. The morning of the appointment Cowboy suggested I go ahead and use up the last test. Failed.

I told the doctor of my concerns. Had blood drawn. Got a call the next day. Failed.

So...now I have failed 4 times & still have no idea what is up with my body.

The great thing here is that I don't feel like I've failed. I still get to go to Africa next year. I still get to go skiing in February with Cowboy, the munchkins, and some dear friends.

I don't, however, get the joy of having a brand new, sweet baby next spring to love on and take care of. Or do I? Maybe DHS will call and God will tell us to say yes. Maybe He won't. Maybe we'll eventually adopt from Africa. Maybe we won't.

Hopefully, though, we'll listen and choose to be in the center of God's will.

Can't think of anywhere in life I'd rather be than that.

Our Homeschooled Munchkins are SO Deprived!

2010-07-19T15:28:00.003-05:00

We picked up Miss B yesterday & are currently hanging out in the Dallas area for a couple days as a family before heading back home and into the busy-ness of life.

SO many things have amazed us about how she handled herself without us near. Some great friendships were formed with the other people on her team. She had a great time reaching out to homeless people and innercity kids.

However, the part that sticks out the most in my mind is this...

We were leaving the YWAM (Youth With a Mission) ranch and saw an old school bus driving to the area that we just left. Cowboy & I suggested that it was probably heading to pick up a youth group that was part of Miss B's team.

At this point she blurted out, "I got to ride a school bus! I was SO excited! Everyone said, 'Uck! We have to ride on a school bus?' And I was like, 'Sweet! I get to ride a school bus! How cool!"

That's what happens when you send your 13-year old homeschooled daughter on a mission trip...She finally gets to ride a school bus & is excited about it!

Thankful Thursday

2010-07-15T15:37:00.003-05:00

This week I am thankful for...

1. An end in sight to the rearrangement of our munchkins' furniture and painting their bedrooms.

2. Less stuff in our home...declutter, declutter, declutter!

3. A trip with Cowboy that is now booked to Washington, DC in September. I can't wait for four nights with NO munchkins. I've never been to DC and am excited to indulge the nerdy side of myself. Did I mention the fact that I'll have uninterrupted time with Cowboy on the flights there & back? CAN'T wait!

4. The conversations that my friend Supersize (because of her supersized family & heart) and I are having as we figure out where in Africa God wants us to go next year. SO many kids that need God's love!

5. My father-in-law's retirement! He put in his last day of work yesterday and we're all going to go celebrate with him this evening.

6. Progress in NoBo's development. In the last several weeks he has said Mama, Nana, and many other things. He's bringing a baby doll to us for us to kiss on a regular basis. He's wanting to hug often. He's saying, "woof, woof" when he sees pictures of dogs. He FINALLY weighs 20 pounds!!! He brought me lotion today to massage him. AMAZING things are happening in his little body and I'm very grateful to God for progress.

7. Communication with Miss B while she's away on her first big mission trip. I can't wait to see her pretty face & hug the breath out of her!!!

8. 2 sweet boys in Rwanda that C-Man and Little I are sponsoring from Compassion International. Their pictures arrived yesterday and today and are framed in their bedrooms. 2 sweet boys in my home are thrilled to get to pray for these guys on the other side of the world. There's talk from our kids that we someday need to take a family trip to Rwanda to meet all 3 kids we have there. Can't imagine how that could ever happen, but I love that they're thinking like this.

Missing Miss B Who's in Mission

2010-07-14T18:32:00.007-05:00

Miss B (our 13-year old daughter) has been on her mission trip now for 1 1/2 weeks. Only a few more days until we get to pick her up & I can't wait.

She has called and texted periodically, but it's all been abbreviated communication until today.

Today when she called we actually TALKED. We discussed the work that her group is doing, the people that are on her mission team, and about our plans to go to IKEA after we pick her up on Sunday.

I asked her if they had already done VBS with the inner-city kids today and she said that would be this evening.

She said, "We worked with homeless people today. Mom, I love homeless people." (I already knew this because we pray for homeless people when we see them on the street corner & we try to keep water & food in our van to give to them & she has always been concerned for them).

I said, "I know, but you love those VBS kids too, don't you?"

To which she said, "Yeah, mom. I just love people."

WOW!!! It doesn't get much better than that!

I pray that I'm training all my munchkins to love people the way Christ loves us.

He Keeps Me in Stitches

2010-07-03T15:45:00.002-05:00

Today C-Man & Cowboy were wrestling around when Cowboy noticed something on C-Man's toenail. He said, "What's on your toenail?"

C-Man said, "It's a crack and it's been there as long as I can remember."

To which Cowboy replied,

"It's better to have a crack in your toenail than a toenail in your crack."

Laughter is such a beautiful thing!!!

Thankful Thursday

2010-06-24T14:44:00.003-05:00

This week I am thankful for...

1. A stranger (a black man in his 50's) in the parking lot of the library who called out loudly to me, "Are those your children?" I answered, "Yes, sir." He went on to tell me what a marvelous thing adoption was & that I should never listen to people of his ethnicity who say these children are missing out on their culture by being adopted by white parents. He said, "culture is how you're loved and that's all that matters." What sweet words of affirmation from a complete stranger!

2. Miss B and Cowboy are home after having a great time at church camp.

3. The opportunity to take 4 middle school girls from our homeschool group to our local food bank to volunteer. We worked with other volunteers today to organize and box 10,179 pounds of food to be distributed throughout our state to people who are hungry.

4. Tonight! I can hardly wait! I get to go work with some other ladies to prepare for the school year for our homeschool group. We're going to the home of Miss Musicality (my sister) & the 5 of us will get to talk, eat, plan, talk, eat, work, giggle, talk, and sleep a little. There are still some details that we need God to iron out for the year and we can't wait for Him to show up tonight & reveal those details to us!!!

5. New springs on the garage door. Although it did cost money to replace them, thanks to my couponing we were fairly stocked around here and I didn't have to make many more purchases for this week.

6. The Crockpot. I love the smell of the house when I've planned ahead and put a roast in it for the day. And we all love the taste of a yummy dinner.

7. Camp laundry being caught up. All the gross lake clothes are clean.

8. My marriage. I know several people right now whose marriages are struggling and I'm grateful for a Godly husband who adores me.

9. Family being so close to us.

Kinder, Gentler

2010-06-18T21:02:00.005-05:00

Cowboy and I marvel at the kinder, gentler side of our sweet C-Man. Yes, his 10-year old voice is getting deeper by the day. Yes, we see peach fuzz above his upper lip. Yes, he STINKS TO HIGH HEAVEN when he forgets his deodorant. Yes, he gets annoyed with his siblings and lets it show.

However, he has a very special bond with NoBo. He is tender and gentle in a way that many would think not possible for a pre-adolescent kid. We know he is going to be such an amazing dad some day. Until then, we're just grateful for the wonderful brother that he is.

Thankful Thursday

2010-06-17T22:10:00.003-05:00

This week I am thankful for:

1. Cowboy's Dad. After a major scare on the golf course yesterday, he is fine. Apparently he was dehydrated to the point of almost having a heat stroke. He's staying cool and resting for a few days. (I think I'm going to start saying stupid things like, "Stay cool," or, "Cool your jets".)

2. My mom's sight. She went to the optometrist this week & he discovered that she has one more major problem with her eyes. However, she is getting a new prescription that will help her tremendously and there's a plan to help her keep her sight!

3. SO many wonderful kids that came to our church this week for Sports Camp. I can't wait to get to know more of them better on Sunday morning when I work with the kiddos at church. Over 1/3 of the kids who came to Sports Camp this week came on church vans. AMAZING opportunities to minister to the families of these awesome kids!

4. My home being unharmed by the flooding that happened in our metro area this week.

5. My 3 biggest kids' birthdays being over for the year! It was a fun few weeks of celebrating & I'm grateful to not have another party to plan until October.

6. A wonderful Child Development Specialist who's worked with NoBo the whole time he's been in our family. She's moving & we'll miss her, but we're excited for the wealth of knowledge the new CDS will offer us.

7. Miss B & Cowboy leaving for church camp tomorrow. I LOVE what God does in our lives when we separate ourselves from our normal daily lives to be with Him. I can't wait to hear stories of what God does while they're gone.

8. New tires being put on the van tomorrow. I am grateful that Cowboy has taken care of all the details for me.

9. Sleeping in a couple days ago. It was ridiculously late when I finally rolled out of bed. It was wonderful to get to be so lazy!!!

Ten Years Ago Today

2010-06-14T00:00:00.007-05:00

10 years ago today Cowboy & I woke up Miss B and got her dressed in her red, white, and blue to welcome her baby brother on Flag Day. We got ourselves ready and out the door while it was still dark.

10 years ago today I was hooked up to monitors and such as I began to have my labor induced, for what we had already decided would be our last child. One girl, one boy. Couldn't ask for more.

10 years ago today I was in shock when our nurse, who was a sweet friend from church, said to C-Man while she was checking to see how far my cervix was dilated, "C-Man, that's not funny. Let go of my finger."

10 years ago today I labored all day, then had the doctor tell me that I had 20 minutes to try to push. If nothing happened, C-Man was coming via emergency c-section.

10 years ago today I was operated on for the first time.

10 years ago today C-Man entered this world as a fat, beautiful baby with a very swollen arm, which had been stuck above his head in the birth canal for quite some time. His cord had been wrapped around his neck, which explained the dangerous decelerations his heart rate was having.

10 years ago today, not long after my swollen abdomen was stitched up and I was allowed to go to my private hospital room, I informed Cowboy that we had to do this again.

10 years ago today we were blessed through the birth of our amazing C-Man. He's a breath of fresh air to me!!!

Five Years Ago

2010-06-13T23:32:00.003-05:00

5 years ago God & I had already convinced Cowboy that we needed a third child, but nothing was happening. We were beginning fertility testing.

5 years ago God had a plan for us that we knew nothing about.

5 years ago I was thrilled to be welcoming very soon a new niece and nephew. In vitro miracles!!!

5 years ago God was opening the womb of Baby Sister, who had longed for a baby for many years.

5 years ago I was beginning to think like a desperate woman. Desperate to have another baby. I knew these desperate thoughts. I'd had them all before. 8 years before.

5 years ago there was a woman recovering from delivering a 6 pound 2 ounce beautiful baby boy.

5 years ago my womb was closed and I was aching for a baby.

5 years ago our family didn't know that what we were missing had already been brought into this world by God.

Today I am amazed that God chose us to be his family.

Little I, we can't believe you are 5!!!

Thankful Thursday

2010-06-11T14:02:00.003-05:00

OK, I'm a day late, but I'm thankful for so many things this week. I don't want to miss a chance to count the blessings from God.

So, here are in random order my list of things I'm thankful for this week (drum roll, please)....

1. Little I!!! We celebrated his 5th birthday with family & his friends. He had a Pink Olympics birthday party. He got it in his mind during the Winter Olympics that he needed to have a Pink Olympics party & I did not let him down. I am in awe at the work God has done in his sweet little life & brain. TRULY a miracle that he is learning to read & doing everything else a 5-year old should be doing. Thank you, Lord!

2. Cowboy made it home safely from a business trip last week. His job is such a blessing. I love that he gets paid to minister to his company's employees. There are a couple of employees that he's had a part in their coming to know Christ who will be baptized this weekend. AWESOME!!!

3. I got to video (from the ground) my Dad ride a B17 on my birthday, which also happens to be D-Day. A HUGE thing for him!!! His dad was in WWII and he has a great love for the planes, tanks, and people who served in this war. What a wonderful way to spend my birthday afternoon!

4. I'm only a few days from completing this 14-day cleanse! I am thankful that when it's done I will be able to get a Coke Zero. (Yes, I'm ready to start junking up my body again, apparently.)

5. All of Miss B's funds are raised for her mission trip this summer. Cowboy & I are so excited that she'll be going with a well-known mission organization (YWAM) and that God is preparing our hearts and hers for what she'll experience.

6. Coupons! I'm becoming a bit of an addict! I LOVE saving money for our family.

7. A great evening with 2 of my friends from high school & college. We haven't gotten together in several years & we had a great time talking about our families and our lives.

Thankful Thursday

2010-06-03T08:37:00.003-05:00

Here's my list for this week, in random order because my life is full of random order:

1. I'm thankful that today, unlike the last who knows how many Thursdays, we only have 1 therapy appointment & no tumbling!!!

2. I'm thankful that we had an amazing Memorial Day Weekend with my parents and my sisters' families on Family Vacation. SO MUCH FUN!!!

3. I'm thankful that mine & Cowboy's immediate families are all serving God.

4. I'm thankful that I have a husband who challenges me spiritually to be the person God desires me to be (& that he now has me reading Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream by David Platt).

5. I'm thankful for a 13-year old daughter who thanks me for checking her texts.

6. I'm thankful for several new windows in our home. (& looking forward to not having frost form on the insides of the 6' x 6' windows this next winter & hoping the amount of dust our home has will decrease & hoping the west side of our home will not be so warm when the afternoon sun is pouring in)

7. I'm thankful for an amazing time of bonding with NoBo over the weekend. Totally unexpected. A true gift from God.

8. I'm thankful for friends who encourage me through tough times.

9. I'm thankful that NoBo gained a couple ounces in between his last 2 visits with his GI specialist.

10. I'm super-dee-duper thankful that NoBo doesn't have to see the psychologist every single week for his eating issues anymore. (Yes, he still has eating issures, but we're on the right path).

11. And last, but not least, I'm thankful for my Mom. She turned 60 while we were on Family Vacation. While most women dread this birthday, God has given my mom a refreshing, embracing perspective. She's thrilled to have her sight, which at one point this past year she thought she might lose.

Black & White

2010-06-02T20:28:00.002-05:00

I am a rule follower. A black and white person. An all or nothing person.

For the last...who knows how long...I've been completely undisciplined with my eating.

Until yesterday. I started a 14-day burn & cleanse program.

I'm basically starving to death.

But I'm a rule follower & I will NOT cheat! I will look better, feel better, & be healthier when it's all said and done.

Until then I'm praying regularly that my habits change & I seek my Heavenly Father before chocolate or other comfort food during times of stress, exhaustion, & overwhelmedness.

I'm also praying that I'll make it through each and every one of these 800 calorie days!

Thirteen Years Ago Today

2010-05-22T21:20:00.006-05:00

13 years ago today I went into the hospital to have my labor induced (for the second time).

13 years ago today I spent some time "drunk" on Stadol. (This was the first & only time in my life for me to be "drunk" & it made me SO glad that I had never actually been drunk. It's HORRIBLE to forget how to swallow. LITERALLY forget how to swallow.)

13 years ago today I pushed for HOURS (no exaggeration--HOURS) while in labor.

13 years ago today I welcomed into my world Miss B. She was beautiful from the beginning. OK, maybe a bit cone-headed, but that didn't last for long.

13 years ago today my life was forever changed. I wouldn't change anything about being the mom to some of the most amazing munchkins on earth. And I wouldn't change doing this awesome life with Cowboy.

Thankful Thursday

2010-05-20T16:14:00.002-05:00

OK, so it's been over a month since I've posted. I've been thankful for many things over these past weeks, but I've mostly been so bogged down by life that I haven't taken the time to blog.

I'm back at it today with my list, in random order because my life is full of random order:

This week I'm thankful for...

1. Antibiotics that got rid of strep throat in me & Cowboy.

2. Little Bit, who we've had a lot lately.

3. My first-ever "Precepts" Bible Study. I've wanted to do one for years & am LOVING it! (It's perfect for nerdy people like me).

4. Coupons!!! I am trying to be more careful with our budget & I'm learning to get things free or close to free, thanks to The Coupon Junkie. (www.thecouponjunkie.com)

5. Samples!!! I LOVE getting things in my mailbox that aren't bills. And they always come with COUPONS!

6. My sweet friend Deanna who came over last week & offered encouraging words to me & spoke my love language. She cleaned my kitchen for me after we had lunch with all the munchkins.

7. All of our munchkins NOT getting strep! Praise God!!!

8. Tootsie Rolls! They are the perfect prize for munchkins who stay in their beds all night. It's the first thing I've found that WORKS! The little ones are thrilled to come to me & get their candy each morning.

9. No hail damage at our house after a week of storms in our state.

Thankful Thursday

2010-04-08T18:55:00.002-05:00

So...here's the list for this week in random order because my life is full of random order:

1. I'm thankful for a husband who is not demanding.

2. I'm thankful for a son who's physically able to do so many push ups this week. Go, C-Man!!!

3. I'm thankful for my savior dying for my sins. What an amazing gift for a sinner like me!

4. I'm thankful that Jesus not only died, but he conquered death!

5. I'm thankful for fun on the trampoline in the beautiful sunshine.

6. I'm thankful for Little I's memory. I'm constantly amazed by it. (Truly a miracle if you've seen the medical reports of the day he was removed from his bio mom's care).

7. I'm thankful for Miss B's sweet attitude.

8. I'm thankful for a chance to go "real" grocery shopping. (Maybe I'll avoid a few more little grocery runs).

Relinquishment

2010-03-24T16:01:00.004-05:00

Because I've been a foster parent for a few years now, I've had plenty of time in juvenile courtrooms in my state.

LOTS of good people watching! I have seen some hysterical things (people swearing up and down they're not high come back into the courtroom a bit later with a failed test). Some bizarre things (an older gentleman have a seizure, EMT's came in, and the judge continued to hold court). Some things that make me downright angry (parents who are idiots and don't take care of their kids)!

The absolute saddest things I've seen are parents relinquishing their parental rights.

Let me clarify--I was not in court the day that Little I's biological mother (BM, as we refer to her) relinquished her rights. There was nothing sad at all about that to me on that day. I cried tears of pure joy when Cowboy called to give me the news. However, I feel sad for her when I think of her. I pray for her. I worry about her life. I want her to know God and spend eternity with us and live out His purpose for her here on earth.

Back to the sad stuff...

Yesterday I went to court for NoBo's case. His mom, who we love, relinquished her parental rights. I cried with her. It's a happy-sad kind of thing. We're thrilled we'll most likely get to love on NoBo for his whole life, but we're sad for his sweet mom.

Thankful Thursday

2010-03-18T17:41:00.002-05:00

Here's this week's list, in random order...because my life is full of random order.

1. A fun time with some of our college friends, who were in town with their sweet kids for a Spring Break getaway. We also had my sweet sis-in-law and sister twin (brother-in-law & brother twin at home because brother twin had strep throat--boo!) over. We all had a great time. I love it when Cowboy gets together with this particular friend of ours because their conversations go from sports, books, music, spiritual matters, etc. Much deeper than most man-to-man conversations, which seem to be mostly about sports, jobs, and weather.

2. Haircuts for me, C-Man, & Miss B (& eye brow waxing for me & Miss B).

3. A great time with C-Man's two good friends & their moms (my dear friends) at Barnes & Noble. We all went thinking we were buying the boys the newest Diary of a Wimpy Kid book and left after we had each purchased some stupid Pokemon book. The boys were thrilled, the moms were disgusted that we spent money on those books!!!

4. Cowboy's dad's 67th birthday celebration! We're SO glad that his bout with cancer last year is behind us and his retirement (2nd retirement, that is) is in the near future. We can't wait for him to be able to golf as often as he wants!

5. My parents, for having all the "big" grandkids over for a St. Patrick's Day party. Mom knows how to party and Dad goes along with it all quite nicely. Green food, green clothes, giveaways, games, and bad Irish jokes!!! I can't wait until Cowboy & I get to be the fun grandparents. (I know, it's many years away.)

6. Sam's Club.

7. The opportunity for Little Bit to come spend a couple nights with us. (Just don't ask how our 1 1/2 hour appointment went. I had both 2-year olds and the 4-year old with me. It took over 30 minutes to get to the appointment, then the fun began. Did I mention it was in the afternoon, when ALL three of them needed a nap desperately?) I'm so grateful Little Bit's mom allows us to stay involved in her life.

8. Handbells. I haven't played in years, and am playing with our church's handbell choir for Easter. I practiced for the first time this week. At first I was AWFUL! But by the end of the practice, it was coming back to me. I've always loved handbells. Cowboy & I had handbells at our wedding. SO beautiful.

I Rely on Cowboy TOO Much!

2010-03-14T16:09:00.003-05:00

I know I'm super-spoiled. Cowboy understands that my love language is Acts of Service and just jumps in to do whatever he can to lighten my load. He is so selfless about it that I just take it for granted.

This morning, after not enough sleep from the time change and a family movie night last night, I was tired! Cowboy got up and took Miss B to a swim meet. I woke up in time to get myself ready, but misjudged how long it would take to get 3 sleepy boys up and ready for church. (He usually gets the little ones dressed for church while I get ready).

We are NEVER late for church because Cowboy plays bass guitar and we always have to be there early. Besides, we drill it in our kids' heads that it is stealing to be late. We try very hard to make it a priority NOT to steal peoples' time.

This morning...we were late to church.

Not the end of the world...

Unless the ladies' group from your church is surprising you with a missions award.

I was SO embarrassed!

First of all, I didn't deserve this recognition. I could name TONS of people (pretty much every member of the church) who deserved this honor before me. I continue to feel like serving God's people needs to be a much bigger part of my life and I admire SO many people in my church who do a better job of that than me.

Secondly, I WAS LATE!!! I could not believe I had to be hunted down in the kids' area, while checking in kiddos to their classes, and lied to about someone needing me so that I would quickly get myself to the sanctuary.

Things I want to change after today:
1. Function better without the help of my sweet man.

2. Serve God and His people more fully every day in every way.

Banana Puddin'

2010-03-12T15:23:00.004-06:00

Last weekend our family got together with my friend Cottagebaker and her family. We always have a great time with them. She's a fabulous cook and made the most delicious potato salad. I'll post the recipe on here when she gets it to me (hint, hint). I made banana pudding for dessert. It's so easy, but yummy!

Cowboy's dad's birthday is today and I found myself in the kitchen again with Martha (my Kitchenaid) whipping up some nana puddin'. I thought I'd share my recipe with you.

Banana Puddin'
1 can Eagle Brand milk (I use the fat-free version)
1 box vanilla instant pudding
1 box vanilla wafers (reduced fat, of course)
2 (8-oz.) cartons Cool Whip (light)
2 c. milk (skim)
a few bananas (naturally fat-free HAHA! I just had to add that!)

Mix Eagle Brand milk, 1 carton Cool Whip, and pudding together. Pour in milk and beat until well blended. Pour over wafers and sliced bananas in layers. Chill 1-2 hours. Reserve the second carton of Cool Whip to dallop on the individual servings of pudding.

Can you tell by this recipe that I LOVE COWBOY???? I do my best in the kitchen to make everything a little less bad for his cholesterol.

By the way, can I just say that just because a person is a Chaplain does not mean he is mature?

Just before we left Cottagebaker's home last weekend, the laughter among all the kids was overpowering. They were giggling at something they were reading from the Bible. I should've known better, but I asked what was so funny. Apparently Cowboy had shown them Deuteronomy 25:11.

Let's just say I'm glad we are good friends with Cottagebaker's family.

Have fun searching in God's Word!!!

I'm Clearly Not "The Smart One" Anymore

2010-03-08T23:30:00.002-06:00

OK, so you know how in families the different children tend to get labeled? Intentionally or unintentionally, it happens.

So, what was my label? I was "The Smart One". My sisters were musical and creative and I was "The Smart One". If you want a good piano teacher, don't look to me. If you want a great haircut, don't look to me. However, I have sisters who are amazing at those things. If you want to know how to use the Pythagorean Theorem to figure out how much cable to purchase for a certain situation, I'm your girl.

Or, I used to be your girl. However, everyday I feel like my knowledge base is shrinking. Is that possible?

Maybe not, but my memory is HORRIBLE and it makes me feel like I know NOTHING!

I recently played a game with a group of women where you had to say what movie character you were most like. I said I was like the girl from 50 First Dates. (She's the one who lost her short-term memory due to a car accident). I have NO idea what her name was in the movie (that would require a memory), so I just called her "the girl from 50 First Dates".

Tonight at Bunco something came up and I showed off my lack of memory. I said, "Remember, I'm Dory from Finding Nemo." My partner for that round said, "No, you weren't. I was."

I said, "Oh yeah, that's right. I was the girl from 50 First Dates."

'Nough Said

Thankful Thursday

2010-02-25T13:46:00.002-06:00

Here are the things I am thankful for this week, in random order, because my life is full of random order...

1. New checks that arrived today--I had run completely out!!!

2. A renewed desire to live more simply. Cowboy LOVES reading Francis Chan's books and listening to his podcasts. He & his family are truly amazing. He & his wife moved into a 1000 square feet home with their 5 kids so that they could use their money to make eternal differences. I'm not looking for a smaller home (mine's not very big), but I am thinking about the excess we have in our home and lives.

3. An amazing weekend with my co-op friends rediscovering God's abundant love for us.

4. An experience of a lifetime this morning with Cowboy and our two big kids. We had the opportunity to go to a private viewing of some amazing Bible artifacts. I'm talking pieces of Dead Sea Scrolls, cuneiform clay tablets, papyrus writings, old scrolls of the Torah. AMAZING stuff!!! We were even able to touch the stuff, although we chose mostly not to-it just didn't seem right.

5. A sweet picture message this morning on my phone from Little Bit. She told me she loved me. I miss her. :( Hopefully she can come spend some time with us this weekend.

6. That Miss B is healthy. She had an awful bout with strep this past weekend.

7. For Narnia books. C-Man and I have had the BEST time this year reading through all of them. We've had some amazing spiritual discussions thanks to C.S. Lewis's books.

Counting my blessings

Thankful Thursday

2010-02-18T22:43:00.004-06:00

Here's my list for the week in random order, because my life is full of random order.

I am thankful...

1. for Cowboy, my one and only Valentine.

2. that I get to go on a Beth Moore retreat this weekend with some dear homeschool moms.

3. that my parents have gone to Mexico & back in the past week & are safely across the street, where they belong.

4. that my in-laws celebrated their 42nd anniversary. What a great example of love they are!

5. for the Olympics. I do have to be careful not to become an Olympic junkie, though. :)

6. that I get to hear what message God has given Cowboy for our congregation this Sunday. This is his second time to fill-in when our pastor is gone and I'm excited to hear what God has to say about Relationships On Purpose.

7. for a well family.

8. for TobyMac's new album. Give me that funky Jesus music!

9. for a great appointment with NoBo's psychologist.

10. that, although I didn't have Bible Study this past week, I did have Bunco. I LOVE girl time.

Counting my blessings

Thankful Thursday

2010-02-04T22:53:00.003-06:00

Here are the things I'm thankful for this week, in random order, because my life is full of random order.

1. I'm thankful for a relaxing week without the workload from our homeschool co-op, because it was canceled due to yucky roads this week.

2. I'm thankful for Christian counselors, who can help our family members work through some rough spots in life with Godly wisdom.

3. I'm thankful for my mother-in-law, who took the 3 oldest kids to lunch today.

4. I'm thankful for having a day that my kids and I could spend with Miss Musicality, my sister. Our kids had such a great time together. They hadn't been able to hang out with one another since Christmas. I love that my kids are close to their cousins.

5. I'm thankful that Little Bit came home this evening, after being back with her mom for a week. We sure missed that girl!

6. I'm thankful that I was able to take Miss B to a movie on Sunday afternoon. We don't do this often, so it was a treat.

7. I'm thankful for hot cocoa.

8. I'm thankful that I was re-acquainted with the gym this past week. Oh, elliptical trainer, how I had missed you!

9. I'm thankful that my sweet niece, who is 3 1/2, asked Jesus in her heart this past week!!!! It doesn't get any better than that.

Counting my blessings!
Now that I have said that, I have this song stuck in my head...

Count your blessings
Name them one by one
Count your blessings
See what God has done
Count your blessings
Name them one by one
Count your many blessings
See what God has done

Groundhog Day Fun

2010-02-02T18:53:00.009-06:00

Little I woke me up this morning saying, "It's Groundhog Day, so get up."

Not wanting to disappoint my four-year old, I decided to make a dessert for this undercelebrated holiday.
Punxsutawney Phil, brownie style

I'm sure you know by now, but our furry friend said there will be 6 more weeks of winter.

6 more weeks of....
doing the centipede in the snow

6 more weeks of...
having snowball fights

6 more weeks of...
making snow angels while getting some extra use out of a swim parka

6 more weeks of...
watching big brothers and big sister play in the snow

6 more weeks of...
trying to figure out what kind of wildlife is leaving tracks on our front walk and driveway

If the next 6 weeks would actually be like the last week we've had, our family would be thrilled! WE LOVE THE SNOW!!!

Come On Down

2010-01-29T10:37:00.002-06:00

Today we're having a relaxed day at home, thanks to the ice/snow storm. We did not lose power and I'm loosening the reins a bit on our TV viewing. After Sesame Street, I changed the station to our local CBS station to see what the weather was doing and The Price is Right was on. C-Man asked me to leave it on since the current contestant shared his first name.

Every time I watch this show a flood of memories/emotions comes over me.

When I was quite young I used to spend a great amount of time with my Aunt Lula. She was my great-aunt who lived in the town where I grew up. She never had children of her own, but treated me and my sisters like granddaughters. We LOVED our time with her.

For some odd reason every time I was with her I developed a bad cough. OK, it was really because she ALWAYS had Luden's Wild Cherry Throat Drops with her & they're delicious. When I was at her house, daytime TV was always on. We watched Bob Barker together. She also watched her soaps. I don't remember which soaps she watched, but I can still hear the dramatic theme music. She colored with me and taught me how to color in circles so that you don't get those awful lines on your masterpiece.

Bob Barker was also a staple at my home when I stayed home from school because I was sick or tired. Yes, my mom was nice enough to let me stay home when I was tired. I have suffered from anemia off and on throughout my life, which can really drain you. So, during those restful days at home I would do my best to win all the prizes that Bob's Beauties were displaying.

So I guess I'm hoping that by allowing my kids to watch The Price is Right, they'll eventually remember that not every day was filled with me barking out orders about getting school work completed and bedrooms cleaned. (By the way, I am asking God daily to help me not bark out orders so much, but I'm a work in progress).

Well, they've called the last contestant for the day ("Come on down, you're the next contestant on The Price is Right") so I guess I should get down off of this bar stool and make some real memories with my kids.

Thankful Thursday

2010-01-27T22:29:00.004-06:00

I'm posting a couple hours early because of an impending ice storm. If it's anything like what the meteorologists say it will be, our neighborhood will probably lose power. We always seem to lose power.

So, here are the things I'm thankful for this week, in random order because my life is full of random order.

1. I'm thankful that there are so many little ones in my home that the little ones' bathroom mirror looked like it belonged behind crime scene tape yesterday, before I attacked it with some Windex.

2. I'm thankful that Conan's last week is over so that Cowboy & I don't feel like we have to stay up late every night to see what mayhem is going down. OK, let me clarify. I may have felt like I should've stayed up late, but in all honesty I fell asleep on the couch almost every night.

3. I'm thankful that NoBo's tubes in his ears are doing their job and that his hearing has improved.

4. I'm thankful for friends who came over for dinner over the weekend. We haven't had non-family company in SO long that it was peaceful (although there 14 kids at our house) to just hang out with friends.

5. I'm thankful for the purchase Cowboy made to prepare us for the potential ice storm we'll have tomorrow. We are now the proud owners of a generator. Power outages will no longer leave us in the dark!

6. I'm thankful for the doctor who discovered the problems in my mom's eyes. Both eyes have been repaired (for now) and her sight is saved.

7. I'm thankful for C-Man's new dermatologist, who prescribed the most amazing medicine for his warts. These pesky annoyances are finally shrinking. After painful treatment from another dermatologist over a year ago that didn't work, we're finally making progress.

Continuing to count my blessings!

Thankful Thursday

2010-01-21T21:38:00.003-06:00

So I've been reading a few blogs lately, but not posting. However, a couple of girls I used to do Bible Study with years ago both do "Thankful Thursday" posts, and I decided it might get me out of my non-blogging rut.

Here are the things I'm thankful for today, in no particular order.

1. The Bible Study I'm doing right now, Beth Moore's The Patriarchs.

2. Cowboy, who faithfully unloads the dishwasher every evening & picks up our daily tornado-stricken living room.

3. My mother-in-law, who took Little I to his dentist appointment today.

4. Living across the street from my parents. I was able to come home from grocery shopping this evening and walk across the street to check on Mom, who had eye surgery today.

5. My grandparents. They are each one of the two remaining children alive in both of their families. They each came from families with 13 children. I'm so glad they're still with us.

6. Grandpa's devotion to God. He was able to lead his only living brother to Christ within the last several months. That brother is now with Jesus and his life will be celebrated tomorrow as my Dad conducts his funeral.

7. NoBo. It's been just about a year since he came to our home. I'm grateful to be the one cleaning up his vomit today. Mom reminded me this evening that his little body probably wouldn't have survived living with his biological family.

8. Little Bit. She's been back with us for over 4 weeks now. We love her so much--even through her biting, pinching, scratching, hitting, and constant eating!!! We're grateful her mom has allowed us to remain a big part of her life.

Sweet Kisses

2010-01-16T19:47:00.004-06:00

I hate to admit this. Especially to those of you who've never been able to have children biologically. But, here it is anyway...

There are times when I still get sad that Cowboy & I were only able to have 2 children biologically.

At those times when I let myself "go there" and be sad, I pull myself up quickly by thinking about how gracious God has been to me and Cowboy to allow us to have this precious boy as our son.

Little I is so passionate. He brings such an abundance of joy to our home daily.

Last week he was kissing us all goodnight. He spent a few minutes kissing each of us all over our faces & necks. We were laughing hysterically and I continue to be amazed that God chose us to be Little I's family.

If you finish your school work early...

2009-12-29T10:35:00.009-06:00

We're all about rewards in our house. Cowboy usually is the creative one to think of them, but I'm happy to follow through if they make my life easier and more fun!

So...before Christmas break Cowboy dangled the carrot in front of Miss B and C-Man. They went for it!!!

I had their agendas filled out with everything that needed to be accomplished before we started our official Christmas Break. Cowboy told the kids if they finished by certain dates they would receive rewards. The sooner they finished, the bigger the reward. He did this to save my sanity and I thank him for that! (He's always looking out for my sanity).

Miss B stayed up until after midnight one night to finish her work so that she would have an extra week of Christmas Break.

She and I went to our city's downtown area to ice skate. We had so much fun and laughed SO hard at each other! I worked very hard to NOT FALL!!! She, of course, made fun of me for my caution. However, I tried to remind her my body was old and I could get seriously hurt if I fell.

After successfully ice skating without injury, we had dinner together. Don't panic about the amount of food she consumed. Right after this she swam for an hour and fifteen minutes. (Makes me tired to think about it).

This reward was TOTALLY worth it!!! Not only did I not have to harp on Miss B to finish up her school work on the days preceding Christmas, but I also got to spend time with my girl. PRICELESS!!!

2009-12-29T08:34:00.002-06:00

Today I'm tired.

...tired of cleaning up vomit on floors
...tired of cleaning up vomit on children & their clothes
...tired of cleaning up vomit on bedding
...tired of sanitizing the high chair, sink, & bath tub
...tired of spraying disinfectant
...tired of not having Cowboy here to sleep next to
...tired of worrying about who's going to get sick next
...tired of telling kids to clean their rooms
...tired of working hard on Little Bit's hair only to have it look like she did it herself

So this morning I'm going to start my day with Coke and this bit of God's Word that I'm holding on tightly to today.

My people will live in peaceful dwelling places,
in secure homes,
in undisturbed places of rest.
Isaiah 32:18

His Hand

2009-12-28T12:27:00.002-06:00

With plans for Cowboy & Miss B to be out of town for a few days, Saturday afternoon Cowboy and I decided we better get out and about with all the kids to stock up on groceries so that I wouldn't have to get out with 4 by myself to shop when you can't even push a shopping cart through the parking lots of the grocery stores because of the packed snow. While we were getting everyone ready to head out, my mom called and said if we'd pick up the things on her list, she and Dad would keep all the kids for Cowboy and I to run errands without the whole crew. HOW AMAZING!!!

Yesterday Cowboy and Miss B went with our church youth group to San Antonio for a fun trip. Last night NoBo started throwing up here at home, then Cowboy called me to tell me Miss B was doing the same thing at the church they were staying at in San Antonio. YUCK! I was SO thankful that Cowboy was on the trip with her and could take care of her.

Today 2 of my dear friends have taken my other 3 kids off my hands so I could sanitize my home and take care of NoBo. My sweet mother-in-law is bringing homemade chicken and noodles for dinner.

I just got off the phone with Cowboy and Miss B is feeling much better. They were walking through the parking lot at Sea World ready to see Shamu!

How amazing when I choose to see God's hand at work in our lives each and every day!!!

Providence

2009-12-23T08:22:00.003-06:00

Yesterday started out as one of those days. I entered the little boys' bedroom to the discover the stinch of puke on NoBo. I didn't see any evidence, but I knew it was there. I immediately went into panic. This is the teeny tiny 2-year old who doesn't even weigh 19 pounds. His body can't afford to get any smaller and I can't afford to lose time with my family by being in the hospital with him, if dehydration happened. After a clean-up, he acted as if he was starving. I tried his cup, which he quickly ejected from his body. I cleaned everything up, sent out a text to family, friends, and his case worker asking for prayer.

With all of this taking place, I decided to change my plans for the day. I'd stay in all day with kiddos, instead of running a few errands I had planned on.

Little Bit's mom called at about this time and I explained to her we SO wanted to have Little Bit over to spend the night, but was now worried about giving her NoBo's stomach crud. I told her Cowboy would pick up Little Bit after he got off work unless she heard back from me that NoBo had gotten sick again.

Well...NoBo did NOT get sick again, but I did get many Christmas gifts wrapped during afternoon nap time, some dishes done, and laundry mostly caught up.

Cowboy called after picking up Little Bit and told me her mom, her siblings, and her don't currently have a home. They've been driving around in their van for the past day, but the van was now about out of gas and they were out of money. They'd been living with a boyfriend of mom's, who was getting ready to get violent. Mom felt it was necessary for everybody's safety to leave everything behind and get out of there. Cowboy told me to plan to have Little Bit through Christmas and possibly longer. The big kids and I kicked it into high gear getting the dining room table cleared (our kitchen table, which seats 6, is clearly NOT big enough for a family of 7), cleaning bathrooms, rounding up clothes for her, etc.

This morning, after having Little Bit safely nestled between me and Cowboy during the night, I am SO grateful for God's providence. He made a way yesterday for me to get more done at home than I'd planned, because of NoBo's yucky tummy.

I would've never dreamed we would be able to have ALL our children home for Christmas together. Thank you, God, for your divine providence!

Our Favorite Christmas Tradition 2009

2009-12-22T14:00:00.003-06:00

We (somewhat) pulled it off again!

Our kids had a very sneaky suspicion about what was coming. They've been driving us crazy for the last few days wondering when we were going to look at lights. They're also getting older and resisting bedtimes more, so it's difficult to put them all to bed and get them up out of bed to surprise them with our annual Christmas Light-seeing. We typically wait until they've been in bed for about 30 minutes. This year we were struggling to get them out of their showers in time to catch the lights before they shut them down at 11. After the 2 big kids were cleaned & dresseed, we told them to hustle to the car. Cowboy's mom came in to sit with NoBo, while he slept.

We loaded everyone up with their blankets. We had no time for our normal 7-11 run, but the kids didn't mind.

This was Little I's second time to go with us on our late-night adventure. When we told him we were going to look at the Christmas lights, he asked, "What are they going to do for us?" I love this age! Apparently he'd forgotten all about looking at lights last year.

Once we were at the light display, we let the kids unbuckle. Little I was hysterical! He was WOUND UP!!! I think we had just as much fun giggling at his silliness as we did oohing and aahing over the lights. I love having the age range we have with our kids. The joy that Miss B & C-Man get from their younger brothers makes my heart smile.

I'm thinking next year we'll need to do this on a schoolnight a couple weeks before Christmas so they won't suspect a thing. Whether they were surprised or not, we're still making memories!

Two of a Kind

2009-12-19T18:49:00.003-06:00

When Cowboy & I were engaged there was a Garth Brooks song that we loved, Two of a Kind Working on a Full House. Cowboy kept teasing me that it would be sung at our wedding. I put my foot down there--how hick are we, really? I said the ONLY way that would be sung at our wedding was by Garth himself. He assured me he could make that happen, since we both went to the same high school and college as Garth (only 10 years later).

Well...the song was thankfully not sung at our wedding. I just happened to think of that song today and thought that there are many times I feel like our house couldn't get any more full. (Yes, my friends with BIG families, I know it could). My family today is not at all what I thought my family would look like, but I wouldn't change it for ANYTHING! God has worked in our lives in ways, that 17 years ago when we were a few weeks shy of being married, would've been unimaginable to us.

So...is your house full? Do you have a real faith in Christ? Are you living it? Can you welcome into your home a child who is currently without parents? I'm challenging you now to pray about how your family can help foster children in your area during 2010. Perhaps you can become a foster family or an adoptive family or a respite family or volunteer at your county's shelter, where the kids live while they wait for a foster home.

Real religion, the kind that passes muster before God the Father, is this: Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight, and guard against corruption from the godless world. James 1:27 (The Message)

Poopsicles

2009-12-02T19:05:00.002-06:00

So Little I asked me tonight if I'd ever had "one of those poopsicles". He said, "the ones that we had at that hotel that had writing on them and Deanna Jones (Indiana Jones). C-Man said, "He's talking about a pop-tart."

Little I said, "Yeah, a fart tart." Then he asked me if I'd ever had a fart-tart.

I'm grateful tonight that I've never had a poopsicle or a fart-tart!!!

Drawing Names for Christmas?

2009-11-09T16:20:00.003-06:00

As you can surely tell by my lack of posts lately, and my inability to finish my Disney World posts, life has been insane lately! My laptop died after only being with me 15 months. BOO HOO!!!

So...I'm trying to catch up on life and get ready for the holidays. What? The holidays? Is this some sort of cruel joke? No! The holidays are really just around the corner. I heard my first Christmas song on the radio last week on my way home from Bible Study.

The first thing my sisters and I do to get ready is to draw names for all our kids. I found an awesome site this year that does all the work for you! Your kids can enter their wish lists and draw names online!!!

It's brilliant and I wish I'd have thought of it!!!

To check out the site, click on the title of this post and you'll go directly to the draw names site.

Happy drawing!

There's No Denying I'm Blessed

2009-10-18T22:15:00.002-05:00

Disney World Vacation Recap--Day 2

2009-09-29T17:34:00.007-05:00

First of all, please forgive me for not sticking to my plan of blogging about each day of our vacation on consecutive days. What was I thinking? I'm back in the REAL world, not Disney World.

Day Two
Cowboy and I woke up at 3:45 AM so that we could get to the airport on time.
Here are the kids, in the dark, walking on the tarmac to get to the plane.

We were so nervous about how Little I would do on a plane. He did GREAT!

Disney Travel Tip
When you stay at a Disney Resort, Disney sends you luggage tags so that you don't have to claim your luggage when you arrive in Orlando. They also provide ground transportation to and from the airport. If you pre-register within 10 days of your arrival, the check-in time at the resort is SHORT!

Here's what we saw when we got to our room.
Let the magic begin!

We quickly sat down our bags, took a fast bathroom break, and headed out the door for some fun!

We caught the bus to Epcot (my favorite park). We went straight to "Land" to ride Soarin'. Then went over "Sea" to see Turtle Talk with Crush. FINALLY we got to go back to Land and eat at The Garden Grill. It was AMAZING!!! Our stomachs may have been partly influenced by the fact we hadn't had a real meal all day. Here we are with all the characters at The Garden Grill.

Highlight
The best part about Day 2 was definitely the food at The Garden Grill.

Lowlight
In the midst of a crazy day of traveling, Little I managed to have 2 accidents. One happened on the plane. (I wiped his seat clean as we left the plane). The other happened in our brand new stroller. For the rest of the day all I could smell was urine! I know it was all in my head, but I couldn't get that smell out of my nostrils!!!

Disney Travel Tip
We all decided after this first day at parks that we should have done Magic Kingdom for our first day. It just feels more "magical". Fortunately, four of the five of us have experienced the magic of Disney World and Little I didn't know the difference.

Disney World Vacation Recap--Day 1

2009-09-26T15:38:00.003-05:00

I recently went to Disney World with Cowboy and our 3 biggest kids. We were away from home for 10 nights! It was amazing!!! Since I've not blogged in awhile, I thought I might just blog each day for the next several days and tell anyone who cares our Disney travel tips, highlights, lowlights, or memorable events of our trip.

So...
without further ado here's the 1st day:

Day One
The munchkins took the day off from schoolwork, laid around, and watched old Disney movies as we continued to acquaint Little I with all things Disney. I packed like a crazed person. Cowboy came home early from work. We did a triple-check of everyone's packing lists and loaded up. We dropped NoBo off with our good friend who kept him the entire time we were gone and headed for Wichita, KS.

Disney Travel Tip
Why Wichita? Cowboy is a bargain-hunting cheapskate and flying out of Wichita, instead of Oklahoma City, saved us $850!!! The drive only takes about 2 1/2 hours and Wichita has QT's and Spangles! We discovered that most hotels near airports now offer "Park, Stay & Fly". You stay one night with them, leave your vehicle with them, and they'll shuttle you to and from the airport. This was cheaper for our family than leaving our van at the airport the whole time.

Highlight
The hotel we stayed at clearly used to be a Holidome. Does anyone have fond memories of those growing up like I do? Anyway, now there's shuffleboard, miniature golf, ping pong, and arcade games instead of the large indoor pool that Holidomes were centered around. We had a blast playing with the kids!

Lowlight
Little I cried for about an hour and a half while we were trying to get everyone to bed at a decent hour so that we could wake up WAY before the crack of dawn to catch our flight. He said things like, "I want my own bed. I want to go home." We we prayed like crazy that the next 9 nights would be a nightmare for us!

Why are we paying for what we can get for free?

2009-09-01T19:05:00.006-05:00

Some months back Cowboy and I decided to join the gym where Miss B swims 5 nights a week. We decided this was a great way to spend our time while she was there. The boys would all go to the childcare room and we'd get in some much-needed workout time. The plan seemed to go along rather nicely until..

VBS, back-to-school activities and planning, numerous trips to the chiropractor, sick kids, and life in general!

So I was looking back at some pictures from a couple months ago when Little Bit came to spend the night with us and realized WE DON'T NEED TO PAY TO GO TO A GYM! Here's why...

Cowboy can get a great workout by doing push ups with little ones all over him or just by crawling around on the floor while carrying Little Bit. (She weighs a TON).

I have my own live-in trainers who LOVE to push me WAY PAST MY LIMITS!!! (Can you see the look of pain on my face? My trainer loves to get me to make this face.)

Bench pressing little ones can give a great upper body workout.

Parenting NoBo requires me to act as his physical therapist (and speech therapist, and child development specialist,etc.)

Did I mention we already have our very own highly trained child care provider on site?

These Sweet Blessings

2009-08-19T22:30:00.004-05:00

Today Miss B reminded me yet again that she's growing up. It can't be stopped, I know, but I wish it would just slow down sometimes.

She fixed lunch for us. She worked hard to cook and prepare everything for her brothers and me. She added a bit of flair with her presentation that is SO not me (or maybe it was, because it was all symmetrical). Anyway, she had a lovely plate of fruits and veggies that was laid out so beautifully in the middle of the table for us.

I decided she could just be in charge of lunches around here. Shoot, I have enough things to be in charge of. So...I'm turning over the reins to my very capable girl. She's going to capably care for a family of her own someday, I'm quite certain. I hope she has a whole mess of kids!!! Of course, she'll adopt them all because she can't bear the thought of actually birthing a child. I think that's just fine, too. The love is the same no matter how they come to you.

Tonight as C-Man was lying down to go to sleep he looked up and said, "Thanks, Mom." I questioned what he was grateful for and he just said, "Thanks for everything." I tried to keep him from seeing me hold back the tears. How tender that boy is! He is going to be a fine husband someday...just like his Daddy.

OK, I'm too sentimental tonight. I'm crying just writing this.

I'm just blessed to be Mom to as many Sweet Blessings as God wants me to be--hopefully only 4, though. OK, God? Did you hear me? I'm totally good with 4.

Family Tradition

2009-08-07T13:55:00.005-05:00

Cowboy started something years ago that the kids LOVE!!! What's not to love when you're given the freedom to use your dad's back as a canvas?

Anyway, the tradition has morphed and changed. It is no longer just about coloring on dad's back. ANYONE is fair game in this house!

Brown-Handed

2009-08-07T09:18:00.005-05:00

So this morning C-Man says to NoBo, "I've caught you brown-handed".

He said, "I would have said 'red-handed' if he was an Indian."

C-Man makes me laugh! He knows he's funny, too, which can be problematic at times.

Mental Defect

2009-07-30T11:15:00.009-05:00

I have a sickness, a mental defect, if you will.

I LOVE school supplies--fresh, new, unsharpened pencils, crayons with perfect tips, new pencil pouches, neatly arranged colored pencils, binders screaming for fun scrapbook paper to be placed in their front covers to make them look all cutesy, RSVP pens in all colors,...

Maybe my mental defect stems from my elementary years. Our family would go to Ratcliffe's Books to purchase our workbooks that our school required for the year. Because it was a college bookstore, my eyes would wander to the other items the bookstore sold. Such excitement--everything was colorful and new!!!

Or maybe my mental defect stems from my need to have order. Unmarked workbooks, pages without eraser marks. No mistakes have been made in any books! How peaceful...

Or perhaps my mental defect stems from my public school teaching days. That first day of school with all those fresh school supplies was the last day of complete cleanliness and order for the entire school year.

Wherever it came from, my sickness is here in FULL force. I love the beginning of something new...something pure...something clean!!!

Wait a minute, those things I LOVE about new school supplies are just the things God does in our lives. His sweet mercy and grace takes us from the marred mess we are and makes us new, pure, and clean! What a beautiful gift!!!

Marriage Workout

2009-07-23T12:48:00.003-05:00

Is your marriage out-of-shape? Once a marriage has gotten to the point of sarcastic comments, empty threats, non-communication, it's hard to know what to do to get it back to the way it once was. It's not like you can hire a marriage trainer who can come into your home and correct your bad habits and strengthen your marriage by creating good habits. Yes, you can see a counselor, but the work is on you. Maybe your marriage is not in that bad of shape, but you know it needs a little more work than you've been putting into it.

I recently had a friend who was struggling in her marriage. Here's some advice I gave her (plus a little more):

If your husband enjoys a neat and tidy home (and you're not typically inclined to have it that way), 30 minutes before he arrives home assign each family member a “zone” of the house to work quickly on! Not deep-cleaning, here, just sprucing up the place to let him feel good about coming home—dirty clothes, toys, dishes, & shoes put away, etc. If you do this correctly, by letting him know you’re all trying to make his workload lighter at home and that you appreciate how hard he works for your family (even if the work is self-imposed and you don’t necessarily think it needs to be done), he will feel more appreciated and less tired from doing all this himself.

Learn your husband's love language (get the book by Gary Chapman). Chances are he gives and receives love differently than you. For instance, my primary love language is acts of service. When Cowboy does the dishes, sweeps the floor, cleans the van, or makes the bed I feel SO loved by him. I know he does things like that to lighten my burden. His love languages are physical touch and quality time. When I sit with him on the couch and hold hands while watching a TV show or watching something on the laptop, it speaks volumes to him.

Men love to be praised and encouraged. Thank him for everything he does. Text him sweet nothings. Tell him he does a great job. Even if you don’t feel like he gives you words of encouragement, be the bigger person and use loving words to and about him.

If you're wanting to change your husband, beware! It seems like most of the work of “changing” your husband actually comes from changing your own attitude about and towards your husband. I know that sounds awful, but I’ve noticed it to be true in our marriage.

Go on a date! Find a babysitter or a family member to watch the kids and go out with your hubby!!! Let him know it’s important to you that you 2 continue to work on your own relationship. If you only have money for a sitter and not a date, get creative! You can go to a bookstore and enjoy some time together while looking at magazines and books. Looking at a Southern Living magazine while your hubby looks at Sports Illustrated probably wouldn't be your best choice, but you people are smart enough to make good date night reading selections.

Finally, the one that you might not want to hear: HAVE SEX! I’ve discovered that no matter how TIRED I am, sex is a very good thing for marriage. Extra grace seems to be extended after sex!

Enjoy getting back into shape!!!

SO Amazing

2009-07-08T14:49:00.004-05:00

Today I'm just reflecting today on how good my husband is! Truly amazing!!!

We won a night's stay at a bed and breakfast about 6 months ago and we haven't gone yet. BUMMER, I know. Cowboy told me a couple days ago that he called, made the reservation, and was working on a babysitter! How fabulous is that? Get this-there was a cancellation for the honeymoon cottage for the night we booked, so since the lady felt sorry for us since we have 4 kids, she is letting us have it!!! I love that most of the US has less than 3 kids--it makes them take pity on the rest of us crazies! I don't need pity, but I'll take it in this case.

While we're on the husband topic, let me just say that I really try to be submissive to my husband's authority. However, I made a statement a few weeks ago in front of my parents that might have just shocked my Dad (or maybe not, because I am his daughter--outspoken nature and all).

We were talking about my short hair and how freeing it is. I said I realize it's not a glamorous, sexy thing, but it's SO do-able for me. Someone made the comment that men would never choose for us womenfolk to have short hair. I said I didn't really care what Cowboy thought of it, it was on MY body and I'm the one who has to deal with it.

By the way, Cowboy has never told me he likes/dislikes my hair a certain way and has also never asked me to do/not do anything in particular with it. I'm SO blessed!

He's also an amazing Daddy! I do not deserve this man, but am so glad God chose me for him anyway. OK, I'm finished bragging now.

It's Your Thing

2009-06-30T15:55:00.004-05:00

Miss B and I were talking the other day about some odd quirks she has: bumping into things with one side of her body, then she has to with the other; tapping things an even number of times; etc. She asked me why she did that. I had no great answer and told her those were just a few quirky little OCD-ish behaviors.

Then we starting talking about how everyone probably has some sort of quirky behaviors. I have too many to mention right now. But here are a few examples: our comforter must have the flowers facing a certain direction; pillow cases must face a certain way; I could spend a solid hour cleaning the stove and completely ignore HUGE piles of clutter in the kitchen; I LOVE symmetry.

So, what's your thing? It would make me feel so much more normal to know others have weird things, too!

Boycott

2009-06-26T13:31:00.002-05:00

OK, when a restaurant gets your order wrong they should not only fix it, but they should APOLOGIZE! Is it really too much to ask?

C-Man decided after my second trip into the restaurant (after driving through to avoid actually going in) we should boycott the place. So...I'm going to do my best to stick with his wishes. We will now be boycotting that particular establishment. (But most definitely not the whole chain!)

Simple as Legos

2009-06-18T15:22:00.002-05:00

Well, we've now spent 6 nights at my parents house. The a/c is STILL not fixed. The part should hopefully be in tomorrow.

Trying to explain to Little I why we can't go home has been confusing. He can see our house across the street and it looks fine.

He told me a couple days ago, "Our house is broke. We'll have to break it down and build it again."

Oh, if everything were as simple as Legos!!!

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

2009-06-16T20:37:00.003-05:00

Just so you know, I AM COMPETITIVE. There, I said it, hopefully you'll better understand the following story now that you know that.

Last night we were hanging at my parents house (for the 4th night because our a/c still isn't fixed) with Baby Sis, her hubby, my parents, and all of our kids. Baby Sis's 3-year old boy had soaked through his Pull-Up and she was changing him. She held it up and said how heavy it was. (And it WAS quite visibly full of urine).

So...being the competitive older sister that I am, I decided to check Little I's Pull-Up. Yes, I know he's 4. He's pretty much potty trained, but he'd been at Papa & Nana's all evening with no parent to make him stop playing and remind him to use the potty chair.

Anyway, Little I's Pull-Up was bulging, so I whipped it off of him and waved it around to prove that his was bigger, more full of urine, and to my surprise out dropped a poop nugget on my parents' coffee table.

Winner! Winner! Chicken Dinner!

I SOOOOOO won!!!

NoBo's progress

2009-06-13T16:35:00.003-05:00

A few weeks ago I expressed some frustration to Cowboy that NoBo was just not progressing like I hoped he would when he first came to our home. Cowboy pointed out many ways that NoBo had made progress since coming to live with our family in January. Recently I've noticed even more progress, which is very hopeful.

As many of you know, we really struggle with NoBo's eating. Recently we've gone to a psychologist's office for some help with his food aversions. Things seem to be looking up. A few days ago he weighed in at a whopping 18.7 pounds. The 18-pound mark has seemed like an unattainable goal since we've had NoBo. Everytime he'd approach 18 pounds he'd get sick and lose back down. Needless to say, we've been rejoicing with his weight gain!!!

He's vocalizing often and the sounds he makes are no longer just vowel sounds. Yay for consonants!

A few minutes ago he took his first step!!!

Currently he's throwing a fit because I won't let him touch the keyboard. Things like this are a huge praise. I know that sounds funny, but I get excited when he exhibits "normal" behaviors. He's throwing a fit right now as I type that is very typical of a 1 1/2 year old. YAY!!!

Thanks for letting me share my excitement in the baby steps. I'm believing God will continue to restore losses that NoBo has had.

Where has chivalry gone?

2009-06-11T08:59:00.002-05:00

OK, I realize that in most areas I am very old-fashioned and this one is NO exception.

Last night Cowboy and I were doing weights together at the gym and these two guys next to us were using some foul language in just their everyday talk. After the first one used his filthy mouth I said nothing, then the next one chimed in. Seriously, they were only 3 feet away. I felt they should have noticed a lady was present, but they didn't.

So, I did the thing I've done numerous times. (Which, by the way, does embarrass Miss B to no end). I asked the men to please watch their language. The one who I specifically asked said, "Oh, sorry." Whether he meant it or not, I don't care. He didn't have to apologize or watch his mouth, but he did and I'm grateful. I heard no more ash tray talk from him or his bad-mouthed pal.

My point is, how far have we come with our whole "women's lib"? Apparently now we're so equal that men don't even recognize when ladies are in their presence. You can ask Cowboy, it's QUITE apparent from my body that I'm a lady. Even though my hair is short, my chest is not anywhere near flat! :)

I do have to point out at this time that these men were in their 40's and not wearing wedding bands. Just an observation. Take what you want from it.

So I guess all I want is for men to be men. I want men to be protectors and defenders of ladies. I hope I'm raising my boys to be just that.

A Little Peek Into Our Future

2009-06-07T16:09:00.003-05:00

Friday night Cowboy and I ran some errands and went to dinner with the 2 little guys. C-Man was away with my parents for the weekend and Miss B was fulfilling the commitments on her social calendar.

As we're sitting at dinner, we realized how funny it felt for just the cute brown boys and us to be together. Then it hit me! This is just a peek into the next few years of our lives. The older our 2 big kids get, the more this will happen. WOW! You don't realize when they're so little how soon it will all pass. Their time with you will be less and less, which is normal, I know. But WEIRD nonetheless.

The other things running through my mind as people are commenting on our cute boys...Do people think to themselves, "Oh, that poor couple wasn't able to have kids" or "How sweet that they adopted internationally" or "They are definitely older parents!" Who knows? But, here's my responses... "No, not poor us, blessed us. Not international adoption! They're from right here in our community. And, finally, YES, we are older parents!!! But, we didn't start this way 12 years ago when we had our first!"

Praise God!

2009-06-02T13:36:00.004-05:00

The rain is here. I had just finished publishing my last post when C-Man looked outside and said, "Why is everything all wet? Oh! It's raining."

Isn't God good?

Bring the Rain

2009-06-02T13:25:00.002-05:00

OK, let me just whine for a minute. May is usually an AWFUL month for me when it comes to how I feel. My allergies get so bad that I usually spend at least one full day in bed from pure exhaustion. The sneezing and itchy eyes do me in!

This May was actually quite pleasant for me because of the cooler weather which forged its way through most of the spring.

I suppose because the weather stayed cool for so long things are blooming later. Therefore, June so far has KILLED me!

I spent about 10 minutes outside Saturday and was yuck all day Sunday.

Yesterday morning I spent about an hour outside with the kids and I was sick all day. I had to miss a meeting last night and C-Man's baseball game. BOO HOO!!!

Today I'm declaring myself a prisoner in my own house. I'm trying not to step outside for ANYTHING!

I've loosened the reins on the 2 big kids and allowed them to spray paint outside without my supervision. I've sent Cowboy to Wal-Mart to buy a few supplies for Little I's birthday party tomorrow. I've had my children monitor Little I while he went outside to "water" the grass. (I'm not sure why he refuses to use the toilet, but I'll glady let him use the outdoor facilities if it means less urine in the Pull-Up).

Tomorrow I will have to get out and about, so I'm praying that today some rain comes to settle down all those allergens that have been flying around!

Please Come Home

2009-05-29T13:37:00.004-05:00

Baby Sister's hubby has been on tour with George Thoroughgood for a few weeks in Europe. She's driving with her in-laws and boys right now to Phoenix to meet him when he comes back to the states. Here are some pics of her oldest boy's visitors last week.

What a lucky 3-year old boy! He had the firetruck make a personal visit to him!

Oh, yeah, did I mention that the reason for their visit was to rescue him from Baby Sister's vehicle? He managed to lock himself in (with her keys) while she was unloading at Dad & Mom's house to get ready for family vacation.

All was well, he was barely sweating when they got him out!

Notice Little I watching all the fun from our curb! (The pink balloon is awesome, right?)

Tender-Hearted Boy

2009-05-27T22:29:00.002-05:00

This evening Cowboy and I took C-Man to church to meet with our pastor about C-Man's baptism this Sunday. Our pastor wanted to make sure C-Man understood the significance of his baptism and needed to make sure there were no unanswered questions before the big event.

After all the details and discussions of baptism were over, our pastor asked C-Man if he had any other questions. C-Man asked him what happened to young children who hadn't asked Jesus into their hearts and died. Our pastor gave him the answer that I've given him before. Our understanding of God and His love leads us to believe that those children will be in heaven. I don't think our pastor knew exactly what was on C-Man's mind, but I had a hunch.

I asked, "Are you concerned about Little I?"

Yes, he was. How precious is that?

SO BLESSED!

2009-05-27T12:33:00.002-05:00

It's such a blessing to have good friends live just around the corner. You know the kind...their teenage son feels comfortable enough to drop by anytime and do his best Urkel...you can call them as you are literally driving out of the neighborhood for a long holiday weekend to ask if they'll take care of your dog/mail/newspaper (& they say yes)...you go on a ski trip with them and everyone has a great time without fussing. I'm so BLESSED!

Homecoming Dance

2009-05-26T15:14:00.007-05:00

I got to go to a homecoming dance this weekend! Here's the kicker--my date was C-Man. Here we are together...

Cowboy was my twin brother, who was dating Miss before I broke them up, with the help of my niece, Niecy Dork. Sounds a bit Soap Opera-ish, doesn't it?

Did I mention that we were on family vacation this weekend with my parents and my sisters and their families? My parents take us every year on Memorial Day weekend for a little getaway. It gets better and better the older the kids get!!!

Niecy Dork and Miss B fighting over Cowboy...

Mack and S-Man were dating...

Here are Niecy Dork, Mom, C-Man, and Cowboy enjoying the grub Miss Musicality served. YUMMY!!!

Here's Dad, the high school football coach...

The sad part is that I didn't get Miss Musicality (and she's the onle who planned this whole murder mystery evening), Baby Sis (she was chasing her 2 little guys most of the evening by herself because her hubby is in Europe for a few weeks) or Miss Musicality's husband (he's a professional photographer now & his camera rarely leaves his hand) in a single picture. By the way, you can check out his work by clicking on the title of this post.

We had a fabulous time and can't wait to have another murder mystery at next year's family vacation.

Outdoor Living Space

2009-05-18T14:55:00.003-05:00

I've always secretly desired to have an outdoor living space. You know the kind? You've seen them before at Sam's. Your kids want to adjust the lovely red canvas umbrella that coordinates so beautifully with the dark brown wicker furniture with deep red cushions for the love seat, ottoman, and sofa.

You can picture yourself drinking your refreshing Coke Zero that your husband just retrieved for you from your outdoor bar area. You recline with him while watching your four peaceful children play quietly in the yard together.

Well, yesterday morning as I'm in the van leaving for church (Cowboy was already there warming up with the band--not sure how you warm up a bass guitar), the 3 boys donning their matching shorts and shirts, Miss B wearing an adorable summer dress, and me looking mom-ish, going over my mental pre-church checklist something catches my eye.

Could it be someone knows my secret thoughts of a lovely outdoor living space? I was absolutely stunned to see that someone had done this for us:

You'd have been stunned, too!!! Not only did we get a sofa, lamp, TV, table, and flower vase filled with silk flowers, but we also got a trash can (a partially-filled trash can, I might add).

Slippery Stuff

2009-05-17T16:21:00.004-05:00

For those of you who are not blessed to have someone with beautiful brown skin in your family, here's a news flash:

Quality Oils & Lotions Are Needed To Keep Skin Healthy

Apparently Little I was born with that knowledge. At only 3 years 11 months 1 week and 3 days he knows that to keep his skin healthy-looking and feeling, he needs oil. Look at how well he took care of himself yesterday.

We're pretty sure he's ready for body-building competitions!

Miss Mack

2009-05-16T09:31:00.004-05:00

When I was 21, married for only a year, and doing my student teaching, I became an aunt. I was heartbroken that I did not get to meet Miss Mack when she was in the hospital, but when you're student teaching you don't really get to take personal days. So, when she was a week old or so Cowboy and I made the road trip from Stillwater (God's Country) to Dallas. I fell instantly in love!!!

I spoiled her to the best of my ability, even though she lived in Texas, then Iowa. I took her to Discovery Zone (just the 2 of us) when she was only 1. I climbed through every slide and tube with her. She stayed the night with us when she was 2. She locked herself into a bedroom and I went into complete panic! I couldn't, for the life of me, remember how to pick a bedroom door lock, and Cowboy was unavailable at work. (Apparently it had been too long since her mom and I were living at home together under our parents' roof, driving each other crazy). I actually had to call the local fire department and have some help. (Embarrassing, I know, but I just kept thinking of what she could be getting into by herself in that room and how her mother would just KILL me if I let anything happen to her baby girl).

Then, when Miss Mack was 3, I had Miss B. Well...things changed a little with our relationship. I still adored her, but was rather occupied with my own precocious little girl. Then she had a baby brother, then I had C-Man, then blah, blah, blah. You get the picture. Life happens. When her family lived in Iowa I was fortunate enough to get to have Miss Mack and her brother come stay with us sometimes while their parents were busy working church camps, etc. Then, when Miss Mack was in 4th grade, they moved back to Oklahoma. Fewer overnight trips to Aunt Jenn's house. Then she became a sister to a sister. Then we got Little I. Then her mom had her surprise baby. You get the picture again. When Mack was in middle school I was able to teach her a subject a year for a few years. Then she went to public school for high school. SIGH...

So...last night I was left at home with just the 2 little ones. I invited Miss Mack over for dinner and a movie. We had a great time. She is 15 and is an amazing girl! She is a Christ-follower, a world-changer, a wonderful photographer, student, friend, sister, cousing, daughter, niece, babysitter, etc. I was so happy to get to hang with her. It's fun in a happy-sad sort of way to see her getting so old and mature.

Catching My Breath

2009-05-15T10:27:00.006-05:00

Sometimes the change in our kids happens so gradually that, unless you go away for a few days, you don't seem to notice it.

At other times, though, the change happens so fast that it takes your breath away! That's the kind of change C-Man's had lately.

A couple days ago from the back seat of the van I hear, "Mom, my pits stink."

Being the great mom that I am, I holler back, "We've gone through this before, C-Man. You don't need deodorant yet."

When we arrived home he insisted that I smell of his pits. I did so expecting not to smell anything except that wet puppy dog smell that little boys have after playing outside. WHOA! Was I ever wrong! He had REAL STINK--manly stink! He proudly washed his pits and applied his daddy's deodorant to his pits.

Then, Last night Cowboy calls me to say he and C-Man have left baseball practice and are heading to Wal-Mart. I can't imagine why they would need to go to Wal-Mart so late at night. (I'd already been twice this week--what else could we possibly need?) Cowboy then informs me that C-Man was playing catcher during practice, stood up (without knowing any better) and took a ball to his almost-personal region. Realizing he didn't want C-Man to have a closer call than this, Cowboy decided to take C-Man to buy his first......I can't even write it! He's such a grown boy!!!

SIGH...what's a mom to do when her first boy is wearing deodorant and other items? Thank goodness he still kisses and hugs me!

It's Official

2009-05-09T20:57:00.004-05:00

Click on the title of today's post for an amazing video. It will bring you to tears, I'm sure.

Apparently after a total of almost 26 years of parenting (each kids' ages added together), I'm finally being recognized for the bang-up job I'm doing.

Yes, I was in shock to win this, especially since Cowboy says things like, "Spanking is the international sign of love."

Apparently those who voted on me realized that the recipient this year needed to be a completely selfless mom. You know the kind, right? A mom who keeps a stash of Coke Zero at home and won't buy pop for her children, a mom who takes her children's good Christmas and Easter candy to enjoy herself, a mom who can't wait for 9 pm each night when she gets to sit with her man and relax with a cup of hot cocoa with whipped cream, a mom who loves the time she gets at the gym by herself, a mom who does not like to take her children to Wal-Mart,...

I'm so proud to say I AM THAT SELFLESS MOM and apparently from the award I received, it has paid off!!!

Happy Mother's Day to all of the truly selfless moms out there!

This is Why I Taught Him to Read

2009-05-03T23:17:00.002-05:00

The whole family was running errands together today. I hear laughter from the back seat. Then C-Man speaks up, "natural gas pipeline. It's a fart pipeline!"

When I taught this kid to read when he was 4, I had no idea he'd use his gift to keep our whole family in stitches! I love his sense of humor and fresh outlook on life.

Seeing Double

2009-05-01T14:25:00.003-05:00

Are you seeing double?

Let me just say...as long as C-Man wants to dress like Little I, I will purchase as many matching outfits as possible. Because they look nothing like brothers it is oh so precious when they dress alike. So I was completely thrilled last week when my purchases arrived at my front door!!!

And the clothes in this pic were a steal! I also got a few matching things for NoBo.

I'm also thinking ahead to Disney World. I LOVE for our family to dress alike at Disney World. It's more difficult to lose our kids and we're maybe possibly more likely to get noticed from their Prize Patrol (I know...I'm crazy!).

Control Freak

2009-04-29T14:49:00.004-05:00

OK, you must know that my need to control is deeply rooted! I'm not sure how or when those seeds originally took root, but they are firmly planted in me.

So...

Two days ago Cowboy refilled the toilet paper in our bathroom and it's the "wrong" way. I told myself that it was no big deal. I was going to force myself to live with it this way until the roll was empty. I even contemplated pulling every last square off the roll and throwing them in the trash just so I could put a new roll on the "right" way, without actually changing the roll that was there. But, I prevailed!!! I was not going to give in to that desire to control.

Until today. I couldn't take it any longer!!! What's wrong with me??? I changed the roll so that it was facing the "right" way and I felt such a peace throughout my being. Sad, huh?

My Sunshine

2009-04-17T11:38:00.006-05:00

OK, so yesterday after my frustrations I blogged about, I took this sweet video of Little I. This will put a smile on your face--GUARANTEED!

For the Love of Pete--Are you Kidding Me???

2009-04-16T16:14:00.004-05:00

OK, do you remember the unfortunate fate of one of Cowboy's grill tools a few weeks ago? The event happened again just a few minutes ago! Same child, same incident with the toilet paper holder, but I wasn't going to surrender another grill tool of Cowboy's. So...I spent five minutes wandering aimlessly through the house for the perfect retriever. Well, it wasn't perfect, but I wound up using this Tupperware egg-dyeing spoon thingy.

When I say it wasn't perfect, you get it, right? I had a thorough hand-washing immediately following the event before I sat down to the laptop to vent!!!

On another note...
Do you know how frustrating it is as a foster parent to be told that your foster child's case in court will be heard at 10 and when you and your husband arrive PLENTY early you've missed the whole event? Then you find out that the foster child's mother's attorney dared to call you and your husband neglectful, suggesting you're the reason the said child is not gaining weight!!! Part of me wants to completely throw in the towel and go straight adoption to have another permanent member of our family!!! Seriously--it's not worth it! We weren't even able to be in the courtroom to defend ourselves. I love it when the biological families act like we're the enemy! Wake up, people, your own actions (or lack of actions) caused DHS to remove your children from your home! My job is to simply care for the child while he is in DHS custody.

URGH! Obviously I need to vent--sorry to anyone who expected something light-hearted or sweet! It's just not happening today, or at least right now.

Birthday Season is Quickly Approaching

2009-04-14T22:48:00.002-05:00

OK, as you can tell by my Lilypie tickers, birthday season is around the corner for my family. So in the midst of trying to successfully wrap up this school year, plan our next school year, and search for great deals on curricula, I'm thinking of those party plans.

This year Miss B is requesting a mud party. SERIOUSLY? Where am I going to have a mud party? I'm sure my dad would let us come to the farm and dig a pit to fill with water to make our mud. But, then we'd have the issue of restrooms. Would a bunch of middle school girls really be OK with going outside? I doubt it! So, I've got myself a quandry. Her mind is made up and I doubt she'll change it. She is her mother's daughter.

C-Man wants a million different things for his party. He has a tough time making decisions (we have to time him on the toy aisle at Target) and this is no different. So far he's mentioned an architect party, Star Wars party, a mud party (he was accused of cheating), laser tag, ....

Little I doesn't care!!! How refreshing is that? He'll just be happy to have his 4 cousins over who are close in age and eat sweets with them.

I've got to get on the ball or I'll never be ready for the madness that is our late-May to mid-June birthday bonanza!

The Price I Pay for a Good Haircut

2009-04-11T15:21:00.002-05:00

Being the good mama that I am, I had hair appointments for C-Man and Little I at the end of this week so that they will look handsome for Easter.

C-Man's haircut was a no-brainer. He needed a trim so that he can continue to grow it out again. He misses his longer hair (and I do too). Because my sister is our stylist he was able to walk across the street to her house and get a nice trim.
Little I, however, is a different story. We went back to see Tony yesterday. He's the barber who gave Little I his great triangles several weeks back. Anyway, here's how it went...

I left our house with all 3 boys at 4:05 in order to (hopefully) get to the shop on time. We pulled in the parking lot at 4:32 for a 4:30 appointment. We all unloaded, no doubt being watched on the TV inside the shop. (Yes, there are security cameras in the parking lot). The building has bars on the front door and the windows are all covered. We made it in and I noticed the sign propped up on the floor by the front desk area. "No children allowed unless they are receiving services." OOPS--I broke that rule.

We made our way over to the chairs where we would patiently wait our turn. I politely told Tony Little I had arrived for his 4:30 appointment and we began our wait. Things to do while we waited:
Watch BET (all kid-friendly shows--HA!)
Talk to each other
Notice that Tony is finished with the guy in the chair---YAY!!!
OOPS--too late--a teenage boy and his younger brother snuck in before us saying that they had called for a 4:30 appointment. Tony said, "No. I have Little I down for an appointment, but I'll go ahead and take care of you guys now." ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
Wait some more

2 police officers enter the shop (where there are 27-30 people) and ask if there was anyone named Kevin, Cam, or Cameron there. Everyone got quiet when they walked in. Did I mention that up until this point C-Man and I were the only 2 white people? Now there were 4 of us, but I would've preferred to have NOT been associated to these 2 jerks! The officers stood there at the front of the shop looking at all the people. After about 4-5 minutes one officer walked over to a gentleman sitting near us and said, "What's your name?" The gentleman told him his name was Ollie. He asked Ollie if he had any ID on him. Ollie didn't. Then the officer asked if he ever went by Kevin or Cam or Cameron. Ollie didn't. He asked how to spell his name. The gentleman spelled his name just as clearly as anyone else who'd had their name for 45 or more years. The officer at this point walked back by his partner. After a couple more minutes they decided to make one more statement before leaving. "Thanks for all you help." As soon as they were gone, the chatting and laughing began. I can't say that I blame them. They were just going about their day-to-day business and were ALL treated as if they'd done something wrong.

All I can think about now is that my sweet Little I will most likely experience this hatred someday! What you won't be able to tell by looking at him is that he was raised in a loving family who've taught him how to be a responsible citizen as well as a godly young man. You can't know what a person is like by looking at them!

Little I finally sat down in Tony's chair at 5:30. By the time he was finished at 6, we only had time to drive-thru for dinner on our way to church.

I'm not sure we'll be going back to Tony's shop again. He gives an incredible haircut, but I don't know that I want to go through all of that again.

This Post May Contain TMI (too much information)

2009-04-10T14:05:00.002-05:00

Well, today I had my lovely bi-annual "boob appointment," as my kids call it.

All is well!:) We have to keep an eye on the spot that is 7 cm in size. No change, no growth, happy day! These ultrasound appointments are not nearly as fun as the ones when I was able to see a precious life growing and taking form inside of me. They are more fun, though, than the pics I had taken when I had an ovarian cyst rupture.

I also thought I had found a new spot that needed to be checked. No worries there, either, just dense tissue (which I happen to have LOTS of).

On another note, Cowboy and I are wearing dark clothing today to remind us of the horrible death our sweet Jesus died for our sins. We will wear our bright clothes on Easter to celebrate His resurrection and our eternal life in Him!

West Side Story--Little I Version

2009-04-06T16:29:00.005-05:00

Apparently yesterday while I was on an adoptive couples marriage retreat Little I was engaged in a bit of a brawl. He didn't get injured and there was no physical contact. This was a DANCE OFF.

SS, a 5-year old, and Little I were battling for several minutes. I'm so grateful for video cameras!!! I would have been heartbroken to have never seen this brawl. The video is about 6 minutes long and there's a whole lot of, "Take this!", "Check this out!", and "Check it!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSsix4NGgiU

I am not technically savvy enough to put the video on this post, but check it out if you've recently emptied your bladder!

Enjoy

RSF

2009-04-03T15:31:00.002-05:00

We're probably the only family around who still has the old CD of Right Said Fred's "I'm Too Sexy" song.

Anyway, today C-Man and Little I were headed outside to jump on the trampoline and C-Man was looking for some good tunage to listen to while they jumped.

I found the CD and knew it'd be a hit.

My boys jumped for a good hour listening to that CD over and over again. I could also hear Little I screaming to the top of his lungs, "I'M TOO SEXY!"

I'm a proud mama!

By the way, the whole CD consists of:
1. 7" VERSION
2. EXTENDED CLUB MIX
3. BETTY'S MIX
4. INSTRUMENTAL
5. CATWALK MIX
6. TUSHAPELLA
7. SPANISH VERSION

Can you imagine? The whole thing was just different renditions of the same song.

I'm too sexy for this post....

Miss B's Mouth

2009-04-01T23:16:00.002-05:00

OK, Miss B just saw that I was posting about C-Man's cavity and asked me to tell everyone that she had no cavities.

This is true! No cavities!!! She has, however, had 11 or 14 (I have a horrible memory) teeth pulled by the dentist and is on her 2nd set of braces. ;)

Speaking of her mouth, she has spoken such kindness over the past week and a half. Her words have been like honey! What a blessing! She's precious and I'm proud of the young lady she is.

Proverbs 16:24
Pleasant words are a honeycomb,
sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

C-Man's 1st Cavity

2009-04-01T22:49:00.006-05:00

Well, today it happened. The dentist found C-Man's first cavity. C-Man was in hysterics by the time Little I and NoBo woke up from their van nap and Miss B & I decided to head on in to the waiting area with the little ones until our cleaning times. I went into the room and spoke with him. He was so upset, wondering how bad the cavity would hurt. I explained, just as the dentist and hygienist had, that the cavity was not hurting him now, but would eventually cause major problems.

Because our dentist, who's a friend of ours, practices on the other side of town from where we live, I decided to have him fill the cavity for C-Man today. I have to say it's absolutely hysterical to hear the descriptions of what laughing gas is doing from an 8-year old boy who's never had it before.

"I don't like this feeling." I tried to remind him it was going to relax him.

"It feels like I'm in bed." Well, he was lying down in a chair but I knew he wasn't speaking of that. I really believe he was speaking of that I'm so tired and have no idea what's going on feeling.

"I don't like the sound." I couldn't figure that one out. I think it was making a hissing sound.

"I don't like how it makes me feel." Good--maybe you'll never look to foreign substances to numb you. (I didn't actually tell him this, but I thought it).

Then we got to the numbing stuff. He didn't enjoy this either.

Next came the shot. C-Man kept asking Dr. R, "What are you doing?" The good doctor was wise enough to not answer this question as C-Man kept asking. Instead, he and I continued with our conversation. At one point he told C-Man he was probably just feeling a little pinch. After the needle was out, he informed C-Man that he had just put the tooth to sleep. A few minutes later C-Man said, "I can't feel my tooth." Dr. R reminded him that he had put his tooth to sleep.

C-Man then began to panic about when Dr. R was putting the cavity in. This made me crack up. He was told that the cavity would be taken out and a filling would replace it. C-Man was given the choice of tooth-colored filling or silver filling. He chose silver.

I'm sorry to say that this probably won't be his last filling. I'm afraid he may have my teeth. I now have a mouth full of silver as evidence of past cavities. Cowboy has the good teeth--not a cavity until adulthood. Seriously, it makes me sick!

That's all for today--just ramblings of fillings and such.

But...it does make me think of the pain of sin in our lives. When sin makes its home in our hearts, it decays us. When we recognize its presence in our lives and ask God for forgiveness, he comes in and does the sometimes painful job of drilling away the decay. Although our sins can be easily forgiven by God, there are still consequences we have to live with. Sometimes the drilling seems to be slow. We wonder if we'll ever get out of the chair and on with our lives. Other times the drilling seems to be done quickly, but with no numbing. The best part is what God does with that spot after he drills away the decay. He fills that crevace with His grace and mercy. The pain of wrong choices is taken away and in its place is a deeper, more real relationship with the Creator of the Universe. I just love living in the shade of God's mercy.

Psalm 40:11

Do not withhold your mercy from me, O LORD;
may your love and your truth always protect me.

Neighborly Love, Part 2

2009-03-31T16:00:00.003-05:00

Well, the deed has been done. The warriors took their ammo with them. They went equipped with toilet paper, crepe paper, plastic forks, shoe polish, and glitter!

I was in shock when Cowboy and Miss B came home from Wallie World with that big bottle of glitter and I begged and pleaded with them NOT to use the it. Seriously, can you imagine the havok that glitter is going to wreak for months to come? You know, glitter is the herpes of craft supplies. Once you get it you can't get rid of it.

A Congressman Takes up Residence in our Home

2009-03-30T15:52:00.004-05:00

Do you remember that a few days ago Little I went #2 on the toilet and his prize was going to be a Webkinz fish he was going to name Bubbles? Well...when Cowboy went to purchase the already-named Webkinz, there were NO Webkinz fish in the store. So he called us with the next-best options.

Little I, being raised in our wonderful home, did the "right" thing. He chose the elephant. When I asked him what the name would be he said "Senator". Cowboy said, "Well I certainly wouldn't have let him give the name Senator to a Webkinz donkey."

That's how a Republican Senator came to live in our home. The only problem now is that we've had to place our Senator on the shelf until Little I chooses to use the toilet again. Senator looks very sad and lonely perched so high up in our kitchen, don't you think?

Neighborly Love

2009-03-28T20:30:00.011-05:00

If you send out 3 sweet middle school girls like this...

You should be prepared for something like this in your near future...

I truly appreciate the creativity with the Oreos on the car and the Trix on the front porch, but clearly these pranksters don't know Cowboy. All I can say is, "It's ON!!!"

Proof That God LOVES Me!

2009-03-28T19:59:00.005-05:00

It's been one of those crazy weeks! You know the kind...I'd felt LOUSY for days due to this ridiculous cold I've had, I'd felt a heavy burden for one of my friends, Cowboy turned 38, and well, you know...life in general. Anyway, I opened the pantry door for something and what caught my eye?

Do you notice the dark brown thing on the top right--below the cobweb? It called out my name. I'm not very tall and don't remember seeing it before, but I had to know what it was.

Well...

I immediately checked the expiration date and was SO relieved to see I still had time.

I very selfishly thought, "Thank you, God. I needed chocolate today." Then, my munchkins smelled the candy in the air. So...I did what any good homeschooling mom does, I used candy to quiz them about the history I was reading to them. We've been learning about the reconstruction of our nation after our Civil War and about the many changes to our nation after this war.

C-Man and I were reading about a contest that was held for the best tenement plan for NYC in the early 1900's. The $500 prizewinner's plan was called the dumbbell plan because of its shape. They thought it was this incredible plan to safely house more people in a small amount of space which would be airy and filled with light. HUGE mistake--the buildings were built right next to each other, with only 28 inches in between them. No privacy, a great amount of stink, huge fire dangers, and little light! Using the Tootsie Roll wrappers we were able to recreate the dumbbell tenements and rearrange them in a way that would have been safer and healthier for the people living in them.

When C-Man's in architect school someday at OSU I'll bring him Tootsie Rolls to help him on his projects. He'll be so appreciative!

Oh Happy Day!!!

2009-03-27T15:21:00.002-05:00

Well, today it FINALLY happened. Little I pooped in the toilet!!!

Rejoicing was heard throughout the house and a fish Webkinz will be purchased to seal the deal! It has been decided that the fish will be a girl (grule as Little I says it) and her name will be Bubbles.

Oh Happy Day!!!

Thanks for letting a proud mama indulge herself by spreading the news!

Rites of Passage

2009-03-26T11:29:00.003-05:00

We were heading home from C-Man's drum lesson a few minutes ago and Miss B asked the question she's asked 4,376,249 times in her life, "Mom, can we drive through McDonald's for lunch?" My answer was the same as it has been approximately 4,376,149 other times in her life, "No, we're not having McDonald's today."

Then, she asked me if I thought there were any kids who never got McDonald's. Obviously, she was talking about kids whose lifestyles were similar to hers. I told her I felt fairly certain that Kate Gosselin's brood of kids had never had a Happy Meal.

She said, "That's just wrong. Having McDonald's is part of growing up. Everyone picks their noses, poops in the bathtub, and has McDonald's when they're little."

Well, she's pretty much right about the kids in our home. My 3 forever kids have all experienced these rites of passage.

Have a day free of nose-picking, bathtub-pooping, and McDonald's-eating!!!

Life Insurance

2009-03-24T16:13:00.002-05:00

OK, I know I have the VERY BEST life insurance policy--a relationship with Christ on earth that will give me a life with him in eternity. Recently, though, I discovered that Cowboy and I inadvertently cancelled my "big" life insurance policy a few years ago. We discovered this when we went to our life insurance guy to FINALLY get a policy on Little I. I went around in a bit of a panic until the policy was signed and the initial payment was made.

Two weeks ago the lab lady came to our home to get my weight, height, blood pressure, blood, and urine. Cowboy decided to change his policy, so the 2 of us both had to endure all of this together. This is always a bit depressing for me because Cowboy is tall and thin and I'm...well, I'm not. I've been curious how our cholesterol and other levels would be.

The lab results came in today and I'm confused. If I were the one sending the results out to people, I would put a "normal" range on there to give people a point of reference. There's no "normal", only our numbers. So...what does an alkaline phosphotase level of 77.00 U/L mean? Or...a protein/creatinine ratio of .03 MG/MG mean?

It's a good thing that I LOVE to research stuff--I'm a nerd that way. :)

Oh, the part of the results I understand are all awesome! I do not have HIV and I tested negative for cocaine! WOOHOO!!!

I'm off to research my levels now.

Baby Wipes Recipe

2009-03-19T21:23:00.003-05:00

I mentioned to Cowboy this evening that we were running low on baby wipes, which usually never happens because I buy in bulk at Sam's Club. (Remember my love for Sam's Club?) However, I've been making a concerted effort to not overspend lately, which means I've been looking for bargains and using coupons.

When I told Cowboy about running low on wipes, he said, "Why don't you make some homemade baby wipes?" I thought briefly about this and decided, yes, I could make my own baby wipes. I haven't done this since Miss B and C-Man were babies. I knew I had the ingredients on hand, so I went for it.

If you're ever interested, here's the recipe:

Baby Wipes
1/2 roll Bounty paper towels
2 cups water
2 T baby bath
2 T baby oil

Cut roll of paper towels in half. (I use an electric knife for this). Remove cardboard roll from the center. Place the towels in a storage container (mine is a very old Rubbermaid 10 cup round container that they apparently no longer make). Mix water, baby bath, and baby oil together and pour over paper towels. Remove wipes from the center of the roll.

The beauty of homemade baby wipes is that you can use whatever baby products you would normally use on your little one. For example, if you're an Arbonne or Burt's Bees fan, you can now use these same gentle products to wipe your baby's chubby, dimpled tush at changing time.

I originally got this recipe almost 18 years ago when I worked at a daycare in the infant room the summer after my freshman year of college. One of the moms made these wipes for her sweet little Jacqueline, who is graduating from high school somewhere this year. I'm so OLD! The wipes smelled SO good and were so gentle. I fell in love with them and her mom typed the recipe onto a cute little recipe card. I've held onto that card all these years.

Happy wiping!!!

Here's the Reason I Don't Have 5 Kids

2009-03-18T15:39:00.004-05:00

Little Bit is over today to spend the night with us. We've missed her terribly, but I do know my limits. Right now my limit is 4 kids! Here are some pics of the last time Little Bit spent the night with us. These will help you better understand why my limit is 4.

Can you tell she just wants to be near NoBo?

Little Bit just insists NoBo's her baby, even though she's only 2 months older than him! :)

Our family is so blessed to be able to love on these babies. And we're extremely thrilled that we are still part of Little Bit's life. She's so precious!

I'm So Smart It Hurts

2009-03-12T09:00:00.010-05:00

I always tell my kids that I'm so smart it hurts. At the end of the day yesterday, I truly believed it. Here are the lessons I learned yesterday, in no particular order.

1. If your children are playing with a ball you should make sure the ball is not left in the laundry room where the dog sleeps overnight. Otherwise, you'll be left with this

2. When your second child, who is known to get incredibly grumpy when ill, begins yelling at you about ridiculous things, you should wonder, "Hmm...maybe he's not completely over his stomach virus" and not wait for the next round of vomit to convince you of that.

3. Blondes really do have more fun. I know that because my sister (the hair stylist) came over last night and foiled my hair. Have I mentioned it's been WAY too long since I've had my hair colored because I'm too busy trying to keep up with life? Once the color was washed out and my hair was dried, I had an extra skip in my step! Cowboy even commented how silly I was all evening.

4. When you turn up the heat on the stove to get the chili you made warmed for your daughter to fill her tummy before she swims for an hour you should remember to turn down the heat. If you ignore it while your hair is being foiled, there will be no dinner left for anyone because it will have all burned up.

5. If you ever see this in one of your bathrooms

you should definitely take care of it immediately so that it looks like this

and not wait until you hear one of your children hollering for you from the bathroom. Like a good mom I responded, "Oops! I'll go get the toilet paper." Then I was told that there was more to the problem than that. When said child tried to remove the toilet paper holder to reload, the holder itself dropped into the toilet. I told said child to get it out. That, according to the child, was not an option. So I did the only thing a good mom could do, I sacrificed one of these

Cowboy has one less grill tool!

6. When you ask your 3-year old to remove his Pull-Up and replace it with a new one before bedtime, you should really check first to see that he hasn't pooped in it. Otherwise,....seriously, I think you need no further explanation.

7. I read this book

Because I've never really studied art history before, I didn't know much about this man. What an amazing thinker!!! Yes, I realize it's a children's book. DUH!!! Do you think I have time in my life to read adult literature about Da Vinci? Think again, my friend. :)

8. When you make an unwritten rule for your household that 2 loads of laundry need to be done each day to keep up with laundry, you should stick to it!!!

I'm off to learn more!