_ _ _ @ngel's 4 Angels

Sweet Ethan

2009-04-02T06:31:00.000-07:00

I was very sad today abotu some thing, and Ethan walked in the room and saw me crying. He looked at me and said "Me not hit you mommy! Me not hit you." like the only reason to cry is if you had been hit. Then he ran to his bed and brought me his blankie and told me "this feel you better mommy!" Next he said "I got pee-pee mommy!" and ran to his potty. He knows how happy it makes me every time he goes potty, and just had to make me happy! How blessed am I!

I fell...

2009-03-08T14:23:00.001-07:00

I posted on facebook that I fell and hurt my ankles and knee.
Here is the reply I got.

Tony:
sledding accident?

Shannen:
walking accident... lol sadly it is the truth.

Tony:
if you need one of those walkers with tennis balls to get you through rehab, I may be able to get one from my granny. LOL just kidding

So, now that I haven't been able to go to the bathroom without help, I'm thinking that walker would be nice. In all honesty.. I have been thinking. Maybe this happened as a way for me to think about my brother and keep him in my prayers more often.

Here I am, stuck in my chair, not able to walk. All I did was twist my ankles and knee. It's so little when I think about Rob, but I am thinking of how much this simple thing has/is effecting our life. I can't walk, so I can't really drive. Adam can't take the day off tomorrow... so how do I get the kids to school, and myself to the doctor? The thing is, my guess is that it is simply sprains and maybe pulled muscle. Rob has more broken bones than I want to think about, a muscle/tissue graft, he will be having a skin graft... how can I really complain?

I guess it just all gets put into perspective...

My praise for today is that Rob is almost finished with all of his surgeries. He only has one more to go in the near future.

Hello again!

2009-03-03T08:00:00.000-08:00

It has been a while. I got into facebook, on-line digi-scrap challenges, and then by brother's accident. Everything kinda slowed down. Not to mention my job has really picked-up.

I have a great friend, Diana. She is a friend that I have never met in person, but I feel like we have just always been friends. We were talking on sunday, and she challenged me to get back into my blogging, as well as a couple other things. So we set a deadline for me to get it all done. Today is that day.So here I am. :)

I actually have had "blog" moments plenty lately, but just havn't had the time to get to them, so I will try to put a few in one. I will start with just catching up with everyone.

Alex went to a tech event at Pella windows a couple weeks ago. I am now totaly lost at where I need to start, but we need to start looking in to colleges for him soon. He is thinking of being an engineer. Thankfully one of the best schools for that is near his grandparents. We would like to send him to a camp for engineering this summer. He also just played paintball for the first time this year on sunday. I think he had alot of fun. He is still playing the guitar, but not practicing enough. He is in chess club, and enjoys his time alone while I'm at work and the kids are all at daycare every afternoon.

Donna, where do I start. This girl is growing up waaaaaay to fast!!!! She is in dance competition, and we have had 2 of them so far this year. She has done great, and gotten gold and a large trophy at each. We have one more next month. She is a WONDERFUL helper, as long as you ask her calmly. She has more mood swings than I do, the poor thing. She is the one I was worried aobut with reading and school. She was behind and has needed help staying up with the rest of the class. However in November, they took her out of her "pull-outs" because she was caught up with the rest of the class. This week we learned that she is in the top 5 of her class, and has been advanced to 2nd grad reading not the begining, but feb. of second grad reading, and she is right on target with them!!!

Chloe, I get tears in my eyes thinking of her. I'm soooooo thankful that we are getting our old Chloe back!!! She has had a few set-backs, but over all, she is coming back! She is in an amazing preschool and has already learned many of the things Donna had a hard time with, and still is working on this year. (address, phone number etc.) They have started teaching spanish to her preschool class, and in the afternoons she goes into the daycare class that they teach in the afternoons. She LOVES it. She would still rather learn french, but I don't know anyone to teacher her french. So I geuss we will start with spanish. haha

Ethan... this boy is simply amazing!! He is so very smart, and just understands things he is way to young to understand. He talks ALL the time, loves to dance, and is very big into rough housing. He says "You mean guy!" if you don't give him his way, and has the cutest pout while he says "awwww" whenever you tell him no.(I really need to get that on video) He seems to make friends easily and loves his "school" friends. (One of the boys in the other class goes to church with us. I worked in his room this week and this little boy was very upset because mom had just left. No matter what we did, he was just sad/mad. Then he looked out the door and saw Ethan playing in the hallway and he started jumpping around scramming "Ethan Ethan!!")

Cinder(our cat)... Well, he is messy and loves to be on the table and will knock a galss of liquid over before you have let go of it even if he is in a different room. But the stinker is sweet and we haven't had a single mouse this year!!! He really puts up with the kids well, so I can't complain.

Adam is about the same. He JUST got home from pulling an all-nighter at work.

I am just working more and love my job! I got to work in the 2 year old room 2 days last week (Ethan's room) and had soooo much fun, then I was in the other 2 year old room yesterday. I also went in to the afterschool program last night for someone and I do again tonight. I am scheduled to work between 2-5 days a week at that job. Then sub both there and at the day-care.

Well, today I feel blessed to have great friends, wonderful kids, and a husband that is safely home sleeping with the cat.

Happy Birthday Adam!!

2009-01-15T09:44:00.000-08:00

Today is his birthday, I wanted to post like I did last year, but life has gotten in the way. So I hope to come back on tonight to do that. For now I will say, Adam, I love you with all of my heart! I hope you have a very happy birthday and know just how much you are loved!

Today is the coldest day it has been in 12 years. We moved into this house just over 11 years ago.. well this year we had the pipes freeze in our bathroom, but we got to them before they burst. We have been watching that now, however... I tried to do laundry today. I am behind a bit, so I really needed to get on it. So at 6:00am I hear my washing machine beeping at me. I go read the display... Oh no, our pipes have frozen to the washing machine. I have turned up the heat in the house, run a space heater, and nothing. Now I'm praying that they will unfreeze in time and not burst. I'm off to work. (No school today, so that means I work) I'm sure looking forward to the warmth of 30 degrees this weekend!

Chloe

2009-01-11T16:30:00.000-08:00

Chloe has PCS, for those that don't know it. She fell and got a cuncussion that ended with Post Concussive Syndrome. She is tired, moody, lacking in energy, grumpy... just not herself in any way. She also lost much of her memory, and still had a very hard time remembering anything. We were told, that things would go back to "normal", but that it can takes years. The problem I had was when she was only 3... will she ever find normal again if it take syears?

The 3-4 days after Christmas, Adam and I noticed a change in Chloe. It took me a couple days to realize, but it was he "sparkle" as we call it. She always had this sparkle in her eyes, pure mischief and innocence all ruled into one. Well, she last it that day, but we started to notice it slipping back into her eyes. (As I was telling a friend today, she said "She has had such deep dark circles under her eyes, for the past year, it's just been so sad to see". Well, Praise the Lord, those circles are going away.

So on monday, we went to school on the first day back. We were a bit early, so we sat in the car waiting for the last few minutes. I pulled in next to one of her best friends. She looked over in the car and saw her friend and excitedly siad "Hey, that is my friend!" So as normal I asked her "What is her name?" The normal reply would be "I don't remember", or "will you tell me?" (We kinda just had a thing with her good friends and their parents where their parents or I would use their name somehow before Chloe had to, just as a reminder to help her "Look Hallie, it's Chloe") So this day I am waiting for the normal reply, but she got quite. I looked at her and she had this look of total shock on her face and it was overcome quickly with joy. She said "I rememeber mommy!!! It's Hallie!!! and my other good friend is Destiny!" She started to giggle, a sound I haven't heard much in the past 14 1/2 months.

My blessing for this post... isn't it obvious? I have my daughter slipping back to herself!! I am be excited and will spread the word that my God is doing amazing things in my little girls life!!! I'm so unworthy, but He loves me just the same.

I have spent that past few days feeling grumpy and just not being very grateful... but today, I will change that. I'm so very gratful and I need to keep reminding myself that even though I'm not worthy He choose me!

Blessed Be The Ties That Bind Us Together

2009-01-08T20:15:00.000-08:00

I do Digi (digital) scrapbooking. I have some friends on-line that I do challanges with. This week was "Ties that bind". Click on the picture to see all of it (The right side gets cut off here)

Credits:

Template ~ by Michelle Coleman - ScrapArtist.com
Wood Frames ~ Fraisinette -http://lesfreebiesdepenny.blogspot.com/ (It only held 3 photos)
Glitter (red and blue) ~ Glitter and Glamoure - Kerstinchen
Wordart - elegant WordArt http://elegantwordart2.blogspot.com

Cardboard Testimonies

2009-01-04T19:43:00.000-08:00

Christmas Morning

2008-12-27T19:38:00.001-08:00

The excitment of getting underwear...Don't wory Ethan, it will wear off in the next few years. haha

Donna with Hannah Montanah hair.

Ethan watching Percy come out of the tunnel.

One of our favorite parts of Christmas, Singing happy birthday to Jesus.

Christmas Eve

2008-12-27T19:35:00.000-08:00

(The TV is not a new gift)

Church Christmas Program

2008-12-27T18:56:00.000-08:00

Chloe was Mary. She did such a great job!!! Donna danced a Creative Movement number, and Alex was a Shephard with speaking lines. (I got video of them and didn't take pics. :( I'll get some from someone else.

Here are some pics we took of the kids with the Stable backdrop.

Merry Christmas!!!

2008-12-25T02:21:00.000-08:00

(Click the picture to see it larger and read the lyrics around the outside)

So often this season I have siad "This is the last year that..." or "This is the last year that..."

It is so sad at times to think that our youngest child is leaving the baby years behind, and so exciting at the same time. As we wrapped gifts for hours tonight, I think about how next year, the kids will all be old enough to leave them alone and not unwrap them in advance. hehe

Today we had one gift for each person under the tree all day. Every year I get the kids PJ's to open on Christmas eve so that they can be wearing new PJ's to open gifts in teh morning. So poor Ethan was tempted for about 4 hours till he just couldn't wait any longer. From the other room, I hear paper tearing. "Ethan, don't you open those gifts!!" As I head into the room, Ethan met me in the doorway with his own gift. It has the corner starting to tear. He sadly hands it to me and looks at the floor. lol poor guy.

Have a Merry Christmas filled with warm memories, and a calm silent time alone with God. Celebrate the greatest gift we can ever be given!

That's Blogable!!

2008-12-16T08:58:00.000-08:00

That is what Adam told me this weekend. We had been eating around the table after a long weekend. The girls were talking non-stop. Ethan is in his own world, and Alex is explaining how the world spins(well, maybe not how the world spins, but it was something along those lines. That is just how his mind works). Adam and I were just sitting there. The boys were slightly quiet, as the girls began to sing to us. "...in a one half open sleigh..." "Donna, could you girls sing that line to us again" "Sure, (at the top of her lungs now) "In a one halfopen sleigh"

That kinda sums up our weekend. :) It was very fun, very full, very exhausting.

Adam's parents came down saturday, it was honestly one of the best days we have had in a long time. Even though we were on the go the whole time, I felt like we didn't get a good chance to really talk, but LOVED having them down. I felt so sad when they left. They were so helpful all day, and Adam and I never really got to just talk to and enjoy them. I guess that is just all the more reason to get together again sooner than later.

Yesterday was a crazy day, I got a phone call at 5:45. I assumed it was Adam calling me, then I noticed it wasn't his ring. I got asked to work a full day and Stepping Stones. I was in the 2-year-old room. It was a great day, but I was falling asleep before 9pm. lol

I feel very blessed to have wonderful in-laws that I love so much. I feel very blessed that God has my life in his hands, even on the days where I wonder what on earth we are going to do, I turn around and see his hand at work. If only I would trust Him and jump the first time He asked.

Well, the snow is falling and it is beautiful. I work tonight, so I need to get Ethan down for his nap. Have a wonderful and blessed day!!

Looking back (back-forwarding time)

2008-12-11T09:58:00.000-08:00

I love having this blog. I wish I did better at telling the cute little stories day to day. I was just looking back at last December. The cute things the kids did and said. The teething issues, the christmas wishes. Last year, I was thinking about how cute it was when Chloe said "back-forward", this year, it is when Ethan calls his blankies "donkies".

Last year, Alex reminded me of just how much I loved him the day he was born. This year, he reminded how pure and simple life can be.

Last year, Donna reminded me that in heaven, there are no plug-ins. This year, she reminds me that you can always change, and say you are sorry.

Last year, Chloe made me smile everytime she asked me to back-forward a show. This year, she makes me smile, as she regains her giggle.

Last year, Ethan was still so little. This year, I daily see how big he is getting.

Last year, the kids felt we should get a kitten and a roller coaster. This year we have the kitten, and the one asking for the roller coaster is nearly attached to it at all times.

Last year, I missed so much due to depression, this year I have far less... but I see so much more.

Last year, we had so many meetings I felt like I was always on the run, this year(december), God has given us a free day every week to enjoy our family thanks to the snow!

Last year, I was worried about how to finish all of my Christmas gifts, this year I know we don't have the money anyway, so I'm much calmer. Enjoying the true reason more.

Last year I was stressed about being ready for my Christmas program, this year I'm excited that I get to be a part of sharing the story... no stress, just emotion about why we are doing this.

This is the climax of Gods story, this is where it all began. (not really, as the kids were asking last night. They all were sure that Jesus was born on the 25th of December.) However this is the time of the year that we have set aside, Christians and non-Christians alike, to celebrat His birthday. His coming down to earth, to be born as a human baby, so that He could take all of our sins on himself and suffer the most aweful death... for us. To save us, because he loves us that much.

As I watch little Ethan flipping from side to side trying to get to sleep, I think about that love. As each child is born, this love that you have no more room for in your heart, is just there. You don't love your other children less, you just have more love. He loves each of us, even more than we love our children. He was born, just to save us. To die, for us... Really think about that. As much as you love your children, would you choose to be born so you could die for them?

What if you were one of the "wise men". You followed a star for months, trusting that at some point the star would lead you to a special king. When it stops, you find yourself at the bed of a tiny infant that was born in a stable full of smelly animals. To a mother with no husband. However, you knew, that this was the king of all mankind. How amazing that must have been. To just know, that this tiny baby was the great king of us all. Wow.... I just had to really stop and soak that all in.

I think this blog is full of my blessings, so I am going to end differently. I need to go spend time in prayer right now, so I'm going to end with a few prayer requests. If you feel led to say a prayer for these, then please do.

Our pastor who has cronic pain and is trying a new procidure to help with it.

A friend who lost his mother this week.

A pastor from another local church that has a daughter Alex's age. He had multiple strokes yesterday and has bleeding on his brain.

A pastor from our sister church (A church that has been by our side helping us in any way they can), her young daughter was hit by a car this morning.

That God would do a miracle in our finances.

Now I am trusting that we will see answers to these prayers. I trust that the next time I blog, I will get to post how they were answered!!!

12 days of Christmas

2008-12-10T18:26:00.000-08:00

I saw this on my good friend, Diana's blog and it is one of the best "fun" Christmas songs I have ever heard.

December is here

2008-12-07T10:57:00.000-08:00

I just noticed that I haven't posted once in the past week. We seem to be on the run all of the time now. It makes it so hard to truely understand the meaning of this season when we never stand still long enough to. We have events/meetings/practices every day of the week. This past week, we were blessed with a snow day on wednesday! It was so very nice to have an evening with the family. I worked due to it being a snowday, but I get off by 6, so we still had a couple hours together.

This week is going to be one spent on the run again. Monday we have dance, and Alex and Donna's Christmas concert. Alex has a solo, and is very excited! Tuesday, we have dance. Wednesday we have cross-walk. Thursday we have Dress Rehersal for our Christmas Musical at church. Friday I think we may have free. Saturday, the kids have musical practice, then we will have lunch and Adam's parents coming. Then Adam and I have a final practice, before the performance that night. Sunday we will again perform. Then we will start the whole rat race over on Monday.

I have been shocked to see the number of events that are being planned still for Christmas week. When I was a kid, that week was rather quiet. Now, it is just a last rush to get everything fit in. How de we expect to make room for Jesus, when we are running so much to the last moment.

Today I am very blessed to have a family that let me hold a Scrapbooking retreat this past weekend. My husband also let me sleep in today. It was the first time I have slept in for months!

Christmas music

2008-11-30T12:57:00.000-08:00

Have you heard any of the newer Christmas music? We don't have a radio or anything, so I can only listen on-line, or to a CD on my PC, or in the car. (The van radio died a few months ago) Today I heard an awesome new song on the way home. So after I shoveled and finaly got in the house, I turned the on-line station for a local Christian radio station. Wow, I was surprised by some of this years songs, not in a bad way.

Kutless - Mary Did You Know
Aaron Shust - O Come O Come Emnanuel
Jim Brickman with Point of Grace - Hope Is Born Again
Mercy Me - Silent Night
Rush of Fools - O Come All Ye Faithful
Third Day w/Julie Miller - Manger Throne
Big Daddy Weave - Christ is Come

Great Christmas music! Some are on the rock side (Kutless) and others are far softer, but I'm very excited to see the wide range! Looks like I'm going to be running the radio on my PC alot for the next month!

Lifes leassons

2008-11-30T12:21:00.000-08:00

We are working on some life changes. We have to become more organized!!! So I have been trying to do a little more everyday to get myself back to where I used to be. (Pre-PPD) I have a friend that took before and after pictures of her home as she was cleaning. That takes guts! lol I thought about doing that, but I don't want anyone to see just how bad our home really is! So as we have been working around our house, Adam and I are dreaming of things we can do to change it and make it better. Things aren't going as fast as I would like, but it didn't get this bad overnight, so I guess it will take time to get it all reclaimed.

Something I have always found interesting is that as you are being obediant to God's wishes, often you feel like things go from bad to worse. As I was shoveling the drive today after church, I was thinking that. Why, why is it that as we improve in one area, something totaly different will hit. That is when I felt God tell me to check how I was doing it. Well, I know God wants me to get my house and life back in order, so I am doing it... but that isn't good enough. Am I leaning on Him? Am I starting my day with Him? Nope... so am I really being obediant? not really. Not that what I have done is bad, but I have to get my first priority back to God, then things will fall back into place. I can't drive, I need to let him drive and be willingly in the passangers seat.

So as Adam works on the van, trying to make it run again, I am sitting here praying and putting life back into perspective. God tells us he will provide, he doesn't tell us HOW he will provide. He never said he would keep our van running. He never said he would keep money in our bank account. He never said our kids would have great Christmas gifts. After all, Christmas is about Jesus' birth... why do we get gifts? I need to look for the joy, in each thing that happens around me. Me getting a job has given me a chance to see a new side of Donna. It is forcing us to force Alex to mature. Ethan and Chloe LOVE day care. There are many good things in most every situation. Even those we think are not good. We just have to look for them

Today I am blessed to have had a weekend with my family! What a huge blessing it has been. I am very blessed to be a child of God. To be loved by the maker of our universe... how much better could it get?

Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T13:53:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

This year, just as 5 out of the past 6 years, one of the kids got sick ON Thanksgiving day. However, I have learned to be ready for this now. For tyhe first time, a couple days ago I just felt we were all going to be staying home this year, and it felt right. So when Ethan woke me up at 3am I wasn't shocked, not that I was overjoyed, but not surprised. ;)(Adam joked last night "Should we send them all to bed with a puke bucket?") I think this may have been God's way of telling us that we need time as a family. It has been a wonderful day. Ethan acted fine after about 8am, so I think he is past whatever it was. The kids have been helpful, and sweet when they weren't fighting like siblings. hehe

Yesteday, I picked up some fresh herbs. Yummmmm!!! Why on earth doesn't this town always carry them?? I bought them for the stuffing I always make, but after getting home, I changed my mind about making it. So when I started preping the turkey, I remembered them. Our church had made Thanksgiving baskets a couple weeks ago, and we were asked if we could use one. It was soooo wonderful! The turkey that came in it was a pre-cooked turkey. We also got a small bag of sweet potatoes, so I made those for Adam and the 3 youngest. (I can't eat them anymore. Thanks to pregnancies.) I did taste them, they were good, and Adam loved them. It also had cranberry jelly. I have never bought the stuff, but Adam said he wanted it, so I sliced it up, the girls LOVED it. I baked the potatoes rather than mashing them, the kids loved that as well. I was told many times that itwas the best meal I have ever made. Poor Ethan was so tired that he fell asleep in the middle of eating. Adam asked him if he wanted to go to bed, and he said no. 30 seconds later he climbed out of his chair and walked off, he didn't seem to hear anything that we said. He climbed into bed and he is still sleeping now.

We have everything cleaned up and we are now just enjoying eachother. The pumpkin pie I made is still sitting uncut waiting till we are more hungry. hehe As is the keylime pie. (Our new tradition, it's Alex's favorite)However I can't say that the umpkin pie is untuched. Ethan stuck his fingers in it while it was cooling. It has 4 little finger holes in it. :)

Today I am so very thankful and blessed for many things! Mostly for family and a chance to be with eachother!! For a loving heavenly Father who always knows what is best for us. For our church, and the love that they have shown us. Most of all, for God providing for us, in a time that we needed it most, he provided us with a full wonderful Thanksgiving meal, that we couldn't have bought.

Have a very blessed and thankful Thanksgiving!!!

Prayers - by Ethan

2008-11-20T09:06:00.000-08:00

My kids have all had times when they LOVE to pray and pray very well (not that you can say a bad prayer in my opinion. Ethan however is taking this to a whole new level. This boy is ahead of my other kids for his age by leaps and bounds, but it really has hit us in the last week, just how much so. Last night as Ethan, Donna, and Pa sat down to eat, Ethan stopped Pa and repremended him for not praying, then he went on to say the prayer.

Last night, I was tucking Ethan in, daddy normaly does it, so I'm not 100% on the right order we do things in. hehe As I was leaning in to give him a kis, he pushed me back and said "PAY mommy, PAY!!" with his sweet little hands folded... (totaly melts my heart!!! So I said "do you want mommy pray, or Ethy(our nickname for him) pray." He looked at me like I was nuts and said "Me, Ethan pray". So he closed his little 2-year-old eyes and cluched his little fingers even more tightly together as he said this prayer "Jesus, thank you mommy, daddy, ICE!!, kitty, blanky, (something I didn't understand), AMEN!!!" and he grinned for ear to ear. The ice was because he has become almost addicted to his sippy with ice in it. It is almost like a blanket or or stuffed toy to other kids.

How simple, and heartfelt.... Some days we sit and don't know how to start, or we fill our prayer with wants and needs. Here is little Ethan, he has nothing that is truely his own. He has to trust that he will get all of his needs from us. He doesn't ask for anything, he knows we will take care of that, he just tells us that he loves us, and prayes his thanks. How very much our Heavenly Father must love those prayers of thanks and love... As I type this my fingers have started to feel numb, and my heart hurts... how many times have I gone to my Heavenly father with my needs, and forgotten to just give him my love and thanks! Yet I get frusterated with my own children when they do that to me.

Thank you Lord for Ethan and the leasons that you have taught me thorugh him. Thank you... I know you love me, you know my needs... but how often do I tell you, just how much I love you? I love you Lord, I truely Love you!

Digital Scrapbooking again

2008-11-17T11:28:00.000-08:00

I got Photo shop on my new PC again! I'm so excited to get some new pages made. I just don't have the time or space for paper scrapping that much, nor the money. I am still very much doing that... when I can. However I would like to do this with our newer photos and print them off so I can get pages in all of the kids books. Anyway, here they are. My first attempt at a Quickpage and my first attempt at a template
"akizo_Refreshing_QP" created by akizo
*orange paper - DOA papers... it didn't come with a tou It's from the "Pumpkin Pie Spice" set
*Number Template Series by An Van Laer (annetje77)
*Red paper - Kit: "Pumpkin Pie Spice" by Christina Sava/Sava's Scraps http://savamama.wordpress.com/
*Blue paper - copyright Kristen Rice of tiptoe.studio
*Word art - no TOU, but I think I can find it back

Did your math homework ever do this to you?

2008-11-16T13:49:00.000-08:00

I told Alex to finish his math whele I got Ethan down for his nap. Alex was quiet, so I felt I should just leave him alone. After a while, I was sure he had snuck upstairs while I wasn't looking. I thought I would just call him down so he could do it while I made supper. However I never checked to see if he was still there or not...

Adam called me to tell me he was on his way home from work. (only 40 minutes after he hoped to get out which is actually very unusual and wonderful!) He called my cellphone which was charging in the livingroom. I grabbed the phone and was talking with Adam as I noticed that the girls had dissapeared up to their room and oddly were playing quietly... We talked for a bit more and I glanced through the doorway into the dinningroom. On the floor over the heat vent (my kids favorite place in the house. They fight over it often and if we had the money, I would have more put in our house!!!) Was Alex his backside straight up in the air. Guess his staying up the night before caught up with him. lol

Potty

2008-11-16T13:24:00.001-08:00

Ethan has been showing signs of being ready to potty train for a while, but never goes when we sit him on the potty. I have just been so confused by it, and have no clue how to do this.

Today after church, Adam ran off to work. So while the kids had a snack, I lost Chloe and Ethan. We have a larger church, but it's not huge and most everyone knows our family, so I wasn't worried, but I did go looking for them. I found my parents first assuming that they were following granny or pa around, nope. Then a gentalman walked over to tell me something. Herold, is a sweet guiet man. He is rather hard of hearing but makes up for that in his amazing painting abilities!!! He said Ethan was back at the table now and fine, but he found him in the bathroom. Herold said he was walking past that bathroom when he heard someone yelling for help, so he opened the door and there was Ethan, standing by the urinal yelling for help to get his pants down. So Herold helpped him(said he couldn't keep from laughing) with his pants. Ethan went potty, then went on his way.

An hour later Ethan got this strange look on his face and told me he needed to go potty. I took him into the potty, and he looked confused and almost scared. I asked him if he wanted to stand or sit, and he just stared at the potty like he didn't know what to do with it... needless to say, I think we are going to be buying a childs urinal for Ethan!

http://visionaireproducts.com/products.php
I saw this a while ago and thought about it. So cute!

Lord, I am so thankful today for Herold! That he not only found Ethan, but allowed him to use the potty.

Ethan and Cinder

2008-11-15T08:01:00.000-08:00

I had a very full day yesterday, ending with a scrap-n-chat. Normaly I LOVE those, however now that I am working and feel that I'm never home with my family and dealing with sick kids and very little sleep, I was just blah last night. So I got home, feeling bad that I hadn't gotten much done and walked in to see this:

Ahhhh my heart melted and all the stress of the week dissapeared. It is amazing how much this cat (boy, not a girl we found out) loves Ethan even after being hauld around by it's head.

I feel very blessed that Ethan has a new best friend!

Stuff... :)

2008-11-08T09:26:00.000-08:00

So, we have been on the run from one thing to the next lately. I am no longer doing home daycare. I am working for Chloe's preschool. LOTS of adjustmants going on!!!

The cat has fleas, the cat is not so much a girls as it is a boy... lol

Ethan LOVES to go to day-care.

Sooooo much more, however as I was typing up a note to a friend of mine (She lives far from us and I would so love to go visit her, but for now we spend time "talking" on-line)and I remembered something that instantly made me want to cry... I started this blog for a few reasons.

1. help our distant family keep up with what is going on with our family.
~I'm better at this some months than others, but it's ok
2. Start counting my blessings publicly to help me hold myself accountable
~I'm scared to go back and see the last time I did that the way I planned to when I started.

So, I knew I needed to post NOW and get back into the habbit of always closing my blog out with my blessing!

As I am typing, I feel blessed to have a pet for the kids that has lots of energy and is very playful. He never bites them (hard enough to draw blood or leave a mark) and he lets them haul him all over the place. Even as he is jumping all over my desk and making a mess, I am reminded of how much the kids love him.

I am so very blessed with this family! Today has been a good day. I have been working on small jobs around the house all day, and the kids have been good. Not much fighting, and I don't think we have had a single time-out.

I am blessed with great friends! As we talk more and more about our need to move, and see reminders all around me, I have a good friend here in town that helps me keep things in perspective and encourages me. I have a great friend on the east coast that I always know will cheer me up when I read her blog, an email, or a PM from her. We also have great friends in the DesMoines area that care about us and want to hang out with us.

Most importantly, I feel blessed to know that GOD loves me and wants what is best for me. As one dorr closed and I knew we couldn't survive the winter without more income, we trusted God to provide, and I have watched His hand in our lives in the little things, not just the big stuff. We will be ok, because God is on our side!!

Vote!

2008-11-04T12:00:00.000-08:00

Today is the big day!!! If you haven't yet voted, go in and vote today!!! If you don't know who you are voting for yet, give me a call and I'll give you some advice.:D

Trick-or-Treat

2008-11-01T18:38:00.000-07:00

Boba Fett!! Adam makes Alex's custom costumes every year. Including the mask. What a creative dad he has!

Wonder woman!! Her make-up is so bright in these pics! I feel bad, the red looked nothing like this in real life. I am thinking there must have been some irridesent stuff in the costume make-up. The red in her headband was also a much darker red.

Sleeping beauty, ironicly she fell asleep and we coulnd't get her to wake up enough to eat, and I put her make-up and costume on her as I was waking her up.

Cowboy Ethan! He loved his horse!

I'm to a point where I find it funny to add a group shot. Even when this is the best one we got!

Adam dresses up every year to hand out the candy while I take the kids door to door. This year he was a fire fighter. I think he was hot in that suit, it was a beautiful evening!!!

Donna's is top left, then Alex's on the top right
Chloe's on the bottom left and Ethan's on the ottom right

I didn't think the small pumpkins would work well, but they were sooooo cute!!! And actually easy to carve.

Pumpkin Patch

2008-11-01T18:16:00.000-07:00

We went to a new pumpkin patch this year. We wanted to meet up with Asa and let the kids have some time with there cousin Ava. So we went to one in the DesMoines area. Some things I liked about it, so not so much. The prices were great though.

One thing we have learned is that with 4 kids, everytime you do something like this, someone will have a great day (picture wise) and someone else will not. Some days 2-3 will have good days, but the chances of all 4 having great picture days are slim to none. This was the first year for Ethan to really enjoy it, so we were thankful when it was a good day for him.

One thing Ethan loved was that they has a tricycle with a wagon that was painted like a tractor! You don't get much better than that!

Donna jumping in the hay. If you knew how much courage it took to do that you would be far more impressed. The quality of the pic is aweful, but the picture is great!

Ethan thought the baby pigs were great... as long as we didn't ask him to get to close!

I'm touching a tractor!!!!! It's a dream come true mommy!!!! I think we will be going out to great Pa's barn at thanksgiving to visit all of the antique tractors and sit on them!

Alex just hanging out. He has started to always have his hood up, I'm not sure why.

The hayride was soooo much fun! We sat right behind the tractor so Ethan could watch it, and mom could dodge the flying mud.

The girls found a few caterpillars. They asked me to hold them while they played, so I put them on the camera bag, Ethan thought that was so cool!

Do you know how hard it is to get 4 kids to hold still and look at the camera or at least in the general direction at the same time? I told Adam I'm going to do a whole scrapbook of our "photo shots" when we can't get them to look at us. It would be rather funny I think. As well as give me reason to not get upset when we try to get a pic of them all together. The only way we could get them to all look at me (with the camera)was to have the 4 caterpillars climbing all over my neck... not easy to take a pic that way.

Fall Pictures

2008-10-21T09:02:00.000-07:00

We had one grumpy group of kids! lol

We ended up with lots of great shots of Donna, one great shot of Alex, one good shot of Chloe, and one ok shot of Ethan. lol The one of Ethna would have been good if the camera had worked. :(
Here they are.

I love this last one. It kinda sums it all up. "I don't want my picture taken!!!" While DOnna is trying not to laugh.... ahhh the life with 4 kids, you can never have them all happy and smiling at the same time.

Ethan's Party!

2008-10-21T08:11:00.000-07:00

We had his party at the lake. It was a beautiful day!!!

Play time!

Craft time!!

Cake time!!

Confetti!!
Family picture

All the kids that were at the party

Homecoming Parade!

2008-10-21T08:05:00.000-07:00

Donna was chosen to be one of 2 kids in her class to be on the float this year. It is a huge honor to be asked to be on it! This is the first time one of my kids has been in a parade without me at least walking along beside.

The boys watching

Chloe watching. I love her hair blowing in the wind.

Oh, and we have a tradition, kinda an unspoken one. Little girls wear their hair in pigtails for this celebration. Even if they NEVER do any other time. I was getting th egirls ready and Adam couldn't figure out whey I said they HAD to be in pigtails today. haha (I did notice that most of the girls around Donna din't have them, but they are still young yet. :D

Ethan's Tractor

2008-10-21T07:51:00.000-07:00

My parents got Ethan a riding tractor for his birthday. He loves it and has to talk to it every day. ("Hi tractoo, I hove you!" "I be back trctoo, miss you!"

Happy Birthday Big Boy!!

2008-10-21T07:14:00.000-07:00

We have a tradition of going to DQ on the kids birthdays. This year we didn't know when we would get to have Ethan's party, so we had or own little party there.

The bag is singing to me...

Wow, I have never seen so many trucks!!

We bought a cake, thinking it would be cheaper, however they have to be thawed. So we ordered and they sat it out. However they got behind and by the time they got our food to us, they had to put it back in the freezer... however they never told us that. So as we finish eating and gifts thinking it really should have been out long before that, they come and ask if they should take it back out now.... ok, change of plans. Dilly bars for the kids and the cake goes home for later.

Ethan's Big Day!!! He is 2!!!!

2008-10-21T06:55:00.000-07:00

His hair has been long for months, but we wanted to get his hair cut on his birthday, I'm glad we did. He grew up so fast!!! (Sorry some of the shots aren't the best. Ethan dropped... ok tossed our camera at Field day and it hasn't been the same after)

Before starting

This stuff is my hair... not sure if that is cool or really scary... I think it is kinda cool...

Reflection in the mirror.

He is pointing to his hair saying "got candy for hair"

All done, can I just play now mom???

He is so grown up!!! He had a totaly different boy as soon as he got out of the chair. Sooo much additude! hehe

Ethan and our new kitty.

2008-10-02T19:43:00.000-07:00

So Ethan LOVES our new cat. He keeps picking her up and wants to carry her all the time. She as a result spends alot of time mewing to be let go. We have been working on getting him to be gentle with her and tonight he picked her up so slow and careful it was just precious. We have been a bit worried that she would not like him due to him yanking her around, then tossing her on the floor when he is done. Anyway, he keeps trying to sleep on the floor the last week (started the day after we got her) and we keep putting him back in bed. This happens a few times a night. Tonight he asked me "seep on floor mommy? pease?" how do you say no to that??? so I told him he could, thinking I would put him back in bed once he fell asleep. This is what I found when I went to put him in bed.

I guess we know why he wants to sleep on the floor, and we know she does love him as well. Also, I now understand why she is no longer sleeping with me. :)

Why did we get a pet again?

2008-09-23T10:42:00.000-07:00

This is what I was greated with when I went to the bathroom today. Poor kitty had it all in her fur. I'm not a fan of pets, I have been against getting one for years. I thought about a turtle last year, or a hermit crab... but didn't want the work that went with it. So why a tiny kitten now?!?!

Oh yeah, this is why!

We have a new "Tidty"

2008-09-23T10:38:00.001-07:00

It is the cutest little thing. It looks like a stuffed toy. Here are some pics.

5am

2008-09-20T04:17:00.000-07:00

At 5am this morning Ethan walked over to me and said "Bob Build?" as he rubbed his sweet little eyes. You want to watch Bob? I asked, A very adamant nod followed.

Normaly if he were to get up at 5am, I would try to get him to go back to bed, or let him climb in with me. However, it is a bit different today... *things get blurry and you hear that music that tells you that you are going back in time*

Friday morning. I woke up around 2am and couldn't get back to sleep. I was wide awake... the joys of insomnia! I finaly started to drift off after Adam got up. So I fall back to sleep as I should be getting up for the day. Never a great start to your day. It is a big day!!! Track and field day for Donna and Alex!!! The kids didn't want to get up, and the fact that I hit snooze a few to many times didn't help that. Chloe also has school today, so I have to get them all ready. The kids were in slow motion, and seemed to have cotton in their ears. We finaly got out the door and got Alex and Donna to school with 3 minutes to walk to their rooms. Oh man, I forgot their water bottles... I tell them I'll be right back with them, just get to class. That adds a good 10 minutes on, then I forgot the lawn chairs... uggg, I thought about putting them in the night before, why didn't I? So I get everything ready, water dropped off, camera with new partialy charged battery(yes, that too I forgot the night before!)snacks packed, Chloe and Reed taken to school... (had a bump with that as well... Off to Fareway quick for a drink for myself and Ethan before we spend the day at the track.
Things got much smoother aside from Ethan not wanting to stay off the track. Friends of ours came and sat with us and Ethan got to play in the rocks with Lily. (A huge thanks to Lily's grandpa for finding every rock they picked up to be simply stunning!!) Around 10:50 Granny (my mom) came on her lunch break to watch Donna with the field events while I walked to pick Chloe and Reed up from school. We got back in time to see the sack races. It sounds like the girls beat the boys, and Donna's class also beat the other class in tug-of-rope. I'm sure she had a giggle fest while doing the rubber chicken relay as well. By 11:30, Donna and all of the other kindergarten-2nd graders were back on the buss and off to school for lunch and movies.
I stayed at the track with the 3 kidos and we had snack stand foods, 4 bathroom breaks (1/4 mile walk one way)and lots of running around untill 12:15 when the busses started pulling back in for the second half of the day.
Alex ran the 100, 200, and 400. He also did a 50 meter relay. (why do we do metric on track events, but not on anything else?)Ethan fought his nap as hard and as long as he could! 2:35 came and all the students got back on the busses. We packed up our stuff, Ethan HAD to carry his own lawn chair over his shoulder like mommy and Chloe. We slowly crawled our way to the parking lot. :)
After we got everything in the van, the kids buckled and drinks and snacks handed out, we were off to pick the kids up from school. After getting Donna and Alex, we went accross town to a different Elementary to pick up Reeds brother. Then I thought after our long hot day in the sun, it would be a perfect time for movie night!! So we went to get a movie. By the time we got home, Ethan had fallen asleep in his seat. I brought him straight to bed where he slept through pizza night, and movie night, and bedtime... We couldn't wake him up. *Which brings up back to 5am.*

You want to watch bob? How about I get you some food and a drink while you watch bob? Huge grins as he runs in to sit on the couch to watch his beloved, Bob Build. At 5am while Daddy snores away beside him.

Bob the Builder

2008-09-04T06:11:00.001-07:00

Having gone through one little boy and all his favorite things, I know Thomas, Bob, Yoda, etc. very well. We are all on good terms...very good terms. Then we have the 2 girls back to back and we got very into all things girly. Whatever Donna likes Chloe likes. Whatever Donna loves, Chloe loves! Now we have another little boy. He is very into "cars" the movie. He also loves Thomas, so I thought maybe we could skip Bob. No offence to Bob, but he has always gotten on my nerves with his slow speech. haha

We have a few boy DVD's, we got rid of all of our VHS a couple months ago (% large boxes full) which were mostly boy and veggie tale movies. I had gotten a very god deal on Thomas movies at a second hand store and bought 20+ for $1 each. Anyway, Bob was a bit later in Alex's "all things on wheels" phase, so we have 3 dvd's of Bob. Ethan has fallen in love with Bob. Today I asked if he wanted to watch Thomas. He said "no, Bob Build" and grinned. I said, you want Bob, not Thomas? He said "No Thomas, Bob Build!!" So Bob it is. At the beginning of all the Bob DVD's we have they have a piece about "Bob the builder LIVE" I tried to fast forward past it. oops, that was a mistake! "No MOM!!! watch BOB!!!"

And so it is, we have started back into "Bob the Builder, can we fix it? Yes we can!" dun dun dun *continues to hum the theme song...

Chloe's first day at her new school!

2008-09-03T15:26:00.000-07:00

She LOVED it!!! I am SOOOOOO happy that we switched her!!! It is so wonderful! It costs the same thing, however there is one big big difference. At stepping stones (new school) all of the teachers have an elementary ed degree. The old place not one teacher or the director had one. Chloe's teacher is 9 months pregnant, she is due in the next week. She is so cute with a huge tummy.

When we got to school today, I had Chloe stand by the big rock out front, and while I was taking her pic, her best friend that she met in her 2-year-old preschool class walked up. She is in a full day day care/pre-K class. But today her mom brought her to school later. Then another of her best friends from last year walked up. She is in Chloe's class. The girls were sooo happy to see eachother!

Chloe's new school

2008-08-27T20:28:00.000-07:00

Today was meet the teacher night for Chloe. It was very important because we switched pre-schools for her this year. Daddy hadn't seen the new school yet, so it was good for him also.

You walk in the building and it is so nice, it looks like a high end school. We have a security code that we have to use to get in and out of the building. Her classroom is very large, and broken down into lots of sections. (I forgot to bring my camera today. I'll bring it on her first day of school.) There is a PC station, reading loft, kitchen, dress-up, laundry area, doll house, etc. Then there is the learning mat for the calendar etc. Then there is the art area, and snack area with a real mini kitchen. The kids size bathrooms. It is a wonderful room. Her teachers this year both have a degree in elementary education.

Yesterday, Chloe had her school physical. They asked me if we would like for her to get her school vacsinations. so she got them yesterday. The poor thing feels awful today. She has had a feever most of the day and is so tired. I gave her tylonal and Motin before going to her school and she was fine while we were there. hehe. She was a brave girl through teh 4 shots and teh blood tests. I'm very proud of her!

Occupation

2008-08-23T14:03:00.000-07:00

I came on to update that I did get the bathroom finished, the kitchen floor is finished and drying right now. However as I did it, I noticed that I should update my blog profile. So, of all the bloggers out there, you would think a few of them are Stay-at-Home-moms?

It has a drop down menu with choices to put for your "industry" under work. So, what do I pick? Agriculture (I garden), Automotive (I am in the van alot), Banking (I bank), chemicals (with all this cleaning, I use lots of them), communications (goes without speaking hehe), construction (school projects), cunsulting, education, engineering, fasion, human resources, internet, law inforcment, lybrary, non-profit, Religion, science, recreation, security, student, technology, transportation... the list goes on. However all of these would fit. lol In case you are wondering, I went with "Not Specified". I just don't feel that any one covers it good enough. haha

Anyway, before Adam and the kids left today, I did the girls hair and got the clothes out and get the diaper bag ready (which got left hanging on the door btw). Then I left for the farmers market while they finished eating. It hit me as I parked... I can count on one hand the number of times that Adam has taken the kids while I stayed behind just because. Not because I had some other place to be, or so that I could do something specific... just so I could be alone. The last time was in May/June. Adam took the kids to my parents house to eat while I deep cleaned the kids bathroom. I think I blogged on it then.

I think we honestly need to make this something we do more often! I feel sooo wonderful! I have taken out the trash without explaining why I was goin goutside without everyone else. lol I haven't had any other help with mopping, so no footprints. When I was standing on my head scrubbing the toilet, no one hit me with the door, noone moved my bucket or cleaning suplies. The floor is cleaner than it has been in months! However, it is dry now, so I better go get back to work.

Adam, THANK YOU!!! Thank you so very much for letting me have this day, and not making me feel guilty about it!

First Day of School Pics

2008-08-22T07:26:00.000-07:00

Alex and Donna on their first day of school. I love thatyou can see the sign behind the kids saying that it is the first day on Aug. 20

Housework

2008-08-22T06:57:00.000-07:00

The other day I was talking to Adam about this weekend. I skipped a mission trip so that I could get work done around the house. So I mentioned to him that maybe he should take the kids to DesMoines the the Science Center with my mom so that I could get some work done around the house. He looked at me like I was nuts for a minute, then it change to almost shock as he asked if that is all it took for me to be able to get some of this stuff done.

So then yesterday I was thinking about it. When Adam is deep into his work, everyone at work knows to just leave him alone so that he can get it done, even his boss has mentioned that they do. However when you are a stay-at-home-mom, you NEVER get that time where everyone just leaves you alone so that you can get work done. Not only do you have the constant "mom he touched me!" or "Mom, she is looking at me!" (honestly, not an uncommon thing to hear in our house!) But you have the "MOM Ethan just found some smushmellows(marshmallows) and is running through the house throwing them" (again, happened yesterday) and don't forget the "MOM, Reed just puked all over!!" (tuesday) "Will you please help me get my dolly dressed?" (everyday) "I can't start this DVD" "Mom the toilet is overflowing!!!" (that happens when you toss toys in before you flush) Then we have the *Bang* followed by a choirs of "MO-O-OM" Or better yet *CRASH!!!* followed by silence... then running of little feet to hide. lol

So, I wonder why I never feel like I get anything done?

To answer the question... YES, taking the kids so I can have time to get work done without interuptions really IS all I need to be able to get the kitchen clean, floor scrubbed and polished, as well as the bathroom and my craft corner cleaned out.

I don't know if they will go to DesMoines or not; but hey, a mom can dream can't she?

Cheesecake

2008-08-21T18:06:00.001-07:00

I made no-bake cheesecake tonight. I had never made one before. It was a total flop. It must have tasted good, because it was gone very fast, but it was like a pudding that hadn't set up good yet. I was so sad that I didn't even taste it. I'm not sure if it is because I mixed it by hand rather than with a mixer, or because I used rice milk rather than cows milk. Oh, well... everyone ate it anyway. I'll just have to make a real one this weekend.

interesting morning!

2008-08-20T08:53:00.000-07:00

Today was the first day of school. Oddly enough, it was also the first morning I didn't wake up with insomnia between 2:30-4:00... so I slept in. ugggh!
Then we are running later than I wanted, but we still have 4 minutes to spare... nope, school starts 10 minutes earlier this year! How on earth did I miss that?!?!? double uggh. Anyway, I didn't get the pics in front of the house that I ALWAYS get, so we will have to do them when they get home. Again, I feel so bad!

So then we went to WalMArt, I forgot how easy it is to run around with out the school kids!!! So we do our shopping and everyone is happy, not big fights or begging. We check out and head to the van. As we start to load things in the van, this nice lady around 60, walks up. She looks at us and says "wow, what a big group you are" to which I reply without thinking "yep, and this is only half, the rest are in school". That is when I look at her and see the look on her face! (I'm so glad I don't get offended!) The poor lady had this look of totally shock on her face like it isn't normal to have more than one child. She exclaims "Oh MY!" as she literally stumbled over her feet and her jaw was dropped. I had to turn around so she didn't see the huge grin on my face as I realised what she meant when she first spoke to me. I sure hope she didn't have a heart attack. I still giggle just thinking about it. Her reaction was so over the top it is hard to believe she really did it. Ahhh God knows just what we need, when we need it! I needed a good laugh after a good trip to the store with the 3 younger kids. I am renewed and energised for the first time in months! Thank you God!

Interesting

2008-08-17T03:25:00.000-07:00

You Belong in 1953

You're fun loving, romantic, and more than a little innocent. See you at the drive in!

What Year Do You Belong In?

Iowa State Fair

2008-08-13T13:13:00.001-07:00

We love going to the State fair every year. The one thing that we HAVE to do is get our charicature done. We started the first year we went to the fair when we were dating. We get our kids done by themself every 5 years and we also do the whole family. We also love to play in the fountains, I didn't get any pics of that because it is hard to keep track of 4 kids with that many eople around! We also do "little Hands On The Farm" That is what the pic is of. Kids 2-10 get to put on the hat(to keep) and an apron and go farm. They plant a seed, pick some veggies and an apple. Harvest corn and soybeans. Get some wool, turn use the soybeans for fuel and drive a tractor (toy), get an egg, feed a cow the corn and milk it. Then sell what they have left for a dollar that they take to the stor to pick out a snack. It is a wonderful thing to do for free!

Parade!!!

2008-08-10T18:06:00.000-07:00

The girls and I were in a parade on Saturday. I'll have to check the camera when I get a chance to see if daddy got any good pics. It was with our dance group, and Donna danced the whole way wonderfully! Chloe kept telling me she was to tired to dance, so she and I took up the back of the pack handing out stuff. Little did she know that we covered twice as much ground and had to spend most of our time running to catch back up to the group! I'm to out of shape for that. I need to work out before next year. lol

Alex and Ethan got lots of good candy to share with the girls also.

I have been selling food at a concession stand all week. (Knoxville Nationals week, sprint car races... They are huge! Over 40,000 people come into our town of 8,500) I had the 4-8 shift Wednesday and Thursday, 1-8 on Friday and 11-8 on Saturday. Then we had the clean-up time also. It was fun, but boy do my feet hurt!! My face is also very very very red. My red arms and legs don't even hurt because my face is so bad. I have very white eyes from my sunglasses. Everyone at church today seems to get a good laugh. Not one person looked at me without starring at my face and saying "did ya get a little sun?" it was kinda funny.

Well, we are off to the State Fair tomorrow, so I better finish my laundry and packing for that. (Yes, I will be bringing sun screen!) I'll post a picture later of the girls.

Oh My!!!

2008-08-04T05:44:00.000-07:00

We were on our way home from picking Daddy up and doing some shopping when Adam noticed some Hot Air Balloons. We live near a town that has a festival every year and they have hundreds of ballons go up over a couple days. We talked about it and ended up going home a different way so that we could go past them. We had been talking about the, and having Alex try to count them all for a good 5+ minutes when we hear Chloe exclaim "Oh MY!" followed by a long pause. We thought she had seen them, but when we heard that, we knew that NOW she had seen them.

We grumble and complain to eachother often about wishing we had th emoney to take a vacation. However on that day, we learned that we have things around us everyday that we need to enjoy. We had gone to Target to pick-up a gift for my Sister-in-law. Adam didn't really want to drive accross town to my favorite Target, so I suggested we try the one closest to where we were, and on our way home. I was still dissappointed in the store, but while we were at the mall, I suggested we eat at food court rather than drive-thru on the way home. So while Adam took our bags to the van, I tell the kids "We are goin gto eat somewhere new..." then it hit me. Due to not having much money, we never go "shopping". We only go in and out of the stores I need. Chloe and Ethan have never eaten at a food court, and I think Donna was just a couple months old the last time we had gone. So I tell them we are doing something new and exciting. They can look at all these different places to get food, and they can each go where ever they want, even if noone else goes there. Then we will all eat together in the middle. Their eyes got huge with excitement.

There you have it, a mini vacation day for the cost of eating out and driving 15 extra miles. The joy was awesome, and seeing my kids happy and experiancing somethng new was priceless.

Early mornings

2008-07-29T04:35:00.000-07:00

Why is it the one day that Ethan sleeps in past 5am, Chloe is up at 4:55? What is it that our kids have against me getting sleep? In actuality, I need to get to bed earlier, and get up earlier as well. 5am is when I should be up so that I can get some stuff done for the day before the kids get up. However, when you are up past midnight, it is hard to make yourself get up that early everyday. I know I am a morning person, as are our kids... well not Alex, and I don't think Ethan always will be. However, the girls are! When I sleep in, even if it is just untill 7:30-8:00 my whole day is off. That is why I need to get back to going to bed earlier, and getting up around 5am. That would probably help Adam get up as well, if I was already up.

Uggh, why is it that I can always think so clearly when I am typing it out. However, when 5am comes around, I just want to roll over and pull the sheet up to my chin?

Fake snore - potty

2008-07-27T17:54:00.000-07:00

Ethan has this great fake snore. He does it now and then while he is playing. I noticed the other day while he was trying to go to sleep, he was doing it. Then again today, after being tucked in, he just lays in his bed quietly "fake snoring". It is sooo cute!! I don't know if he thinks it will help him fall asleep faster or what, but is is to cute!

Also, he went potty for Daddy tonight. I am so proud of him!!! I know that I just don't have the time to sit with him like I should. But tonight Daddy sat in the bathroom talking with him for a couple minutes, and he did a big pee after staying dry for a few hours. He is such a big boy!!!

gluten and casein

2008-07-27T12:54:00.000-07:00

18 months ago, I tried to change our diets. I tried to go gluten and casein free for Alex. It costs soooo much that I gave up. Now we are having alot of problems with Alex. I feel so bad, I know that if I could change his diet that he would feel better, I just don't know how to do it! I could really use prayer right now. I need to find a way to cut it out of Alex's diet. Last time I wasn't really willing to force the whole family to switch to soy, and we can't get rice milk without vanilla in Knoxville. I guess I need to just do it. I can get rice for cereal and drinking straight, and soy for in food. I should probably try to get Alex in to a dietitian. In the mean time, I will plan to switch out our milk and start pushing rice over pasta.

While I am typing, Alex came in to give me a hug. He does this often... the poor kid. It has to be hard to be so loving, then so out of control, then back to super loving.
Lord, please give me direction on how to help Alex and our family!!!

ick part 2

2008-07-23T12:57:00.000-07:00

Adam called me after he read the "ick" blog. We talked about how funny it is that Ethan can't stand to have "ick" on him. Then we had lunch. At meal time, Ethan almost always gets something on himself. Today, as happens often, he spilled something in his chair. He stands up as fast as he can and steps as high as he can and points to the offending food and says "ick, ick!" When we don't help him right away (shocking that with 4 kids we can't keep him clean at all times!) He will add an "eww" as well. So there he is pointing and telling me ick. I get teh seat cleaned up and he exhamins it to see if it is safe to sit, but as he sits, he feels his sticky shirt. He starts squirming and pointing at his shirt "ick, ew mom, ick ick!" I wish I would have taken a minute to grab the camera. He had a very small piece of jelly on his shirt, but the look on his face was to funny. He scrunches up his little face like it is the most disgusting thing on earth.

This little boy makes me laugh so hard every day!!! God sure has blessed our family!

My sleeping angel, you can kinda see the "ick" on his shirt by Elmo. He was mad that I didn't let him take a bath or even change his clothes.

ick, ick, ick...

2008-07-23T07:23:00.000-07:00

Ethan loves to make a mess, but HATES the mess once it has been made. In fact, he will often stop in the middle of it to tell us "ick" and has to get clean right NOW! I was sitting here reading a friends Blog and Donna was making a snack (PB&J) for her and Chloe. I hear Ethan say "Ick, ick, ick!" Followed by "Oh Man!" from Donna. LOL it turned into a 3 ring circus as I let the girls deal with it untill they asked for help. Ethan had put his whole hand into the peanut butter while Donna had her back turned putting the bread away. (She is to young to know you have to start with the messiest food first) Then he put his hand straight to his mouth(of course). He had it everywhere. The girls got him a stool and had him washing his hand, but somehow he knocked the stool over and then got Peanut butter all over the counter and floor. That is when I stepped in to save the girls. It was so cute, they were working together so well!! They really wanted to take care of it.

They are so very sweet!!!

ABC's

2008-07-21T13:58:00.001-07:00

We always sing our ABC's while we wash our hands. It is a trick that makes sure they keep their hands in the water more than a second. Chloe used to know her ABC's perfectly, then when she hit her head in November, that is one of the things she lost. It is soooo cute when she sings them. She sing up to S, but puts in X and finishes from X. So she skips s t u v w. We don't know why, or how to change it. We keep reminding her, but it is "q r x, y and z..." She also says "last year" and "next year" instead of tomorrow and yesterday. So each day is a year in her mind.

She has grown up fast trying to keep up with Donna, but this is a reminder that she isn't as old as she thinks just yet!

blankets

2008-07-21T13:07:00.001-07:00

Today I was very mean!!! I washed all of the blankets in one load of laundry!!! Not the sheets, just the special "friends" and other special blankets. Our youngest 2 are very close to their blankies. Ethan was so mad at me he was stomping his feet, and poor Chloe ws just lost and sat their sucking on her little lip with tears.

It really made me think, what am I so attached to that it would "hurt" to let it go? I know the answer, but don't want to admit to it. I am the kind of person that as much as it hurts, I can let it go... however I wil replace it with something else. I used to watch to much t.v. I broke that habbit and started to spend to much time on my PC. I broke that and picked up eating to much. I broke that and ended up spending to much time on the PC again. Now I am stuck in the circle... I need to fill that space with prayer and bible reading not worldly "stuff". I need to show my kids healthy habbits, and moderation. I'm trying, and I pray that I can get there sooner than later. I am soooo tired of the battle.

This is totaly off subject, but how can a little 1 year old that is so exhausting be soooo full of peace? As I sit here waching him sleep, it calms me and helps me to know just how much our Father loves us. After all, he gave me this little guy to love and take care of. Does God look at us with the same eyes I look at Ethan with and think "How could I love someone so much?" It is hard to believe that God loves us, even more than we love our children... That is huge!

So sweet

2008-07-17T10:28:00.000-07:00

I had told the kids to pick-up while I was working in the kitchen. It seems they all agreed that they didn't want to clean. I picked Ethan up and took him to his bed. As I turned around to look at the kids again, this is what I saw.

It didn't take Chloe but a couple seconds to take over Ethan's space. I Sooooo love when they are like this!!!

So why on earth am I poosting this now? I could be tearing everything out of the kitchen to clean and packe it up. I better run!

Clutter

2008-07-14T12:55:00.000-07:00

I had a friend that told me this week that her father-in-law told her she still had time to teach her girls that they were "born to work". She said "but I think I was born to have fun, not work" lol I soooo understand! I don't think I was "born to work" either. HOWEVER, when you look around my home you can tell that I feel that way. It is time to de-clutter our home in a very big way!!! I took a van load out of our house today, I will drop it off in the morning at the "Almost Free Shop". (It is an awesome place run by a local church. Most things cost a quarter or less. You can bring them anything you would take to Goodwill, however it sells for far less, so I fell like it is a better way to go. I can't always afford Goodwill, I do buy stuff for the kids from the Almost Free Shop often.) Sadly, you can't tell that I took it out...

We also looked at a house this weekend. It is a house that we have admired across the street, knowing we couldn't afford it, but knowing it is the perfect size for us. Well, it got repossessed, so it is far cheaper now.It is half the cost it sold for 2 years ago, and now in our price range. The problem, our home isn't ready to go on the market, and we would have to sell our house first. ugggh

So we are working on finishing up all the projects we have started. The realtor told us he didn't think re-roofing would get us enough out of it, so not to bother. Actually, I'm very happy with the price he said we should put it on the market for.

So now we work our backsides off to get this house in shape and get rid of 12+ years of clutter. More importantly, we pray and pray hard!! IF this is the house for us, the kids would each get there own room. It is so hard, I cry at the thought of the girls not being forced to share a room. They need their space, but it would be not only dropping my standards on a kitchen, but more or less tossing them out the window. The kitchen is smaller than our upstairs bathroom is here. However, if our kids could have their own rooms AND a play room as well as a formal living room and a family room and a HUGE laundry room etc. The house has almost double the square footage of what we have now. uggh Prayers, we would really love it if anyone reading this could say a prayer that we know what to do here. For Alex, this will be hard no matter what, but maybe a short move would be good before we made a large move. Also, Adam and I need a kick in our butts to get rid of our clutter!

As for our blessing today... if we get the house or not, we are working on de-cluttering our home and finishing all of our projects. That is a HUGE blessing!

Birthday Gifts

2008-07-01T11:24:00.000-07:00

Donna is a child that likes to spread out her gifts. She will ask before opening any gift, and she only wants to open one or two a day. (She takes the paper off them, but waits to take them out of the box) One that she opened today was a "little Pet Shop" toy. It had 2 puppies and a little pink soft rug. Chloe asked if she could play with one as I was opening it for her. She says "sure, you take the first one", and hands it to her. Ethan is sitting beside her begging "pease! pease!" so she smiles and says, "mom let him play with it, I'll be the rug first." 30 minutes later, she is still the rug, and very happy to play with her brother and sister that way. I am so very blessed to have such a sweet child!

Happy 6th Birthday Donna!!!

2008-06-29T07:03:00.000-07:00

Wow, she is such a big girl. In her prayer time last night, she prayed "Dear God, help me to sleep long tomorrow so that mom has time to bake all of my cakes and stuff." So very sweet, then of course she was to excited and was up by 6am.

Day of rest

2008-06-27T09:13:00.000-07:00

Why do we get our schedule so full that we no longer have time to rest? We were talking about this one night at our Praise Team meeting. (Church band) One of the girls reminded us that God has set aside a day of rest for us, but we don't use it. Man, that hit me hard. I have always wanted to keep sunday free, and I Don't schedules things for sundays. It seems like the church keeps those days full enough as it is. However I never seem to get much "rest" in. I don't think rest means you have to take a nap (Although I would never be opposed to that), I just think it is a day for us to mentally relax, spiritually refresh our self so that we are ready for the next week. However we get so much going on that we have to use sunday to get it all in, then we wonder why we are so weak and exhausted. I know that personally I need to slow down, I think my weight gain has alot to do with not sleeping enough or making enough time to exercise due to always being busy.

Now here is my problem with all of this. I am really feeling convicted in this!!! However our family has so much going on, that I was asked by a couple different members if we could move Donna's party to sunday. ... I didn't want to, and am still slightly upset with myself for doing it. At the same time, I know that God is ok with us not "resting" now and then, if we have to. So I guess here is the thing, when will I make up that rest time with God? Hmmmm good question.

Why am I posting this all publicly? Because I feel that I need to hold myself accountable to this. I know that God is calling me to find time to rest, so that I can find more peace in my life. I had a great encounter with God on wednesday, and I feel awesome! However I am also reminded that I need to make more time for those encounters. I can have them at any time, I just have to make the time to rest, and be still so that I can experience God at work in my life.

Donna Antoinette

2008-06-25T07:35:00.000-07:00

Wow, what do I say about my big girl. She is going to turn 6 this weekend. Where did time go?

Donna is a great:

helper
whiner
hugger
giggler
smiler
cheerer
sister
frustration
daughter
friend
baby-sitter
dancer
princess
cleaner
singer
dresser
prayer
lover
hairstylist
friend
christian
inspiration

She is great!

I am so blessed to have my little me. (Everyone tells me that she looks and acts just like me)

With tears in my eyes, I thank you Lord for my precious daughter. I never in a million years could have ever done anything to deserve her... She is a huge blessing to our family! She is understanding of her siblings when she is just to young to understand it all. Lord I pray that you help me to parent her the way she needs, to appreciate her and love her the way she deserves. Lord I pray that you give her a full and blessed life. That she always stays close to you, and that her prayer time with you always stays genuine. I pray that she keeps you #1 in her life, and that I live a life that shows her how important that is!

Ethan

2008-06-12T04:38:00.000-07:00

At 5am, Ethan got up and walked up to me and said "hello!" and gave me a big grin. He is WIDE awake. as in no chance of him going back to bed. What is up with that? I have to wonder if the thunder woke him up, but it never has before. Right now, he is sitting cross-legged in the middle of the room holding a ball, playing with his pj pants. lol
After 2 hours I gave up on fighting him and am just letting him play. I'm sure he will be ready to take a nap when it's time to take Donna to summer school.

As I was ready to hit publish on this, The weather radio went off. I may not think much of it, however it hasn't been working, so for it to go off made me jump and my heart race while I listened to it. Adam figured out last night that it has to be in a different room than our t.v. or our computers. So he had set it up in the dinning room. The problem is that he just left it on the table. Ethan found it... he turned it on so that is was just announcing all of the warnings.

Ok, now I have moved the weather radio out of Ethan's line of vision, so we should be good. Have a dry day everyone!

Rain and floods

2008-06-10T18:58:00.001-07:00

We drove out around the lake last night (found out that Donna gets carsick in a car) to see how high the water was. I have told Adam for years how high it got in 93, but it is so hard to believe. So as we drove around he saw just how full it is and it was still 12 feet below where it was in 93. We are now just waiting for the water to top the Saylorville dam's spillway. Then it will flood DesMoines and head on down to Red Rock. Red Rock will hold as much back as they can before sending it on down the river to flood all of the small towns...

Have you ever just known that you are much smarter than all of the "experts"? lol Adam and I have talked about this often and just do not see how Saylorville is helping anyone at all the way they are doing this. Oh well, nothing we can do about it, and thankfully we don't live on the river! If you read this, Iowa could really use your prayers! So many people have already been flooded out, and the rest of this week will see many more flooded out of their homes. I saw a restaurant on the news today, They had their "Grand Opening" today with a foot of water in the cellor, then had costumers help them move everything back out to be moved to higher ground. How heartbreaking for these places!

We will have to go see the water and take the camera with us later this week after it has

Coffee Creamer ~ Bring the Rain - Mercy Me

2008-06-09T08:24:00.000-07:00

Have you ever noticed how when something goes wrong, it seems to spiral until you just relax and deal with it all? (Or am I the only one that gets stressed out right away?)

Well, today was one of those days. The kids got up early, I was really tired and didn't really want to be up with them all at 6am. So the girls were awfully quiet in the kitchen, but I didn't think that it meant trouble right away. It was after Ethan joined them and walked back in with a small zip lock bag of a powder that I knew I was in trouble! I called him over and see his hand is a sticky mess. I sniff the bag and instantly know it is my Blueberry Cobbler Coffee Creamer that hadn't yet been opened. For some reason, my kids LOVE Coffee creamer... powder or liquid, they don't care. I sent them all to the table as the girls try sneaking up the stair with their own bags full of it. I walked into the kitchen and find quiet the mess that they tried to clean up. It was very sweet of them, however it left an even bigger stickier mess. So I cleaned up most of it and went to take the many towels to the laundry... Remember I haven't even gotten to Ethan who has a good quarter inch of the creamer now plastered to most of his body as he is sitting on top of the table. That is when I see the next mess. With all of the rain we have had, it has been leaking, but today it went bast leaking to the ceiling crashing down in the laundry area. I wasn't very happy and called my husband to inform him that if he didn't want to "fix" the problem then he could get a part-time job to pay the person I hire to do it... not my proudest moment. However, after a short time of steaming, I just asked God to help me deal with it and went on to clean up the now slightly moldy ceiling tiles Then moved back to Ethan and the table. At this point, the table had a nice thick layer of creamer stuck to it. The best part of the creamer, it is one of my favorite smells in the world, so I calmed right down as I cleaned it up. haha

So, back to when I was working on the ceiling tiles. If you haven't ever heard the song "Bring the rain" by Mercy Me. I love this song! It has been the cry of my heart the last few weeks. However, with it comes the reminder that if you truly want this, you have to be ready for it. That is why, while I'm cleaning up the tiles, I was crying out to God, and I felt a calm and a question. "Do you really mean it? Bring the rain?" Here are the lyrics for those who haven't heard it.

MERCY ME LYRICS

"Bring The Rain"

I can count a million times
People asking me how I
Can praise You with all that I've gone through
The question just amazes me
Can circumstances possibly
Change who I forever am in You
Maybe since my life was changed
Long before these rainy days
It's never really ever crossed my mind
To turn my back on you, oh Lord
My only shelter from the storm
But instead I draw closer through these times
So I pray

Bring me joy, bring me peace
Bring the chance to be free
Bring me anything that brings You glory
And I know there'll be days
When this life brings me pain
But if that's what it takes to praise You
Jesus, bring the rain

I am Yours regardless of
The dark clouds that may loom above
Because You are much greater than my pain
You who made a way for me
By suffering Your destiny
So tell me what's a little rain
So I pray

Bring me joy, bring me peace
Bring the chance to be free
Bring me anything that brings You glory
And I know there'll be days
When this life brings me pain
But if that's what it takes to praise You
Jesus, bring the rain

Holy, holy, holy
Holy, holy, holy
Is the Lord God Almighty
Is the Lord God Almighty (repeat 3 times)

For me, I do mean them! I just have to keep praying that I am better at dealing with the rain! Today it was just a small shower, but with all the tornados, it could be anything.

Blessings for today:
The sticky mess smelled awsome!!
I felt God speak to me, can it get better than that?

Cleaning the bathroom

2008-06-06T18:17:00.000-07:00

This is not one of my favorite jobs!! Especially the kids bathroom. It is a very large room, and th ekids tend to make it a large mess. Not to mention kids and toilets = mess. So today I went up to deep clan it and scrub the floor by hand. It took a long time and I just felt so nasty when I was done.

Then I think about all the "crap" that God cleans away from us. He has never told me "this is so nasty! I will never clean this off the wall again!" He just cleans us white as snow, knowing that we will again sin and have to be cleaned. He doesn't smell the cleaner on his hands after and cring thinking of something He cleaned out of our life.

Wow, I have never thought of cleaning the bathroom that way before. As I was cleaning, I was thinking about what a great job the girls have been doing at some of the daily cleaning. I bet God feels that same way when I clean the kids bathroom without yelling or complaining.

Scarlet Lipstick

2008-06-06T14:16:00.000-07:00

Do you wear Scarlet Lipstick? I don't wear much make-up, and when I do I wear lighter pinks on my lips. I do however own a couple of bright red lipsticks for the girls dance. So today Ethan found an old "dance" lipstick. It is Scarlet Red. He knew to put it on his lips, however he didn't stop at that. He went on to cover his cest (thankfully he didn't have a shirt on at the time) then the rest of his face and half of his head. If anyone is wondering, you can't use baby shampoo to take lipstick out of hair, and childrens bath soap doesn't take it off skin. You have to go with cold cream. The problem with that you ask? First, it is hard to keep from getting it in the 1-year-olds eyes. Second, it makes hair look very oily,, even after washing it say... 4-5 times.

Sorry I didn't post a pic with this. When I saw him, I didn't want him to get it on anything else. He had already gotten the back of the sofa somehow. Once I got him in my arms, I had to move fast to keep from me being covered in it. Then once I got the shampoo in his hair, he was screaming and fighting to get out of the tub. lol poor guy.

Dance Contest

2008-06-05T08:06:00.000-07:00

Wow, my little girl is growing up so fast!!!

When I signed Donna up for dance, I happened to pick the studio that all the girls switch to as they get older if they want to do contest. This kinda scared me, I never had any intention of doing more than just "for fun" dance. I asked when we started how long it would be, till we got to the age of contest. She told me 4+ years. I was ok with that. Then at the end of this year, our girls moved up to the next level a year early. Deep breath for all of us moms, our girls are moving fast! We will now have an extra outfit, a 3rd pair of shoes, and an extra 15 minutes of class. Then in January we can choose if we want to add the pom-pom class. We were all excited for our girls, but also a bit nervous. That was a month ago. Yesterday I got an email, asking how I would feel about putting Donna in a "pre-comp" class. It would mean an extra costume, an extra 30 minutes of class, and extra fee a month, and 4-5 contests in the spring. EEK!!! My first thought was NO!!! She isn't old enough. But I talked to her and she wants to do it. I was still unsure, so I talked to Adam, thinking he would say NO!!! and I would be off the hook. He said Yeah, that's great! Oh boy.... here we go 4 years before I thought we were going to be doing this.

The good news is, I think Knoxville will be getting a grant to do pre-K differently, which means we don't have to pay for it, good thing! We will need that money for Donna's dance lessons and costumes.

2 years ago we had 1 girl: 2 pairs of shoes, 1 costume, and 1 ~30 minute class.

last year we had 2 girls: 4 pairs of shoes, 2 costumes, and 1 ~30 minute & 1~45
minute class

This year we will have 2 girls: 5 pairs of shoes, 5 costumes, 1(probably 2) studio warm-up outfit, and 1~30 minute & 1~90 minute + the pom class

12 years

2008-06-01T04:51:00.000-07:00

12 years ago today I was having my hair done, and Adam was running around picking-up our last minute stuff in the rain.

Thinking back on the day, I remember God's perfect timing. It rained, and rained. However the sun came out just in time for us to take the carriage ride from the church. Everyone was talking about how the rain couldn't have ended at a better time. :)

I also remember how we went inside McDonald's on our way out of town in my wedding dress, and Adam in his tux. We had lots of interesting looks. Then we headed to our hotel, where a "kind" couple thought they needed to hear our life story as they stood between us and the door to our hotel room. Adam went back down to get our bags and again ran into the nice couple. 1 1/2 hours after getting to the hotel Adam finally walked into our hotel room to find me passed out on the couch, stuck in my wedding dress. After he woke me up and I tried to get out of my dress, it sounded like rain as all of the bird seed (Thanks John and Rob) fell out of my dress. The floor was literally covered, we had to lay towels down on the floor because we couldn't shove it out of the way.

So, 12 years, 4 kids, 1 house later... time has flown by. I am still in love, and am amazed at how love grows. Adam I love you more today than ever.

Cherry Pepsi

2008-05-29T09:24:00.000-07:00

Do you remember reading my 7-up post? LOL Same thing only Cherry Pepsi in the middle of the kitchen on Monday evening. This time Ethan was playing with the cans while I was cooking and Adam was washing the girls hair (they were all covered in sand, so they got an early bath) Again, it split the SAME way! I still don't see how it could have split that way... Anyway, Pepsi for about 30+ feet all the way into my laundry area. You know, if God wants me to do a better job of cleaning, there are other ways He could tell me. Like just doing a miracle and cleaning it for me! Alas, that wouldn't be a very good lesson for me would it.

I'm not sure what God is teaching me with all of this. Maybe it is that I need to be better at the house work. Maybe it is a test of my reaction. If that is it, I passed. I started laughing hysterical as I picked poor bawling dripping Ethan up and handed him to dad to toss in the bath with the girls.

I must say, it had been a while from the last hands and knees scrub of that floor.

Sibling love

2008-05-29T06:23:00.000-07:00

I have been inspired to post this after a friend did one. (Thanks Diana) We went out to take some pictures of the kids this weekend, it didn't go well and everyone complained, so we kinda switched gears. We just let the kids play in an empty feild and took some pics as we went. (I'll post the pics when I get back home from the kids awards day) I remember there being stress as we worked to get the kids just right for the pics. I rememeber telling Adam we needed to be done, and just go with it. After that I remember fun and love. It was hot and humid so the kids were all sweaty and red.(makes the best pics!!) They would roll down the hill and pick flowers. Walk in poison ivy lol (adam is horibly alergic, but it seems that no one else is)

At one point Alex was sitting on the ground with his legs in front of him. Ethan walked up and sat between his legs looking at him. They just hugged, a grinned and talked for a couple minutes which is HUGE for them both to hold still like that.

Another time the girls were off picking flowers together, it was like an old painting.

Donna was on the ground on her tummy and her legs were bent at the knee with her feet in the air. Ethan ran up to sit on her back and give her a big hug.

Somedays with all the fighting and annoying (a big word in our home by the kids) it is hard to remember the special love they do have for eachother. However, it is always there... you just have to dig a bit deeper sometimes.

For more pictures from the day, check out our family website CahillPlace click on the "pictures" link.

Keys

2008-05-22T13:47:00.000-07:00

I so need to keep up with this rather than post books when I do, and/or back to back posts...

I misplaced my keys in the short time I was home on saturday, between the cross-walk fishing day and dance. I looked everywhere and started to panic, but I knew I didn't have time to panic, so I talked and prayed myself calm and forced myself to forget about them. Off and on this week I have started to panic, but know I can't have a panic attack with Adam away, so I pray that God clears my mind of my keys. Honestly, I don't need them. I have alot of old keys, a back-up for the van, and a car key on it. My other ring I have my van key, and the keys to the cross-walk. The only ones I need.

So as I'm getting ready to go do the dishes, I glance at my desk where I have this pouch that is supposed to be in my purse holding make-up is sitting. Ethan brought it to me a few days ago, and I picked it up thinking about if I still need it or if I can toss it. After all it has been sitting on my desk all week. Guess what is somehow sitting under it? My keys. No idea how they could hide under it, I put it back on top of them, and it is sticking up weird... hmmm hehe amazing how God answers our prayers. The car hasn't even been in town this week, so I wouldn't have used them. However I find them today... just about 24 hours before we will need them. God's time may not be when "I" want, but it is never late.

Thank you God for being faithful in the little things like showing me where my keys are before I started looking for them again. For keeping my mind free from worry and stress over them. For keeping my family safe, and for loving us through all of our weaknesses!

Single mom for the week.

2008-05-22T13:21:00.000-07:00

It is always good for me to have Adam gone for a week now and then. He is in Vegas this week, and things have actually gone well. I enjoy him taking these work trips for a few reasons.
1. I don't feel so guilty the next time I go scrapbooking. :)
2. I appreciate him more.
3. I sleep better because I am so exhausted!

It has been a good week. Dance ended last week which makes a HUGE difference!! Also, Alex's is done with most of his homework for the year. All he has now is to write poems every night. Not near as much as the hour plus every night before. Ethan doesn't seem to be kicking that ear infection, so his nights aren't great, but aside from that, no one is sick! woot!!

I have done good as far as the work I wanted to get done. I have gotten about half of it done, and if you know me, I always plan at least twice what I can actually get done. I am fighting a migraine today, and have bad cramps, I'm not sure why that couldn't have waited a couple more days, but it seems that it couldn't. The kids aren't fighting, and I got a bit of rest at nap time today even. It has been a surprisingly good week.

Tomorrow is going to be a great day! We will be picking daddy up at the airport after school. The kids don't know that though. Adam has told them that he would be home in time to eat with them and put them to bed, and I have told them I need to go shopping in DesMoines, but they haven't put the 2 together because Adam drove to DesMoines. I can't wait to see their faces when I pull up at the airport!

I better get back to my laundry and dishes. I wanted to have them both 100% done when Adam got home... I will have the laundry all washed, just not put away. My back hurts to bad to haul them all up the stairs this week. I may have the kids do some of it in small loads though... ooooh that is a good idea. (we are working on a chore chart for them, but that is another blog entry... if I ever get around to it)

Today I feel very blessed. This week I think has gone better than any other week when Adam has been gone. I still need to get 2 Dr. appointments and the van in to the get the oil changed. Adam tried to change the oil, then I tried... but when we had it done last, they tightened it down with an air gun... so we can't get them off now. Now I am rambling again... I haven't gotten stuck between the toilet and the wall (2 weeks before Chloe was born) No all night screamers(last year) Have a great day everyone!!!

7-up

2008-05-15T07:45:00.000-07:00

I don't have much time to post, but I needed an attitude adjustment, so I thought I would come post this, so it will be short.

Donna and Ethan have been sick, Ethan had to go off all foods and drinks that went in his mouth for 18 hours (even water) so we are no restarting his digestive track. That is all another blog entry though. So we are giving them both 7-up. I was cleaning and had little time so I was in a hurry and they were both fussing, so I grabbed a can and headed to the dining room with it. It slipped out of my hand and went straight to the floor. He cracked open just enough to spew sticking 7-up all over my home. It went straight for the laundry area where I had to many baskets of clean laundry sitting there. then as if propelled by the spewing 7-up it came back at me and into the dining room, where I have a project sitting out with photos uncovered... it had passed my poor scared to death Ethan who was screaming and dripping with 7-up.

Now everything in the kitchen, laundry and dining room all need to be washed... cause I didn't have anything else to do today. :p

Opps, I gotta run to get Chleo now, she gets out an hour early today, it is her last day at this preschool today. Next year we are moving her for pre-K.

Mother's Day!

2008-05-13T08:30:00.000-07:00

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!!!

Okay, so I am a few days late... hehe at least I said it? right?

So my day started out as I wanted it to for the most part. My family took me out the night before. So sweet! and a huge surprise! So my plan for the day was to spend it being the best mom I could, just enjoying being a mom. I didn't want to be treated special, just have a fun family day. It started off a bit rough, but I was determined to make it a good day. I made a big breakfast, and got clothes out for the kids before I got in the shower and off to church I went. I had nursery second service, so I wanted to go to the first service also. Sadly I started feeling sorry for my self a bit, uggh. Then I talked to a friend who had a very bad morning, and my heart broke for her and I realized that I really need to just see the good points.

We went out to lunch with my dad, my mom was home sick. However I didn't feel good, so I just drank sprite. We had to run to Wal-Mart, so we picked up some plants, then all of a suddon I just had to go. By the time we got home I was feeling very sick! I climbed into bed as soon as I got Ethan changed and in his bed. I then stayed in bed until the next morning. My family was soooo sweet!!! They were quiet so I could sleep, they got stuff together so they could give me cards and gifts... it was awesome! My mom was feeling a bit better, so she came over for a few minutes. It was the best day I have ever had while sick. I have a great family!! What is even better, Adam went into work late so he could drop the kids off at school first, and came home early so he could pick them up!! I don't think he can ever know how much that means to me. Not that fact that he did it, but that fact that he thought about me, and did it on his own because he loves me so much.

Well, I better get going. I promised Chloe I would walk to pick her up. She only has today and Thursday left of school. We are moving her to a new school next year, so thursday is going to be sooo very bitter sweet!!! I have had someone in this preschool every year but one in the past 8 years. Then I have had day care kids in 3 more years. This is harder for me than Chloe.

Donna "Mr. D"

2008-05-09T07:12:00.000-07:00

When I was in kindergarten, we learned our letters with the letter people. Our school no longer uses them in that way, after all the kids now have to know their letters before they start kindergarten. However, they do still have "letter person day". It is so cute, anytime you mention that you are etting ready for letter person day to anyone, they will tell you what they were or what their children were. It is just a big deal here. So today is "Letter person Day". Donna asked to be Mr. D because it starts her name and that is why it is her favorite letter. D is delicious donuts. We are given a paper that shows a small picture of each letter person. It is the letter D coverent in donuts. SO I went to work making felt donuts with felt frosting (in chocolate and white) and seed bead sprinkles on top. I also made one to go in her hair over her ponytail. I didn't expect it to take me as long as it did... why do I not ever realize how long these things RAELLY take? In the end it is very much worth it... however I think I will keep the sheet and stat working On Chloe's letter person costume the first day of kindergarten!

Oh, Alex was Mr. B. He had a white over sized T-shirt(Which is what you are told to do, but I learned with Alex that you don't want oversized or you have to do more work!) Then we covered it in buttons. I started out sewing them on, by hand... I soon understood just how many buttons this project was truely going to take and went to the store for more buttons and fabric glue. By the time his was done, it took 3 days to fully dry, and weighed more than he did, or very close to it (he was VERY skinny then!) Now I just really need to keep these experiances in my mind so I can get an early start on Chloe and Ethan's.

Sleepy Ethan

2008-05-09T06:46:00.000-07:00

Ethan fell asleep in his chair as he does so often. It was just so cute how he got "stuck". He climbes out of his seat if I walk away or am at the other end of the table at every meal, then I tell him to sit and he starts to cry as he sits. Yesterday at lunch he was soooo tired! I wanted to feed the kids an early lunch so Ethan could get a full nap in, however it ended up being closer to noon. I to change a diaper in the other room while Ethan and Chloe started lunch, this is how I found him when I got back.

He was to tired to get himself all the way out of his seat, so he just fell asleep halfway out. hehe poor thing! He sure does look peacful, but I can't see how it could be comfortable. He didn't wake up at all when I took him out and moved him to his bed, he just gave me a huge hug!
Isn't he just so sweet when he isn't climbing on top of th fridge? Or running out the door, or sneaking out the door, or hitting one of his siblings, or beating on me, or tossing toys all over the house...

He honestly is the sweetest little boy! He is teething and still fighting an ear infection, and still I have people comment on how he is always happy. What more could you ask for as a parent?
Ethan, you are a one in a million, and I am so very blessed that you are MY one in a million!

Paintball

2008-05-04T10:34:00.000-07:00

Our oldest turned 10 this year... wow, time goes by so fast!
He got to join the team (www.omega-paintball.com) and play with them for the first time yesterday. As a mom, that is scary!!! He did great and LOVED it. So we went and picked up a gun just for him on our way home.
We wanted to make sure he was going to enjoy the game before we bought him a gun.
These pics are of him signing the waver

This one is with his Dad, Grandpa-Pat, and little brother Ethan.

Mudding

2008-04-26T18:46:00.000-07:00

Now I know that many people call this a "sport". I have never been a fan of it myself. Today, I got a better feel for it, and I still don't enjoy it. lol

We were heading out of town to do some shopping. They are doing alot of construction on the main highway, however I didn't know that they had closed yet another exit to the by-pass. I was talking to my husband and not really thinking about it as I passed the 1st road closed sign. Once I saw the second sign and the actual torn up ramp, I knew I couldn't take it... I didn't really want to drive all the way accross town to take the other exit, so I thought I would just take a side road a few blocks over and get on the other way and turn around at the next exit. (sorry this is confusing for some, we don't live in a huge town, it would be closer and faster to get on the wrong way and turn around) I got ready to turn on that ramp... and found that they closed it also. They closed 2 of the 3 exits to our town at the same time. I really didn't want to go all the way back into town and to the other side, so I thought I would just go out on the gravel a half mile and go back into town on the other side.

I was ready to turn back in to town when Adam thought we should just go on west and hit the highway on the other side of the construction rather than going back into town. I thought about it and didn't want to take the gravel(our roads are VERY bad after this hard winter and budget cuts)Adam told me he was sure it would be faster just to go a bit further the other way, so I trusted him... Long story short, it took us 45 minutes to make it less than 5 miles up the highway.

We ran into 1 "bridge not structuraly safe, enter at your own risk" and 2 "Level b road, not maintained". All of which Adam wanted to "lets try it! Where is your adventure?" All of them we ended up turning around to find a new route. We learned that Marion county needs more money in the budget for rural roads, and that having Lake Red Rock here means lots of "marsh-like" land in the spring.

We had to wash the van twice and it still has mud on it... What an adventure! lol

Dance

2008-04-21T13:47:00.000-07:00

The girls are both in dance this year, and love it. There is something sooo cute about a little girl in dance clothes, sooo cute. We happen to have 4 very good dance studios in town, they each have different strengths. When I was ready to put Donna in dance, I called them all and went with the one that called me back first. (lol sad, but that is how I choose. I know people that love them all) We are in the one that is the biggest in comitition. They get huge awards and go to out of state comititions all the time. However she is also awsome with the little kids. People drive more than an hour to come to this stedio.

Today I got an email from her. She asked 4 classes to perform at a local nursing home. Donna and Chloe's classes were both choosen. I'm so glad that they will get to have an extra chance to perform.

We had dance pictures this month also. Chloe refused to let us take a pic of her, but here is one of Donna.

New PC

2008-04-14T07:06:00.000-07:00

We have been busy around here. Today I am on my new PC for the first time. It isn't totaly up, but it is good for now. I am getting used to vista. As of now, I am really liking vista!

We also got our new sofa and recliners delivored last week. They are awsome! However we need to remove more of our furnature now. I'm thinking both of our old chairs and the coffee table need to go.

I have to say that I'm sorry I haven't gotten the pics up yet. I am working on being more productive at home, so I stay away from my PC as much as I can. I need to set a time for my PC time. Then I can get everything done as fast as I can so that I can play a game with the girls or something. We will see. Anyway, I will try to get them up today after Ethan wakes up....

Speaking of Ethan. He has been able to get out of bed for over a month now, however he would land on the top of his head everytime. So he stopped getting out of bed. Last night, we had all of the kids in bed and in waddled Ethan. After his nap yesterday, he also didn't fuss, he just got out of bed and came into the livingroom with us. So after putting him to bed 3 times last night, and finding im climbing out 3 more times, I gave him a light spank. I knew that is all it would take to keep him in bed, I just felt bad. So he gives the most pitifull cry like I had hit him sooo hard. lol however, I had missed him totaly and hit my own hand. The stinker was just broken hearted. However he did end up going to sleep after that.

I better get back to my dishes now. Have a great day!

Wow, what a week!

2008-04-07T06:02:00.000-07:00

The kids have been so cute over the last few weeks... I don't even know how or where to start. How not to type up a full book...

Grandpa-Pat and Grandma stayed at the cabin friday night - sunday. The kids had sooo much fun! Donna always tends to feel left out because Alex and Chloe are both having a party but she isn't. So it worked out very well that my 2 favorite stories of the weekend are about her. They are both from the same day even!

Adam and Grandpa-Pat wanted to go geo-caching before lunch on Sunday. They asked Alex to go, but he was busy with his new gifts, so Donna asked if she could go. So off they go. While they were gone both Grandma's played with Chloe and her new make-up and nail polish. (She had a blast!!! Pictures will be uploaded) Alex built his new lego bionicles, and I made Chicken noodles and did some clean-up around the cabin. Donna had a great time, but when they got back the food was ready and everyone was hungry so we sat down to eat and we talked about what everyone had done while we ate. As we were nearing the end of the meal, I mentioned the black feathers in her hair(under the headband to keep them in). She told me they were crow feathers. I joked about them coming from a dead crow, not knowing that it was true. I said "So you are sitting hear eating lunch with feathers off a dead crom hanging over your food?" She grined and nodded... I look at my father in law that has a "Oh crap I got caught" look on his face, then to my husband with a "don't ask me, it's not my fault" look on his face. LOL at that point, it was a bit late to change the fact that she was eating with them in her hair. So we just joked about it and have a good story to remember.

My favorite one was sunday night. The girls and I went out to walk around outside and gather up some wood to put on the porch under the overhang for a fire the next night (it was going to rain monday). After we got the wood, Adam came out and we went into the woods to get kindeling. The girls wanted to walk to the cliff, so we did. After that they wanted to go down to the water, so Adam took them down while I took some pictures. I went back to the cabin to check on Ethan (who was napping) and start supper while they walked on the beach. After a while I heard the door open and Adam panting and and trying to talk. Well, it seems that Chloe was running along and got ahead of Adam and Donna. So they took off running to catch up. Donna stepped into a soft spot and went down to above her knee. Then fell flat on her face in the mud. I will be uploading the pics to our website. It was great! She had on her camo and pink shirt, and the mud was a clay type mud so it matched the camo. He foot came out of the she when she tried to get out of the hole, so her food was all muddy with just a bit of nail polish showing through the mud. Her one arm had gone into the mud just right and when she pulled it out, the sleeve was packed with mud and her shirt was about an inch from her skin all the way around. she had huge clumps all over her face, even her eye-lids had mud on them. (She told me she was falling and she saw the mud getting closer and thought she should close her eyes so she didn't get mud in them.) So I grab a towel and a roll of paper towels and we head back to the beach. We met Chloe who somehow made it up the steapest part of the clif, because Donna told her to go back so that she didn't fall in the mud too. Donna was being so brave, standing there with just one shoe on all covered in mud. Adam told me that as soon as she got up the first words out of her mouth were "mom's going to kill me!" haha I think she felt better when she saw me laughing instead.

Monday night we had a bonfire. The problem was that in all the excitement of the mud, we forgot to get kindeling up on the porch. So it took longer to start the fire, it was also cold that night. So I made the hotdogs and everything in the cabin. Then the kids and dad made smores over the fire. Adam brought a few inside for Ethan and I. It was so cold, that I set up the chocolate and grahm crackers inside. So the would roast the marshmellow, then walk inside to warm up while I took it off the stick. Then sent them back out the door.

We had a wonderful time!!!

Last year, when we got back from the cabin, we had the drama of getting our washer and dryer... not delivered when they promised, then again not when promised..

This year, new sofa and chairs. Delivered the day after we come back. So we got home and put everything away and I got to work on laundry. The next day I'm still working on laundry, and we take out the old sofa and loveseat. We load them up in the van, it packed the van, but the fit and the door closed. So Adam takes them to the dump, pushes them out and gets back in the van to come home. He got a phone call... they went to pick our stuff up, but the sofa was damaged... it would not be delivered. He called me to tell me. I was standing in the middle of the room with only one recliner, the TV, a ton of toys, and a few blankets that hadn't been put away yet. Well, it is kinda like we came home from the cabin to camp in our home. We have had a lot going on in the past week, so it hasn't been the end of the world. We found out on Friday that they would deliver the new ones this wednesday.

Well, that has beenour ast week and a half. I'll try to get teh pics up today or tomorrow. I don't have Reed today, so I may run to DesMoines. We will see. Have a great day!!!

Yeah!!! I got it done!!!!

2008-03-27T07:50:00.001-07:00

No, I didn't get my house clean, but I did get my list from yesterday finished. If only I had been able to get every list this week finished I would have a clean house... Oh well, in 18 years I will have that chance.

I am typing what I need to get done today out here again. It worked yesterday, maybe it will work again today. hehe I'm not holding my breathe

Finish folding the laundry and pack our clothes and put the rest away.(putting them all away is what never happens) Pack up the kitchen stuff, and bathroom stuff that I can, and all the party stuff. Oh, and get the dishes done... agian. Adam mentioned gettign a new dish washer... maybe it is time to splurge and get one again. I keep everything put the cups washed. Maybe we just have to many cups... If we had less, I would have to wash them right away and there would only ever be a few to wash. I have already tossed out most of our sippy cups and most of the kids "fun" cups that they get from parties.

Ok... so I am rambeling and not working... must get to work...

I will blogg with pictures next week after we get back. We get home tuesday, then have to put everything away and take our livingroom apart. Then wednesday we get the nuw sofa and chairs. Yeah!!!!

Opps, Ethan is jumping out of his highchair and Adam is sitting besid him not seeing it. I better go catch him. Have a great weekend everyone!!!

Cleaning

2008-03-26T06:17:00.000-07:00

I hate cleaning... I know most of us do. I love a clean house, I just never have one. The kids were home for a few days and the house was awful! I would clean up in one room, then move on and when I went back to talk to them it was horid again. Ethan has hit a stage where it takes him seconds to trash a room, but he also likes to clean up. I wish I could get all the kids in that stage at the same time, even if it is just for an hour! Well, I better get back to work. Today I HAVE to get the bathroom done, the laundry all washed, the dishes done, the diningroom at least picked-up and a good start on folding the laundry. We literaly have a mountain of laundry to fold. Ugggh

My iPOD, I need to go put it on to charge. I work so much better when I have it on!

I hope you all have a very clean day today. hehe

Oh, my blessings for today:

Ethan is still sleeping (he was up most of the night)
Chloe is quiet and watching Dora.
The kids were happy to go back to school.
Only 3 more days till we take a vacation!!!!!! (We rented a cabin for 4 days)

Sour Cream

2008-03-21T20:24:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the picture quality, it is a cell phone pic, and the lighting was bad.

We went out to eat tonight while we were in DesMoines. The kids were wild, and Ethan was a little nut full of energy. We got our food and Ethan looked at his own food and took a quick bite of his corndog, then tossed it down and looked back and forth between Adam's and my plates. We both had the same thing, we never get even close to the same thing, so that was odd. We both had our mashed potatoes closest to him, they had a very large scoop of sour cream on top, and Ethan kept looking at it. Fianly he couldn't help himself, he had to check it out. So he stuck his finger in mine, then tasted it. He very quickly went after seconds. After a few fingers full, I showed him that daddy had some also. So he showed daddy how he stuck his finger in it to taste. Then I showed him that he could use his french fry to dip it in. Before long he has eaten all of the sour cream. I gave him a bite of my potatoes, he spit it out at me mad that it wasn't sour cream. At one point, he had sour cream all over everything. Why don't these places give you spoons when you have young kids? They give you forks, and a steak knife, but no spoon.

I wasn't about to pay for just one almond...

2008-03-13T10:29:00.000-07:00

Today we took a trip to Fareway to pick up a few things for diner and snacks for the weekend. Chloe went around a corner infront of me. As I walked around the corner I saw her dart away from the "candy-mix". (The bins of different candy that you fill a bag and pay by the pound) I look to her hand and see she is hiding something from me. I call her back and ask her to show me what is in her hands. I see she grabbed a chocolate covered almond (good taste!!). So I very quietly take out a bag, hold it out for her to put her almond in, then take out the scoop and put a scoopfull in the bag. I see her little grin as she thinks she just got her way. Lots of eyes were on us, lots. I fold the top of the bag over and hand it to her. Then I said, because you didn't ask first, you are going to pay for this with your own money. No quarters after lunch on sunday. Her sweet little eyes drop, but after a bit of thinking she grinned again and told me she would ask first next time. There was far more talk about stealing etc., this is just the short version. I wish that stores didn't put candy that isn't in plastic down that low. I couldn't make her put it back like I normaly would have. We had to pay for it... I wasn't about to pay for just one almond, what else am I suposed to do?

Uggg I will never forget the first time we had to talk to Alex about not taking something in a store without paying. It was a small little mom and pop store. They looked at me like I was nuts when I was telling him not to steal the tiny tootsie roll that they had on the bottom shelf. Ok... so maybe I went overboard with him on that one.

Went for a walk!!!!

2008-03-12T06:09:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was so nice! We walked to pick Donna and Alex up from school. It was soooo beautiful! Ethan and Chloe love being outside, so they both loved it. We hadn't walked to the school in a while, but Chloe reminded me of just how long it has been. We used to not have the van, so we walked everywhere. Even in the cold of winter, I would walk to pick Alex up. So it was just life, the kids didn't think anything of it, and our different ways to get to school were just something we all knew. So yesterday, after I would cross a street Chloe would ask "Are you sure this is the right way?" We take a different way when we walk than we do when we drive, so she was sure I was lost. It was so cute, she was worried. We came home a different way, so she liked that better. I think we may walk again today. I was wishing we could have walked to school today. The kids left the heavy coats at home and had their jackets on. Alex wasn't sure he trusted me on that, but he did. I think he was happy in the end.

Ethan loves cake

2008-03-10T10:26:00.000-07:00

I was washing dishes(somedays I do miss having a dishwasher)and I heard the mail man. So I went to check on the mail and needed to call Adam to let him know about one letter. I check on the kids who are watching t.v. and playing quietly, so I go in to my desk to make the call. When I got off, I look over at the door as Ethan walks in with the cake carrier in his hands and it is COVERED in frosting, but the last of the cake is gone. He is also covered in frosting, tip of his hair to his tummy. It seems that he wanted some cake... hehe

I tossed him in the tub as I quickly cleaned up the mess. I had the vacuum on and missed him streaking through the house to find Chloe's cake that she had hidden. Next thing I see is Ethan, stark naked sitting on my freshly cleaned table holding a plate of cake. Once again covered in frosting grinning from ear to ear with his hair sticking straight up in all directions with frosting in it. Sadly, I didn't know where the camera is and the memeory cards are full. That would have been a great shot for the scrapbook!

Beautiful day, and wonderful memories!

2008-03-09T06:49:00.000-07:00

The sun is shining and after walking outside this morning, it didn't take my breath away from the cold(26F). I'm looking forward to this weeks warm up! We could see upper 50's by the end of the seek before dropping 30 degrees.

Yesterday was such a fun day. We went shopping as a family then met up with Grandma and Grandpa-Pat (Adam's parents) and went out to eat. It was such a fun day to just be able to spend it as a family without having to run off and make it to a meeting or something.

I have gotten bad at hearing the kids say cute things and say "Oh, I have got to blogg that!" then I can't remember it when I get a chance to get to my PC. Last night was just like that. Chloe is just at a very fun stage and she says the cutest things! I just wish I could remember them long enough to put it down on paper or type it up.

Ethan.... That is one happy little blessing!!! Last night we were eating and I noticed that he was putting the food in his mouth, but wasn't getting it all chewed up. He was just kinda holding it there. So I checked his diaper, poor boy had a very full nasty diaper. I should have know it was comming, I had changed his diaper before we went to sit down and he always waits for a fresh diaper. So I go change his diaper, (why do they still not have a changing station in many men's rooms? Or was I being told there wasn't one so I had to change it?)It was one that takes a while, it was bad. As I get him all cleaned up, but I hadn't gotten the new diaper on him yet, I look at his mouth and he started chewing up his mouth-full as soon as he was cleaned up. Poor little stinker can't eat when he has a dirty diaper. So he finished his food while I put his diaper and pants on and he was full of smiles and ready to eat anything in site by the time we got back to the table.

Right now, as I am sitting at my desk typing, he is in his little bed playing with his toes. He is so proud of himself whrn he takes his socks off without getting caught. so he swings his little sock around every now and then, but is just looking so intently at his toes. oops, he just fell over. hehe The thing is, he is happy and content. The girls have been in and out asking me questions (that is why he is awake) and I am right here, but he is just happy to sit and play with his toes while he waits.

Oh, I remember one of the things that happened yesterday now. Ethan the licker licked again. hehe While we were waiting for our seet, we were in the waiting area with LOTS of windows. Ethan kept licking the windows. if we had our eyes off him for a sec. he was licking again. So daddy made it a game. Ethan would try to trick daddy and lick before daddy could get his hand between his mouth and the window. Ethan had this evil little eye as he would try to trick dad. then he would almost fall over he would laugh so hard. Then he would try it again. He is a huge laugher, often he will laugh so hard he has to bend over or squat down to keep from falling over. So sweet!

Oh Lord, thank you so much for this wonderful blessing that you knew we needed! I am not thankful as often as I should be for him. He is so easy going, plays with whatever is in front of him at the time, loves to be read to, infectious giggeler, loves to lick anything in site, overjoyed to have his blankies, smiles at everything, LOVES to have his picture taken, pure blessing! Help me to rememeber that, help me to see that the blessing outweigh the struggles in all of our children. Help those awsome blessing to stand out in my eyes!

Early mornings

2008-03-06T04:54:00.000-08:00

Why do kids wake up early only on the mornings when you had a short night and really need the sleep, or when you can all sleep in.

Today 3 of the 4 kids (youngest of course) were up by 6am. I have been going to bed early all week. Like before 9 pm. In fact I have gone to bed before the kids a couple times in the past few weeks. This is not normal for me. So last night, I'm exhausted by 7:30, but I did't get home till close to 9pm and fell asleep around 10:30-11. Then Chloe was up for the day before 5(she couldn't get her zipper down on her PJ's). Ugggh, I'm sooo tired and it is only 7am. I think I miss my running around in a blur, I didn't know how tired I was. lol

"Is this my first accident, or last?"

2008-03-03T10:12:00.000-08:00

Chloe has been having accidents every day after she hit her head. We don't understand why, and have tried a variety of things to stop it. It is far far better than it used to be!

I was typing an email to a good friend today when Chloe walks up to me and says "Is this my fuwst(first)acident, or my last?" She started a a couple weeks ago knowing when I have hit my breaking point and the pacients are gone. So she will say "It is my last acident, I promise!" So a few days ago I lost it and told her that if she had one more "accident" I would put her in diapers! She looked very scared and started to cry. She didn't have any more that day, but then again, the day was almost over. After that she has only had one a day, and often times it is when she is in the bathroom. So today when she asked I looked at her and said, "Did you just have an accident?" No answer, but she dissapeared very fast.

Uggggh why is this parenting thing so hard? Ethan hates to have a wet or dirty diaper on and will wait untill you change it to go potty often. I have this bad feeling that he will be totaly potty trained and there will still be other children in my home having accidents!

On a totaly different note, I could really use prayer that I can hear clearly just what it is that God is wanting from me. And more importantly that I will be brave enough to step out and do it!

Cenderella

2008-03-01T05:15:00.000-08:00

Have you ever hear the song "Cinderella" by Stephen Curtis Chapman? If you haven't you really should. I saw the video of it a while ago and I can't get it out of my mind. We get so caught up in all that we have to do, but what is most important is often the one thing that gets pushed aside because "we will have time later". The truth is, we aren't going to have time later. Our family will change. Our kids will grow up and move away. We have to take every moment that we are handed and dance...

So if you are with me and hear me talk about "dancing with my Cinderellas" I'm talking about doing something with my kids.

Today, I will be spending time, dancing with each of my Cinderellas. I encourage each of you that has a Cinderella to do the same.

Welcome March!

2008-03-01T05:08:00.000-08:00

I had a great start to the month. I went to sleep before 9pm last night and woke up early. I had done 2 loads of laundry and watched a movie by 7am when Donna woke up. So we are going to head to the store just the 2 of us to get some laundry soap etc. and maybe a couple new pairs of pants for her. (She rips the knees of hers now) We are going to have a beautiful day in the 40's today and I am just planning to have a wonderful day.

"Don't we have a late start or something?"

2008-02-29T10:18:00.000-08:00

I went to wake the kids up for school this morning and Alex was already awake. I told him it was time to come down and get dressed. He said "Can't I wait a while?". I reply "No, you have to leave for school in less than an hour, come down now". He looked at me slightly annoyed and asked "Don't we have a late start?" I asked why he thought we would have a late start and he said "I don't know, but it has been a few days and it was melty yesterday, so it probabbly froze into a sheet of ice so we have a late start to let the busses have more time on the country roads"

Wow, I guess we have had alot of mornings in front of the t.v. waiting to see if it's a late start, or if the late start turns into a snow day.

I just came back in the house from shoveling up some more chuncks of ice as they start melting. however it is still far to deep in areas even for my ice pick to break. I am sooo looking forward to our next 2 days in the 40's. Even if it is going to end in yet more snow. We could really use a thaw, even if it is just the top of the snow, it will boost our spirits and make our streets safer. This has been a year for the record books! a couple more inches in the DesMoines area and they will be in the top ten snowiest winters ever. We have had more snow than they have by a ways. The good thing is, we don't hear the kids complain about no snow. The bad thing is, we do hear them complain about to much snow!

Well, Ethan is yelling for me to come save him. "Up pease! Up!" Have a great leap day!

Another snow day

2008-02-26T18:09:00.000-08:00

We are starting to expect these every week now. Adam has only missed about 4 days of work due to snow in 4 years. 3 of those have been this year. The kids enjoyed another lowkey day at home, just hanging out. This weekend they say we could hit the mid 40's. That will be sooo nice!

It's been a whole week.

2008-02-25T05:54:00.000-08:00

I have sat down to blog a lot of times in this past week, however as I looked at my blog today, I see I never finished any of those times.

Today, we have yet another snow storm heading toward us. It looks like it is starting with rain however. The good thing about rain when you have had 5 feet of snow is that it helps melt the snow mountains in your front yeard. The bad thing about snow is that it is followed by sleet and it will turn to ice either in the air, or on the ground. So we now wait. Wait to see how long it takes for the temps to drop, how long it takes to switch over from the rain. We watch the weather on TV we watch our computers for the school closings. lol That page and I have gotten to be good friends this year.

While we wait for all of that, the kids at home get to pick-up! Our house is somehow trashed after us not being here much the last 2 days. I don't understand how being home for 2 hours means that our house looks like a tornado went through. I guess when you have 4 little wirl winds they add up. Ethan is full of spunk today. He is running from place to place making this fussy "uhhu" sound every time he doesn't get his way. He learned quick that when he does that with other kids, he gets his way. He doesn't do that to Adam and I thought very much. He doesn't get his way with us. Ethan wants to help with the floors (the boy loves to vacuum!) So I better go help with the toy pick up.

I'm blessed today with a good nights sleep last night and a happy one year old today! His nights have been short and his naps messed up do to picking up and dropping off kids at school. But last night he had a great sleep!

Snow... what a winter we have had!

2008-02-18T11:03:00.000-08:00

It looks like it has caught up to us. Every year we talk about how when we were kids it snowed so much more. Well, this year, we got all that snow and then some! Yesterday we got about 8 inches of snow on top of 2 inches of sleet on top of rain. Last night I shoveled and I'm sure the people accross the street turned off their T.V.s and watched me for entertainment. When I talked to Adam, I told him it was like I was on an ice rink that was on a hill. I was sliding along. As I slid down the driveway in the first strip, I was shoveling as fast as I could to keep up with me sliding. Then when I got near the bottom I would pick some up, and kinda scoot over the the side and heft it up over the mountain that is now on the sides of our driveway more than shoulder high. Then I would work my way back to the other side to pick up another shover of snow.

As I worked away, I started feeling sorry for myself.(Hard to believe that I do that, I know) Thinking about how we are one of the few people without a snow blower and how I used to always shovel the sidewalks on both sides of us as well as the bottom of the driveway attached to us. There were times I would shovel the sidewalk over to my parents house 4 houses over. And how they all have teenagers now that could easily help out and they know we have 4 young kids, it wouldn't hurt them to help us out from time to time. Then I was reminded that It was good exersize for me, and I really need to focus on me and not on others. Then someone pulled up in a run down car with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth and a young child in the back seat and he asked if I needed help shoveling. ... Boy, I didn't want to do it, but I didn't have the money to pay someone else. I thanked him, and told him I could finish it.

As he pulled away I felt like I had been slapped accross the face. I don't know his situation, but I could tell it wasn't great. Here I am complaining about stuff that so isn't important, and then I get a reminder that it can be so much worse.So I thought about in the next few years when our kids will all be out there and it will go fast. Then we will be able to help out by shoveling the sidewalks around us again. So I happily work away.

I got the bottom finished (the heavy stuff) and moved on to the sidewalk before finishing the driveway. I thought I could use some level ground for a while. I got about half way finished with one strip of the sidewalk when I notice a man with a large snowblower that is heading my way.(on clean sidewalk) He gets over to me and asks "Can I get this for you?". Wow, sure, thank you. So I go start working on the hill again. Then he tells me he is going to take a few quick swipes over the drive and get the part on the worst incline. I started on the sidewalk from the house to the public sidewalk and by the time I was half way finished he was done and heading away. I waved and called out thanks again, but he didn't even look up. He didn't do it for the thanks, he simply did it.

Wow, I was glad I had to finish the steps and around the car. I really needed the time to reflect on the leasson God had just taught me...

I am so blessed, If I only look outward, I will see them far more clearly then when I look inwardly.

Cleaning

2008-02-14T18:35:00.000-08:00

I just had to say this, because I was so shocked.

Today I was doing some cleaning and I am working at clearing out the clutter etc. So I tossed out some flowrs with a heart basket that used to hang above the doorway to our kitchen. It is up very high, and I didn't think anyone would notice it. I put up a sign that I had bought to go some other place, just to fill the space, and to get it on the wall for now.

Not 5 minutes later Chloe walks in and stops and just looks up with a shocked look on her face. Then she looks at me and says "Mom, what happened to my flowers!?!?" I am just amazed that she would notice it. Adam didn't even notice it till had walked past it a few times.

Happy Valentines Day!!!

2008-02-14T18:25:00.000-08:00

The kids and I were very happy about it being "Party Day". Chloe was a little mad that we hadn't invited everyone we know. She said that "Everyone should get to come clebrate the special day, not just us alone".

I made T-Bone steaks(Daddy, and Alex's favorite) I made a beautiful centerpiece of flowers with six roses, one for each of us. We had a special cake and lots of fun opening up all the stuff they got at their parties. Ethan got a cute little tin with some cookies that he loves to carry around the house dropping the cookies and adding candy when the other kids aren't looking.(He snuck alot of candy from them) Daddy got a HUGE heart of chocolates that the kids can't wait to dig into tomorrow night. We had a wonderful night!!! It was one of the first nights in a long time that we were all home.

Oh, Donna told me that the reason we make a cake for Valentines day is to "thank God for making love, right mom?" So very sweet!

Thank you Lord for my family!!!

Flu shots

2008-02-12T10:53:00.000-08:00

They are yet again being pushed in Iowa as our flu season has hit full force. We never get them adn I refuse them for the kids. This explains a bit on why I refuse them. http://www.kcci.com/news/15272751/detail.html As of now, they are not mercury free. I just don't understand why we allow them to use a mercury-based preservative in flu shots when we have banned it in vaccines. I'm so very thankful that it is banned in the vaccines though. I was just thinking about the dates... Alex would have gotten all of his by the time they banned it. However Donna is the only other child we have that had a chance at any with mercury in them. Also, the odd thing is that I have always been very much for vaccines, but due to changing doctors and insurance issues, most of her vaccines (including the one everyone feels is the problem) untill after the ban. I can't help but think that was possibly God keeping Donna safe.

Anyway, I will be keeping my eye on this to see if they do ban mercury from flu shots.