My daughter is simply begging me to post...so I will write while it is on my mind. Of course, several things rumble through my mind -- like all the things I have missed writing about since January, the fact that my birthday was yesterday and the same incredible daughter fixed me breakfast in bed and bought me a giftcard just to make me feel special...IT WORKED!! She is a fantastic person at the ripe, old age of not-even 10!! Her big 10th birthday is coming...I hope she feels as incredible special as I did yesterday! Even just a bit...

I have accepted a J-O-B!!!

Not sure how I think I can do this...I have accepted a J-O-B! Yes, a job! One that I have actually had for the past 9+ years -- but I intend to take it seriously now. No, really serious!! My husband and I have chosen to homeschool our children -- this leaves very little time for getting things done like the "normal" mother of three. Yes, this job requires interrupted trips to the bathroom and selfless acts of releasing the last cookie to the highest pleader. ...possibly breaking into thirds-maybe fourths if I really do want a bite!

Yes, I am babbling...not sure how to write "negative" about a job that I love!! ...but I am serious about the part of accepting my responsibilities as a wife and mother of 3. I will set my alarm, shower (most days) and do my best to complete the task at hand for the day. My kids might not like it, but they know I love them. This makes me smile!! THEY make me smile!!

It feels great to know the direction the Lord has for our day -- and move forward with diligence and accept the "flight". I pray for very little turbulence...bumps don't work well in my day but are inevitable. My husband and I want what is best for our children and fully intend to raise strong leaders -- sure of who they are and that their life has a significant purpose.

I could go on for much longer and might add to this more this week for my own satisfaction of telling the world "I love my life!! My husband is incredible!! My children amaze me!! Lord, You are so good to me!"

Better go set that alarm!! :)

USERNAME/PASSWORD

INCREDIBLE!! I actually remembered my username and password for this blog!! Glad I did...didn't want to have to start all over! I hope to get on here more often and keep a diary of sorts to look back on. It has been fun looking over the bit I have put on here in the past. Too bad I don't have some wonderful projects to share. Tomorrow begins some hardcore homeschool at our home. New schedules in hand -- with check-off sheets so no one gets out of subjects to play on wii or the like. THIS WILL BE FUN!! Really!! :)

LIFE KEEPS MOVING ALONG...

Cannot imagine it is almost Thanksgiving!! I have found some peace in knowing the holiday is pretty much all about giving thanks and eating!!! So, we can share our heart of thanks without much preparation and food is always about! I need to gear up for Black Friday shopping...not sure I want to head out but always get inspired when the day finally rolls around. In less than two weeks our Christmas tree will be up and the joys of celebrating Jesus' birth with literally be all around me in my home. Kevin has begun hanging Christmas lights as of yesterday and his schedule is filling up fast. I love that Christmas ends the year -- I suppose it has always distracted my mind from the fact that yet another year has passed me by. Don't get me wrong, I look forward to heaven with much anticipation for many reasons but the Lord has blessed my life in such incredible ways. I am reminded that each day is a gift...an INCREDIBLE gift! This is just one thing that I am thankful for!!

What are you thankful for?!

Memorial Day Weekend

We had a blast Memorial Day weekend! Friday night had friends over and stayed up entirely too late!! You'd think we would pay attention to time with 8 children between the two families!! Saturday afternoon we met some friends at their land and got to ride horses, go for hay ride, shoot guns, fish, pick wild blackberries, roast marshmallows and make s'mores!! Way too much fun for me!! Huge Blessing!! The kids were wiped out!

Sunday was church and all three children went home with Gammie and Papa...wow! Kevin and I made a day of work out rather than follow the command to rest and finished the day eating chips with homemade salsa and watching the finale of Lost.

Finally, Monday we had GG, Gammie and Papa over for bbq and they returned the children! After they went home, the kids headed back outside for more fun on the slip 'n slide. Not sure how the video clip got turned sideways, but it was worth another watch to me!! We need weekends like this more often!

Happy 6th Birthday Preston!!

Wow!! How does life carry me along so swiftly! How do I allow such "major" milestones to come and go like another something to check off? My son Preston turned 6 years old...when did he get to be six years old?? I feel like I have missed about five years of his life and they are completely over!! Must review pictures...must enjoy him being a little boy and still wanting "Mama" when life hurts. Oh dear...

His 6th birthday was celebrated first with cousins from Minnesota and his Aunt Theresa (my sister) and Uncle Malcolm and soon to follow with several emails/phonecalls. What a joy and blessing! Thank You, Lord! I am hoping the sweetness of that day just might get the Oatmans to think of moving closer to us!! Warroad, Minnesota (Canadian boarder) just doesn't have much to offer but boy o' boy we would love to be closer to all of them!!

We then had more celebration with a few friends over to decorate cupcakes (yes, Susan, my floors have yet to be cleaned!!) and enjoy the afternoon playing Wii -- Batman and Star Wars . I'm not so sure anything else would have been as much fun. I know Preston felt super special and that is all that needed to happen on this particular day. Big thanks to Blake, Sarah, Mary Beth, Sydney and Mrs. Susan!! Biggest thanks to Jesus!!

So...he turned six and a few days later lost his first tooth. We had quite a week! And to top it all off the tooth fairy was running late...how does a parent sooth a six year old that just lost his first tooth that the tooth fairy just must be running late? Acckkk!!! He handled it like a champ!!

Plan "B"

Kids really are hysterical!! Like today, Brooke comes to me shaking her head with a comb stuck at the roots of the top of her head. She said she was trying to curl her hair...oh dear! Daddy to the rescue...should have gotten a picture! Thankfully, we saved most of the hair but the comb was destroyed in the process of removing it from the glitches of her roots!! :)

Anyway, it really is funny after the fact...my point...we had some friends over last week that played outdoors for a good part of the day and really wanted to run through the sprinkler but I was unconvinced it was really warm enough for that. After a few moments of silence, they returned with "Plan B"! Since they were not able to play in the sprinklers, could we "use the bath tub as a pool and play with swimsuits on?"!! It really seemed harmless and actually a push on me to get my bathroom floors cleaned -- fully aware that much water would be left on the floor. They were tickled when the answer was positive. Cracks me up!! As an adult person, how much fun is THAT?? Girls went first. Then the boys...good plan since the boys definately left a bigger puddle than the girls. THANK YOU, GIRLS!! :)

This Rollercoaster LIfe

Wow! Such an amazing past week or so. Rollercoaster-like. Friends hurting from miscarriages, children having surgeries, friends/family preparing for marriage, family pets dying, babies being born, simple heart hurts from missing mom/dad. Financially pulling resources together to move forward with missions planning. Then the even simpler events that bring such joy and sadness, i.e., going to the zoo, playing at the park, pictures in Texas blue bonnets, playing Wii with a good friend, falling on a bike and scraping knees or just simply being so tired you fall over and knock your head on the corner of a chair. Seriously, how does one move forward without knowing God is in control? ...giving God the glory and praise for new life? We must trust Him with our most precious pieces of life!! I have witnessed amazing strength and bravery. Thank you, Jesus, that You are who you are and give me strength during the rollercoaster days of life and joy in the morning to sing praises for the bountiful blessing!

Christmas Fun at Gammie & Papa's

What a most enjoyable afternoon!! Helping Gammie and Papa decorate their Christmas tree with GG and then dancing in the living room!! We even got Gammie and Papa to do some polka for us! I am very thankful for these memories, my children, my in-laws and Jesus' precious love!

IT'S SNOWING!!! IT'S SNOWING!!!

What a delightful surprize this morning!! I opened up Facebook just before 7:00 a.m. and a friend had noted "IT IS SNOWING!!"...I thought, "What?" Looked out my window and, sure enough, IT'S SNOWING!! I immediately called my mother-in-law and woke her to share (sorry, Martha...I'm sure you were just laying there awake, right??) the good news!! So sad, Shelby has slept through it all but is battling a bit of congestion so needs the rest. This was funny...Parker ate out the cherry tomato eye and left our snowman in "tears"!!!

Four Pumpkins at the Flower Mound Pumpkin Farm

Four children, bounce houses, hayrides, pumpkins everywhere and all characters of wood cut-outs to pose with that you can imagine makes for a very fun day! (I haven't figured out how to arrange my pictures on this blog yet...I will get there.) The pictures tell the story but not in order -- The pumpkins were painted after we got home! Gammie Martha came with and was a big help as there were mobs of children everywhere! We brought a picnic lunch to eat but think the bees maybe ate more of it than we did...brought about many mixed expressions from each of us but Gammie was calm as a cucumber...not me! I was standing eating my sandwich...I'm not to hip on bugs!...period. We bought our pumpkins, headed home and were entertained yet more by dancing children in the living room and then painting the pumpkins that needed a face. As you can see, only one got a face and the others look as if they are..well, ...smushed. We need to work on this!

The sweetest, smartest classroom EVER!!

What a privilege for me!! I get to teach four of the most intelligent, fun, kind, cute-as-a-button, laugh-inspiring, thought-provoking children EVER!! Our front room is a sort of classroom that gets pretty loud on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. As you can see in the picture, it was Shelby's turn to hold the flags for our pledges...always a highlight for that sweet little one!! I believe this picture will be cherished over the years. We get to have school in whatever we chose to wear, find a comfy spot and test our brains a bit. I know I have said it before and still feel the same...I AM A BLESSED WOMAN!!

The Hair Whip Mishap

My husband jokes that "A 7-year old beat me up!!" There is a bit of truth...it was a 7-year old but definately not on purpose. Brooke (the 7-year old) and her Daddy were playing around when she says, "Put your head down." So Daddy does (doesn't every Daddy do whatever their 7-year old daughter asks??)....anyway... She proceeds to drop her head, fully intending to whip her head over and all her blond hair would tickle his face. Well, I guess she got a bit too close and 'WAP!!!!' Oooouuucchhh!! The sound was awful. Kind of like when you are in a car wreck and you will never forget the feel of your head making impact with the window beside you. Brooke just cried and cried, "I didn't mean to, Mommy! I didn't mean to." Surely she didn't think she was in trouble for this but could obviously see the pain her Daddy was in as he curled up in a fetal position holding his eye -- surprizingly not knocked out! He did admit to getting a bit fuzzy and his eye puffed up immediately. Thankfully, all is fine...just very black and blue!

09/26/09 PureNRG Concert...FUN FUN FUN!!

Brooke and I went to see PureNRG in concert on Saturday, September 26th with her friend Savannah. PureNRG has three performers...Caroline, Carolyne and Jordan. Check out their website!! Very fun for young kids and their music is safe!! Such energy and great talent!! Here's a few pictures of them signing autographs and one during the concert (they were singing a remake of "Footloose") that I was not supposed to take...oops!! I'd love to see these kids keep on and make their music known!!

BROOKE...today is YOUR day!!! Happy 7th Birthday!!

September 22...2002...labor begins Saturday the 21st in the later afternoon at Michaels...continues through the evening until we finally head to the hospital with my sister Theresa along to help (Praise God she was with us!!!...oh dear!!). This "experience" goes on through the night until finally an epidural at approximately 2 a.m. Brooke was born after having to call the doctor from church so I will always remember a Sunday morning madness!!! There is nothing like having your first child...everything first...no wonder they are so much more responsible -- I am certain the books were closer to my bedside and parenting tips were taken to heart. Brooke is the brightest 7-year old that I have ever known and can remember details with ease...I envy this! She has such beauty inside and out and loves Jesus much!! I hope that now as she thinks (or at least I think) we as parents have HUNG the moon that as a teenager she doesn't think we are FROM the moon!! (I read that in a book and thought it was funny!!!) I so want to be her friend, but Mommy first!!

Brooke wanted to get her ears pierced this year and because she is such a responsible young lady -- we considered it and decided she could handle it. She was so strong about it and had no troubles...WAY TO GO, BROOKIE!! Happy birthday, Sweetie!! Love you so very much!!

HAPPY 3RD BIRTHDAY, SHELBY!!

Wow! So hard to imagine I have been a mother of three for three years!! Seems just a short time ago I brought our Shelby Danae home from the hospital and now three years have swiftly gone by. Shelby is such a bright spot for all of us and her personality/charm is really beginning to trickle out! She has spunk. She has no fear. She has the blond hair and blue eyes that come from Daddy but ought to create more fear in him!! She has us all wanting her attention and hugs from her little body that will be the littlest around this house since she is the baby. We had a family party last weekend but still have to make TODAY special...her breakfast of choice was Lucky Charms and tonight for dinner it will be macaroni and cheese...sorry Daddy!!

Shelby WE LOVE YOU!!! Keep smilen' and making it to the potty and we'll have your ABC's learned in no time at all!! We look forward to many many more years of fun and celebration of YOU!!! Hope your day is super happy!!

One large praying mantis and a giggly little boy!

This summer has been the oddest as far as weather! And with odd weather, we have had the joy of watching/observing many interesting creatures this year around our house. This includes black widow spiders, beetles, caterpillers, lizards, hummingbirds, more spiders, grasshoppers, ants of many varieties and the latest was this huge praying mantis. ...at least it seemed large to me! I was surprized when my son Preston (5 years) was willing to hold it. This was too cute. I only wish my camera would have allowed more footage!!

School Days School Days...sing with me....

Have you ever felt all you wanted to do was get through a portion of your day and complete ONE THING??!! ...even though you had many, many items on the list?

2nd Grader... no problem.

Kindergartener...no problem, really.

Two 3-year olds learning the letter "A" -- all while 2nd grader and Kindergartener have questions...can't find Hooked On Phonics info needed for Kindergartener...2nd grader needs to read out loud to "supervisor" to move on...of course, before this all could begin toys and dress-ups needed to be cleaned up (snacktime is always great incentive)...ha!!!! We made it through the morning and now 2nd grader and Kindergartener are still wanting more work!!! Woo-hoo!! Praise God they weren't ruined all in one day and still have a desire to learn!! I have no doubt with prayer and a bit of fun this will get much better as time goes on...but I am thankful tomorrow is library day!! Ahhhhhhh......

27 years ago...

Today marks 27 years since my mother passed away. It was quite a day for our family. My oldest brother Brad had a wife in labor at one of the hospital and his mother dying at the other. I was 11 years old. What I remember is being excited because I was going to go live with my oldest sister Mary and her husband Bert in Montana!! I do hope that I love my children in a way that they hurt when I am gone. Seems selfish, huh? My mother was an alcoholic and when my father passed away and she was left with five children to care for, her decisions went askew. My memories are not very fond although she was very crafty and musical...must be where I get it. I love her because she is/was my mother. I still have hope that one day we will be together again and I can show her the respect she deserves.




Here's a picture of my brother Brad, his wife and their brand new baby girl Jan that was born that same day. My mother was never able to hold her first grandchild. What an example of how making GOOD GODLY CHOICES is so very important!

Today I am praising God with my beautiful family and showering my children with love. I make mistakes and many times ask their forgiveness but I believe they know how much I love them. They are such treasures to me!!

I love you mom!!

Three little birdies, sweet green grapes and a loose tooth!!

My oldest daughter Brooke has had a loose tooth for some time now and has refused to do anything but allow it to fall out on its own. All three children were sitting on the coutertop being fed super sweet green grapes by their Daddy. Brooke's turn came up and here's what happened...

She was so proud!! I love my family!!!