A night on the Farm...

 The leaves are falling on the farm and this week has gone by way too fast. The sidewalk chalk everywhere and my thoughts and emotions raw this week. Just one of those weeks of thinking too much. The jobs before me overwhelming and my rose colored glassed frosted over with the humidity of the day. The farm is looking bare as the leaves are falling from the trees and the colors already changing. A true sign that summer is gone.   Their toes will soon will be covered with socks and shoes and I will miss their dirty bare feet running through the grass.

Piggies

 The little girls are being trained to sit at the table and not move their plates and to enjoy the company of their family. My big table is not so big when you put 10 people around it. Training two 1 year olds is alot of work but if they are to be the blessings that God means for them to be then training them is a must. They are learning now the lessons of being accountable and I'm the one to train them. At the end of the day I wonder sometimes if I've done anything besides train.... but I know the outcome will be worth it with the Lord's help.

The biscuits were hot and oh my the kids loved them. Hot butter and gravy for supper. The supper table is still my favorite place to be. Every night the candles are lit and the music flows through the house.  It allows so much time for us to relax and unwind from the day. We share a meal and Scott does a family devotion and then he will ask me, "so how was everyones attitude today?" All their eyes on me and relieved they  are when I say they've all had a great attitude. On the days when they have not had a good attitude he will talk to them and get to the heart of the matter. Then the table comes alive as we sing song after song. A few of our favorites are lets go down to the river to pray, I'll fly away, and He came from heaven to earth.
The kids smiles can be seen through the candle light and I know I'm looking at a family tradition that they will not soon forget. The guys stand until their father tells them they can sit and my chair is pulled out, sometimes it's a race to see who can pull moms chair out for her. Talking about feeling special. Teaching them manners and respect is very important to us and I believe it starts around your table. Being thankful for the food before you no matter what it is. They may not like what we're eating but they are being taught to not complain. They can be excused from the table if they complain so complaining doesn't happen often.

My laundry room just recently had a make-over and in the middle of the biggest wall hangs this chalk board.
I change the words almost daily but I love writing notes and love letters to them. The boys pass this board on the way to their room and we fold many loads of laundry here each day so I try and write things that will help them to remember who it is their supposed to becoming. More like Christ, and less like themselves.
Teaching them and myself that I can't trust my heart and my emotions. I have to trust my Saviour and His words and trust my husband who always gives the best advice (well most of the time..=).

  Her shoes on and her hair pulled back, she shows her daddy what she's learned in ballet this week. We all sit and her brother starts the music and she comes in and dances the dance we've been practicing.
I didn't take her to class, I didn't have to. I spent ten minutes a day with my ballerina girl and I'm teaching her everything I know (which isn't much) but she is having a blast. She doens't know any difference. The class down the road cost 50.00 dollars so I told Scott he could just pay me if he liked :)She doesn't seem to mind that she is the star of the show at her home. The place where she can dance and her brothers fight over who is going to pick her up and twirl her in the end.


 The moon is set as our back drop and the frogs and crickets so loud the music has to be turned up and my family sharing another night on the farm. 

     
Close your eyes and hear the sounds and live this day to the fullest.

celebrating adoption, birthdays, and love

Living in the community we live in we are very family oriented. Our friends and church family are very very important to us and some weekends we stay busy helping our friends.
On Saturday morning the kids and I stood in front of a grocery store helping to sell baked goods for some dear friends who are adopting from China.

Channie-Mae and the boys brought their own money so they could eat some of the delicious baked goods.

Taylor and our friend Bell baked rolls and cookies and helped drum up business and Taylor's hot

cinnamon rolls definitely helped.

On Saturday night we went to an engagement party celebrating some dear friends up coming marriage.

It always reminds me of the great love Scott and I share. 18 years later and we still have such a great
love for each other. Even though our love is shared with a house full.

 The night was perfect as we celebrated love.

 On Sunday morning our little miracles woke up to celebrate their 1st birthday. Surrounded by friends and lots of love and attention. Our friends made food and fruit platters and my friend Kathy made the cutest cakes

and cupcakes. Kathy has been such a dear friend to me and my family for the past 8 years. You know, the kind of friend who helps you celebrate every occasion. The friend who calls up and says "you wanna go eat some chips and salsa and talk (for hours) in a Mexican restaurant?" The friend who has helped me grow more than anyone else. She was the one who helped me start homeschooling, taught me about hospitality, and gave me direction on not being too busy. She is a giver and when you're sick she will be the first to bring food.

When you're sad she will encourage. A true Titus 2 woman that I'm so thankful to have in my life.

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She and her family made the girls birthday party very very special.

♪ ♫ Happy birthday to you.

Happy birthday to you.

Happy birthday dear Ellie Cate and Josie Claire

Happy Birthday to you. ♫ ♪

So this weekend was very full indeed. We laughed and yes, I cried (alittle) 

You'll notice Mimi is with us and we have enjoyed her company.

Our life is full, blessed, and truly amazing.

The smell of boys

I want to remember who they are now. I want to remember their smell of sweat, sun, and hay. The way little boys smell no matter how many baths you give them.I want to remember the way they love to  fight battles when they've never really fought one before. Swords and sticks and a country hillside and the hours fighting and hiding. She's in the mix ,their sister. She is never far behind them and they don't seem to ever mind. Oh, the pasture is full of their play. The laughter and echos being heard from early morning till dark time. She looks at me and says, "you want to hear my voice?"

'Sure I do" I said and she yells hello out over the hillside and her voice comes back and she looks at me and smiles and says "isn't that neat?"

Why yes it is..Can I bottle it? so when the hillside is quiet I can open my bottle and hear their laughter. sigh..... 

Bed time stories, Little Bear, ice cream, bikes, and swimming have filled our summer with some wonderful memories. I look out across my hill and know that this too shall pass. This season of having them little. They grow so much everyday and fight as I may they don't slow down. The hay bales are harvested for another winter and they play, jump, and grow right through another season of my life. 

The summer of 2010 gone but I'll never forget

These are not common blessings

In the course of my life children have never been given easily to me.

I have prayed earnestly and at times begged God for the gift of a child.

I have went before His throne and cried out like Hannah on behalf of every

single one of my children. Promising to raise them to love Him.

Promising to be faithful as a parent.

Just crying out. 

So when the Lord faithfully gave each of my children to me, even though He never had to. 

I felt it was an answer to prayer and thus my faith grew and my thankfulness.

My children are not common blessings.They are gifts straight from the throne room of my Father.

They are not expected blessings, but the fruit of sincere

pleadings. Better to rejoice over them as the fruit

 of our pleadings than as the fruit of our bodies. When you pray

for a child so hard and so long and when your prayer is answered,

believe me there is no way it could ever be commonplace.

I know the sting of the death of a baby.

I've had at least 5 miscarriages.

I've given birth to 6 babies

I know the excitement of adoption when

they place a baby in your arms that you have prayed for and longed for.

Children are not common blessings..

At least not to me and my household.

When you lose one or you can't have one

you pray out to God and when he blesses you

with one or two the blessing is double and you live a grateful life.

Our family a year later

Josie Claire and Ellie Cate turn one on Sunday.

Almost a year and I can't keep track

of how many times I've whispered "Thank you, Lord!

But, for the record, I'll do it one more time.

Thank you, Lord, for all of my children

who bring such great joy and happiness to an

undeserving mama."

I'll play in dirt until I'm 90

Waffles piled high for my eight kids. Crisp hot waffles. Breakfast at our house, always one of my favorite parts of the day. Smiling faces awake after a good nights sleep. A new day. A new beginning of pouring love into the cups that are before me.

A one eyed dog that we call honey. A little girl loving the way the grass feels as she rolls across.

A mama sitting in the middle of my mission. A mission field I have to finance. I can't ask someone else to do this for me. I have to sit out in the middle of this farm and watch kids play in dirt and have kids around me like buzzing flies. I just love this job of mine.I can't help it. I was born for this job...a time such as this.

Dirty feet in the dirt that is their inheritance

Dirty faces and my kisses that are somewhere underneath. Jo has really took off these last couple of weeks. It's amazing the transformation that has taken place. His personality, his love, trust....

New teeth and almost walking. A birthday coming up..We're pulling out all the bells and whistles for these little girls. They'll be 1. Oh Lord Thank you for them. Thank you for letting me play in dirt with Josie and Ellie Cate. I'll play in dirt until I'm 90 if you'll let me.

My boy drawing hearts in the dirt for me. He smiled up with dirt on his face and said, "a heart for you mom".

A monkey named binky laying across my surgery table. I take great care with this little guy. He's been in our
family for many years. Made by Cullen's great grandmother who is 99 years old. He cherishes his monkey and I know I should probably sneak Binkey away in the night and say, "I'm not sure where he went.." in the morning but to tell you the truth, I just can't. I'm tasting the bitter sweetness of grown children now and I know the clock hands don't stop. So I"ll let Binkey live here for as long as Cullen wants him to.

Until next time....

Lessons from the farm

Mr. Popper's Penguins kept us laughing at the trouble these little guys got themselves into. We loved this book and everyone loved the penguin party we had. They get excited when we're finishing up a book because they know something special awaits them at the end.




 Taylor made these adorable cupcakes at the last minute. We almost hated to eat them they were so cute.

but

A big glass of cold milk helped them go down.

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 The kids love these little parties and I love coming up with cute ideas about our

reads so they don't soon forget all the great books we share together

I can feel fall rolling in our little part of the valley and I can't wait to snuggle deep in blankets and sip hot chocolate while we read our winter books. The seasons come and go and before long my season of being able to read to all four middle ones will pass so I will read my heart out now.

I love corn on the cob and little hands holding the end of their supper. The butter and salt dripping.

  The table only holding napkins. Each one holding their cob and I can't help but to laugh.
 

My life looking so beautiful. My life feeling so blessed just to watch these guys eat a piece of corn.

Am I strange or what?

I love these moments that make up my life

and I try to live them out to the fullest.

My advice grab a good book and maybe a bag full of corn

and enjoy the little people in your life.

Bad hair day

Being four and the cutest little thing this side of the mountain, Channie-Mae

 talked her daddy and brothers into a little beauty shop time.

They took turns letting her style and comb their hair. I drifted in and out

and had to laugh at these easy going men in her life.

Jo was not expecting the baby powder and frankly neither was I.

She combed and powdered and asked them to be "real still".

 She kept telling him that she was

almost through, but I don't believe he believed her.

20 minutes later I let him off the hook.

Only a daddy would sit and get his hair combed and baby powered for almost an hour. He talked to her

while she worked and asked her, "How many kids do you want when you grow up?" and

she said "five" and he took that minute in time to tell her what a wonderful

mama she was going to be. She's heard it before but he keeps telling her anyway.
Sweet reminders..

She said when she grew up and was a mommy that she

wanted to comb hair for people. I took a mental note and added that

to her list of things to do when she became a mama. So far we have

Dentist, hair comber, walmart worker,missionary,rock star?

I'm so thankful for this little browned eyed flower. She makes us giggle...She keeps us on our

toes and she keeps us thanking the Sweet Lord for her beautiful presence in our life.   

The beautiful little young lady is starting to emerge and I thank the Lord

for the sweet spirit of gentleness I see in her. 

She's spunky don't get me wrong and that's when I see

bits of myself in her and I smile to God because

he has a sense of humor.