• Jul. 23, 2007
Happy Birthday, Baby J!
I just blogged the baby's birth story and then hit the back button by mistake and lost the whole thing! Whaaa! I'll have to try it again later...it's a great story! It's been a great year. Well, that's not true. It's been the hardest year of my life I believe. But it's had the happiest ending. I've never been happier. I'd love to expound, but I've been playing too long and need to get back to my family. See my pretty birthday girl at:
http://s151.photobucket.com/albums/s143/glorygirl_2007/J%201st%20Birthday/
That's the Birthday Girl's album. If you want to see some pics of Ash, who's team just won 2nd place in the local softball association, click on the glorygirl_2007 link, then click the appropriate subalbum.
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• Jul. 15, 2007
By the way...
I have been thinking about privacy and our names....the bottom line for me is that I don't want to be "google-able". Only a couple of our names would come up in a google search, so I'm going to use all but those. Several of our family members don't even go by their first names, so that helps. The baby is the only one who I can't share her name, but I can spell it backwards! A-K-I-A-J. Write it out, it's kinda weird. It's said, "Jay-ka". Shane made it up. We call her Jay Bird, Jay, Jakey...so I'll call her something else here.
Alright-y?
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• Mar. 15, 2007
Meet the Family
Here's an updated bio of the estrogen filled clan:
Land Baron-My husband who has no estrogen of his own but constantly finds himself "slimed" with the hormone that floods our home. He loves being a dad to all girls-he eats it up, much to the surprise of everyone who hears we have no boys. He'd love to pass on the family name (I so don't get that), but he may just have to leave that up to his little brother. Land Baron worked at Boeing for about six years before he was laid off. Thanks to NAFTA, he was retrained (at no cost to us) for another career. Since he didn't especially want to be a barber or dental assistant, he chose a law enforcement degree from the small list of career paths the government offers. He's been working in this field at the county level since Christmas of 2005. He also works as a security guard for a major gas plant 2 days a week. He's a laid back nice guy who loves to dote on his girls. He's often taking them out on dates or letting them win laughter-filled wrestling matches. He gets his nickname I used here from the way he started signing his emails after we bought a whopping 19.5 acres of land (we still don't live on it, but we hope to in the next 2 years).
Me-me-me-I'm an average homeschool mom. Not the denim jumper type...the minivan type, jean wearing, wannabe granola kind! I think too much, have issues I think no one else has, but I'm blessed. I work part time as a director of a pregnancy resource center and I have a BS in Family Studies. I love to read-especially Christian parenting books, homeschool books, and some fiction (Alton Gansky is a favorite). I wish I liked to sew-I do like it but I'm not good at it. I also wish I liked to garden, but really I don't. I'm terribly afraid of snakes and I never follow through with my gardens so they end up full of weeds or dying of thirst. I wear my babies, co sleep, nurse until they're old enough to ask for it verbally, and I love the idea of eating whole foods and organics (but rarely follow that lifestyle). We aren't full quiver, but do use NFP...is there anything else to say? I am surrounded by friends who do a darn good job of making me believe they like me :) I'm blessed!
Ash-just turned 10! I've been a parent for ten years! Wow. Oh yeah, this is supposed to be about her. She is a bit of a tomboy but that is wearing off. She likes what she likes and it doesn't matter what is in style. She loves homeschooling, loves her sisters, and loves to read. She's a huge fan of Little House on the Prairie, Lord of the Rings, Narnia, and anything about horses. She's been saving for a horse since she knew what one was and often has more money in her horse fund than I have in my savings account. She has a special bond with BB, who sleeps with her. I "buddy up" my children and BB is Ash's buddy. Ash is very much a firstborn-she's a second mother to her little sisters and a huge help around the house.
Girlie Girl-This is my typical girl. She likes all things pink and sparkly. She's spunky in all she does. She has a tall lean body that never stops. She is gifted with hospitality and is the first to offer any guest a drink or some food. She can really serve beautifully when she wants to. She has a fierce determination that both scares me and gives me hope that she'll persevere in whatever job the Lord calls her to. She asked Jesus into her heart last summer and I believe is trying to learn to serve him. She's bright and happy with fresh ideas and a good attitude. She loves math and likes us to read The Boxcar Children to her.
BB-Our tiny BB. She's three but wears a size 2. She is simply tiny for her age--but she's perfectly healthy. She's a cute brunette with bouncy little curls and blue eyes. She doesn't really like it when the big girls do school because it means they can't play with her! She does love to be read to and she says she wants to homeschool. BB keeps us laughing with her childish innocence and affectionate disposition. I tell her all the time that she's my favorite....three year old!
Baby Girl-I sigh big when I think of what to write. Baby Girl has been a whirlwind from the start. She arrived 10 days late (in the heat of the Texas Summer!). She is miracle baby in that she was born with her cord in a knot. God saved her from it tightening. The doctor probably pulled it tight when he delivered the placenta, or God chose to keep nutrients flowing through a knotted cord. The nurses were surprised at her healthy delivery. Our L&D nurse said she's only seen one other baby born alive with a knotted cord in her ten years of L&D. We praise the Lord for her even though the addition of another child into our lives was rough for me to adapt to. Baby Girl is active--she's crawling, pulling up, and growing like a weed. Oh, and she looks just like her sisters. They're clones, we've been told. I promise, I birthed every one of them!
We live in the same area Land Baron and I grew up in. We actually live in the same house I got to play in as a child. We moved into my grandparent's home after they moved into an assisted living facility. It's a somewhat neat, but drafty house built in the 1890s; one of the oldest houses in town. Our parents and brothers live near by (there are no sisters for me or LB, but God's given me lots of girl-friend-sisters). I work just down the street and LB works half an hour away. We've homeschooled from the start and plan to finish out that way. We love Sonlight and will probably stay with it unless an equally incredible company comes along that would allow me to combine my children into more of a one room school house affair. We are heavily involved in pro-life ministry in two counties. We are currently involved in a non-denominational church we really like but have previously only been in Southern Baptist churches.
Made it this far? You should win some loyal reader award 
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• Mar. 6, 2007
Changing names
I waver back and forth on how much to hide our family's identity on the net. I've decided to get our daughters' names off my blogs, so I'm making new IDs for them. Don't worry, they'll be close enough that those of you who know us will understand who I mean, but pretators or angry ex-inmates won't!
Oldest-Ash
Next oldest-Girlie Girl
3rd-BB
Baby-Baby Girl
I need to think of a good nickname for my guy...some inmates called him "Bulldog" for a while...Wonder how that name would go with my pink polka dotted theme...any suggestions?
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• Mar. 2, 2007
Little update
I don't feel like I have any great musings to add, but I want to update my blog. There's not much new on the surface, but things are changing.
Our oldest has been quite sick with a stomach virus. It really wiped her out-she didn't eat for about three days and she's still not recovered her strength. We've not done much school because of it, but I think we'll start back strong on Monday. Most parents are feeling burned out right now, but I am feeling excited. We've simply not done a lot of school since the beginning of the year because of sickness. We've had about three bugs run through the family in two months--when there are six of us, it makes for a long haul. Hopefully we're done with being sick for a while!
I'm having more good days and less sad days. I still don't really know all the causes of my depression, but I have a strong family history. I'm sure some of it was hormonal after having the baby last summer. Being in such a stressful season with my sweetie's jobs didn't help, either. But with the nicer weather comes better moods! I'm ready!
My guy has been thinking of making some changes that might make our lives less stressful...or not. He's slow to move when it comes to major changes--and then he'll pull an idea from left field that blows me away. So we'll just have to see if anything comes of his ideas!
