Nov. 7, 2009 - Tis the season

Time to start thinking thoughts of Christmas. What projects do I need to start now in order to get done in time for Christmas??

Hmmm well, I want to make W-6 & L-4 some capes. They are constantly wanting me to tie recieving blankets or towels around their shoulders so they can have a cape so I know they would love some real ones. My plan is to make each boy a reversable cape with velcro at the neck so I dont need to always be tying something.  Im thinking that on one side I will put a superman symbol with their inital in it (if I dont put it off to long to do something that fancy LOL).

R will be 2 at the beginning of Dec & she is SOOOOOO into baby dolls.  I am planning to make her a few dolly blankets, some doll clothes, maby a dolly hat & a little bag for all her dolly stuff to go into. S-13 will likely do some of that sewing as gifts from her but Im sure I will still have plenty to do myself.

I am wanting to make something for my baby nephew but I havent decided what yet. I have several ideas in mind, just need to narrow it down to one.

My 4yo niece loves to play dressup, maby I will make her a pink & purple reversable cape too.

Might be making handmade gifts for my older nieces too, not sure yet. I need to come up with something that will please 3 little girls young ladies with VERY different tastes. Im thinking maby a cute handmade bag out of fabric that suits their personalities with a few fun little things inside of it.

Plus I have a few other fun little projects in mind too, wonder how much will actually get done LOL.

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Nov. 7, 2009 - ah the joys of a big family

always someone to play with, fight with, share toys with, share germs with. As usual along with the arrival of winter came the arrival of sickness. Sooooo not fun. D-9 was first one sick, more than likely picked it up at school (cant recall if I have mentioned that he is now going to half days of Pub School Special Ed this year). Then one by one each child was bit by the bug . Only a 24-48 hour bug, not too bad right? Nope, not bad at all if there are 1-2 dc in the family. However.... when you have 7 dc & each child is sick for 24-48 hours & no two dc are sick on the same day it turns into a very loooooooooooong illness. Plus it was one of those bugs that leaves you with a cough that just never seems to go away.  Poor D ended up being sick twice, he was the first to get it & then after everyone else had it he got it again. He ended up missing almost 2 full weeks of school by the time he was totally over it cuz he could not go as long as he had a productive cough. Thankfully everyone is healthy again now & I am hoping we stay healthy for a nice long time.

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Oct. 3, 2009 - Enter to win a years supply of groceries!!

I know that's a prize ANYONE can use,  I know I certainly could. Now does anyone know of a contest to win a personal chef &/or maid for a year too????? LOL

 http://ronzonismarttaste.newworldpasta.com/ip.cfm?u=03203A5D-49FC-4DBE-8B7D-A2A7C862D625

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Sep. 22, 2009 - Great Deal!!!

The Old Schoolhouse magazine is offering a GREAT price on a 1 years subscription. Only 7.95!!!!!   Simply go to TOS Magazine's Schoolhouse Store & order & enter code FB795 . Its that easy . This will get you a 1 year print subscription (this is NOT an e-magazine, its the real thing).  It ends at midnight PST tonite (Sept 22).

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Aug. 29, 2009 - ICK!!!!!

Last night G-11 was in the bedroom getting pj's & all of a sudden said "uh mom?!?!". I walked in & saw him pointing at the ceiling directly above W-6's bed. The biggest spider I have ever seen in my life was just sitting there  . With its legs it easily was  larger than the bottom of a coffee cup & it was big & black & really icky . T-15 took one look & said "sorry mom, Im NOT touching that thing"  (well at least we had similar opinions ). Dh was on the way home & I called him... Hon, where are you? "Just down the road, why?" Cuz I need you to deal with a spider. " a spider???" Yes!! A HUGE spider. "ummm ok..... I'll be right home ". So my poor sweetie walked in the door, I met him & took his stuff & pretty much shoved him toward the bedroom . He took one look & said "oh, its not that much bigger than the one I killed the other day"    Ummmm WHERE???? "on the wall by the boys dresser. I think they might have come in thru the little opening by the window"  And you didnt tell me about this??? "no, I thought you might flip out". Hmmm he thought right!!!!!

I do NOT like spiders, especially big black ones that could cover the palm of my hand & these were IN MY HOUSE!!! Ok thats it, Im moving out!!!

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Aug. 23, 2009 - mmmmm blackberries

R-1 has discovered blackberries & she LOVES them. The last picture is obviously from a different day but its pretty much the same thing every time LOL.

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Aug. 23, 2009 - look what we have at the farm!!

One of our Scottish Highland cattle gave birth to a beautiful baby boy!! He is just toooooo sweet!!!!  He looks like a fluffy little cow teddy bear LOL.

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Aug. 23, 2009 - sometimes you wonder

where is God leading you? What are His plans? Sometimes it seems that the direction He is wanting you to go just is impossible. There is no way on earth that it is doable. But then you remember, God is looking down from Heaven. He is not bound by earthly restraints.  He owns the cattle on 1000 hills & there is nothing to big for Him. Over & over in my life I have gone thru this same lesson....TRUST in God & yet I still forget. I am far too quick to say "But God... we cant afford that. But God... this wont work. But God...  its impossible". Who am I to tell God that anything is impossible??? 

The dc & I are  reading about George Muller.  This is a man who truly lived by faith, caring for many orphans on the money that God provided daily. Sometimes praying in breakfast as they sat around the table looking at empty plates. Surely he must have been discouraged at times, he was human after all. Yet he continued on. He followed the path God set in front of him even when he knew there was no earthly way. 

Now I am not caring for 100's of orphans like he was, my life is not nearly so noble as that but some days I feel so discouraged. I feel like God is sending us along a dead end road over a mountain  & I want to make a u-turn & go find a nice smooth road along a peaceful stream instead. How much easier things would be.  Or would they?? Walking outside of the Lord's will is certainly not going to be an easier road. It may look easier at first but it certainly wont be in the long run. So I guess that means we keep climbing that mountain, we keep following the path He has put us on. If we keep looking up at His guiding hand instead of down at the bumpy road we are certain to make it.

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Aug. 8, 2009 - back to home-school shopping

Its that time of year again. The time all us home school moms both love & hate. Time to buy our curriculum's & supplies for the coming year.  I personally LOVE shopping for the perfect books to supplement our lessons.  I love finding the things that grab my dc's interests & make them WANT to learn. I love getting the boxes of books in the mail. The part I don't love quite as much though is the money I have to put out LOL.  So when I find a website that has good prices, plus a nice assortment of interesting looking books, dvd's, cd-roms, etc I take notice.  This one has all of that, they even sell some pretty neat toys.  Link at bottom of this post (sorry, for whatever reason it isnt allowing me to make the text in the link bigger)  or you can click on the banner on the right side of the screen. Happy shopping.

Learning Things

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Jul. 31, 2009 - And a few "just because I love them" pictures

R-1 feeding goats

L-3

Sisters S-13 & R-1

My oldest & youngest T-15 & R-1

D-8

me with my girls, yes my older dd is basically the same height as me. Scary!! LOL

Princess R

Well, Im done uploading pictures for today LOL. Time to stop ignoring my work & go get something done

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Jul. 31, 2009 - de ja vu

I cannot believe how much little R looks like her big sister. When S-13 was little I made her a couple dresses that I never had the heart to get rid of. recently I pulled them out for R to wear. They both have their own unique look but  yet the similarity is amazing.

S at about 18 months old


R at 18 months old

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Jul. 31, 2009 - the love of my life

& my competition for the love of his LOL

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Jul. 31, 2009 - Picnic

Last Sunday it reached 100* so we decided to go to the river. My mom, my uncle & my niece & nephew went with us & we had a wonderful family day. We went to a lovely little park that my Grandparents used to take me to as a child. We had such a perfect day. We grilled hot dogs, made s'mores, went down to play in the water, walked around the trails a little bit.  I love building memories with my dc. When they are grown & look back on their life I want them to remember the love & the fun we all had together .



This is what a 4 marshmallow s'more looks like LOL

Isnt this just the perfect place to spend a 100* + day??

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Jul. 31, 2009 - science experiment

T-15 wanted to know, can you cook an egg in the shell over a campfire?? Well, why not try it LOL.

broke the tip of the egg off to allow for steam to escape & so it wouldnt explode

positioning it so it wont tip over

its cooking!

finished! yes it does work!! though it wasnt quite totally done in the middle so we know that next time we need to cook it a bit longer.

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Jul. 31, 2009 - harvest

The combines were out harvesting the other day. Of course children love big tractors LOL so we went to the field to watch for a bit. All the dc got combine rides (thank goodness for closed cabs!) , including my nephew who had never been on one before. I love watching the combines too, takes me back to my own childhood when I used to watch my Grandpa drive one around the field. I feel blessed when I see my dc enjoying the same things I enjoyed as a child.


R wasnt quite as impressed LOL


What are the boys doing?? catching the field mice that run out when the combine comes thru. Why???? Because they are boys I guess *shrug*

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Jul. 31, 2009 - Feeding ducks

Little R-1 LOVES ducks. In fact "duck" was one of her first words & she used it to label any type of animal for a loooong time. There is a park in the next town that tons of ducks  hang out at. I remember going there as a child myself. Recently we took the dc there to feed the ducks & R was enthralled. She especially loved the fluffy little baby ducks that walked almost right up to her feet .

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Jul. 31, 2009 - sheep shearing

My dc love farm work. A few weeks ago was sheep shearing day & everyone helped. Here are some of the boys setting up the wool bag holder.

catching sheep

filling the wool bag

Supervising

before & after  LOL

I hope the sheep appreciated their haircut before the heat wave hit.

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Jul. 31, 2009 - My girls

taken at the annual Mothers Day dinner. They look like beautiful jewels.

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Jul. 31, 2009 - cows

Always busy this time of year. Lets see, maby I can sum up our life in just a few posts LOL.

This spring we bought some Scottish Highland cattle. They are soooooooo cute. Yes I said cattle are cute LOL. They just look like little teddy bears. the white one is Fiona & the red one is Enya

This is one of the Mommas, Marcail I think

Arent they sweet??
They love to be fed bread, who knew cows liked bread??? LOL


The horns do look a bit scary but they are very gentle & the littles are never allowed near them without close supervision because we know that accidents can happen.


Momma?? Where did the moo's go??

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Apr. 13, 2009 - Duck, duck, duck......fish??????

In February we took the dc to the Aquarium. We had so much fun!  Little R-1 was totally fascinated with all the fish. Now in her mind any swimming, or 2 legged,  animal is automatically a duck so all day long she pointed out the "ducks" to us LOL.  One of the  favorite parts for everyone  was the tunnel, where we could watch the fish swim under, around & over us.




Watching something swim under us LOL

I thought the mirror effect on this one was neat, she was looking at fish

Crab legs anyone???




Feeding the dc to the sharks

Oops, it got dh & I too LOL

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Apr. 13, 2009 - Shes up & running

Baby R has been determined to not walk, even at 16 months old.  She likes her siblings taxi service I guess. A few times we have seen her stand up & take a few steps but as soon as she sees someone watching she plops right back down. The other day T-15 had a piece of candy, she stood up & walked to him for it. Then didnt walk again.

Last night I changed her diaper & set it on the floor while I got her & her brother into jammies. She picked it up, stood up & walked across 2 rooms carrying it. She had seen her brothers & sister take & deal with diapers for me & she wanted to do it herself I guess. LOL  After that is was like something clicked in her mind &  went "hey! I can do this!". She spent the rest of the evening walking around & around thru the house.  LOL Something tells me that within a few days she is going to be RUNNING thru my house LOL.

I am so ready for her to be walking, she has ruined sooooo many pairs of tights & the toes of her shoes crawling around on our wood floor, but yet my baby is growing up so fast & thats a bit sad.

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Apr. 5, 2009 - She is growing up so fast

my sweet baby girl just isnt hardly a baby anymore. She looked like such a big  girl this morning all dressed for church, hair in pigtails, walking beside sissy (holding her hand & walking, still wont walk on her own ). The other night we got McD's for dinner & she stole L-3's cheeseburger & ate probably 1/2 of it at least. When I call dc for dinner she will quick climb onto L's chair & start eating his food before he gets there & then cry when I move her to her high chair. She will stand at the back door watching the other dc play in the yard & cry to go out. When we go to the farm she will call the chickens by making kissing sounds, & yes they do come running when she does that . She loves to sit & look at books & will point to pictures & ask "Dat? dat?". If a book has a duck in it she will point & proudly proclaim "duck!!!" She is so snuggly & sweet, she has a smile that lights up the room. At church there is an older gentleman who adores babies. He came over to talk to her this morning & she reached up for him to hold her, Im pretty sure she thinks he is her grandpa or something . She loves shoes & is constantly trying to change her shoes. Shes not picky, any shoe left laying around will do . She likes to climb up to my computer & "type" & move the mouse around just like she sees me do . She knows dh's ring on my phone & if he calls she will start yelling "Mama!! Dada!!!" She loves to go places & many times will bring her coat & hand it to me then point at the door. I dont want her growing up so fast!

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Dec. 28, 2008 - I dont think she ever intends to walk

Miss Pretty Pretty... she can crawl just fine & seems to have no desire to walk. Why should she?? I watched her sitting on the floor. Someone walks by & she reaches up her arms "uh uh?". They pick her up, she points toward something "uh uh?", they walk to where she pointed, she leans toward the floor "uh uh?", they put her down & she contentedly goes after whatever it was she wanted. Why on earth would you want to waste energy on something as silly as walking when you get that kind of chauffeur service??

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Dec. 28, 2008 - Just cuz shes cute LOL

A couple pics of baby R. I took these on Thanksgiving.

Look at that gleam in her eyes LOL

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Dec. 28, 2008 - Christmas

Ok, technically S's birthday is after Christmas but I was on a birthday roll so I am doing my Christmas post after hers LOL.

We had a really nice day. I was a little upset at first because dh had traded with a coworker so he would have Christmas off, the first one since he started at this job 6 years ago, & then they ended up calling him the day before & saying they was going to need him anyway. I guess thats what happens when you have a job that works every day, rain or shine & holiday or no holiday.

We had no family coming on Christmas so it would be just the dc & I & it just felt so lonely . We made the best of it though. I knew dh would be home around 3 so I planned for the ham to be ready a little after that. Our family all tends to be late sleepers, even on Christmas the dc dont get up super early. Dh let the dc camp in the LR around the tree Christmas eve & I let them sleep as long as they wanted in the morning. After they got up we had breakfast & did stockings. They was thrilled to be allowed to eat CANDY first thing in the morning LOL. We spent the rest of the morning just hanging out & watching Christmas movies & making the meal.

When dh got home the dc pretty much mobbed him at the door & once he had a few seconds to breathe we opened presents . After that we had dinner & just spent a relaxing evening hanging out together . I would have MUCH  preferred him to be home all day but it was tollerable & we did have a nice relaxed day.

Stocking time!!

Figuring out how to unwrap presents

Mmmm candy

Waiting for Daddy (notice the chocolate on his face? LOL )

Just a couple of gift opening pics


And just because they are soooo cute, my 2 little knights in shining armor

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Dec. 28, 2008 - S is 13!

Mercy!! My first baby girl is now a TEEN!   Again I say it, HOW did the years fly by so fast?????

She is just getting WAY too grown up, its scary. She is such a blessing though. She is so helpful & loving. She loves to bake, sew & do crafts. She ADORES the little ones & is constantly "stealing" the baby so she can play with her . She is just such a delight.

Her cake, not one of my better efforts but I was in a bind for time due to a last minute change of plans & so I had to rush it. She loves horses as you can see.


Her gifts.. the big one was a digital camera that I bought months ago when I found a great deal. She LOVES taking pictures (hmmm wonder who she takes after ) & has been wanting her own camera for years. Somehow the only pic I got of her opening it didnt turn out though . She also got some beads from her brother for making crafts.

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Dec. 28, 2008 - T is 15!!

Well bother, I had a whole post typed up & somehow erased it. UGH!! I will try again.

This is the birthday that is scary to me. Not so much that he is 15 but that *I* am old enough to have a child that age. LOL He is growing into a wonderful young man though & I am very proud of him.  He is learning to weld & to rebuild motors. He is in Boy Scouts. He is trying to start his own buisness. He is fascinated with Medieval times, Frontier life & the Civil War.  He is smart, creative & always full of ideas. He is an awesome big brother  & really loves his siblings (most of the time anyway ).

His cake, he is an Indiana Jones fan if you cant tell



His gifts...
A book on how to tan skins the Indian way

& this!

No it isnt a real gun. It is a replica of Robert E Lees rifle & he has been eyeing it ever since he first saw it. He was really wanting to buy it for himself but he had been told that he could not take any more money from his account till he put more into it. He was sooooo surprised & thrilled to recieve it for his birthday.

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Dec. 28, 2008 - W. is six!

My little miracle boy is six already. Have I shared his story before? Hmmm I should do that, sometime LOL.
He is getting so big, it just amazes me at times.  He is smart, creative & FULL of energy. 

His cake. Like the improvised candles? LOL

His FAVORITE gift.

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Dec. 28, 2008 - Baby R is ONE!!

I cant believe she is 1 already. She is just such a doll & we love her sooooo much .  She is the happiest baby ever I think & all of her siblings just adore her .

R. & her cake

Not quite sure if she wanted to touch it LOL

We got her this darling little stroller for her birthday. She LOVES dolls plus it is a walking toy to help her practice

Isnt she a good little mama?

Her new baby from Auntie M.

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Dec. 28, 2008 - Catching up

I see my last blog entry was over a month ago so Im going to try to do some catching up. Dec is our BUSY month. Four of our dc have birthdays in Dec, plus our anniversary, Christmas & my moms birthday, plus all the busyness of getting ready for Christmas. Seems there is very little time to sit & blog, or even think LOL.

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Nov. 21, 2008 - YIPES!!!!!!!!!

I made a coffee cake this morning. Was nursing baby R so dh pulled it out of the oven when it was done & set it on top of the stove. Dh told L-3 "Momma made you cake for breakfast" L went running in to look just as dh came out of the kitchen. At the doorway he stopped & turned to talk to W-5. Then we heard an explosion & breaking glass  . My nice, THICK, 9x13 glass pan shattered, throwing glass everywhere in the kitchen  . If L had not stopped to talk to W he would have been standing right beside the stove,  probably about eye level with the pan If I had pulled it out I would have still been in there cuz I would have set R on the floor to pull it out & then been picking her up when it shattered. It is VERY rare that not a single child is in the kitchen right after something comes out of the oven, for some reason the sound of the timer draws them. So I am still finding splinters of glass even after having swept 3 times, my most used pan is destroyed & we didnt get any coffee cake  . I am just sooooo thankful for safety for everyone, I think my dc's guardian angels work overtime.

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Nov. 13, 2008 - My dc

  Sometimes I get so busy I forget to really look at my dc. I dont want to miss who they are. 

Who are they? What do they love? How will that change in a year?

T-14... 
loves animals
is VERY good with D-8 (autistic)
Renaissance type stuff
blacksmithing & welding
camping & hiking
trapping, skinning & tanning
shows like Survivorman, Man vs Wild, Myth Busters
wants to find a living dinosaur when he grows up
mechanical stuff (neighbor is teaching him how to rebuild a motor)
video games


S-12....
LOVES, LOVES babies
wants to live in Hawaii, Alaska or Canada
likes to cook, especially baking
loves reading, especially about horses & historical fiction
fascinated with the Titanic
loves to sew & use her knifty knitter or do crafts
loves taking pictures
wants to start her own sewing buisness


G-10....
very attached to baby R
loves legos & knex & can build practically anything he sees
fascinated with how machinery works
VERY sensitive heart
loves watching shows like Blue Planet
wants to be a farmer
loves to help stack wood 
fascinated with ocean animals


D-8...
very smart when it comes to using the computer
loves Veggie tales, Handy Manny, Mickey Mouse & the movie CARs
very sweet & loving
has the most beautiful smile & expressive eyes
usually careful around those littler than him
loves books, letters  & words
loves the train set


W-5...
VERY  determined
can be a hard worker
great imagination
full of energy
loves Legos, blocks, CARs & trains
fascinated with ocean animals, especially starfish
loves to sit with Mom during reading time
very adventurous
difficult to deter when he has his mind set on something

L-3...
incredibly loving
great imagination
loves Handy Manny, Veggie Tales, Winnie the Pooh & the movie CARs
loves blocks & playing with his CARs
loves to play with baby R
loves to help momma cook

baby R...
happiest baby ever
snuggly
follows big sister everywhere she possibly can
loves shoes & constantly takes off with any she can find
MAJOR Daddys girl
already loves dolls

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Oct. 14, 2008 - yes i know babies shouldnt have chocolate

but if shes already snitched the cookie & eaten half of it you might as well take a picture right?

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Sep. 7, 2008 - does this make me prideful??

Grandma was an excellent baker. I have friends that grew up with me who still talk about the cookies, cupcakes, pudding, etc that she made us when they would come visit. I LOVE to bake too, though I dont believe I am anywhere near Grandma in that department. Getting a compliment on something I made is only slightly below getting a compliment on my dc. I got at least  4 compliments at the church picnic today, actually maby more than that now that I think of it. Maby thats prideful of me, I dont know. But I do know that it feels good to know that people enjoyed something I made.

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Sep. 7, 2008 - I dont think it ever really goes away does it

10 months almost since my Grandma passed away. Still I will hear, see, smell or do something & think of her. Recently I was at the store & saw packs of mint chocolate covered graham cracker cookie things. Grandma loved those & frequently bought them for my dc. When I was younger she got them for me. I really wasnt wanting anything sweet yet I had to buy them because they reminded me of Grandma.

Last night I made cinnamon rolls to take to our church picnic today. I do not use Grandmas recipe but I do ALWAYS put chocolate chips in them just like she did. Dh prefers them without & when I make some for us I generally make half the batch with & half without the choc chips. Since I was making these to take somewhere I put choc chips in them all. he jokingly asked me "dont you know how to make those without the choc chips?" I told him No I dont .  They just dont seem right without that little touch.

Several times recently I have caught myself humming one of her favorite songs, without having a clue how I got it in my head. I catch myself thinking about what I should get her for Christmas.  It still seems unreal to me that she is gone.

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Sep. 7, 2008 - if you like beautiful, unique things

then you really need to check out my dear friend Lori's Etsy store

She makes the most beautiful things & is just one of the most creative ladys I have ever been blessed to know. She is such a talented lady & her dc are just as talented &  lovely as their mother.
Her eldest dd has her own  Etsy store   too.

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Sep. 7, 2008 - tired daddy, tired kids

all worn out from the church picnic today.

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Sep. 7, 2008 - siblings

nothing like snuggling &  watching a movie with big sis after a busy day.

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Sep. 7, 2008 - when small dc help pick blueberries

this is what you get...

stems, leaves, green berries & even some grass. Of course we also got lots of nice berries too. Blueberry muffins, blueberry pancakes, blueberries to eat plus 17 qt in the freezer for winter. I LOVE blueberries & these were a gift & a blessing to us. Thanks so much Dot!!!!

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Sep. 7, 2008 - makes a mothers heart swell with pride

today was Scout Sunday. Since our church is involved with T-14's troop the boys were a part of the morning service. It made my heart just swell with pride to see my man-child sitting with his troop at the front of the church. To see him & the other boys take up the offering. How big he is getting.

Then after church was the church picnic. At one point he disappeared with the younger dc. I walked over to see where they went. They had found a tire swing & he was pushing the littles on it. A bit later L-2 came running & giggling toward the tables with T's football under his arm. T was slowly running behind him laughing. L would stop, throw the ball at T & then T would toss it back to him & tell him "Run!!!"  & L would giggle & run as fast as he could.

A bit later an older gentleman got out archery sets from his truck. W-5 wanted to try the bow & arrow & he showed him but W couldnt quite get it. So T went over & knelt down beside him & took his hands & showed him how to hold it & what to do. There is just something extra  special about watching an older sibling gently teaching a younger how to do something. I wish I had taken my camera with me. I took a few with my phone but they arent the best.

BTW, W is a natural. He hit the bullseye several times once he got the hang of how to aim & such. Not bad for a 5yo IMO. *I* on the other hand shot it over the target & ended up with a lovely red spot on my arm from the bow string.

Oh, archery is one of the merit badges that T just earned.

Look at that concentration LOL

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Aug. 24, 2008 - she likes her veggies

Baby R LOVES zucchini, cucumbers, beans. She tried to eat a fresh tomato too but I took it away, mean old mommy LOL.

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Aug. 24, 2008 - visit to the beach

Dh's brother was visiting us last month. The last time we saw him our 2 oldest were 4 & 2 I believe so it has been a few years. While he was here we made a trip to the beach. Oh it was sooooooo much fun!!!! We had a beautiful day & yet it wasnt too terribly crowded. The dc had so much fun playing in the sand & the waves. D-8 had the BEST time!!!! I don't think I can  remember taking him anywhere that he has had more fun. I love the beach too. It is just so relaxing to walk on the sand & listen to the sound of the waves.





Baby R's first feel of sand. She wasnt sure what to think at first but decided she loved it

This is one of my favorite pictures of the day. L-2 with Uncle P.

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Aug. 24, 2008 - Daddy just HAD to buy it

Dh saw this in WalMart last night & could not resist. We have so many boys in a row that we still get people asking if baby R is a boy or a girl . Considering she is almost always wearing a dress & most of the time it is pink you'd think they could figure it out but it seems they cant. So she now has a nice new shirt, thanks to daddy LOL

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Jul. 13, 2008 - Last night during devotions

we was talking about Heaven. G-10 said something about being able to see Nana again & I told him yes, he would see Nana & Papa both there. that they are waiting for him. S-12 commented that we can also see our other ancestors. She has been very involved with my  recent hobby of searching for family records  & is always asking me "how is this person related to us?". I started thinking about that & thought how very neat that will be. To be able to sit & talk with my great-great grandmothers & other relatives. I started thinking about what a wonderful reunion it must have been for Grandma to see her mother & grandmother again.  One of my favorite songs, & one that I used on the slideshow for Grandmas funeral, is Far Side Banks of Jordan

When I hear it I picture Grandma & Grandpa standing on the bank watching for me. When we was discussing this last night I suddenly got a picture in my mind of her parents waiting like that for her. I pictured the shout of joy that must have come when she arrived in Heaven, the joy of knowing their child was with them for eternity.


Oh & on a cute note, my 5yo wants to meet Jonah when he gets to heaven cuz he wants to ask him what it was like being inside of a whale.

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Jul. 8, 2008 - do you like to read?

This is the BEST site ever!!!!!!!!! All you have to do is sign up & post 10 books that you want to get rid of. Once you have 10 listed you will get 2 free credits as a welcome gift. You can immediately use those credits to "buy" yourself some books. Each book costs 1 credit, most audiobooks cost 2. All you have to pay for your new book is that credit, the sender will even pay the shipping. When someone "buys" a book from you a credit will go into your account & then you can buy yourself even more books!! You do have to pay shipping when you send a book out but remember that when you buy a book the sender pays to send it to you so it all evens out in the end.

It isnt just paperback books either. You can find textbooks, audiobooks, etc. I have gotten some very nice books that would have cost me $20 or more to buy new, IF I could have even found them. Its great if you, or your dc,  are avid readers & have a hard time keeping new books on hand. Now you can send the already read ones on to a new home & have new books delivered to your door for you to enjoy. What a deal!!! Especially for us homeschoolers on a budget.

I cant seem to get the link  to work here in this post but you can click on the link to PaperbackSwap in my sidebar. If you join thru my link I will get a credit for refering you.

Happy reading!!

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Jul. 8, 2008 - we finally got chicks!!!!!!!!

After the last batch of eggs didnt hatch I basically took the incubator apart, NOT an easy task as it is a HUGE cabinet style one.  I scrubbed it, soaked the trays in bleach water & totally disinfected it. It had been sitting in storage for years before we borrowed it so we figured maby bacteria inside it was killing our eggs. we got 12 eggs from our chickens & started it, but without holding out much hope after 5 attempts & no hatches. Dh stopped the turner on day 18 & reminded me that July 4th was hatch day. July 4th came & I totally forgot about it, until I stopped to pick up a toy on the floor by the incubator & heard a chirp. Grabbed a flashlight & looked inside & there was a very noisy little chick, along with 5 more pipped eggs.   The dc spent most of the day plastered to that little window LOL. We got to actually see 6 chicks hatch & 2 hatched during the night. We ended up with 9 out of 12 & they are SOOOOOOOOOOO cute! Im not sure which I enjoyed more, watching the chicks hatch or watching the dc's reactions.   Of course hatching chicks is addicting & now I wanna do more LOL.









this little guy is one of my favorites. Its momma is a bearded Americauna & it has little feather puffs by its cheeks LOL.


So far their names are... Snap, Crackle, Pop, Boom, Firecracker & Sparkle (4th of July chicks you know ). We still have 3 needing names but the dc havent settled on any yet. I call the little guy directly above "Puffy Cheeks" but the dc dont seem to think thats a name LOL.

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Jun. 10, 2008 - the logic of 2yo's

I was nursing baby  R. I took her into the LR & saw 2yo L's overalls on the floor . I knew he had gone outside about a minute before. Went to look & he is outside wearing only a diaper & his rubber boots . I said " Why are you nekid???" "Cuz I took off my clothes." Oh well of course, why didnt I figure that out "why are you outside without your clothes??" "cuz they are in the house" Alrighty then   

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Jun. 5, 2008 - the years go so fast

the same child that a short time  ago wanted to watch cartoons now tells me they are "stupid" & turns on History channel, or shows on how things are made or how they work or shows on the Marines. The same child that used to beg for a candy at the store now asks me to take him to the hardware store to get parts to fix his dirt bike. The same child that used to ask daddy for piggy back rides now swings his rifle over his shoulder & goes nutria hunting.  The boy I used to snuggle on my lap now stands equal in height to me. The little face I used to wash is now showing the beginnings of a mustache. The little voice that used to chirp nonstop at me is growing deep. The years are just too short, HOW can my little boy be this big already??????????????

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May. 8, 2008 - incubator update

Hopefully this dosnt gross anyone out.  IMO I dont think they are that bad  but then Im a farm girl & a lot of stuff dosnt seem gross to me LOL

We cracked the week overdue eggs that we had gotten from the farm yesterday. 7 had NO development at all, 1 died at about the halfway point I would guess.  we are suspecting that the eggs were too old or had gotten too cold before being put into the incubator. I do remember that one of the dc picked up a fresh egg straight from the nest & put it in the incubator at the same time as the others we had so Im guessing thats the one that developed some.

We also cracked 1 of the two day overdue Welsummer eggs. It had just a day or 2 of development.  I am sure I saw one of the remaining Welsumer eggs move slightly though so we are waiting a bit longer to see if they are just late due to temps being off.



pictures below...












This one didnt develop very far, Im guessing only a day or 2.


This egg went much farther, judging by pictures of embryo development online Im guessing 15 days or so maby.

The yolk, see all the blood vessels?


The chick. You can see feathers were forming already.


still hoping for some hatchers.

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May. 5, 2008 - our eggs arent hatching

We are VERY dissapointed. the ones we put in first are 5 days past "due date" so we have assumed they will not hatch. Tomorrow we are pulling them from the incubator & dh & the dc are going to crack a couple to see if we had any development. Science LOL. I told him to do it OUTSIDE. That was the eggs we got from the farm. I suspect they may have been too old or the temperature was too messed up. We had a REALLY hard time regulating the temp at first.

 The Welsummer eggs were due to hatch yesterday & nothing. Im hoping they may still hatch. I have seen in my reading that if temps are too low it will delay hatching. I know that most morning we would wake to find that the incubator temp had dropped during the night while the house was cooler & it would be in the 98-99* range. It appears that low temps dont necessarly  kill the eggs, just slow them down so thats what Im hoping for.

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