Picture Show

We recently received a playset that our neice and nephew had outgrown.  Fionna and Zyera fell in love with it before it was even set up.   Fionna was sliding on the slide when it lay on the ground!  So I thought I'd share a few pictures of their first real play time on their new personal playset!

Up and ready to go!

And she's off!

Very rough work getting up that ladder!

The two little daredevils!

This is fun!

Whoops tried to hang on and go down at the same time!

And who can resist this face!!!

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May Day!

Happy May Day!  How is your day going?

We're having road construction on the Highway by our house so we've got lots of things to watch.  My kids are in heaven!  As soon as the workers showed up my kids were out on the porch watching.  Fionna even had to get out there.  I guess I should be glad she at least put her boots on.

Love how the princess put her pink boots on with her nightgown before going outside!

Grinning when she realized I found her out

Zyera was in jammies still too.  They were shouting at each other through the door.  I think they were trying to figure out how to get Zyera out the door too!

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Fionna's Funnies

Fionna helping to wash the table in her nightgown after breakfast

As I remember some things that Fionna did today(and start giggling at them) I realized it's been a while since I've shared what's going on in my life so thought I'd take a few minutes to do just that!

First off, I cloth diaper.  Not sure if everyone knows that, but I do.  Today I had to put Fionna in her velcro ones because I was washing her snaps.  Well, I don't like the velcro ones.  Here is the main reason.  I put Fionna down for her nap and as normal about half an hour later I hear her pitter patter coming out after she wakes up.  I turn from washing dishes and she's grinning ear to ear as she holds her diaper up for me to put back on her!!  Oh yes, she's quite the girl.  At least she woke up dry and not with a soiled diaper to hand to me. . . .

Another thing about Fionna that maks me laugh everytime is our nursing time.  I'm still breastfeeding her(she's 17 months now) and she has settled into a routine.  When she decided she needs to nurse(I nurse on demand, always have) she will go get a book(yes a book!), come up to me and either say num num or nurse, which sounds more like urse.  Then I'll pick her up and let her nurse.  While nursing she will read her book.  If I try to take the book away she will get mad and stop nursing until I give her back her book.  I personally think this is adorable until she accidentally beams me with the book. . . .

Now onto a few other things that have been going on.  I took all 8 of the little monsters to the dentist on Tuesday.  They really were all well behaved and good.  I was shocked at how well they did.  Bridgett, Audry, Mariah, Lucas and Colin all got their teeth cleaned.  The babies were too young still and Patrick is seeing the specialist for his tooth on Monday.  Everyone checked out fine except Audry.  She has a few cavities that will need filled.  Bridgett is all full of questions about braces because it was decided she will probably need them in the future.  Colin is happy because the dentist kept raving about his pretty teeth, he actually said they were some of the prettiest teeth he's ever seen. 

But, I should think about getting ready for bed.  Tomorrow is the day for my UNFI coop and I'm going to have to take all 8 of the little ones with me because we won't have a babysitter.  My kids actually normal behave themselves when I have to do this, but it does drain my energy because I'm constantly watching and counting making sure one doesn't wander away.  Pin It Now!

My life-prepare to giggle

So I thought I'd share some photos with you today that I've taken yesterday and today. These moments made me laugh and smile at my little monkeys so I wanted to share those happy feelings.

Fionna dancing while Colin plays his "guitar" aka highchair tray

He was a singing and a strumming away!

Beautiful artwork from a few of the kids

My Scentsy order came meant this wonderful packing paper that my kids love to color on!  This makes for happy kids for hours!!

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Poor Kitty

The Sassy Miss Kitty

Today has been a busy day of trying to get things done and also having to take one little one up to the doctor for a check up.  This evening as I was sitting down to relax it occurred to me that I hadn't seen our kitty in a bit.  Miss Kitty is not the kind of kitty that lets you forget she's in the house either.  She is the Queen of the home and makes the dogs do her bidding.  Yeap, she's one of those diva cats.

So, anyway, it was unusual for her to not be annoying me so I went in search of her.  It was then that I noticed my lovely kids had opened the window that had a large hole in the screen(hole curtesy of children and a screwdriver--you really don't want to know) and I knew where my cat was.  She had gone through that hole.  So outside I go and am walking around the yard going "here Miss Kitty, come here kitty kitty".  I walk all the way around the house.  There the silly cat is sitting by the door calmly staring down the two outside dogs waiting for me to let her in.  She prances in through the door and past the inside dogs with her usual attitude.

Yeap, never a dull moment in this house.  Even the animals make sure of that!

Picture taken by Isabella Grey over at Just Another Static Heart.

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A highlight of my Day

A highlight of my day today was as I was about to go outside to bottle feed our baby goat.  Fionna was very very tired and had reached her "slap happy" stage.  She giggles profusely at this point.  Daddy came in for a bit from working outside and Fionna was carrying around a bucket.  He asked her if it was her hat.  So, she proceeded to go to daddy and put the bucket on his head.  She then sat on the floor looking at him and laughing for about 15 minutes.  It was so cute and so sweet.  Daddy actually managed to get her down for a nap while I was outside!  Yeah for Daddy!

Another cute moment of the day was also by this little stinker.  I had pulled a drawer out of our refrigerator to use up the fruit today before it went bad.  I had taken all the apples out and cut them up, leaving about 6 grapefruit in the drawer.  She decided to climb into the drawer and sit between the grapefruit and bounce around.  It was extremely cute. 

Well, I'm off for a bit.  I've got 2 cakes in the oven baking and am making some spaghetti with meatsauce for supper.  Got me some sit down time during the cake baking and decided to put a few posts on I'd been working on.  The poor Valentine cookie post had been sitting in my drafts for almost a full week! Pin It Now!

Another Day in Paradise

As I was on my way home from taking Zyera to the eye doctor today I heard the song "Just another day in Paradise" by Phil Vasser.



It made me think and smile.  This is my life!  The days are far from perfect and things never seem to go as planned, but our life is wonderful and I wouldn't change it for the world.  I treasure each day with my monkeys and I do truly thank God for letting me have each and every day with them.

Today was a topsy turvy kind of day for us.  We started school late because the kids decided to get every book off their shelf and I made them put them away before we started school.  They did well in school.  While I was fixing lunch(scrambled eggs with chopped sausage and cheese) it seems that a few of the young ones got all the cloth diapers out of their drawers and spread them around the bathroom.  So while the kids ate I got those cleaned up.  Then it was time to get ready to take Zyera to the eye doctor.

I had decided to take her to the eye doctor because she kept falling down and would never put her hands out to catch herself(she uses her head to catch herself).  This was how her older half sister would do before we got her glasses at age 2.  Zyera is 19 months and we should pick up her new glasses next week and I will show off pictures because she looks so totally cute in them!  Anyway, we went to the eye doctor and she did so well.  She just cuddled with me the whole time and was such a sweetie.  We tried on different glasses and settled on a pair but when the assistant went to take them off  so that we could have lenses ordered and placed in them the tragedy happened.  Zyera had a full all out temper fit.  Bottom lip all out, tears and everything.  It was actually really cute.  Even without the right prescription she wanted to keep wearing those glasses!  So we gave her a balloon and everything was right in the world again.

Until we got to the van.  It was then that I discovered I had somehow locked my keys in the van(they were sitting in Fionna's carseat laughing at me).  So back into the eye clinic we went.  I asked for a number for a locksmith, I was going to call and just have someone come unlock it for me, but several of the employees decided they'd try to unlock it first.  After about 5 different people had tried to unlock it with no luck, we finally called the professionals.  Within a few seconds of them arriving it was unlocked and we were on our way home.

All in all it was a good day! Pin It Now!

My week

This week seems to be taking a long time to get done.  It's one of those weeks where you think enough is enough it's going to get better right?  Ok, so it's not that bad, but not the best week I've had in a while.

But the weekend is almost here!  Yeah can't wait until the weekend because that means no school(yes even homeschool families need those blessed two days off), and time to do those things that I never seem to find time for on weekdays.  Oh and Daddy is normally home at least on Sunday which is nice!

This weekend I hope to catch up on posting some recipes.  I have a whole folder full that I've started and havent' had a chance to finish typing up.  I'll show you how to use that apple pie filling that I made, we made an apple pie and then little apple pielets(tarts) for the kids.  We've made some yummy almond flour valentines' heart cookies.  And oh so many others! 

This week has been fun with all the yummy things we've made and it's been a good week for school.  The kids have been doing their lessons well without a bunch of complaining or dawdling(I have one who likes to watch everyone else instead of doing her work).  School this week has been a success and only one more day until a short break!

It's the family this week that hasn't gone so well.  We've had more bumps and bruises than normal and an extra Dr visit or two thrown in.  And that brings us to the next part.  We have two little ones who are going to have to see specialists for some problems in the next month that could use prayers.  I also get an added task of keeping a food journal for one of the children to see if we can pinpoint any other allergies that she might have.  And I'm taking one of the babies to get her eyes tested tomorrow.  She either has poor vision or she's really really clumsy. . .  I'm hoping for poor vision as we can fix that!

Some fun moments of this day were at bedtime.  We like to read and play for a while before bed.  My husband and I try to put the kids to bed between 7 and 7:30 so that they're asleep by 8-8:30.  Well tonight my husband didn't get home from work until 7:30 so it was just mommy getting them ready for bed.  So we went through our routines and I got them all jammied and read our bedtime books.  Then we played while we waited for Daddy to come home.  At one point I went to check on the supper I was keeping warm for him and came back to find that my son had put his Bob the Builder hat on his sister.  She wasn't to thrilled with it.

I know not the best picture and please dont' mind the socks and stuffed animals on the floor, lol, the big kids were cleaning up their mess.  So sweet girl is taking her hat off when big brother decides he needs to ham it up, after all he is the cause of her getting her picture taken.

Yeap I have hams for kids.  And I love them.   And everything I do is because of them and for them.  Even those occassional mommy time days are to make me a better mommy by giving me time to recoop and breathe so that I have more patience to deal with all their little fun things. . . like playing in the dog water or the toilet. .. Yeap the babies have discovered both places recently. Pin It Now!

Funnies for Friday

So today was a pretty good day aside from the freezing cold rain bit.  Had a few funnies go on that I wanted to share.

First let me start by saying that I had to take two kids to the Dr yesterday for the beginnings of ear infections so I have two that don't feel the best and are now on antibiotics.  So, at snack time I gave them each some apple and they went and sat together in our rocker recliner.  Now I should mention that these two are my orneriest two, Colin and Fionna.  Fionna loves the rocker recliner because she can lean forward and slam backwards and make it move. . . I'm finishing up getting apples for the other kids and start hearing Fionna doing her full blown laugh.  I glance over to see what's so funny and this is what I find!

Seems big brother was a little too helpful and stuck his apple sticker in her hair. . . she thought it was hilarious and he had a huge grin on his face too.  Oh it's the little things that bring giggles and smiles to us all.

Quite the dastardly duo there.

My other funny for the day involves my baby goats.  Baby goats are so cute!  Not only are they adorable to look at but they are hilarious to watch play!  We recently put our little bottle kid in with our set of twins so he'd have some playmates.  These three are a riot to watch when I go to feed him.  They are in a small section of the barn that has a tarp across one wall to keep the wind out(the other side of the tarp is the section where the rest of the goats are).  Well, the wind was really blowing today so it kept moving back and forth.  The two little twins were head butting the tarp when it would get sucked against the wall and then running and jumping away in fear when it would blow towards them.  Then they would pounce at it when it went back to the wall.  It was so cute!  I should mention that I have Alpine goats and they are really good jumpers.  I wish I had a video camera to set up out there so you could see their antics.  So cute!



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Birthday!

Our first birthday of the new year was today!  Our oldest Bridgett Colene turned 7 today!  She was very excited for it to be her birthday and was ready to be the center of attention. All in all today was a wonderful day.

We watched a Barbie movie, did lots of playing outside.  Mommy made 3 different types of cupcakes(vanilla, chocolate, and triple chocolate)!  Oh and did I mention we played outside in the nice almost 70 degree weather!

Finally brought the kids inside for supper which was hamburgers and italian sausages with baked beans, salad, and cupcakes for dessert!  After supper it was into jammies and get ready for bed.  Right before bed it was open up the presents time.  Bridgett loves Tinkerbell so all three of her gifts had something to do with TInkerbell!

Bridgett with her new Tinkerbell doll, hat, and sunglasses.  Quite the fashion statement.  Oh and wearing her Tinkerbell pajamas that she got for Christmas.

And this is what you don't see in this picture right on her right side.  . . . A very tired baby girl who just wanted to help.

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Busy Weekend

My weekend was very busy around here.  Had a set of twin goat kids born Friday evening.  They seemed to be doing well that night.  Had to get up a couple times during the night to go out and feed them as their mommy goat has mastitis and isn't able to fully feed them.  Saturday morning when I went to check them the boy kid was no where to be found.  Our vet was here to look at Big Mama(mommy goat) with her mastitis so he helped me look.  After we had stopped looking for our little guy the vet saw a black feed bucket move.  We moved the bucket and low and behold there was the baby goat all curled up under the feed bucket.  I wish I had had a camera out there with me as this was one of the funniest cutest things I had ever seen!

Saturday went well though busy for me.  My husband had an all day conference in Kansas City so I was home alone with the kids and two baby goats who needed fed every few hours.  I am very glad that I breastfed my kids, I don't think I could handle getting up every few hours during the night to bottle feed.  Anyway, I had to load up all 8 of the human kids in the afternoon and take them with me to pick up my Azure coop order(more information about Azure coming in a different post).  Love my Azure produce and yogurt!!  This time we got raw organic carrots, apples, and red russet potatoes.  We also got raw organic cheddar cheese in a 5 pound brick and some yummy rice chips, tea tree oil, and a few other odds and ends.  The kids did fairly well for me while they waited in the van as I loaded all my goodies.  Well except for the two boys who decided to honk the horn. . . .

Home brought unloading and getting the kids in the house.  We decided a treat was in order for being such good little monkeys in the van so we had some sherbert.  It was delicious!  Kids and I settled in to read books for a while and then they watched a movie while we waited for daddy to get home.

When I checked my goat kids Saturday night I found another goat starting into labor and one of my kids was a bit unresponsive.  Brought her into the house to try to warm her up and get her going.  She improved a little but we lost her over night.  I had to bring her brother in around 3 in the morning as he was getting to be the same as her.

We lost the female doe kid but the buck is doing great now and he's going to go back outside today.  We have had him in our basement by the wood stove to keep him nice and warm.  My husband last year this time set up a heater in our cellar and that has become our animal nursery!

Sunday brought my doe still being in labor(poor girl still hasn't kidded yet).  I also had a Scentsy Open House here.  I am a Scentsy consultant and you can find my Website Here.  Keep a look out for some awesome changes coming in a few days!

Anyway that was my weekend.  Lots of fun and very busy around here as normal!

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Yesterday

I was too tired last night to post a blurb about my day.  I have 8 kids as you should know by now. . . well 5 of those 8 have upper respiratory infections and the baby is cutting 4 teeth at once.  Yeap it was one of those days that you wish you could just stay in bed.  But we plugged away and did school anyway.  I ended up taking one of the babies to the Dr to get a dose so I would know how much medicine I could give her.

By the end of the day I was tired and a bit cranky.  I made a yummy chicken and spaghetti supper and was trying to get kids ready for bed when I just had to laugh and remember why I love being a mommy so much.  See picture and know what I'm talking about.

Little Miss Fionna climbed into the basket of the folded up stroller and was kicking her feet to get it to bounce.  Of course as you can see she also had kidnapped Colin's Woody doll again.  Thinking I need to get her the talking Jessie for her birthday!  This little girl is a constant ray of sunshine in  my world!  So glad that God gave her to us even if she is the orneriest of all the kids! Pin It Now!

My Day

Today was a fun day for us around here, well fun for the most part.  Kids got up early as per normal(they seem to think they must be up by 6am).  We had breakfast and started in on our school.  For those who don't know I homeschool my tribe of monkeys(oops I mean my wonderful children)!  So there I am working on teaching and I start hearing my youngest boys Woody doll talking.  I know Colin isn't playing with it as he's sitting her by me working on tracing shapes.  I glance in the corner and this is what I see!

Yeap that would be my baby.  She took everybody's coats off their hooks, made a nice bed and laid down to play with brother's Woody.  She loves that pull string doll!

After school we had lunch and I started to get ready to take my oldest boy to the doctor for an ear ache.  I hear a noise in the bathroom and go to check it out.  Seems my youngest son decided he needed to clean the bathroom floor, toilet, and counters with Windex.  He also thought baby sister might need some as hair gel. . . . So as I'm cleaning up this mess I look up to see my little brother in the bathroom doorway.  This may not strike you as odd, but I have a huge German Shepherd guard dog who normally barks like he's going to tear you limb from limb when you so much as pull into our drive.  Not a peep out of him. . . . .

So for the next two hours my gets become super hyper and bouncy playing with their uncle.  Take Patrick to the Dr to find he has swimmers ear in one ear.  Really?  Who gets swimmers ear in the middle of winter?  This is the kid who washes his hair in such a way that no water ever goes into his ears.  So now ear drops for that one.

Leftovers for supper.  We had the leftover Kielbasa Casserole with leftover Crockpot Baked Apples.  The apples are just as good cold as they are warm. 

During supper Daddy reads to the kids.  We are working our way through The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis currently.  Tonight we are in the book of The Magician's Nephew and are reading about how the lion Aslan creates Narnia through song.  Our oldest Bridgett explained to us without being asked how Aslan is like God because of the creation.  She did a great job of comparing and contrasting the two but was a bit upset that C.S. Lewis took liberties and had the lion sing instead of speak.  It was very cute to hear her but also awe inspiring.  As it is said "out of the mouths of babes" and that "we should be like children".  Children understand more than we give them credit for.

And now the last funny for the day.  As we are supervising and trying to get all 8 of the little monsters into bed(I call them this lovingly of course), my husband comes around the corner for a good laugh.  Being the mommy that I am I grab the camera and go around the corner to see what is going on.  I find my youngest son wearing his sisters tights over the top of his jeans.  I did take a few pictures but they don't seem to want to load so will share those later.  He really was quite proud of himself, lol.  Very cute and I know why Daddy had to go hide to laugh.

My kids are my joy.  I love every minute of them.  Sometimes they frustrate me.  That's normal and a part of them growing up.  They show me daily what love is and how to give without holding back.  Pin It Now!

Are You Blessed?

Blessed is everyone that fears the Lord and follows after His ways. Psalm 128:1

Do we want to be blessed by God?  If yes then the answer is simple you follow Him, you fear Him.  Not a oh my He's going to destroy me kind of fear but the good fear. The He is all powerful and can do anything type of fear.  And then we follow his ways, we allow God to lead us.  We use the Bible as our guide to help us follow Him as He has set out in the Bible what we need to do and given us guidelines to live by.

My question to myself and to is this, are you blessed?  I know I am blessed.  All I have to do is look around me.  I see 8 healthy beautiful children.  I see a house with four walls and a roof that doesn't leak.  I see food on our table and animals in our pasture.  Animals that will provide us with meat(sheep to be butchered in about a month), milk(goats to kid anytime now), and chickens who give us eggs. 

I AM blessed.  God IS good. 

Even when my goats are naughty and escape their pen only to climb on my garage roof--

I AM BLESSED beyond measure.

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My family portrait

I had to share this family portrait that my soon to be 7 year old drew today.  My in laws got the kids three easels for Christmas this year( one per two kids for the older six--babies got wooden toys) and I finally put one together today.  Yes, I did, all by myself. . . . with a Dewalt. . . insert evil laugh.  Oh wait now where was I.  Yes I put the easel together and Bridgett lost no time starting to create art.  She drew a family portrait of our family.  She even put initials above or below each character so we would know who was who.  To give you a clue about how old and such I'll put names by initials under the picture with their ages.  Bridgett does say she wants to be an artist.  She put shoes, hats and scarves on each person!

Clockwise from top left:

A-Audry age 6

M-Mariah age 5

P-Patrick age 5

C-Colin age 3

L-Lucas age 4

B-Bridgett age 6(the artist herself)

F-Fionna 14 months

M-Mommy(that's me!) umm I'm really short I guess

D-Daddy

Z-Zyera 18 months

I'm surprised she didn't put the dogs and cat on here!

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My Crazy Hectic Wouldn't Trade it Day!

  This picture is a favorite of mine because it is a centerpiece I made from flowers and a dead butterfly that my kids found for me on a nature walk this past year.  Examining the butterfly and talking about the different parts and being able to look at it up close really helped the kids understand the beautiful creatures.
     Now for my crazy day!  It's Sunday which means church.  We've recently started attending a new church where several of our homeschool friends go.  They actually have a Sunday school program as there are so many kids!  At our last church my kids were the only kids so we never had a Sunday school.  I decided to take the kids to Sunday school today(remember my husband is gone until tomorrow night).  Sunday school actually went really well!  I think the kids did great for a first time!  Of course three of them went into one class and the other 5 were in the same class. . . I think we doubled the size of that class.  On to church!
    My kids love the worship service at church.  Before the music even starts Colin has his hymnal open and is "singing" the song.  He is only 3 but loves to sing.  I've caught him many times singing to his baby sister Fionna.  So Colin is singing, Fionna is laughing(she's 14 months) and the rest are behaving really well.  Worship goes really well except they forget to come to our row for offering.  Thanks to the young man who noticed and had them come back, my kids were about to go ballistic because they hadn't been able to give their quarters to Jesus.
    Sermon time.  I'm sitting there with the kids all around me listening to the sermon when a little voice speaks.  "I like the poocher," says Colin. . . . I'm wracking my brain to try and figure out what a poocher is.  So I ask him, "Mommy doesnt' know what you mean can you explain?"  Colin gives me a look and shakes his head.  "Mommy you know the poocher he sings for us."  Ok so I'm still clueless.  I ask him again to explain.  Exasperated now he points up front and says, "Right there Mommy he's talking, he's the poocher."  Ok, new word for mommy poocher=preacher.  By this point Fionna is sitting on the floor coloring on a Sunday school paper and Zyera(18 months) is asleep in my lap.  Church ends and we all  make it to the van unscathed.
     Home!  Kids change clothes and play outside while I fix lunch as it's in the 50's out(in Januaary!).  Then I happen to notice that Fionna managed to get a sticker off her older sister's paper stuck to her. . .it's a monkey. . . .how appropriate!
    After lunch more time playing outside and swinging.  In for a supper of peanut butter and honey on homemade gluten free bread, baked tuscan herb potato chips, dill pickles and yogurt topped with strawberries and blueberries(frozen from what I put up last year).  Whole milk plain yogurt(I'll post soon about where we get it) with fruit is my kids favorite dessert!  I'm so glad my kids love good for them foods.  Now a short movie and to bed they go!  Then Mommy has to get busy and do the dishes and laundry.  Should be fun.  I may just watch a movie and have some warm apple cider. 

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