Six Means....

...."you get five spanks and one pinch on the butt."~Joe. ...."being Twins and about having fun." ~Zach

*warning* this is, as yet, my longest post ever.....please don't feel obligated to real it's entirety.

Yup, you guest it. My Babies are six. Truthfully, I call all my kids my babies. But the youngest Babies.....are.....six (sniff, sniff). I cannot believe it. There is no logical reason time should be traveling this fast, but, alas, it is.

When I asked the Boy's what birthdays meant, they said....."It means we're still Twins and we get cake." ~Joey. Zach said "It's about growing and CAKE!"

This past week I've been asking each Twins what they were going to do with the days they had left to be 5. Example. "Zach you only have two days left to be five. What are you going to do today?"

Well, last night the question was.....you have 30min left to do something when your five what are you gonna do?!? I wish I had my camera ready when Zach replied. His face was an excited/pressured mess! In the end they both chose game boy. Thanks Sam for sharing!

Zach's on left.

Joey's on left.
Now about their original birthday.

As far as I knew, this was a normal pregnancy. Morning sickness for a little longer time than the last two but nothing alarming. My midwife changed my due date by a whole month sooner and asked if I had a heart shaped uterus. She never even said the word twins or multiples, but she did say something (now I can't remember what) to get me thinking about twins. She said it would be a good idea to have an ultrasound (she delivered Sam and never ordered one). So at 17.5 weeks gestation I met Ben at the techs office and he discovered not one but two heads. By that time I looked like I was six months and I was only 4.....and some wonder why I'd like a tummy tuck :) For prego photos visit this post. They're new due date was 1/13/2002 (but the Doc kept moving it sooner), but I was told that I could go into labor as soon as 32 weeks, and to be prepared. Never in my life would I have thought they'd be full term multiples....and I was induced!

I called my Doc one Sat. in Dec. begging for help. That past week I'd only slept in 1/2 hour intervals. He said to be at the hospital the next Mon. I was so excited for help that I didn't even know or really care, at that point, that it was New Years Eve. We got to the hospital at 7 and a full induction started by 8. By 4.30 that same day I was miserable and the staff were more than pushing a epidural (less to do if a c-section was required) so as I was getting the epi. my water broke and I was contracting. Yet, the nice Anestigiologist was gently telling me to "Hold as still as possible." Right.

I was rolled in to the O.R. (required for high risk pregnancies) by about 6pm. There were hoards of staff there. (An honorable mention is needed here. My Sister-in-law, Brigit, accompanied us to the O.R. and took all the pictures.) Each Twin got it's own team of nurses and each got it's own Pediatrician. I pushed for 15 min. with Zach. They let me start pushing when I was only 9 cm. Yea for me! I was excited to be done. Zach was born at 7:42pm and weighed in at 7lb 7oz. The Doc started to push and prod my belly to maneuver Joey down. Since my water had broke, Joey's cord had fallen down first and then his head was pushing on the cord. It's called a prolapsed cord. If I were to push he could die. A c-section was required and performed. We saw Joe for the first time at 8:01pm. He weighed 8lb 3 oz. Both were 21 inches long. By about 9pm that night I was loopy on med's and back in the room.

Ben holding Zach in the OR.

Joey, same night as delivery.

Me and Zach is laying on Joe. I'd just finished nursing.

Awwww. One is Zach and the other Joe ;) One month old.

Joey's on top of Zach. 6 months.

Joey's getting strangled by Zach. 3 years???

Zach 4 years. Couldn't find a good one of Joey:(

Both 'fixing' Sisters hair. Zach on L. 4 years.

Last spring at the beach. Joey middle right. 5 years.

Happy Birthday Buddies! I love you Zach. I love you Joey. God bless this year ahead as you grow into the young men that God has planed. I pray that your faith will be firm and made real. Love your Mama.

White Christmas

Photos from today......Christmas day. The snow picture was taken after about 10 min. of us discovering it was snowing. Our yard now is completely white. Zach said that while he was still in his bed (waiting oh-so-patiently for Dad and Mom to wake up this morning) he prayed and asked God for it to be snowy. Then he looked out his window...no snow. Oh well, he said. But then he was overjoyed when he realized his prayer was just delayed!

From us to you; Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday Jesus!

Jesus; the only sinless man, born to die and save all humankind. Thank you God for sending your one and only Son!

New Job Charts

I love being organized. The more organized, the better we all feel and the happier the Mother is!

The old job charts were just confusing and hard to use. I was thinking and got this new idea. I'm sure in another few months I'll have to re-think and implement, as our needs change.

We've had these new ones for almost a week and the kids are doing soooo good! Here's the low down: there's Velcro on the back of each paper representing the days of the week (we don't have chores on Sun.) and Velcro on the fridge. The pocket holds the days of paper that aren't in use. On each paper I left room at the bottom to add anything else that might come up that I need the child to get done. Bonus for me; I found dry erase markers that already had magnets and erasers contained in each individual pen. This has allowed all the kids to be self sufficient. If they want to watch TV, play a game or go outside, I just ask if they have everything done on their job chart.

Life has gotten oogles easier.

Carols

We had a great family time tonight.
We visited a church that one of Ben's co-workers attends. They participate in a live nativity. I've never been to one. It was GREAT!
Previous to the nativity we went out for Dairy Queen (we left before we knew we should have and got there 30 min. early:(
Then, on the way home, we drove down a popular street in Gladstone that exhibits spectacular lights.
While on the way home Essy (first born) and Sam (2nd) started singing Deck the Halls.
This is how Es' version went:Deck the halls with bells of holly.......(the rest is the same until)....Don be now until tight carols.....

and Sam's:Deck the hall with bounds of folly.......(the rest is the same)......don we now our gang apharo.....
Needless to say I was rolling! This will be scrap booked!

100 Cinnamon Yahtzee

This is my hundredth post.....hum.....should I feel.....something?

This photo is terrible but shows the kids enjoying a tape series (it was a radio broadcast that started in the 20's??) called The Cinnamon Bear. They listen to a segment (10-15 min.) before bed starting the night after Thanksgiving. Sadly there is a scary witch in two of the chapters. I wish that was not part of it. Sam gets so frightened he covers his ears. It's not really scary, but still....a witch? Anyway...

We had some great friends over tonight and played Yahtzee. Ben and I continued to play even after they left. In one game my score was 407 and Ben's was 311. We'd both gotten Yahtzee's and every space was filled.
I'm reminded that I never posted about the Lewis Christmas party. I might later.
Thanks for the recent encouragement. Love you all.

Kill the A.N.T.s

I went to lunch with a friend a week and a half ago. This friend completely encourages me! Her mom is a teacher for North Clackamas. The mom went to a kick-off-the-year meeting and received this teaching (my friends Mom added the Scripture). I needed to hear this and it's just to good not to share.

A.N.T.s are automatic negative thoughts. They are the cynical, gloomy and complaining thoughts that can cause us to be depressed and dissatisfied. EVERY thought you have sends electrical signals through your brain. When your minds is burdened with many negative thoughts it affects the deep limbic system of your brain and causes irritability, moodiness and depression. When you think good thoughts your brain releases chemicals that make your body feel good. Proverbs 4:23 tells us to "keep our hearts (minds) with all diligence." so we must discipline our thinking to be godly and positive.
Consider negative thoughts to be pollution . Understand that your automatic thoughts don't always tell the truth. Talk back to ANTs. Exterminate the ANTs!
The ANTs:
1* Always/never thinking: thinking in words like always, never, no one, everyone, every time, everything. Eph. 4:25
2* Focusing on the negative: seeing only the bad in a situation. Phil. 4:8, Gen. 50:20
3* Fortune-telling: predicting the worst possible outcome to a situation. Ps. 42:5, 11, Ps. 43:5
4* Mind reading: believing that you know what others are thinking, even though they haven't told you. Pr. 29:5
5* Thinking with your feelings: believing negative feelings without ever questioning them. Pr. 2:10, 11
6*Guilt-beating: thinking in words like should, must, ought or have to. It is better to replace with phrases like "I want to do..." or "It fits with my goals to do...." or "It would be helpful to...." 2 Cor. 3:17
7*Labeling: attaching a negative label to yourself or to someone else. Pr. 23:7a, 2 Cor. 3:4, 5
8* Blaming: blaming someone else for your own problems or mistakes. Gen. 3:12, 13
9* Personalizing: interpreting harmless events with personal meaning. 2 Cor. 10:4, 5

Lets just say my day yesterday was a sucky one. Technically we're not supposed to use that word, that just goes to show how bad it was. Any why? Our future plans, hopes and goals were changed for us, not by us. But I wanted it to be the way I planned and dreamed. I was partly mourning and partly being selfish. Better to change today than tomorrow. After all, I still have Ben and the kids. We can always change our goals and dreams. They don't have to happen tomorrow or even in a year. Yet, even as I write this my vision is becoming cloudy with tears. I truly feel like we've made the best choice, but my heart still hurts.
Needless to say this little bit of info about the ants is good for me.
Over and out!

Sleeping Beauty

We've been fighting colds at our home. This photo was taken a few nights ago and needs explaining.
Since Esther was about 14 months old she's rubbed Pinky (the blanket around her head) under her nose to fall asleep. The more fuzzy piece of blanket, the better!
On this night, I'd given her some Mentholatum under her nose to help her breathe easier. But there was a problem. When she went to rub her nose, the greasy stuff just stuck to the fuzz of the blanket; preventing the feeling of moving fuzz. Instead of loosing hope, she wrapped her blanket around her to feel snugly and fell asleep.
I have other posts in the dust-bunny corners of my brain....more later.

The Treasure Hunt......Finally

My Parents organized a treasure hunt about two months ago and the kids had such a fun time. On the front of the paper(first photo) is the 'map'. On the reverse there were the instructions. My favorite instructions: *Get dressed (they dressed in pirate attire complete with swords and I think with make-up to make scars and such) *Look for the enemy *Fight the bad pirates* Fight the attaching wolves* Attack the killer bees*

What a great idea! Thanks Gramps and Grams!

The ADVENTture of Christmas

This is the title of a book I just purchased. I asked our church Secretary if she knew of any book that helped explain Advent. She referanced this book. This one not only does that, it has activities and experiments and crafts and......you name it, to complete with your child. There is a daily story and there are 'teachable tips' as you are involved in your craft, or whatever, to discuss. For more info click here. LOVE IT!

Johnny Appleseed

I was reading Joey his Bible the day after Thanksgiving. He said he couldn't find a certain picture. He went on to describe the picture and I started to help him find it. I asked "Was this a picture of Jesus and the children?" He said no it was a picture of Johnny Appleseed and some children. Huh???? I stifled my laughter and said we had looked long enough. "How about a different story???" We read a different story and I finish with the other kids' devotions then asked Joe more about this Johnny picture. I then told him that Johnny came after the Bible was written and wouldn't be in it.
This is so silly! He then told me he was looking at his Bible (day's ago) and was asking Sam about it. Since he is a beginner reader he was asking Sam to explain some things to him. SAM then told him it was Johnny Appleseed, with a straight face I might add.
So, then I went to Sam and asked him to explain......he started to giggle and said he was totally trying to 'joke' Joey.....ON PURPOSE! Gotta love a good joke.
Aaaaahhh. This is the life!

Thanksgiving #2

We had such a great time! When we got down to Eugene, Dad and Jenesa weren't there (Dad wasn't feeling well and Jenesa could only come down for a couple hours so she decided to stay north) we totally missed them :( While we stayed in Eugene Ben helped Grandma get some areas of her house updated. He was working hard for most of our vacation.
We left Eugene on Sat. for Medford. Ben and I were blessed to be kid-less both Sat. and Sun. nights! Thanks Dad and Mom! The hotel we stayed at we reserved sight unseen (it was SUPER cheep). It was a little outdated and needed a few minor repairs (tub had no stopper), but the kid pool was great for our kids and they offered a huge, full, hot breakfast. All in all it was a good hotel.
Funny thing happened. On our way to Eugene the kids were restless and excited and I was out of ideas to help pass time. Ben, on the other hand, started a new game. We went through the alphabet and had to match the letter with a color that started with the same letter; example a=amber. This gets challenging when you come upon a letter that you can't match! So, we get to the letter 'h' and we're stumped. Then Essy excitedly says "Hot red banana!" Ben and I cannot contain ourselves and we start laughing hard. She loves it and dubs the game Hot Red Banana.
There were no more exciting and memorable stories of getting lost in Medford, I'm afraid. We had a great time with family and hope you did too!

Thanksgiving Trip #1

We've been gone for 5 days and 4 nights. We went to Eugene to celebrate Thanksgiving with Ben's Mom and Dad, sisters and grandma. We left Thursday am and got home today at 3.10pm. I have a Kirkland large trash bag full of dirty clothes waiting for me as I post:) Really the only draw backs were the lack of being home, forgetting the camera (insert crying noise here) and the long drive (it took 2 hours to get to Eugene and 3.5 hours to get to Medford from Eugene. Totaling 5.5 hours back in one day).
Okay, so we got to Eugene and ate our bellies full to overflowing. So much so that I convinced Ben to take a walk after the game.
Now, Grandma lives up on a hill. We wanted to walk pretty aggressively, so we were thinking it would take at least a whole hour to get back to the house. Seems simple, right? Walk away from the house for a 1/2 hour then walk back to the house and the total time should be an hour. This is not what happened.
We started our walk and immediately get into some deep topics. Family stuff, training the kids, $$$, what-r-we-gonna-do-with-our-growing-family type talking. We were also admiring the newly constructed homes in Granny's neighborhood. We walk up a hill and down another.....and down another.....and another....and another, until we are walking down a double lined street with apartments. We didn't know that there were apartments near G's house. Hum. Our solution? Keep walking! We know we need to find a street that goes to the right....all the streets that go that direction are dead ends. That really should have been a clue. By now we've been walking for 45 min. We ask each other if we should go back....no, we reason, there has to be a road that eventually turns to the right.....right? WRONG!
We end up in a neighborhood that sounds close to a major street (sadly this encouraged us) when we come to another couple walking. At this point the sun has set; it's cold. My feet and fingers are numb and we've been walking for 1 hour 15 min. I ask this couple if we're close to Chambers or McLean. By the look on their faces and the fact they didn't know there were any streets in Eugene with these names, we started to get worried. Did I mention we didn't have our: wallets, cell phones or $. And we realise we don't have Grandmas or Mom's phone number memorised, the numbers are in our phones. We're sunk.
Fortunately this nice couple offered to drive us up the hill to G's. It takes 15 min. to drive there but we arrive before they call the police. Need I say we didn't take another walk while we were there?!? Thanks for the ride Doug and Sheryl!
The next day we drove the way we walked to see how far we walked....over 3 miles.
I'll post about the rest of our trip later! Boy, is it good to be home.

Surprises~Baking~Gratitude

Monday was a great day. I'd been scheming with my good friend Anna to surprise my wonderful Husband with a 'new' bedroom for us. Our kids were together for 6 hours and played wonderfully the entire time. THE ENTIRE TIME! Thanks kids and Anna! Below are the results. Oh, with what she gave us, I only needed to spend $95. :)
I'm baking today for Thanksgiving tomorrow. Rolls from scratch as well as a pumpkin pie, also from scratch. I also have errands to run so that I'll not have to actually purchase the movies we rented from Blockbuster. ~smile~

I am so blessed. We as a Nation really have nothing to complain about. Look at China or Africa. Thank you Lord, help us to use this blessing with your wisdom.

I am blessed. I am blessed. When I wake up in the morning 'till I lay my head to rest. I feel you near me, you sooth me when I'm weary. Oh, Lord for all the worst and all the best. I am blessed. Not sure who wrote this song, but Jacki Velasquez sang it. This describes my heart.
I don't deserve my Hubby or children. I for sure don't deserve salvation or heaven. I live in a fab country and have wonderful family close by. Thank you Father. You are good and you give above and beyond.
My prayer is that you would count your blessings and praise God! HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Oh, the Suspence!

We've been counting down for Christmas since the first part of October. We made a chain and everything. Did that sound like a confession? Maybe it was. While I'm on confessions; when Ben is at work I even sneak some Christmas music in.....I feel so dirty.....:)......he, he, he!

While I was reading the Bible with Zach this morning (cute side note, he didn't want me to read to him from his fun, colorfully pictured Bible this morning. He insisted I read from mine. ANYWAY) I asked him if he was excited for Christmas. He said he was. I said "It's fun to think of Christmas getting closer, and kind of exciting to wait and think of all the presents and stuff." In response he said "It's not so fun to wait."
Then I got to thinking back to waiting for Christmas as a 5/6 year old and feeling like time just crawled by. I would be so excited that I thought I either go crazy with boredom or burst with anticipation.

So, at our house, every morning, we rip a chain and will Christmas to come faster.

Sugar Plum

I've been experiencing some sad emotions over a certain fact. The fact is: I'll never be pregnant or hold my newborn babies ever again:( *sniff, sniff* {funny side note here, I didn't even LOVE being pregnant, yet I miss it }I have shed a few tears over this fact. No more firsts. First roll, first real bottle, first tooth, first word, first step. Boohoo me. I guess I do have some firsts to look forward to, but they don't really count 'cause they're kinda scary. First date, first time driving alone, first kiss, first wedding, first kid to leave and then empty nest. AHHHHHH!

There is a bright, shining, silver cloud in my life though! My dear, dear friend (who lives around the corner) has a 7 month old girl. Ahhhhh! This Girl sooths my mothers heart!

We watched Ella last night and even before she was brought in the kids were arguing..er..I mean discussing who would get first dibs. Sadly, she was tired and ready for bed soon after arriving. As I was changing her diaper, I was cooing and calling her 'sugar'. Zach thought this was sweet and named her Sugar Plum. Isn't that cute! Joey went further and called her Sugar Plum Princess.
We love you John, Steph and Sugar Plum!

Come Just as You Are....

is not just the title to one of my favorite songs. It's a whole new way of life for me.

This post may need to be continued, as I don't want to be to heavy for to long. Considerate of me, eh? Please hold the applause....;-)

This idea first came to me when my Pastor Brother and his Wife were visiting. She said their church was changing it's whole philosophy about worship and thus each church service. She referenced the book No Perfect People Allowed (I have yet to read it), but said it basically was about accepting and loving anyone who comes in the door. No matter what they look like or how they're dressed. About not having requirements or rules for people to follow. The idea being that we want to create an atmosphere, at church and everywhere, to welcome not hinder those who need it most.

**The Problem** I am an avid rule follower and feel that if there is a rule, there is a reason for it and thus think little about why the rule was organized in the first place. I was so intent on this rule following that I became a little legalistic. So, this was a hard truth for me to chew let alone swallow. Yet, I knew it was truth. Look at Jesus. Who occupied most of his time? The cheating tax collectors, prostitutes, beggars and drunks! But a year ago, before I would welcome any such person in my church, they would need to remove their hat before entering the sanctuary and at least be sober. Don't get me wrong here. Rules are good and for protection. But rules do not save. Jesus came to seek and save the lost, not make those who followed rules fell good. In fact, he threw the most religious rule followers for a loop! The rules were established to point to sin, not to encourage legalism. Romans 3:10 "There is no one righteous, not even one..." Isaiah 64:6 "All of us have become like one who is unclean and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags."

**The Transformation** While we're on the subject of transforming; did you know that while a butterfly caterpillar is still crawling around scarfing like crazy in preparation for the chrysalis, it still has the DNA of a butterfly? Cool, huh? This is how God views us. He sees us complete and beautiful, not the worms we sometimes feel and look like. This reminds me that the problem is with me!

Okay, back to my transformation. God has been working on my heart and opening my eyes to His purposes. Is there a better place for a drug addict or exotic dancer to be than in church? Isn't this the place where healing should be found? Sorry to say, often times not. We wrap ourselves in our own righteousness and ivory towers that we feel we cannot clasp the grungy hand of someone who may not have showered for a week. Trust me, I was there. God have mercy on me.

**Hope**Romans 3:21-23 "But now a righteousness from God, apart for the law, has been made known, to which the Law and Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

Now for a bit about the song.....

Come just as you are. Hear the Spirit call.

Come just as you are. Come and see, come receive,

Come and live forever.

Life everlasting and strength for today.

Taste the living water and never thirst again.

Treats

Up with the sun my Children awoke. The anticipation of a night filled with candy and costumes shone on their faces. The first prayer was out of Zach's mouth "Thank you God for this food and this day. Thanks too for the costumes we get to wear. Amen."

I was amazed when my requests and commands didn't need to be repeated. Because the tasks of the day were done quickly, by hands waiting for fun to occupy them, not tests and chores.

As darkness starts to enfold the day, it is welcomed, not fought. And the preparation begins.

We soon are visited my two Mysterious Mask Wearers. Later to be revealed as Gramps and Grams! The parade of costumes is in full force now, as each child wants mouth time to explain who or what they are. Gramps and Grams cannot stay long.

The Children and Daddy all trek out the door, in search of the donors who offer the whole bar instead of the fun size. 45 minutes later they come back home with more than a boat load of sugar, but with stories to boot!

A knock at the door is answered to a nine month old, white Bunny! It's Ella Lou, daughter of Uncle John and Aunt Stephanie.

Now with anticipation and a twinkle in my eye I tell the Kids they can watch movies and stay up 'till they can't keep their eyes open. Jaws drop and eyes pop. And when the last movie is finally over the clock shines midnight, all 8 eyes are bleary with unclaimed sleep.

So here I sit in silence, all my Treats are still sleeping, and I'm thanking God for a safe, fun night.

Harder than Anticipated

I haven't worked out in two weeks. *sigh*
I want to slim down a little and in the proses to find the right eating plan (I was seriously contemplating starting the meal replacement plan or taking weigh loss pills) I learned about the healthy way to lose fat.
Yes, I said fat not weight. Weight is a terrible indicator of the body's fat content.
I learned :**the best way to burn fat is to first increase metabolism, not starve or majorly cut calories**anything less than 40min. of aerobic exercise is just burning carbs not fat**this should be hard and tedious work**results shouldn't been seen overnight**slow and steady is the key**pills are a crock! They (pills) do not help take care of the problem.....fat. This is a lifestyle plan, not a diet.
So, now I get to think and plan strategically to create my own tone up/slim down plan.
To commemorate this occasion, I ate dessert after dinner tonight! ;-)

Yikes!

We had a big day yesterday. For the kids at least....not for the Mama.

We have a new pet. One of the creepy, crawly variety. The kind I like to stay away from. Far away.

The kids think it's a 'she' and named her Slithering Alice. Nice, cozy, comfy name; don't you think?

She hasn't eaten anything (Ben purchased a dozen crickets for it to consume and 12 are still in her new home.) so we might be releasing her back to her family. I'm sure she misses them. I'll pack her bags:)

When telling the kids we might need to let her go, he adds....to my horror...."But we'll have to get a lizard or something if we have to do that." I now have a great reason to stay away from the half of the house that contains our bedrooms.

I really don't dislike them (anything crawly or creeping)THAT much. I just never want to look at it, or watch anyone hold it.

Trust me, I'll literally keep you posted.

Just in case you're wondering, Esther took most of the pictures. I was not in the room.

Deep Thoughts by Katy

Okay. I was participating in a discussion recently about blogs. The majority voiced that they felt less than perfect when reading others blogs. It was said that, for the most part, the posts are of fun or happy times or events and there is an assumption that this is just an all the time occurrence.
I've had this whole topic on the brain for about two weeks and I'm gonna try and explain my side.

Every body has bad days. From crazy hair to tired kids. For me these bad days are like hiccups. They eventually go away and I don't have them again for a while. With one exception: moving, home school and PMS. Yea, you got me. There were three exceptions!

Yet, my life, to me, is awesome. Because it's mine. No wonder it seems good, 'caus I'm the one living it and writing about it. Now, if you were living my life, you may not think it pretty at all. The view from the side lines are always gorgeous. You don't see the toilet cleanings, or the arguing kids or the oil changes with four hungry, worn out kids trying as hard as 8, 7 and 5 year 0lds can not to be whiny for 30 minutes all together in one vehicle:) No, this has never happened to me before. I just read about it. He, he, he!

Life can be crappy sometimes. But it's the roses that grow out of the dung that I try to focus on. (Dung not to be associated to husband or children:)

So, if my life starts to seem too perfect......join in! Come over and try to figure out (then explain and TEACH!) fourth grade Math to a girly girl who wants nothing more than to color or braid her Barbie's hair. Then you will realize there is more to this fairy tail. And you will start to understand why I contemplate sending this dear child out of my house to be schooled!

Oh yea, and I mess up....alot. I often am too firm when I should be gentle or gracious. I apologize quite a bit to the kids and Ben.

Funny thing, I actually think I do live in a fairy tail. But even in castles, someone has to clean the windows and take out the trash! Since I don't have servants....it's me (or I ask one of the kids to do it;)
This has been my verse for this year. We've had a very hard year but I've felt comforted by God through the following verses.

Isaiah 40:29-31 "He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

This just reminds me that I will fall and make mistakes. But there is always a loop hole. God.

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurable more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is within us, to him be glory...." Ephesians 3:20+21

I Love Consistency. So, What's the Problem?

I love order. I mean LOVE.

Last school year, I was up by 5.45 (at least) and had the kids up by 6.55 every school morning. We'd put our rooms in order, complete our chore list, be finished with breakfast and starting school by 8.30am. School was completed by 11 and the kids would play or run errands with me the rest of the day.

This year is a far cry (for me at least) from last year.
I haven't been getting up until 7. This pushes our schedules out more than an hour. I haven't worked out at the gym this week....at all. Last year I would have been there twice by today. Arrrrrg! Since I get up late, I'm unable to have my devotions alone. Which means I am interrupted every third verse I read. This leads to the thought process "Why am I doing this now?" and I close God's Word, pull myself out of the comfy chair and organize the kids. *sigh & frown*

The thing is, except for the loss of gym time and inconsistent devotions (I still have my quiet time, just not the same time every day), I actually like our scheduled time more this year. I am more rested and more even emotionally.

So why would I have tried so hard to get back to last years schedule??? You got me there! I was thinking today and pondering why I would try so hard to change when this is working better. Because I like order so much, and I'm dense sometimes. Just because it worked great that way last year does NOT mean that it will this year. Silly Katy!

Now, if I could just find a spot to squeeze in gym time.........PERFECTION!

It Works

O.K. I needed a new apron and couldn't find one I liked, so, I made one. It took me about 4 hours and my old one is still my favorite! (thanks to Ben! He gave the old one to me Christmas of 2004) I'm hoping that when this one gets all messed up by a little spaghetti splatter or cleaning chemicals that it'll feel more comfy.

10 Great Dates

Ben and I just started a new class. It's called 10 great dates. Visit the web site here http://www.marriagealive.com/index.cfm. The idea is that when a couple is dating the marriage is stronger and will have less chance of divorce.
Last night was our first of the ten dates and it was soooooo fun! We met at our church for 30 min. prior to the date to get our date ideas and conversation ideas (talking about the first time you noticed one another, first date, wedding day.) then you leave and go on your date. We went to Linnens n Things to shop for an apron for me (isn't Ben great!) but didn't purchase any (I'm gonna make mine) but DID buy some new pillows for both of us (after walking out of the store we realised it had been 16+ years since either of us had used a new sleep pillow......gross!) Then we went to Applebee's, shared appetizers and talked. I love Ben so much!
I would recommend getting the 10 Great Dates book and doing this for your marriage even without the formal 'class'.
I will be posting later today about the treasure hunt my Mom made for the kids last week. (He, he, he. Gotcha! I won't be posting these photos until Tuesday.)

Job and Bedroom Charts

I have a friend that asked some questions on her blog about family chores for her Bible Study. Questions like, why have kids do chores, at what age kids should do what, etc. So, I told her I'd post some pictures of how our family gets things done!

Both our job and bed charts are laminated for durability. The kids use a dry erase marker for the job charts. We use velcro for the bedroom charts. This enables the child to move the arrow down the list as he accomplishes the items......all without the child using a pen in the bed room :)

The first pict. is the job chart. Each child has one and they are located on our fridge. I rotate each kid between the jobs. They include:unloading/loading dishes, unload hamper and sort, bringing in the mail and paper, making lunch/breakfast, taking out the trash, taking care of pet, open curtains and vacuuming.

On major cleaning days I make a separate list the kids help me with....sweeping, washing sinks and toilets.

The next pict. is our bedroom charts. We have a morning chart and an night chart. This idea came to me when I was CONSTANTLY answering questions like "I've already made my bed, now what do I need to do?" Between the four children I was getting worn out! Beside each item on the list are pictures so Zach and Joe can understand (they only read short vowels).

The items to accomplish on the am chart are:*read Bible*make bed*get dressed*put jammies away*put toys away*no clothes puking out of drawers*only sleep toys on bed*brush/comb hair*turn off lights*eat breakfast*brush teeth. Pm chart: Get jammies on*put clothes in hamper*put toys away*no clothes puking out of drawers*go potty*get drink*turn on night light*family devotions.

This is how I help myself stay sane!

Kids Say......

I've been stuck lately by how blessed I am with my children. I've heard some say that kids are 'on loan' from God, like a library book. He trusts us with these treasures and expects them back in good shape! I am completely humbled when I think about that.
So anyway, I've been meaning to post about some of the funny things that come out of my Precious Treasures mouths.

Essy:I was walking past the kids while they were eating lunch one day and she was talking with her brothers (primarily Sam). I heard her say "Well, when I get married I'm gonna kiss my Honey, like, TWENTY times in one day!" I wonder what that conversation was about?

Sam:He noticed that I had a small (I mean smaller than a 3x5 card) piece of paper with how to be healthy. At the top of this paper I wrote weight loss. Sam and I had had a conversation about loosing weight the day before. (He wanted to eat special k for breakfast because he was concerned he needed to loose weight. I was immediately convicted by God and realized I had been to vocal about my desire to shed a few lb's. I reassured him that he was perfectly shaped and didn't need to loose any weight. He then went on to say that no one in our house needed to loose weight.) Okay, so sorry for the long explanation! So he asked me why I had a paper on how to loose weight......I said that I was just trying to be healthy. Then he responded "Yea. Cause you're enough." Meaning that I didn't need to loose weight. Cutie!

Zach:He told me last night that he's gonna marry me. I didn't mention to him that that was illegal and GROSS. I figure by the time he's twelve, he won't want to marry me anymore. I'm gonna enjoy it while it lasts!

Joey:Now this is hard to explain. Joe says things I just don't expect. Like, instead of using too ( ex. I would like one too please) he'll use 'as well' in it's place. (ex. I would like one as well please.) I just don't expect it! And it's HOW he says it. He uses LOTS of hand gestures and facial expressions.

I have a couple post it's in our file box of silly things I catch the kids saying. I'm hoping to make a great scrap book page with them someday.I have yet to scrap our honeymoon nearly 10 years ago :) so it'll probably be 10 years from now that I finally use them!

Quick Thanks

I am so thankful for you all for praying and helping us this past week. I was reminded at what Godly friendship looks like. My heart is overflowing with humility and gratitude. You guys ROCK!

Remember the Third Option?

This morning Ben and I got 'down and dirty' with our preparations to move. We ended up with a list of 24 things to accomplish ranging form touch up painting to laying tile. All to be done in two weeks. My attitude lately has been "JUST DO IT!", and I try to complete whatever the task is with a smile. While we were talking, Ben threw out some different options, but each one we realised wouldn't work for logistics reasons.

So we start to tackle the list. I, with the help of the kids, start taking down hand made art work and Ben starts in on the concrete preparation. We were all working for about an hour and I passed by Ben. He said "I've thought of another option and I don't think we'll have to move......ever, unless we want to." He goes on to explain to me some details and then we discuss the nitty gritty.

He's RIGHT! We won't have to move and we'll still be able to save to start our business. We won't even need to live in a rental for 1-2 years. We can stay right here!

When my heart first heard, I was looking for a catch or problem with the idea. But after talking and thinking, peace seeped through my entire body. I seriously felt like I had just woken up from a wonderful, happy-dream, all night sleep.

There is still some things that we have to work through, but this option (#3 :-) we think will actually happen faster than the one we were preparing for!
YEA GOD! YEA WISE HUSBAND!

I would cry if I wasn't smiling so big.

P.S. I just thought to add that there is nothing illegal going on or anything against God's Word. Just didn't want to paint any bad pictures!

Forgotten Flowers

My Monday wasn't great, as posted previously, and my Tuesday was packed with errands. That is a typical Tuesday for us......full of errands! Well, I had just dropped of the kids at my Mom's (she'd made the kids a fab. treasure hunt....coming soon to a post near you) and come in the back door, when something caught my eye and floored me. My admirable Husband had gift waiting for me. A dozen, red, long stemmed roses and a card awaited me on the kitchen counter. What a man!

Family Photos

These photos bring a smile to my face and sparkle to my heart! We were blessed to have a photo shoot with an awesome photographer that is just starting up his business. He and his wife spent 2.5 hours with us (on location) and the total amount of photos we received were in the hundreds and the price was soooo within our budget. Neat Christian couple. You can find more info at http://www.joshmckenney.com/.

Down to One

As I type, I'm reflecting on my day thus far. Crying, alot of crying. I'm in a time of what seems like there too much to bear. X amount of stuff to get done and not as much time needed to complete the project.
We made the decision to be moved before Christmas. We need our house sold before we can move. Before that we need to fix things in our house before we can put it up for sale. All the while trying to home school and pack......let the crying commence.
So, I've started the process of bare bones scheduling. No frills. No excitement (I don't need that at the moment anyway!) And I'd cut out sleeping and eating if there was a way.....okay, that was a joke.
I do want to thank all for the offers to pray and help. Trust me, I'll call you when I need you!

Thanks God that I have Your word and dear friends to encourage me. That is the silver lining in my cloudy day!
2 Thessalonians 3:16 "Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way."
Philippians 1:6 "....being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Jesus Christ."
Philippians 4:6 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. AND the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."

And Then There Were Two

We might be moving sooner than we thought. ALOT sooner than we thought. Like in one month!
Without going into all the dreaded details.....Ben talked with our mortgage companies Thursday. We learned some new info that could require that we move, and pronto!
So, here are our options; 1-We get what we need from the mortgage co.'s and can stay until February (I LOVE this one:) 2-We don't get what we need and have to record the sale of the yard and our house on the same day. The 'yard sale' (did you get it.....yard sale.....he, he, he!) will be ready to go to title in as little as 25 days.
As I was e-mailing a friend this morning, I was listing our options. In my brain I thought there were three options. As I sat typing away, the realization hit me that we only have two. Only Two. Two options. For some reason I hadn't realised the seriousness of our situation until then. Only two options? Really?
The last option would mean that we fix all the things that need fixing in the house and get it up for sale in two weeks. We probably have about a month and a half of things to fix. Oh yea, and we'd need to find a rental. Oh yea, and pack. Ugh.
I just keep thinking the scripture "My grace if sufficient for you. My strength is made perfect in weakness." To me this means that all I need to survive is God's grace. And when I feel weak or like I've come up short or like I've got too much on my already full plate, He is my completion. Another word for perfect is complete. I am complete when His strength is at work in me, or rather when I allow His strength to work in me. This passage honestly makes me want to leave this area and cry (all the kids are surrounding me and I wouldn't want to worry them). God is so good. He has known this was going to happen and he knows how it will end.
Now this last part is hard. My good friend Anna gave me a wonderful piece of advice (love you Anna and thanks:). Do not, under any circumstances, offer help to anyone. We joked that I have to get up in the morning and look in the mirror and say 'No!" over and over and over. *chuckling* Normally I don't have a problem saying no, but since our situation changed fast, my helping heart hadn't caught up to reality quite yet. All that to say that I might be asking for help in this season, instead of offering it. I'm not one of those women who after a c-section to quadruplets, tornado devastating her house, her kids starting school and going through family problems says "Oh. Thanks for the offer to help, but I'm fine. No worries here!" (I tried to figure the most traumatic things possible and combine then into one lady, this person is no body I know.)
I wish I could just hit fast forward until this one month is over. Oh yea, His grace is sufficient......His strength........

Satisfyingly Painful

We're done! It took Ben 5.5 hours. I worked for 4.5. Oy! Those rolls of lawn are much heavier than they look. We estimated each at 40-50 pounds. Ben literally touched all 230 rolls and I only 100. We are sore! Ben would load up 8 rolls on the wheel barrow(320-400 lbs) and I 3-4 rolls (min.120, max 250 Lbs). Right now it is hard for me to make a fist. Who needs sleeping pills? All you have to do is install a 330 square yard lawn and it's sure to put you to bed early and sleeping soundly.
When we were done, I called the kids and they squealed and ran on the new grass. Es said she had been waiting to lay on it. Oh, the kids did soooo great! They watched a couple movies and were just plain gracious to one another! Ben and I praised them up one side and down the other.
I just keep having these nagging thoughts.......Maybe we should have bought a different kind of grass???? Lets just roll it all back up and exchange it for a different variety. Ha, ha, ha..... I crack myself up! The lawn and I had a conversation. I told it we'd never replace it if it stayed nice and green and full. That was my side anyway.
More photos will be posted as we accomplish more.

Glorious Green

Our lawn was delivered at 8.25, sharp, this morning. Thanks JB Lawns. YEA!
Posts of the installation of our lawn soon coming.

Vacation Food and the Back Yard

This post has been stuck in the camera and my brain for almost a week now. The above is what Ben and I ate for our last 'snack' of vacation! I lost all the weight two days after returning to normal :)

This one is before.

This one is after*it's a different area than pictured above......

Ben is completely remodeling our back yard. For those who didn't know, we sold our 7.4 thousand square foot front yard this spring. We knew we'd be loosing our main outside play area so we decided to make the back yard usable. The lawn was all uneven and the ungrassed areas were really high maintenance.

Ben is such a hard worker and is massively persistent. In one day he moved 68 wheelbarrow loads of dirt from the side of the house to the far back yard. I don't estimate well at all, but I would think it's about 80 yards one way. I helped when I could and only with the shoveling of the dirt, he was a gentleman and didn't want me to hurt myself while using the wheelbarrow (I probably would have too!)

I've tried to post these with oldest first, but this site isn't complementing me or cooperating with me today:)

This one is after.

This is before.

Our instant lawn will be delivered Thursday. We will have to wait to break it in until sometime mid September. Ahhhhh! Can't wait. Ben thinks the best combination for relaxing is bbq (it will be more fun in our new back yard), beer and a book.....I say bbq, a margarita and the kids in BED! Y'all know I love my kids:)

School and Such

We really started school yesterday. I started the kids (and myself) with the routine two weeks ago, but then we had a week off because Ben had a vacation from work. I'm not sure if that hiatus help or hurt us as far as our routine goes.
It was hard to get up this morning. Maybe tonight I'll get to bed before 11 and this in turn will help when my alarm starts buzzing at 4.40 tomorrow morning. Is there such a thing as a night owl and morning person all wrapped up in one? I'm it if there is such a thing. I am primarily an a.m. person, but I've been burning the candle from both ends the last few days.
Today was the best school day EVER! God brought something to my mind today. I've been pushing the kids to be done with school before lunch time, but with all the distractions and questions I needed to answer, we were not making the noon time budget. Why noon? Because that was our time frame last year. Weeeeell, our work this year is more complex and there is defiantly more study time needed. It just came to me, we can work after lunch too......DUH! Such a better day today. The kids were, for the most part, in good spirits and I wasn't constantly asking God for patience.
We also decided yesterday to stay in our currant house until February......down with capital gains taxes! It might push our time line out a little but we feel in our hearts this is what God wants for us.

Happy Birthday Dear, Sweet Friend

Anna, (she's the Mom on the left back in Dec. '06) one of my closest friends, turned 30 yesterday. She's a wonderful wife and mother of three.

She's one of those people you can call when you have a problem and you just want to vent. She'll ask if there is anything she can do, and then she prays with you, before you hang up.

Anna, I love you and thank God for you. You are like sunshine; warm and inviting.

I honor you on the day of your birth. "You have let the peace of Christ rule in your heart, since as a member of one body you were called to peace. Anna, you have been thankful and have let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish others with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your heart to God." Colossians 3:15+16 (I changed it to read in first person.....does that mean I'll go to hell?!?!:)

Love to you!

Oh yea, pictured in the photo (l-r), Grace (Anna's latest), Anna, Heather (cousin of mine) and Boston (Heather's son).

Revelations

I have found that I learn things in a few ways. Sometimes I learn by reading. Other times by watching others. Still yet, I learn by doing the wrong thing. I'm not talking about making, what we at our house call, God choices. Just learning about what we can and should put on ourselves. More of the preferences route.

Since camping I learned that:
*What is called the walk in camp sites really should be labeled, short hike tent sites. The sites were probably 100 yards form the parking lot and about 1/4 mile form the restrooms....oh yeah, and uphill both ways.
*I do not enjoy bugs on or near myself or my children.
*There are some bugs I would be happy to never, ever see again in my lifetime. We saw insects that I have never seen before. They were three times the length of a bumble bee and just as fat and furry. They also enjoyed trying to land on us. EEEEWWWW!
*My children have the ability to need the restrooms at the drop of a heavy hat. Did I mention that the bathrooms were about 1/4 mil. from us?


Now, don't be thinking that I was the only one that learned anything camping.

Ben learned that he would rather rent a home and take hiking excursions from that nice, clean home than camp. I told him that I was going to need a signed contract as evidence of that fact. Why? So I could show it to him next year when he wants to go camping again. This is absolutely not a joke. I am going to write up a contract and ask him to sign it. Side note:Ben would never ask me to do anything he really knew I didn't enjoy. In the beginning he offered to take the boys and give Es and I girl time. I love him!

Joey (last twin) learned not to try and watch (through the door cracks) what others are doing in the restroom stalls. :)

All in all, this wasn't horrible. We have great, funny memories (although some weren't funny at the time). I see that the kids are more gracious to each other and enjoy each others company. All is not lost.....just my peaceful sleep. I'll be having night mares about those enormous bugs for quite awhile....I just might have to call Oprah...

Camping

We're back and almost organized. I will be feeling better when I'm able to be 'normal' again.


Day one (Monday): our first night and the making of smores.

Every morning Ben would light up his pipe and relax.

Day two (Tuesday) we went on a 2.6 mile hike with the kids to Horsetail Falls(this is the one that the trail goes under the falls). This is one of many falls in the Multnomah (sp?) Falls area. I was so proud of all the kids! They didn't complain a bit about how long our hike lasted.







And here is were the tired Mama need her bed! So much laundry, so little time!