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Snow Day
3 years ago
Saturday, December 27
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Tuesday, December 16
Just for laughs....
Ever browse YouTube just to get a good laugh? These are some of my all time favorite videos, and of course they all have to do with BABIES...
On this last one, the third section with the little blonde-haired toddler yelling at the waterslide, that little guy reminds me of my Jonny at that same age. He was JUST like that! LOL
On this last one, the third section with the little blonde-haired toddler yelling at the waterslide, that little guy reminds me of my Jonny at that same age. He was JUST like that! LOL
Monday, December 15
Monday, December 8
A great gift idea for our ever tightening budgets!
My dear friends,
Christmas is tight this year.
I will be making bedroom slippers for you all as gifts.
Please let me know your sizes. You'll most likely agree that it's a splendid idea, and should you wish to do the same, I've included the instructions below.
How to make bedroom slippers out of maxi pads:
You need four maxi pads to make a pair.
Two of them get laid out flat, for the foot part.
The other two wrap around the toe area to form the top.
Tape or glue each side of the top pieces to the bottom of the foot part.
Decorate the tops with whatever you desire, silk flowers (this is most aesthetically appealing), etc.
These slippers are:
* Soft and Hygienic
* Non-slip grip strips on the soles
* Built in deodorant feature keeps feet smelling fresh
* No more bending over to mop up spills
* Disposable and biodegradable
* Environmentally safe
* Three convenient sizes: (1.) Regular, (2.) Light and (3.) Get out the Sand Bags.
I've attached a photo of the first pair I made so that you can see the nifty slippers for yourself...
Awaiting your response. It's crucial that I get the right size for each one of you.
Christmas is tight this year.
I will be making bedroom slippers for you all as gifts.
Please let me know your sizes. You'll most likely agree that it's a splendid idea, and should you wish to do the same, I've included the instructions below.
How to make bedroom slippers out of maxi pads:
You need four maxi pads to make a pair.
Two of them get laid out flat, for the foot part.
The other two wrap around the toe area to form the top.
Tape or glue each side of the top pieces to the bottom of the foot part.
Decorate the tops with whatever you desire, silk flowers (this is most aesthetically appealing), etc.
These slippers are:
* Soft and Hygienic
* Non-slip grip strips on the soles
* Built in deodorant feature keeps feet smelling fresh
* No more bending over to mop up spills
* Disposable and biodegradable
* Environmentally safe
* Three convenient sizes: (1.) Regular, (2.) Light and (3.) Get out the Sand Bags.
I've attached a photo of the first pair I made so that you can see the nifty slippers for yourself...
Awaiting your response. It's crucial that I get the right size for each one of you.
Thursday, December 4
What can brown do for you?
Well, we've got a bit of news to share... Roy is a UPS employee for this holiday season! He has a temp job as a driver's assistant. Today was his first day.
Its pretty neat how he got the job, since he wasn't even looking for one. We operate a home business and do a lot of shipping with UPS- we have an account with them and our local driver, Mike, makes almost daily stops here. Over the last 2 yrs, we've gotten to know him pretty well. He has become quite impressed with Roy and his strong work ethic. When Roy was gone on his mission trip to the Ukraine this past summer, Mike inquired weekly about Roy's well being and when he would be back, etc... He even gave Roy a UPS t-shirt as a welcome home gift.
Well, Scott got a phone call about 2 weeks ago from Mike asking permission to have Roy be his personal driver's assistant for the holidays. He knows Roy works with Scott all day on our home business stuff, so we thought that was very nice to ask us first. Scott thought about it and asked Roy if he would even be interested, and when he was, gave the OK for Roy to apply.
So Mike gave Roy all the details then proceeded to ask him every day if he had applied, did he get the call for an interview yet... etc... Mike was also daily contacting the guy who does the interviews and hiring if he had reviewed Roy's application and made arrangements for the interview yet. I guess the guy who interviews/hires is a good friend of Mike's.
Roy finally got all the application/interview stuff done and had orientation yesterday- then he was on the job today. Mike picks Roy up here at the house, they do the deliveries and then he drops him right back here at home! You can't beat that! $8.75/hr and almost guaranteed overtime hrs as they get closer to Christmas.
The best thing about this job is that if Roy proves himself a hard worker, he has his foot in the door for a permanent position if one becomes available! When they arrived here after the route today, I went out to snap a pic of Roy on the truck and Mike called out to me that we should be very proud of our son, he is a hard worker and he was very impressed. Yes, I am proud of him!
Its pretty neat how he got the job, since he wasn't even looking for one. We operate a home business and do a lot of shipping with UPS- we have an account with them and our local driver, Mike, makes almost daily stops here. Over the last 2 yrs, we've gotten to know him pretty well. He has become quite impressed with Roy and his strong work ethic. When Roy was gone on his mission trip to the Ukraine this past summer, Mike inquired weekly about Roy's well being and when he would be back, etc... He even gave Roy a UPS t-shirt as a welcome home gift.
Well, Scott got a phone call about 2 weeks ago from Mike asking permission to have Roy be his personal driver's assistant for the holidays. He knows Roy works with Scott all day on our home business stuff, so we thought that was very nice to ask us first. Scott thought about it and asked Roy if he would even be interested, and when he was, gave the OK for Roy to apply.
So Mike gave Roy all the details then proceeded to ask him every day if he had applied, did he get the call for an interview yet... etc... Mike was also daily contacting the guy who does the interviews and hiring if he had reviewed Roy's application and made arrangements for the interview yet. I guess the guy who interviews/hires is a good friend of Mike's.
Roy finally got all the application/interview stuff done and had orientation yesterday- then he was on the job today. Mike picks Roy up here at the house, they do the deliveries and then he drops him right back here at home! You can't beat that! $8.75/hr and almost guaranteed overtime hrs as they get closer to Christmas.
The best thing about this job is that if Roy proves himself a hard worker, he has his foot in the door for a permanent position if one becomes available! When they arrived here after the route today, I went out to snap a pic of Roy on the truck and Mike called out to me that we should be very proud of our son, he is a hard worker and he was very impressed. Yes, I am proud of him!
Friday, November 28
It's the most wonderful time of the year!
It's the most wonderful time of the year.
With the kids jingle belling,
and everyone telling you,
"Be of good cheer,"
It's the most wonderful time of the year.
There'll be parties for hosting,
marshmallows for toasting and
caroling out in the snow.
there'll be scary ghost stories and
tales of the glories of Christmases
long, long ago.
It's the most wonderful time of the year.
There'll be much mistletoeing
and hearts will be glowing,
when loved ones are near.
It's the most wonderful time of the year.
MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE! HOPE YOU ALL HAVE A VERY BLESSED HOLIDAY SEASON. REMEMBER TO KEEP CHRIST IN CHRISTMAS!
Monday, November 24
A tasty variation of the mug cake!
I tried the mug cake recipe and, while its not as good a boxed cake mix is, it would definitely work in a pinch for that cake craving if you don't have any mix. So, I got to thinking, if you can mix this up and microwave it in a mug, I wonder if an actual cake mix would also work in small portions and microwaved. So I picked up a Betty Crocker French Vanilla cake mix when I was at the grocery store the other day. I measured out the same amount of tablespoons of the dry mix as is called for in the mug recipe (10 tbsp) and mixed in one egg, 3 tbsp oil and 3 tbsp water (water instead of milk, since the cake mix calls for water due to already having dry milk in the mix). I mixed the batter in a wide cereal bowl instead of a mug and microwaved it for about 3 minutes. IT WORKED! It made a yummy little cake that tasted just like the mix you bake in the oven!! MMMmmmm!!! I'm loving this new little trick!
Wednesday, November 19
5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE
1 Coffee Mug (large mug)
4 tablespoons flour(that's plain flour, not self-rising)
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons baking cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
some nuts (optional)
Small splash of vanilla
Mix flour, sugar and cocoa - Spoon in 1 egg, Pour in milk and oil, and mix well (a fork works great!) Put in microwave for 3 minutes on maximum power - Wait until it stops rising and sets in the mug. Tip contents out of mug onto saucer and enjoy!
And why is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world? Because now we are all only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake at any time of the day or night!
4 tablespoons flour(that's plain flour, not self-rising)
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons baking cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
some nuts (optional)
Small splash of vanilla
Mix flour, sugar and cocoa - Spoon in 1 egg, Pour in milk and oil, and mix well (a fork works great!) Put in microwave for 3 minutes on maximum power - Wait until it stops rising and sets in the mug. Tip contents out of mug onto saucer and enjoy!
And why is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world? Because now we are all only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake at any time of the day or night!
Friday, November 7
Why did the chicken cross the road?
BARACK OBAMA: The chicken crossed the road because it was time for a change! The chicken wanted change!
JOHN MCCAIN: My friends, that chicken crossed the road because he recognized the need to engage in cooperation and dialogs with all the chickens on the other side of the road.
SARAH PALIN: You betcha he crossed the road, but let's not talk about that, let's talk about energy policy, and how gosh darn hard it is for a middle-class hockey mom to manage the budget of the only state in America with a massive surplus, especially while surrounded by countless Russian and Canadian chickens we have to keep an eye on.
HILLARY CLINTON: When I was First Lady, I personally helped that little chicken to cross the road. This experience makes me uniquely qualified to ensure - right from Day One! - that every chicken in this country gets the chance it deserves to cross the road. But then, this really isn't about me.
GEORGE W. BUSH: We don't really care why the chicken crossed the road. We just want to know if the chicken is on our side of the road, or not. The chicken is either against us, or for us. There is no middle ground here.
DICK CHENEY: Where's my gun?
COLIN POWELL: Now to the left of the screen, you can clearly see the satellite image of the chicken crossing the road.
BILL CLINTON: I did not cross the road with that chicken...What is you definition of crossing?
AL GORE: I invented the chicken.
JOHN KERRY: Although I voted to let the chicken cross the road, I am now against it! It was the wrong road to cross, and I was misled about the chicken's intentions. I am not for it now, and will remain against it.
AL SHARPTON: Why are all the chickens white? We need some black chickens!
OPRAH: Well, I understand that the chicken is having problems, which is why he wants to cross this road so bad. So instead of having the chicken learn from his mistakes and take falls, which is a part of life, I'm going to give this chicken a car so that he can just drive across the road and not live his life like the rest of the chickens.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN: We have reason to believe there is a chicken, but we have not yet been allowed to have access to the other side of the road.
NANCY GRACE: That chicken crossed the road because he's guilty! You can see it in his eyes and the way he walks.
PAT BUCHANAN: To steal the job of a decent, hardworking American.
DR SEUSS: Did the chicken cross the road? Did he cross it with a toad? Yes, the chicken crossed the road, but why it crossed I've not been told.
ERNEST HEMINGWAY: To die in the rain... alone.
JERRY FALWELL: Because the chicken was gay! Can't you people see the plain truth? That's why they call it the 'other side.' Yes, my friends, that chicken is gay. And if you eat that chicken, you will become gay, too. I say we boycott all chickens until we sort out this abomination that the liberal media whitewashes with seemingly harmless phrases like 'the other side.' That chicken should not be crossing the road. It's as plain and as simple as that.
GRANDPA: In my day, we didn't ask why the chicken crossed the road. Somebody told us the chicken crossed the road, and that was good enough.
ARISTOTLE: It is the nature of chickens to cross the road.
JOHN LENNON: Imagine all the chickens in the world crossing roads together, in peace.
ALBERT EINSTEIN: Did the chicken really cross the road, or did the road move beneath the chicken?
COLONEL SANDERS: Did I miss one?
Tuesday, October 28
NOBAMA!!!!!!!
An internet acquaintance posted a pic of her ONE vote for Obama, so I thought I would post a pic of this household's FOUR votes for McCain!!! Yessssss...... nobama, go McCain!!!!!
Thursday, October 23
"Slugs and snails and puppydog tails......"
Yes, I know the *real* nursery rhyme goes "snips and snails" but slug goes better with this story!
Slugs are a very common pest here in the Pacific Northwest. These are not just the little things that you find in any damp forest. These slugs are HUGE. They grow to about 4" and these slugs in this story are at LEAST that big! You can not go much of anywhere on spring days without seeing one or more slugs sliding along the ground. Sometimes there is an over-abundance of them. They especially like tomato plants, so you have to aggressively treat your gardens with slug bait, etc...
We didn't have any weather-stripping under our front door in our old house we were in for over 12 years. We would usually keep a long towel along the door to keep out drafts, etc.., but occasionally, someone forgot to put the towel back after closing the door. We had slugs slip under the door from time to time, so I tried to make sure that a towel was tight against the bottom of the door.
Well, late one evening, after putting the oldest 5 of our then 6 kids to bed, Scott and I were sitting in the livingroom, relaxing, while 7 month old Abby played quietly on the floor. I was laying down on the sofa facing away from the front door. Abby had crawled over by the front door and I thought she had found a toy or something, as she was over there for several minutes and I didn't hear a peep. Finally, I got curious as to what she was doing and looked over, only to discover in horror that she was SUCKING ON A HUGE SLUG!!!! It had slid in under the front door and she must have spied it from across the room and thought it looked like an interesting toy. She was sucking on that thing, in and out, in and out, like it was the tastiest treat she had ever had!
Well, I totally FREAKED OUT!!!! When Scott looked, he started laughing hysterically. He thought it was the funniest thing!
I immediately started to worry about whether it was poisonous. Scott said he doubted it, as people eat escargot all the time- which is just slugs with shells on their backs- ICK!!
As I scooped Abby up, the slug flopped to the floor, very obviously dead (I wonder what that slug thought as its life was literally SUCKED away -LOL).
I ran a bath for Abby and attempted to clean the slime off her. If you have ever touched slug-slime, you know that the stuff is STICKY! (I have read somewhere that they use the stuff as medical-grade glue now.) AND it is NOT water-soluble, as I soon discovered. I had to literally SCRAPE the slime off her tongue, inside cheeks and the roof of her mouth. I had to scrub her hands, too. The next morning, I was still finding pieces of slug-slime clinging to her mouth.
Is that a gross story or what? But WAIT- there's more!
As if that isn't bad enough...
Our next baby Kenny did the very same thing!!!! Only this time it was in the kitchen. The slug had come through the back door one cool summer evening. We left both front and back doors open for a breeze. What is the worst part to me is that all the older kids were in the kitchen with him and DID NOT NOTICE the baby sucking on a slug!!? What is up with that?! Not only did Kenny kill his slug, but he actually BIT the end off and the guts were HANGING outside the body!!!! Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww! Hope noone was eating as they read this post- lol!
Slugs are a very common pest here in the Pacific Northwest. These are not just the little things that you find in any damp forest. These slugs are HUGE. They grow to about 4" and these slugs in this story are at LEAST that big! You can not go much of anywhere on spring days without seeing one or more slugs sliding along the ground. Sometimes there is an over-abundance of them. They especially like tomato plants, so you have to aggressively treat your gardens with slug bait, etc...
We didn't have any weather-stripping under our front door in our old house we were in for over 12 years. We would usually keep a long towel along the door to keep out drafts, etc.., but occasionally, someone forgot to put the towel back after closing the door. We had slugs slip under the door from time to time, so I tried to make sure that a towel was tight against the bottom of the door.
Well, late one evening, after putting the oldest 5 of our then 6 kids to bed, Scott and I were sitting in the livingroom, relaxing, while 7 month old Abby played quietly on the floor. I was laying down on the sofa facing away from the front door. Abby had crawled over by the front door and I thought she had found a toy or something, as she was over there for several minutes and I didn't hear a peep. Finally, I got curious as to what she was doing and looked over, only to discover in horror that she was SUCKING ON A HUGE SLUG!!!! It had slid in under the front door and she must have spied it from across the room and thought it looked like an interesting toy. She was sucking on that thing, in and out, in and out, like it was the tastiest treat she had ever had!
Well, I totally FREAKED OUT!!!! When Scott looked, he started laughing hysterically. He thought it was the funniest thing!
I immediately started to worry about whether it was poisonous. Scott said he doubted it, as people eat escargot all the time- which is just slugs with shells on their backs- ICK!!
As I scooped Abby up, the slug flopped to the floor, very obviously dead (I wonder what that slug thought as its life was literally SUCKED away -LOL).
I ran a bath for Abby and attempted to clean the slime off her. If you have ever touched slug-slime, you know that the stuff is STICKY! (I have read somewhere that they use the stuff as medical-grade glue now.) AND it is NOT water-soluble, as I soon discovered. I had to literally SCRAPE the slime off her tongue, inside cheeks and the roof of her mouth. I had to scrub her hands, too. The next morning, I was still finding pieces of slug-slime clinging to her mouth.
Is that a gross story or what? But WAIT- there's more!
As if that isn't bad enough...
Our next baby Kenny did the very same thing!!!! Only this time it was in the kitchen. The slug had come through the back door one cool summer evening. We left both front and back doors open for a breeze. What is the worst part to me is that all the older kids were in the kitchen with him and DID NOT NOTICE the baby sucking on a slug!!? What is up with that?! Not only did Kenny kill his slug, but he actually BIT the end off and the guts were HANGING outside the body!!!! Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww! Hope noone was eating as they read this post- lol!
Wednesday, October 22
Two Word Answers:
Remember your answers have to be two words.1.Where is your cell phone? my pocket
2.One tattoo? no way
3.Your hair? getting long
4.Your brother? have none
5.Your sister? have 5
6.Your favorite color? pretty pink
7.Your dream last night? don't recall
8.Your favorite beverage? mocha frappuccino
9.Your dream/goal? homebirth midwife
10.The room you're in? living room
11.Your ex? no ex
12.Your fear? kids dying
13.Where do you want to be in 10 years? see 9
14.Where were you last night? the church
15.With who? some friends
16.Muffins? costco poppyseed
17.One of your wish list items? attend oc
18.Where you grew up? several places
19.The last thing you did? opened post
20.What are you wearing? shirt/slacks
21.Your TV? not on
22.Your pets? cats/bunny
23.Your computer? Dell notebook
24.Your life? very full
25.Your mood? slightly irritable
26.Missing someone? not really
27.Something you're not wearing? swimming suit!
28.Favorite Place? no favorite
29.Your summer? missed Roy
30.Love someone? very much!
31.Your favorite shape? cute hearts
32.Last time you laughed? was today
33.Last time you cried? last week
34.Who will repost this? don't know
Tuesday, October 21
My children are so precious to me!
So I have met up with some old friends in this blogworld, friends whom I haven't seen in many, many moons. I want to share some recent photos of the kids for you!
Roy will be 20 in December.
Sally, 18 - this is just after braces were
removed and before she got contacts.
Jason will be 17 in about 2 weeks!
Jonny is 15 now.
Nathan is 13.
Abby will be 12 in 2 weeks.
Kenny is 10.
Charles is 8½.
Reuben is 6½.
Jesse will be 4 next month.
Savannah turned 2 in August.
Roy will be 20 in December.
Sally, 18 - this is just after braces wereremoved and before she got contacts.
Jason will be 17 in about 2 weeks!
Jonny is 15 now.
Nathan is 13.
Abby will be 12 in 2 weeks.
Kenny is 10.
Charles is 8½.
Reuben is 6½.
Jesse will be 4 next month.
Savannah turned 2 in August.
Monday, October 20
Savannah's butchered bangs...
Here is a glimpse of the chop-job Savannah did to her hair.....
before:
and after:
Needless to say, mommy is not at all happy about it. At least she still has the rest of her hair, though (so far)!
And while I am uploading some pics of Savannah, here is one Jason had fun with using the morph feature on his cell phone:
before:
and after:
Needless to say, mommy is not at all happy about it. At least she still has the rest of her hair, though (so far)!
And while I am uploading some pics of Savannah, here is one Jason had fun with using the morph feature on his cell phone:
Tuesday, October 14
Hilarious YouTube video we love....
We're cat people here (we've got 2 cats in addition to Sally's bunny, but Roy is pestering to get a kitten, so maybe we'll have another one soon) so when I found this video, we played it over and over again, along with the others made by the same guy. They are too funny, I can relate! Hope you enjoy!
Sunday, October 12
Let's see how this works....
Since everyone is into blogs nowadays, I thought I'd give it a try. I actually opened this blog like 2-3 yrs ago when a friend began blogging, but I never did anything with it after that. I'm not all that big into creative writing, so it may take me a while to get the hang of it.
I don't really think my life is all that interesting that people would want to read a blog about me and my life. Apparently, though, the fact that I have 11 children makes me an oddity enough that I am frequently told "You should write a book!" Well, maybe this is a step in that direction.
Speaking of children, I was just conversing with my daughter, Sally, about the baby (2 yr old Savannah) having recently chopped up her bangs really bad... not just once or twice, but now THREE TIMES within 2 weeks time! They are HORRIBLE looking! I contemplated chopping off all her hair to match, but I just could not bring myself to do it. I have an online friend who's daughter did the same thing, so she literally shaved the little girl's hair off. I think Scott would have a royal FIT if I did that!
Well, I guess a short bio would be good to include with my first post, so here goes:
Scott and I married in July 1987 . I was 19 and he was 25. We just celebrated our 21st anniversary this past summer. We were planning to wait a year or two before getting pregnant, but God had other plans and I got pregnant with our first baby when we were married for 8 months. Our son Roy Allan was born Dec. 30, 1988 (just in time to be a tax deduction for that year, as Scott likes to mention!) Roy is going to be 20 in a little over 2 months time. He has grown and matured into quite a handsome young man who loves the Lord and wants to serve him. He currently plays the trumpet in our church band and also runs the video ministry. Roy spent the whole summer in the Ukraine this year, serving with a mission group called Euro Team Outreach. He really enjoyed it and wants to go again next summer. He also works with Scott in our home business, he does a lot of graphic design work and answers the phones.
Our daughter Sally Ann, was born just 17 months after Roy, on June 3, 1990. She recently turned 18 and is such a blessing to have around. She is such a tremendous help around the house, keeping track of the kids while I am at work and has even been working with the little ones in homeschooling, helping them with their reading and math. She loves to cook and bake and will often whip up a batch of cookies or make a cake from scratch (assuming we actually have everything in stock when she's got the hankering to bake, that is!).
Jason Andrew was born another 17 months later, on Nov. 9, 1991. He will be 17 next month. My how time has flown! Jason has always been our clown, very funny guy. He is also very creative and loves to work with wood in our workshop. He is learning how to use the lathe and has made some really nice things. He also is a gun fanatic, a literal walking gun encyclopedia. He likes to draw guns and has design his own versions, too. He is making plans to go hunting with my sister's boyfriend this fall. He has never been hunting before, so I hope it works out. They are planning to hunt bear - if they get one, I guess I'll be trying bear meat for the first time. Jason is also helping Scott with the printing side of our home business and seems to enjoy it.
Jonathan David was born 16 months later, on March 27, 1993. Jonny was my smallest baby (not really all that small, though, at 7 lbs 8 oz) and has always been on the small side. He was born with the congenital anomaly called Clubfoot, and I believe that is the reason for his small stature. He wore casts and braces on the affected leg for a year and thankfully it was corrected enough without needing to resort to surgical correction. Jonny is 15½ right now and is quite the fireball. He is doing very well in homeschool and will probably be done in another year or two. He is working a lot on the computer learning graphic art skills and is doing really well with that.
There was a nice big gap between babies 4 and 5 - 27 months! Nathan Scott was born on June 16, 1995. He turned 13 this summer, making me the mother of 5 teens - yikes! Nathan is also doing well in homeschool and helps out around the house as needed. He hasn't shown a special skill in any particular area yet, so we're still not sure where to focus our extra-curricular training with him.
Abigail Suzanne was born Nov. 4, 1996, 17 months after Nathan. She will be turning 12 next month already. Abby is such a little mother to her younger siblings. They like to go to her for comfort when they are hurt or need a drink or something. She doesn't always like that they cling to her, though - lol! She is quite a creative writer when she sits down to write.
Kenneth Paul was born July 11, 1998 - 20 months after Abby - he turned 10 this summer. Kenny is a control freak and is learning that he can still be happy even if he is not controlling what goes on around him. School-wise, he is doing really well and has finally conquered reading, thanks in part to Sally working with him one-on-one several times a week. (Teaching reading has always been a down-side to schooling for me, I get so frustrated when they still don't "get it" after the 20th lesson, which in turns frustrates them and then they just don't want to try anymore - Sally has much more patience in that department, thankfully). We haven't been focusing Kenny toward any skills yet, just waiting for his natural talents to come forth in time.
Charles Matthew was born on April 26, 2000 - 21 months after Kenny. He is 8½ now. Charles is our quiet one of the bunch. He is always in the background, never right in the middle of the action unless we intentionally draw him in - he just likes to watch from the sidelines, I guess. He is doing so well in reading and math this year.
Reuben Leonard was born April 6, 2002, almost exactly 2 yrs after Charles. He is 6½ and getting reading down this year, too, thanks to Sally working with him and Charles together.
Jesse Daniel was born on Nov. 15, 2004 and will be 4 next month. Jesse is too busy for his own good! For instance, in July 2006, when he was 20 months old, he climbed up on the kitchen table while we were getting dinner ready and fell backward into a very large pot of scalding hot soup I'd just set out. He was severely burned over 14% of his body and spent a week at Harborview Medical Center recovering. He has some scarring as a result but nothing that requires any surgical correction. He's also picked up a box-cutter one of the older kids was using and carelessly left within reach and he made a nice slice in his leg with it! He is one to keep us on our toes, that's for sure!
Savannah Rose, my most longed-for baby girl, was born August 17, 2006 - 21 months after Jesse. It was almost 10 yrs since my previous girl and I was SO longing for a third daughter, I was just estatic when we found out it was girl. She turned 2 this summer. Except for the above story where she's desacrated her hair, she is just the sweetest thing since french toast!
People keep asking me if we're going to have more. Well, if it were up to me, the answer would be most emphatically YES! But so far, God has not blessed my womb again. It is so weird to me that it is not happening, too, after all the others with no effort whatsoever. I wonder if my working a full-time job outside the home since August 2007 has anything to do with it (I'm thinking it probably has everything to do with it). The job itself is not stressful, but the hrs I keep might interfere with my ability to conceive, since I get up at 4am. Its been over a year since I started the job, though, so you'd think my body would have adapted by now. It just goes to show that God does indeed open and close the womb. If I were to get pregnant this month, I would be due when Savannah turns 3, just WAY too big a gap!
More about my working outside the home... I was a SAHM (stay-at-home-mom) since before we had our first baby, but in Oct 2006, we bought a bigger house and with it came a much bigger payment than we'd had previous. Shortly after we bought is when the economy started taking the big hits and our finances got tighter and tighter due to declining orders. Because Scott was (and still is) too busy to take on an outside job, we decided it was the next best thing for me to seek employment outside the home since our teens are old enough to watch the younger ones while I am at work. I work as a Sprint/Nextel customer service rep in an in-bound call center and it is not too far away from our house, only 2.2 miles! My hrs are 5am - 1:30, so I am home early enough in the afternoon to keep tabs of the kids schooling and still be able to keep up with my tasks in our home businesses.
Well, I guess my first post turned out to be a book in and of itself! I'll have to stop for now.
I don't really think my life is all that interesting that people would want to read a blog about me and my life. Apparently, though, the fact that I have 11 children makes me an oddity enough that I am frequently told "You should write a book!" Well, maybe this is a step in that direction.
Speaking of children, I was just conversing with my daughter, Sally, about the baby (2 yr old Savannah) having recently chopped up her bangs really bad... not just once or twice, but now THREE TIMES within 2 weeks time! They are HORRIBLE looking! I contemplated chopping off all her hair to match, but I just could not bring myself to do it. I have an online friend who's daughter did the same thing, so she literally shaved the little girl's hair off. I think Scott would have a royal FIT if I did that!
Well, I guess a short bio would be good to include with my first post, so here goes:
Scott and I married in July 1987 . I was 19 and he was 25. We just celebrated our 21st anniversary this past summer. We were planning to wait a year or two before getting pregnant, but God had other plans and I got pregnant with our first baby when we were married for 8 months. Our son Roy Allan was born Dec. 30, 1988 (just in time to be a tax deduction for that year, as Scott likes to mention!) Roy is going to be 20 in a little over 2 months time. He has grown and matured into quite a handsome young man who loves the Lord and wants to serve him. He currently plays the trumpet in our church band and also runs the video ministry. Roy spent the whole summer in the Ukraine this year, serving with a mission group called Euro Team Outreach. He really enjoyed it and wants to go again next summer. He also works with Scott in our home business, he does a lot of graphic design work and answers the phones.
Our daughter Sally Ann, was born just 17 months after Roy, on June 3, 1990. She recently turned 18 and is such a blessing to have around. She is such a tremendous help around the house, keeping track of the kids while I am at work and has even been working with the little ones in homeschooling, helping them with their reading and math. She loves to cook and bake and will often whip up a batch of cookies or make a cake from scratch (assuming we actually have everything in stock when she's got the hankering to bake, that is!).
Jason Andrew was born another 17 months later, on Nov. 9, 1991. He will be 17 next month. My how time has flown! Jason has always been our clown, very funny guy. He is also very creative and loves to work with wood in our workshop. He is learning how to use the lathe and has made some really nice things. He also is a gun fanatic, a literal walking gun encyclopedia. He likes to draw guns and has design his own versions, too. He is making plans to go hunting with my sister's boyfriend this fall. He has never been hunting before, so I hope it works out. They are planning to hunt bear - if they get one, I guess I'll be trying bear meat for the first time. Jason is also helping Scott with the printing side of our home business and seems to enjoy it.
Jonathan David was born 16 months later, on March 27, 1993. Jonny was my smallest baby (not really all that small, though, at 7 lbs 8 oz) and has always been on the small side. He was born with the congenital anomaly called Clubfoot, and I believe that is the reason for his small stature. He wore casts and braces on the affected leg for a year and thankfully it was corrected enough without needing to resort to surgical correction. Jonny is 15½ right now and is quite the fireball. He is doing very well in homeschool and will probably be done in another year or two. He is working a lot on the computer learning graphic art skills and is doing really well with that.
There was a nice big gap between babies 4 and 5 - 27 months! Nathan Scott was born on June 16, 1995. He turned 13 this summer, making me the mother of 5 teens - yikes! Nathan is also doing well in homeschool and helps out around the house as needed. He hasn't shown a special skill in any particular area yet, so we're still not sure where to focus our extra-curricular training with him.
Abigail Suzanne was born Nov. 4, 1996, 17 months after Nathan. She will be turning 12 next month already. Abby is such a little mother to her younger siblings. They like to go to her for comfort when they are hurt or need a drink or something. She doesn't always like that they cling to her, though - lol! She is quite a creative writer when she sits down to write.
Kenneth Paul was born July 11, 1998 - 20 months after Abby - he turned 10 this summer. Kenny is a control freak and is learning that he can still be happy even if he is not controlling what goes on around him. School-wise, he is doing really well and has finally conquered reading, thanks in part to Sally working with him one-on-one several times a week. (Teaching reading has always been a down-side to schooling for me, I get so frustrated when they still don't "get it" after the 20th lesson, which in turns frustrates them and then they just don't want to try anymore - Sally has much more patience in that department, thankfully). We haven't been focusing Kenny toward any skills yet, just waiting for his natural talents to come forth in time.
Charles Matthew was born on April 26, 2000 - 21 months after Kenny. He is 8½ now. Charles is our quiet one of the bunch. He is always in the background, never right in the middle of the action unless we intentionally draw him in - he just likes to watch from the sidelines, I guess. He is doing so well in reading and math this year.
Reuben Leonard was born April 6, 2002, almost exactly 2 yrs after Charles. He is 6½ and getting reading down this year, too, thanks to Sally working with him and Charles together.
Jesse Daniel was born on Nov. 15, 2004 and will be 4 next month. Jesse is too busy for his own good! For instance, in July 2006, when he was 20 months old, he climbed up on the kitchen table while we were getting dinner ready and fell backward into a very large pot of scalding hot soup I'd just set out. He was severely burned over 14% of his body and spent a week at Harborview Medical Center recovering. He has some scarring as a result but nothing that requires any surgical correction. He's also picked up a box-cutter one of the older kids was using and carelessly left within reach and he made a nice slice in his leg with it! He is one to keep us on our toes, that's for sure!
Savannah Rose, my most longed-for baby girl, was born August 17, 2006 - 21 months after Jesse. It was almost 10 yrs since my previous girl and I was SO longing for a third daughter, I was just estatic when we found out it was girl. She turned 2 this summer. Except for the above story where she's desacrated her hair, she is just the sweetest thing since french toast!
People keep asking me if we're going to have more. Well, if it were up to me, the answer would be most emphatically YES! But so far, God has not blessed my womb again. It is so weird to me that it is not happening, too, after all the others with no effort whatsoever. I wonder if my working a full-time job outside the home since August 2007 has anything to do with it (I'm thinking it probably has everything to do with it). The job itself is not stressful, but the hrs I keep might interfere with my ability to conceive, since I get up at 4am. Its been over a year since I started the job, though, so you'd think my body would have adapted by now. It just goes to show that God does indeed open and close the womb. If I were to get pregnant this month, I would be due when Savannah turns 3, just WAY too big a gap!
More about my working outside the home... I was a SAHM (stay-at-home-mom) since before we had our first baby, but in Oct 2006, we bought a bigger house and with it came a much bigger payment than we'd had previous. Shortly after we bought is when the economy started taking the big hits and our finances got tighter and tighter due to declining orders. Because Scott was (and still is) too busy to take on an outside job, we decided it was the next best thing for me to seek employment outside the home since our teens are old enough to watch the younger ones while I am at work. I work as a Sprint/Nextel customer service rep in an in-bound call center and it is not too far away from our house, only 2.2 miles! My hrs are 5am - 1:30, so I am home early enough in the afternoon to keep tabs of the kids schooling and still be able to keep up with my tasks in our home businesses.
Well, I guess my first post turned out to be a book in and of itself! I'll have to stop for now.
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