tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39756437150808398802024-03-05T18:48:05.460-08:00The Gregson GazetteThe not-so exciting life and times of the Gregson ClanCharityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772163055226796343noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3975643715080839880.post-40905478546721009112009-12-03T08:20:00.000-08:002009-12-03T16:20:26.017-08:00It's a GIRL!!!I had the 20 week anatomy check sonogram on Monday the 30th of November and found out that we're having baby girl #4! This makes two girls in a row, which I've not had before. I am SO excited. She appears to be healthy in every way, too. <br /> <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheTn7bFj0YHkAi6XEJeO5sydOUnxBmqKmGcSPtIkw_xCov5hHEntp0kdh_hUX4-3KsnulwijMvFMWtAlNbJfOlu8TwiLkY9VPhANvnlt4F-PMucTRHI5kK28H6LTeQ71GnxCHS6AVB9u1w/s1600-h/baby12_2nd_sono_gender.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 154px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheTn7bFj0YHkAi6XEJeO5sydOUnxBmqKmGcSPtIkw_xCov5hHEntp0kdh_hUX4-3KsnulwijMvFMWtAlNbJfOlu8TwiLkY9VPhANvnlt4F-PMucTRHI5kK28H6LTeQ71GnxCHS6AVB9u1w/s200/baby12_2nd_sono_gender.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411047120938891362" /></a><br /><br />The sonogram technician got some really great shots of the baby for my pictures:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaJvcpOuCHhR-D6c7-Lgv4dnmRkX9-uwRCYmKxCQYQ_KzhJBWXIi4sTXe-A2wIlVY2YRMTycvyhDI_U9fHFqh8ZoKuIRy7CyMNpxuAex2AYyYkhtsroDUugAGGBZ0eV6d3BGA1VdhSMtGz/s1600-h/baby12_2nd_sono_rt_hand.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 158px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaJvcpOuCHhR-D6c7-Lgv4dnmRkX9-uwRCYmKxCQYQ_KzhJBWXIi4sTXe-A2wIlVY2YRMTycvyhDI_U9fHFqh8ZoKuIRy7CyMNpxuAex2AYyYkhtsroDUugAGGBZ0eV6d3BGA1VdhSMtGz/s200/baby12_2nd_sono_rt_hand.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411047653106846050" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh49_kWQAacIRkjBo4Dw0p0nfqTrBMqZqlRLUM_5FrbBESwinNCq2klmy7cyep2e7IkuSbQhpV85juzKNiZ3i3iMqz1i7OV1v5CjAfgJLKqOXYM0SiVvYopNqfrzaD_PkClsPQN7N1M_9bU/s1600-h/baby12_2nd_sono_profile.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 122px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh49_kWQAacIRkjBo4Dw0p0nfqTrBMqZqlRLUM_5FrbBESwinNCq2klmy7cyep2e7IkuSbQhpV85juzKNiZ3i3iMqz1i7OV1v5CjAfgJLKqOXYM0SiVvYopNqfrzaD_PkClsPQN7N1M_9bU/s200/baby12_2nd_sono_profile.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411047957410183442" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUl4eJ9Q2W_jrD1Meq_zOcx0apGbkBF78h-cFtPkc67LsZ5LXj8655-c_GIitCJEBRmH8Lavi2Jsk41wTiElvDEGVoDYRE81uteNAhMnd6DEzvfQgV6EMvK9rON3q9VjGQQadF9oZsZ6Fh/s1600-h/baby12_2nd_sono_lft_foot.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 128px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUl4eJ9Q2W_jrD1Meq_zOcx0apGbkBF78h-cFtPkc67LsZ5LXj8655-c_GIitCJEBRmH8Lavi2Jsk41wTiElvDEGVoDYRE81uteNAhMnd6DEzvfQgV6EMvK9rON3q9VjGQQadF9oZsZ6Fh/s200/baby12_2nd_sono_lft_foot.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411048219620398626" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLJ4YEKGPe9gJrT2eFFP6ZwPVkqFj9xfsuU8f-Dly45icPwFUmM51YAaxq84Eh0GhB7US1HN_paxJaLSchmu8j4dbhM79ES3UTh0ZbRV01i-CGRZtghZQywedVW-razXnm4e2QXNwWyAlE/s1600-h/baby12_2nd_sono_rt_foot.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 152px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLJ4YEKGPe9gJrT2eFFP6ZwPVkqFj9xfsuU8f-Dly45icPwFUmM51YAaxq84Eh0GhB7US1HN_paxJaLSchmu8j4dbhM79ES3UTh0ZbRV01i-CGRZtghZQywedVW-razXnm4e2QXNwWyAlE/s200/baby12_2nd_sono_rt_foot.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411048425225390386" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkpw1A4rfJjoaJYkmtly7Cc7-fbwmi-Mybxw3hMusbAlbCrJKhZvVIydMC4QTb5U244Zs_7SDfsqkGy1FCN8h5fVGpppq-OeMmSjrJt08JZm9zGqoWwLjxX4Jmyd9j5DNfIzsnRTUB46Pe/s1600-h/baby12_2nd_sono_profile2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 156px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkpw1A4rfJjoaJYkmtly7Cc7-fbwmi-Mybxw3hMusbAlbCrJKhZvVIydMC4QTb5U244Zs_7SDfsqkGy1FCN8h5fVGpppq-OeMmSjrJt08JZm9zGqoWwLjxX4Jmyd9j5DNfIzsnRTUB46Pe/s200/baby12_2nd_sono_profile2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411048984687757442" /></a>Charityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772163055226796343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3975643715080839880.post-56560177947100457502009-10-26T00:19:00.000-07:002009-10-26T01:05:56.401-07:00<center><embed src="http://www.widdlytinks.com/pregnancy/pregnancy-tickers/pregnancyticker.swf" FlashVars="t1=Gregson Baby #12&b=8&c=0x33CC00&f=11&y=2010&m=4&d=17" quality="high" wmode="transparent" width="430" height="115" name="Pregnancy Ticker" align="middle" allowScriptAccess="samedomain" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" /></embed><br></center><br /><br />Well, its been a while since I posted our announcement, so I guess I better update on what is going on these days. I am just over 15 weeks and doing well, in spite of my busy schedule of working a full-time job (40 hrs/wk), taking 6 college credits this quarter (Chemistry), along with my work I do for our home businesses and then the home and child care aspects (though I must give Scott and the kids the credit for keeping up on the house chores, etc... they are so awesome to take so much of that load off me! Scott even does most of the shopping and cooking these days, what a man!). <br /><br />I have found a midwife who has agreed to assist me with a HBA2C (home birth after 2 cesareans) - YAH!!!! She is so awesome! I am also seeing the OB I went to last time for prenatal care so we can keep track of baby and make sure we are both healthy and good to go for a homebirth. The reason I have chosen to go with both options is because my insurance will cover the OB and all testing we want/need and also the hospital birth if its needed in the end, but it won't cover the birth at home with a midwife. In order to save out-of-pocket expenses, my midwife agreed to take a lesser fee for just the delivery and we'll give her updates of my prenatal visits and test results as needed. <br /><br />I have already told my OB that I intend to have a VBAC this time and that I know that it means I cannot have him deliver me in the hospital. He was not surprised to hear it since he remembered from my last birth how desperate I was to have one and was so devastated when it didn't work out as planned. He suggested I could transfer care to the University of Washington Obstetrics clinic since they do allow VBA2C. My biggest issue is going to be getting past the 42 weeks mark, though, since I always go close to 43 weeks. I told him I was thinking more along the lines of finding a home birth midwife to attend me at home (note that I already HAD found this midwife but she advised me to not let on this to him at this point). He immediately said, "I didn't hear that... I'm going to pretend I didn't hear you say that!" LOL! <br /><br />I guess if I have to "fire" him in the end to keep from being pressured into another repeat section, I will do that. I would rather not have to though, and know that he is there as a back up if we need it, as the hospital is only 5 miles down the road. I don't know how the hospital administration would view that, though, him having a 42+ week patient refusing to come in for a c-section. I'd be happy to do NSTs again, whatever it takes to convince them all is well with me and baby. This midwife claims to have an induction method she uses when under the gun such as in this sort of scenario, so I'm curious to see if it would work on me when nothing else ever has to kick me into labor! <br /><br />But I'm not going to stress over the finer points until the time comes to do so. Until then, I'm just going to enjoy this pregnancy, as it was a long time coming. Maybe this one is my last, though I certainly hope not. I'm only 41 right now and always thought I'd be fertile until my late 40s or early 50's. <br /><br />I had a sonogram at 13½ wks. Its too early to tell what baby is right now but I would sure love another girl, as we're at 8 boys to 3 girls right now. I've already figured out the ratios this one will give us: if its a girl, we'll have 2/1 ratio of boys to girls, but if its a boy, the ratio will be 3/1! <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihOWa3CJMnreQSYaKZAGXLlI1LiCXQgg_r0F4U6ewoNWmv4x0hScA4G2ha8JMmUVWphE7Z3AWWg-7rqxHV8nM3lqzQC1NQWx-tGJaT7nN8chrfS98xao-6uhpoV5daeqzIMAyp_9j55isQ/s1600-h/first_sonogram_A.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 154px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihOWa3CJMnreQSYaKZAGXLlI1LiCXQgg_r0F4U6ewoNWmv4x0hScA4G2ha8JMmUVWphE7Z3AWWg-7rqxHV8nM3lqzQC1NQWx-tGJaT7nN8chrfS98xao-6uhpoV5daeqzIMAyp_9j55isQ/s200/first_sonogram_A.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396813353796809650" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw5EDbSuNgxC8rvmQAHXVGitofjPEz047pmccDXrCXg61azuvRA34-0aU6idDH3YDT5-teFYxWYLlm50wjvwRF1yngrVna32D37BD1Jy8M8uIJrW3Z3nJZq8m2QG9Y6fxAwhfc6Y6Co4p7/s1600-h/first_sonogram_B.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 153px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw5EDbSuNgxC8rvmQAHXVGitofjPEz047pmccDXrCXg61azuvRA34-0aU6idDH3YDT5-teFYxWYLlm50wjvwRF1yngrVna32D37BD1Jy8M8uIJrW3Z3nJZq8m2QG9Y6fxAwhfc6Y6Co4p7/s200/first_sonogram_B.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396813673465448962" /></a>Charityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772163055226796343noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3975643715080839880.post-85068894245801896202009-08-22T22:15:00.000-07:002009-08-22T23:05:25.444-07:00<center><embed src="http://www.widdlytinks.com/pregnancy/pregnancy-tickers/pregnancyticker.swf" FlashVars="t1=Gregson Baby #12&b=8&c=0x33CC00&f=11&y=2010&m=4&d=17" quality="high" wmode="transparent" width="430" height="115" name="Pregnancy Ticker" align="middle" allowScriptAccess="samedomain" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" /></embed><br></center><br /><br />As some of you may have already heard, we are expecting another baby! This will make #12 (in case anyone is counting), so we will get to find out if that old adage "Cheaper by the Dozen" is really true! <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.ccshowcase.com/2009_2010/Cheaper_by_the_Dozen/6_CHEAPER.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 576px; height: 576px;" src="http://www.ccshowcase.com/2009_2010/Cheaper_by_the_Dozen/6_CHEAPER.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />The news totally shocked me as I was pretty much thinking we were done since I was well over 1 yr beyond the biggest gap between babies we'd ever had. Savannah just turned 3, so she will be almost 4 by the time this baby arrives. Our biggest gap so far is 2 yrs 7 months, which is between #s 9 and 10, Reuben and Jesse. Since my last 2 babies had been c-sections, I figured perhaps scar tissue had formed and given me a natural tubal or something. <br /><br />Anyway, my due date (at least that would be given by the medical community) would be April 17, but since I always go at least 2 and sometimes even 3 weeks past, I don't expect baby to arrive before May 1. That is, of course, assuming I can even find a provider that will let me go without cutting me open again, simply because I've had two prior sections! I SO want to VBAC and I think I may even be prepared to go it alone again if need be. Scott isn't quite for that option, but he does know how important it is to me, so I believe he will go along with whatever we need to do. <br /><br />I have a Christian midwife friend who I have spoken with on several occasions, who has indicated that she would probably take me on if/when I do have another baby. I contacted her this week to let her know I am expecting and so I am now waiting to hear back from her. I guess she is seeking God's will for her in this situation. <br /><br />I am thinking I may just go ahead and do the standard prenatal care with an OB, just to make sure everything is working as it should and baby is growing healthily. I mean, I *am* 41 yrs old now and expecting my 12th. I'm sure no spring chicken anymore! Not to mention, I weight a LOT more than I ever have before, even when I was full term with each pregnancy - UGH! I need to get more exercise - I sit on my butt at work for 8 hrs a day! <br /><br />Speaking of exercise, I went to the city pool and swam twice this week, it felt so good!! Hopefully I can keep that up once school starts back up in late Sept. My schedule is always so full though, between work, school, homework, trying to get enough sleep, trying to maintain some semblance of family life, home business stuff, etc.... I recently took on the night shift at work, from 9pm - 5:30am, because I am allowed to do homework between calls, since it is like 45 mins to 1 hr between calls most of the time.<br /><br />I hope I will be able to find time to update here regularly, so if you have any friends who you think might be interested in following along, feel free to share the link. I did a pregnancy journal once with baby #8, Charles, and by the end had over 150 followers. That was really fun. If I missed a week updating, I'd get like 10 emails requesting I get to it - lol! Not sure how often I will be able to this time, we'll just have to see.Charityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772163055226796343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3975643715080839880.post-64213963846872679482009-07-27T21:44:00.000-07:002009-07-27T21:46:56.715-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV0ecg7teZ3CmsvTSsY4pNDX0gSq9j86lgyuLgilu2SqHaa637LFmPZRDZStup_UtvprDR6XPsbaY8dJxlNQZhOCmO4iBFhMEaObTqpDhhoWbdA9CQnNDIXjeGaEcTBNhdSE6IzVS16e15/s1600-h/gregson_family_july_2009.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 218px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV0ecg7teZ3CmsvTSsY4pNDX0gSq9j86lgyuLgilu2SqHaa637LFmPZRDZStup_UtvprDR6XPsbaY8dJxlNQZhOCmO4iBFhMEaObTqpDhhoWbdA9CQnNDIXjeGaEcTBNhdSE6IzVS16e15/s320/gregson_family_july_2009.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363367554450523538" /></a><br />Just wanted to share a recent pic of the family taken Friday, July 24, 2009 - the sun was low and right in our eyes, so everyone was squinting.Charityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772163055226796343noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3975643715080839880.post-18549797469620189752009-01-28T21:25:00.000-08:002009-01-28T21:26:34.248-08:00Just wanted to share this really timely pro-life ad....<object width="480" height="295"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/V2CaBR3z85c&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/V2CaBR3z85c&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="295"></embed></object>Charityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772163055226796343noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3975643715080839880.post-55460213852537808642008-12-27T11:30:00.000-08:002008-12-27T11:33:12.285-08:00I have been saving money while shopping online with Cashbaq and want you to know about it, too. Shop for products and services at over 2,100 stores, and earn cash back. You save more than you would with a rebate credit card. They'll even give you a head start, and put $5 in your account when you sign up. Best of all, it's free. Cashbaq pays you.<br /><br />Just click on the image below to visit the website and join...<br /><br /><a href = "http://www.cashbaq.com/?refer=461326" > <img height="110" src = "http://www.cashbaq.com/images/cashbaqbadge.jpg" width="221" border="0" target="_blank"></a>Charityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772163055226796343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3975643715080839880.post-42320190115511601752008-12-16T18:27:00.001-08:002008-12-16T18:55:09.703-08:00Just 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...<br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/TRhPYzCjOSE&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/TRhPYzCjOSE&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_OBlgSz8sSM&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_OBlgSz8sSM&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ib0Tll3sGB0&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ib0Tll3sGB0&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/cXXm696UbKY&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/cXXm696UbKY&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/5P6UU6m3cqk&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/5P6UU6m3cqk&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/1vfSk-6tIvo&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/1vfSk-6tIvo&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/jG5rQ3D_Zrw&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/jG5rQ3D_Zrw&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><br />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<br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/9CzFnDB3clM&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/9CzFnDB3clM&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Charityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772163055226796343noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3975643715080839880.post-87552545768582584822008-12-15T21:08:00.000-08:002008-12-15T21:14:22.666-08:006 year old Reuben playing computer game<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/kQVacWPT1rQ&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/kQVacWPT1rQ&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Charityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772163055226796343noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3975643715080839880.post-3408100646932179262008-12-08T18:49:00.000-08:002008-12-08T18:57:16.608-08:00A great gift idea for our ever tightening budgets!<span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"><span style="font-size:130%;">My dear friends,<br /></span><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"> </span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;">Christmas is tight this year.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"> </span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;">I will be making bedroom slippers for you all as gifts.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"> </span><br /><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;"> 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.</span><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"> </span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;"> </span><br /><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;">How to make bedroom slippers out of maxi pads:<br /><br />You need four maxi pads to make a pair.<br />Two of them get laid out flat, for the foot part.<br />The other two wrap around the toe area to form the top.<br />Tape or glue each side of the top pieces to the bottom of the foot part.<br /><br />Decorate the tops with whatever you desire, silk flowers (this is most aesthetically appealing), etc.<br /><br />These slippers are:<br />* Soft and Hygienic<br />* Non-slip grip strips on the soles<br />* Built in deodorant feature keeps feet smelling fresh<br />* No more bending over to mop up spills<br />* Disposable and biodegradable<br />* Environmentally safe<br />* Three convenient sizes: (1.) Regular, (2.) Light and (3.) Get out the Sand Bags.<br /><br />I've attached a photo of the first pair I made so that you can see the nifty slippers for yourself...<br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC2xpikZEMx5TwPx7tAankCoXH2kXqNvO9FStexIRa1Ovg0YoUj0rsErFIJSrTzZ6FZmaJt_a1z0BveYyHhvlY4vfcyDw9C3k1xhCPSwmwZNLYMoSDAWsL_iCbuuE6vmUTgwWuY4vUNm3P/s1600-h/slippers.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 231px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC2xpikZEMx5TwPx7tAankCoXH2kXqNvO9FStexIRa1Ovg0YoUj0rsErFIJSrTzZ6FZmaJt_a1z0BveYyHhvlY4vfcyDw9C3k1xhCPSwmwZNLYMoSDAWsL_iCbuuE6vmUTgwWuY4vUNm3P/s320/slippers.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277618803484295170" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;"><br />Awaiting your response. It's crucial that I get the right size for each one of you.</span></span>Charityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772163055226796343noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3975643715080839880.post-43881936460930570502008-12-04T18:16:00.000-08:002008-12-04T18:59:21.339-08:00What 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.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Rwk3d4jPYa4W6LboUehDSYJb5ag1AEHjlMjvCdQRO4FF8rv0fkFlC3EYD0ww8zhv8F1kxpqF0B8BAa0XShfRaU52xwCdZyBmP9e5alKtLy_VsZM7UAzPmHojHPAw9hv4K8IJMd66gZKc/s1600-h/uniform1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Rwk3d4jPYa4W6LboUehDSYJb5ag1AEHjlMjvCdQRO4FF8rv0fkFlC3EYD0ww8zhv8F1kxpqF0B8BAa0XShfRaU52xwCdZyBmP9e5alKtLy_VsZM7UAzPmHojHPAw9hv4K8IJMd66gZKc/s320/uniform1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276125532650084178" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1oHlHN2o2JDEHTyoAcPQx45il_D0KVSQq3qO55uI_2gu3tR8ir0KvsakjHWrAmjn2rBe7j0Y5_XiSdAZftlP4TsAB1wVLFdhd1KoS8Qd8j0jeYXT5Q4-WL9XZjDGl8Rov1nLRVS7DB3Mx/s1600-h/uniform2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1oHlHN2o2JDEHTyoAcPQx45il_D0KVSQq3qO55uI_2gu3tR8ir0KvsakjHWrAmjn2rBe7j0Y5_XiSdAZftlP4TsAB1wVLFdhd1KoS8Qd8j0jeYXT5Q4-WL9XZjDGl8Rov1nLRVS7DB3Mx/s320/uniform2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276125957106839090" border="0" /></a><br />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.<br /><br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyX-ZEq_bxQy52CYIlFSlBxGBcE9VeBv6_3238AH0AoBSshKeRwtmnKj62W6VHx1F5vVdgzkEjltSAvbXSYxueDedOv1D0xD-IohhFwAzpCM6aOymi9upkQ112RpvXIbyDIyYJWdYsyt9J/s1600-h/truck.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyX-ZEq_bxQy52CYIlFSlBxGBcE9VeBv6_3238AH0AoBSshKeRwtmnKj62W6VHx1F5vVdgzkEjltSAvbXSYxueDedOv1D0xD-IohhFwAzpCM6aOymi9upkQ112RpvXIbyDIyYJWdYsyt9J/s320/truck.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276133990475662338" border="0" /></a><br /><br />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!Charityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772163055226796343noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3975643715080839880.post-38072913023198265662008-11-28T21:14:00.000-08:002008-11-28T21:39:04.177-08:00It's the most wonderful time of the year!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.talis.com/source/blog/http:/www.talis.com/source/blog/images/Christmas%20tree.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 417px;" src="http://www.talis.com/source/blog/http:/www.talis.com/source/blog/images/Christmas%20tree.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />It's the most wonderful time of the year.<br />With the kids jingle belling,<br />and everyone telling you,<br />"Be of good cheer,"<br />It's the most wonderful time of the year.<br /><br />There'll be parties for hosting,<br />marshmallows for toasting and<br />caroling out in the snow.<br />there'll be scary ghost stories and<br />tales of the glories of Christmases<br />long, long ago.<br /><br />It's the most wonderful time of the year.<br />There'll be much mistletoeing<br />and hearts will be glowing,<br />when loved ones are near.<br />It's the most wonderful time of the year.<br /><br />MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE! HOPE YOU ALL HAVE A VERY BLESSED HOLIDAY SEASON. REMEMBER TO KEEP CHRIST IN CHRISTMAS!Charityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772163055226796343noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3975643715080839880.post-9354854078114530022008-11-24T13:49:00.000-08:002008-11-24T14:00:27.042-08:00A 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!Charityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772163055226796343noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3975643715080839880.post-36539041964526264992008-11-19T15:47:00.000-08:002008-11-28T21:44:35.186-08:005 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE1 Coffee Mug (large mug)<br />4 tablespoons flour(that's plain flour, not self-rising)<br />4 tablespoons sugar<br />2 tablespoons baking cocoa<br />1 egg<br />3 tablespoons milk<br />3 tablespoons oil<br />3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)<br />some nuts (optional)<br />Small splash of vanilla<br /><br /><br />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! <br /><br />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!Charityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772163055226796343noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3975643715080839880.post-26604845511268498422008-11-07T15:30:00.000-08:002008-11-07T15:52:36.273-08:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://pinknpurplelizard.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/chicken-road.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 350px; height: 266px;" src="http://pinknpurplelizard.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/chicken-road.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">Why did the chicken cross the road?<br /><br /></span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">BARACK OBAMA</span>: The chicken crossed the road because it was time for a change! The chicken wanted change!<br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">JOHN MCCAIN</span>: 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.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">SARAH PALIN</span>: 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.<br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">HILLARY CLINTON</span>: 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.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">GEORGE W. BUSH</span>: 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.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">DICK CHENEY</span>: Where's my gun?<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">COLIN POWELL</span>: Now to the left of the screen, you can clearly see the satellite image of the chicken crossing the road.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">BILL CLINTON</span>: I did not cross the road with that chicken...What is you definition of crossing?<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">AL GORE</span>: I invented the chicken.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">JOHN KERRY</span>: 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.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">AL SHARPTON</span>: Why are all the chickens white? We need some black chickens!<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">OPRAH</span>: 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.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">ANDERSON COOPER, CNN</span>: 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.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">NANCY GRACE</span>: That chicken crossed the road because he's guilty! You can see it in his eyes and the way he walks.<br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">PAT BUCHANAN</span>: To steal the job of a decent, hardworking American.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">DR SEUSS</span>: 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.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">ERNEST HEMINGWAY</span>: To die in the rain... alone.<br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">JERRY FALWELL</span>: 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.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">GRANDPA</span>: 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.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">ARISTOTLE</span>: It is the nature of chickens to cross the road.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">JOHN LENNON</span>: Imagine all the chickens in the world crossing roads together, in peace.<br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">ALBERT EINSTEIN</span>: Did the chicken really cross the road, or did the road move beneath the chicken?<br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">COLONEL SANDERS</span>: Did I miss one?Charityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772163055226796343noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3975643715080839880.post-24323255803299845212008-10-28T21:42:00.000-07:002008-10-28T21:52:59.786-07:00NOBAMA!!!!!!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcWGTotgdDUEEiJjtWxlNAtB4UsnR3EX5slNtAnVgKrVty0gqsNytQTLT6eDJFmByjNax3qIW_3mUWrzi1zfjbenfPdJjTAe8KGVdvvpD9vcUBziGCwdkEn23VX0zVdpRcIeLJsNpClL_j/s1600-h/nobama.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 118px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcWGTotgdDUEEiJjtWxlNAtB4UsnR3EX5slNtAnVgKrVty0gqsNytQTLT6eDJFmByjNax3qIW_3mUWrzi1zfjbenfPdJjTAe8KGVdvvpD9vcUBziGCwdkEn23VX0zVdpRcIeLJsNpClL_j/s320/nobama.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262434337146845858" /></a><br /><br />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!!!!!Charityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772163055226796343noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3975643715080839880.post-80807159901344801192008-10-23T19:51:00.000-07:002008-10-23T20:03:46.154-07:00"Slugs and snails and puppydog tails......"Yes, I know the *real* nursery rhyme goes "snips and snails" but slug goes better with this story!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1156/1147720879_b89433f715.jpg?v=0"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 346px;" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1156/1147720879_b89433f715.jpg?v=0" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />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...<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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!<br /><br />Well, I totally FREAKED OUT!!!! When Scott looked, he started laughing hysterically. He thought it was the funniest thing!<br /><br />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!!<br /><br />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).<br /><br />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.<br /><br />Is that a gross story or what? But WAIT- there's more!<br /><br />As if that isn't bad enough...<br /><br />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!Charityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772163055226796343noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3975643715080839880.post-42764089555712239562008-10-22T18:00:00.000-07:002008-10-22T18:12:27.357-07:00<h3 class="post-title entry-title"> <a href="http://treasuredfriends.blogspot.com/2008/10/two-word-answers.html">Two Word Answers:</a> </h3> Remember your answers have to be two words.<br /><br />1.Where is your cell phone? my pocket<br />2.One tattoo? no way<br />3.Your hair? getting long<br />4.Your brother? have none<br />5.Your sister? have 5<br />6.Your favorite color? pretty pink<br />7.Your dream last night? don't recall<br />8.Your favorite beverage? mocha frappuccino<br />9.Your dream/goal? homebirth midwife<br />10.The room you're in? living room<br />11.Your ex? no ex<br />12.Your fear? kids dying<br />13.Where do you want to be in 10 years? see 9<br />14.Where were you last night? the church<br />15.With who? some friends<br />16.Muffins? costco poppyseed<br />17.One of your wish list items? attend oc<br />18.Where you grew up? several places<br />19.The last thing you did? opened post<br />20.What are you wearing? shirt/slacks<br />21.Your TV? not on<br />22.Your pets? cats/bunny<br />23.Your computer? Dell notebook<br />24.Your life? very full<br />25.Your mood? slightly irritable<br />26.Missing someone? not really<br />27.Something you're not wearing? swimming suit!<br />28.Favorite Place? no favorite<br />29.Your summer? missed Roy<br />30.Love someone? very much!<br />31.Your favorite shape? cute hearts<br />32.Last time you laughed? was today<br />33.Last time you cried? last week<br />34.Who will repost this? <strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">don't know</span><br /></strong>Charityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772163055226796343noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3975643715080839880.post-371290823738888002008-10-21T15:06:00.000-07:002008-10-21T15:43:40.389-07:00My 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!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTjVYBvGl_RxIb0lC-F1BryVEhoCisQzW2UpzyhJ_vkK_IbjRvGc2ltKYVuXOFann-vrjQ8FniVcSvCzeJ7Wk5DvpK_P2PeWPO_iANOzvg_AKZInlYteo5AiX-e5AQIumqoWJhqEar_E5M/s1600-h/19_yrs.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTjVYBvGl_RxIb0lC-F1BryVEhoCisQzW2UpzyhJ_vkK_IbjRvGc2ltKYVuXOFann-vrjQ8FniVcSvCzeJ7Wk5DvpK_P2PeWPO_iANOzvg_AKZInlYteo5AiX-e5AQIumqoWJhqEar_E5M/s320/19_yrs.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259733317004872226" border="0" /></a> Roy will be 20 in December.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwmk74_bmvC1AmHJAy_4Qo20InduCckacbMEq8SkXusFHWQLvUqS-LIwpm-5u2uTIIsKQCmi6BV9nZt2m9JUT_QhbLMFKS9nLkOrfpuPJuYxq67KWwOsZOhfzY8AFl65G5nkdkRMbQV8Oq/s1600-h/March_16_2008.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwmk74_bmvC1AmHJAy_4Qo20InduCckacbMEq8SkXusFHWQLvUqS-LIwpm-5u2uTIIsKQCmi6BV9nZt2m9JUT_QhbLMFKS9nLkOrfpuPJuYxq67KWwOsZOhfzY8AFl65G5nkdkRMbQV8Oq/s320/March_16_2008.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259734445397871634" border="0" /></a> Sally, 18 - this is just after braces were<br /> removed and before she got contacts.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_qJboD8nRcMQC6Q3ZhGl1lKR8SifgDmtx4vyqJ02Rkq6YnaQx1z0BCJBRlfkVqwfeLwh-upJ4j2_Uli_iy0U85q8py-aUno-yxKSjwWaounNQ7pdeYVv2dT_XMYdgnKvjEoced2Jokula/s1600-h/march_2008.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_qJboD8nRcMQC6Q3ZhGl1lKR8SifgDmtx4vyqJ02Rkq6YnaQx1z0BCJBRlfkVqwfeLwh-upJ4j2_Uli_iy0U85q8py-aUno-yxKSjwWaounNQ7pdeYVv2dT_XMYdgnKvjEoced2Jokula/s320/march_2008.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259735090494389218" border="0" /></a> Jason will be 17 in about 2 weeks!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRgHyZr725E_SChARcTlKWXWE7F2NFrItROS87e5SQmjyvSJNbNSwyooVsxXdKg5fuaXL9ZxIGmufj81-xHDWYyXdv9ZiWwruSgOYpKNJl3lzKjqpfxiDWpfY3ykvKY0GP-4zryJiWz2dk/s1600-h/march_2008.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRgHyZr725E_SChARcTlKWXWE7F2NFrItROS87e5SQmjyvSJNbNSwyooVsxXdKg5fuaXL9ZxIGmufj81-xHDWYyXdv9ZiWwruSgOYpKNJl3lzKjqpfxiDWpfY3ykvKY0GP-4zryJiWz2dk/s320/march_2008.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259735399885792994" border="0" /></a> Jonny is 15 now.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1J4faNzsFpK9MaWdD2EcMrEhQiu4KdgCPJjzOKlVOatskmwoftkL39luB2HyqMNg-EHyuEq22LSf88wMZMRFJSEaNsszKjvjwcauGpX_mLQTtU74c1beE4yw1VK8tzJegVUtsfvNyUxH8/s1600-h/march_2008.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1J4faNzsFpK9MaWdD2EcMrEhQiu4KdgCPJjzOKlVOatskmwoftkL39luB2HyqMNg-EHyuEq22LSf88wMZMRFJSEaNsszKjvjwcauGpX_mLQTtU74c1beE4yw1VK8tzJegVUtsfvNyUxH8/s320/march_2008.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259735648069880162" border="0" /></a> Nathan is 13.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRcVRgjrCg5DvstAbw1sMJJVs8sDZPgaDcVg8KE2NqIF_MYdCA94rHxET4z_xr-rp0XzymL164_67w3lpRW5XHD6j6kDVPsNLZgHTW85TPPEh2vs2fBBYKGbE9qQs-JVcECEcjbhwUFJlR/s1600-h/march_2008.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRcVRgjrCg5DvstAbw1sMJJVs8sDZPgaDcVg8KE2NqIF_MYdCA94rHxET4z_xr-rp0XzymL164_67w3lpRW5XHD6j6kDVPsNLZgHTW85TPPEh2vs2fBBYKGbE9qQs-JVcECEcjbhwUFJlR/s320/march_2008.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259735888529091506" border="0" /></a> Abby will be 12 in 2 weeks.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc6jx02knEvfMzMO0bA3H_lYtnw3QU_hzQsDy0FxkqblXr1zB_A_kJ191Ql3b4Ada5U1rfG-7P6cpYgfiyCsio0kKcpBGGHDqo4R-4zq2aRFO20EyawsKqDu6oJCZjqKB3ILmvbR9Wwonb/s1600-h/march_2008.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc6jx02knEvfMzMO0bA3H_lYtnw3QU_hzQsDy0FxkqblXr1zB_A_kJ191Ql3b4Ada5U1rfG-7P6cpYgfiyCsio0kKcpBGGHDqo4R-4zq2aRFO20EyawsKqDu6oJCZjqKB3ILmvbR9Wwonb/s320/march_2008.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259736151073946578" border="0" /></a> Kenny is 10.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfyZpBpW6Uc4MiLwzl1u8ceGyzK25OAD17H-c8-fVlYug2e9lZP6rO7u9CpSxodjTFKPjvxKOGUV11IdKJN1FTawxPtTyxnZjEErpHZTfEQApUQOosXalv70NgLNNYh3ZuUGb7hDZG7riQ/s1600-h/march_2008.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfyZpBpW6Uc4MiLwzl1u8ceGyzK25OAD17H-c8-fVlYug2e9lZP6rO7u9CpSxodjTFKPjvxKOGUV11IdKJN1FTawxPtTyxnZjEErpHZTfEQApUQOosXalv70NgLNNYh3ZuUGb7hDZG7riQ/s320/march_2008.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259736363511570258" border="0" /></a> Charles is 8½.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ZQSTaVviIUukGNoIEGlhhoMBGbyZ0hrKkt5lqhPYnXyHzRwDPtrUy73VrO_wpv0p-QMH1Ig7jVV3ZoHJgMJe7dYnaSudaBGuUZiLrJ2w2zeI0tZX0CNpRfyowq40HkHgSKiqscdGtYet/s1600-h/march_2008.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ZQSTaVviIUukGNoIEGlhhoMBGbyZ0hrKkt5lqhPYnXyHzRwDPtrUy73VrO_wpv0p-QMH1Ig7jVV3ZoHJgMJe7dYnaSudaBGuUZiLrJ2w2zeI0tZX0CNpRfyowq40HkHgSKiqscdGtYet/s320/march_2008.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259736607673001490" border="0" /></a> Reuben is 6½.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIkfyGMMRmIZo_plIGkx-F1mpKb6c14Lu0VL4IQRYwN5KGbzw7frGvtmlySqSnjUMWZ7Pi1X800T-D8JuWaJFTBpt1488_He7so_1uHAG_fxImPrKx7EUzq7oJmSOyneYdtiZSciUmGtHX/s1600-h/car_cart_june08.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIkfyGMMRmIZo_plIGkx-F1mpKb6c14Lu0VL4IQRYwN5KGbzw7frGvtmlySqSnjUMWZ7Pi1X800T-D8JuWaJFTBpt1488_He7so_1uHAG_fxImPrKx7EUzq7oJmSOyneYdtiZSciUmGtHX/s320/car_cart_june08.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259739367009986946" border="0" /></a> Jesse will be 4 next month.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvo0gAf6B6KdfKo7SqprIV61kU57g-9pR41uj3fPBo-hpJlzK3hIwWzlD7YcBCZ3derzySlkqoal5z5IVogNp9CeX6ns_qjfNzqs8A2y5RCsLikNNJi95IzaRzyv2I5mrc1tpSvlequYHR/s1600-h/march_2008.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvo0gAf6B6KdfKo7SqprIV61kU57g-9pR41uj3fPBo-hpJlzK3hIwWzlD7YcBCZ3derzySlkqoal5z5IVogNp9CeX6ns_qjfNzqs8A2y5RCsLikNNJi95IzaRzyv2I5mrc1tpSvlequYHR/s320/march_2008.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259739678466727858" border="0" /></a> Savannah turned 2 in August.Charityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772163055226796343noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3975643715080839880.post-60839508796721749322008-10-20T20:05:00.000-07:002008-10-20T20:17:47.774-07:00Savannah's butchered bangs...<span style="font-family: verdana;">Here is a glimpse of the chop-job Savannah did to her hair.....</span><br /><br />before:<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSwMTksQYc8SxvdHkDFXWvRJRkkQAsQ12E8yJbJc96ljtJqDdCwAsgkpzdOCYo2Sdt3rjt4coZytNwhXXjcPWOEWx_TfAie8W5hLXhGCCOCkYZKtyJojtrdcANRk4KxzksjuzjNdsDDNKT/s1600-h/23mos.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSwMTksQYc8SxvdHkDFXWvRJRkkQAsQ12E8yJbJc96ljtJqDdCwAsgkpzdOCYo2Sdt3rjt4coZytNwhXXjcPWOEWx_TfAie8W5hLXhGCCOCkYZKtyJojtrdcANRk4KxzksjuzjNdsDDNKT/s320/23mos.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259439623247544770" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />and after:<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjde4Z05wj_Mof5JdCCcs0sBCnHRWcJ1G5sx2Ur2KuTxz_BOGJ05BAREMyoF22K9T2cfbzuX_MgaTCllyE05dB0p0pgc9ornLDFjae5-3hLrHdysJaGVgX4H7_Ec6_GlvBcpGRZhC_TUnX6/s1600-h/chopped_up_bangs.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjde4Z05wj_Mof5JdCCcs0sBCnHRWcJ1G5sx2Ur2KuTxz_BOGJ05BAREMyoF22K9T2cfbzuX_MgaTCllyE05dB0p0pgc9ornLDFjae5-3hLrHdysJaGVgX4H7_Ec6_GlvBcpGRZhC_TUnX6/s320/chopped_up_bangs.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259439861755205362" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Needless to say, mommy is not at all happy about it. At least she still has the rest of her hair, though (so far)!<br /><br />And while I am uploading some pics of Savannah, here is one Jason had fun with using the morph feature on his cell phone:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5_S7IGvythu0Ynm1y5kNvpgvW49XWDX9lzLLGTtT4_cbEHwcS4gZPEkbfrSVeygevdTJBKkBKTlCv9SL9VouBOvCpsuub-cc4qdlyB3BHpfv198H7Inm8mt8MzadVuraWzz4X9IvBugDQ/s1600-h/morphed.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5_S7IGvythu0Ynm1y5kNvpgvW49XWDX9lzLLGTtT4_cbEHwcS4gZPEkbfrSVeygevdTJBKkBKTlCv9SL9VouBOvCpsuub-cc4qdlyB3BHpfv198H7Inm8mt8MzadVuraWzz4X9IvBugDQ/s320/morphed.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259440655703588738" border="0" /></a>Charityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772163055226796343noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3975643715080839880.post-2410929208222979382008-10-20T15:58:00.000-07:002008-10-20T16:04:24.005-07:00"The Bible calls debt a curse and children a blessing. But in our culture we apply for a curse and reject blessings. Something is wrong with this picture." ~Doug Phillips<br /><br />"Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his His <span style="font-style:italic;">reward</span>" Psalm 127:3.Charityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772163055226796343noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3975643715080839880.post-5822174699142800532008-10-14T16:59:00.000-07:002008-10-14T17:20:05.427-07:00Hilarious 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!<P><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/w0ffwDYo00Q&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/w0ffwDYo00Q&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Charityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772163055226796343noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3975643715080839880.post-43698596278563771962008-10-12T13:26:00.000-07:002008-10-12T20:52:29.644-07:00Let'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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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! <br /><br />Well, I guess a short bio would be good to include with my first post, so here goes:<br />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.<br /><br />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!).<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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!<br /><br />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!<br /><br />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!<br /><br />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.<br /><br />Well, I guess my first post turned out to be a book in and of itself! I'll have to stop for now.Charityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772163055226796343noreply@blogger.com5