A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words.

Deer Season

We have two cameras, and one smart phone, not to mention we live with my in-laws who also have cameras and smart phones. You would think then that I could get a picture or two to show you whats been happening around here. That is what you would think, but you'd be wrong. I can't. I won't bore you with the various reasons why I can't. Just trust me on this one. Photos will be coming soon. I promise. Maybe tomorrow? Soon. 

This past weekend was opening of deer season. Joey headed out with the three boys and did what they do when they go hunting. Eat lots of good food (prepared by their wives) and walk around, shoot stuff and catch up on life. I am so glad they got the chance to get away. Joey has needed a break, I am thankful for all his hard work on our families behalf. He deserved the chance to go shoot stuff. 

I have to confess I really enjoy hunting season. Not only do I get to have time with just my girls, but I don't have to cook an organized dinner or wear matching clothes. I can spend the whole weekend in sweats if I want to. Folks, that is an amazing thing. 

Every hunting season us women try and think of projects to keep us busy. This year I tackled the "too much stuff" project. I ran across this blog post a couple weeks ago and ever since it has been marinating on my brain. I decided to go for it and gutted the toy room and both kids rooms. You should see the back of our van, overflowing with stuff we just don't need! It is liberating to say the least. And don't worry about the boys they came home, looked at the toy room asked where a specific toy was, accepted that it wasn't there and then joyfully began playing with their matchbox cars - one of the few sets of toys I kept. See they never needed that ol whatchamacallit anyway.

It sounds like the boys had an excellent time hunting with Dad. I love hearing all the different activities they loved. Eating yummy food, sleeping in the tent with Bert, our outdoor only dog. And my personal favorite story is about the kids playing hunting with Josiah being the dead deer. The details of this game are ridiculously hilarious and involve rolling down a hill. This is one of the main reasons I LOVE having boys.Where do they come up with this stuff?!

All in all life is good. I do hope I get to document some of this life soon. Like I said I promise to show you when I do :-)

Happy Anniversary - 9 Years

As we were talking last night Joey and I commented that 9 years was a little anti-climactic. Its not really that much different than 8, or 7 before that. Another year has come and gone and while this past year has been FULL of incredible blessings, this years anniversary is nothing extra exciting. 

Don't get me wrong. There is nothing about being married to my very best friend that isn't exciting, amazing and wonderful. Our 9 years have been full - 5 houses (3 of which were in a different country), 5 kids (3 of which were born in a different country), 3 or 4 dogs, a couple trips around the globe, and adventures in between...But sometimes anniversary's are ordinary and that is ok. Today as I reflect on those nine years I find myself grateful for the ordinary. I am blessed and loved here in the midst of ordinary life and that is a big deal. Our marriage has prospered over the last year of "ordinary" and more than ever I find that I can't imagine life with out Joey by my side. I have been changed and sharpened through this relationship and Lord willing that sharpening will continue for years to come. 

Tonight we'll have dinner surrounded by our 5 little blessings and we'll celebrate when God made our family 9 years ago. There won't be fireworks or an extravagant dinner, but I couldn't ask for anything more.

Summer, Summer, Summertime

Ah, summer. Its been fun. Its been busy, but mostly fun. Swimming, playing, camping, riding bikes, late bed times, ice cream often, movies almost any time. Yep. Good times. 

We have been so blessed to have been in the states for another summer. I love listening to the sounds of kids running through the woods and jumping on the trampoline. Cousins everywhere, sun shining. Life is good. 

Summer is just about over for us. School starts up a week from today. Since we are homeschooling we could really start whenever, next Wednesday is just the day that most of the cousins start back to their school, so it made sense. I'm not sure how I feel about school. I am excited, homeschooling is such an exciting thing for me, but nervous too. There is lots to sort out and still so much that I need to do around the house. That is life though, isn't it, always more to do :-)

We got to go camping twice this summer. We love to float down the river. So much fun!

 Phoebe and I enjoying the sun.

 Its amazing what keeps them excited and entertained.

 Kallen & Kynlee our Oregon cousins came up for a week of day camp. Seriously TOO much fun!

Monday Picnics with the cousins. We might just keep these up into the fall :-)

On The Water

On Saturday some friends invited us to their water front property. The house use to be the mess hall for a local brick factory that is no more. It has seen better days, but the location on the water is hard to beat. 

When we arrived they were gathering clams and washing them off. Josiah and Benson had never seen such a thing and spent a half and hour waiting for the clams to open up and move and then spit at them. Their laughter was amazing.

  

Our friends had a small racing sailboat and Joey took it out for a spin. He's sailed before but on a MUCH larger boat. This little boat was quick to respond and zipped across the water. At one point we watched as the wind grabbed the little boat and tipped it over. Luckily he is fast and he scrambled up the side and clung to the bottom side of the boat. He could hear out friend who called out instructions and was able to set the boat right. It was a sight to see.

Phoebe loved the beach.

 

 As the sun set we started skipping rocks and roasting marshmallows. It was a warm night and so nice to be down by the water to cool off.

Hopefully we'll get a chance to head back and try out the sailboat again. 

Ah, summer days!

So Far In July

As always time is flying by. Its already approaching the middle of July and I barely feel like we've gotten into summer. We have enjoyed some sunny weather so far this month and its been great.

 

For the 4th of July we traveled down to see my family and stay at their lake side property. As usual I enjoyed our time so much I didn't take very many pictures.

We realized that we hadn't been in the states for the 4th since 2008. In fact our kids didn't really know what fireworks were other than big firework shows that they had seen on TV and at Disney Land. It was fun to introduce them to old school fireworks like sparklers and firework tanks.

It was a good weekend and we're looking forward to the next time we get to head down there again. 

In other July events Isabelle has discovered pockets and loves wondering around the house singing with her hands in her pockets. It is adorable to say the least.

Phoebe has started solids. Its a slow start and I find myself forgetting how to do this whole solids thing. You'd think I'd know after 5 kids, but my brain is pretty much shot. Not to mention all the food we eat in Morocco naturally lends itself to baby food. Not so much here in the states. So far she's enjoyed Squash and some Banana

 

We also took the boys to see Despicable Me 2. I loved getting to hear them laugh at the minions and all their crazy tricks. They enjoyed the movie, but decided the first one was better. I think I'd agree with them. The minions though, are the best part of both movies and I look forward to the rumored "Minion Movie" coming someday.

Silver River of Joy

Who would have thought that a box of cheap tin foil would bring so much joy to a group of boys? Until pinterest came along I NEVER would have considered it bringing much of anything to anybody.

 

A couple of weeks ago I saw something on pinterest about making a river using the hose and tin foil. So I bought some foil and waited for a sunny day. Today was the day. We found a good hill and laid out the foil giving it a few twists and turns. Then we worked on strengthening the sides and making a few rapids. The cousins were over and got in on the action. 

We tried racing cars down the shiny river, because cars should be tried out on everything - all the time, but they were too heavy. So we got nurf gun bullets, small pieces of wood and anything else that might float. They had so much fun racing the sticks and seeing who would get stuck on which rapid. The yard is a bit waterlogged now in that spot, but the grass could use some liquid and its so warm I am sure it will be gone in no time.

The silver river is waiting in the yard over nap time for the next round of excitement. Praise the Lord for sunshine and praise the Lord for tin foil!

Summer-time = Cousin-time

We are blessed to live surrounded by family. Literally, we're surrounded. 3 of Joey's 5 siblings live in the houses "next" door and most of the other neighborhood houses are filled with Joey's cousins, Uncles and their families. Every Friday night our immediate family gathers together for Pizza and chaos. Its one of my favorite days of the week. 

Now remember I said we were blessed, and we really are. While a lot of people don't like their family, or certain members of their family, we all seem to blend together well. Praise the Lord! The most important thing we get along on is Nap time. Nap time is sacred. Don't mess with it. Everyone knows that between the hours of 12:30 and 2ish you don't call, you don't stop by, and if you are forced to, then keep it quiet! 

But as soon as nap time is over then cousin-time begins. This being summer (although the weather didn't quite get the notice) we have an over abundance of cousin-time. There are 16 cousins, counting 2 almost born and when they get together it...is...crazy! I love it. Looking out through the windows and seeing adventure, games and fun being had. Well, it just adds to the blessing!

Sheba has figured out the best way to handle the craziness is to take a nap. I think that is some really good, excellent advice!

The 2009 rug-rats. Too much cuteness! 

A Little of This, A Little of That

One day leads into the next and suddenly its officially summer, and before you know it we're half way through June. Seriously, how does that happen?! 

We've finished up school officially, although we are trying to read a lot to keep in the rhythm of things. Lucky for us there are loads of cool summer reading plans out there, and our Library actually has one! We sure are blessed to have the Library this year.

Father's Day was this last weekend and we celebrated by getting Donuts for our Dad! Nothing says "We Love You!" like a donut covered in chocolate and sprinkles.

We got Dad a few shirts and this amazing chair. Since Joey goes to work all day, I got to use this wonderful chair the other day to enjoy the sun. I'm so glad we got him this great chair ;-)

The girls got all decked out for Father's Day trying their best to look extra cute!

With all this nice weather we've been trying to take a walk each day. Not only do I want to be more active and healthy, but it is a life saver for bored little men. The big boys ride their bikes and William and Isabelle ride in the stroller. Phoebe rides in a carrier and tries to take a nap. Its pretty fun. My favorite part is when William decides he'd like to run along side as I push the stroller. He'll run as fast as he can for quite a while. I love watching him run and being so serious about the whole thing. Too cute!

I am hoping that we'll get in the habit and keep this up once we hit fall and start school again. Hopefully wearing them out will make it easier to pay attention to math :-)

Yesterday during nap time Josiah lost his 3rd tooth. Pretty exciting stuff. The tooth fairy was able to remove the tooth from under the pillow and deposit $1. Inflation is getting hard on the poor tooth fairy! I do love how excited they are to get a dollar under their pillow. I can hear them talking about how the tooth fairy got in their room and why they didn't see her. I LOVE it!

Thursday

Today has been good. Which is weird for this week. We've had lots of good moments, but more meltdowns and freak outs stand out to me. Not all by the kids mind you. No, no. I had my fair share of screaming-like-a banshee-woman-on-crack moments, don't you worry. 

So when I woke up at 5am to feed Phoebe, (who must be growing, cuz she's been sleeping through the night) I couldn't get back to sleep. I tossed and turned. I rested. Then I did something I always wish I would do but never do. I prayed. Prayed for the day, prayed for ideas on how to accomplish the things on the list, prayed for the kids and me and our attitudes. I am not eloquent in general, but at 5 am, not at all. Yet God is SO gracious and He opened up my mind to all sorts of ideas for the kids today. Seriously I presented Him with a problem - upstairs a mess, 2 HUGE piles of Laundry - and then He followed up with a great answer. Well, a set of possible answers depending on the weather - See, He is that good. No doubt about it! 

So when the boys woke up singing, I should not have been surprised, but I was. It was amazing. William my complainer woke up SO HAPPY I couldn't believe it. He laughed with his brothers, they made jokes. It was straight out of the twilight zone. 

Now don't start thinking the day has been perfect. There have been spankings, moments of raised voice, tears and quite a bit of complaining. Yet God met me and met my needs and we had a great, great, great morning.

 

Now if only I can be awake tomorrow and let God have control of my day. What other amazing things might happen?

Our Little "Farm"

We have 2 dogs, a cat, 30 chickens, 7 beef cows and as of last night, two milk cows. Well, one milk cow, Jasmine, and her new calf, who doesn't have a name yet. He was born last night surrounded by most of the neighborhood. All of us bundled up and watching anxiously. My brother-in-law Brent sat by Jasmine's head and comforted her as she labored. Then when it looked like she might delay delivery one more time (she'd already stood up and down a number of times stopping the baby from actually exiting her body) Brent graciously helped the baby be born by pulling him out. It was incredible to watch. The poor thing. She worked hard and was worn out. 

Last Sunday a friend asked me if I ever thought I'd end up here. Living on a "farm". Wearing rubber boots not because they are stylish, but because I'm sloshing through muck and mire. Using the excuse "sorry I'm late, the cows got out" and actually meaning it. Did I ever think this would be a part of my life? And the answer is no, not really. But honestly does any of us ever do anything we expect? I try and pretend like I don't like it, chickens gross me out and cows are stinky, but the truth is  - its kinda fun. And at the end of the day when I can say that the cows didn't get away because I fixed the fence. Well, I feel kinda proud to know that I can swing a hammer and move a cow. 

Years ago our dog Mocha, who is in doggy heaven, was attacked by some animal. We still don't know what. He was covered in scratches and cuts. He required medication, cleaning of wounds and general compassion and care. Up until he got attacked I constantly complained that I didn't like him. He was dirty and smelly and big. He was just a stupid dog. At the vet though when they told me that he might die I bawled my eyes out. Poor Joey he was so confused. I didn't like that stupid dog, but I was crying like it was my aunt dying. The truth is I did like Mocha. He was dirty and smelly and big, but he was a good dog. 

So, the point of this post, beyond showing you pictures of our new baby cow, is to confess to the world (or the 3 of you who read this) that no matter how much I huff and puff about extra work and dirty animals - I like it here on this "farm" and I am excited (yep, I said it) to see what happens next.

William showing me the secret phone tree where you can call for help to fight the bad guys. Could there be a more perfect place to raise these boys?

And girls too. Isn't she the cutest? I just had to add a picture of "Lardy Cakes". Her cheeks are like squishy marshmallows that your kisses just sink into. You can't help yourself you have to give them a pinch followed closely by a snuggle. I dare you to try not to!

Our Week

At the beginning of the week Josiah prayed that we would have a sunny day. It was pretty cute hearing him ask God for the sun to come and pretty wonderful when the next day it was sunny and Josiah said with confidence "its sunny because I prayed that it would be sunny and God answers our prayers." I was struck by the goodness of our God who loves to shower us with good and wonderful gifts.

So, the sun came out and the cousins came over. They had SO much fun jumping on the trampoline and playing chase. At one point the little boys were monsters chasing the big boys around the back yard. It was great! Praise the Lord for sunny days!

Our little phoebe is 6 weeks old as of this week. After loads of dorky photos I was finally able to capture her smile. What a cutie! She is something special and I love getting to see her respond to everyone around her.

We've also started a new weekly tradition. Wednesday night Taco night. Or Burrito, whatever floats your boat. Honestly I'm kind of a double-decker taco girl myself. The boys LOVE it. I had no idea until last week when taco shells were on sale so I bought some. I think it is a success. They have all remarked on how taco night is the best night ever, but they're prone to exaggeration. Like their mother.

Isabelle spent the other day cleaning the floor with her back. I don't know what got into her. She scooted around the island slowly on her back singing some song and holding this water bottle. Her personality is coming out more and more and I gotta tell you. I LOVE what I'm seeing. 

And like all good little boys and girls we've been doing school. I started giving little red stars on papers that were looking especially nice. Who knew red stars could be so motivating. I don't think we've had a better week with school. Its amazing. If things went this well with a red marker I'm wondering what sort of miracles we could make happen with stickers! Imagine the possibilities!

That was our week. They say that time flies when you're having fun. I think it just plain flies whether you're having fun or not. I'm happy to say it was a mostly fun week!