should have grabbed the camera

Tonight we had dinner with a couple from church... and NINE of their grandchildren...

It was crazy trying to fit 15 people in our house, but I loved every minute of it.

After dinner & dessert, the kids played the Galactic Dance Off on Princess N's Star Wars game.  Laughter was contagious.

There wasn't too much adult conversation, but these kids are some of the most well behaved kids I have met in a while.  It was a pleasure having them here.

Since there were 15 of us, I decided to make Pastichio with salad and Orange Creamscicle Cupcakes for dessert.  There was not much left of any of it...

I think I'm going to bed now...  Good night!

Time out!

The backyard project has been postponed.

While many people are accustomed to working outdoors in record high temperatures, the girls and I are not.

After tying up 2 bundles of sticks to take to the curb last night, I called it quits on the 3rd.  Michael was kind enough to finish it off and carry it around front for me.  It was after 7pm.  The heat index was still over 100 degrees at that point.

At 11:30pm tonight, it is 85 degrees with a heat index of 98 degrees.  At 2:30 this afternoon, the heat index was 114 degrees.  At 8pm tonight, it was about 94 degrees with a heat index of 108 degrees.

Those numbers were the deciding factor in letting the remaining branches sit in our yard. 

6/29 - EDITED TO ADD: We did finally finish the yard.  I woke up early to a heat index of 78 which was also the actual temperature.  Half an hour later when we finished, the temperature had risen 8 degrees and the heat index had risen 22 degrees.  But, we managed to take care of all but the largest branches.  Those would make good fireplace logs...

However, I did promise pictures.  I really should have taken them on day 1 or 2, but these are from day 3 with about a quarter of the branches trimmed and placed in piles.

Piles of branches

More piles of branches - the one in the center back was about waist high on me at that point



Let the sun shine in!

A single vine

Tired toes
Hurting heels
Aching back
Sore muscles

What does that equal?  Why yard work, of course!  Michael decided that he was going to pull a vine and ended up with a 3 (maybe 4) day project.

Pictures to come. :)

Recent photos

The lighting at our church is not the best for photos without a lot of equipment (or a tripod which I forgot at home).  Anyway, here are some recent photos of the girls.  They are actually from last week!

I know most of you are gasping in shock.  Why don't you sit and take a few breaths... the photos will be here when you get back! :)

Love ya!

Math

College Algebra to be precise.

Eight weeks and one day left.

In other words, 25 classes until my final.

This can be done! (somehow...)

Things that make you say... eewwww!

There are some things that just make me want to puke!

Topping the list is the roach that my sweet daughter found in her room this morning. We have not had many inside the house though our garage is often a target. I have learned to open the door at night with a can of wasp killer in my hand to spray the roaches while they run around. Our roaches are NOT frightened of people. They will charge you! So, finding one in the house this morning was disgusting. (note: this is the 2nd one actually inside the house since we moved in 2 years ago - living in SE TX, I'd say this is an amazing record)

And then... I went to lock the front door after the above dd tossed the now dead roach outside. I looked down to see a small lizard. I don't like those in my house either. Yes, they do clean out some of the spiders and flies that find their way in, but they have a tendency to stink when they die. I opened the front door, took off my sandal, and touched it lightly to encourage it to head outside. It was bleeding from the side of the head. Unsure whether it was dead or alive, I called for the broom and dustpan cause there was ABSOLUTELY NO WAY I was touching that thing while it was bleeding!! Dustpan in hand, I touched it with the broom, and it leapt onto the dustpan. I ran outside, trying to choke down the scream that was rising in my throat, and shook it off into the flower bed.

Overheard

In honor of a favorite Uncle coming for a visit, we decided to teach Miss E what a cow really says...

Us: Miss E, what does a cow say?

Miss E: mmmmm

Us: Can you say 'eat more chicken'?

Miss E: Sure! More eat chicken!


Us: Miss E, what does a cow say?

Miss E: I don't know.

Us: Can you say 'eat more chicken'?

Miss E: Sure! More eat chicken!

Us: Miss E, what does a cow say?

Miss E: More eat chicken!!! and mmmm!

Give me a Grade!

And make it an 'A'!!!

Warning: Craziness Ahead!

Yes.  It is the last weekend of the semester.  I have one more major test and one more major paper to finish along with a short essay.  And I mean short essay, the minimum length required is four sentences. 

Then I need to sit down with Financial Aid to hammer out the details and prepare for the summer semester. 

Then come the homeschooling decisions and the craziness of summer break.  Though I do plan to still work on school subjects with the girls over the summer. 

So, this is short, but I will resurface after the weekend.  I have a paper to write.

Fun Times at the Dinner Table

I stepped away from the table tonight for just a moment.

What I heard was priceless...

Princess N and Lady A were teaching Miss E some "Knock, knock" jokes.

Princess N told Miss E, "Now say 'manma who?'"  (manma = banana)

Miss E dutifully repeated it.

And then Miss E tried to branch out.  "Apple.  My Lego Apple"

Princess N responded with "My Lego apple who?"

Miss E replied, "Lego apple... (something mumbled or otherwise not understandable) red!"

Lady A had a few comments in there trying to get Miss E to repeat what she and Princess N were saying.

I love hearing our girls work together and even more to hear them teaching their little sister.

Overheard

Lady A: (speaking to our overnight guest) What does Darth Vader say when he wants a cookie?

Miss E: (in an inquisitive tone) Cookie?

These girls crack me up!

The latest

I found out this afternoon that my friend also has pneumonia and has been intubated while they treat it.  The next few days should show just how much damage was actually done by the strokes. 

The founder of Hannah's Prayer (www.hannah.org) had several strokes last year and commented on HP that she had found very few quality support resources for stroke patients.  If you happen to know of any good resources for stroke recovery support groups, please leave a comment! 

Thank you for your prayers.

EDITED TO ADD: My friend's sister is taking care of her four children at their home in Alaska.  Please pray for them as well.  The children are homeschooled and very concerned about their mom.  K's sister is attempting to homeschool the kids, figure out a wood burning stove, and life in Alaska in general.

latest update

Here is the latest update on my friend:

 Update ...she is breathing on her own (Praise!) and has some movement on one side. She can respond to some questions with a nod. Please pray that 1)her airway stay open 2)there is no swelling in her brain and 3)the clot will dissolve.

Prayer for another friend

A friend from high school has had a series of small strokes.  She lives a good distance from the contintental US and will be airlifted to Seattle.

Please pray for her recovery and for her family. 

Overheard

Today I dropped the girls off at Rachel's so I could go to the college for a little while.

As I left, Miss E screamed, "BYE MOMMY!!!" from the top of the stairs.

Rachel: That was Miss E?  I didn't think anyone could be louder than Lady A!

Me: Yep.  That was Miss E.

Mandy & Rob

Please pray for Mandy & Rob today as they face one of the most difficult days of their lives. Baby Abigail's funeral is today.

Overheard

Lady A: I need to learn self-control. I need to learn all the fruit of the Spirit.

Talk about melting a mama's heart!

Heartbroken

Please pray for my friend Mandy and her husband,Rob.

Their long-awaited daughter died yesterday afternoon. Baby Abigail was born early at 35 weeks gestation. She underwent major surgery to attempt to repair an issue with her heart. Mandy and Rob are also still grieving the death of their son Aaron who was Abby's twin. They discovered he had died at about 20-21 weeks.

Mandy was able to hold her precious daughter as she took her last breath and her heart stopped.   I am heartbroken for them.

Please pray for this family.

Overheard!

After our recent trip:

Miss E climbs into her car seat just after the truck is fully unloaded.

Me:  Where are you going?

Miss E: Back!

Overheard

Lady A's explaination of why Miss E was crying.

Me: What is going on?

Lady A: Miss E is crying.

Me: I know.  That is why I asked what is going on.

Lady A: I want it my way.  And she doesn't!

Did you remember?

Yes.  It is that time of year. (already!)

Time to change time, or at least change your clock.

Michael & I do not currently own a clock for our bedroom.  We rely on our cell phones for an alarm because they are louder than any other clock we have owned.

I woke up this morning and checked my phone.

It said 7:27.  I unlocked the phone and it said 6:27.  So, to be sure I was looking at the correct time, I turned it off and back on.  By this time, the phone said 6:29.

Okay.  That gave me a few more minutes & I wouldn't need to be rushing to get Lady A out of bed in time to go to church with Michael.

Michael opened his computer and was reading emails, etc when I noticed the clock on his computer said 7:47. I asked if it was right.  Michael checked his watch and sure enough it was right. 

I showed him my phone (which now said 6:47) and told him how I had unlocked it and it had shown the earlier time (now it said 7:47!!!).

Yep.  There it was.  That moment of panic when you realize that you really are late.

You see, it was 7:47 and they needed to be pulling out of the driveway at 8:15 in order to make it to the church on time.

Lady A needed a bath because she went to bed at 10pm.  Actually it was just before 9pm, but I usually change our clocks around 7 or 8. 

Fortunately this year we skipped all the illnesses for my birthday and started this week.  Princess N was sick yesterday so I only had two people who needed to be ready for church today instead of five. 

Even so, there was coffee to make, breakfast to prepare, hair to help rinse, dresses to find, tights to find, brand-spanking new pretty shoes to buckle and a bag to locate to carry the granola bar, apple and Bible.

If all five of us were going this morning, we would probably be leaving about now.  Was an illness the same weekend as the time change a good thing?  This time, it was a blessing in disguise!

Hope you have a great Sunday and that you made it to church on time!


And bonus points to anyone now singing songs from My Fair Lady!

In less than an hour...

...




.....




...WE HEAD TO THE AIRPORT TO PICK UP MICHAEL!!!!!

The girls are very excited that Daddy is coming home.  Even one very tired little girl isn't napping because she wants to get Daddy.

I'm glad he will be home today too!

Julia

Julia's baby boy was born this evening via c-section.  He came screaming into the world weighing 2 pounds 8 ounces.

As I said before, he has a long way to go before he can go home with his mom & dad.  I know they would appreciate the continued prayers.

Update on Julia

Julia and her son are experiencing more complications than just the elevated blood pressure.  Her son will be born via c-section today according to her doctors.

Please be in prayer as Julia and her husband cope with all these unexpected changes.  As well, while there is a higher survival rate for babies born after 24 weeks gestation, Julia's son still faces many challenges.  By being born today at 29 weeks, he faces a stay in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for at least 10 weeks.  He could spend less time in the NICU if he is doing well and more if he is not. 

prayer request

There is an amazing photographer who is in a hospital in Georgia tonight.   She is 29 weeks pregnant with her first baby to make it this far.  (I believe it is her 6th or 7th pregnancy)

Julia is fighting her body.  Her blood pressure is at a dangerous level both for her and her son.  They have made it over a week since she was admitted, but things are looking grim. 

The risk of complications increases every day her blood pressure is unable to be controlled, but at the same time, a pre-term birth is incredibly difficult for both mom & baby.  Julia's doctors are trying to minimize the risks as they try to give Julia's son the longest possible time in the womb.

We know that God already has this little guy's birthday planned, but we hope it is at least 5 weeks from now if not more.

Please pray for Julia, her husband and her son.

Birthdays are fun!

Yesterday was Sarah's birthday.

I baked her cake.

We discussed icing color and design.

I attempted to implement.

After several blunders

We ended up with a circus tent.

It is a cake that will live in infamy.

Birthday AND Anniversary

Today, we have another birthday as well as an anniversary!

My brother and sister-in-law have been married for TEN years today.  I know there have been ups and downs, but I pray that this coming year is filled with blessings for them.

And my brother is also turning another year older.

Happy birthday to the guy who made gifts next to impossible to open!  (did you see your shadow this morning?)

Love you both!

Happy Birthday!

To a pretty amazing kid!

Our nephew, Stealth-Man, is 11. 

Want to know how I know that?

Princess N was born in August.

Cousin David was born the following January.

Stealth-Man was born less than two weeks later on the 1st of Feb.

Happy birthday!

Whew!

First assignments and quizes done!

Now for a quiz and discussion of Romatic literature for English and a test and discussion of Spanish and French exploration for History.

I was beginning to stress about getting everything done and all the studying in this weekend.  Turned out I was looking at the calendar wrong and nothing was due for either class until next Sunday!

Hope you have a great week!

encouragement

We all need it sometimes.

Today it was Lady A who needed encouragement.

She was struggling with her math facts and was ready to give up.  When she first tries learning a new set of addition facts, she is frequently frustrated.  We have come up with several ways to encourage her including having her tell the math that it is going down 'cause she is going to beat it!

Today, we tried yelling.  Now, I don't allow much yelling inside the house.  Quite frankly it hurts my ears because the frequencies Lady A & Miss E reach are painful to me.  But today, we yelled.  Both of us. 

"I am smart.  I can do this. MATH IS GOING DOWN!!!"

I also don't allow much standing on the furniture.  First, I hate sitting down on dirty chairs and second, most of our dining room chairs are so worn out I never know if they will decide to gracefully retire break when someone sits down.

Today, we stood on the furniture.  Well, the girls did.  I kept my feet planted firmly on solid ground.

As I was trying to encourage Lady A, while she stood on one of our dining chairs, I noticed Miss E had chosen to stand up in her chair as well.  That was a bit more precarious due to the fact that her booster seat was hanging off one side of her chair.  As I told her to sit, I realized she was cheering too. 

Miss E was waving her arms in the air and yelling along with us, "Math go DOWN!"

Lady A got the encouragement she needed and after that those math facts were a piece of cake!

Reading the classics

Enjoy!  An interesting telling of the Three Little Pigs.

Overheard

Lady A:  Miss E, can you get me out of this situation??

Miss E: Sure!

Creativity, birthday party and random photos

Mom, Aunt Sarah, and the girls

Excuse me, you're in my way!

Mmmm... ice cream...

It's in here somewhere...

Could it be...?

I am not a cat.

Who is tallest?

We got a little bit of rain.

Well, maybe a lot of rain.

Princess N

Please?!?

Roses are (sometimes) red.

Lady A being silly again.

Creativity at work.  Time for dinner!

Photo Challenge: Simplicity

Hope you enjoy the photos.  There will probably be a lot of photos posted with fewer wordy posts since school started last Tuesday.  Things are going well so far but I will be concentrating on school for both me and the girls rather than on blogging.

15 years

I know some couples keep up with when they met and began dating as well as their wedding anniversary.  Michael & I have not done so well with that.  I recall meeting Michael after a Summer Theater production of "Meet Me in St Louis" while he doesn't recall meeting me until a month later at the first 5th Quarter of the school year.  (1994-1995 to be exact)  We met in July or August of 1994.

Saturday night, we were talking about different things and somehow landed on the subject of when we actually started dating.  Was it while we were in high school or was it the weekend he came to Florida after I returned from Ecuador?  Though we were good friends in high school and did many things together, we agreed that dating officially began after I returned from Ecuador.

Which means, this weekend marks 15 years since we began dating. 

Fifteen years of ups and downs, but I wouldn't change it.  I am so thankful for the time we have had together and I pray that we have many more years to go.

Overheard

After singing the “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes” song, I exclaimed, “PE, Music and Science!  What could be better?”

Lady A replied, “Math?”

Princess N replied, “Star Wars?”

Where the wild things hang out...

Zoo Trip - 2011

Y'all may want to sit down for this...

If you recall, I mentioned here that I had organized all the photo files on my computer.

Tonight I was trying to look up some documents and ended up organizing all my document files too.

Since I last posted pictures, we have...



Enjoyed a delicious Chicken Pot Pie

Created the Nile out of Blue Bell Ice Cream, Oreos and Nilla Wafers

Enjoyed school with big sisters

Wrapped a sister like a mummy

Made super sweet Pear Freezer Jam

Gone for a hike on a sunny day

And celebrated the birthday of a very special aunt!

Organization

This is tough for me.  But, I finally got around to organizing my (hundreds) of photos on my computer.  Now I just need to check the other hard drive to ensure I don't have duplicates AND that they (thousands of photos) are organized the same way.

So, it should be much easier to post new pictures because they are grouped by year rather than by month! :)

No photos tonight though.  It is time for bed!

School

Beginning Algebra - Check!

silly Psychology class - Check!

Intermediate Algebra - Check!

English 1301 - Check!

I just submitted my last English assignments tonight!  I am finished with my 2nd semester of college.

Now to register for History and English... (I think)

Oh boy!

Yesterday was all girls.

Today we have boys.

This is so much fun!

This group though is a bit older with an 11 year old, 10 year old, 9 year old, two 7 year olds, a 5 year old and a 2 year old.  Last night we had an 11 year old, a 7 year old, two 4 year olds, a 3 year old, a 2 year old, and an 8 month old.

Lots of girls!

We had some friends from chuch come hang out with us this evening.  It was a great time.  The four that are almost the same age played dress up, Princess N hid in my room in between helping me with the baby & Miss E.  We watched several movies and enjoyed pizza, ice cream, and cookies!

But, in all the excitement.... I forgot to get pictures!  Can you believe it??  Seven kiddos running around (and Miss E attacking the baby!) and I forgot to grab the camera. 

Ah well, it was a pleasant evening anyway!

Friends, fun and car keys

We invited a family from our church over for dinner tonight.

James & Julie still have 2 girls at home, one boy off galavanting about the country and one married daughter.

We had James, Julie, married daughter, her husband & son, and one of the girls at home come tonight.  It was a great time with lots of laughter and fun stories.  It is amazing to me how much alike we are.  Some of the stories about breaking down over homeschool curriculum were hysterically funny.  Mostly because I had done practically the same thing and received the same response from Michael that Julie did from James.

One of James & Julie's daughters was at a dance rehearsal and Julie had arranged for her to ride home with a friend.  She should have arrived home about 8pm.  At 8:23, James received a text wondering where her parents were. 

Half frantic goodbyes were said and everyone moved toward the door.  Once outside, Jessica, their married daughter, and Christian, their son-in-law, went to open their car.  Christian asked Jessica for the key.  The one and only car key.  Jessica replied that he had it.  Christian said that he had given it to Jessica to put in her purse.  Jessica replied that she had left her purse in the car.

James & Julie had given us 3 jackets this week.  All of them were on wire coat hangers.  I had told Princess N to put the hangers in the garage rather in the trash because, who knew, we might need them one day. 

Out came the flashlights, the coat hangers, and the cell phones.  Our neighbor came over, we checked to see if the deputy sheriff who lives a few houses down was home, friends were called, and no one had anything other than a couple of wire coat hangers to try to open the door.  A friend of Christian's came over and by 10:15, the car was open with the keys in hand!

Many thanks to all who came to the rescue!

It will certainly be a night to remember.

Neighbor's family needs prayer

Our next door neighbor, Louise, died this morning.

The way God causes things to work together is just amazing.

Louise's brother just moved into a new house this summer and asked the family to celebrate Thanksgiving at his house instead of going to Lubbock. 

Louise's son & daughter-in-law drove instead of flying like they normally do.

Louise's son & daughter-in-law were able to spend Thanksgiving Day and yesterday with Louise.

All of the family that could come, had come for Thanksgiving.

I do not know if Louise and her family are believers, but God's control is evident to me.

Please pray for Louise's family as they prepare for funeral arrangements and the let down that comes afterwards.

After 5 long weeks...

HE'S HOME!!!!!!

Random Ramblings

 Homemade peanut butter cups.  Need I say more?  Yum!

 Thanksgiving is next week.  Are you panicking yet?

 That also means Christmas is fast approaching.  I have a few things, but wow, still have a lot I'd like to give.  Must prioritize.

 Math final on Thursday afternoon.  Thanks to Rachel for being willing to take care of the girls.

 Two more essays to finish for English. 

 Lady A turned 7.  How is that possible?

 I will be so glad to make it through my classes.  I am ready for a bit of a break.

 Princess N & our neighbor's boy are playing Lego Star Wars.  I'm glad they play well together.

 I need to decide which classes I'd like to take next semester. I'm thinking US History & US Government. Ahhh, politics. Just in time for a presidential election cycle.

Pizza for dinner.  The girls requested it and I really don't want to cook.

overheard

 Miss E was pitching a fit just before dinner. I told Princess N & Lady A to go ahead and eat while I tended to Miss E.

Lady A was doing something that annoyed Princess N and Princess N stormed off to her room.

A few seconds later, this heartwrenching cry came from Princess N....

"Why can't she just be NORMAL???"

Happy Birthday and Semper Fi

From the Halls of Montezuma
to the Shores of Tripoli,
We fight our country’s battles
On the land as on the sea.
First to fight for right and freedom,
And to keep our honor clean,
We are proud to claim the title
of United States Marine.


"Our flag’s unfurl’d to every breeze
From dawn to setting sun;
We have fought in every clime and place
Where we could take a gun.
In the snow of far-off northern lands
And in sunny tropic scenes,
You will find us always on the job
The United States Marines.


"Here’s health to you and to our Corps
Which we are proud to serve;
In many a strife we’ve fought for life
And never lost our nerve.
If the Army and the Navy
Ever look on Heaven’s scenes,
They will find the streets are guarded
By United States Marines."

stressed

The emotions are running high in our house tonight.

We have had full blown fighting, shoving matches, and lots of screaming and tears.

Would you pray that next Saturday will be better?  It seems as though the weekends are the most difficult for the girls.

Michael thinks it is because there is no school, so I am considering having the girls do a little bit each day for the next couple of weekends to see if that makes a difference.

Officially Seven!

Happy birthday to Lady A!!!  She is officially seven!

We were teasing her earlier that her birthday would not start until she officially turned seven. (12:43 pm)  She didn't care for that idea too much.

Precious girl, you light up a room with your cheerfulness and excitement.  I hope I can learn to see the world with the same wonder that you do.

We love you!

She is a Star Wars whiz!

Princess N defeated our Pastor (and defending champion) in a game of Star Wars Trivial Pursuit!

She answered about 10 questions in a row earning at least four, maybe five, of the the "pie" pieces.  The poor guy didn't stand a chance!

300

Blogging since 2008.

300 posts.

I need more pictures!

Overheard

Lady A: "I currently don't know."  (when asked about how she could react to her sister telling her no)

Lady A: "Mama... can I get some more sleep right now?"

The things my girl is saying lately are cracking me up!

For all the Ranger Fans...

I'm sorry.

Maybe next year?

Overheard

Miss E: (every time the phone rings) "That Daddy?" (and then she tries to take the phone to talk)

In the truck at the grocery store:

Lady A to Miss E: "I need to do surgery on you!!"

What will they come up with next?

Sleepover!

The girls are having a sleepover with Grammy tonight.  I am enjoying the quiet.

However, I have just spent the last 4 and a half hours doing math.  My brain hurts.

I think I'm going to bed. :)

B-I-B-L-E

What's that spell??  BIBLE!!

I think every child who has attended a Southern Baptist church knows that song! 

Miss E has decided that she must sing it every day.  Except her version goes "B-I-B-I-B-E! Boo[k] me! Byebye! YAY!!" 

It is so sweet to hear our little one singing songs she has learned at church.

On another similar note, Lady A has requested a meeting with our pastor for Sunday morning.  She wants to talk to him about being one of the "good guys" instead of being one of the "bad guys."    Would you pray that she clearly understands?

Ebenezer

Today marks the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on American soil. 

Remembering those who perished and those they left behind. 

Remembering those who survived that awful day and those who only caught glimpses on TV.

Remembering the innocence with which we started the day and the knowledge with which we ended it.

Remembering the men and women who gave their lives in the wars that followed.

Remembering the ones who came back, forever changed.

Here I raise mine Ebenezer;
hither by thy help I'm come;
and I hope, by thy good pleasure,
safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
wandering from the fold of God;
he, to rescue me from danger,
interposed his precious blood.

(from Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing)

Blogging break

In between school and rescuing squirrels, I have realized that I need to let some things go for a little while.  Therefore, I am taking a blogging break.  I plan to keep up with the major events or serious prayer requests, but the other chatty kinds of posts will stop for a while. 

You can always call or email me if you want.  I just may not respond right away.  After all, it is squirrel season. :)

It's Raining Squirrels!

Tonight Michael asked if I could change Miss E's diaper.  I, being the loving wife I am, said, "Sure.  I'll take care of it."

As I walked past Miss E's room, I noticed a strange cat stalking in our front yard.  Near the tree.  Where we found a baby squirrel on Sunday night...

I walked out and clapped my hands loudly to scare it off.  The cat dipped its head, grabbed something small and gray with its mouth and took off running.  But only to the sidewalk across the street. 

I knew it had a baby squirrel and I was determined to chase it down.  As I was walking across our yard toward the cat, I heard a soft crying sound.  There was a 2nd baby squirrel in the grass.  Princess N came out of the house about that time & I told her to guard the squirrel.  I followed the cat, but it disappeared around a corner.  When I got there, the cat was nowhere in sight.

I returned home and got the box back out.  I put a clean sheet in the bottom (the feet can get caught in the fabric of the towels) and filled the ice pack with hot water again.

We watched the squirrel through the window for a while until Princess N called out that the cat was back.  It waited on the neighbor's driveway, watching me.  I finally put the squirrel in the garage.  About 15 minutes later, our other neighbor came home.  I took the squirrel over to show his son.  Our neighbor mentioned that he had seen the cat just sitting on the sidewalk staring toward our house.

Miss E did get that diaper change, but we also rescued another squirrel in the process.

where the wild things are

Princess N: Mommy!  I think a mouse fell out of the tree!
Me: Oookkkaaayyy... show me.

I took a look and asked her to call Daddy and ask him to bring a flashlight.

Michael: It looks like a squirrel.  I can throw it over the back fence.
Me: I'm going to call Laddie.  I'm not as heartless as you!

After speaking with Laddie, we added a hot water bottle to the box and towels where we had placed the squirrel.  Then I called the phone numbers she had given me.  The emergency clinic was willing to take the squirrel and humanely kill it.  The wildlife centers would reopen in the morning. 

I left the box with the squirrel in the garage with the hot water bottle and told Michael I hoped the roaches would not carry it off.  I sat down with Princess N and told her what Laddie told me.  There was a fairly good chance the squirrel would die during the night because of its young age.  We agreed that we both hoped it would live through the night.

This morning I called several state approved wildlife rehabilitators only to find that all but one number I tried was disconnected.  Out of a list of about 7.  The one place that I did reach is about an hour and a half from where we live.  After a trip to drop some papers off with Michael, we traveled to the wildlife center.  Since we were missing out on a good portion of the school day, I told the girls that I was going to see if they would let us tour the facility and I wanted them to think of some things they wanted to know about the center and the animals they help.  They were going to be required to write a paper about it when we got home.

The volunteer at the center was very kind to answer our questions and she even allowed the girls to take a peek at the vet room where they care for the animals that are brought in to the center.  The volunteer in the vet room allowed the girls another look at the squirrel we brought in and told us how much he weighed.  (48 grams)  She also showed us an even younger squirrel that weighed only 12 grams! 

While we were there, we also learned that Princess N will be old enough next summer to participate in a volunteer program at the center. (with a parent, of course)  I told Michael I thought it might just be a good idea for a summer project for her.

*Photo to be added as soon as I can find the cord for my camera...

2 years old

Sweet Miss E is growing up.  She is just a joy to be around.  She can give a glare that could melt glass, but her smile is sometimes brighter than the sun.

She believes that if her big sisters can do it, so can she.  She is a bundle of energy wrapped up in sheer willpower.  In many ways, she is like her sister Lady A.  What she lacks in physical stature, she makes up with her determination.

We are so very blessed to have her as part of our lives.

Oh my! How did this happen??

Princess N turned 11 years old today!

Our sweet baby girl is closing in quickly on her teen years. 

Happy birthday to a wonderful girl who we are blessed to know and even more blessed to call daughter!

We love you precious girl!

Happy Birthday Laura!

Happy, happy, birthday from all of us to you!

We hope you like your birthday, cause we sure do like you!

There...

Michael went to work last Friday and was very excited that he had Monday off.  A few hours later he texted me and asked me to pack him a bag for a week. 

He left Sunday morning and was supposed to return this afternoon. 

The trip to the airport and then back home was interesting to say the least.  We didn't realize that the toll road went from actual toll booths to a no cash road.  So, we had to find a way across town in order to make it to the airport.  We managed to get there in plenty of time. 

Leaving the airport, I decided to try to take the interstate that goes directly to our town.  I followed the signs until the signs disappeared.  I did what any smart woman would do when lost in an unfamiliar area with 3 children at 6:00 in the morning.  I called my husband who has GPS on his phone.  He couldn't find where I was, so I was on my own.  Backtracking, I missed the turn to get back to the airport.  But I did find the one road I was familiar with. 

Once headed in the right direction, I decided to take the loop around the city instead of going all the way into down town.  Well, when we went to the airport, we went east.  So coming home we should go west, right?  Wrong!  I realized my mistake and took the first exit to turn around.  It was then that I saw the signs for the original road I was looking for.  I managed to get back on the road and take the exit for the interstate.  I still ended up going through downtown, but I was on the right road!

and back again

Last night, after all the kiddos had dinner and cleaned up, I loaded them into Rachel's van.  (We are hanging out with the nephews this weekend) 

Alex kept looking at the time and mentioning that it was time to be getting ready for bed.  Later he mentioned that it was time for him & Miguel to be in bed.  About 20 minutes later, he informed us that it was time for David to be in bed.

We had been driving for about 45 minutes when Lady A asked where we were going.  My response was that we were going for a drive.  They thought that it was an okay idea.  But they were hungry and wanted me to buy them food.  I laughed and told them no.

We arrived at the airport.  Lady A was a bit confused as to why we would be going to the airport when she, her sister & her cousins should be in bed.  I simply deflected any questions with a question of my own.   "What do you think?"  "What do people do at an airport?"

Finally, I received a message from Michael.  I pulled up to the arrivals area.  As we waited in line, Alex asked if we were picking someone up.  I asked what he thought.  Alex said yes.  Lady A was unsure.  She thought about it for a little while and finally asked, "Are we picking up Daddy?"  I asked, "What do you think?"  "YES!!" 

Lady A & Miss E were both very excited to see their daddy!

peace

Numbers 6:24-26

 ​​“The LORD bless you and keep you;

​​The LORD make His face shine upon you,

​​And be gracious to you;

The LORD lift up His countenance upon you,

​​And give you peace.” ’

May be off line for a while

So, we got our internet bill in the mail today... It almost doubled with no warning.

We are shopping for a new provider unless they are able to work with us.  The department we need to speak with is closed already tonight.

At any rate, I just want to let you know that we may be only reachable by cell phone for a while.  We do have unlimited texting, so feel free to call or text.

Love you!

Back to School!

Today, we embarked on a new journey as a family.

Today, I sat with our girls, all three of them, around the kitchen table and studied the Bible.  We learned about Joseph and some of the trials he faced in his life.  Some as a result of his choices and others as a result of his brother's choices. 

Later, we created a "collage of many colors".  The girls had a good time discussing the story while they cut and glued and laughed.

Then, as we talked about the coat that Joseph was given, I asked the girls if they knew how cloth was colored in that time.  I grabbed what was on hand and steeped some tea and threw some frozen blueberries in a bowl with some hot water.  We took 2 pieces of white fabric and swirled them around in the water.  Princess N said she thought the fabric in the tea would turn a reddish color and that the one in the blueberries would be blue.  She was surprised to see the one in the tea turn brown.

Afterward, we watched "The Ballad of Little Joe."  We had been anticipating our next door neighbor's son's arrival, but I found out that he was going to a friend's house today instead of ours.

It has been a good first day of school.  Lady A still protested a bit that she didn't want to have school at home, but she did well through the lessons.

I just pray that tomorrow things go as smoothly!

Invasion! Of health!

I am so very thankful that this round of illness went very quickly!

I am also thankful that I had completely caught up on the laundry.  So when we needed 3 sets of clean sheets and 25 towels right away, we had them available.  And clean!

Of course that now means I have 3 sets of dirty sheets that still need to be washed as none of us have been back to full energy until today and Sunday is a declared no work day.  As in, we spend the day with each other rather than focus on piles of laundry or cleaning bathrooms.  (Bathrooms were done on Friday anyway...)

That is the update and thanks so much for the prayers!


Note to Mom: I have an offer of a car if you have not yet found one.  Love you!

Play it again, Sam!

Yes.  That is correct.  We are repeating the same old song and dance.

Or is that heave and wash?

Either way you look at it, 3 of us are already sick and another (me) hasn't been feeling so great for the past few days. 

Laundry is piling up faster than our poor washer dryer can handle.  Since we've had to run the dryer two times to dry one load, the laundry cycle has been lengthened. 

I would appreciate any prayers you might want to offer on our behalf.  Though ones that include this passing quickly and that no one else gets sick kinda top my list. :) 

PS: We have inadvertantly exposed our next door neighbor's son, who has in turn gone to football practice every night this week.  See where this is going?


UPDATE: All of us are sick... Princess N was the last at about 4:30 this morning.  Lady A is currently on the couch crying because she is thirsty, but she has only been able to keep down about 2 ounces of juice so far.

The countdown is on!

I try very hard to not allow my feelings about our political climate spill over into my blog.  However, I will simply ask tonight that you pray for our leaders.

• Pray that they will have an encounter with God that completely changes their life.
• Pray that they will fight to restore moral (and fiscal) sanity to our government as a result of a relationship with Jesus Christ.
• Pray that our leaders will be able to work out a plan for our nation's finances that will help our nation's economy to recover.

Clean Sweep

I've been working on purging several rooms in the house.  And pretty much trying to do them at the same time.

In some ways, it has worked well.  In others, not so much.

Trying to gather all of the toys in the same room has been a bit of a nightmare.  However, gathering all the outgrown clothing has not been an issue.

Right now, I have one storage tub of clothes that Miss E has outgrown, one that Lady A has outgrown, and one that Princess N has outgrown.  Today, I went through them and sorted out all the clothes I want to donate to our church's yard sale.

I am finished with the majority of the clothing and even found some more clothes that fit Miss E which is something I was talking to Michael about just yesterday.  I just need to have Princess N go through her t-shirts to see which ones will be going.

The toys though have been a challenge.  I had everything in the playroom sorted and placed into bags.  Then Princess N & Lady A cleaned their rooms and put the toys from their rooms in the boxes I'd already cleaned and organized.  So, I need to go through that again, but it should be much easier since I pulled out all the toys that I am willing to part with!  :)

The (kids) books have been pared down to a slightly more managable number.  There are more that I would like to donate, but I am waiting for Miss E to outgrow them.

All I have left is to review my books, clothes, and various knick knacks along with the kitchen things.  And maybe somehow get Michael to do the same. :)

Edited to add: I managed to clean out 2 more boxes in the garage and I know that 2 of the remaining ones belong to Michael.  That means I don't have to worry about them! ;)  I did stop half way through one because of the roach who had taken up residence. 

Orange and creamy is kinda dreamy

I made the best cupcakes today.  And by best, I mean the BEST EVER.  One of my favorite treats was an orange creamcicle.  The blending of the orange and vanilla was almost heavenly.

Well, I discovered this recipe. 

Out of 12 cupcakes, we now have 3 left.  Though in my defense, we did have guests tonight to help us eat them.  I did NOT give my girls multiple cupcakes.  I did however allow them to also have 2 (small) Congo Bars to go along with their cupcakes...

It's been a long week

The above average temps (and poor Rachel tent camping...) and humidity have contributed to some crankiness in our household.

Princess N has been out back a couple of evenings to practice her archery.  (need to upload the photos)  Unfortunately, one of her arrows has already broken.  The plastic nock broke off most likely from bouncing off the fence.  We have not been back to the library this week so Princess N has been a bit bored staying inside the house.  I don't mind the girls going outside, but I know that inside is much more comfortable at the moment.  At any rate, she has been reading several books about archery so it at least has been a bit productive in that regard.

Lady A has been enjoying having her dress-up clothes back.  We had taken them away a while back as part of an effort to teach her to think of others in addition to herself.  I believe the time away was beneficial because she will point out when someone is thinking of someone else, regardless of if the someone else is her.  However, Miss E has enjoyed playing with the jewelry which has cause some tension with Lady A.

Miss E has been taught to open the trash can.  My dear, sweet husband taught her how to open the lid so he we wouldn't have to get up to help her.  I deliberately did NOT teach her because I did not want her to play in the trash.  Well, I woke up from a nap the other day to discover that Michael & Princess N were cleaning up the mess Miss E had made with the trash she pulled out of the trash can.  My thought was "at least I slept through it!" ;)

The best part of the week though were the two days we got rain.  One day it rained for about 5 minutes but Thursday it rained for almost an hour!
That is what has been happening here.  Hope your week was cooler than ours!

Enjoy!

Spending time with Daddy!

Great friends!

Limbo...

Last day of school

Last day of school

Isn't she cute?

The girls tell me I picked a good watermelon.

Trying on a pair of chaps at George Ranch

Tex had a friend with him this time.

Missed seeing this on the first trip.

These two had quite the conversation.

She takes after Andrew.

What could be better than curling up with a good book?

Learning how to splash in a puddle...

splashing all by herself

What could be better than playing in the rain?

Perhaps playing in the puddle at the end of the driveway?

Or maybe playing in the rain TWO days in a row!!!