The Goff Family x 5

Breakfast in bed..

2012-01-28T06:31:00.001-08:00

The past 2 mornings I've awakened to glass bowls and spoons chinking together. My kids are on a breakfast-in-bed kick. Yesterday, Samuel served J and I a mug of dry rice krispies, coffee(he actually made a 12 cup pot by himself), a whole orange, a handful of craisens and shredded wheat. This morning, Madeline brought me a bowl of dry corn flakes. She and I had a little party in bed (w/ Benjamin too) Loved to see how delighted the kids were to serve us. I thought I'd never see the day... ha, ha! :)

Learning right along with them...

2012-01-25T13:01:00.000-08:00

I have realized HOW much I'm learning right along with my children. And I don't mean science, history, and things like that...but of course, it's exciting to learn and re-learn all that stuff too. No, I mean I'm learning heart-lessons AS I'm training and teaching my children. Who knew that it would take getting married and having children to learn some of the things I'm learning? Well, the Lord does. :)

Before I got married and had children of my own, I honestly remember thinking that I'm a really patient person. Ha...fast forward a decade...and here I am, learning that I'm not the perfect person I thought I was. The Lord has amazing ways of revealing my heart...and who would've known that the adorable, loveable packages I've received from the Lord (ie. my 4 children) were the very thing to reveal who I am NOT! [I really AM impatient, selfish, unkind....and on and on. Who I am to my children (how I speak to them, how I respond, who I am "under pressure" etc)...is so exposing!

So, perhaps that verse about children being a blessing has more than the surface meaning. Maybe the blessing of children also includes the sanctifying work of the cross as well. :) My children are mirrors reflecting back at me of who I am. The character and sin issues Justin and I see in them, are in us to! Sometimes I'm like, "Do I say that?" "Do I act that way?" Sometimes it's funny and sometimes it's really convicting! Wow...it's amazing how sinful we are! But what hope we have in Jesus to deliver us from continuing in it. As I teach the kids to be kind, to forgive, to say "Ok, Mommy! (with a smile) when they'd rather pout or complain, to obey right away, etc...I find it pricks my heart too. I realize how much I need the correction I'm giving to my children.

Change begins w/ asking the Lord for help. And also starting in tangible, intentional ways to do the simple things:
~Be thankful (express it to the kids and to Justin)
~Smile at them (how easy it is to just try to survive the chaos, instead of connecting w/ them in the midst of it all. For me, it's making eye contact and smiling... instead of just throwing my words down at their heads or yelling it from the other room)
~Train my heart with the scripture as I'm training theirs
~Learn to say "I'm sorry...will you forgive Mommy"
~And last, but not least, laugh! A merry heart is like medicine...and it'll spill over into the kids too! Lighten up the mood...turn up the music and dance :)

I need to remember that little list above...and now off to go and get to it! :)

a few others...

2012-01-21T08:31:00.000-08:00

Which jumping one??

1.

I like this one...so I'm going to print it :)

Which one of these?

2. Classic :) Boys look subdued...ha, ha!

3. (closer and full color) I like M's laughing, but William's face is hidden :(

...leaning...

2012-01-21T08:29:00.000-08:00

Initially I thought I'd frame #3...but I do like the closeness and sharpness of the fence picture #2...

Thanks for the opinions!

I'll post a picture when I decide :)

Help!

2012-01-20T10:36:00.001-08:00

I need help deciding which family picture to enlarge. I have a heavy antiqued brown frame that I'm hanging above my grand piano in my living room. Which one??

1. Close Cluster FamilyLove pix: 2. Farm Fence Family Photo

3. Picturesque family photo minus the writing. :)

Fun in the sun!

2012-01-10T10:56:00.001-08:00

...Marquez's continued...

2012-01-05T06:39:00.000-08:00

After staying with Daniel and Faith, we headed to Joe and Ramona's for a few days. It's a blessing in a different way to be a guest instead of a hostess! We were blessed with sweet fellowship and yummy food! How come a home cooked meal tastes better when someone else cooks it?? We had such a fun time visiting I forgot to take very many pictures. :) The kids and I met Julia and her children at a nearby zoo. While the kids napped, we chatted. Justin got to meet Julia's Paraguayan hubby, Nestor. He even got to sample some Paraguayan tea! ;)

Ramona got up early to make us a big delicious breakfast yesterday morning. Joe and Justin were already discussing theological questions over coffee. ;) Before we left, Joe asked Nestor to pray for us. To our surprise, he started praying in Spanish or Guadanee...we were able to pick out a few words we knew: gracias and Senor :) Joe assured us it was a "good prayer" and quickly interpreted what he said. We are looking forward to seeing them before too long. We also talked about visiting them in Paraguay. Justin gets 10 weeks off in the winter...and spending some extended time in another country is on our todo list before our kids grow up. ;) It would be good for us to be out of the USA and see how the Lord is working around the world.

Marquez fix...

2012-01-04T09:29:00.000-08:00

I'm blogging on Justin's laptop while driving to Sanibel Island. Well, the introduction to this post is at the bottom of this post. I can't figure out how to move it...so before the whole thing gets erased or my battery goes on this computer, I'll post. ;)

Here are some pictures of our visit with Daniel & Faith.
Singing... The kiddos outside the Children's Museum...

Ooh!

Dress up at the museum...

Andrew, "the surfer"...

Crafts at the museum.
The boys doing some woodworking...

Madeline trying out her carpentry skills. (She is starting to remind me of myself...that looks like my face when I was little)
Samuel made a bird feeder ;)
...us, having a blast!
We ate lunch downtown Raleigh, NC...fun burger place w/great fries (and lots of dips) and milkshakes that were delish. We got a picture w/ our waitress b/c she was so helpful and accommodating. After being treated rudely at the restaurant next door, we appreciated her graciousness and assistance. After all, we did have 7 children under 7...and left a tornado of a mess on the floor. (she was tipped well ;) It wasn't a McDonalds type restaurant...more of a gourmet burger joint...not exactly kid friendly.
Happy boy: Benjamin! He was so proud of himself to use a real cup...he used it like a pro.(and made a big mess!)
Sushi Night! Justin told Faith we were coming w/ our "sushi shoes on" A visit wouldn't be complete w/out devouring some sushi and going crazy over wasabi. The key to eating sushi is eating it w/ people who love it too...otherwise it's not as fun. Daniel makes it into quite the experience...he has it down to a science! Faith and Justin provided the entertainment that night. Goodness...I laughed so much! Wow...our friends can talk about serious subjects as well as laugh at really stupid stuff...definitely a good mix! I'm definitely the boring one of us 4...but someone has to laugh at all the jokes and scarcasm. :)
Justin and Faith definitely fueled the fire for eachother...I haven't laughed so hard in a long time! Major inside jokes, for sure! Ha...somethin' was funny!

Surprise party for Andrew! Happy 4th birthday buddy!
We enjoyed celebrating with you!

Sunday evening at the "castle park": playing and eating cake
(we met some military families...how ironic to meet one couple who attended UI at Champaign/Urbana and grew up near Chicago!)

Justin and I had the priviledge of staying w/ Daniel and Faith AND Joe and Ramona. We've spent the past week eating, laughing, and living life w/ them all. We even got to visit w/ Julia and Nestor and their kids. What great fellowship! Even if our trip ended after our visit to NC and SC...it would've been a great trip! (but we're taking an extra week and going to Sanibel Island, FL...more pictures to come) ;)
**For those of you who have no clue who I'm talking about, these are our "gas station" friends my parents met in 1992 in northern MN. My Dad noticed a bumper sticker on their van and randomly asked Joe if anyone was gettin' saved down in S.C. Well...three hours later we pulled out of the parking lot best friends...actually they're on family status to us. :) As it turned out, the Marquez family was on furlough. They are missionaries to Paraguay and were traveling to Alaska. We are now friends w/ Joe and Ramona's kids and grandkids. What a blessing to have such dear friends...it's nice to compare notes, since we're at the same stage in our marriages and parenting. :)**

Part 1 of Family Trip 2011...

2011-12-29T12:27:00.000-08:00

The 1st stop of our trip was the Creation Museum. We toured their dramatized Christmas Town on the evening we arrived. While we were walking through, the shepherds were excitedly telling us about the Messiah, and where we could find him. Right then, one of the shepherds looked at me and said, "Hey! Are you a Miller?" Turns out, that we had chatted w/ him at the ICHE Conference and he was also a friend of a friend's. :) Small world!
These are the pictures from the next day, when we toured the actual museum. The kids really liked it...it was their 1st time. We went at their pace...which meant we didn't stop and read every single thing. But that's ok...they got to "see" Adam and Eve, Noah, Methusulah, The Garden of Eden, The Ark, lots of Dinosaurs...and etc. The best thing was that everything was from a Biblical perspective. My favorites were the theater presentations and the Buddy Davis family music show. How fun! We're now Buddy Davis fans. ;)

Benjamin was a trooper! (although he's in the inconveniently loud stage for things that require a quiet audience...)

The Creation Museum is definitely a mustsee if you've never been! It's extremely well done and is a faith builder. ;) There is also another project that Answers in Genesis has started: a full size Noah's ark amusement park! Anyway...we will be going back...it was that good!

Memory Lane...

2011-12-15T20:28:00.000-08:00

I've been going through toys, books, and cabinets. As I was going through cds...I found Justin's Afghanistan pictures from 2003. Since my guy doesn't get much press on this blog...I'll dedicate this post to him. :)

Guess who he's talking to?? Oh, and thinking back to all those phone conversations where you heard yourself talk and had delay time before you could hear the other person. Oh, goodness...sometimes we "clashed" and started talking at the same time. It was so annoying to hear myself laugh after I laughed...crazy. Probably something one just as to experience to appreciate instant communication. :)
From most of the pictures, Afghanistan is not a pretty place. I thought this picture of the mountains we're beautiful, though. :)
Random little girl on the street...she's pretty too!

My husband and his "bodyguard", Arianna. Justin told me that little kids would come up to you (Americans) and offer to watch your vehicle and stuff. Then they expected to be paid for the job. :) There she is holding some treasures he bought from the bizarre in downtown Kabul. We still have those coasters. :)

So which one's Justin? Wow...I'm glad the 80's are past!

And even lovelier...he doesn't disguise very well. :)

Ah...that's more like him...

These made me smile...things that I sent him...

Justin and some of "the boys"--the local's that worked for him every day. Justin told them that he was going to marry me when he got home. Before he left, they all gave him wedding gifts. My favorite gift was a black scarf...that is adorning my kitchen table right now. I appreciated there hearts...there gifts were very thoughtful. They even gave Justin traditional Afghani wedding outfits...he breaks them out every now and then. :)

Seriously, I didn't know Justin had a flat top....he said he doesn't remember having one either...ha!

I'm sure Justin will be happy to see that he "made the blog"--as he calls it.
I'm also reminded to pray for Afghanistan, as it's a barren land, both physically and spiritually...they need the light of the Gospel!"> ~Best 11 minutes you'll spend today: Eric Ludy on The Gospel

Happiness...

2011-12-05T05:43:00.000-08:00

7 years ago yesterday (Dec. 4, 2004), I said "I do" to Justin Goff. Such a joyful day...and I tell him often I'm so glad we're married. I'm so thankful God invented marriage. We are learning what it means to love. It's definitely something that we learn. Going into marriage, we really didn't have a clue! Well, or, should I say, that everything we knew in theory became reality. It's lots harder to actually live out something verses just say it or know it mentally.

The past 7 years have had some transitions...four big ones, come to mind immediately. I am not the person I was 7 years ago, mainly because of my children. "Mommy boot camp" has a way of forcing a person out of their comfort zone...and pressing to the limits your physical, mental, and emotional well-being. I say that lovingly and with a smile. Motherhood has been one of the hardest, yet fruitful seasons of my life. Fruitful in all different aspects. I appreciate the side of Justin that parenting has brought out. We are learning together. It's very humbling. It's driving us to the Lord. That's a good place to be!

Praying that the Lord would show me how to be Jesus to my husband. I'm learning how to respect him, how to communicate clearly, what submission looks like. It's easy to know that we need to respect and submit to our husbands...but sometimes I'm not sure how it plays out in real life. That's what the Lord is teaching me. We're learning together. I'm glad Justin's gracious...and I'm very glad that the Lord is.

We celebrated our anniversary by attending Christmas Concert and going out for pizza afterwards. Not alone...but w/ the little people we love most plus my mom, grandma, and sister. A good celebration. 7 happy years...thanking the Lord today for that blessing!

Scripture Picture...

2011-11-30T13:44:00.000-08:00

We had family pictures done in October. I was patiently holding off posting any till after our Thanksgiving cards were sent out. I'll try to put up some more of my favorites here soon. But, I'm working on a scripture picture for our bedroom. I'm just going to swap out this large portrait of J and I on our wedding day, and replace it w/ one of these. Both of these scriptures are very meaningful to us. Which one to choose?? Hmm...

Our House...66 yrs. ago

2011-11-29T09:54:00.000-08:00

My Grandma came across this picture when she was going through some things. I thought it was really neat. I'd like to enlarge it and frame it. This was my Great-Grandpa's house...my Grandpa Max moved in when he was in High School. After my Great-Grandpa sold it, it was owned by several different people, and then finally abandoned. It sat empty except for the cats, other animals, and partiers that tramped in and out for several years. It's right across the driveway from my Grandparents house and right on my Dad's farm. When it came up for sale, it was either: tear it down or fix it up. (It looked horrible...looking back at pictures!) Well...Justin and I (and LOTS of helpers) gutted this house 9 years ago...and it's been our home for almost 7 years now.
(love that old truck in the driveway)

Branson Trip

2011-11-28T05:38:00.000-08:00

Thursday at 8 a.m., the extended Miller family (50+) headed to Branson, MO for a 60th Anniversary Celebration with Grandpa Max and Grandma Bobbie. All of us piled in a charter bus and headed South. The bus ride was relatively calm...especially considering that there were 20 children under age 13! Or, maybe it was b/c all of my children were hangin' out w/ aunties and uncles. :) My children have awesome Aunts (and Uncles!)

Steak and Shake for Thanksgiving Dinner was a 1st. :)

Kids didn't mind at all!

The hotel that we stayed in had a water park. My Grandpa mentioned in an email that there was a waterslide, so we'd better bring our swimsuits. I looked up the hotel online, just to see what kind of "waterslide" it was...and it happened to be a waterPARK! The kids were SO excited! Being there with lots of cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents made it even more fun.

My cute lil' neice...Elliana.

Yes, and my boy: Benjamin. He LOVED the water. In January, we took the kids to a waterpark in Indy. I was a large 35 wks pregnant...and it's funny, 10 months later, I have a mobile little guy who thoroughly enjoyed the waterpark!

It was fun being the pied piper for the weekend! All the little girl cousins were following me around b/c of Benjamin. They loved him! He's such a laid back, cheerful little guy that he was passed all around. :)

Had to shop just a little...and for a gal that doesn't shop much, it was funny to me that we were out on Black Friday. :) I actually bought a new coat for Justin to wrap up for me for Christmas. Funny how we "do" Christmas, eh? I call it efficient. :)

We went to a funny hillbilly show called the: "Baldknobbers" William liked the guy w/ the hillbilly teeth. Madeline liked the singing, dancing cowgirls.

Something was funny!

Would've been a good picture...

My sister and her hubby, Nathan...

I was definitely on vacation...there were built in babysitters everywhere...all ages, too!

Another sis and her hubby, George. :)

Madeline w/ the cowgirls...

Mom and Leah...

When I was editing the pictures, it cracked me up to see who was in the background...mainly relatives w/ funny expressions. :)

McKenzie and Isaac...and Nate looking mischievious

Derek (a friend of Max's) and Max, deep in thought. :)

Family Pictures...
(the original family)

Our family w/ Grandpa Max and Grandma Bobbie.

My family w/ my Grandparents... we kinda roll w/ the motto: "The More, The Merrier!"

We were at an animal show, and the whole family was pointing to William (who was sitting on Justin's lap)...when the stage-guy asked for a volunteer. Funny thing was that he picked Justin, not William.

WaterPark! This one cracks me up...I'm sure Justin will love it.

Here we are at the show: Dixie Stampede. What a fun dinner show! All of us LOVED it!

My parents...always the biggest ducks in the puddle. :)

Grandpa Max: The Patriarch
And also the organizer and funder of the whole trip. Wow...he planned such a fun trip and we made so many great memories!He and my Grandma are so generous and such givers.

Justin and I...

Samuel devouring his whole chicken like an apple. :)

Madeline's favorite part of the horse show were the cowgirls w/ their glittery outfits and fast horses. :) She was so mesmerized, she had trouble remembering her supper! The boys, including Benjamin, loved the show too! My 2 favorites were the Nativity Scene w/ the wise men on camels and the beautiful Christmas music and the lady in glittery gold and white that came riding out on a white horse singing "O Holy Night"

What an absolutely marvelous time! Thanks to my grandparents for making it all happen! It was fun to be able to live life w/ the relatives for a few days! We made some great memories. I spent most of my time w/ little kids or talking to adults while counting to 4 or craning my neck to make sure I could see all of them. Ha, ha. Actually, it was nice, since there were so many "helpers" We had adjoining rooms w/ my parents, which was lovely!

On the way down, while we were on the bus, my Dad shared a short message about Thanksgiving. Yesterday, we had church on the bus. It was a blessing to see how God has gifted different ones. About a week ago, my Grandpa had asked Justin to share something for Sunday morning on the bus. Well, yesterday, Nathan led some singing w/ his guitar (imagine trying to play, sing, and stand on a moving bus) (Isaac assisted him w/ the microphone and music:) I forgot to tell him that I enjoyed it. :) And then Justin shared about why we should be thankful and what we should be thankful for. I was so proud of him...he did a really good job. He shared lots of Scriptures to back his comments. It was well thought out and well said. :) I appreciated that my Grandpa asked different ones to speak, sing or pray while on the bus...it was good to be reminded about the history of Thanksgiving and what the scripture says about giving thanks.

Today I helped the kids write thank you notes to my grandparents. It was funny hearing their favorite things about the trip: the charter bus, "Nugget" the chicken, the hot tub, the arcade games, the cowgirls ("actually the horsegirls"--guess that does make more sense), the horses, and the baby pool. They had so much fun. I enjoyed seeing them enjoy it all. :)

Now, back to reality. Like decorating for Christmas, finishing the mountain of laundry, bills, last week of orchestra, school, etc.

Much to be thankful for...even the daily grind. :)

**I remember now why I don't take the time to blog much anymore...especially w/ text. Why are there all these div things that space everything out? I have to go back and edit it all after I'm done. It took forever! Help!**

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2011-11-23T20:13:00.000-08:00

Life...

2011-11-22T12:22:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I wish I could lock up memories. This was one of them. I know they won't stay small for long.

My parents were gone for a week, and my Grandparents came down from Chicago. It was wonderful to spend some time with them! Here were are decorating gingerbread houses w/ Grandma "Nett" Madeline worked on hers the longest. :) Samuel didn't make it past "gluing" them together...farm implements were more interesting to him. :)

My Men

2011-11-22T04:22:00.000-08:00

Here's what they've been doing lately :)

Update and picture from the past month...

2011-11-12T22:04:00.000-08:00

Well, it's 12:20 a.m. and I'm really hoping Benjamin is down for the night. I'll give him a few minutes, then I'm off to bed. I think the poor guy is teething...but the Tylenol is not working?? Anyway...here's a taste of what has been going on in the Goff household:
Madeline helping Benjamin eat, so Mommy can get supper going...(she's such a good big sister) Deer processing Doe #1...Doe #2 went down tonight, so they'll be more meat grinding in a few days.

Couldn't resist posting this one...love his chubby legs. :) Aren't they the best? (esp. after lil' skinny mini--she never had rolls) :)

Here are our adopted outside cats. (emphasizing outside) Benjamin loves to watch them out the window. At night the three of them play hide-n-peek. :)

Carving pumpkins...it's a Daddy project w/ the kids. (this pose took about 6 tries...)

Father/Son Campout...the boys were able to camp outside in a tent everynight w/ Justin. Brr! And btw, it was another successful camp...the Lord answered lots of prayers in regard to that...
Fort-building w/ Daddy last weekend. It's winterized. :)
And last, but not least, Madeline's breakfast date w/ Daddy. Justin started taking the kids out individually for breakfast every Saturday morning. Madeline's turn was last Saturday...William went this morning. :) Madeline was the favorite girl in the little diner in town. She had her nails painted, hair braided in a crown, fancy shoes, and her dress-up Cinderella dress. (thanks to Auntie Therese for helping her get fancy.)
Justin and I are finishing up a marriage seminar called "What Did You Expect" by Paul David Tripp. That's been occupying our Sunday evenings since September. And, wow, it's great teaching! I'm so glad we've prioritized going...it's been a huge blessing to our marriage. It's just good teaching to have on the brain when living day-to-day life! Are we sowing to the Kingdom of Self or to the Kingdom of God??

I've slowly but surely finished most of my house projects. Maybe I'll post some pictures of the living room...I'm liking how it has turned out. We've just given it a face-lift. New paint, a few pillows, throws, and curtains do a lot! We're getting ready to put a big vinyl scripture on the wall. I wish I knew how to post the ones I've designed on here...b/c we're having trouble deciding which one...and I could collect some votes..hmm... (Eph 2, Titus 3 or 1 John 4...selected verses about the Gospel) Let's see, what else? Oh, I touched up all my kitchen paint and all the white woodwork...enjoying the dent free walls for the time being, although we have had a few accidents that I'm going to have to spackle and re-paint. I only have the hallway left...maybe I could get that done before Thanksgiving?? Hmm...

I have an orchestra concert tomorrow...pretty intense one too. We're playing a Dvorak Symphony and accompanying on the 3rd Beethoven Piano Concerto...great music!

I just got Shoshanna Pearl Easling's "Making Babies" 3 DVD set. I've watched a lot of it and it's great information about health, herbs, healthy recipes, and pregnancy, of course. I'm glad that I have it as a future resource, not only for myself, but for my friends and my sisters.

Well, baby is quiet, so I'm off to get some zzz's before Church at 8:30 am...Goodnight!

Benjamin Update...

2011-10-18T12:56:00.000-07:00

Benjamin recently turned 8 months old! What a little honey he is. :) It's funny how fast they become mobile...especially since they have older ones to chase after. He's crawling everywhere now...and makes a bee-line for the things he's not supposed to have. Tiny legos and toys of all sorts as well as "masterpieces" now have to be played with at the dining room table. Benjamin definitely enjoys destroying anything the kids make. I have to remind them that they too were little like him...and had no idea they were "wrecking up" something special. ;) Benjamin is a very smiley, good natured, laid-back little fella. His face isn't that chubby...but don't let that deceive you. He's very sturdily built. I LOVE that! Madeline didn't have the cute chubs like he does. It cracks me up when I see him w/ just a diaper on. :)

Besides motoring around, Benjamin likes to pull up to everything, especially the windows. He likes to play hide-and-seek w/ Peaches and Camo (the kittens) at the front door window.

I am now having to keep my floors, rugs, and carpets cleaner. Today he was happily eating mud or manure...not sure which... at my backdoor rug.

Madeline is a good "big sista" (as she calls herself)

Benjamin's newest trick is waving hi or bye to people. A few weeks ago, he waved to a friend in the grocery store. I actually thought it was an accident...but when we passed the same lady again, he waved again. This past weekend, he definitely was showing off. He likes to watch his hand twist while he waves. Too funny!

Hopefully writing this down will preserve my memory...as I have a feeling it'll all seem like a blur looking back at it. That's what pictures and journals are for, right? To extend our memories? ! Yes. :)

Goodbye Summer...

2011-10-05T05:23:00.000-07:00

Busy season...

2011-09-21T13:27:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been awhile since I've posted anything. Whew! We've been busy all summer...and so the busy-ness continues. School is in full swing now...yes, we're homeschooling. My days are packed full! We are trying (huff, puff) to get some home improvement projects off the ground. I did a few in August while 2 of my children were gone for a week. Justin and I re-painted and re-vamped our bathroom a few weeks ago. Now the major project is tackling our kitchen, living room and hallway walls. Over the past 6 years, they've been heartily "characterized" It's time for new paint. I did spend some time spackeling (sp?) and we've used nearly a can already! I'm hoping to prime and paint the kitchen(mainly just touch up...and I'm dearly hoping I don't have to paint every square inch....just "feather it in") Ha...we'll see how that works.

My living room, (sigh) I'm still trying to decide what shade to paint it. I have to work with the current furniture and the colors of the rooms around it, so I think I'm going to go w/ a light brown...there's only a few 100 different shades of light brown, you know. :) I'm really itching to get these projects done. Right now, Samuel says our walls look like winter...with lots of "snowflakes" all over. :) Benjamin and I have been down w/ colds and I haven't had any spare time or energy to spend on my walls. But, hopefully soon, I'll be able to get those projects completed. I also have quite a few pictures that have been sitting on the floor or dressers waiting to be hung. Hoping to get those up too!

I've just gone through the next season of clothes for all the kids. And, wow, that was quite a job. I'm so thankful it's done, the extras are out of my house, and that we hardly need anything (including shoes and coats) for the next season or 2!

The kids and I planted a fall garden. Thankfully the timely rains have helped our seeds sprout. We'll see what happens. I kinda think we planted everything too late. Hmm...we'll see. :)

I'm honestly amazed at HOW much time it takes to keep things running smoothly and staying organized. On top of the basic needs of running a home, there's also children to train (constantly), a marriage to keep up with, homeschooling, exercise, gardening, cooking, friendships and family, hospitality...whew...church activities, shopping, etc... Oh, and not to mention, keeping up one's time with the Lord & one's appearance/clothes. Are there any other moms out there that know how to keep up with it all? I'm open for suggestions. :)

Well, I need to go get Samuel. We need to practice piano and do math...
Happy Wednesday!

Happy Birthday Samuel

2011-08-21T09:25:00.000-07:00

Samuel turned 6 on August 18th! Wow...time sure flies! Samuel's favorite gift was a new camo Bible with large print and his name on the front. How exciting for him to be able to read the Bible for himself! He was so excited that night. I think Justin and I each got 12 hugs from him. :)
Samuel loves to bike ride. He likes to build ramps or jump over stumps. He has a flock of chickens and keeps us supplied with eggs. He loves to go places with Justin. He likes to run fast, play hard, and sleeps hard at night. Unlike William, he likes to go to bed on time and wake up early. He enjoys having breakfast with Grandma Bobbie.:)
Samuel enjoyed swimming this summer! He took lessons and learned to be a stronger swimmer, learned to dive, and also braved the diving board!

I had him change clothes, and we quick grabbed a few pictures of him to remember him as a 6 year old.

I've watched Samuel grow in responsibility and initiave this year. He's becoming a huge help to our family team. I appreciate his cheerful attitude (most days) and his whistling while he does his chores. :)

Samuel has learned to read, is learning to play the piano, is learning to write neatly, and is memorizing God's Word. He loves to sing. His 2 favorite songs recently are "You Are Not a God Created" and "I Will Call Upon the Lord"

He loves hanging out with Isaac and Eva. William and Madeline are his good friends.

He had a very happy birthday, and I'm so thankful God has given Samuel to us for 6 years. I'm looking forward to this next year!

Happy 3rd Birthday Madeline!

2011-08-08T12:22:00.000-07:00

Madeline's having a few girlfriends over for a princess tea party here in a little bit. I just wanted to get these posted before the time gets away from me!
Here I am a few weeks later, typing down a few things to remember about Miss Madeline. :) Let's see...Madeline likes all-things-girly! It's very important to her that she plays with girl-stuff. She likes Strawberry ShortCake dolls and baby dolls. I enjoy watching and listening to her play "Mommy"

Madeline is quite petite...but on most days, eats more than the boys. That's so funny to me! She loves to help me around the house, with Benjamin, and in the garden. She and the boys have loved to go out the blackberry bushes and eat "snacks"

People stop me and ask me if I curl her hair. I laugh inside to myself and wonder how in the world I would have time to do that every day. Her curls come from Justin...I like them. I actually look at her hair and think..."How nice to just be able to whip it up in a high curly pony & have curly wispy's...and it look adorable." Most days we don't even brush it. :)

Madeline took swimming lessons this summer. She was quite the little swimmer. She's my little energizer bunny. :) She also ran in our town's 1 mile fun-run and ran the whole way. My Mom said she was huffing and puffing, but didn't quit till she crossed the finish line. :)
Madeline likes tea parties, cheese, stickers, crafts of all sorts, and likes to read and color.
We took these pictures early, early in the morning (before 7 am) before all the boys were up. She like to wake up early and either snuggle in bed with me, or read on the couch while I have devotions. :)

I will say that Madeline is very feminine...but she definitly can hold her own with the boys! I'm praying that she'll have a meek and quiet spirit. Both she and her mommy are working on that. :)

My pregnancy with Madeline was my hardest...but she was so worth it! I honestly can't believe she's 3 already! I'm praying for grace as we raise her to be a daughter of the King. I'm so thankful for my girly girl. :)

Happy Birthday Madeline!

2011-08-07T05:06:00.000-07:00

Madeline is 3 years old today! And Happy Birthday to my Mom!

Two of my boys...

2011-08-05T13:10:00.000-07:00

Happiest of Birthdays...to my 4 year old, William...

2011-08-05T07:47:00.001-07:00

So before Madeline's Birthday pictures, I'd better get William's pictures up. Here's our big 4 Year Old... His favorite things (as of 9:56 on August 5th): knights, dragons, dinosaurs, pirates, pizza, Rural King, and his friend, Karsten.
He has quite the personality. He's definitely stretched me in many ways. He's lots different from my other children, but I'm thankful for that. Justin and I are curious how God will use him. William has already taught us a lot. God uses him to say the most profound things to us.

There's never a dull moment with William! He definitely keeps me on my toes. That was true when he was 2 and is still true! He does the unexpected and unthinkable. He's not afraid of snakes. He can be daring, but he can also be fearful. Like being scared of the dark or fearful of swimming. (even though he did swim the whole width of the pool recently!) He laughes the hardest, smiles the biggest, and screams the loudest. I'm confident the Lord will use his passion in a positive way in the future. Right now, we're just trying to channel it. Isn't it amazing how sometimes our perceived weaknesses end up becoming our strengths? Or at least, a channel of blessing.

This week has been wonderful. Justin, Benjamin and I have had William all to ourselves! What a treat! We were laying in his bed snuggling with him, when he told us about his dream the night before. He said, "In my dream...Daddy, you and Satan were fighting. [Us: our ears perked up. "Oh really?"] Yes...but Satan didn't win. You won,Daddy...because Jesus was with you." And, from there, the conversation resumed it's normal 4 year old musings...
This was very interesting to us, since we've felt the warfare heating up and felt like we have been fighting spiritual battles more than ever. It was nice to be reminded that we're on the victory side...and that Jesus is helping us fight and win!

William has an amazing tenderness and compassion for weaker things: animals, babies, the sick, and the persecuted...

I'm so thankful that God has given us 4 wonderful years with William! He's definitely the firecracker of our family! Love you, buddy!

Look at Me!

2011-07-27T10:34:00.001-07:00

I love the Johnny-Jump-Up!

I'm 5 months old, 17 lbs, and I like to eat. Here's my newest trick!

Wedding

2011-07-12T15:46:00.000-07:00

Justin and I and the kids had the privilege of attending our neice's wedding a few weeks ago. It was beautiful and very meaningful; both the ceremony and the reception. The pictures are a little out of order, but here's a glimpse of our weekend away celebrating the birth of a new family!

Here's us...I quick had my sister-in-law snap this photo. Not exactly looking like we did when the whole thing started, but eh, got the gist. :)

(4 children + several hours in confined spaces=we were ALL ready to leave ;)
I remember now why we've opted for babysitters in the past, so we can attend and actually visit...

Chelsea, Brooke and Benjamin

Cousins!

Madeline snuck into the kissing picture. :)

The Newlyweds: Nick and Alyssa

Ty and Benjamin (I have one of him holding all the kids...he's such a sweet kid!)

Madeline insisted on buttering her own roll. :)

Owen and William having fun w/ magnet toys...

Cole, Justin and Benjamin

The oldly-weds :)

Brother-in-law, Brian, and his son, Derek

My neices...they loved their "position" as flower-girls...

Poppa Lou and William

Chelsea, Alyssa, and Me

Grandma Janeen and Madeline...

Samuel and Conor

Uncle Brian and Aunt TJ were gracious enough to host all of us for the weekend..
Rehearsal Dinner Pictures...

William's 4th Birthday Party

2011-07-11T14:39:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to William! Where have 4 years gone? Where is the birthday boy? We were thankful to have friends and family to come help us celebrate! We missed the ones that couldn't come.

We played a few games. The balloon toss and "duck duck goose" were favorites! We're going to have to play games more often. The kids took awhile to get the hang of some of them. It was very funny to watch!

Madeline and Andrew won the balloon toss...I think because they handed off their balloon instead of tossing it. :)

..some good friends...

The boys definitely out number the girls!

Finally! Getting ready to blow! He had his own personal cupcake to germify this year. Last year, he blew more than air on his cake. Eww! :)

Loving chocolate!! She's my kind of girl!
Isaac!
Us w/ William...
Opening gifts...
Auntie Leah came through, once again, w/ the favorite gift. :)

...missing mother...no longer! (it's easy to be the picture taker...and forget to hop in every now and then!)
Oh, yes, and we enjoyed fireworks by Max, Derek, and Isaac. Papa Chris bought giant sparklers. It was a fun evening! ;)

Friends...

2011-07-09T14:52:00.000-07:00

Friendship is a blessing. You know you have good friends, when you can go a year without seeing or speaking to eachother and start where you left off. Our friends, Daniel and Faith, came to visit for most of last week. We had a great time together!

Krista, the girls, and her father-in-law, Samuel came for a visit last Thursday. I think Ellie looks more like Faith's baby, than Krista's. :)
Late night chats were fun! I think the latest we stayed up was 1 am. I'm still paying for that. :)

The kids having fun. Eva being the ringleader!

We had a picnic at the cabin. It was lots of fun. The only bummer was the full gallon of lemonade that was accidently spilled.

Sushi night! Daniel instructed us in the art of sushi-making. Yum! We called our friends, John and Christina at the last minute to come eat w/ us. The kids were in bed by 8...we had a blast!

Delish! I'm craving that now!

Potato Digging with Papa...

2011-07-09T14:23:00.000-07:00

T-ball

2011-06-28T10:14:00.000-07:00

Samuel has been waiting for 2 years to play T-ball. I love going because it's so funny! Here are a few pictures from the last game. Samuel and Eva had quite the crowd to cheer for them.

My Aunt Therese drove an hour to watch the game. Unfortunately she parked in the wrong spot. A fly ball from another baseball game hit the back window of her car and shattered it!

I had taken Samuel's t-shirt to a shop uptown to have his name put on the back. Well, as I'm finding out, my brain cells from having babies are not coming back. I forgot to go pick up his shirt and he had to wear a red shirt of William's. The black shorts were Isaac's old ones...size 8, I think. He was embarrassed, but willingly wore the mismatched outfit anyway. :)

I'm pretty sure my parents were the only people there cheering for a child AND a grandchild! lol!

Samuel plays t-ball more like football. (tackle whoever has the ball!)

Here's from an earlier game. Eva really improved on her hitting. Way to go Eva!

Justin missed this ballgame. It was all I could do to get out the door on time w/ the kids. (Bible Study came right after, so I had to have supper done and get all the stuff for later...) Samuel dressed himself. I love that this age is so free from caring what other people think. My kid was the only one on the field w/ orange and blue shorts and a red shirt. :)

Grandpa and Grandma are so sweet to come to all the ball games. Grandma and Mom have to take turns being the baby-entertainer/hogger. :)

2011-06-21T17:35:00.000-07:00

Summertime Recipe

2011-06-21T17:24:00.001-07:00

Time seems to be speeding up. Or, maybe we're just on the go more. Well, it's summertime and we're outside lots, going to T-ball games, gardening, and swimming at the pool. Food preparation time is at a minimum and I always rejoice when I find something fast, nourishing and good. So here's my simple recipe:

Taco Beans

1 lb kidney beans
1 lb black beans

Pour into a crockpot and cover with water. Turn on low and cook for 6 hrs. (time may vary)
Add in several Tbsp of taco seasoning to taste.
Serve in a tortilla and top w/ cheese, lettuce, green onions, diced peppers, taco sauce, and sour cream. Delish!

With the left over beans, you can either re-heat them for a repeat for lunch, or cook them longer and add more water to make refried beans to add to taco meat and freeze for another fast meal.

~~~~~~~~~
Because I like to inform my family on how healthy they are eating, let me say that legumes contain several anticancer agents. All contain both omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids. Kidney and pinto beans are high in omega 3's; chickpeas are high in omega 6's. Legumes are rich in minerals and B vitamins.

To make beans digestible, make sure they're cooked well. It's best to soak them for 12-24 hrs before you cook them. Adding 2 T of lemon juice for every 2 cups of beans. (sometimes I don't think or plan that far ahead, so I just omit that step...and they're still good)

~~~~~~~~
And another great thing is that this meal is cheap!! (esp if you're able to get most of your toppings from the garden! :)

Happy Father's Day

2011-06-19T15:31:00.000-07:00

"Father of mine, some years ago
You showed me the way I ought to go;
You led my feet past the treach'rous sand
By the gentle clasp of your own strong hand.

Father of mine, let me thank you for
The prayers you prayed and the burden you bore.
Like a guiding star thro' the tempests' strife,
All your precepts have shone on my path of life.

Father of mine, when the time has passed
And the work of my life is complete at last,
When I step ashore on the glory strand
With a grateful heart I will clasp your hand." Sarah Marinee

I had an "ah-ha" moment the other day. It may not seem that profound to anyone else, but I realized WHO it was who introduced me to Jesus. It was my Dad (well, and my Mom, too). Not Sunday School, not books, not movies. He stands out as the one who was there to point out THE WAY. I don't remember him "praying the sinners prayer" w/ me, or anything like that. (I'm not so sure that the whole "inviting Jesus into your heart" is really Biblical, but anyway) He was there when I had questions and was also proactive in teaching me (and my siblings) about Jesus, helping us memorize Scripture, and most importantly he walked with the Lord. Being in the Word and praying was a part of who he was. Not something he just talked about. I love the notes he wrote in my various Bibles, encouraging me to "never quit." I specifically remember him encouraging me when I was doubting (about salvation), when I was lonely (in college he came and took me out for lunch), and when I was struggling w/ entrusting someone I loved to the Lord. (when Justin was getting deployed to Afghanistan) I'm so thankful for the privilege of growing up in his home.
I'm so thankful that the Lord radically transformed him at the age of 33. (I was 4....but don't remember him as an unsaved man) I'm thankful he and my Mom have allowed the Lord to transform their marriage, which would've otherwise ended. I'm so thankful for his shaping influence in my life, my husband's life, and especially our children's lives! They love Papa Chris!
So, thank you, Dad, for introducing me to MY Savior. I hope I live my life in a manner worthy of the Gospel. And as you have taught me, so I am attempting (w/ the Lord's help) to teach my children. Thank you for your faithfulness.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm also thankful for another man in my life. He's my husband and the father of our 4 children. I'm so grateful to God for giving him to me and for doing a redemptive work in his heart and life. I can honestly say, that I see Jesus loving through him.

Happy Father's Day all!

Memorial Day Weekend

2011-06-17T05:08:00.000-07:00

Sleep is a wonderful thing! Sometimes when I see Benjamin all sacked out mid-morning, I wish I could join him. That's one beautiful thing w/ only 1 baby, you CAN sleep when they sleep--any time of day. Now w/ 4 munchkins, naps are usually a thing of the past, although most days, I feel I could use one. I remind myself, that I won't die from sleep deprivation. :) Sleeping beauties. It's funny how many things you "know" about parenting the "right way" BEFORE kids arrive. Once they're here, you realize how very little you know, how much you have to learn, and the "rules" you made for yourself and the "I'd never allow my kids to do ______" fly out the window. And here's proof: co-sleeping! (FYI: we do not start out like this at bedtime. It's always interesting to see where everyone's at, come morning. Usually Samuel is in our bed, too. Justin and I are on the edges, and William's ALWAYS snoozin' in his own bed) But aren't they cute? :) I love it when they're sleeping!

Another snoozin' picture...Benjamin at 4 months...

We had a very fun time as a family camping out at my parents' cabin. It's the perfect mini-vacation: free and close to home! I'm not sure why we haven't done this before. Well, I think it's because I'm always pregnant, nursing, or have a toddler. Well, we went all together, in spite of a nursing baby, and had a great time!

Samuel and Daddy got in some t-ball practice time.

Mommy and Benjamin- self-portrait

S'mores=sticky!! But they were good!

Love this lil' guy!

Uncle Max came and hung out w/ us, for a little while...

Fixin' our health food. :)

All in all, it was a fun weekend! Hope we can do that again soon, before it gets too hot. :)

Savoring the Summer

2011-06-14T18:37:00.000-07:00

80 Years Young!

2011-06-11T13:18:00.001-07:00

Happy 80th birthday to my Grandpa Max! We are so blessed to have all four grandparents living and in great health. None of them look or act their age :) Today my dad's dad turned 80. I grew up down the road from he and Grandma Bobbie. Both were incredible shaping influences in my life and continue to be. My grandpa has always been an entrepreneur. Out of high school he started the "pig motel" business with his younger brother. From there he had many ventures in the grain industry and just a few years ago built a small retirement home called Oaks Manor in Oakland. He never toots his own horn and is rather quiet. Grandpa Max is one of those people whom "his right hand doesn't know what his left hand doeth." He is very generous and loves my grandma very much as well as his 3 children, 11 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren (so far...most of the grandkids aren't married yet)

Birthday Tribute to Grandpa Max...written by my sister Krista. (I stole it off of her blog---thanks Krist!)

Grandpa grew up in the country and went to a small, one room school house. He moved to Oakland in highschool which is when he met my grandma. She said that when the Millers moved to town, no body knew their Bible like my grandpa and he was ahead in school too. Grandpa Max and Grandma Bobbie got married when he was 20 and she was 18. I talked to my Grandma today and she said that she has had the privilege of wishing him 60 birthdays so far and Lord willing, many more!
...and I'll add that we get to live right next door to them. I'm so thankful that my kids are growing up knowing them. They just love it that G-ma has a full cookie bucket, and G-pa Max sneaks cookies to them, even if it's before lunch. :)

Benjamin 3 months

2011-06-10T05:14:00.000-07:00

The boys... Isaac and Benjamin

align="center">Benjamin will be 4 months old in 4 days, so I suppose it's time to get his 3 month pictures posted.
These are just a few I snapped. I need to get the ones Therese took...I have a feeling she got better ones than these. :)

"And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children. In righteousness shalt thou be established..." Is. 54:13,14a

Why I haven't posted in a long while...

2011-06-09T13:58:00.000-07:00

Yes, it was sand. In the last post, Krista took the vacuum to Grace's scalp to get all the sand out. Madeline was the culprit, so I hear. :)

Well, life has definitely sped up for us. It's amazing how much more time 1 extra lil' person takes. Wouldn't trade him in, though. :) Besides being busy w/ Benjamin, we've been busy w/ lots of outside things.The garden is taking off, I have strawberries coming out my ears...speaking of which, I need to go stem!

We have weddings to play for, a bridal shower to help w/, we're running in a 5 K this weekend... we went up to visit George and Krista, then enjoyed them for a week while they visited down here, enjoyed the Illinois Homeschool Convention last weekend, and, boy, let's see what else...oh, we have 97 chicks and 9 laying hens, I still teach a few students, the kids enjoy the pool...

All this to say, have any of you ever hired household help? Well, that's where I'm at right now. I'm seriously considering it. Not because I can't clean my house, but because I do like a clean one. Housecleaning is on the back burner at this season in my life. My focus right now is four little souls that monopolize my time and energy. Now that the garden is in full swing, we're lots more active and outdoorsy, trying to freeze or can stuff...it's something I'm thinkin' about. Just keeping up w/ the cooking and laundry is huge! So anyhoo...thoughts, any of you seasoned mom's out there??

I will try and post some new pictures...I have been taking pictures...they just haven't made it to the blog. :) Benjamin's 3 mo ones will come soon. Promise :)

Guess what happened?!

2011-06-01T04:40:00.000-07:00

Here's a clue....

During my laundry folding this afternoon...

2011-05-02T12:41:00.000-07:00

http://youtu.be/6U9WJbzAg04(by C.J. Mahaney)

Oh. my. goodness! I'm inspired and very convicted! Hope this video will encourage all of us women to adorn THE GOSPEL. That should be our motivation in everything!

"Immodesty is an expression of arrogance...Modesty is humility expressed in dress...

Your wardrobe is a public statement of private adn personal motivation...

What is most eye catching...your clothing or your character?

What is to be noticable about a woman professing godliness? Not wardrobe, but good works...

Less time in the bathroom and mall...& more time serving. What are you known for, fashion or good works?

THE GOSPEL...has a transforming effect on our hearts, our apparel, and our works."

I'm very thankful for the courageous man that bravely shared Biblical teaching on this very important subject. Wow.

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T19:46:00.000-07:00

I have had some thoughts swirling around in my head during the nights and the past few days. I'm so grateful to the Lord for what He has done. Until I have more time to write, I'll just post the lines that have been running through my head the past few days. Hope ya'll had a Happy Easter. I'm happy to say, we did finally get a family picture w/ our new addition. :) Eh, 10 weeks old...not bad!

"My sin, oh the bliss, of this glorious thought,

My sin, not in part, but the whole;

Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,

Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord, oh my soul"

"Living He loved me,

Dying He saved me,

Burried He carried my sins far away,

Rising He justified, freely forever,

One day He's coming, Oh glorious day!"

Digital Pix are fun. Expressions are endless...

2011-04-22T16:30:00.000-07:00

Visit w/ Friends...

2011-04-22T13:56:00.000-07:00

Invites are unusual for us, unless it's w/ friends that have as many or more kids than us. Ha!!

Got the SOS from my Mom about this picture...rather than re-editing it, I'll just put the disclaimer that my hubby was being goofy. I honestly thought making it black and white would make his hand less noticable. I agree it's a lil' creepy, but I thought it was a good picture of the guys w/ the babies. :)

It's funny to me that when we get together w/ friends it's like a kid-explosion. Didn't we all just have 1 or 2?

My sister and George, Grace and Elliana were down for a visit recently. It was very fun to be with them!
Benjamin gets the chubbiness award, Ellie, wins in the cheek dept. :)
Cousins! They LOVE playing together. Madeline needs feminine influence w/ all these boys around here!

Luv this girl...

2011-04-22T13:41:00.000-07:00

Madeline is 2.5 and loves doing things herself. I'm very blessed to have a child that is somewhat self-sufficient. As you can see, she enjoys picking out her outfits. Each day is a new and exciting combo. She's recently had a growth spurt, hence the high-water corduroys. She loves them, but I've had to put them away. He other fav. is the fancy black fur shrug that goes w/ a Christmas dress. Ta Da! She comes out all decked out, completely oblivious and quite cheery. There's something so precious about the 2-3 year old stage...

This outfit was hilarious in person...the pictures don't do it justice. I asked her to go outside, pick up all her dishes and get her rain coat. She happily obeyed and I was pleasantly surprised to find I didn't have to go double check or help her pick up. (now w/ the boys...that's a different story!) She came to the back door like this...

The sunglasses just completed her ensemble. And no, the jacket is not supposed to be reversible. :)

Oh, and I almost forgot...her hair is wildly curly and crazy most days. I'm ashamed to say, but I don't always take the time to fix it, so she looks like a beautiful lil' ragamuffin. :) Gum boots and all! :)

Hands and Feet...

2011-04-01T08:21:00.000-07:00

Benjamin at 6 weeks!

2011-03-31T13:52:00.000-07:00

My baby boy is 6 weeks old! He weighs 11 lbs 5.5 oz. and is 22.5 inches long. He's starting to smile and most days is almost smothered to death by his adoring siblings. Special toys are laid next to him and beloved blankies are shared when he's fussy.

I'm enjoying his newborn-ness and his chubbiness! I want to remember all the little details, although I know I will forget. My favorites right now are the lil' rolls on his arms and legs, dimpled fists, and holding him while he sleeps.

My days fly by right now...and there aren't enough hours to get everything done. I'm surrounded by messes, half-finished projects, long to-do or to-call lists, laundry everywhere...but I'm putting things on a priority list. Too many things are at or near the top, but I know it's just a season! Speaking of priorities, a shower is near the top today, so I shall sign off. I'll try to post some more if I get a snatch of time here in the next few days!

Benjamin's Birth Story

2011-03-21T21:46:00.000-07:00

Benjamin at 5 weeks...

Picture configuration, not how I want it...but not sure how to correct it. :)

I need to record this, before I forget. (Ha!) Do any mom's forget their babies' births? I don't think so...written down or not. All of my babies' birth-days have been forever seared in my memory: the pain, joy, sweat, tears, and finally: THEM! :)

Well, Benjamin was officially due on the 8th of February. I was anticipating him to be "on time" or "late"...just had that "feeling." Sure enough, 12 days of February went by uneventfully. I felt very good up until the day before he was born. I was up on and off all night on Friday with intense contractions. I remember thinking, "When these get closer together, it'll be time!" Saturday I felt horrible...I pretty much laid around all day and read books to the kids. The boys had soccer in the afternoon, so Madeline and I took naps. I called my Mom just to give her a head's up that I didn't feel good...that pre-labor feeling. My sister, Therese, came over in the early evening and helped me tidy up my tornado-of-a-house. I was trying to get motivated all day to finish laundry and tidy up...didn't happen till she came over, though. :) Justin and I put the kids to bed and hung out. We listened to music videos on you-tube. Actually, "The Alpha and the Omega" (by the Gaithers) and "All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name" were 2 of the songs. Throughout labor, it was "stuck" in my head. :)

I dared not verbalize my thoughts about labor being imminent to Justin, b/c I'd already used the line "I think tonight is THE night, Honey" I was afraid to say, just to wake up in the morning and be disappointed. We went to bed around 10 pm and I slept soundly till 12 a.m. Contractions were still intense and seemed somewhat closer together. I got up and started getting things ready. I finished packing my bag, checked my list of last minute things to grab, exchanged laundry from the washer to the dryer to the laundry basket and finally decided the contractions needed to be timed. I remember that they needed to be spaced kinda close together...but was it 5 minutes or 3 minutes?? I couldn't remember. I woke Justin up and asked to borrow his watch so I could keep better track. He said something like, "Why do you need it?" I replied that I thought I was in labor and needed to start timing. He decided he should go ahead and get in the shower and get ready. I was thinking, I hope all of this is not pre-mature...I really hope it's the real deal! The contractions were between 8 and 10 minutes apart, but intense! I called Labor and Delivery and talked to the nurse. She said to come in when contractions are 3-5 minutes apart for an hour...but that if I felt like I needed to come in, to go ahead. I did mention that this was my 4th baby and we live 1 hour away. After I got off the phone, I felt kinda silly for calling...after all my contractions weren't that close and I did not want to arrive at the hospital only to find out I was in early labor. I decided to shower, and put make-up on to kill some time. Madeline came into the bathroom while I was getting ready and she was dressed for the day. She actually thought it was time to wake up and go somewhere. :) 3 a.m. is kinda early for Sunday morning. :0 I sat on the couch w/ her for a little while. By this time, the bags were packed, Justin had loaded the car, and I was REALLY thinking "Oh, goodness! This IS labor!" I finally told him to call my Mom that we needed to GO, contractions close, or not! I felt bad to be in so much pain in front of Madeline...but she didn't seem to mind. She wanted me to read books to her, but I told her she could read the book to me, instead. She was fine with that. When another contraction would roll around I would kneel next to the couch, huffing and puffing till it was past. Then I was fine. :) Soon, Madeline was put back to bed and we told her we were going to the hospital to have her baby brother. It felt so surreal to finally be "in that moment!" I thought, "This child will be coming out to meet us! Yay!"

Well, there was no answer at my parents' house. We tried 3 or 4 different cell phones before we finally got an answer. Therese was on her way. After waiting what seemed like a long time (probably only 15 minutes), Justin called her back, thinking maybe she had fallen back to sleep. (Hee:) Actually, there was a LONG line up of cars in the driveway, (finding keys is always an interesting deal at my parents'...esp at 3 in the morning) and she had back out other cars first. She peeled in our driveway around 3 am. The contraction I had right before I got in the car was a long, hard one. I had to stop talking for a minute; I think I scared my sister. :) ["That's labor for ya, honey!"]
Justin drove the speed limit, we encountered no trains, and he stayed occupied timing contractions for me. The worst part of labor was in the car. The contractions were the closest and most intense. I remember thinking that they felt like the contractions at the end of labor...but quickly dismissed the thought, reassuring myself not to get my hopes up. I also started having transition-like symptoms...turns out, that wasn't in my imagination!

We arrived at the hospital at 4 a.m. It took awhile for the check-in and general paper work. I about fell out of the bed when the nurse infomed me that I was indeed close to delivery. "What?" I was thinking! I asked her twice, just b/c I couldn't hardly believe what she said! Soon, other nurses started wheeling in the delivery supplies. It felt so surreal! Justin and I smiled at eachother...so happy that this labor wasn't going to be an in-hospital 18 hour deal this time! (previous labors had happened "backwards" and I arrived at the hospital soon after my water broke, thus going through the whole process at the hospital, instead of mostly at home)

The midwife came in and we chatted in between contractions. She actually was the midwife who delivered Isaac and Eva(my siblings), assisted w/ pictures at our wedding, and now was going to (finally) be able to deliver one of our babies. At one of my pre-natal appointments, she told me that it was about time for her to be able to catch one of our babies. :) Her wish came true. :) Since I knew she was on call that night, I kept trying to calculate if she would be at my delivery. According to my past labors, no...but I did also have a "feeling" that this labor would go faster. :)

Contractions spaced out to about 10 minutes apart and stayed that way. Baby was posterior, so I tried lots of different positions to try to turn him. He didn't seem to be cooperating. Finally a little before 7 a.m., Kathy the midwife, decided we'd been patient enough. She broke my water, and an intensely horrible 12(?) minutes followed. I remember screaming in my head...thoughts in a jumble, "Yeeouch! The only way to get relief is to keep going...I don't remember it hurting this much...Yeeouch!! God help me!" That stage only lasted a few minutes, and our son, Benjamin Loyal was born. Ah! Relief! He was healthy...the Lord answered prayers! Benjamin Loyal was officially part of the family February 13, 7:12 a.m. 8 lbs 4 oz. 20.5 inches long.

It's now been 1 month since his birth. I have rested more, relaxed more, and have tried to soak up this fleeting newborn stage. I had forgotten the little noises, stretches, funny faces, and overall sweet stage. Two and a half years seems like such a huge span, compared to my first 3 babies. Amazing how many things I had forgotten...like how many diapers newborns go through, how excruciating nursing is for me, how many dear friends and family we have, and how blessed I am to have another little one. Justin was a huge help to me, as was my Grandma and my Mom. We had a record # of meals brought to us by kind friends and family. Benjamin's delivery was the best one yet, and I rest my case, that au naturel' is the way to go. (I'm not anti-epidural...but I've felt SO good after the last 2 non-medicated births) He is a good baby. His nicknames are "Sweet Baby Cakes" and "Piglet" The kids love him and enjoy holding him for about 3 seconds.

Justin and I loved the name Benjamin. I even had a baby doll named Benjamin, growing up. (and still have it!) We were having trouble coming up with a middle name. We briefly began to regret the whole character-middle-tradition we started. We had already used the more "normal" sounding ones. :)

Benjamin: "Son of my right hand"/ "Mighty"

Loyal: "Faithful, true to duty or love"

One day, Justin heard some preaching on the radio about loyalty, and what a lost virtue it is these days. He had it! Benjamin Loyal...he liked it! Justin came in from work and wasn't in the house very long, before he was dealing with a discipline issue with one of the kids. He wrote something down for me on an index card. I thought it was some quiet message like, "Be consistent!" (still thinking of how I incorrectly handled something w/ the kids) Was I surprised, when he handed it to me, and it was "THE" name! It simply said BENJAMIN LOYAL GOFF, in Justin's capital-letters-handwriting. I looked at him and said, "I LOVE it! That's it!" With each of the kids, once we found "their" names, it just clicked with both of us. And that's the lil' story behind Benjamin's name.

We are excited and hopeful that God will use Benjamin in mighty ways. That he will become a man who is mighty and loyal to God in his generation. Just as God had plans for the great men and women in the Bible, we believe He has great and mighty things planned for each one of our children. We are trusting Him and seeking to be faithful.

So that's the long and short of Benjamin's story. Wow...I wrote a book, but I wrote it out so I wouldn't forget. Maybe someday he'll enjoy it too. :)

Delicioso!!

2011-03-21T13:23:00.000-07:00

Crunchy Snack Mix...

1 stick butter
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. corn syrup
1 14 oz box shredded wheat
2 c. nuts
2 c. craisens

Boil first 3 ingred. and pour over shred. wheat and nuts. Toss to coat and spread in a pan to bake at 250 degrees x 1 hr. Spread craisens out on wax paper and pour warm mixture over and let cool. Store in an airtight container.

A friend brought this mix over after Benjamin was born and it is DELISH!! A must-try!

This made a little over 1 gallon of mix...just sayin'

Lil' Things...

2011-03-17T05:46:00.000-07:00

Life is in the little moments...the details. I don't want to forget!

Like my 5 year old, who made his bed and went to feed the chickens without being asked. He wore his army pjs and his gum boots. *smile* (Me: "Yessss"!)

A Grandma who lives next door and invites my children for breakfast nearly every morning...

My sweet 3 and 2 year olds who clip-clomp over in their gum boots, hoods flapping and curly hair flying...

My girly who decided to wear her collared pj shirt under her collared white dress shirt w/ a pair of jeans. "I wear this under," she said. ("Alrighty...we'll roll w/ it!" smile:)

A 3 year old who says embarrassing things without realizing...(like tellling my grandma that her pants are too tight and telling a girlfriend how he likes to pick his nose...)

A Baby Boy who is warming the middle of my king size bed with his lil' self...completely sacked out. So cute! (and ooh, how I'd like to go crawl back in bed and get a few more hrs of zzz...'s)

Big blue eyes and a curly head of hair that look at me so earnestly while I help her get dressed.

Toys and strollers left outside...

Long days...short nights...lots of little memories...don't let me forget!

1 month...

2011-03-14T13:22:00.000-07:00

Come, Spring!
Bath Time!

Come, Spring! (We put away all snowy decor and brought out the spring decorations! Justin bought seeds for the 1st planting in the garden...I think spring IS near!)

Has it already been 1 month?! Time flies!
Ah, bliss! (Samuel captured this smile!)
I'm working on Benjamin's birth story, so stay tuned, if you're interested. :) I'm going to work on ordering pictures from Snapfish, and hopin' to make my first album online...just b/c I got a *free* one. :) Happy Monday!

Weekend Photos...

2011-03-08T04:34:00.000-08:00

Couldn't resist posting a few of Benjamin...He's 3 weeks old now! And growing fast...putting on chubbiness. This was Samuel's outfit...and to me he looks like a mini-Samuel only w/ white eyebrows and a red-cast to his hair. I'm curious if it'll stay...I'd love to have a red head!
Saturday was my Grandma's surprise birthday party at my Aunt's house in Chicago. It was so very fun to see lots of relatives we don't see very often! My Aunt was a very brave hostess to house and feed all 30! of us. I actually came down w/ flu symptoms and wasn't feeling good at all...so my pictures are kind of random. :) But I did capture a few. I know there's lots of other photos floating around too!
Uncle Justin meets Elliana...

Little girls are special to him...

Havin' fun w/ the cousins (William loves Grace's curls...can't resist:)

Aww...I love girls too :)

Surprise! Grandma Nett!

Big Hugs...

William was so excited that Auntie Krista let him hold Elliana "all by himself" :)

2 weeks

2011-03-04T09:18:00.000-08:00

The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich...

2011-02-26T08:14:00.000-08:00

More Babies!

2011-02-23T18:59:00.000-08:00

Just had to announce: We have a new niece/cousin!!

Elliana Ehi Ochenjele (Ehi is Nigerian, meaning: "Gift")
Feb. 23, 2011
8 lbs. 1 oz. 20"
Krista and Elliana are doing well. The Lord answered prayers in so many ways! I'm so happy for George and Krista! Now that labor/delivery is behind them, they can focus on enjoying their new little girl. :) I'm excited for the newest cousins to meet. :)

Children + Baby

2011-02-23T12:34:00.000-08:00

Every day life: A few thoughts...a few pictures:

I have several photo ideas I want to take...I'll have to see if they turn out. I'd like to get some cards made w/ pictures of the baby/kids to hand out as thank-you notes. Actually, I may do several different ones, and keep the insides plain, so I can use them for any type of note. I haven't bought cards in a long time, so I'm justified, right? :)

W0w, this one was hard. Check out the outfits! They dress themselves! :) We had troubles getting everyone to look, sit still, not drop the baby, etc. :) But, we got one! :)

This little gal is a lil' mommy! She had Benjamin in her crib w/ her. He was screaming and flailing his arms and kept "pulling" her hair. I was trying to get a picture. It was too funny! She kept moving her head of wild curly (unfixed) hair, and saying in a high munchkin voice, "No, no bebe...not pull mine hair." :) Should've had the video on. :)

Grandma Nett, Madeline has gotten her use out of this adorable dress you bought her. It's a size 18 mo...and she's still wearing it. And not just for Sunday's. She has gotten herself dressed and loves to wear this dress. She had bright purple knee-highs on w/ it the other day. :)

Look who is 1 week old!

2011-02-21T00:30:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it's been a week already! Benjamin is growing! He's a great sleeper during the day...not so much at night. Hopefully we get that part figured out quickly! Adjustments have gone very smoothly so far. The kids think he's the best. I love to see how each one of them shows interest in him. Samuel always makes sure he has his bear and a paci--whether he needs it or not. They all want to touch his head, hands and feet. :) 1st visit to Nana's...he had no clue he was supposed to be excited. :)
Grandma Bobbie...she's had the kids over for b-fast all week. They were rearing to go this morning, since they had another invite for breakfast. :)

Gettin' chubby...When I see other newborns, I always think they look so tiny. When I look at Benjamin, I think he looks big, mainly b/c he was INSIDE of me a week ago! Crazy! :)
Hangin' out w/ Samuel. He had his first bath last night. The pictures aren't modest enough to post...but he definitely enjoyed it. (except when it was over)
My favorite: limp, sleeping baby :)
Daddy and sons...

Benjamin at 5 days old...getting ready for the Dr's visit. William and Madeline also had their last round of shots. Thankfully Justin was with me for the outing...definitely went better w/ both of us!
Teddy bear:

Happy President's Day!

My Sweet Baby...

2011-02-16T17:23:00.000-08:00

Here are some more pictures from today. I am so spoiled to have my Mom, Grandma, and Justin around to help me. I'm very thankful for the extra rest, the meals, and help w/ the kids! I know I'll be back in the swing of things soon. :)

Pictures for the Aunties...

2011-02-16T09:52:00.000-08:00

Here is a pictoral discription of the last few days. Click to enlarge. :) We're enjoying having a little baby round here! It's funny how many details I've forgotten. :)

We Have A New Baby!

2011-02-15T23:30:00.000-08:00

Benjamin Loyal was born at 7:12 a.m. Sunday morning. He was 8 lbs 4 oz and 20.5 inches long. We came home yesterday and have been trying to catch up on sleep. Benjamin was up most of the night...and I'm hoping tonight is better. :)

Labor and delivery was the best of all of my births. We were only at the hospital for 3 short hours, before he was born! I feel very good, just tired. The kids think he's pretty special. More of his story and pictures, to come. :)

The Lord answered prayers in so many ways. We're very thankful for another blessing. :)

Thoughts during a sleep-less night...

2011-02-06T02:45:00.000-08:00

"I believe that Proverbs 31 is more than just a poetic pie-in-the-sky dream. It is God's pattern for glorious motherhood. It says "strength and dignity are her clothing" and that "she smiles at the days to come" and that her "children rise up and call her blessed." This is the opposite of the frazzled, exhaused, stressed-out, frustrated motherhood of our day. God desires to take an ordinary mom and transform her into a radiant, set-apart, joyful mother of children. Our job is not to try to become supermoms in our own strength. Rather out job is to lay our lives before Him without reserve and trust him with every detail of our sacred calling. Remember, faithful is He who calls you, who also will do it." (1 Thess. 5:24) Leslie Ludy

It's interesting how many "voices" I've heard recently that do not have a Godly perspective of motherhood. Whether it's "complaining" on facebook, an overheard conversation at the checkout at Sam's, or my hairdresser wondering "how I manage staying at home"...the voices are there influencing me. I found Leslie's article very refreshing and encouraging. Check it out at http://www.setapartgirl.com/ She was in no way negating that fact that mothering is messy, chaotic, loud, challenging, and never boring, but gave a great perspective on how to grasp onto God's grace in the midst of raising children.

What a priviledge I have as a mother to nurture my children and teach them God's ways. Yes, it's not convenient or easy, but it is a priviledge! Those verses in the Gospels about giving a child a cup of water to drink, stumbling a "little one", washing feet, "whoso receiveth a little one receiveth Me", and "let the little children come unto me, and do not forbid them, for such is the kingdom of heaven" reminds me of motherhood. How many times do I get my children a cup of water or milk to drink? Or wash dirty feet? What attitude do I have when I serve in those "mundane" ways? Jesus' perspective on children was one of love. Motherhood should be the same way. We have the opportunity to lay ourselves down...what better "schoolhouse" than mamahood? All the "nice" sounding theology I've heard and read in the New Testament all of a sudden becomes very practical in this particular "season"/ "schoolhouse".

I'll have to say older moms DO have an advantage in their mothering...especially if they are mature Christians. They have the gift of wisdom and the realization of how fast time really goes. I was thrust into motherhood in my early 20's and feel as though I've been bumbling along, learning as I go. After 3 pregnancies pretty much wham-bam, I was in a whirlwind there for a while. The dust has settled a bit, and I've had 2.5 years to process it all. I have just a tiny bit more experience, a little more wisdom, and a huge realization of how fast time goes. The days sometimes go slowly (like right now, being 40 weeks pregnant), but the years go by fast! My perspective has changed, and I'm noticing how the "hard seasons" come and go faster than I realize! Ladies like Leslie Ludy, Marilyn Boyer, and my own Mom have encouraged me with a heavenly perspective. Their voices are a beacon of hope, combat the "worldly voices" of late, and are a reminder of the Biblical outlook for this earthly job of extreme eternal value.

"And God is able to make all grace about toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work" 2 Cor. 9:8

"He that findeth his life shall lose it; and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it." Mt. 10:39

"And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water...verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward." Mt 10:42

"If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; and whosoever will lose his life for my sake whall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul." Mt 16:24-26

"Verily, I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea." Mt 18:3-6

Valentine's Cookies...and Icicles, aka "Popcicles"

2011-02-04T14:10:00.000-08:00

Enjoying an afternoon "popcicle" :) Here's our record icicle: 26 inches long

More "Popcicles"

Valentine's Cookies...note the 3 on the far right are William's. Justin and I got a chuckle out of his sparing use of the sprinkles on his little ones.

Serious decorating...

Samuel made a how-to video on decorating a cookie...I'll have to post it. ;)

She had her own icing bowl...no worries about getting germs in the big bowl. :) Much less stressful for me...and she snitched to her heart's content. :)

Madeline enjoyed helping me. I misplaced my heart-shaped cookie cutter, but resorted to cutting out hearts w/ a knife...worked out great!

Addin' the sprinkles...

My Helper-Girl...

Winter...

2011-01-31T09:10:00.000-08:00

Little Girl w/ a curl...and Laundry!

2011-01-26T14:20:00.000-08:00

These pictures don't really do Madeline's hair justice...but it was so curly...and there was one in the middle of her forehead!

On another note...

Laundry...

Some days, I think I could hire a laundress...ah wishful thinking!

W/ the birth of each child, I've been amazed at the volume increase in laundry (and the H2O bill,even!)

My solution: dump it all on the bed...out of sight, out of mind...till bedtime, that is.

And at which point, my husband, who never does laundry unless I'm not home, actually helped me fold it all! There were several loads of baby laundry and the regular laundry had gotten severely backed up. It was wonderful to have help...the boys even wandered out of their beds to help...but I can't say their motive was entirely pure. They've all of a sudden decided that laundry and dishes are fun to help w/ after they're supposed to be in bed. :)

I can't imagine families that are 2 or 3 times the size of ours...laundry everywhere! Or maybe there's a better system?? :)

Seriously it was a mountain...and this is only 1d. :)

Warning: End-of-Pregnancy-Pictures...

2011-01-26T13:56:00.000-08:00

When ya have a triple chin...use the crop button... My sister popped by on her way home and we had to snap a few pictures pre-babies. I have wet hair and no make-up...but hey, we got the pictures. :) (Thanks to Samuel)
George and Krista went away for a few days, so Grace was down at my parents' being thoroughly entertained. Unfortunately, the kids and I came down w/ a flu bug, so we didn't get to hang out w/ Grace. :(
Well, I have 2 weeks and Krista has 4 weeks + or -...who knows!?!
I've definitely reached the end-of-pregnancy look...puffy face, and all! :) And, yep, I think I win the bigness contest. :) I thought I'd be able to do the 25 lb weight gain...but...it's lookin' more like 35. :) That must be my "normal"...I will be saying "Hello treadmill" asap! (and I did find some links for exercise workouts online...I did one today...it was great! Ever seen a pregnant lady kickboxing? haahaha!)
Finally documented: 38 weeks...and feeling GREAT!
Mommy and Madeline...
I still feel comfortably pregnant (mostly)...and am thinking it'll be a few more weeks. This time around has been great...comparable to my 2nd pregnancy. I've felt very good, overall, thankfully! I don't want to take new life for granted...or uncomplicated pregnancies...either!

My pregnancies have had no pattern for delivering, so we'll see what this lil' guy decides to do. I'm hoping we can get good and healthy before he comes! The up-every-2-hr-thing takes it's toll w/ being sick...I'm not wanting to practice wakefulness, till I really have to. :) I gave the kids a pep talk last night, and I think it worked! Everyone slept soundly all night!

A few pictures of our recent adventures...

2011-01-22T18:39:00.000-08:00

WaterPark...
Some action shots:

Picnic at the hotel...

Children's Museum...

(I can't wait to take them to the Creation Museum! Maybe next year!)

Winter fun: bowling :)
Score! I was afraid we'd have to roll another ball down to move William's along...

Wow, I'm due for an update!

2011-01-21T14:02:00.000-08:00

So, this past month hasn't been too interesting. We've enjoyed being a family with Justin home. I feel like I'm on easy street, just to have another adult around. Justin helps so much with the kids...especially with taking the boys out and getting them to work or get fresh air!
We went to Indy for a few days with the kids. We enjoyed the indoor waterpark and the children's museum. And up until this week, we've stayed healthy. I have been reluctant to tell people, when they ask if we're staying healthy, b/c it seems that as soon as I say, "Oh, yeah, we're healthy...my kids haven't caught a thing!" that we get sick. Same goes for a baby sleeping though the night. Those 2 subjects, I should not brag about. :)
Baby #4 is due in 2 1/2 weeks. The midwife reports are good and they're predicting an 8.5 lb baby, if he waits till his due date. This pregnancy has been my best one...maybe b/c it's not the dead of summer?? :) I'm very thankful for an uncomplicated pregnancy. Everything is a go for avoiding another c-section, so hopefully all will go smoothly. I suppose I should take some end-of-pregnancy pictures. Maybe if I'm still plumply pregnant when my photographing sister gets home, I'll have her snap a few.
Samuel is reading more fluently and steadily progressing on piano. We're spending some time each day on reading, phonics, and piano...although, he's not technically in kindergarten yet. The other project we're tackling as a family is reading through the Bible in a year. It has been a great blessing so far. The kids ask lots of questions and there's some great vocabulary in the KJV version! I think Genesis is packed full of some great stories!
I've gotten lots of things done on my "to-do" list before the baby comes. I still have more to do, though. It's funny how I get in the mode of wanting things "just so" before a new baby comes. When really, they're not going to know whether the house is a wreck or the laundry is piled up. I suppose it's b/c I know I won't get to certain projects if I don't do them now.
Well, that's about all I can think of for now. I think I've lacked motivation for posting pictures b/c of the time of year...pasty white, around-the-house pictures. :) I need to read the instructions for my new camera/video camera so I can post those, and get ready for some newborn baby pictures!
I can't get pictures to upload, so I'll have to try later...

Christmas...

2010-12-27T18:38:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas from Us!

2010-12-25T16:03:00.000-08:00

Christmas Music...

2010-12-24T16:12:00.000-08:00

December happenings...

2010-12-22T12:45:00.000-08:00

Wow, it's been a busy month around here. We've been busy enjoying eachother, mostly. The month started out by putting away the fall decorations and bringing out the Christmas and winter ones... The boys LOVE all the traditions we've started. Here they are setting up the Nativity...
The house was a disaster, the Nativity...well, it looked like a 3 and 5 year old set it up, and they enjoyed looking at every Christmas ornament we own. Our tree is a dreaded "fake" one...10 years ago I would've been appalled at myself at not having the "real" deal. But, it was free, there's no mess, and with lots of lights, ribbons, and sparkly decorations, it doesn't look too bad. :)
William was so concerned that there wasn't a cow in the Nativity, that he sorted through our toys and found a plush one that moos, and put it in there. He and I were looking online at the Willow Tree Nativity set that I have...and the pieces we were missing. Sure enough, we are missing the cow. He said, "See Mommy, there WAS a cow!"

After the house had been decorated and mostly cleaned up, we popped popcorn and drizzled butter, honey, and sea salt on top. Yes, I think that will become a yearly post-decorating treat! :) **Sticky**
Daddy's Home for the Winter: The boys' favorite barber, as well. Samuel's mohawk lasted for maybe 12 hrs. I was ready for that to go! It was promptly shaved off right before all the boys headed out to Rural King to spend their chore $$. :)
Samuel's audience while he was practicing piano...
My piano playin' boy. :)
Madeline going shopping...how did she know to get her shades and her purse?
We made cousin Gracie a craft box for Christmas. We made a double batch of playdough. William and Madeline had a blast creating, while I made cut-out cookies...

More crafts...we've done some glitter crafts. Here they are with the Nativity pictures we made.
Today we made some ornaments for Christmas gifts. I set out all the items we needed to make our craft. When I wasn't looking, Madeline had started her craft project by dumping all 4 pristine glitter colors together on 1 piece of wax paper. When I found her, she had several cookie cutters pressed into her mountain of glitter. We still had fun making our crafts, but they didn't look exactly like I had pictured. :)
And last, but not, least, here are a couple pictures from our few days away. My husband spoils me when we do "get away" We're not big shoppers, but did have a few more Christmas presents to buy, and I actually enjoy browsing when I don't have children w/ me...plus we were at a big mall w/ stores like Pottery Barn Kids, Restoration Hardware, Crate and Barrel, etc... :) We couldn't get over how packed "Toys R Us" was on a Wednesday morning.
We ended up going to 3 different "Toys R Us" before we found a particular lego set someone was asking for...that is so, not us. :) We didn't win the ebay bids, so store hunting was the last resort. :) Justin also needed some clothes...the last time we bought clothes for him was almost 3 years ago. Ha!! So, we did have some "work" to do...finding clothes for him. :)

Anyway...we belatedly celebrated our 6th anniversary at a fun fondue restaurant called "The Melting Pot" Looking rather tired after a long day of walking and shopping. :)

I'll have to say that the dessert course was my favorite. The cheesecake and the strawberries were my favorite, dipped in milk chocolate. Yum!

We've also been busy w/ other things...but these are a few pictures from the past few weeks. I forgot my camera last weekend for Justin's family Christmas...and haven't taken too many of us here at home. They'll be more opportunities for pictures here in the next few days. My batteries are charging right now. :)

2010-11-30T19:44:00.000-08:00

I love this list from Revive our Hearts...I "stole" it from Heather Patenaude's blog :)

A woman who does not have sound thinking (Self-Control):
is impulsive
lacks discretion
follows worldly philosophies
is driven by her flesh
lacks follow-through
is self-centered
is discontented
has emotions controlled by circumstances
seeks escapism from problems
is easily provoked
falls apart in a crisis
easily loses hope
says whatever she thinks without thinking first
is highly opinionated
speaks roughly with profane or crass talk
is overly concerned about what other people think
has unpredictable behavior
is morally careless
procrastinates
is given to extremes
is a pleasure seeker
is easily distracted
yields easily to temptation
struggles to develop consistent life disciplines
enjoys mindless entertainment
looks for the easy way out
thinks about the short-term rather than the long-term
is demanding
fritters away time
makes decisions based on what is easiest

A woman who does have sound thinking (Self-Control):
is restrained in:
her thoughts
her tongue
her eating
her spending
her reactions
is calm under pressure
is purposeful in the use of her time
is a good steward
is morally chaste
has a well-ordered life
show good judgment
doesn't "lose it" under pressure
responds in faith versus fear
guards her heart and mind
evaluates what she reads or hears in light of Scripture
is mentally disciplined
resists temptation
shows delayed gratification
demonstrates others-centered living
is diligent and faithful in her responsibilities
is intentional
is modest in dress and behavior
hopes in God
gives thanks in all things
makes wise, biblical decisions
prays
demonstrates the Spirit controlling her flesh