I was able to go outside this morning with my camera.  Jacob, Ethan, and Grace were up and outside by 7 and they didn’t come in until almost 9!  It was lovely being out, but I was afraid I was going to slip and fall.  There are some hilly spots on our property.  Perfect for sledding but hard for Mommy to walk on.  (um. Did I just call myself Mommy?)

 A snow girl made by Grace:

I could have invented lace today. 

Who, I say, WHO lives HERE?  This is a hole that is way over by the woods at the end of one of the ponds.  (AWAY from the house, in other words) Grace says Angie was investigating and that’s her pawprint in the picture.  Does a mouse family live here?  I feel a Beatrix Potter moment coming on!

My little bird:

Walking in a
Winter Wonderland

Caleb was disappointed with the book.  There was no Thomas the tank engine and the sentences were too long and confusing for him.  Maybe he should have stayed in his playpen, look at his face!  He’s thinking, “This book is awful!”

Do you see my new find hanging on the wall?  It is that square open-work iron wall hanging.  I bought it at an antique store for far less than Pottery barn’s prices!  And that’s a vintage light green fiesta plate hanging next to the corner of it.   There is another plate in the opposite corner. 

Waldenbooks is going out of business so yesterday after my doctor’s appt. I went to the mall to see if I could find anything.  I bought:

The entire boxed set of the Narnia series.  It is paperback but the books are heavy, substantial, with sewn binding and full color original illustrations.

A boxed set of “Kit” American Girl books.

3 American Girl mystery books.

An American Girl horse book.

That Curious George book seen in above photos.

# 8 of the Master and Commander series for me.

Betty Crocker’s Cooky book–because my Grandma had the same one. 

I also went to Sears and bought a pair of Lands End gray lounge pants (they are very cute and so cozy) and a red sweater (bright color to cheer me up!) and a pretty tunic shirt (I like the neckline).

My friend Karen watched the kids while I was gone and when I got home she called out the door, “What did you get?” and I said,

“Clothes and Books!”

Caleb was disappointed with the book.  There was no Thomas the tank engine and the sentences were too long and confusing for him.  Maybe he should have stayed in his playpen, look at his face!  He’s thinking, “This book is awful!”

Do you see my new find hanging on the wall?  It is that square open-work iron wall hanging.  I bought it at an antique store for far less than Pottery barn’s prices!  And that’s a vintage light green fiesta plate hanging next to the corner of it.   There is another plate in the opposite corner. 

Waldenbooks is going out of business so yesterday after my doctor’s appt. I went to the mall to see if I could find anything.  I bought:

The entire boxed set of the Narnia series.  It is paperback but the books are heavy, substantial, with sewn binding and full color original illustrations.

A boxed set of “Kit” American Girl books.

3 American Girl mystery books.

An American Girl horse book.

That Curious George book seen in above photos.

# 8 of the Master and Commander series for me.

Betty Crocker’s Cooky book–because my Grandma had the same one. 

I also went to Sears and bought a pair of Lands End gray lounge pants (they are very cute and so cozy) and a red sweater (bright color to cheer me up!) and a pretty tunic shirt (I like the neckline).

My friend Karen watched the kids while I was gone and when I got home she called out the door, “What did you get?” and I said,

“Clothes and Books!”

If I didn’t have 4 energetic children I would not have cold toes right now.

I’ve been outside on the porch watching the four of them play PLAY PLAY in the snow.  Did you know, if you really try, you can make snowballs and go sledding and make a snowfort in just a half inch layer of snow?

They also made a whole choir of snow angels.

Grace laughed to herself once and I said, “What’s so funny, Grace?” and she said, “I just put 2 snowballs together, see?”

When she looked at her creation, SHE LAUGHED.

And I wonder, how I can ever be sad and run down when I have so much inspiration in these children that God gave me?

18 month old Caleb, the only one who did not go out, was inside watching “Kipper”.  I looked in the window at him and he was so cute that I knocked on the window to get his attention.

He didn’t move his eyes away from Kipper.  Not once.  I knocked and knocked and tapped and called his name. 

I love my children.

Also, I am feeling somewhat better.

God’s perfect love to you all.  Have a wonderful evening!

So what to do when life (there is nothing specifically wrong, nothing terrible has happened at all!)is so overwhelming? 

Fret, worry, sigh, and cry?  Well, unfortuately that does happen.  But God has answers for our deepest needs. 

So I have been frantically digging for those golden truths.

“I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee”

“For God hath not given us a spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

“Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecution, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong”

“And He sayeth unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.  Most gladly therefor will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

“Do not worry about tomorrow”

“Be thankful always”

I am just holding on right now.  And waiting. 

I am praying for God’s mercy. . . .which I already have.  I am praying for God’s peace. . .which He already gave.  I am praying for the ability to get through the day with joy. . .which is already there.

Ah.  Delightful, restful, peaceful Saturday.  How I love thee.  I can spend the whole day with my “emotion-regulator” –my husband.  This is the day of no rules, no where to go, nothing to do except be together.

While the kids rested, I actually watched an entire show in bed with Rich sound asleep next to me, a cat curled up at my feet, a magazine in my lap, and with a bowl of homemade soup to eat!  Luxury.

It’s a rainy day.  The kind of day meant to do this:

 g

My 4 year old

David is so sweet.  Put him to bed for a nap in an empty bedroom and he cannot sleep.  But, put him in the living room on the couch with Mommy and Daddy making soup right next to him in the kitchen and out he goes!  Sound asleep, no worries.

(we two)

God bless this house and all that’s in it.
A garden of flowers
some books for the hours
good health
and love, glorious love

what is making your saturday wonderful? tell me.

I just knocked myself silly crawling around my floor picking up “stuff”. . .repairing my room, which has become the local hangout of my 5 who all love computer games.  All of a sudden I hit my head hard on the desk, I even have a bump!!  I said, “OHHH!!  STUPID!!” under my breath, to no one in particular, which makes me laugh now as I write about it.

My 2 babies are watching Winnie the Pooh.

I caught my Grace sitting in her sunny room, quietly painting her nails.  She looked like a picture and was so precious sitting there.  Thankfully she is using baby pink today instead of that awful dark red like last time.

I sent the big boys outside for fresh air.  They did not want to go but I knew once they were out they would find adventure, and I WAS RIGHT!

Tonight is ravioli for dinner.

My head hurts.

I figured out a fun way to do spelling.  While giving words, take pictures of the student who is spelling.  It passes the time away for teacher.  Here are 2 that I took of sweet Gee:

Which one do you like better?  The color or the blk/white?  I couldn’t decide. . . . .she’s getting older now, 7 years old.  Go ahead and laugh, but honestly there is a lot of difference between a toddler girl and a 2nd grader!  It’s so interesting to think about my daughter.  Having 4 boys really makes her “girlness” obvious–she’s talks a lot more but in a quieter way, she’s gentle, her hands and feet are more delicate and little.  She still loves to climb on Daddy’s lap, she did this morning in her pj’s.  First thing.

Then we have THESE TWO:

Are they cute or are they cute?????

There’s just something about that Diesel!  He’s so cross!  Just look at that face!

So that’s my day.  Hanging out in my home with the kids.  I didn’t take any pictures of the big boys but I did ask Ethan, “Ethan, can you think of anything weird about me?” and he said, “No!  Why would I? Why do you ask?”

“I just wanted to know what you would say”

“Nothing! I’m not saying anything because I can’t think of anything!” and off he went. 

Colleen, my dear aunt who is only 1 and 3/4 years older than me, tagged me.  I am supposed to tell everyone 6 weird things about me.  This is hard.  I don’t think I am very weird but here it goes:

1. I loved to watch gymnastics as a teen and taped every single televised competition that I possibly could.  I still have all my tapes.

2. I want to have a flock of chickens.  This is weird to some people.

3. Some of my friends think it’s weird that Rich and I hold hands, sit close to each other, and maybe even give each other a quick kiss in public places.

4. When I get a box of chocolates which is NOT very often, I take a small bite out of each one because I cannot wait to know what’s what.

5. I collect pigs and used to want real pigs.

6. I love to read Reminisce magazine, I really really do!  It brightens my whole day when an issue comes.  I love reading about the way things used to be.

7. I sometimes ACT weird.

I’m laughing right now. . . . . . .

EDIT (LATER)–I asked my sister and she said, “you love to run around in the rain and you always have” and “you were the only one of us kids with black hair, the rest of us were blonds”