(This is a two year old picture of Grace and her cousin Abbie swinging and spinning together on the same swing.  They ended up falling off it, but they never stopped laughing)

“As an adult, it’s too easy to take everything much more seriously than you need to.  Children know how to laugh and have fun.  In fact, children tend to smile or laugh an average of 200 times a day.  And, in case you haven’t noticed, children tend to have boundless energy.”

~ Alice Gray

 I know some of you ladies and gentlemen already do these things on a regular basis, but just in case you need ideas of “Fun Things to do at Home or Abroad”, here are some activities I found my own children doing lately for fun:

Sing loudly to happy music.  Favorite songs should be re-played over and over and over and over.

Play with legos

Watch silly cartoons and laugh

Order a chocolate chip bagel at Panera, instead of the healthy kind.

Build forts for your army men with boxes.  Use a steak knife to cut out the doors and windows.

Melt your plastic toys on the glass of the wood pellet stove.  This is fun only until your Mom catches you.

Take a bubble bath and splash a lot of water around. 

Crawl around on the floor every chance you get, and meow like a cat. 

When outside waiting for the bus, walk through the snowdrifts instead of staying on the cleared driveway.

Wear your shoes on the wrong feet.  Tell people you don’t care (if they notice)

Make a grown up play “This little Piggy” with your bare toes, over and over

Take all the cushions off the couch and make a fort.

Run around the couch as fast as you can while hooting like a fire engine

Make a “Surprise Tube”.  Put a sock on the end of a paper tube, fill it with your favorite things (Caleb used choo-choo’s) and then put another sock at the other end.  Carry it around everywhere you go.

Sing in the bathroom, no matter what you’re doing in there.

Color a fancy picture with different bright colored crayons using only circles. 

Design and make your own stuffed eagle.

Pull any extra stuffing (for said eagle) out of the bag and scatter it around your sister’s room.  It looks like snow, by golly!

Go to sleep at night with your bed full of books, clothes, dolls, and Other Stuff.  You’re always happy when you sleep with Other Stuff.

Make homemade brownies and add a tsp of mint extract even if the recipe doesn’t call for it.  When they are done baking, cut yourself a big piece right from the middle of the pan.

Stand up in your chair when eating at the table.

When eating popcorn, sit over the bowl and stuff your mouth with it as fast as you can with both hands.

Go sled riding by the light of the moon.

When you’re riding in the car, yell “wheeeeeeee!!!” really loud when you go up and down hills.

Chase your cat around around the house without mercy

Yell “I MADE BUBBLES!!!!!!!” while in the bathroom

I’ve never seen a smiling face

that was not beautiful. 

~Author Unknown

I hope all of you enjoy your day and try at least one of the activities off my list.  Let me know. 

I am absolutely exhausted but happy because Rich should be back home later on tonight.  I’ve missed him more than usual during this business trip, the days seem so long while taking care of five children at eight months pregnant.  I would describe myself as “sluggish” (an adjective meaning;  1: averse to activity or exertion  2: slow to respond  and  3: markedly slow in movement  )However, God in His grace has kept us all safe and well.  I’m thankful for that.  Thank you to all my friends who have encouraged me this week.  ((hugs))

Love and Smiles to you all, Shanda

Would you believe my children have been gone since 5pm yesterday evening?  I’m sitting here in a quiet house with no children!!!!  My sister Amanda and her husband are watching them for me.  Yesterday evening with Rich, just the two of us, was amazing.  We were a little sad when we shut the door behind the kids and watched them go off down the road with Uncle Jason, but we got over it and we watched football together!  I enjoyed watching it, I normally don’t but last night it felt like a date and it was FUN.  We ate chips and chili and just relaxed together.

This morning I have done some chores, but the best thing of all was was sitting and writing in my journal for the first time in ages.  I sat and thought through my New Year’s resolutions and did some reading in my Bible and some other books.  Amanda doesn’t plan on bringing the children home until this evening so the whole day is before me like a gift. 

I thought I would sit and write out my thoughts here on my blog, for the New Year.  I really wanted to think of “New Year’s resolutions” as a way to improve my life . . . .but with changes that would feel deep down good.  Not necessarily because I HAVE to, but because I WANT to. 

First of all.  My motto for the year is to ENJOY LIFE.  This really means a lot to me because happiness, in my opinion, has a lot to do with attitude.  Even if you are a Christian, that doesn’t mean much (when it comes to enjoying life).  Sad to say I’ve seen a lot of generally miserable-looking Christians which is strange because we really should be the happiest people on the face of the earth.  The Lord is really pressing on my heart to ENJOY the life He has given me.

“A cheerful heart is good medicine.”  Proverbs 17:22

(hot beverages in the wintertime make me happy)

“Here is what I have seen to be good and fitting:  to eat, to drink and enjoy oneself in all one’s labor in which he toils under the sun during the few years of his life which God has given him; for this is his reward.”  Ecclesiastes 7:18

“From now on, I am going to grab the good times with both arms.  I am going to walk outside and feel the sun on my face and learn to laugh, really laugh again.  Most of all, I’m going to take the love that comes my way and hold on to it for dear life.  Sometimes we don’t need new scenery, just new eyes.”  ~ Dawn Miller

Here are some ways in which I can enjoy life more:

~LAUGH and SMILE a lot (if I forget “how”, watch the children and do what they do!)

~ BE LIGHTHEARTED (don’t take things so seriously, which I tend to do)

~REMEMBER that it’s all in the attitude

~QUIT COMPLAINING TO MY HUSBAND (for some reason, he’s the one I feel I am free to complain to!)

~Say and think “THANK YOU” a lot (an attitude of gratitude)

~QUIT ANALYZING THINGS SO MUCH  — Instead of focusing on whether an aspect of life is “easy” or “hard”, just LIVE LIFE.

(the fourth corner of Seth’s blanket is done.  Jacob embroidered this Dear Mushroom.)

(my Dear Mushroom salt and pepper shakers make me very happy)

Here are a few more of my resolutions:

Be a little more creative by making things and adding my own personal touches where ever I can.  This will be fun for me, and challenging, because in order to be creative I need to know my likes and dislikes and feel comfortable enough to express them.

Beauty—Look for God’s beauty and do what I can to add some of my own to my life.  To some extent I already do this, but it’s fun to be aware and be deliberate in relishing and adding beautiful things around me. 

Health—focus on my own, and my family’s health by making sure we eat good food, and get plenty of fresh air and sunshine.  Study up on the subject.  Learn more.

God’s Word—one of my resolutions is to put Bible verses in every room.  I also want to read the Bible with the expectation that it will amaze me.  I look forward to his truths filling my heart with light and wonder.

OTHERS–I love to encourage so this year I want to encourage whoever God lays on my heart, in bold ways.  For instance, I have been thinking about Rich’s Aunt Mildred for several days now.  She has health issues and is basically a shut in.  She sent us a nice Christmas card and today I want to sit down and write her back and perhaps find a little something (a candle?) to send along with the note, just to brighten her day.  I firmly believe in letting the Holy Spirit guide me in my ministry to others….there is safety in that, as He will never give me too much to do or allow it to become a heartless duty instead of a love-act.

Random question:  I love to read and I was hoping, if any of you know of books that will make me laugh and laugh, that you would please let me know the titles.  Thank you!

Okay, that about wraps things up here.  I did also want to ask you to pray for me and my family if you think of it.  Rich is at work now, but has a flight to catch this afternoon, for a business trip and he won’t be back until Thursday. 

I just wanted to ask you to pray for him as he tr
avels, and for me and the children while he is away.  I already know God is blessing, and answering my needs, by the way Amanda and Jason have so generously provided a quiet day for me today.

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ICE HOCKEY PHOTOS—-Rich and the children are finally able to ice skate on the pond.  Rich went out on Saturday, with the kids, to buy them hockey sticks.  While he was doing that, I was able to get my hair cut (and yes, Rich does like it, by the way).  They have been playing hockey and skating all weekend long.

Rich used his snow blower to clear the ice:

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And that’s all for this very long post.  My mind is constantly on baby now, and getting ready for the big delivery day (he’s due 2/12).  I’ll be updating my site when I can.     Blessings to you and yours……

Love ~Shanda~

New hair today….got a lot cut off the back.  Still playing with it. 

Other than that, not much else is new. 

How ’bout you?

Slippery, slushy, icy day today!

No school for Davy-do. . . .

The kids and I have spent the day together, with that excited “it’s storming outside!” feeling.  A few times they got too loud and I had to go out on the porch and count to “10”.

It’s nice to watch them play together, though.

And we had an opportunity to take a few group pics, downstairs in the boy’s “dorm”.

I am so sleepy.  I could just lay down and sleep at any time of day. . . .but, with my five noisy active youngsters it’s just not possible.  In fact, if I try I just end up frustrated, so I don’t try.  Tomorrow I will be 35 weeks pregnant. . .it’s exciting to know that in four or five weeks I’ll have my baby in my arms, instead of in my belly.  I enjoy being pregnant but I can’t wait to see my baby boy!

This post is basically some updates on some of the preparations I’ve been making, for Seth’s arrival.

Here are some current belly-pics…Ethan took them….

This one is of me and my “old baby”. . .Caleb James. . . .aren’t his little folded hands cute?

The kids and I are in the process of making a blanket for Seth.  Here is the basic hemmed flannel blanket, modeled by Caleb:

He likes Seth’s blanket.  I like it, too, because it’s not the typical baby material.  It’s earthy.  I love brown.

And now we are working on embellishing the corners.

I embroidered a leaf.  I was going to do an acorn but the brown floss I had was the same color as the blanket and would have been too hard to see.

Then Grace did some work. . . .

And made a bird.  These pictures were taken at different times of day, and different lighting.  The one with the paper pattern shows the true color of the blanket. 

I put that “I love you” sticker on her pattern so Grace felt loved as she stitched. 

Ethan is now in the midst of his creation, a butterfly.  Having them sew over paper makes it easier for them.  When they’re done I carefully rip the paper off, so we don’t pull the stitches too much.

I almost cried when the UPS man came today with Seth’s things.   It was THAT exciting.    For the first time EVER, Rich and I bought a new swing for one of our babies!  We bought a playpen, too, the second we’ve owned (because the first one got a big hole in it), and also a big box of diapers.  Tomorrow or the next day should bring a changing table pad (just the pad) and a nice cover for it.  I will put it on my dresser top.

It does feel so good to start preparing!

I set up the playpen because I want it to have plenty of time to air out and get that factory smell off it.

And plus it’s just so sweet to see!

I love that the top piece can be lifted up in place as a shallow crib, for the early days.  Seth will sleep in this, in my room and the livingroom, until he sleeps through the night.  After he sleeps through the night then he will go upstairs in a real crib.

And yes, it’s been up for about an hour and I’ve already caught David sitting in it. 

That’s all from this big mama.  I’m determined to have fun and enjoy life during these last long and sometimes exhausting days of pregnancy.  I wanna smile and laugh and be silly with my kids.  I don’t want to take life and all my responsibilities so seriously. . . . .I want to ENJOY. . . .and that’s what I’m trying to do although at times it is HARD.  The noise never seems to end and I find myself thinking,  “I want ear plugs more than anything”.  LOL

So.  I think I’ll go turn on some peppy music and dance around the kitchen as I finish up dinner.  Ha!

My husband, Rich, has been home on vacation since Christmas Eve.  It’s been so nice having him home with us.  This morning he is out running errands with Jacob so I thought I would sit down and put some pictures on here from the last few days.

This is a picture of Jacob’s birthday snow (from December 31)…it snowed pretty much all day, Rich planned on sledding with the kids but they didn’t because it was too cold and windy.

Twelve candles on Jacob’s ice cream cake this year, and his favorite gift right next to it (an army tank) ~

The next picture is of the family all around the table, except for the photographer/mama ~ I wanted the picture dark so we could see the glow of the candles. . . . .Caleb ended up leaning right over to help Jacob blow them out, blocking Jacob’s head entirely from those pictures.  This one was the best.

Caleb preferred the blue icing, and we caught him carefully scooping and eating it off the leftover cake after he had finished his piece.  He was blue all around the mouth.

Not only did we have a store-bought ice cream cake, but we also had homemade ice cream with it!  We used my new ice cream maker attachment for my Kitchen aid mixer and it worked great.  We made chocolate and it was so good.

Every year Jacob and I stand side by side for a photo.  He is not quite standing straight in this one, but he is almost as tall as I am now.

When I made Jacob’s birthday slideshow I felt bad because there were no pictures of just Jacob and his Dad.  So, on Jacob’s birthday I made sure to take a few of just the two of them together.  I love these photos.

And I also love this next one.  The sun was shining so brightly yesterday morning and I caught Rich hugging our little Caleb in a sunbeam. . . . .

Other members of our family include C.C. , Grace’s bunny ~ 

And my cat (I love my cat!) Spot ~

Isn’t he pretty?  He loves to leave me mice on the porch.  Sometimes the whole thing, sometimes just one end or the other, sometimes both ends without the middle.   I guess it depends on his mood.   LOL I’ve gotten used to it but my friend Kathy can’t stand it if she happens to see a piece before I’ve kicked it off the porch.

Wow, these random photos make for some pretty interesting topics, huh?

Lastly, here are some pictures of some teeny tiny shirts that I stitched, for Seth.  I hesitate to actually call it embroidery, because I really didn’t do anything fancy….just plain stitching to personalize little Gerber t-shirts.  These shirts are so small, he won’t wear them long. . . .I told Rich I’d have to keep making new ones in the next size up.

This one is my favorite ~

And here’s a picture of all three of them ~

I am 34 weeks along and really must get organized.  We plan on buying a playpen to use as a portable crib for the main floor of the house (which is the floor our bedroom is on).  Our last playpen was worn out and we had to get rid of it.  I think I will order one online today.  Rich is picking up a dresser this morning and it will be so nice to put the little clothes in it later, I already have them all washed.  I also need to stock up on diapers and things.  I would put it off until the last minute, but my mom says “now” . . . . 

I had a doctor’s appointment this week and I got to go all by mys
elf while Rich stayed home with the kids.  Everything is going well.  I have another appointment in 2 weeks and then I go weekly until he is born.  My Doctor wondered if I was planning on an epidural. . . .I told her that I am playing it by ear this time.  I did not have one with Caleb (there was no time for one) and it went so well that I might try it again.  I would prefer no drugs but I’ve had epidurals before (when I had Grace and David) that were such a blessing, too, *smile* so I am keeping an open mind.  We’ll see!

I feel great, just a lot more tired than usual but that’s to be expected.  I know God will give me the grace and strength I need to get through the next month.  For now, I plan on doing what HAS to be done around the house, and letting the rest go if need be.

Well, I guess that’s it for now.   Happy weekend and Happy 2009!

Love, Shanda

“We will be glad and rejoice in Thee.”  ~  Song of Solomon 1:4

“Since, O sweet Lord Jesus,  Thou art the present portion of Thy people, favor us this year with such a sense of Thy preciousness, that from its first to its last day we may be glad and rejoice in Thee.  Let January open with joy in the Lord, and December close with gladness in Jesus.”  ~ C.H. Spurgeon

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a NEW creature:  old things are passed away; behold, all things are become NEW.”  11 Corinthians 5:17