The sun is shining today and what I see through my windows is so pretty.  Everything is coated with a crystal clear casing of ice.  The trees are glimmering as they sway gently in the wind.  There is enough warmth, now, to make things drip a little, but this morning when I went out it was hard and cold.  So much so, that I could hear everything sharply and easily, as the many sounds bounced off hard surfaces.  The sounds were strange, too.  Once, I looked up searching, and saw the ice-covered leaves softly hitting into each other.  I heard a bird peeping in a pine tree and I studied it until I recognized a cardinal hopping from branch to branch, coming back to life as the sun came up.  I heard sounds like little animals scurrying about, but I did not see any.

I am taking deep breaths as I sit here.

My life is full.

As I perform one motherly duty, there are 4, 5, or 6 others developing around me at the same time. 

I walk away from feeding Sarah her carrots, because someone needs me, and when I get back to her I find Seth feeding her.

I have 5 children working on school papers at once.

Hungry and thirsty.

A dog who steals food from the kitchen and tries to run out the door every time it opens.

A husband to care for, who needs me.

A toddler who sits on his sister any chance he gets, even though he loves her so much.

Loves her so much that he goes off to find her if she’s tucked away somewhere, napping.  “Baby!  Baby!” he says, as she wakes up too early from her nap.  (again).

Little boys who need training.

Bigger boys and a bigger girl, who need a listening ear, and motherly council.

And my own self to take care of; spiritually thirsty, hungry, and not feeling very bright or attractive.

I’m tired.

So I’m taking a little break from blogging and internet.

I know I don’t even have to say a word.  I could slip away and slip back, and my friends would still be here.

Friends need no explanations, because we love each other no matter what.

But I just wanted to let you know.

I’m praying for everyone—

and I need lots of God’s mercy and grace and strength, too.

Sarah Joy looked so bright and cheerful this morning as she played.

I put her baby-doll up like that so she would try to reach her.

But then she noticed Ethan coming downstairs and started to smile big, for him.

Then she saw me sitting on the floor, and starting crawling.

Later on, I was helping Caleb with his numbers worksheet and in came Grace, with her baby sister.

“Mom!  She needs you!”

So Caleb’s paper still remains, only half done.

But I got to visit a little with my girls, and I got a few snapshots.

And Seth has kicked lil’ Sarah one too many times just now….so I really must be flying.

My babies need me.

See you soon, dear ones!

Just had to share one more picture from the day.  Seth was so precious as we sang Happy Birthday to him.  He sang right along with us and then we taught him how to blow out his candles.  We clapped and clapped and then ate our wonderful cake—(a white cake mix with homemade frosting).  I frosted it to look like a basketball.  I also made cupcakes, each one with an S piped on it (my personal favorite initial, anyway).

Then we did math.  We figured out that since Rich and I were married, I have served cake and performed birthday celebrations for 67 birthdays.

I am overwhelmed with thankfulness, for God’s rich blessings.  (One of which is the much needed energy He has given me, to be a mom). 

This handsome little whippersnapper got the perfect gift from his Papa.  A basketball hoop just his size. 

Jacob and Ethan put it together for him first thing this morning and he has been in his room playing with Davy, ever since.

The movements and excitement are hard to photograph. 

I made them both sit down, just for a moment.

Aren’t they so cute?  After the pictures I even got to shoot a couple baskets, myself.

Happy Birthday Sethie!  Mama loves you more than words can say.

It’s been snowing all day here.  It’s amazing outside.  More and more snow!

Spot the cat has a routine.  He spends the night inside and then he goes out in the morning.  He stays home and sits on the porch now because he can’t visit the neighbor’s –the snow is too deep.  I took this picture through the window this morning.  He looks like he has powered sugar shaken on top of him.  He doesn’t mind being snowed upon, since he is wearing furs.

(Ethan in black, Jacob in camo.)  Ethan visited the coop and took the chickens their morning water, fed them, and gathered the eggs—two greens, three browns.  Jacob filled up the bird feeder behind the house.  Then they played for a while.

I am so in love with my baby.  As I sit and type this I am watching her sit on the floor wearing leggings, a long sleeved shirt, and a smock that I made.  She is playing with a little book–passing it from one hand to the other, bending it, tasting it, studying it every which way, stopping to hit it on the floor…for some reason it is starting to frustrate her…she’s overwhelming herself.  She’s going bare foot and her toes are so darling.

Ethan took this picture of me and my baby doll earlier this morning, when she was still in her warm blanket sleeper. 

I have all the children settling down for quiet time and I just want to say how proud I am of Caleb.  He is in my room on my bed, reading BOB books out loud—AND HE IS READING because I TAUGHT HIM MYSELF.  He is the first of my children that I taught to read.  My heart swells when I hear him sounding out his words.  The whole world of books is opening up to him.

Rich is at work, he texted me and let me know he was feeling some improvement with his head aches/pressure today.  Thank you again for your concern.  I feel like my heart is settling down again after the days of worrying about him.

It’s been a nice morning here.  I hope yours was, too. 

Now I am going to snuggle and nurse my little one here on the couch and watch the pretty snow falling.  I’m sure I’ll eat a little ice cream at some point, too.

The rest of the story:  So…the other problem yesterday was this:  We woke up in the morning to find out that we were completely out of fuel oil.  We have two driveways, the lower one leads to the garage and Rich has been busy keeping that one plowed out.  But the upper one we have not plowed, since we were not using it.  However, in order for the fuel truck to be able to deliver oil we had to get the upper driveway plowed.  So on the way to church Rich arranged to rent a Bobcat for that afternoon, so he could clear out the upper driveway and widen the lower one, too, to make room for more snow if it comes. 

The Bobcat got delivered while Rich was in the E.R.  where he rested and slept and was examined.  When it was all over he came home and, **you guessed it**, went right out to plow the driveways and then put just enough fuel in the tank so we would have heat and hot water before the fuel delivery.

He wasn’t done until 9:30pm….I was totally exhausted by the time he was done, as I had spent the day worried about him, waiting for his health reports to come back, and then waiting for him to be done with his huge snow shoveling job/fuel job.  Not to mention the energetic youngins to keep track of.  I just wanted to snuggle with my husband and know he was okay and to rest in his arms.  And of course, Rich was sick and needed the same thing (time with wife).

Well, it finally happened– and even after a shower he smelled strongly of gasoline.  (A manly man smell.)  We ate ice cream on the couch and then went to bed, snuggled, and talked for maybe 10 minutes before we both were too tired.  We went to sleep.

This morning he left for work at 6 but he did get take the time to get his prescription filled, thankfully.    And he called me later in the morning for a few minutes.

I had a very hectic morning chasing my almost 2 year old and cleaning up his messes.  But I did decide, from now on when he makes a mess (like throwing his cheerios or dumping the crayons) he will have to clean it up himself.  Enough is enough.  I chased my 2 year old and took care of the other 6 children, homeschooled them, cleaned up the house a little, made meals, did laundry, on and on.  All with not the greatest of attitudes, I am afraid to say. 

But now I get to sit for a few minutes and post some pictures that I took this morning.  Rich plowed last night so there are even bigger piles of snow for the children to play in and on.

Ethan was digging;

David was trying (and failing) to reach an icicle:

Grace was frolicking up and down the mountains like a goat.

This is an interesting picture.  It’s our buried picnic table (on the left of the photo, you can see the upper edge of it), and Grace walking on the snow.

The helpful Bobcat:

Grace at the lower driveway:

Jacob took this picture of me.  This was just moments before I fell over in the snow and said, “I’m not following you anymore, this is not fun.” 

Okay, Mama quiet time is over.  Now it’s change gaggacious diaper time.  I need a clothespin!

I haven’t made much mention of the fluffy, wet, heavy, white stuff that is all over the place outside, drifting clear up to my waist in some spots.

But I thought I would break the silence and share a couple of pictures that I took about half an hour ago.

Jacob and Ethan were shoveling off the roof of the porch.  You see, we got another 20 inches this past week. 

We have lived here for 5 years and this is the most snow we’ve gotten.  It is exciting for the children and for *the kid in all of us*, but there also have been some problems with keeping the roads clear and safe for drivers.  The mountains of snow at the ends of roads make it hard to see what’s coming when you want to pull out into traffic.  There have been many accidents caused by the huge piles.  Also, the roofs need to be cleaned off because of the added weight.

I was a little nervous about the boys being up there.  But I figured at 14 years, and (almost) 13 years, they should have enough common sense to be careful.  Rich didn’t tell them to be careful of their bodies, he told them to “BE CAREFUL OF THE ROOF.  SHOVEL DOWN, NOT UP AND NOT SIDEWAYS.”

I stood on the road to take this one. 

 A prayer request:

I don’t typically blog on Sundays but I am today because I am trying to give myself something to do to keep my mind off my husband.  He has not been himself lately and he told me yesterday that he’s been having trouble with headaches, pressure in his head that doesn’t go away, fogginess, lack of focus, dizziness…..he finally told me yesterday because  I was upset. I could sense something was not right 

We went to church this morning and when we got home, he called the doctor’s office and they told him to go to the E.R. and that is where he is right now.

I personally think it is probably stress related, or maybe a sinus infection.  I hope and pray that is all it is.  But I ask, if you would keep him in your prayers that he will feel better soon?  Rich is not easily discouraged, and it’s hard to see him that way. 

 Thanks~ and I will try to update when he gets home.  He’s been gone for an hour and a half.

**He’s been gone for four hours now.  He had blood drawn and a cat scan done.  He had an I.V. of fluids for dehydration and oxygen for the headache.  He say he thinks he might be feeling a little better.  No results yet from the blood work or cat scan.  I start to cry now and then but then I get busy doing other things. 

 ** Rich got home at about 6:30.  His tests came out normal –and he has a prescription for antibiotics for a sinus infection.  We will find out in a few days if he has Lyme disease (common for our area)…..thanks so much for praying!  I am so relieved.  We are very thankful it isn’t anything too serious.