Rich just left for evening service at church a little while ago with Jacob, Ethan, Grace, and Davy.  Lil’ Caleb is sick with croup.  He’s been barking and coughing all weekend long, poor thing.  So I’m home with him, and he’s busy watching Thomas right now.

This weekend my parents came for a visit.  We celebrated Christmas!  I confess. . . .we STILL have our Christmas tree up, this is the longest Rich and I have ever left it up and we are SO ready to toss it out the door.  However, we are happy that we kept it up long enough to have a Christmas family time with my Mom and Dad.  They got here on Saturday about noon and the children could not wait to talk to them, and show them things, and to open gifts.

Grace received a crochet kit.  My mom sat right down with her and gave her a lesson.  I am happy to say that Grace seems to be a natural at understanding crochet.  It made my heart happy to see her.  She currently has about 6 inches of her project done (it’s going to be a scarf).

My Dad took time to have several NERF gun wars with the boys, downstairs in their room.

Every once in a while, we could just sit and visit. . . . .here I am, with my Dad and my Mom.

My sister Amanda and her sweet family came later on to open gifts.  Sometimes my big house actually feels quite small.  We were all buzzing about, talking and laughing.

This morning, my parents stayed home with the children and Rich and I went to church together, just the two of us.  It was like a date!  When we got back home, we ate lunch together and then Dad, Rich, and the kids all went ice skating.  Mom and I walked down so I could take a few pictures.  It was a gorgeous day.  Sunny but cold—cold in a refreshing BREATH DEEP way.  I’ll not soon forget my mom going down the hill five times in the sled!  Or my Dad racing around the pond on ice skates with the rest of the family.  Spending time outdoors in the wintertime, skating, was such a treat!  It brought back many childhood memories for my parents, who both spent time as children,  ice-skating on ponds with their friends and family.  (For those of you who don’t know, this is just our third winter here at this house–this was the first year my parents ice skated with us.)  We started making plans for next winter….to set up a bon-fire area with lots of wood, to bring some big bales of hay to set up around the pond for seats, and to keep collecting ice skates in every size.

The sky was so beautiful blue and big today. . . . .

Dad, Jacob, Grace, Rich, and Dave.

My handsome hockey player, in his potato skin (what I call his carhartt snow suit, aren’t I funny?)

The ice is thick and smooth, the best it’s ever been!

Ethan, my yellow-boy skater. . .hitting the hockey puck across the ice. . . .

Davy-do was racing just as fast as he could go, to catch up with Ethan.  I like to see their shadows, too.

Guess who lost a tooth the other day?  Actually, I pulled it for him.  It gave me the willies, but I did it.

(maybe you can’t see from the picture….it was a front bottom tooth)

A milestone for our dear Davy-do!

Sadly, Mom and Dad have left to go back to their own place in NY.  Jacob was fighting back tears of sadness to see them go….we all were.  But, we are so very thankful for the time we spent together and are looking forward to seeing them again very soon—when Seth arrives!

I wanted to add Jacob’s recipe for the weekend.  He showed such a servant’s heart by working hard in the kitchen squeezing lime after lime to make a special soda for his grandparents, his Dad, his siblings. . . .saving his own for last.  I was so proud of him. 

We found a cookbook at the library titled, The Star Wars Cookbook, and it’s such a great cookbook for boys.  (My boys have never seen the movie, but still somehow love anything to do with Star Wars).  Jacob made a list of ingredients for the recipes he wanted to try and this is the first one he made:

Yoda Soda

Ingredients:

3 limes
3 Tablespoons sugar, or to taste
1 cup sparkling water
1 scoop lime sherbet or sorbet

Place 1 lime on the cutting board and cut it in half.  Squeeze the juice from each half into a measuring cup.  Repeat with the remaining limes until you have 1/4 cup juice.

Put the lime juice and sugar in a small pitcher.  Stir with a wooden spoon  until the sugar dissolves.  Add the sparkling water and stir until mixed.  Taste and add more sugar, if desired. 

Using an ice cream scoop, scoop up the sherbet and drop it into a tall glass.  Pour in the lime water.  Serve immediately.  Makes 1 serving.

Tonight, after church, he plans on making us “Jawa Jive Milkshakes”.  I can’t wait!

Okay, maybe just maybe some of you are wondering who won the corn bag?  Well, I put over 100 slips of paper in a marigold fiesta bowl, stirred and stirred around with my hand, closed my eyes…….and…….

this is the name I pulled out………….

I had to laugh!  Alaskahannah is a friend of mine….I have never met her face to face but we met here through xanga and have become penpals.  We’ve been writing back and forth for quite a while now and our children also write to each other.  She has such a generous heart, is so warm and friendly, and her children are following in her footsteps.  For example, her daughter MADE Grace a gorgeous quilt for her birthday this year, and mailed it out to her!  We have come to love this family and I hope to someday have the pleasure of meeting them all.

So, Hannah Banana, congratulations on the win!  I hope the warm corn bag keeps you snug as a bug in snowy cold ALASKA!

Thank you, to all who commented and added to the fun.  It was great to meet a few of you who have been reading my blog but have not commented until the giveaway.  I guess I know what to do now, if I want to hear from you!

****SMILES AND HUGS****

Love, Shanda

For the weekend, I decided to open up a Valentine’s Day giveaway here on my blog.  Yes, I know we still have a week of January left but time flies, right?   

After I finished up the children’s bean bags, I put together a CORNBAG for one of you. 

This is what it looks like:

The outside fabric is a nice thick flannel.  The length is 11 1/2 inches, and the width is 10 inches — so it’s nice and big.  The label is the same material, red with white polkies (my word for polka dots), that I used for the boy’s bean bags and it is embroidered with pink, with the word LOVE.  I hope whoever wins the bag remembers that God loves them and that all love comes from Him.

The inside is filled with whole corn— hard corn kernels, which, after about 2 minutes in the microwave, stay nice and hot/warm for about 45 minutes.  I personally have two of these wonderful cornbags….almost every time I need to rest I warm one up and put it on my lower back or down under the covers at my feet.  So cozy.

I’ve made them for friends, for my kids, and everyone loves them so I know you will, too!

If you would like a chance to win this one, made with my very own hands with LOTS OF LOVE, please leave a comment on this post.  I’ll be back SUNDAY EVENING to take down the names, pick one randomly out of a hat (or fiesta bowl  ), and announce the winner. 

Happy Weekend to you!

~Shanda~

I’ve been wanting to make bean bags for the kids for a while now.  There are so many good games we can play with just a bunch of bean bags.  My mom told me she used to play with them when she was growing up.  Seems like a nice old fashioned family activity….

So for Valentine’s day, that is what I made for the children, a bean bag for each of them.  Heart-shaped of course.

(while browsing the internet I found this list of ideas for bean bag games)

Quick Beanbag Challenges

Throw a beanbag in the air, turn around, and catch it again.

Throw the beanbag up and backwards over your head and try to catch it behind your back.

Throw the beanbag in the air, clap your hands once, and catch it. Now try clapping your hands twice, then three times, and so on. How high can you go?

Throw the beanbag in the air and clap your hands under your right leg before catching it. Now try with your left leg. Now clap behind your back. Invent some more challenges.

Throw the beanbag up, jump, and try to catch it. Jump twice. Jump three times!

Throw it up, kneel down and try to catch it.

Throw and catch with just your right hand, then with just your left.

Try throwing it up and catching it with your eyes closed!

Balance the beanbag on your right foot, then throw it up and catch it from there. Can you do it with your left foot too?

Can you throw the beanbag up and catch it on your left foot?

Can you run with a beanbag balanced on your head? Can you jump? Can you twist around? Can you kneel down and stand up again, or sit down? Can you climb the stairs? Can you do any of these things with two beanbags balanced on your head? Or three?

Try balancing a beanbag on each shoulder while you walk, run, jump etc.

Sing one of your favourite songs or rhymes while you throw the beanbag up and catch it, or pass it round a circle of children.

Set up a variety of hoops, containers and targets and have some throwing practice.

How far can you throw the beanbag? Does it make a difference if you throw over-arm or underarm?

Valentine’s day, after all, is only 3 weeks away!  I’ve been inspired by dear Dawn’s site and after looking at the little crafty things she’s been doing, my eyes were ready to see some PINK on my blog, too. 

Some of you have been asking about my camera (so sweet of you).  I am happy to say that my new lens came yesterday.  I have my battery taped into my camera with a cotton ball and tape.  Mr Camera feels all tough with his big ol’ bandage.  A new battery cover is on the way but until then, things are working just fine.  It seemed fitting, after I put my new lens on, that I took pictures of my fiestaware…ROSE, WHITE, YELLOW, and SCARLET.

Very cheery, don’t you think?  The kids, when they got over the shock of seeing the table full of all the dishes that were rejected (wrong colors),  loved it.

Cupboard open:

Cupboard shut:

I’ve been working on some little Valentine gifts for the children, too.  I’ll show them to you soon.  I made the same thing for each child….six little somethings…

I have a busy morning ahead of me.  Doctor’s appointment at 9 and then hopefully a quick run to Costco.  I’ll be taking the big boys along, so they can do the heavy lifting.

Thankfully, I’m feeling somewhat energetic, I went to bed last night at 6:30!

Have a lovely day ~Shanda~  

“Once upon a time in the Wild Wild West, there lived a rancher and his wife.  Every morning, just as the sun was coming up, the rancher saddled his horses and fed the cattle while his wife baked biscuits.  Biscuits with butter, biscuits with honey, biscuits with jelly. . . .Yes, those breakfast biscuits were plump as pillows, soft as clouds, and tasty as a big Texas barbecue.

Then one day, just as the sun was coming up, the rancher’s wife decided she was tired of making biscuits.

So she measured and mixed, and she made gingerbread dough.

She rolled that dough flat and cut out the shape of a boy—but not just any boy.  He had boots on his feet.  He had a hat on his head.  And he had a big belt buckle made of spun sugar.

He was a Gingerbread Cowboy!”

~ The Gingerbread Cowboy, by Janet Squires

Davy-do has had a thing for Gingerbread Boy stories ever since around Christmas, when his Kindergarten class did a theme week all about the spicy little man.  So, when we discovered this book at the library last week we couldn’t wait to read it.  We were not disappointed.  The illustrations are fun and the book reads so well….I could practice my southern Texas twang with reckless abandon.  It’s good enough of a book that they boys beg, “AGAIN!” as soon as we finish reading the last page.

Very fun.  I love to read out loud to my kids.  We’ve also read Jack and the Beanstalk, Stone Soup, Little Red Riding Hood (the violent version in which the Grandmother and Riding Hood both get eaten and the Woodsman has to kill the wolf and slice him open to rescue them, quite shocking!), Bambi, and The Tale of Tom Kitten lately.  Sitting together in Daddy’s big chair by the fire, reading, is warm and cozy.  The minutes fly by as we lose ourselves in book-land.

Do you have any favorite read-alouds? 

Rich arrived home safe and sound Thursday night….about 10:30-ish.  Thank you to all who prayed for him and for me during his business trip.  Thankfully, he does not have anymore trips scheduled until March. 

It’s been pretty cold here but it hasn’t kept us home.  I took the kids to the library on Thursday and then on Friday Jacob, Ethan, and Grace were with friends during the day from 11 until 5, which was really nice for them. 

Today Rich and I took them to the library again, because I had a book come in that I had requested.  Then we went to McDonald’s for lunch.  Jacob ate the most…..about 13 chicken nuggets, fries, and a drink.  He sure is growing fast.  They all are.  After McDonald’s we all went home for naps. 

I was able to get out tonight.  I met my sister and a couple of my friends for dinner.  Rich dropped me off and while I was busy there at the mall and with dinner, he took the children to Chucky Cheeses.  When they picked me up after a couple of hours, the kid’s mouths were all blue with cotton candy.  Caleb said so cutely, “Chucky Cheese was FUN!”  Even Rich admitted to having more fun than he thought he would have.  It makes me happy to think of them making that memory together. 

In the midst of the day, I did manage to get a few more belly pictures. 

Rich took this one, of the children all putting their hand on Seth.  I love it.

My dear daughter freshened up my toenail polish for me.  Yes, we’re using a math scrap-paper to protect the floor.

This is Rich putting his hand on my tummy….

Grace took these…….

When I look at these pictures I think about how tired I am (I can see it in my eyes).  But, I’m glad I went through the effort of getting the camera out and asking my family to help me take them.  After the baby is born, I know I will enjoy looking at these photos, as I remember what it was like to be pregnant, tired and all.  It’s been such a special, hopeful time.  I’m truly more happy and thankful than words can say.

(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!