“There were chasms of immense depth, dark with the indigo gloom of pines, and mountains with snow gleaming on their splintered crests…….”  Isabella L. Bird, A Lady’s Life in the Rocky Mountains

Have you ever vacationed in Colorado Springs?  It truly was a feast for the senses for me.  Last Monday, after an entire day of travel, on three connecting flights, Rich and I arrived, with our baby Seth, looking forward to four days in such a beautiful setting.

The resort we stayed at was magnificent.  The Broadmore started receiving guests in 1918, and is a five star grand resort.  Rich and I were invited there, along with other members of various companies, so that Rich could attend a business conference.  The conference began on Thursday, and we went two days early, to see the sights.

Monday evening, after we arrived, we were too tired to go back out to dinner, so we treated ourselves to room service.  Our room was beautiful, with a big comfortable and soft bed, a huge flat screen TV, and a lovely bathroom (I always get a thrill out of pretty bathrooms).  There was just enough room for a big comfy crib for Seth, too.  We thought it was so cute that they placed a bath set in the crib, as a gift for Seth, with rubber ducks, washcloth, soaps, and a hair brush.

We ended up pushing Seth’s crib away, into an empty spot near the bathroom.  But, we thought it was cute the way he was watching us eat our dinner the first night.  Yes, that’s Monday night football on TV. 

On Tuesday, the weather was gorgeous, with a deep blue sky, and big puffy clouds.  The air was crisp and cool, the sun was warm and toasty.  We ate our breakfast together right at the hotel, outside on the patio.  Because the mornings can be chilly, there were heaters hanging down from the tall ceiling of the patio.  We got too warm and actually had to ask for ours to be turned off!  I looked at the menu and decided to order something I would never make for myself at home—eggs benedict.  Yum!

As soon as we were ready, we headed out in our rental car and visited a place called Seven Falls.  Those of you who have been following my blog know how much I love nature and Colorado is stunning.  I would never get tired of looking at the tall mountains.  The air seems so clear and everything I saw looked bright and pretty.  Visiting the falls was exciting and in order to get up high enough to see the views, we had to either go up an elevator or walk up about “a million” steps.  We chose the steps, but by the time I got up there, there was no way I was going to go all the way back down them, so we took the elevator.

“This is a view to which nothing needs to be added.” 

“This scenery satisfies my soul.”   Isabella L. Bird

Down the side walk a little, there was another long staircase to another observation platform.  This time I stayed below with Seth, and we watched as Rich walked up with the camera.  

All in all, it didn’t take long to see and admire the water falls and soon we were on our way to our next destination, which was The Garden of the Gods.

The Garden of the Gods was free, and I will go back to this place, even if it’s just in my mind.  I LOVED IT.  The first thing we did was get lunch, at the visitors center.  We each had a buffalo burger and we took our food outside to eat.  We stayed full for about 5 hours after eating those things!  We took a few pictures of ourselves, with the gorgeous mountains in the background.

So, basically, at the Garden, we just entered the park in our car and drove slowly around.  Simple enough, but there were many mountain formations and the views were incredible.  We took some pictures, but they don’t do justice to the enormous size of the huge rocks and cliffs.  We pulled off the road several times, and the reason why this place haunts me a little, is because it would have been the perfect place to visit alone, with just my Bible and a notebook.  I would have really enjoyed sitting for a few hours, praying and just spending time with the Lord.

“It was one of those glorious surprises in scenery which make one feel as if one must bow down and worship.”  Isabella L. Bird

After the Garden of the Gods, we drove about half an hour away, to the Focus on the Family visitor’s center.  I grew up listening to Dr. Dobson and Adventures in Odyssey.  It was such a thrill to visit their headquarters.  The lady who welcomed us was warm and gracious, and gave us a free book when we told her that we were on vacation to celebrate our wedding anniversary (which was the next day, on the 16th).  It did my heart good, to walk around, reading the many awards and information that was displayed about Dr. Dobson’s ministry.  FAMILY is honored, marriage, fatherhood, motherhood, children, all lifted up to the glory of God.  It was refreshing for Rich and I both.

Rich, reading about Dr. Dobson’s father’s red jacket.  After his father died,  he wore it for the next two Christmases, in memory of his Dad.  (The art work is also his father’s.)

Well, we were plumb tuckered out after visiting Focus on the Family, so we headed back to our hotel for some rest and relaxation.

On Wednesday, it was our 14th wedding anniversary.  After getting into a heated argument about whether we would drive up Pike’s Peak, or take the cog railway, we headed out to “ride” up the mountain, which was the better choice (we found out later that if we had drove we would not have made it up the mountain because of snow).  

Here I am, at the station, with Seth.

Well, the ride up was great.  Rich and I ended up (as a gift from God, not “luck”) in the best seat on the train, right in front, with a big window ahead of us, and on the side of us.  A man talked and gave information all the way up the mountain (it took over an hour).

And when we got to the top, what do we discover, but a snow storm!

Needless to say, we didn’t hang around outside.  We went right in and ate lunch and donuts.  At such a high altitude, a recipe had to be created for the donut frying to actually succeed and taste good.  I wouldn’t say they were the BEST donuts but it was fun to eat them as a treat on the top of Pike’s Peak!

Going back down the mountain proved to be a misery for yours truly.  We were warned that in order to avoid altitude sickness, we needed to drink lots of water.  There was a bathroom at the top, but no bathroom on the train and I spent the next hour in agony, “holding it”.  What a wonderful experience, to finally make it back to civilization, and a ladies restroom.  I never ever want to be in that situation again.  Ever. 

On Thursday, it was time for Rich to be involved in his conference, which meant I had lots of time with just Seth.  We were able to eat breakfast together, Rich and I, and then I had all day (until about 4:40-5pm) to wait until he was done, so we could go to dinner.

The first day, I had a massage at the European Spa at the resort.  One of Rich’s coworkers was also attending the conference, and his wife offered to babysit Seth while I had my VERY FIRST massage.  Okay, let me just say right off the top that I am not a massage-lover.  However, the experience was very interesting and it felt good to be pampered.  I was given a warm robe and some slippers.  When I went to the bathroom I sat on a warm toilet seat.  A nice lady took me into a little room with the massage table and asked me questions about my medical history and what I expected from my experience that day.  (to relax)  Then, she gave me my massage.  It lasted 50 minutes and it was very relaxing.  There was nice music playing in the background, along with the sound of running water.  After it was done, she walked me out and showed me the other things I could do that day (aromatherapy room, sauna, swimming, etc, etc) but I just ate a little bit of fruit, got dressed, and left so that I could get Seth back.  I thought about Grace while I was there, and bought her a nice bath “bomb” that looks just like a fancy pink cupcake.  She can put it in her bathwater and it will smell like strawberry and turn the water pink and bubbly.  I think I would like the spa if I didn’t have a baby to take care of, waiting for me.  I would rather have a pedicure and manicure than a massage.  I walked Seth back to my hotel room and took a long shower, to get the oil and “another person’s hands” off me.  I’ll try just about anything once, and I’m glad I got my massage.  And, wasn’t it nice of that lady (her name was Mary) to babysit for me?  She adored Seth.  Actually, Seth got LOTS of attention, as he was the only baby to attend the conference. 

While Rich was busy, I did a lot of resting in our room, watching TV, napping, reading, and walking outside.  Here are a few random pictures that I took.

One of my many reading spots.  The book pictured is where I got the quotes.

Other pictures, of the hotel:

Our room,

In one hallway, they display portraits of every famous guest that has stayed at the resort.

Rich, holding Seth in a comfy chair.  There were seating areas in just about every corner.

Seth had to learn to take a nap whenever he could get the chance.  He was so good natured about it all.

We ate breakfast outside, with the rest of the people who attended the event.  We sat at tables under the roofed pavilion, with a gorgeous view of several fountains, and the mountains.  Rich is walking ahead of me, with Seth in his arms.

One of the many gorgeous places in the hotel to sit and lounge.  I sat here one afternoon, in front of a fire, reading my book with Seth asleep in his Ergo, snuggled right under my chin.

The main hotel lobby,

The best part of all was reconnecting with my husband.  We grew so very close again, on this trip, with just each other (and Seth) to focus on.  We laughed together, went swimming in the pool, ate our meals, walked, talked, watched a little TV, took care of our baby, sat side by side on the plane rides, and it was wonderful. 

This morning, at 11 o’clock, Rich had to leave again, for another week of travel.  This time, when he left, we both had tears in our eyes.  It was hard to say goodbye after our wonderful adventure.

Ahhh, the blessings of Older Children.

I wouldn’t recommend throwing a soft oozy tomato pointblank at your preschooler, but if you have a 6, 11, or 12 year old boy handy….and a nice red juicy tomato handy…..well, I say,

LET ‘EM HAVE IT!

I haven’t laughed so hard in days.  We were chasing each other around the porch, through the house (as I screamed, “Get back outside!”  “Don’t throw that in here!”) and on the lawn.

I wish I could take credit for Jacob’s face.  It was Ethan, all Ethan.  He pinned his big brother down, and washed his face in Tomato.  I could see, from where I was standing, Ethan’s arm going round and round, as he busily washed and rubbed.

It was at that point that I went for the camera.

Jacob did not lose his temper.  He’s just at that age when it’s cool to look “tough” for the camera.

He was a real good sport. 

I’m telling ya, it gave me as much energy and happiness as a big ol’ cup of coffee!

I was still chuckling when Rich came home from work, hours later. 

Every day may not be good,
but there’s something good in every day.  ~Author Unknown

Hello!  I’ve been wanting to post pictures all weekend, but never got the chance.  As a result, this post will be very long. 

I’m just gonna dive right in……….I’ll post the pictures and type any thoughts that come to mind as I look at them.

Caleb knows how to hold Joanna the Chicken so she doesn’t accidently, out of curiosity, peck him;

Davy loves his little man;

Seth on the move . . . . . .

. . . . .to join Caleb on the porch;

I put a Very Dirty Caleb in the tub, and not long after, found David had joined him;

They emptied all my dishsoap into the tub, for bubbles.

David loves to swim, but needs to be watched when he’s not wearing a life-jacket;

I love watching him jump, he has no fear, just zest, for swimming and life!

Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.  ~Winston Churchill

I’ve been cleaning and organizing (this is where we homeschool and go online), the upstairs Office (and kitchen, and bedrooms, and bathrooms, and basement, and, and, and……on and on…..)  I sit and type my blogs here.  I like this room.

Seth has been taking short naps lately, I think he’s growing…..he finally made up for lost sleep Sunday night, when he slept a solid 13 hours.

My parents came this weekend.  It was so nice to see them again.

Dad and Jacob played music together for a little while, out on the porch;

While Mom rocked the baby, wearing her new Anthropology apron (we went shopping together);

I took this picture right before we all piled into our vehicles for church, Sunday Morning;

I love it, love it, love it!

I’ve been working on freezing tomatoes, from our neighbor’s big garden.  Jacob, Ethan, and Grace helped plant these tomatoes this spring and they are happy to see the beautiful results of their hard work;

My washing machine broke last week.  I was pretty stressed out about it, especially when Rich made some calls and found out it would be a few weeks before it could get fixed.  So, (after I lost my temper and said there was no way I could add trips to the laudromat to my “to do” list) he offered to do the laundry for me this weekend at a laundromat.  I went along to help (but, really because I didn’t want to be left behind at home).  As we were loading up the laundry (about 10 loads) he couldn’t believe how much there was to do.  I said, “Welcome to my world!”  No one really understands how busy I am as a homemaker, raising six children, and homeschooling, and everything else, except those ladies out there who are also doing the same.  And of course, Jesus.  I depend on the Lord for everything.  I lean on Rich (who doesn’t always understand, but does love me) and lean on Christ (who  loves me AND understands everything about me), so heavily these days.  “Am I okay?” is a question I often ask.  “You’ve got me to help you” is the answer.  Although, Rich did try to say other things to me first, that didn’t help. At all.  I finally told him what I needed him to say.    There are so many encouraging Words in the Bible, verses of quiet, of rest, of mercy and strength, of the  goodness and support of the Lord.   My husband’s love, his strong arms around me, the sound of his heartbeat under my cheek, the sleeping at night, these are all things that revive me, and refresh my spirit, when I am so very tired of it all. . . . . .

Laundry is a constant job for us.  It took several hours yesterday, to catch up on it.  However, I think the laundromat is a peaceful place.  It smells soooooo good, it’s warm, and there is the constant soothing hum of washers and dryers.

As I was helping fold many many articles of clothing, Seth (who was IN a laundry basket, standing up) mercifully got tired, hungry, and fussy.  So, I left Rich to finish up and I went and sat in the vehicle to nurse Seth.  At first I felt impatient, having to sit still when I wanted to get the laundry done.  But, very soon I began to calm down and realize how nice it was, in the warmth, holding my baby who is growing too fast and usually squirms and wriggles now, when I hold him.

He fell sound asleep and it was a treat to just sit and cuddle him, to admire his lips, eyelashes, skin.

His little hands.

Asleep so soundly on my chest.

We also enjoyed the outdoors this weekend.  Rich and I went on several walks together.  The weather is gorgeous.  Fall is arriving here in New England, slowly but surely, the days are getting shorter, the air is so clear and bright, and smells so fresh.  We want to be outside as much as possible.

I looked at a grasshopper, up close.  Isn’t it pretty?  God pays attention to details.

I found these plants growing in the woods by the trail.  They are so pretty, a nice coral color, with some pale yellow edges.  At some point today, I will look these up to find the name.

Another wild flower;

I had a great time watching a bumble bee collect pollen (as I bent over, Rich took the opportunity to throw pebbles down the back of my pants, until my threats stopped him)…..

The determined bee (the yellow on his back legs is pollen)….

This next picture makes me laugh!  The bee is down in the flower, with it’s back legs sticking straight out the top of it!  How cute!  I love it.  Rich and I also saw a different bumble bee this weekend, at our house on the porch.  It was AMAZINGLY COVERED all over with orange pollen.  I don’t know what in the world happened, but it really neat to see it land, brush some of it off, and then fly away again, as orange as a cheese ball.  (Alas, no picture of that one)…..

The boys and the dog went running with Rich.  We had to get the boys new sneakers this weekend.  From the men’s department.  It’s so strange to have “little” boys with men’s sized feet.

Grace is walking away, with Seth, in the background;

Off they go!  They run for miles.  The 2 boys run together, and Rich goes off ahead, and meets up with them later on.  They always come back with some sort of story to tell me.  This time it was, “We thought Parker would fall over dead of exhaustion, but he started running so fast, pulling his leash in his mouth and everything!  If it wasn’t for him, I would never had made it!”

Miss Grace

I would like to ask you to pray for us this week.  I’m feeling very tired and I have a lot to do, a lot to plan and prepare for.  Rich and I will be leaving the children (all but Seth) with his mom on Saturday.  The two of us (with Seth) are flying out of NY on Sunday, to spend a week together, on vacation and business.  This week will be extra busy for me, because I need to organize and pack for myself and all the children.  I always feel some worry over leaving the children, and flying…so, I ask that you also pray for safety for us, and peace of mind for me. 

Rich and I are celebrating our 14th wedding anniversary next week, and have been looking forward to this trip for almost a year.  I haven’t been letting myself think about it too much, but now that it’s just days away I am getting so excited! 

Thanks for stopping by my blog today.  I hope each one of you has a beautiful day.

Love, Shanda

The window is open, and I can hear the buzzing of night insects.  There is a gorgeous, bright white, full moon up in the sky (Caleb said, “Look!!  A moon!”).

Rich got home at 7:45 tonight, just in time to help his busy children light a fire, which they were trying so very hard to do by themselves.  I walked down too, with Seth smelling sweet and clean, in his pajamas, and in the baby carrier, to find the children skipping about, all excited because, “Daddy got the fire started!”  (I couldn’t get it to stay lit earlier today).  “I made them all work together.  You have to build it right.” was what he said when I asked him how he did it.

Rich had on his black dress pants, black dress shoes, white button up shirt, and a tie.  He hadn’t had any dinner yet.  And he was doing all that work, trying to help the children get their sticks all ready for marshmallows and hot dogs.  After a while, he left to get himself his dinner (lasagna) and change. 

He came back out to join us and so, we were all together for a little while tonight, in the cool night air, with a hot bonfire to keep us warm.  We actually had to shield our faces with our arms in order to roast our treats.  I had one s’more.  I kissed Sethie on the lips, just a light little smack, so he could have a *tiny* taste of sugar.  Oh, does he ever wriggle.  I told him he was like trying to hold and snuggle a fish out of water, flipping and flopping.  I took him out of the carrier and let him flop to his heart’s content, as long as he stayed on the big blanket, with me.  He kept grabbing me and standing up on his feet, wobbly but strong.  He was all smiles and enjoyed being outside in the dark. 

The popping of the fire reminded Ethan of guns.  All he thinks about lately is hunting.

Jacob and Ethan are going to try sleeping outside tonight.  Jacob is nervous, Ethan is all for it.  They are out there now, with their sleeping bags and the ipod.  I just opened the window to ask what they were listening to.  Redwall, one of their favorite books. 

It’s been such a busy day.  Hard to savor the moments as they happened, but when I sit here and think back I remember these favorite times:

*doing school up in the office, all shut up together, working quietly, having a nice conversation with Grace about Plymouth.  They are all enjoying Math for the first time EVER as homeschoolers, thanks to Teaching Textbooks. 

*walking with Seth, Jacob, Ethan, Caleb, and the dog, up the road to get some fresh veggies.  I let Seth try some of my ‘mater.  We all laughed so much.  Ethan showed us some berries that we couldn’t identify.  We want a berry book.  We saw a smashed toad in the road.  Caleb fell in the ditch once.  We fed the dog sour concord grapes, which he LOVES. 

*the picnic I had with Caleb, just the two of us, down by the pond, sitting under the branches.  We ate sandwiches and Mama’s special hidden cheese crunchies.  We read Go, Dog, Go.  I gave Caleb a small reading lesson.  How I love that four year old boy of mine.

*conversations on the phone with my friend Kathy, and my Mom

*Listening to the boys beg to go to the mall, so they could buy a little something with their allowance.  Finally saying yes, and completely enjoying the time with them.  I bought chocolate fiestaware for Lakelyn, Resolved 2 Worship’s new little precious daughter.  Chocolate because she has chocolate colored eyes.

*letting a naked Seth splash in the pond again.  David caught a frog with a nice green head.  I accidently dropped it back in when he handed it to me.  We admired the water striders.  They move on the top of the water in such an amazing way.

*watching Grace draw on almost every window in the house, with her new special window crayons.

*watching my chicks run around outside in my flower beds, and under the porch. 

Yes, it’s been a wonderful, once in a lifetime sort of day.  Busy and happy. 

And now I’m finally going to go to bed, and do some reading.  Rich is enjoying some rest and relaxation, and a football game on TV.  I have a jar candle on the table, sitting on a fiesta platter and surrounded by acorns.  It’s been my “little bit of pretty” in a house full of “things to do”………

I got two new books in the mail today, and a new magazine and haven’t yet cracked them open, so I am looking forward to looking at those tonight.

I hope your day was beautiful.  Thank you for your friendship here.  Thank you for all the sweet comments and notes to me, I’m so encouraged by each one of you. 

The photos today are from the summer.

My kitchen windowsill;

Seth napping on the front porch, swinging back and forth;

My chicks, the second group to come, 4 “easter egg chicks” and 1 Barred Rock, that the lady said was extra and so Grace and I snatched her up and brought her home;

David and Seth, sitting on my bed in the morning sunshine;

Seth’s baby feet;

Showing Seth something beautiful;

Good night!  God loves you~  Shanda

It’s a warm, clear, light and sunny late summer afternoon.

I am sleepy.

I was stressing out this morning.  We waited for David’s bus for 45 minutes before I called the school and found out there was a 90 minute delay because of some problems with the buses.  David managed to lose his sneakers and socks within five minutes of hearing that news…..and ended up having to get on the bus later on this morning with no socks, just shoes, because I was so mad I refused to look for new ones and of course he couldn’t remember for the life of him where he took the old ones off.  Why are socks such a source of stress?  Why do we wear socks?  Why do we wear shoes?

Yesterday Caleb and I went for a walk in the woods together.  I had come home from grocery shopping and Seth was sleeping so I left the nonperishable groceries lying about and off we went.  Barefoot, barefoot, barefoot.  The ground in the woods was soft and spongy.  I pretended I was an old-time Indian in the woods.  I only hurt my feet two times; once when I caught my pinky toe on a root, and the other time was walking down the gravel trail back out of the woods, it hurt so bad.  Then I discovered one of the reasons WHY we need shoes nowadays.  Because men invented roads.  Gravel roads hurt.  Now we have asphalt roads but it’s too late. There’s too much money at stake in the shoe industry.  Plus asphalt roads are too hot.  We have cars now but we still need to wear shoes.  Think of the germs.  Germs are another reason why we wear shoes.  To protect our bare feet from other people’s germs.

Another reason why we need to wear shoes is because of the weather.  I would go barefoot all year around except for winter.  I’ve pressed my bare feet into the top of snow, and it’s pleasant, but only for a moment.

Shoes also support the feet.  Sometimes my feet hurt and I put on my sneakers and they feel better. 

But, I don’t think it’s important to have multiple pairs of shoes or to spend a lot of money on shoes.  If each of my walking children owned three pairs of shoes, that would make a total of 15 shoes to keep track of.  Do you know how many times I get asked, “Mom, where’s my shoes”?  Why can’t my children wear sneakers to church with their dress clothes? 

Every time I go outside, I find at least one pair of shoes on the lawn.  Ethan’s Land’s End water shoes have been under the trampoline for months.  I’ve often thought, when the children are grown and gone, I will still come across shoes when I stumble upon their favorite forts and spots in the woods and by the stream.

Let this be a lesson to us all:  simplify your life.  buy your children just one pair of shoes a piece.  We’ve been liking our crocs these days.

I canceled Jacob’s follow up visit to the eye specialist this morning.  It would have taken at least 2 hours out of my morning, to get an eye checked, which I can see for myself  is better.  Why did I feel guilty canceling the appointment?  There is a slight chance that his eye is growing fungus, that’s why.  It’s quite rare, of course, but just in case, I should drive 40 minutes through stressful traffic to get it checked.  Just in case the 25 dollar antibiotic eye drops didn’t kill the germs that my chicken might have had on it’s beak when it poked Jacob’s eye.

Seth turned seven months old today.  He’s been fussy the past few days.  I am sitting here, typing, because he is sleeping on the porch in his swing.  I tried to read a book outside earlier, but Seth woke up crying.  As I came to the house, I remembered when Jacob, Ethan, and Grace were all preschoolers.  I rarely read anything but magazines.  I had no time.  Babies take a lot of time to care of.  I would die for Seth, he’s worth every moment, but for some reason I forget that he needs lots and lots of attention and then I get discouraged because the house is so messy.  And the other children need me, too.  And so does Rich.

I told the children this morning, “I AM SO STRESSED OUT.  I AM OPEN TO SUGGESTIONS.”  Jacob advised me to take a nap.  Grace thought I should call my friend Kathy and have her babysit them for the day. 

My mom called me and during our conversation she said, “Why do you have to have a clean house?”  She’s home for the week, on vacation from her job, and enjoying her home.  She and Dad are spending time together.  She loves to garden.  She said this is the first vacation she’s had at home with complete freedom to do what she wanted to do.  She raised five children and she knows how I feel today.  The reason why I need a clean house is because the more stressed I am, the more “perfect” I want my surroundings.  I don’t know how to explain it.  When I’m relaxed, I could care less what the house/vehicle/lawn/garage/children look like….but, when I’m stressed out every little problem makes me irritated.

Like trying to find scissors.

The children finally understood that Mama couldn’t be bothered today.  So, they paired off after school was over.  Grace and Caleb have been best buddies.  The last time I saw them they were sitting in low tree branches, pretending they were riding horses, complete with rope as reigns.

Ethan and Jacob have been setting up an intricate army man fort/village outside in the driveway, in the shade of the vehicle.  Jacob created buildings and things using cardboard and coloring things in with colored pencils.  All the art lessons I’ve been paying for seem to be helping his artistry a great deal.  His cobblestone road looked quite realistic!

Ethan just walked in with Seth, who is awake again, after his 10 minute nap.  I asked Ethan to feed him.  I can hear E talking to him in a baby voice.  I’m so thankful for the experience the children are getting here at home, life skills are being learned.  Jacob did laundry this morning.  Ethan cleaned out the kitchen sink for me until it was empty and shining, with the clean sponge left on the side. 

(this is how my sink typically looks):

As I sit here and type, I realize how much writing is like therapy for me.  That’s what I missed most of all when I wasn’t blogging this summer.  I didn’t write anymore…I thought I would get out a journal and write by hand, but typing is so fast that handwriting seems too SLOW now.  My life is moving at such a quick pace.  Typing is perfectly suited to my life.  Handwriting a letter to a friend is a rare treat to be savored.

I made a good dinner last night.  Rich needs good dinners, my hard working husband who most of the time skips lunch.

Our neighbor plants a huge garden, and sells his extra produce.  It’s so fun to walk down, buy some veggies, and then walk home.

(these are pictures from last week.  The first one, Grace took.  We were walking to the vegetable stand, our house is behind us.  Grace was proud that both the boys smiled for the picture.)…..

The tomatoes have been so good.  Very flavorful.  So, last night for dinner I tried a new recipe using some of those yummy fresh tomatoes.  To make rice-stuffed tomatoes you need 4 medium sized ones.  Slice off the very top and scoop out the middle, leaving 1/2 an inch around.  Salt them and turn them upside down on a paper towel to drain.  Saute 1/2 cup onion, then add the middles of the tomatoes, which you have taken the seeds out of and chopped.  After the liquid evaporates from the pan, remove from heat and add 2 T of fresh parsley,  2 T of fresh basil, 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese, and 1 1/2 cups of cooked rice.  Fill your tomatoes, which you have placed in a baking dish, with the rice mixture.  Put a pat of butter on each one and bake in a 350 oven until heated through.  I served them as a side dish to the pork tenderloin which I also baked in the oven, in a covered roasting dish, seasoned with salt and pepper, for 1 hour.  After the hour was up, I took it out and sliced it.  I poured our favorite BBQ sauce over the top and put it back in the oven for about 5-10 minutes.  Rich said that it was the best meal he’s had in a long time, and that includes all those fancy dinners he eats on his business trips.  So, it was tiring, because Seth was fussy, but totally worth it to get the compliments. 

Here are a few more notes from the sermon I listened to yesterday.  Based on Titus 2, the older Christian women are to teach the younger ones BY EXAMPLE, not by formal teaching (unless a woman has a definite GIFT FOR TEACHING she should NOT teach formally, but every woman is able to “teach” by example, influence, and quiet one on one conversation, in a natural spirit led, friendly way).  The older woman are to teach the younger to be husband-lovers, children-lovers, sensible (heads screwed on right), pure, and home-workers, not home-idlers or dawdlers.

Interesting, I thought.  Especially the part about how the older women are to teach—-by EXAMPLE.  Another thing the Pastor said was that the world has you DOING in order to BE.  God has us BE in order to DO.  By BEING in Christ, God-fearing and God-loving, we DO His will and encourage and inspire other Christian woman in the process.

As home-maker I am a DESPOT, a SANCTIFIED DICTATOR, a house KEEPER, an absolute RULER of the home, in a DIVINELY ASSIGNED ROLE, which is a role of safety and usefulness.  How fun!  How fulfilling!

And now you can see how I’ve gotten myself all tired out….after hearing that sermon I got all fired up and did too much…..LOL…but, the nice chocolate cake I made last night is sure coming in handy today, as a treat for my nerves! 

I just had this conversation with Ethan:

Ethan: “Mom.  You know those stinky seeds that are in stink weed?  Well, I planted one and alls it did was get bigger.” (he presents the growth from behind back)

Me, looking, recognizing the growth:  “I found one of those before!  So, you planted it and it grew like that?”

Ethan:  “Yep!”

Me, taking it, feeling it, smelling it, handing it back:  “Go take it apart and look inside it”

Ethan leaves, then Ethan returns with growth cut in half. 

Me, taking it, and smelling it, “It stinks like a skunk!”

Jacob, running upstairs, “I can smell that thing all the way downstairs!  The odor is awful!” (lots of laughter).

Ethan wants to plant more.  He said we can use them for gas bombs.  The weird thing is, the one I found a few years ago was old and rotting, and the smell of it was SWEET like a pineapple!  How topsy turvey!

Isn’t nature fun?

I can’t get the skunk smell out of my nose now, though. 

Okay, that’s enough for this post.  Yikes. 

Last week was pretty busy, with one thing happening after another.  Thankfully, I had something to look forward to:  a get-away with my sister Amanda!

We left Friday morning and came back on Saturday afternoon.  We spent pretty much the entire time talking, shopping, laughing and eating.  And being extremely silly.  Amanda has three children and two of them are toddlers, and I have six children, so it was a time of wonderful refreshment for both of us.  Plus, it was just so nice to spend a long chunk of time with each other.  I’m always so thankful to God for Amanda.  She’s been such a blessing to me in so many ways.  This was the first time the two of us traveled together for a mini-vacation.

We stopped at a spa and got our nails done.  Boy was that a treat.  Oh I forgot to mention, that of course we took Seth with us.  He was a joy to have along, but he did get a little ornery at the nail salon. 

I chose BRIGHT PINK polish for my nails, and Amanda got a French pedicure.

Seth looks cute even when he’s ornery, doesn’t he?

We stopped at several shops….Yankee Candle, and the two antique stores we visited were my favorite ones.

We spent the night in a hotel.  Seth fell right to sleep with no problems and Amanda and I each got into our own beds and watched TV until 10, when neither one of us could keep our eyes open anymore. 

One of the shows we watched was “What Not to Wear” and the next day Amanda got all inspired and decided that it was time for me to update my wardrobe….so, after a power lunch at the Crackerbarrel, we headed for the mall.  Truthfully, I was quite grateful for her help.  Shopping for clothes has NOT been on my list of priorities for a long time.  And who better than a sister to be honest about what looks good and what doesn’t?  I’m older than she is but she can be pretty bossy at times, too.  Ha ha….

Here are the outfits that she picked out for me, and that I bought.  We came home and I tried everything on (again) and she took the pictures.  Everything is new, except for the shoes.  Lots of laughter here, too. 

(really random info): I don’t normally answer questions publicly unless they are very important.  Last week I was asked if my husband, Rich, had teeth.  Apparently one of my bloggy friends noticed that Rich never shows his teeth when he smiles and so she wondered, “does he have any”.  My first reaction was to write something like, “You guessed it!  I’m in love with a toothless man!” but I wasn’t sure if anyone (Rich, most of all) would get the joke.

The answer to the question is yes, Rich does have teeth.  He just doesn’t like to flash them in a smile.

Amanda and I made him try for us this weekend, though. 

See?  Perfectly nice teeth!  I love you, honey! 

So, that’s the story of my weekend trip with Amanda…..we plan on trying to do more outings like that.  I think it’s important, now and then, to get away from the daily routine and do something totally different.  I came home recharged and ready to settle down with the children and the housework again.  And I’ve read enough about the benefits of laughter to know that I got LOTS of good out of all the giggling the two of us did this weekend!

I love you, sissy!

“If I go outside my eye feels like it’s burning in oil.

If I go near the chickens, I’m as nervous as a hyperventilating crayfish.

I think I’ve had 6 different kinds of drops in my eyes, don’t you think Mom?

And I’ve had about 5 different people look in my eye.”  ~Jacob, age 12

in Jacob’s own words:

“I’m wondering where to start.”  (long pause)  “Okay.  This morning we had just got back from walking the dog to *Mr. Smith’s house and I said to Grace and E, ‘Let’s go and see the chickens.’  So we went in the garage and I opened up the cage to get out Red, because she is my chicken.  So.  I put Red on my shoulder and she was peeping and looking down at the cage to call down to her friends to come and rescue her.  And before I knew it, Red had poked me right in the eye with her beak.  Hmmmm.  So I put my hand over my eye and said, ‘ow’.  And I asked Ethan to get Red and put her back in her cage.  And then I went up to the house and told Mom what had happened.  An hour passes.  Mom tells us to go outside and walk in the woods with the dog. (laughs)  To bring back a treasure.  So.  We went outside to walk in the woods with the dog to bring back a treasure.  This is turning out like a Lemony Snicket story.  We saw a mallard duck (laughs).  When we got back home, my eye was really hurting so Ethan asked me if we wanted to keep playing around the yard or go to the dam but I said, ‘No, I want to go back to the house because my eye is really hurting.’  Um.  When I got into the house I told Mom that my eye was really really hurting so she made me lie down on the couch and she looked in my eye and then she called *Dr. Jones to try to get me in for a doctor’s appointment so they could look in my eye.  And Mom said that we would be able to go right to the doctor’s office and I was really surprised because it normally takes three or four days to go to the doctor’s office.  So.  We got to the doctor’s office and waited in the waiting room while Mom signed me up.  Then, we got into the doctor’s office and *Dr. Jones came in after Mom had changed Sethie’s diaper in a record time of 2 minutes flat.  So *Dr. Jones looked in my eye and he simply could not believe that it was pecked by a chicken.  He put in some numbing eye drops and put on this sort of stuff that made my scratch turn orange so he could see where it was.  And so it turns out that I have a scratch right across my eye and I cannot to this moment in the day figure out how Red scratched me across the entire eye when I thought she had given me a quick jab.  So he said that he was gonna have to call a more professional eye place because he couldn’t tell how deep it was and so he called them and then we left and went home and got lunch and then we got back in the vehicle and drove to David’s school and picked him up.  And then we went to the eye doctor in *Crazy Town to see how deep my scratch was.  We got there and we waited in the waiting room and then we went into the doctor’s office and they checked out my eye and then they put in some more numbing and the lady who was the doctor was gonna look into my eye with this sort of machine but she couldn’t quite make it out so she had to put some more of the orange stuff in my eye so she could see the scratch better.  So then we went back to the machine but she couldn’t get the light to work, it had to be a medium shade of blue.  So we ended up having to go in the next room to use that machine.  So she checked my eye and then we went back into the room where Mom was and then the doctor told Mom that it wasn’t too deep.  And so Mom asked the doctor if it was clean.  And I forgot what the Doctor said about that but she did say that it wasn’t as bad as the person who she saw that got hand sanitizer in their eye.  Then the doctor told me that she was going to put in some disinfectant drops and then after she put in the disinfectant drops, she had to put in some more drops to dilate my pupils so that she could get a better look.  She put in the drops, 2 in my smashed eye and one in my normal eye  and said we could go in the waiting room to wait for 20 minutes to wait.  So then, after 20 minutes I went back into the hall and a different lady took me to a different machine and looked in my eyes for some reason, I don’t know why.  We went into the office and the doctor looked in my eyes and put more numbing in and then we went out and she gave us more drops to put in my eyes if they were feeling irritating or dry and then we set up my next appointment.  And then on the way home we got McDonald’s.  And then we went to Rite Aid and got some different drops that were to keep my eye from getting infected.  And then we got home and we put the drops we got at Rite Aid in my eye and then mom made me tell this entire story and that is what you might call the end.  I got to go to the bathroom.” (exits)

*name has been changed to protect the identity of the innocent.