Twiddle My Thumbs, Or.....

try to do something productive with my time while waiting for baby #6 to arrive. So after looking at this eye sore for awhile I decided it was time to replace my ancient wedding album. First of all, Sis. Angela made everyone these beautiful wedding albums as wedding gifts, years ago. I have thoroughly enjoyed the sentimentality of this handmade album that shows off my color choices for that special day.

I had black velvet with emerald green satin. At that time no one had made those color choices, and I remember when I first told my Dad that I wanted those colors he was NOT pleased. However, I persuaded him, and forevermore that turned in to our family colors. For instance, my Dad used those for his business colors later in life too. It made me quite happy to see him change his heart.....*smiling*

As you can see the album is dated, but still sentimental to me.
The main reason to overhaul it was because the album had been damaged through the years, and it was beginning to yellow my photos too. I knew it needed to be salvaged immediately or the pictures would be forever gone.



Here are a few of the pages that I have finished. I am sort of scrapbooking them, but on a very simple scale. The neat thing about this album is that I will have room to write down the history of that wonderful day. You know, who sang and who did what in all the photographs. It won't be just pictures anymore, but something that, even after I am gone, will tell our story. I love that idea!

This is the simple classic album that I will be using to replace my ornate one. It is a very different look, but the black fits the classic black velvet theme and I am pleased to be rejuvenating my wedding album.

She's Perfect!

Den walked in the door, after work, with the mail. I, actually, like going through it to see what has came that is fun. I know that sounds optimistic, but its such a treat when you see a little coupon, a magazine, or a little something that you weren't expecting. This day just ended up being a jackpot!

You see, on the bed was a little, yellow, paper covered, box. Immediately it caught my eye, and I couldn't get to it fast enough. I held the box and saw that it had the last name from the giver, yet continued to wonder what in the world it could be. I felt like a little girl who had just recieved a surprise in the mail on her birthday, except.......it wasn't my birthday. It wasn't any special occasion at all, so it truly was a surprise!

Rapidly, the paper fell by the wayside and I saw the box that lay underneath. It said "Willow" on it. I thought, quickly, could it be a "Willow figurine"? I, only, had one such figurine in their collection (Den bought it for me for our anniversary). Pretty soon the box and the styrofoam were strewn across my bed, and there it was; a beautiful figure of a pregnant woman. I just looked at it, carefully. I spun it around in my hands, and I ran my fingers across the carvings, all the while admiring it. Den was watching me too. He had a big smile on his face when I finally looked up remembering that I could/should be sharing this little moment with him too. I said, "I love it!" He took it from me, admired it, and he said that he loved it too.

So thank you Cherrie and Lee. You are so very thoughtful! It was exactly what I wanted and needed to add to my collection of sentimental figures that are placed in my living room, atop my armoire. My dad always said that when someone can find a special gift for someone that says, "You", then you have a very dear friend on your hands. This hits special right on the nose.

Foolproof

He must have a good wife.

How do you know if your razor is sharp? What is an easy and quick way to go about this? Well I seem to be a professional razor tester, so let me share my little tip with you.



1.) Step one:

Make sure you have your razors in either a dark drawer, overnight bag, or some other sort of area that hides the razor. This is the ONLY way that this tip will be foolproof. Trust me it works.



2.) Step two:

If you can forget that the razor is in the drawer, overnight bag, or the other dark location it's even better.



3.) Step three:

When testing your razors make sure its at a time that you are not actually looking for a razor, but maybe you are digging through the dark drawer, or overnight bag for chapstick, or some other blunt dull object. This way you are completely relaxed, and you are freely poking all areas of the space with your hand.



4.) Step four:

Just when you think you are close to the chapstick (or whatever item you choose to hunt for) place your index finger in a downward stiff position as to make sure that razor is able to make complete firm contact with your flesh.



5.) Step five:

Then just swipe wildly and even violently around head of razor, and if razor is sharp you will inevitably slice the flesh or even partial nail of downward pointing finger.



6.) Step six:

Once contact has been made, quickly and frantically yank finger back out of dark mysterious area, and howl in glee as the blood runs down finger. People may have the impression that you are in pain, but this is when you confidently share with whoever may be beside you that you are just celebrating the fact that you are now 100% sure that your razor is intensely sharp.



Conclusion:

This is what all good wives do to make sure that razors in the home are sharp and adequate enough to not cause husband bodily damage in the shower. ex: razor burn (what a shame that would be if he burned or chafed a little on his face because you were not responsible and prompt about testing all razors in home.) Be a good homemaker, don't let this happen to your husband!

2 Years Of Blogging

I have been blogging for 2 years now (well on the last day of January). It is so amazing to me that I started this on a whim; wanting to have a place to jot down my thoughts, or aspects of my life, and that I have kept up with it. I am so glad that I have. I have a horrible memory, and so this blog has been a great joy for me to go back through and reread. When I first began bloggging no one had even heard of it among my friends. I had done a little research on it, and I had joined boards for homeschooling, November babies, and such, but this was a place where I didnt know or care if anyone ever read a single entry, except me. I made sure that I put a counter on my blog just in case someone did stop by and didn't want to leave a comment, and I would smile when I saw the number jump from time to time. I found it intriguing that anyone would ever read MY blog....lol

Now a bunch of my friends are blogging. We read each others blogs and I have got a better feel for each of them, their families, and points of views. It has really broadened me. I feel like I share a lot through my blog, but surprisingly there are a lot of things that I still try to keep private.

Most surprisingly has been Den's reaction to my blog. He was so impressed that I knew what a blog was a couple years ago, and to see me stick to it has been a joy to him. Who knew? hehehe There are times that he comes home after reading one of my entries and it begins a conversation or a funny thought between us. He has been a great encourager and this has made my blog a little more special for me. I have thought about quitting, and I have even taken a break from time to time to reevaluate "why" I am blogging. However, each time I find my way back and feel the need to jot down more of where I am in life. I have discovered that my blog really has been for me, I would probably keep a journal on my computer if I didn't have this blog. Of course, I would get down to the nitty gritty more in a journal, but this is such a great way for me to share my thoughts, even though I am more careful.

So after looking at how much has changed in 2 years I am soooo thrilled that I have done this, and that I have these posts to remind me of our family history. Maybe someday, after all these posts have been printed down, put into a three ring binder, it will be a gift that I can give each son to remind them of where they came from, and exactly who their mom was on any given day, riding any given emotion.

Ahhhh Bubbles!

What does a jetted tub and aromatic bath soap make? HEAVEN! hehehe
I poured a little in to the tub while waiting for the hot steamy water to fill up. I got a few small bubbles at first. To be honest, it was a little disappointing in the beginning, but the smell was amazing, and I must admit I added a few more squeezes of soap for good measure. It wasn't until I hit the jets that the bubbles began to multiply like a wicked rash, only to realize that I wasn't in control any longer. I tried to shut the shower doors to contain them all, but soon I had to holler at Den to see the mess I had made.

When he first opened the shower door he chuckled. I just smiled back knowing he was thinking I was ridiculous...lol He ran to get the camera, and I had zero fears that anything would be showing underneath the mammoth amount of bubbles that was hiding my gigantic belly, so I cheesed it up. Of course, I regretted that Roman and Abram were no where to be found during my bathtime, because only a two and six year old could totally appreciate the possiblities that this amount of bubbles could bring. Oh well....I wasn't in mommy mode, I was supposed to be in "quiet, stress free, don't think about children" mode. Turning that mental switch off is hard to do sometimes.....but somehow.....we managed....hehehe

2007 Was Transforming

Den and I were thinking about the last nine months. We were counting our blessings and recognizing the changes in our lives. What a crazy 2007 we have had.

If you had told me in January of 2007 that we would move here, and that we would be starting anew I would have giggled and said, "You must be thinking of someone else."

I have thought about all the things that the Lord has showed me this year, and how many of those things have came to pass. I stand in awe of His power and His generosity.

We have six families in our church right now. Four of those families had to completely uproot themselves to come, and I am thrilled and humbled to see His will come to pass in just nine months. I know more is coming, and moving is not a little thing for a family. Therefore, I am grateful and in awe as He continues to show His power and His will.

To lay on my back and to feel/see life moving around in me is another large transformation. It is very clear that each one of my sons has been from the Lord, and this one is no different. I am finally ready to be a mom of six, and I am anxious to meet him and to add him to our family in every way. Last year, I wouldn't have thought we would have moved or that we would be adding a new child to our lives in only a years time. AMAZING!

The growth I have had to make is mind boggling to me. It hasn't been the easiest year of my life, but I have really enjoyed the fruits thereof. There were times I felt utterly exhausted, there were times I felt overwhelmed, and even times I felt lonely. The reverse side of that is that I have felt more comfortable with hospitality, watched others do the Lord's will (such a comfort to me), and have loved being "home" again. The range of emotions in the last year has taught me that each day is a new day that brings on new things. It's best to not always know what is exactly in your future, but to trust that God is going to see you through.

I would also say that Den and I's relationship has evolved. We have been grouchy at times with one another (a lot of changes), but for the most part I would have to say that I have fallen deeper in love with him. I respect him, not because he can do all things, but because he has a heart to serve the Lord. With this heart I will continue to follow him and try to be the best helpmeet I can be.

The changes I have seen in my older boys has been difficult. They are growing up. We have dealt with some difficult teen stages, but we have tried to take those opportunities to talk about the bigger picture for their lives. At times I felt like I was talking to a brick wall, but then the rainbow shines through and I can see that God's word is true, "Train them up in the way they shall go and they shall not depart from it." This verse is being put to the test for all of us, and I am thirilled with the outcome. The path is bumpy, but worthy.

Lastly, is that Den has had good labor for his hands. For the Lord to give Den the job that he has given him is humbling. He made a way for us in Washington, but we walked away from his more lucrative career when we felt called to move there. In doing so, we made many financial sacrifices, but the gains spiritually and relationshipwise far surpassed what we gave up. However, now we are back and the Lord is blessing us in other ways. Spiritually and relationshipwise it has been more challenging here. I have had to cling tighter to all that I know and believe, but the pay off has been very educational in my life, and I am thankful for the growth I have seen in us.

So to you, Happy New Year, and I hope that you take the time to reflect on your past year too. I will continue to count my blessings and pray that the Lord is in charge of this next year. I am sure that by this time next year, I will be just as surprised at the changes I will see.God keep me safe and focused on your will and not my own.

Just Another Day

6:00am Den heads out for work.

6:30am Roman is ready to get up and start the day.

7:00am Turn on fireplace, cartoons and start on some breakfast. (nothing fancy)

by 8:30am Done with all of our household chores and ready to start schoolwork with the boys.

9:00 am Receive a phone call for prayer.

10:00am Ask River to run to Starbucks while I am doing math at 3 different age levels. UGH.(Needed a nonfat/decaf/no whip/white mocha) He runs,
but has Isaiah and Andy go with him.

11:30am Finish getting around so that I can run some errands.

12ish Make a quick phone call to a sister who has been on my mind, and see if she is up for some plans later in the week.

Errands: Take Isaiah and Andy to the sporting goods store for new wrestling shoes and socks.

Run to the dollar store for wrapping paper for Roman's 2nd birthday gift.

Go to Target for diapers, magic erasers, and some clothes for Roman on clearance.

Hit Taco Bell for a quick lunch.

Go by Fred Meyer to order Roman's bday cake and buy the party items.


2:30pm Come home to Roman crying and wanting to go bye bye. River has hit his forehead

so hard on the laundry room shelf that he has quite the bruise. Make sure Isaiah

is getting around for his practice at 3pm. Fill out the birthday invitations, and

wrap gift for another birthday party we are attending on Friday evening.


3:00pm River, Isaiah, and Andy head out to the High School to drop Isaiah off for practice.

I love on Roman and grab some garlic flavored pretzels and sit on the couch with

Levi, Abram and Roman. We watch "John and Kate Plus Eight" that has been

recorded (Roman loves this show because of all the toddlers.) We eat and snuggle

in. The boys all run upstairs when they hear River and Andy get back. I watch

another 30 minute show.


3:30pm I feel the baby moving around in my tummy, just like clockwork. Love that!


4:00pm Call Den to see if he will be home in time to go with me and Isaiah to his sports physical.

He says yes. Yay!

4:15pm Begin this post.

4:45pm Den calls and asks me to be in the suburban when he pulls up in his truck. I dutifully obey..hehehe (we were running late.)

4:55pm Den has to run in to the gym to snag Isaiah from practice. I circle parking lot.

5:00pm Call clinic to say we are running 10 minutes late, thankfully not a problem.

5:10pm Find clinic and rush in. Fill out all the paperwork and wait. Talk to receptionist about homeschooling. So nice to hear that she is pro-homeschooling, and we have a nice long chat.

6:00pm Come home. Exchange Isaiah for Abram and Roman, who are very excited to go see their little friends.

6:40pm Arrive 10 minutes late, but thankfully dinner wasn't waiting on us. We visit with Bro. Matt, Sis. Tisha, Bro. JD, and Sis Sarah. The kids have a grand time!

9:15pm Load up boys and head for home. Den and I chat about our visit.

9:40pm Get home and see that the boys kept things picked up even though they fended for themselves for dinner. (Good boys!) Roman was exhausted and wanted to snuggle on the couch while we watched a little t.v. Isaiah came down to put him to bed for the night, and the rest of the boys turned in for the night too. Den and I laid exhausted on the couch together.

10:30pm We decided to hit the hay, although I was already drifting off. It was a good, productive and tiring day.


Break down a day for us. That would be fun to see!

I'm Gonna Do It!

It's time. I have decided to TRY this list thing out. I am NOT a list girl, and I have NEVER pretended to be. I think having a list for things is a great idea, but that would require you to stay on top of writing things down, periodically. You see, I do this mentally all the time, but it has always seemed like a hassle to, actually, WRITE it down. hehehe I used to make lists, but that was after I was already done with HALF of the list, just so I could scratch it off. So I realized that there was something VERY VERY wrong about that, and it was all about bringing me pleasure rather than any real purpose....lol

What has got me on this kick? Well its the groceries and such that have. I can no longer just depend on my boys to let me know when we are running low on something. For the most part this doesn't happen. It's more of letting me know when we are OUT, and this is almost always at the MOST inconvenient times. I have pleaded my case to the boys to explain that when they are out of dishwasher detergent I can not magically make it reappear. There is this journey I must take in a car, with some cash, and oh yeah I have to have TIME to make something reappear. Nonetheless, the boys are confident that I am a magician, and that I do have this secret ability. I hated to dash their dreams, or their confidence in me. I mean who knows what other powers they believe I have that help keep them in line, like "reading minds", "eyes in the back of my head", etc. So this has been a bubble that I have decided, cautiously, to burst, regardless of the other truths that they may discover about me....lol

So. the first thing I need to do is make a LIST (I can't believe I am saying this) of the main food items I absolutely have to have during the week to make meals. I am shocked by how much of certain foods I need, and rely upon; like chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, tomato sauce, etc. I cannot tell you how many times I will be in the middle of a meal and I have discovered I only have one can rather than the two, of something, that I need. Of course, I no longer begin food preparation without checking first, but even still it is discouraging to see that I don't have it and have to change dinner plans again. I just hate that!

The other thing we bought this weekend was a small chest freezer. It needed to be bought. Our inside freezer won't hold all the meat, fruit, and vegetables we need for an entire week, especially if we get the whim for a gallon or two of ice cream. Everything we eat is starting to look like we have to feed a village rather than a house of 5 boys (soon to be six?). I can't tell you how ready I am for this chest freezer to be put in place. It is still sitting in the back of our suburban. We sent River and Isaiah to go pick it up (teenage boys are so GRAND!). However, they didn't have time to unload it before they had to go pick Andy up (who is spending the week).

So that is my plan today. I am going on an organization binge. The boys have no idea. They are innocently doing their chores today thinking that they have some control of their afternoon. Oh little do they know that I am on one of my cleaning/organizing kicks. Poor helpless saps....hehehe

So I will take pictures of before and after to let you see my progress. Then I will keep you updated as to how this whole list thing holds up for me. I can always START something like this, but 6 weeks down the road is when it all falls apart. I see my weaknesses, but I am gonna try try again. WISH ME LUCK!

Town Cryer

"The Landlord is coming! The Landlord is coming!" said our town cryer. (That would be me.)

So what does this mean? Well it means that they are making their annual inspection of the inside and outside of our home, and everyone else on their list. I figure that our house has to be pretty good compared to some, but there is something about someone passing judgement on my house and my homemaking abilities that gets me running and all out of breath.

We have spot cleaned the carpet. We have put everything in its rightful place. The lawns have been meticulously mowed (Now when I say meticulously I REALLY mean a quick run through by Isaiah). Basically, instead of a Spring cleaning we are having a Fall cleaning. Too bad it doesn't last til Spring though. *sigh*

I figured that we can get the house in ship shape, but then things have to resume to normal working order today. (You see they have all day to JUST show up, don't you love that?) We have meals to fix, laundry to do, and school work to accomplish. So the landlord will just have to see the house lived in as well. Five boys and myself on both levels of the house will be difficult to avoid. Maybe that's a good thing. Maybe it will distract him from the little things I fear he is judging us on.

I am trying to think what is the worst thing that could happen. Could he give me a scolding? Slap my wrists for the boys' closet not being neat enough? (Nevermind River's he is such a perfectionist.) In fact, maybe I could lock the landlord in River's tidy little space and convince him that everyone elses room is just as particular. I think that may get me in a wee bit of trouble, so instead I will let him rummage the grounds and do what he has to do. I just don't know if he will be opening cupboards or what, and not knowing what to expect is the most difficult aspect for me. I want to come away with a gold star, or a brownie point, SOMETHING.......

Anyway, it won't matter how clean my house is if I don't get dressed. I have been so busy getting things in order that I just realized that I am still in Den's pajama bottoms, a tank top that it is giving sneak peeks of my pregnant belly when I am standing upright, my hair is sticking up, and my face needs washed. Somehow I think THAT may be his lasting impression of me if I don't hurry and clean up MY act. So wish me luck!

Sidenote: It was on the news today that a rental company (I'm sure it's ours) was doing their annual inspections of their homes yesterday, when they ran across two dead bodies. It was a murder/suicide in THIS neighborhood. YIKES! I can't imagine how the person who found the bodies must have felt. *Shudder to think* However, it certainly puts things in perspective as I am cleaning my house. I just keep saying, "How sad, what could have been so bad for someone to have done that?" Welp, at least they will be pleased to find that we are all amongst the living when they arrive at our little abode today. Can't beat that, right?

CRASHED

Hello All!! This is Mary. Trina has asked me to put up a quick post for her. She is sad to announce that her computer has caught a wicked virus and has CRASHED!! Not crashed as in a small glitch, but is officially DEAD. So at this point she is without any and all computer service, until her hero Den can come to her rescue and ours, and purchase her another computer. (Hurry Up Den!!) We are hoping she can take sneak peeks at friends homes or even the library, but until then....We won't be hearing much from her. (sniffles)

PrufeReeding

Okay, so I'm NOT good about rereading my comments. I cannot tell you how many times I will go back (after I have published it) and read something that I have typed that is off the wall. I cringe and yet I laugh. I don't know why I don't just slow down and proofread. I would be ALL over my boys for that with their schoolwork.

I am trying to do better though. When Mary was here I watched her triple proofread her beautiful eloquent comments before her index finger ever graced the publish button. She exclaimed that she could not understand why I was so hasty. Does she know me at ALL? I know that by me pointing out her error proof comments that this puts a little added strain on her perfected comments, but I am trying to stretch you Miss Mary.....Rofl!

The thing is what I type and what I am thinking are so polar opposites, some times, that even I am bewildered and wonder what I could have possibly been thinking....hehehe I am either borderline dyslexic or a genius. I prefer to think of myself as a genius, however. This is how I survive people. I am an optimist at heart!

The other thing I despise, and yes I said despise, are those blasted letters that you have to put at the bottom of some peoples blogs in order for your comment to show up. Are you kidding me? It takes me longer to get the wackadoooo letters in order than it does to rattle off my dyslexic comment! Yes, again, I could very carefully look at each letter and memorize the order of them, but HELLO I don't have all day!

So, the one thing I will say is that I love to type. I used to dream about typing when I was younger and just starting out on my keyboard love affair. I know I know.....a little appalling, but that is how my gray matter works. I love doing anything fast, and so typing was a high for me. *blushing from my bizarre confession* So when I get done typing up my post for the day, and I have done it in record time, with a 15 second proofread, and I hit that spell check button and it says, "What a beautiful non-error spelling piece of art, please post it you blogging genius!" I get all giddy! Okay okay...it doesn't actually say that, all it really says is "Done spellchecking" How weak is that?! I'm contemplating emailing Blogger about it. There should be a reward for such things! I need that sort of feedback!

So, in conclusion, if you see one of my comments or one of my posts that just doesn't make sense; ya know, there is some obscure word in there that lacks any kind of rhyme or reason, turn a blind eye to it. I do! Maybe I should make this a "Works for me Wednesday" post....

News Report

I am so excited right now! I was gathering all the important things for the over night case, when low and behold, what did I find in there? My camera!!

I actually gasped when I saw it laying there all innocently. I am so thrilled to be able to take pictures of all the little things that I call my life again. How I missed this most important piece of equipment is beyond me, after all, everything else had been removed from the bag. Do I dare question it? Absolutely not!

Yahoooooo!!

Where Is My Camera?

I can't find my camera! Oh whoa is me! I know that the last time I had it was at the Oregon Campout. I didn't manage to take one picture. Why? I have no idea! *shaking my head in complete disgust, at myself* Not that it matters now, and in fact, it could be looked at as a blessing since I would have felt like I lost all those little gems on my memory stick. What I do know is that when I was cleaning up the apartment, I made sure I had oodles of piles of stuff for the boys to dump in to the suburban, and one of them was my digital camera. I am (almost) positive that I didn't leave it on the shelf in that cabin/apartment, so what has happened to it?

Anyway, I miss it! I can't take any pictures of nonsensical things, or things of GREAT importance. My posts are lacking that special little something for my keepsake book. I wanted to write a post about my pathetic cherry tomatoes that give me one midget tomato a day, but to only write about the tragedy, and to not have a picture to prove my point, made the whole post moot.

So if any of you run across my digital camera that looks a little worse for wear, please send it my way. Even if it's NOT mine, send it my way anyhow, I promise to put it to good use......hehehe